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Lionhead: Fable 2 online co-op patch ready for day one
Lionhead announced today that the Fable 2 online co-op patch is locked and loaded on its end for day one of release -- now the developer just needs to get through Microsoft certification. This means when gamers try to enter Albion for the first time in their respective regions (beginning with North America October 21st), there should be a patch happily waiting to be downloaded.At least reviewers will now be able to test out the online co-op feature and give an informed opinion soon after. We'll raise a virtual pint down at the Cow and Corset with a friend when Fable 2 releases for Lionhead's hard work on resolving this issue.[Via X3F]
Molyneux: Fable II online co-op patch may make launch
Lionhead CEO Peter Molyneux is saying that Fable 2's online co-op could be available on launch day. Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog announced over the weekend that the feature would not be available at launch, but should be auto-patched in later, hopefully within a week.Speaking at a video game festival in Paris yesterday, Molyneux allegedly said that Fable 2 would include online co-op at launch, though clarified today that he could not confirm the timing, saying the team had an "ambition" for a day one patch. Having that wiggle room of a week would probably be best for Lionhead, but we're happy to take the online patch at launch too.
No online Create mode for LittleBigPlanet at launch
Unfortunately, we're starting Monday morning off with some slightly disheartening news. It has been revealed by the LittleBigPlanet community manager on the official US forums that four-player online co-op in the Create will not be available at the launch of the game. Instead it will be added in the "first major update after the game is released. Obviously there's no indication of when we'll be seeing that first update, but apparently Media Molecule is now hard at work on post-launch content, with emphasis squarely on four-player online creation.You'll still be able to create levels with three of your buddies at launch, they just have to be in the same room as you. Four-player online co-op will obviously be available out of the box too. There's still plenty to do (and be excited for) in the game, which should keep us busy until Media Molecule release the online Create patch.
2D Boy discuss World of Goo pricing, dates, paranoia
World of Goo has been a squishy blip on our radar for ages now, but development will be wrapped up soon. WiiWare World got a chance to chat with 2D Boy duo Ron Carmel and Kyle Gabler, who revealed that development for the U.S. version will be complete in September, and that they're hopeful the game will be released Stateside in late October. Oh, and it'll cost more than 1,000 Wii Points. Wait, what?So far, only Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King has dared to breach the 1,000 Wii Points mark, but Nintendo clearly thinks 2D Boy's gooey, beautiful puzzler is worth the extra pointage. On the bright side, North Americans won't be paying as much as Europe, where the game will be retail-only, cost €40 (£31), and has been delayed until Q1 2009. The European version will have a sixth chapter, however, one that takes place on the moon.Amongst all the new details to digest (also worth mentioning: the two-player co-op mode now accomodates four players), Gabler seems like he'll be relieved when the game is out of the door. "I like to hate the game as much as possible, and believe that it's ugly, with horrible gameplay, and that nobody will like it," he admitted. "If this were a human relationship, it would be very unhealthy, and World of Goo would cry a lot." Man, that brings back memories.%Gallery-16000%
GC 2008: Resident Evil 5 co-op clips
We feel terribly sorry for the first man to come waltzing down the stairs in this video. No doubt venturing into the kitchen for an early morning snack, he's suddenly confronted by two gun-toting interlopers. "Rubber bullet!" he screams, in the unrequited hope that the firearms pointed at him will spare his life. A moment later, he's shot by both. Simultaneously. Oh, who knew that co-op could be so cruel? Find the other perspective on the action after the break.
Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise to allow four player co-op garden editing over Xbox Live
The obsession began as most obsessions do -- with a simple observation. Perhaps it was the perfectly arranged row of tulips, or the masterfully grown monkeynut trees. Perhaps it was the stunning flock of Chewnicorn that resided in that breathtaking place. One is never sure of how or why these feeling develop, but the end result is always the same -- your neighbor's piñata garden is too beautiful to exist, and has to be razed. It must be returned to the loam from whence it sprung, its candy-filled inhabitants scattered to the sweet-smelling wind. Fortunately, word from Rare confirms that in addition to a slew of races and other contests, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise will indeed feature a four player co-op mode over Xbox Live, in which three players can enter and "edit" the host's garden. Players will have access to all the tools afforded them in the single-player mode, meaning you can use your trusty multi-purpose shovel to wreak a path of destruction through a friend's garden, carving a scar into its well-tended landscape. Or you could help them out, we guess. We're not really sure why anyone would want to do that, though.
See Call of Duty: World at War's co-op gameplay
Activision and Treyarch told us about their co-op multiplayer plans for Call of Duty: World at War following the game's unveiling back in June. Now they've put their promises into video form – although the roughly five minutes of footage is entirely focused on two-player action (the final game is pegged to support four-player teams through the entire campaign).So far it looks to be ... pretty standard fare. Still, with the historically high intensity of COD's firefights, it will be a huge plus to have as many as three buddies backing you up in battle. Also, as nice as co-op is, we're extremely eager to see what Treyarch is working on to (hopefully) out-do COD4's stellar competitive mutliplayer modes.
