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The challenges of being Sony's PR man
Dave Karraker has quite possibly the roughest job of any PR director in SCEA history. Having come to the company only two months before the tumultuous PS3 launch, Karraker had quite an insurmountable task to face: combat the growing negativity surrounding the PlayStation brand and convince a questioning populace the value of an expensive $600 console. In an interview with GamePro, Karraker admits the job isn't easy. However, he thinks that the console's future success is nearly guaranteed: "I am pretty sure if you asked just about any real gamer out there if they would like to have a PS3, their answer would be a resounding 'Yes!'"Negative perceptions of PS3 can be seen within our own comments section, where Xbox advocates preach about the so-called downfall of Sony. This kind of attitude seems self-perpetuating on the internet, especially when internet media incorporates the negative spin into their reporting: "I think a lot of this goes back to the proliferation of the Internet, where a very vocal minority can make a lot of noise and potentially alter perceptions of the masses, whether they are accurate or not. A lot of this, naturally, is driven by the media who seem focused on taking swipes at us lately, without taking in the full picture."So what can Sony and Karraker do to help gamers start understanding Sony's approach to the next generation of gaming? The games and hardware should speak for themselves. "A lot of the perceptions are not justified and seem fueled by people who don't have all the facts or have some kind of axe to grind. I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who wouldn't say PS3 is an amazing piece of technology."
PLAYSTATION Network to become "overwhelming" soon
Jack Tretton is a man of big promises. Although his claims may be boisterous at times, we can't help but join in his excitement for the future of PS3. Sure, we've heard the song and dance before: PS3 is a system of potential. As the system continues to grow, it will offer and more and more. For example, the PLAYSTATION Network is going to expand. In a recent interview with GamePro, Tretton reveals that the system will become so expansive, "almost to the point of being overwhelming."The Network will not only feature downloadable on-demand movies, but it will also have a vast supply of games as well. "We have 41 games in development devoted to the Network, not just talking about PSone games being enabled. We're talking about games developed specifically for the PS3."So when is it going to happen? "So, really it will happen this fall ... we'll get there well before the holiday timeframe. Every month you'll just see more and more content on there it'll get to the point where it's be really rich by September. And I think that will be timed really nicely with the advent of Home as well."
E for All expo ticket prices set
Though mention of Gamepro's E for All Expo may prompt you to envision a discreet gathering of drug dealers or a wild party where people bash each other over the head with giant foam letters, the truth is that entertainment will be the only thing being distributed. With Nintendo acting as a "flagship" for the October event, many expect it to replace the glitz and clamor of E3, with the exception of it being open to all. All with at least $50 in hand, of course.Speaking to Gamespot last week, IDG World Expo vice president and show organizer, Mary Dolaher, revealed the exact pricing of the different entry tickets. How Mary Dolahers many dollars are you expected to part with, exactly? Single day tickets for Thursday and Friday will set you back $50, whereas single day tickets for the weekend go for $75. A four-day pass is set at $110. Though the precise scope of industry support for the expo has yet to be seen, there are probably more terrible ways to spend $50 in a day. The E For All Expo will run in Los Angeles from 18 October to 21 October, with general admission tickets going on sale in June.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Love to hate you baby: Gaming's public enemies
Talking about things in the industry that the public love to hate, there are a few things that float right to the top. Games.net published their list of the obvious members of this "love to hate" club and go into some detail about how they can turn the hate around. The honored members are: Sony EA ESRB Gamestop Gamepro Magazine Xbox Live Marketplace The ESRB being on this list is a little awkward. The ratings board is actually a defense against legislation within the industry. It's also far more open and obvious than the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system. The marketplace also makes an odd appearance due to their recent gaming drought, but that's got nothing to do with loving to hate. The other members of this group have a history of hate; let's hope they turn it around.
