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See Call of Duty 3 in motion
Of all the sites on all of the internets, Gamepro has somehow managed to snag the first real time footage of Call of Duty 3. Now, before you wet yourself with excitement -- it's okay, it happens to the best of us -- realize that this video is tiny. That, and you will likely have to sit through an advertisement in order to watch it. Still, there are some nice things going on for those who care to look. The depth of field effect when zooming in is very nice. Also noticeable is seeing the muzzle flash from your gun reflect on the gun itself. I've always found war games to be sort of "samey," but COD3 has definitely got the look. No Coke ads in there, though.[Via Evil Avatar]
Nintendo Power updates
Nintendo Power, not quite the horribly biased mess it once was, has a few interesting bits of information for its readers this month. There's quite a bit of into after the jump, but here are some of the highlights: Call of Duty 3 is confirmed for launch. An interesting point discussed was how one will arm and detonate an explosive; instead of simply pressing a button, you'll go through the motions and perform the action yourself. The AI has been vastly improved, and the game is now less linear than the previous iterations. Rampage: Total Destruction will allow players the option of playing with the GCN controller or the Wiimote. (Take a hint, Zelda team!) There'll be 40 playable monsters and at least one new environment: Dallas. Time to get Cowboy-stompin'. Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam will have a Create-a-Skater mode that...wait...that isn't really news. Never mind. An interview with the team developing Trauma Center: Second Opinion states that the Wii version is less a "remake" than a "perfect vision" of the original game. Chapter 6 (the seven Sin missions, in the original DS version) will be entirely new, with a different ending. A second playable character will be introduced, and at least one new tool that sounds suspiciously like a defibrillator. Happy Friday!
The Automator lays it down for NBA 2K7
Amidst all the noise about Call of Duty 3 -- sweet graphics, new player actions, yada, yada, yada -- and NBA 2K7 -- individual jump shot animations for every NBA player, blah, blah, blah -- we almost missed the biggest news in the latest episode of Gamertag Radio. That's right, Dan the Automator is producing the soundtrack for NBA 2K7. Appropriately titled, Dan the Automator presents: 2K7, you can be sure the soundtrack will be very nice. Most people would recognize Dan's work from the first Gorillaz album. And just in case super slick producers don't tickle your fancy like they do ours, the podcast contains some nice tidbits about both Call of Duty 3 and NBA 2K7. So, go check it out.
The Xbox 360 summer showcase
Over the past couple of days here in New York City, Microsoft has been in town playing host to a few NYC game journos, giving us the opportunity to test drive all the latest titles you'll be seeing soon and even some peripherals, like the Xbox 360 camera.The games I'll talk about are Gears of War, The World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions, Dead Rising, Call of Duty 3, NBA 2K7, WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw, and Tony Hawk's Project 8. Check out my impressions after the break.
Activision slip-up points to October Wii release
Informants come in many shapes, sizes and trenchcoats, but those who approach us under a veil of secrecy and threaten to bend our limbs in unnatural ways should we reveal their identities are usually the best ones. Claiming to work for an independent video game site on a distant continent, our latest informant (we'll call him Mr. Informant Fronzel Neekburm) lends even more weight to the ongoing theory that the Nintendo Wii launches in October. At this point, said theory could probably kill a passerby if dropped from a balcony.Fronzel explains that his outlet received a detailed release schedule from Activision, one that listed Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam with an October release, followed by Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Call of Duty 3 in November. Shortly afterwards, a hasty re-issue dropped in his inbox, with the only alteration being to the Wii release dates -- they'd been replaced with a more vague "Upon Wii launch." Had Mr. Neekburm just witnessed Activision in a drunken stumble, grabbing and pulling back a velvet curtain in an attempt to avoid an unpleasant impact with the floor?Both documents were forwarded to us and we were able to ascertain that the last person to modify the second document is part of Activision's international media relations team. The presence of LucasArts titles on the list had us puzzled for a bit, but it turns out that Activision publishes George's games in certain territories. The last question in need of an answer, of course, is "would Activision already know the launch date?" Considering that they're working on a highly publicized launch title, we're going to go with "yes."Admittedly, that part is pure speculation. Activision may have just been eradicating a date they pulled from the ether, for fear of people getting the wrong idea and writing deeply entertaining, mercilessly captivating blog posts about it. We'll let you know if we hear anything else.Note: In the picture above, we edited the spreadsheet a bit in order to highlight the relevant information. [Thanks, uh, Fronzel!]
