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Superman Returns demo X-rays Marketplace [update 1]
It looks like Xbox Solution was right, as the Superman Returns demo is now available on Marketplace. Clocking in at just under a gig, it will take you some time to download. As we've said, we're cautiously optimistic about this game, so here's hoping the demo can fill those big red boots. We'll update you with impressions as soon as we get the chance.(By the way, we're aware of the Halo news. We're working on it. I promise.)Update: 360 Fanboy has just learned that this demo is currently unavailable to Silver members. Our condolences to you, because it's actually pretty good.
Video: Army of Two, co-op done best?
A new trailer is available for Army of Two, EA's co-op centered shooter. To its credit, Army of Two looks like it could bring some new twists to co-op gameplay. The interactions with team mates, such as back to back cover and dragging the wounded (who can still shoot), are particularly interesting. We also find it amusing that the game has all the trappings of a buddy comedy -- the only thing missing is Danny Glover. It's ironic that EA's Alain Tascan recently cited Gears of War for having zero innovation, as Army of Two will no doubt be judged against it. Considering Tascan is producing Army of Two, perhaps we can see the motives for his comments. Gears already does many of the things featured in this video, including moveable cover, and it has great co-op where good tactics are essential. The question is: does Army of Two do it better? Obviously we can't judge Army of Two before we've actually played it, but it's fun to speculate. Watch the video and join the discussion after the break.
EA exec says "better graphics are for losers"... not verbatim
I think we touched on this topic a long, long, long time ago. So long ago that I don't feel like searching the archives for a related link. Apologies, but it's probably better this way. Glenn Entis, senior VP of Electronic Arts, has stated that graphics are getting too much attention and that attention is being detracted from motion physics and gameplay mechanics. For example, he says, "it's hard to believe in a character that looks extremely lifelike if they don't move and behave in realistic ways." Isn't there a phrase for that? The plastic doll effect or something? Where a character looks incredibly real, but they end up being too shiny, or expressionless?We'll leave the Final Fantasy bashing aside. It could have just as easily been any other game. Plus, they did a pretty good job with it in XII. Anyway. Another issue is the fact that, even if facial features and motion capture are mastered, if the people voicing the characters are pretty low-quality actors, the performance will remain unconvincing. It's not one area that needs focusing on, then... it takes a lot of different qualities to create a truly compelling character. If you guys had to choose a single aspect of next-gen gaming to be worked on, what would you cast your vote for? Think it over.
Joystiq interviews Spore's Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker
On the first day of the Montreal International Game Summit, Chaim Gingold and Chris Hecker presented a keynote on the topic of "advanced prototyping," specifically as to how it pertains to Spore, the game that currently occupies their time over at EA/Maxis. The same talk, given at the 2006 Game Developers Conference, was rated higher than any other presentation, including Will Wright's, their boss's. Before the keynote, Joystiq had a chance to chat with both Chaim and Chris, and discuss their impetus for joining Maxis, the evolution of Spore, and the relationship between Maxis and EA.You're both at Maxis now. How did each of you get there?CHRIS HECKER: We both started full-time the same day, actually.CHAIM GINGOLD: Yeah. I was at Georgia Tech doing a masters program in integration design and technology, and there was a required internship over the summer. My advisor asked me "where are you going to work?" And I was like "I don't know." She was like "Didn't you have an interest in working with games?" and I was like "It would be fun to work with Will Wright, not that that would ever happen. That would be totally crazy." And then one day I got an e-mail from him, saying "We're looking for interns." And then an hour later I got an email back saying "You got it." And so I got the internship, and at the time there were like four or five people working on Spore. That sort of really small team, and I spent the summer working on that. Everyone was crunching on TSO [The Sims Online], and when I got done they asked me back, so I came back.When was that?CG: I've been there four, five years now.CH: So, I was working in indie games for, like, eight years, and my wife was basically paying the mortgage. She kinda had the high-powered, executive job. And then, we had a baby, and she decided: "Well, I'm quitting. It's your turn to actually work." And I was like "Uh-oh! I guess I'm going to have to make some money." Indie games don't pay that well.