MGS4 creator wants to develop on 360
In a recent interview with GamePro, Metal Gear Solid creator, Hideo Kojima, intimated that he wants to develop for the Xbox 360. When asked about the possibility of developing for the Xbox 360, Kojima states that he is interested in the idea, and notes that the 360 is selling very well in areas outside of Japan (in other words, 360=Money). Kojima also says that he's a fan of Gears of War (wonder what his Gamertag is ... BigBoss69 maybe?). Adding fuel to the undying rumor-fire that is Metal Gear Sold 4 on the 360, Kojima uses interesting wording regarding the game, "MGS4 is only for the PS3 so far."Did you see that? "So far." In PR terms, that leaves many windows open for Metal Gear Solid 4 to appear on other platforms. Granted, it's not an assurance that it will happen, but as hungry fanboys, we'll take what we can get.[Via Joystiq]
GamePro Family attempts ESRB v2.0
GamePro Family birthed on the interwebs recently and is GamePro's second attempt at getting parents informed about the types of games their kids play or want them to buy. GamePro launched a magazine in the early '90s for parents called PlayRight -- it failed. A PlayRight column survived in GamePro magazine until 2004. GamePro Family seems to be another incarnation of PlayRight, with GamePro management, once again, trying to do the right thing and teach parents about gaming.The problem is that the ESRB is already there to do "the right thing." Would the GamePro management please wake-up and put some money and effort into their flagship publication? Maybe management thinks this is some kind of PR/marketing effort and if parents go to GamePro Family, instead of the ESRB's website which has a full blown ad campaign backing it, that parents will want to subscribe to GamePro for their children? That idea sounds utterly convoluted, but why else do this PR based website in the era of the ESRB? [Via GameSetWatch]
GamePro's Reviews Editor admits error
On the heels of 1UP's retraction of an editorially awkward review, we've been handed a similarly awkward GamePro review of Sega Genesis Collection. Website seganerds.com points out numerous issues in detail. The review's writer spells "Echo the Dolphin" incorrectly (it's Ecco) and calls it "B-grade," even though Ecco the Dolphin is generally considered one of the best games released on Genesis. The reviewer says Sega, "clearly scraped the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to beef up the number of titles." Although there is some padding, 19 of the 28 games on the disc are recognizable. He also says, "If Sega really wanted this compilation to matter, it should have included hits like Road Rash [and] Contra." But the rights to those games belong to EA and Konami. Under normal circumstances, we would say this was due to a lack of editorial oversight but, sadly, this review was written by GamePro's Reviews Editor Tae Kim, who teases in his profile, "I know everything."To add insult to injury, there was a significant advertisement buy from Sega on the GamePro site promoting the Sega Genesis Collection. It's bad enough to an advertiser when their game gets a bad review, but if you're going to talk smack about a title, please spell the name of their game correctly ... at least we can be sure they weren't paid off for the review.Tae Kim contacted Joystiq to explain the review. He starts off by saying that the "I know everything" comment is meant as a joke. He admits errors were made and will be corrected immediately. He says he is fully aware that Road Rash and Contra are not Sega titles and his original article included a line on how they should have tried through licensing to include the games. Kim concludes, "Mistakes do happen over the course of editing and I should have exercised better judgment in the choice of my words and should have worked harder to make sure everything was copy edited, a mistake I will try not to make in the future."
Californians can celebrate Veteran's Day with Medal of Honor
If you live near Alameda, CA, you may want to check out GamePro's Medal of Honor: Heroes tournament. You don't need to have a copy of this well-reviewed PSP-exclusive WWII FPS, but you do need to bring your system. All participants will get a free copy of the game and a t-shirt, making this event totally worth your time. If you're able to survive the 32-player multiplayer matches, and make it to the end of the tournament, you'll find yourself winning a subscription to GamePro (boo!), Shure E2-cn earphones (yay!), and more. If you're interested, head over to the registration page.
Downloadable Zelda content -- in the future
GamePro is reporting that George Harrison, Senior VP at Nintendo, says they're looking forward to offering "downloadable content, such as additional levels" with Zelda: Twilight Princess.However, there are no current plans to offer a "post-release online component" and it doesn't look like there is anything in the works. According to Harrison, "I haven't heard of anything yet. I think everyone is still busy trying to make sure the game gets out correctly."Now, all we can hope is that Zelda doesn't become the Wii's Oblivion ... or [fill in EA game here] with dubious downloadable content. Please Nintendo, even the most jaded gamer has love for Zelda, don't ruin it by microtransactioning us to death.
Fans rejoice as GamePro takes up the E3 slack
Buck up, gamers - the bastion of E3 may be lost to the annals of time, but media giant International Data Group is stepping in to pick up the slack. They've jumped through the hoops and signed the papers, and it's official -- E3 will be reborn as the GamePro Expo, presumably named for GamePro magazine, which IDG publishes.The best news of all? The GamePro Expo will showcase all aspects of the industry. It's not all about the business anymore; the post-E3 expo will feature live competitions as well as all the tradeshow goodness we've come to love over the years. Of course, we're keeping fingers crossed behind our backs, as it's awfully early to pin our hopes on an amorphous future show. But if all goes as planned, we'll see you in L.A. next October.[Via Joystiq]
Metareview: Death Jr 2
Death Jr. gets a bit more attention than it may deserve, simply because it was the first PSP game ever to be shown. We were wowed by its impressive non-GBA quality graphics, but when we got our hands on the original, we were a little underwhelmed by its gameplay. The sequel was supposed to fix the problems of the original game, but it appears that the critics are still a little negative on this franchise. Maybe they focused too much on the tech? Let's find out: IGN (71/100) wants to believe in the franchise, but they end up disappointed: "The game is still sloppy in execution despite its best qualities -- it's time for DJ to grow up and scythe straight. The story again makes little sense, despite some funny sequences, and it feels short with only three bosses and little to revisit stages for on your second play." Games Radar (60/100) fails to find any originality in the gameplay: "You know that game where you run around and hit things repeatedly? It's the same one with floating platforms, simple combos and a camera that almost gets it - ringing any bells yet? Oh wait, that's practically every third-person run-and-jump game made in the last eight or nine years, and even though it's a marked improvement over the original, Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil still falls squarely in the "pretty OK" department." GamePro (80/100) loves the game, more than GTA: "Death Jr. 2 is definitely a game that works for those of you who just love hacking at things. Levels spawn swarms of enemies with complex AI that keep coming at you unless you attack their regeneration area. The creative randomness of the enemies is delightful. After all, not too many games have llamas, chickens, hamsters, gorillas, possessed trees, gigantic centipedes, and mechanical spiders going for you all at once.." There's a pretty wide range of opinions on this game so far, but one thing's clear: this game is much better than the original. But does that say much? The game is now available.
