god of war
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Get a 1,000 hit combo in God of War 3 the easy way
Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy. Check out the (rather cheap) strategies after the break. [Via N4G]
Peruse the God of War copyright infringement judgment
The Hollywood Reporter has uploaded the 27-page judgment [PDF link] in the God of War copyright infringement case. The case was already revealed as dismissed last week, but the full document bestows all the gritty details upon us mortals. In her summary, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel notes, "An examination of articulable similarities between the plot, themes, dialogue, mood, settings, pace, characters and sequence of events of God of War and plaintiffs' works reveals far less similarity than would be required to overcome summary judgment, even if plaintiffs had proven access. Plaintiffs have pointed to no persuasive similarity in dialogue or narration that would suggest actual copying." Reading the entire decision reveals that Sony was on the money with its original assertion that alleged similarities were "inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted and/or misleading."
God of War III launch trailer reveals violent tendencies of the PS3
There are a lot of totally awesome things in the God of War III launch trailer above: skydiving demigods, mountain-sized Titans, giant blue scorpions, and, of course, everyone's favorite chained antihero, Kratos -- to name a few. However, we'd like to specifically highlight the bit of PS3 marketing that ends all commercials for Sony-published games. This time around, it brags that the console only does "vengeance," "rage" and "everything," in that order. We're imagining a scenario in which a Best Buy shopper asks a friendly sales clerk which gaming system would be the most appropriate for his kids ... and which one would be capable of "doing vengeance" on his in-laws.
Kratos offers some 'Sex Therapy' in X-Play music video
Real or not, this God of War music video is absolutely hilarious. Set to Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy," the music video made its premiere on X-Play tonight. We've learned two things from watching this clip: 1) Kratos' character design looks ridiculous outside of the game's context and 2) Kratos should never, ever show his "softer" side. Too bad this video isn't going to be used by Sony for promotional purposes. As revealed by this behind-the-scenes video, it's a rather elaborate experiment conducted by G4. It is quite possibly the greatest thing the network has ever done, and deserves a look after the break.
Blizzard: "How would we bring WoW to the console?"
Sadly, the ultimate answer appears to be "very reluctantly" but it's an interesting read anyway. J. Allen Brack talks to G4 about WoW, consoles, and the barriers to entry for an MMO. The usual suspects apply, of course. WoW was designed for keyboards, consoles tend to have a short lifespan compared to the development time of a MMO, and WoW currently takes up about 15gb worth of memory while consoles like an XBox 360 have at most 20gb worth of hard drive space without buying any additions. This is no surprise, of course... they've said all this before. What I really found interesting was that this is supposedly something they think about a lot. "In the case of WoW, we talk about it all the time." I'm the curious sort, so I find myself wondering why, given all the reasons Brack himself lists. Personally, I'd love to see a single player Warcraft property of some sort for consoles, perhaps a God of War style action game or even a Dragon Age/Mass Effect hybrid RPG. And who knows, perhaps Blizzard will come up with a way to do it despite their laundry list of reasons why they won't, they've surprised me before.
God of War copyright suit dismissed, Jaffe reveals document
Game developer David Jaffe has posted on his personal blog what appears to be a dismissal notice of a 2008 lawsuit against him and Sony over God of War. There is no further explanation given, so unless Jaffe is starting some obtuse alternate reality game, we'll take the document at face value. The lawsuit was an alleged copyright infringement claim, filed by a pair of plaintiffs who had submitted a screenplay entitled Olympiad to Sony Pictures in 2002. At the time, they claimed there were several similarities between their work and God of War. Sony called the alleged similarities "inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted and/or misleading." Apparently a judge in the northern district court of California agreed. [Via Kotaku]
God of War 3 'right within budget' -- a $44 million budget
Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments. Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the price is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough. %Gallery-44594% [Via Edge]
Review: God of War III
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/god-of-war-3-review/'; You know how Kratos' battle against the gods of Olympus is known for its massive, insane action sequences spread throughout? Well, some genius (or likely several geniuses) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio had the brilliant idea of making a whole game just out of those incredible moments. It was rare that I went 15 minutes without my jaw dropping at the immense size, stunning beauty or sheer creativity of the set piece I was now scaling or destroying. I'm willing to agree that God of War III is just "God of War HD," provided that "HD" stands for "Holy Shit." %Gallery-44594%
Download an MP3 from the official God of War III soundtrack
Like good, sane people, our friends at AOL Radio are huge fans of God of War. They've not only managed to add the entire God of War III original soundtrack to the Video Games Score station, but they're also giving away a free downloadable MP3 from the upcoming PS3 game. "Brothers of Blood," composed by Cris Velasco, has everything you'd expect from a God of War instrumental track: a brass-heavy orchestral score with dramatic choral singing. Should you want your morning commute to get a little more vengeance-y, head over to the AOL Radio blog to download the MP3 onto your favorite MP3 player.