EA exec disses Gears of War, Eurogamer pats back
Did EA Montreal GM Alain Tascan really believe he could get away with bad mouthing Gears of War for lacking innovation? Dude, c'mon, you work for EA; its bread n' butter is copy-pasting last year's game (and somehow making it worse in the process).The problem here is that 'innovation' is being tossed around as a magic substance that makes a game superior. But what is innovation? How do we measure it? Are Gears' cover-system tweaks innovative? We think so. How about its active reload minigame? Sure, we haven't seen that before. Aliens threatening human existence in a post-apocalyptic shooter? Of course not. But how would Tascan know that? By his own admission, he's never played the game.Aside: Tascan also bad mouthed reviewers for praising Gears. He did however applaud "two very brave UK-based journalists" who dealt Gears 8/10s -- sadly, low scores in the twisted world of games reviews. One of those outlets was Eurogamer, which picked up on Tascan's rant and used the incident to herald its own "brave" work with a link-back (in the original post; now edited). But once commenters created a stir, upset by Eurogamer's display of hubris, the site removed the link in an attempt to save face. Tsk tsk.
NFS Carbon developer diary video
IGN has posted a video developer diary for EA's upcoming racer Need For Speed Carbon. Obviously, being the Nintendo version of the multi-platform game, we care most about the controls. Understanding such, that is the focal point for the majority of the video. IGN doesn't allow their videos to be embedded, so you're going to have to go over there the old-fashioned way.[Thanks Marc!]
Electronics Arts announces many upcoming/future titles
Electronic Arts has gone on record... about its upcoming titles. Most importantly are two of their more high-profile games -- Crysis and Army of Two. Let us recall briefly that the former is a pretty crazy looking shooter for the PC (although they've gained quite an ego... and change their minds a lot) and the latter is the hotly anticipated co-op game for the PS3 and 360. These games are now slated for a fiscal year 2008 release (after this coming March of '07). So... if you're really pumped for these games, we apologize, but your waiting will have to continue a bit longer. EA's CFO, Warren Jensen, confirmed also many beloved franchises do indeed have sequels in the works. First up, Sims 3. Probably for fiscal of 2009, says the big man. Also, there's a Wii-specific (Wiicific?) Sims title also in the works. In the same vein, and not overdoing real-life simulation at all, is a Sims 2 Holiday Edition due out fairly soon for the PS3 -- hopefully this holiday season. Aside from Sims? Well, there's a SimCity coming up! Oh, and also another Lord of the Rings game and the next-gen realization of the over-hyped-but-still-decent Black. Well fellows, any of these really get you curious or anxious?
Superman demo flies to XBLM in two weeks
During an interview with the supervising producer of Superman Returns, Gamertag Radio unearthed some good news. Expect a demo of Superman Returns to hit Xbox Live Marketplace within a week of the game's release (November 20). It's only natural to have doubts about any Superman game, so it's nice that we'll have a chance to try before we fly (ba dum bum). Is there any chance that Superman Returns, by EA mind you, could break the Superman game curse? Expect to find out in two weeks. GTR's interview with the producer should be up later today. Be sure and check it out.
EA continues to exploit, charging $50 for Need for Speed unlockables
EA is determined to be the bully of Xbox Live Marketplace. Once again, the world's biggest games publisher is offering pay-don't-play content, inviting gamers to buy Need for Speed Carbon's unlockables.EA and Microsoft will argue that this is simply a matter of choice: choose to buy content; or choose to unlock content by playing. But this new set of choices defies our learned experience.Gamers want instant access to unlockables for all sorts of reasons (some are too busy to "earn" unlockables; some to lazy; others are inferior; and still others just have more fun when it's easy). There used to be a simple solution: cheat codes. But EA wants us to forget codes ever existed; wants to punish our wallets for not approaching its games with the Protestant ethic. All told, you'll burn an additional $49.25 if you want accelerated access to Carbon's goodies. Hey, you don't get to the top of the industry by offering handouts.See also:EA's premium ripoff: football tutorial videos on XBLMEA charging gamers to access unlockable contentEA charging twice for downloadable content
Newsflash: Superman game might not suck
We saw a new trailer for Superman Returns this morning and were stricken with strange thoughts. We were thinking, "Hey, that doesn't look that bad. Looks pretty fun, actually. It's a Superman game that might not suck. And it's made by EA. Wha?" We know, it was a very strange thought process, and one that is not likely to repeat itself. The most compelling thing about the trailer might actually be the music. Much like the recent Gears of War teaser, the music complemented the action very well.Still, there are other Superman trailers that don't look so hot. General gameplay trailers, for example, leave a lot to be desired. So, as a public service, we've embedded two videos after the break. The first is the slickly produced trailer, and the second is straight gameplay. Both of them were released this month, so these are from the same build.