COD3 gets a date and new screens
Now that we know when the 360 version of Call of Duty will be released --and that it will be identical to the PS3 version, snicker, snicker -- why not celebrate with some new screens? If screens don't do it for you, how about a movie (or two, or three)? War may be hell, but it sure sells a lot of video games. [Thanks, Matt T.]
360 games top the rental charts
Gamasutra has posted the 10 most requested games from Gamefly this week, and the list leans heavily toward our favorite curvy, white box. A full five of the top spots are occupied by 360 exclusives (six if you count the 360 version of BFMEII). Xboxic has gone to the trouble of making a numbered list, which I will politely steal utilize: Chromehounds (360 exclusive) Prey (360/PC) Over G Fighters (360 exclusive) LotR: Battle for Middle Earth 2 (360 version) Dead Rising (360 exclusive) NCAA Football 2007 (multi) Hitman: Blood Money (multi) Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PS2) Gears of War (360 exclusive) Call of Duty 3 (PC/next-gen) Look at that list for a second. Notice anything? That's right, four 360 exclusives that haven't even been released -- Chromehounds, Prey, Dead Rising, and Gears of War -- are in the top 10. That means these games are more requested than games people could actually be playing right now. Crazy, no?
Next Call of Duty answered, previewed
If the mention of World War II still compels you to go about shooting things (typically Nazis) from a first-person perspective, you'd best check out 1Up's weeklong feature that promises to detail every pixel, polygon and private that constitutes the upcoming Call of Duty 3. Taking over from Infinity Ward, developer Treyarch is keen on capitalizing on next-gen technology and the creative freedoms it provides -- with any luck, that means we'll actually be able to open doors in this one. Oh well, we suppose loads of on-screen enemies and trampled blades of grass are just as useful.The screenshots and video provided are enough to convince us of the game's technical gravitas, but we're quite interested in the Wii version and how it looks to take advantage of the unique control system. A small blurb in the first part of the preview suggests how, while at the same time suggesting that the other two versions of the game are the main focus here. "The Wii version, in development outside Treyarch, shows some potential to bring the player into the game during the Battle Actions in a way the PS3 and 360 won't be able to. Actually wrestling with a German for his gun or actually disarming that explosive are things only the Wii will let you do this gen."Battle actions are Call of Duty's answer to Shenmue's Quick Timer Events. At certain points during the game, you're required to press certain buttons in order to escape a cinematic struggle or situation. Failure is likely to result in far more unpleasantness than getting smacked in the head by some Japanese kid's soccerball. These sound particularly intriguing if done correctly for the Wii and should make up for some of its inevitable graphical shortcomings. Even then, we have to wonder how long it'll take before we grow tired of crawling through trenches and taking out tanks. Is World War II the new Hoth?[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
New Call of Duty 3 details highlight immersive environments [update 1]
'MaK10' over on the SteakNBJ forums has posted a rough transcription of new details of Call of Duty 3, which were taken from a recent article in EGM. According to the post, Treyarch is focused on crafting immersive environments, adding new effects like: Interactive foliage (e.g. grass remains flattened when walked over) Scorch marks left from grenades Surface-specific reactions to bullets Destructible cover Wind-altered smoke (from smoke grenades) Smoke clinging to tanks Bullets manipulating smoke clouds There's a tendency to write off the hardware power of Xbox 360 and PS3 as simply creating 'prettier graphics.' But that hardware allows developers to build realism into physical environments, which in turn, greatly enhances player immersion. It's hard to imagine that these improved environmental effects will be carried over into the Wii version of COD3. With that said, let's turn back to yesterday's topic, and ask a new question. What's more critical for player immersion: real world physical movements (i.e. the Wiimote's motion-controlled functionality) or in-game environments that not only look realistic, but exhibit realistic occurrences (e.g. interactive foliage, wind-altered smoke, etc.)?Update: corrected developer (Treyarch not Infinity Ward).