Joystiq E3 hands-on: Left 4 Dead
The zombie apocalypse is not funny. Modern civilization crumbles, your friends are eaten alive and those with a pulse are forced to adopt a rather rigorous and unrelenting exercise program, one largely motivated by the desire to stay alive. Shakily counting out your precious remaining bullets and praying that the snarling, undead legion won't find you huddling beneath a desk is hardly a situation worthy of a chuckle. It certainly isn't the basis for a fun party game."It is a fun party game, in a way," remarks Valve's Chet Faliszek. The fun party game in question, of course, is Left 4 Dead, a team-based shooter that actually makes Armageddon amusing. Don't get us wrong -- horrible, horrible things are happening to you and three friends. You're all fighting for your lives, living from room-to-room as you aggressively expend ammo, rummage for medical supplies and desperately try not to shoot each other in the back. Good times!%Gallery-26017%
E308: Resident Evil 5, online co-op confirmed, Friday the 13th launch: March 2009
After the controversy surrounding the game, we weren't sure just how Resident Evil 5 would turn out. First and foremost, online co-op is not only confirmed, but is confirmed to play a large role. Chris Redfield, working for his new organization, the VSAA, now has help from a female companion; also, possibly in response to the criticism, the enemies are noticeably more "zombie-ish." While the gameplay demonstration was cut short, it was also revealed that the game is set for a 2009 release date, and on Friday the 13th no less.
Diablo 3 to emphasize cooperation, PvP to be included
Whether calling it out for being too colorful or even too conservative, Diablo 3 naysayers have certainly not lacked for ammunition to sling at the action RPG since it was made all official like late last month. Now pessimists can add another rock to the pile, with Blizzard poster Bashiok writing on the official World of Warcraft forums that the Diablo 3 devs are working to discourage online skullduggery, and that multiplayer will focus primarily on cooperative play.Explained Bashiok, "We have a large focus on cooperative play for Diablo III, and the mechanics and design decisions related to multiplayer are likely going to be based on supporting and encouraging it as much as possible, and not breaking it down." However, PvP will apparently have its place in the game, as Bashiok baited forumers by adding, "That doesn't mean that PvP won't have its own focus, but those are details and features we aren't yet discussing." So for now it looks like PKers will need to find another outlet for their griefing ways, perhaps by venturing outside into the sunlight for a rousing game of Freeze Tag.
Call of Duty: World at War trailer really speaks to co-op gamers
Even though it was revealed earlier, a recent press release has confirmed co-op gameplay in the upcoming Call of Duty: World at War. While the other versions boast four-player online killfests, the Wii will have its own gimped "unique co-op mode for two players."It's not all downgrades for the Wii's World at War. Senior producer Noah Heller is confident in its capabilities, claiming "It's going to look better than any Wii game I've ever seen on the market." Also, despite the online and co-op changes, developer Treyarch says "For all intents and purposes it's the same game." Top stuff, because Call of Duty 3 wasn't entirely up to scratch.Hit that big play button up there to check out the debut trailer for World at War. Officially it's footage from the 360 and PS3 version, but since it's "the same game," the Wii shouldn't miss out on too many of the heart-beating battles in the above video.[Via press release]
Haze patch fixes online co-op
One of our biggest qualms about Haze , apart from the wasted potential of the story, was that its biggest selling point (four player online co-op) didn't work properly. Bizarre error messages asking people to install a non-existent patch would pop up and prevent friends from playing with each other. Incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, the patch seems to have been released yesterday. A 51MB download updates the game to version 1.04 and removes the nasty co-op glitches. The patch plays around with your save file, so that you have to start from the beginning of the last level you got to, but that's a negligible annoyance to suffer in return for finally being able to play with all your buddies. It's just a shame about the timing. With Metal Gear Solid 4 now out in all territories, we don't suspect Haze is going to get much of a look in for a while.
Call of Duty 5: World at War starts to surface
Call of Duty is one of the biggest names in gaming today, and the hard-fightin' adventures of World War II soldiers just keep coming, ready for twitchy trigger-fingers to blast some baddies. The Wii had a taste of the action with Call of Duty 3, even though it couldn't match the super-fine graphics featured on the other consoles.In development at Treyarch, Call of Duty 5: World at War is coming to all three consoles -- but this time, the Wii gets a bit more TLC. It's being developed by a separate team, although the graphics will be much more comparable between the different versions -- apparently running the COD4 engine on the Wii. That's no slouch, folks, as the COD4 engine was stunning.We can expect vehicle and squad-based additions to the multiplayer, along with ZOMG! a full co-op mode. That's pretty hardcore, because this isn't your church-picnic Call of Duty. Apparently, the setting will be far "grittier" than anything we've seen in the series thus far, which means plenty of grizzled soldiers standing around looking badass with cigarettes, simultaneously getting their violent on. This all goes down in the Pacific theatre of WWII, where hectic battles were commonplace.We want great games to be commonplace on the Wii, and COD5 is shaping up nicely. Stay tuned for more details as they arrive!