EA charging twice for downloadable content [update 1]
It's hard to top the Madden tutorial scam, but EA appears to be trying. Downloading the "Level 4 Tommy Gun – Spectre Minigun" for The Godfather will set you back 100 Microsoft points ($1.25); actually getting to use the weapon will set you back $750,000 worth of in-game currency. Don't got $750,000? Don't worry. EA's got you.You can purchase $250,000 worth of Godfather bills for an additional 150 points ($1.50). Not a bad exchange rate, eh? (Sense our sarcasm?)Let's review: you buy the Spectre once with real money, and then again with virtual money. When you realize you don't have enough virtual money, you turn around and use more real money to buy more virtual money, so you can re-buy the gun you already bought with real money. Ain't that something?Update: To clarify, you can only purchase the $250,000 in-game currency download once ($50,000 & $100,000 downloads are also available for one-time purchase). What's most alarming is that EA removed the cheat code for money from the Xbox 360 version.
360 FIFA 07 not gimped?
In the latest Xbox.com newsletter, there's an interesting tidbit about FIFA 07. Readers may recall that the 360 "exclusive" next gen version of FIFA 07 was to feature only 1/4 of the leagues available to the current gen version. It would seem then, that Xbox.com and EA are at odds on this issue, as the newsletter plainly states:"...FIFA 07 returns to the highs and lows of club football. The fab franchise delivers complete authenticity with licences for all the world's top leagues, from over 20 nations." [Emphasis ours]Could this be true? Could EA actually not be screwing its next-gen fans? We checked the official FIFA site and it still shows only 7 leagues. What gives? Is Xbox.com unknowingly talking about the Xbox version? Frankly, we're betting that FIFA is still crippled, or worse, the remaining leagues will cost you MS Points.[Thanks, KineticOnline]
IGN editors fight to the death in Medal of Honor
Those jerks at IGN think they're all fancy, being allowed to play the upcoming PSP-exclusive Medal of Honor's massive 32-player Infrastructure multiplayer mode. Here's what they had to say:"It actually runs well with the maximum number of people playing. EA hosted a 32 player deathmatch event for members of the press recently to prove just that. The process of signing in and getting started is simple and relatively pain free."Unfair. I wanted to be part of their party too! Well, it looks like us gamers have a lot to look forward to. According to IGN, the game featured a respectable framerate and very little lag, even with 30+ players in the match. The server did fail once during the test, so hopefully, EA will be able to work out all the kinks before the game ships in less than two weeks.
Electronic Arts announces EA Replay feature details
Earlier today, we showed you a ridiculously long gameplay video for EA Replay's Syndicate title, and now Electronic Arts has released the game's features details.EA Replay will feature: Ad-hoc and head-to-head support for Budokan, Road Rash II and Mutant League Football; Mid-game saves that allow you to stop the action at any time; and Unlockable character collectable cards. While the collectable cards don't do a whole lot for me, I think the ad-hoc and mid-game save features are a very nice addition. However, would it be too much to ask for some infrastructure action?