Kratos talks fashion in GameStop God of War 3 video
You've got to hand it to those PlayStation and GameStop marketing people: They know how to speak our language. Take note, wannabees: If you've got an exclusive God of War III outfit to show off, you could show Kratos flipping out and killing people in it. But why do that when you could show him having a polite conversation with a mythological beast about his ensemble choice? Why indeed. Fun fact: Kratos has more dialog in this trailer than in God of War I and II combined. It's true!
God of War: Blood and Metal for $1.99
$2 isn't much to ask for when delivering something one can really bang his (or her!) head to -- and you can nab God of War: Blood and Metal for that price right now. Featuring six different previously detailed artists, this particular mixture of metal madness celebrates God of War III and will be included in the Ultimate Edition box set. Of course, you probably already knew that, considering you already built a shrine around your pre-order receipt. We really like the crimson candles, by the way. Nice touch. [Via VG247]
Kratos' Blade of Chaos up for sale, some strings attached
We know that there are a few cutlery enthusiasts out there who read that headline and immediately clicked the source link to purchase Kratos' Blade of Chaos from retailer BUDK. Before you do so, you should take into account a few facts: Kratos' weapons are being sold piecemeal on the site, so that $123.99 price tag only represents the cost of a single Blade. What's the point of having a single Blade of Chaos? Unless you're ironically cosplaying as Amputee Kratos, you're going to need two, so you should mentally jack that price up to $247.98. Replica swords are dangerous. Replica swords that you attach to your wrists with chains and then swing around like a madman are extremely dangerous.
'Revenge Starts Here' in European God of War III TV ad
Although it commanded a large presence at E3, Sony has been otherwise quiet about God of War III. With the game's release only weeks away, Sony has opened the floodgates, revealing new footage, highlighting new levels, and most importantly, advertising the game on TV. The European markets are treated to an ad which simply states "Revenge Starts Here." The ad doesn't need a gimmick: it simply relies on real-time footage of the game. Check it out after the break. [Via TheSixthAxis]
Interview: John Hight, God of War III director of product development
John Hight runs Sony's Santa Monica studio and oversees the entire God of War 3 team. He makes sure that everyone is happy, that the game is going to ship on time, and that it's going to be something you'll want to play. Read on to learn more from him about the the future of the franchise, the possibility of multiplayer, the God of War movie and why he hasn't played Dante's Inferno (yet).
Interview: Adam Puhl, God of War III's combat designer
As lead combat designer of God of War III, Adam Puhl has the enviable position of creating an arsenal of weapons and abilities fit to take down the gods. I recently spoke with Adam about the design process for such a titanic task and the pressures of surpassing the first two God of War games. Additionally, Adam offered his gameplay reactions to Dante's Inferno and Darksiders, two recent action-adventures that owe a lot to the God of War series. Read on after the break for the full interview. %Gallery-44594%
Hands-on: God of War III (well, the first boss battle at least)
A common refrain from many (including us!) about God of War III is: "It's God of War ... in HD." And, as our last preview attested, that's not such a bad thing. In fact, while the demo was impressive in its own right, the game's director tells us they've added depth of field, motion blur, and high dynamic range lighting to the finished product. Too technical, right? We'll just use our fallback word: awesome. For this hands-on, we went all the way up to the first boss and beat him ... err, after several tries. It's none other than a certain God of the Sea, and he's pretty moody on account of Kratos and a bunch of Titans trying to scale Mount Olympus. In fact, there's a gathering of the gods up there and they're all pretty miffed: Zeus, Helios, Hermes, Poseidon, Hades, and a mysterious someone else. Based on this preview, they're going to do everything they can to try and make sure Kratos doesn't play king of the hill on their precious mountain. Read on for our experience with the opening of God of War III up to, and including, the first boss battle. If you're hoping to go into this game spoiler-free next month, you might want to stop here; otherwise, press on! %Gallery-44594%
God of War III features 'first-person kills'
"You finally get the chance to see what it's like to be killed by Kratos," Adam Puhl explained to Geoff Keighley in the latest episode of GameTrailers TV. Although described as "first person kills," we'd argue that they should be coined "second person kills" -- you are doing the killing, after all. Regardless of the terminology, these interactive sequences are likely to represent some of the most gruesome moments of the entire franchise. For us, this footage represented the highlight of last night's episode. The 21-minute special includes a rather comprehensive look at God of War III, but be warned of potential spoilers. You will see some new bosses, and even a new power that enhances the combat rather significantly. It's only a few weeks away until the game's release, so let's find out if you have the willpower not to visit GameTrailers.