Prince of Persia co-op: 'possibility' being explored
In an upcoming interview with Videogaming247, Prince of Persia's "community development manager" Chris Easton apparently backtracks from producer Ben Mattes' assertion that there would be no co-op support, despite the clearly cooperative gameplay between the prince and Elika, his deadly new ally.Easton told the site, "There are no plans for co-op as of now, but we may explore the possibility" – which, according to our Noncommittal Marketing Speak to English dictionary, puts the chances of co-op being added into the game somewhere between "not happening" and "potentially not not happening." For what it's worth, Joystiq would like to throw its full support behind adding more gameplay options to highly anticipated games. We know that sounds radical, but that's just how we feel.%Gallery-23908%
Too Human video explains co-op mode
Microsoft just sent out a press release stating that a video showcasing Too Human's co-op mode is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Silicon Knights' president, Denis Dyack, and design director, Henry Sterchi, host the video and explain how the four-player two-player co-op will work.Of course, if you don't want to do the whole download thing, we've also conveniently placed the video after the break. Be prepared, it's almost 15 minutes long.
It takes two to Goo
Because we weren't already excited enough about dipping our fingers into World of Goo, 2D Boy has now confirmed that the WiiWare version will feature a rather lovely, exclusive feature: a two-player co-op mode that allows you and a sidekick to wield a Wiimote each and construct giant, gooey structures to your hearts' content. The news first hit the internetz via a 2D Boy newsletter, and the ever-helpful Ron Carmel confirmed it to us earlier today. Having tried the game ourselves, we can see how well such a mode would work. We're no closer to a release date yet, but we advise you set aside money for a second Wiimote and some Wii Points now. Oh yes, and if you're us, acquire a friend.%Gallery-16000%
Haze PSN demo hits in Europe, coming to US tomorrow
It's been a long time coming, but Ubisoft's Free Radical-developed shooter, Haze, has finally been given the demo treatment, with the publisher sending word that a single and multiplayer-flavored demo is now available over PSN in Europe and that the same hors d'oeuvre will make the rounds in the U.S. starting May 8. As if offering apology for Haze's numerous delays, the demo will include both a sampling of the game's single player campaign called "Salva Region," as well as "drop-in drop-out" co-op multiplayer for up to four players online or over a LAN, or with two players via split-screen. We're sure that there is some "coming out of the haze" joke to be made here, but honestly, after months of waiting we're simply all joked out.
From the Abyss, to North America
Remember From the Abyss, Sonic Powered's Secret of Mana-esque ARPG? The title debuted in Japan earlier this year to little fanfare, and it didn't seem to have much potential for a North American release. Publisher Aksys thought different, however, and has announced that it will be localizing From the Abyss for "Q4 2008." If Eco-Creatures, an environment-conscious RTS with hardly any mass appeal managed to find a home in the US, why shouldn't From the Abyss?As we discussed before, From the Abyss features a randomly generated world, capturable souls for stealing enemy techniques, and a two-player local co-op mode (separate dungeon, not main campaign). Hit the gallery below for screenshots from the Japanese release.%Gallery-12097%[Via press release]
Haze gets May demo, slightly earlier release
Haze's hazy path to becoming an actual, released game became a little more concrete today, with Ubisoft's announcement of a May PSN demo and yet another new release date for the somewhat issue-prone first-person shooter. Surprisingly enough, the new May 20 date is actually three days earlier than the previously "definite" May 23 release (though that may have applied to Europe only). It might not seem like much, but after more delays than we can count (not literally), any move in the other direction is a welcome announcement. Will this release date be the final one? As the Magic 8-Ball might say: "Outlook hazy, try again later."
Sierra and Radical Entertainment remove multiplayer from Prototype
Those who harbored desires to go on Crackdown-esque romps through New York City with a genetically mutated pal will undoubtedly be crushed to learn that developer Radical Entertainment and publisher Sierra have decided to scrap Prototype's multiplayer mode in order to encourage players to truly delve into the single-player storyline, and, more truthfully, so they could meet their original Fall 2008 launch window.Radical's Tim Bennison defended the decision in an interview with TeamXbox, hinting at a possibility of co-op functionality in post-release DLC, and confirming that "multiplayer will definitely be on the table from the start" when, should the game be well-received, it comes time for a sequel -- which we can only guess will be titled Reference Design, followed by the critically acclaimed Initial Model, and then the action-packed conclusion, Finished Product.