Feel like skating? Us too/neither... first scans of SKATE
Electronic Arts... the grandfather of sports titles. They're moving into skateboarding now with SKATE. Danny Way, a respected individual in the art of skating upon a board, has opted to be the poster child for this game. If this game works out, Tony Hawk may finally cringe a little bit in his current monopoly on the franchise. SKATE boasts a physics-driven system instead of pre-animated moves. Sounds great on paper! Not much else to say for now -- check out the scans and think to yourself: would I skateboard, should injury not be inflicted upon my self? Philosophize!
Why gamers buy sequels
2old2play editorializes about sequels and why gamers keep buying them. Last year, EA released one all-new game among 25 sequels, which saved the company significant development costs on new titles. But the article makes an interesting guess about why gamers support a marketplace of sequels -- complicated controls.Some gamers like adapting skills from the previous generation to the next version of the game, rather than re-learning everything. We often overlook the value in that familiarity; many gamers don't have time to start over with all-new titles. (We, of course, spend all day playing games.)We always go back to the chicken-and-egg question of sequels -- are publishers producing sequels because gamers buy them, or are gamers buying them because they dominate the release lineup? [Via digg]
Crytek revises claim: Crysis could be ported
During Leipzig, Crytek senior game designer Bernd Diemer claimed Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were too weak to handle Crysis. Now, slightly down the totem pole, Crytek lead artist Michael Khaimzon is saying he's confident that Crysis could be ported. "I don't think there would be any problem to convert anything we work on to the next-gen consoles," Khaimzon told GamesIndustry.biz, adding, "[but] I don't know of any official plans to do so" (besides these).Forget Khaimzon's wishy-washy "don't know of any official plans" garble; EA, the publisher, doesn't want this to be a PC-only franchise. Crysis will wind up on 360 and PS3 (and probably Wii too), in one form or another, within a year. Just look at what's happened to Far Cry. Ubisoft has pimped the franchise like a mo'fo. Think EA's gonna miss out on an equally ripe opportunity -- and fall to second place? Nah, ain't gonna happen.
Ubisoft vows to beat EA
Ubisoft's epic scheme to take over the world -- or at least the gaming industry -- was revealed to the world when Reuters interviewed chief exec Laurent Detoc yesterday. Their dastardly plan? Become the world's numero uno game publisher.Yeah, as dastardly plans go, that one's pretty tame. But they're serious in their determination to avoid being snapped up by Electronic Arts. Gaming giant EA has been trying to take control of Ubisoft since late 2004. And what's Ubisoft's main weapon in their war? We are ... or more accurately, Wii. Ubi hopes to use their early support of the console and their strong launch lineup to fuel their upward mobility and continued independence. And while Ubisoft just keeps getting better and better, EA is struggling with their sports titles (and more) lately. While we're lately big fans of EA's efforts for the Wii, we may have to land on the side of Ubisoft in the event of a ground war. Let's pray it doesn't come to that. Can't we all just play along?[Via Joystiq]
Wii's Madden gives you the freedom to celebrate
One of the best things about the gaming community is that there's always someone around who reads things more closely than you do ... and there's always someone who picks out the fine details and airs them for the rest of us, who may be a little slow. Such was the case with 1UP's preview of Wii's Madden '07 and one eagle-eyed GAFfer who spotted this: "Of course, since celebration moves are also FreeMotion you might be inclined to get into them."The time that's been put into making the Wii version of Madden sync with the controller hasn't been lost on us -- it's suddenly become one of the most exciting titles for the system, in fact. But this, while not really important, is still ... how shall we say ... incredibly awesome. Time to start working on your touchdown dance. Just be wary of those celebration penalties. [Via NeoGAF]
Road Rash 1, 2, 3 EA Replay videos released
If you're like me and are a huge fan of compilations, there isn't a better time to be a PSP owner what with EA Replay, Sega Genesis Collection and Metal Slug Collection on the horizon. We've already seen several videos of games in Sega Genesis Collection, and now EA has released gameplay videos of Road Rash 1, 2 and 3. I can't wait to get my hands on this game. Road Rash is one of my favorite old-school games. However, I must admit I thought Skitchin' was a far more interesting game, and I wish it were included in this compilation. Oh well, I guess I'll hold out hope for it in EA Replayed Again. Check after the jump to see the other two videos.
