Nick Doerr
Articles by Nick Doerr
Dark Void: a year off and no multiplayer in sight
When Joystiq attended the Captivate '08 event, they expected Dark Void to hit shelves a little sooner than Capcom planned. Sadly, Capcom announced the game is still about a year off. This isn't really bad news, since the early version of the game is incredibly eye-catching. Check out Joystiq's hand-on post to see exactly what they thought of it.Also of note was the announcement that the game will not feature any multiplayer aspects. Kraig Kujawa, director of design with Capcom US said they "explored it, but there are so many huge features in this game, we really wanted to focus on making the most kick-ass single player features possible." He goes on to say they had a multiplayer mode up and running, but could tell the game would merit more from the "million innovative things that we're doing that haven't been done before and we have to get those right in the single-player experience." We'll see how things shape up over the next year, then.Hit the jump for another Dark Void video straight from Capcom's Captivate 08 event.
Footage of Home version 0.8.6 revives some hope
Online Videos by Veoh.comA lot of the hype and hope surrounding Home has dissipated after the latest delay, but the developers are still hard at work and it's starting to show. This video is fairly lengthy -- 10 minutes -- and shows off the latest build the game has to offer. This video features the newly added Media and Events space. They're actually pretty cool. Dare we say, cool enough to offer a glimmer of excitement? You decide.
Improvements abound in FIFA '09
Another year, another round of sports games. Usually regarded as rehashes with slight tweaks, every so often one of the annual sports titles gets a significant makeover. For 2009, that title appears to be FIFA '09 out of the Electronic Arts office ('06 is pictured). GamesMaster magazine published an article about the title, boasting 250 improvements made to the game including responsiveness and a revamped collision system. The responsiveness is improved by allowing "quicker release of the ball, greater urgency in the off-the-ball running, a new jostle system that takes into account the strength of the players when going shoulder to shoulder and subtle animations that enable players to take first-time shots." The collision system calculates speed, weight, and power as characters collide; each player has unique stats. If you get hit hard in your standing leg, the tackled player may not be able to continue playing that game. If you're just clipped, your character will probably be all right. So, for those who've wanted these things changed, there you go.
Yoko Shimomura anticipates no musical limitations on PS3
While most of this interview with Yoko Shimomura is regarding the release of the Drammatica album, an orchestral compilation of 20 years of Shimomura's games (Kingdom Hearts, Seiken Densetsu, etc), there's a stint at the end which really shows the potential the PS3 has for allowing composers to really dish out some serious musical numbers.After talking a bit about utilizing streaming as a means to create more complex musical numbers (and noting how things like the Nintendo DS require more clever ways to create excellent music, but stating that can be fun, too), Shimomura said that "with the PlayStation 2, sound production was mainly based on the internal sound chip, not streaming, so it was a constant battle with memory and limitations, such as the number of sound channels. With the PlayStation 3, I'm expecting to have it sound the way I please, without limitations." So rest assured, any Square Enix titles on the PS3 will have, as always, impressive soundtracks. Now without limitations thanks to streaming.
Some worries put to eternal rest in Silent Hill Homecoming interview
An exclusive interview was snagged by SilentHill5.net with the game's lead designer over at Double Helix, Jason Allen. Since this is more of a fansite than anything else, the questions are actually geared toward easing the thoughts of longtime Silent Hill fans -- which means the questions are probably what you want to hear answers to. Our summary, naturally, will cover the answers as well.While the game appears action-oriented, the developers have focused primarily on the signature atmosphere of the series. However, Double Helix was asked to create the game to appeal to a larger audience and they felt a revamped fighting system would assist in that regard. This change may also be felt with the puzzles -- they're a more seamless experience now, instead of moving to a static screen with a puzzle, they will be viewed in a more seamless manner (that's probably easier to see than explain).The game is trying to remain true to its roots. The developers understand people's hesitations and have done several things to keep the game in-line with its roots: the text, map system, sounds, picking up notes and other items has remained the same as ever. Difficulty settings will exist for the game, but they will not have an option for puzzle difficulty. They hope people realize they've kept the heart of the game alive and the magic is still there. There are more questions to go over, like boss battles, objectives, and item management. However, they didn't really give any valuable answers to them, so we'll leave checking those out to you. We'll remain cautiously optimistic about this game, but our anticipation is growing.
