Dave (Blogsmith, old)

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Stories By Dave (Blogsmith, old)

  • Eidos' Crossfire is now Conflict: Denied Ops

    Originally announced at last years X06 under the name Crossfire, Eidos has issued a new release on the upcoming co-operative shooter, now known as Conflict: Denied Ops. If that name sounds familiar, that's because the developer, Pivotal Games, can't seem to release anything without the "conflict" moniker. Conflict will be sporting two-player co-op play with the ability to switch between squad mates for more advanced maneuvers. Nowhere in the press release is the word "online" ever connected to "co-op," but it's due out in 2008 and, quite frankly, we don't think anyone will accept any less.

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  • SimCity announced for the DS in Japan

    Japanese gaming mag Famitsu brings word that the late great city builder SimCity is making an appearance on the DS. Called SimCity DS, this handheld version is based on the PC's SimCity 3000. The game is said to feature "full stylus-based controls, mini games and a new adviser character who helps you out when designing your city."There will be three modes to play: Build a New City, Save the City and Sister City. It seems that the Sister City mode could possibly take advantage of Nintendo's Wi-Fi Network as you'll be able to chat with other players and trade landmarks. No other official or U.S. announcement has been made, but according to Famitsu, the game will be released sometime in the winter in Japan. We hope it doesn't take too long for it to make the jump stateside.

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  • Peter Molyneux wants to change combat in games

    During a Leipzig GCDC briefing, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux laid out some ideas on how to change the way combat games work. According to Eurogamer, Molyneux said combat games have the same issues among them, in that they are all about the same thing: hit points, weapons don't do much damage and the environments mean nothing.Molyneux proposed that fighting in games should be more like the combat seen in films (using Kill Bill as an example). He said that game developers "do not treat a sword like a real thing; it's like a big squashy thing. And that's not what we want to present, or what Hollywood presents as combat." He said that he'd like to see more one-hit kills instead. Molyneux also pointed out that he'd like to see more one-button moves, saying that "around 80 percent of people use one button anyway." He said one button should do different things depending on the context.According to 1UP, Molyneux was also critical of motion-sensing controls being used in combat (referring to, but not specifically mentioning the Wii): "I realized, when I looked at myself in the mirror, I actually looked really stupid. Even with nothing in my hand, I get tired very, very quickly. I think motion-sensitivity is very, very useful, but I think the obvious way of doing it -- unless you're dealing with a 15 to 20 minute experience at most of actually being hugely physical -- is not where the opportunity lies here."[Update: Added video of Molyneux's presentation after the break.]

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  • Hitman creators working on new IP: Kane and Lynch: Dead Men

    In case you don't own the August issue of Game Informer, Eidos let it be known today that the twisted minds of the Hitman franchise were currently working on a new game called Kane and Lynch: Dead Men -- which will see a 2007 launch for the Xbox 360 and PC. Game Informer described the game as "basically a third-person action game ... with a full co-op play option, intuitive squad tactics, and a hearty online multiplayer component." Only two images have been released thus far, but by the sound and look of it, it seems to be a game much like the anticipated Army of Two by Electronic Arts. We love the idea of Army of Two, so the fact that others are thinking along the same lines is quite a bonus. Check out the other image after the break.

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  • Toshiba man hints at internal HD-DVD 360

    Assuming the mouthpiece behind this piece of chatter, we'll have to take this all with a grain of salt. However, IT Wire in Australia has spoken with Mark Whittard, general manager of Toshiba's Information Systems Division in Australia, about the possibility of an internal HD-DVD drive making it into next generations of the Xbox 360 before the end of the year. He is quoted as saying:"The Xbox [360] is coming out with an HD-DVD player towards the end of this year. ... I would imagine that there are plans in place to put an HD-DVD drive internally in future revisions of the product. They're not speaking about it publicly at the moment but I would expect them to do that and fairly soon."It can be hard to imagine this becoming a reality, unless production costs are reduced dramatically sometime soon. Considering the flack Sony and the PlayStation 3 have received as far as pricing with their costly Blu-ray drive included, to have the 360 price stay the same or even inch a bit higher wouldn't be the most prudent business decision. Besides, who really needs an HD-DVD player anyway?[Thanks, James, via Eurogamer][Update: GameDaily Biz spoke with an unnamed Microsoft exec who said what Toshiba's Whittard is saying simply isn't true. They quote him as saying: "We feel that offering the drive externally is the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high definition experiences. We have no plans to release the Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD drive."]

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  • Diesel meets Hitman

    Nope, there hasn't been some tragic attempt on Vin's life. Rather he has signed on to play Agent 47 in the movie version of Hitman. Having mulled it over for a few minutes, this is a pretty good bit of casting. Sure, Vin isn't the greatest actor around, but he's A) bald, and B) suitably badass enough to pull this off. I mean for all it's problems, XXX wasn't bad. *crickets chirping* Plus, if stories are to be believed, Vin is a big gamer, so hopefully he won't want to see the game license messed up. There's also a good possibility that Vin will also become the face and voice of Agent 47 in future games.

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  • Prey game shot splashes onto PCGamer

    If you doubted that Prey is back from the dead, you may start believing now. The game will get a front-and-center showing on this month's PCGamer magazine (available in early May). The shot, "taken from the game", looks like Doom 3 with actual lighting. Pretty stuff. If you're headed to E3 this year, you should check it out. It'll be showing at an ATI Theater, three miles south of the Nvidia Circus. The 3D Realms game is currently scheduled for 2006, but could slip to 2017. I kid!

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  • Dragons Lair returns from the dead once again

    Yet another iteration of the classic arcade game, Dragons Lair, is about to hit the shelves. The new version promises the following: -Relive the arcade experience with this All-New Adventure. -New, State-of-the-Art graphics with Toon Shading technology. -All the excitement of the original, with new levels, and characters. -Three new Bonus Scenes, playable after defeating the Evil Wizard. -Forty-three Levels and Nine exciting Boss Battles await you! -DVD Bonus: Art Gallery with never before seen images from Don Bluth Studios. -DVD Bonus: Includes the complete Christopher Stone Dragon's Lair soundtrack. The link includes info on the game, as well as a demo download. Enjoy, all you old farts out there.

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  • Spider-man 2 for GBA shots revealed

    These are the first screenies we've seen for the upcoming GBA Spider-man 2 game. Looks a hell of a lot like the last Spider-man game. Could it be they're resting on their laurels? Considering the most recent GBA film franchise game that was worth a damn was Ecks vs. Sever, it's fair to say expectations are low for this title. But, funny enough, it will sell like nuts.

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