Wii Call of Duty 3 readies for frontline
Digitalbattle.com has posted a magazine scan of two images of Call of Duty 3 for Wii. 'Impressive' is the early (fanboy) consensus, as these still shots convey the look of a highly polished Xbox -- not Xbox 360 -- game. Of course, as the magazine notes, Wii COD3 "won't look as snazzy as it does on ... Xbox 360 and PS3."To make up for the Wii version's shortcomings, Treyarch is working hard to implement the Wiimote's accelerometer and position-pointing technology. A fair trade? You decide: when it comes to a WWII epic, would you prefer pointin'-n-clickin' through dated scenery or storming those 'drop-dead' gorgeous beaches with the ol' gamepad?[Thanks, Tom]
First Call of Duty 3 image [update 1]
The first image of Call of Duty 3 has begun making rounds on the web. As expected, the shot features some stunning details, from the rendered water, to the billowing smoke, to the debris flying from the exploding building. Of course, it's difficult to know what the final game will look like, considering it's being developed for a variety of different platforms. Interestingly, there are no plans to release this next Call of Duty installment on the PC.(Update: Activision has requested that we remove their image, writing that it was "not approved for online use" and that they're in the "process of asking all sites to pull it down." They do offer a conciliatory note: "We'll have plenty of screens to share soon enough." Until then, check out the trailer for 24 screenshots per second. All real-time, right fellas?)
Call of Duty 3 announced; leak confirmed [update 1]
Call of Duty 3's just been confirmed, and it looks like we were right on the money with our early leak of the WWII-related game.Back in early March, we printed the following information (and a whole lot more) on the focus of an upcoming sequel: "'CoD 3' ... is being produced by Big Red One dev Treyarch. ... The next Call of Duty World War II-based title will return gamers to the battlefields of Normandy as the Allies take on Nazi Germany to drive them out of France once and for all. This time around, American and British forces are joined by Canadian troops, Polish tanks, and French freedom fighters in a reenactment of the bloody Normandy Breakout campaign spearheaded during the summer of 1944. In the push to Paris, you'll get to choose how you approach each mission, free of menu screens and jarring non-interactive cut-scenes."Here's what IGN quoted from Activision for the announcement yesterday: "Through the eyes of four Allied soldiers, Call of Duty 3 brings players closer to the fury of combat as they fight through the Normandy Breakout, the harrowing offensive that liberated Paris and changed the fate of the world. Developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty 3 is the follow up to the #1 next-generation game and is scheduled for a 2006 release." Fingering the developer and the setting? Not too shabby -- while Joystiq pats itself on the back.Check out the IGN trailer below for a first-person look somewhat reminiscent of the FPS sequence in the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer from TGS. At the end of the "official E3 teaser" trailer, a number of platforms are listed, with the major manufacturers (including a small "Nintendo Revolution" in text) and publisher/developer combo listed. We suspect that versions for the PC and possibly the current-gen consoles will be covered with ports as well. Now all we have to do is wait for the word on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. (Infinity Ward, we're looking at you!) More info obviously hitting at E3.[Thanks, icemorebutts, jason, & Hiro Protagonist][Update 1: Had to fix a verb. Thanks, Hiro Protagonist, John Q, & Jiiiiihad!]See also: Official E3 teaser trailer for Call of Duty 3 Next Call of Duty leaked: Modern Warfare tackles terrorists Rumor: Call of Duty joining the Revolution Kojima interacts in real-time with MGS4 trailer at TGS