Scream your own Kamehameha in this DBZ: Burst Limit ad
If you've been looking for some DragonBall Z: Burst Limit gameplay, this is probably not the video for you. There's only thirty seconds of your favorite characters beating each other into oblivion. It's awesome, naturally, but the first half of the video focuses on the world utilizing Goku's kamehameha in their own worlds. It's entertaining. We're sure the game is, too.
PS3 Poll Police: Another firmware rumor, another poll
The Poll Police were off on a quest to protect and serve at a wedding last week, so consider yourselves off the hook for any unnecessary polling shenanigans. This week, however, we have a new issue to ask your opinion on – and by new, we mean something we've heard over and over again. A new firmware is on the horizon and with it, rumors of its contents. We've heard in-game XMB access, 2-D trophies on the XMB, murmurs of Blu-ray movie playability on the PSP, and more. None of it is confirmed and most of it is heresay, but there seems to be a lot of faith in this round of firmware rumors. What's your take? The firmware 2.40 rumors... Are credible this time. I believe them. Are the same as always; rumors that may or may not be true. Are sheer poppycock and will disappoint many gamers. I've got a different opinion ... or none at all. pollcode.com free polls Personally, we're feeling pretty good about this one. The firmware is supposedly scheduled to hit at or before the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4, so the timing would be rather convenient – a flagship PlayStation title with some sought-after features launching right with it. Sounds good, but is it too good to be true? Give us two weeks. Last week's poll results are after the cut, also.
Rumor: Konami asking reviewers to omit things from Metal Gear reviews?
It's just a rumor, but we thought it would be interesting to see if anyone else had noticed what MTV Multiplayer has been made aware of. Sure, initial Metal Gear Solid 4 reviews are glowing, but did Konami have a hand in limiting what could be said about the game? Apparently, Konami has asked initial reviews to neglect mentioning install times and cut scene length when grading the title. Probably out of fear they would be seen as negatives and detract from the game's score. But some reviews mentioned them anyway. An install time would probably detract from the score slightly, but cut scene length is really more of the reviewer's opinion anyway. If we could sit through the Xenosaga titles, we're sure MGS4 will be easy enough to handle. Then again, if you're used to Counterstrike, it might be rather irritating. Who knows if this is true or not, but when you're reading reviews for the game over the next few weeks, keep your eyes peeled for mentions of install times and cut scene lengths.
Yep, Shiki-tei is indeed a garden simulator for the PS3
Don't be confused by our snarky subject line. The garden simulator for the PS3, titled Shiki-tei (four seasons garden), goes on sale on the PlayStation Network at the end of June for approximately 1,600 yen. It probably won't leave Japan, but just in case we'll tell you a little about it.You plant a garden. It's a very relaxing game where you can plant flowers, trees, place stones and more until you get your perfect garden to stare at and relax with. When it's finished, you can watch cherry blossoms fall and listen to whatever music you've got on the PS3. It's basically a "Create-Your-Own" music visualizer. You can also snap pictures of your garden and share them with friends. Garden trading card game? Bring it on. There will probably be add-on items to purchase for the game, but as SiliconEra put it, this would benefit more as an expansion to the apartment creation aspect of PlayStation Home.