GamePro's magazine for parents circa 1993
Once upon a time there was a magazine to teach parents what video games are really like called PlayRight, but like a news station that only reports good news, it had the half-life of a housefly. A subscription-only magazine lasting four issues from 1993-1994, PlayRight was created by the editors of GamePro as "the first video game publication written expressly for parents."PlayRight's rise and fall is chronicled in Kevin Gifford's "Game Mag Weaseling" on GameSetWatch. After the magazine collapsed, a PlayRight column lived on in GamePro magazine until 2004. Gifford assumes due to shrinking page counts at the magazine the column was cut.Certainly on the surface, PlayRight was a sincere effort by the best video game magazine at the time to create some good PR for the industry. Sadly, good PR doesn't help if nobody is paying attention to you anymore -- that's when you need marketing, or to be owned lock, stock and barrel by a national video game retail outlet like Game Informer.
Metareview: Loco Roco
The last time PSP Fanboy did a Metareview, it covered another one of my most-wanted games: Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins. It didn't fare too well, with the critics bashing its much-too-high level of difficulty. Garnering only a 73 average, many felt a little disappointed, myself included. [Andrew's note: the game is pretty damn good, but then again, one of my favorite games last generation was Ikaruga.] The other game I've been obsessing over, Loco Roco, has just been released and although it got some poor initial reviews from Gamespot and a nine year old girl, the critics seem to be in agreement that Loco Roco will make you cucoo for Cocoa Puffs. Here are excerpts from the critics: IGN (90/100) - "You'll discover playing Loco Roco is a lot like eating candy, only without the stomachache after an overdose. That sounds absurd but it really gets the point across. It's vibrant, cheery and serves no other point than to make you smile. But, like candy, Loco Roco also ends sooner than you want it to end." The New York Times (90/100) - "With imaginative levels on snowy landscapes or inside whales, Loco Roco uses charm and simplicity of design to create something near perfection. But it's a small perfection, charming in its childlike whimsy but as insubstantial as a summer breeze." GamePro (60/100) - "So much of LocoRoco is so clever and original that it's almost perplexing when it stops being any fun. The fun does run out, though, long before the game is over -- in that sense, the experiment has to be called a failure." Well, it looks like the people of GamePro don't like candy. But, the rest of us can be proud of Loco Roco's impressive 84 average from the critics.
First-ever GTA: Vice City Stories screenshots
GTA: Vice City Stories is a game that's so important, that we're willing to do box art stories on it. Every single morsel of info that trickles down to us seems so very precious. Well, it appears that the Australian version of GamePro has a cover story on Vice City Stories, and thanks to the beauty of the Internet, all of us can share in the details: The game takes place two years before PS2's Vice City: 1984. The game will feature multiplayer, similar to Liberty City Stories. VCS is "much bigger than Vice City." Helicopters now join the list of usable vehicles! Unlike Tony, you won't drown instantly in water: you can swim! New weather effects, including hurricanes. Better graphics: more crowded streets, better animation, greater draw distance, more variety of character models. I have to admit, just thinking about all these features makes me giddy with anticipation. You can read more at PSP Hacks, and then check out screenshots here.
Listmania redux: greatest moments in gaming
We thought we had pretty much covered everything with our Top 10 of gaming Top 10 lists, but now GamePro has gone and compiled their "55 Greatest Moments in Gaming". I suppose we could whittle that down to a top 10, but then there would be a lot of great gaming moments left out, such as my personal fav, Adventure (#43). I fondly remember this Atari 2600 classic from my younger dragon slaying days. Nothing was scarier than entering the white castle for the first time, only to find Rhindle the red duck/dragon waiting to ambush your little green dot (make sure you've got the arrow pointed at him!).So how did GamePro do?See also: The 10 greatest years in video games
Ubi director makes interesting comment about Red Steel local multiplayer
While covering Red Steel during an interview with Ubisoft's creative director Nicolas Eypert, Gamepro managed to squeeze an interesting comment from the Ubi director. This interesting tidbit, reads:"[You'll] have up to four players. If they play together in split screens we can only say that the fight will not be only on screen."So what could this mean, exactly? Are we reading too much into an innocent comment or is he just teasing us about future aspects of the game yet to be announced?[Via Joystiq]
These aren't the releases you're looking for
The recently-leaked list of upcoming titles from the house that Rainbow Six built first appeared via Gamepro.com and later was denied by Ubi (and even later denied by Gamepro). Thankfully it has made its way to Eurogamer where the inclusion of some supposedly upcoming Revolution titles caused a stir here at Revolution Fanboy HQ. Some of these titles include: - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 5 - Rayman 4 - Brothers in Arms 3 - Assassin - Ninja TurtlesSo is this an Ubi slip-up or a complete fallacy?