Listen to God of War III 'Blood & Metal' at AOL Radio
Want a taste of the "Blood & Metal" LP included with the God of War III Ultimate Edition? AOL Radio's Metal Mosh Pit station is now carrying six songs from the upcoming Kratos-inspired soundtrack: Killswitch Engage 'My Obsession' Trivium 'Shattering the Skies Above' Dream Theater 'Raw Dog' Taking Dawn 'This is Madness' Opeth 'The Throat of Winter' Mutiny Within 'The End' The station plays songs randomly, so you may not immediately hear all of these ditties; however, it should give you a good idea of what's included in the $100 premium box you probably already pre-ordered.
God of War 3 won't sacrifice your time with HDD install
We can only imagine that if Kratos were a real person (wait -- he's not?), the idea of having to wait for God of War 3 to install a portion of itself onto the PS3's hard disk wouldn't sit too well with the rage-filled Spartan. Heck, even we don't dig mandatory installs. It's a good thing, then, that God of War 3 won't have one -- this according to Sony Santa Monica director of technology, Christer Ericson. Ericson stated via Twitter that, "God of War 3 does NOT do a HD install. The 5MB listed on box back is for save game only." This is in stark contrast to other games (yes, we're talking about you, Devil May Cry 4) that require -- nay, demand! -- multi-gigabyte mandatory installations. Of course, for some, the ability to install an entire game to the PS3 hard disk, potentially cutting down on loading time is a welcome option -- but it won't be for GOW3. "No there is no HD install option," Ericson replied when asked if the game will allow for it. Given that the final back cover of the God of War 3's box only lists the 5MB space requirement, this pretty much rules out the game secretly carving out HDD space for caching data -- data that would eventually translate into images of Kratos carving up enemies on-screen. [Via Eurogamer] Source -- Twitter Source -- Twitter
LGJ: Dante's Infringement (or lack thereof)
Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq ("LGJ"), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games: While I'm still waiting for my copy of Dante's Inferno, I have been checking out the review sites, Achievement guides and message boards in preparation for the arrival of the game. One question that keeps being asked over and over again, between many different boards, is "How is EA not being sued over this game?" While the overwhelming majority of these posts reference God of War, I have even seen mention of a "license" to Inferno (as a part of the Divine Comedy). Before I begin, I know many people might have issue with me writing this before playing, but I can assure you between the videos available online and the demo, I've experienced enough of the game to be able to come to a simple conclusion: No infringement here. Let's get the latter, more absurd suggestion off the table first. There's not now, nor will there ever a be, a license to Inferno, the epic poem by Dante. Why is that? It's a part of the public domain. It, as a work, would have been eligible for copyright had such laws been in place at the time, but even with the modern expansive rules, the copyright would have ended hundreds of year ago. After all, taking the normal 'life of the author plus 70 years' for works created after 1978 in the US, 70 years after Dante's death was 1391. We're well past 600 years after Dante's death at this point; in fact, 2021 will mark the 700 year anniversary of Dante's death, 10 times the length granted by statute. So, this particular statement was absurd even for forum posts, but the idea that Dante's Inferno infringes on God of War isn't much more sound.