Activision gears up to invade the BAJA racing circuit as well
THQ recently announced it's going to make a racing game based off of the Baja 1000 race. They aptly named the game BAJA. Now, Activision has entered the arena, demanding a piece of the Baja pie as well. Their game, titled SCORE International Baja 1000, is certainly more of a mouthful, but has more in common with Motorstorm than one may initially think.Over 90 vehicles ranging from motorbikes to trucks grace the game along with realistic dirt and damage modeling. It certainly sounds like Motorstorm, although the real Baja race has been going on for a lot longer than videogames. In any case, this autumn you'll get to choose between Motorstorm 2, BAJA, and now SCORE IB1k. We tried to shorten it. We failed.
Street Fighter IV online mode, exclusive characters confirmed
It seems the home console versions of Street Fighter IV are going to be where it's at. Japan's Famitsu magazine squeezed the information out of the game's producer, Yoshinori Ono, in a recent interview. The console versions will allow you to play against friends via online modes as well as add in some console-exclusive characters. We aren't sure if this means "console specific" like Soul Calibur IV, but some of the exclusive characters have recently been confirmed as Dan and Fei Long. Oh, Dan. You are so very weird. There's also a list of five new characters up on Famitsu, but these aren't console-specific characters, we don't think.
Namco Bandai revives Splatterhouse for 2009
Click for high-resolution image.Bamco Namdai, er, Namco Bandai has recently announced the resurrection of their horror franchise called Splatterhouse. It was initially a "gross-out" style of horror. Lots of dismemberments, large doses of blood for no real reason ... you know. B-movie stuff. A new title in the franchise is set to hit in 2009, boasting a storyline crafted by comic book writer Gordon Rennie. The premise? Boy seeks kidnapped girlfriend, finds mask that gives him power, violence/hilarity ensues. We presume.Your tools of destruction are your bare fists, initially. A dynamic combat system will let you take out enemies in a number of different ways -- then you can use their limbs as weapons. Or make some weapons on your own out of whatever's around the area. You can revive defeated demons to help you solve puzzles as well as assist in destruction (slightly nostalgic feeling towards Chaos Legion).The gore is updated now, too. If you're overrun by enemies, expect your limbs and skin to fly off, exposing internal organs. Sound meaty? Call upon the power of your mask (insert " Smmmmokin' " reference here) to bring your flesh back to your body in real-time. We'll stay cautiously optimistic, but these types of games normally fall flat on execution. Lookin' at you, Nightmare Creatures 2. Should've been more like the first.%Gallery-24053%
PS3 EndWar may support PlayStation Eye
A few people have been asking why more games haven't included support for the PlayStation Eye, especially when it was being touted as the greatest little camera a videogame console had ever seen. Well, something to that extent, anyway. Seems the folks in charge of Tom Clancy's latest gaming foray, EndWar, want to utilize it. Content director Julian Geright said: "Maybe we're going to have some PlayStation Eye stuff, but that all depends on whether we can slip it past Microsoft. I might not be able to talk about this just yet..." That almost sounds evil.As for the launch between the 360 and PS3 versions, the former is going smoothly but there are a few points that need polishing on the PS3's end. The PS3 version is still for want of a better anti-aliasing solution that won't cost them three frames per second, but otherwise, the two will launch with the same specs. We'll keep an 'eye' out for more information. Aren't we just hilarious?
Home video re-creates the PlayStation Day experience
Since the online life simulator is inching closer to a release (centimeter-ing, perhaps), we thought it'd be dandy to show off a new video that acts as a virtual re-creation of what happened at PlayStation Day over in Europe. Really, not much has changed as far as the game itself is concerned, but it's still Home and it's still in progress. It exists and it will get released. We promise.
Fallout 3 using HDD smartly -- no upfront install
Bethesda sat down with our big brother site, Joystiq, and spoke a little bit about Fallout 3. As many people know, it's pretty much customary for developers to slap a giant mandatory install onto our PS3 titles. It's mildly annoying if you don't have a big hard drive. Bethesda echoes these sentiments and as such, have declared that the PS3 version of Fallout 3 will not have any upfront install whatsoever.Pete Hines, marketing man for Bethesda, confirmed this and then went on to say "that doesn't mean we don't use the hard drive, just that it does it in the background as opposed to a large, upfront install." The game will require an estimated 4-5 GBs of space, similar to Oblivion, though. So even without a large install, you'll have to make sure you've got adequate free space to let the game work its magic.[via Joystiq]
Stringer: PS3 no longer on life support
Sometimes it's interesting to get a peek behind the curtain at some of your favorite multinational conglomerates -- in this case, Sony. In a fit of honesty, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer commented that while Sony is not yet out of market troubles, it is on the right track. After commenting on closing their 5% margins, Stringer described the situation as "... a sort of sense of, we're climbing up the mountain. We're nowhere near the top, but we're halfway up... The level of competence is growing, which is the main thing."The PS3 was quoted as "sort of on life support before" but things have changed considerably thanks to Blu-ray and the PlayStation Network. Stringer knows that Sony is also supporting digital distribution, but doesn't see optical media being tossed aside for another ten years. To close with an analogy of the PS3 and Sony's current standing, Stringer said that it is "a giant department store competing with companies that are really skillful boutiques." Sounds fair enough. Good to know the PS3 is doing better in Sony's eyes, but what about yours?[via Gamasutra]
Another Oddworld title confirmed by creator
Co-founder of Inhabitants and one of the creators of the Oddworld universe, Lorne Lanning, has confirmed a new Oddworld title to be in development, but remains tight-lipped on any sort of details. the boss of Maxis, Jeff Braun, let this news slip last week in a speech, so it's nice to get a solid confirmation at last. There's not much else to say, really. There's a new game in development with graphics apparently comparable to an animated movie, the two guys are working together on it, but anything else is a complete mystery. We'll keep looking for more info, but until then, discuss what sort of collaboration could result from these two. Sim-Oddworld, perhaps?
Chevy Camaro hugs the corners in this GRID video
Racing games are a dime a dozen nowadays. What makes an impressive title stand out? Is it the physics, the courses, the car selection, the destruction? Who knows for sure, but we can safely say that GRID is easily an impressive game to check out as this video demonstrates. A lot of you have already tried the demo, but this shows off how well the game is progressing. We'll keep an eye open for this one.
Rise of the Argonauts to be unlike other action-RPGs
If there was one thing we should have learned from classic games like Contra or Bushido Blade, it's that bullets and swords hurt. Bad. Rise of the Argonauts is continuing this train of thought, says the game's director, Ed Del Castillo. Gamespot sat down for a Q&A session, so we're going to do what we do and summarize the important points for those interested in this game.This isn't a true recreation of the classic Greek myth. Jason is off to find the fleece not because he was commanded to, but to resurrect his wife. So expect a lot of internal reflections about love and commitment. The game is an action-RPG, but without hit points or layers of menus. It's ... an action game, but role-playing. As such, there's no HUD to display (although you can turn it on in the options menu if you really need to). To save you from any spoilers, they list a couple of the special moves you can unlock in the game -- they sound pretty vicious. Kratos would be pleased.The game progresses differently based on what god you choose to follow: different skills appear and certain enemies will be more or less difficult to destroy. The game needs to be executed well, obviously, because the ambition felt by the developers is rather large. We'll keep looking for more info because if done right, this could be a nice addition to the PS3 library.
White Knight Chronicles magazine screenshot bonanza
It's been a long time since we've seen or heard anything regarding Level 5's upcoming RPG, White Knight Chronicles (the "chronicles" moniker seems popular for this generation of RPG's, really). However, Jeremiah at PS3 Forums slapped up a ton of scans from magazines in pretty excellent resolutions. Our grammar has taken a vacation because our minds are twisted in horrid ways from thinking about this game. A lot of the scans seems old, many of the pictures we've probably posted before, but just in case these are updated screens (we think the above image is showing off the improved graphics, but aren't sure) or a new page here or there, we're bringing them to your attention. Let's hope this game pops up at E3 or TGS later this year.