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Joystiq review -- Mirror's Edge
Before they had even laid hands on Mirror's Edge, a lot of journalists were ready to give EA and DICE the 2008 Brave Choice Award™ for taking the risk of crafting a AAA title in a completely new genre. And let's make no mistake, that's exactly what this is: Bold, fresh game design that feels like nothing you've touched before.But we'd be remiss to forget there's also an act of faith required on the part of you, the player. You have to open yourself up to Mirror's Edge, to avoid playing it like a first-person shooter. You have to trust that if you take the time and the effort to learn this new genre, you'll receive something out of it that you couldn't have found anywhere else.After finishing the 360 version of Mirror's Edge, I'm happy to report that those who can take that leap will find their trust rewarded.%Gallery-17126%
Outbreak reminder: Left 4 Dead demo is now public
Not just for the pre-order folks anymore, the Left 4 Dead demo is now ready to infect the general population. Try to survive one level in Valve's zombocalypse simulator with up to three other friends online across Xbox Live (1.21 GB needed) or PC.The demo also includes the panic-inducing intro cinematic that sets the stage for the action FPS. The full game will have us running and gunning for our lives starting Nov. 18. Remember, when playing the demo: Stick together or die alone.[Via X3F]
Midway reports $76m in losses for Q308, pins Q4 hope on MK vs. DC Universe
For its third fiscal quarter of 2008, Midway has reported net losses of $75.9 million, more than twice the $33.5m net loss in Q3 2007. According to the press release, the publisher cites three "well-received games" as highlights for its third quarter: TNA iMPACT, the Xbox 360 launch of Unreal Tournament III and Mortal Kombat: Kollection for PS2.As for the fourth quarter (i.e. the lucrative holiday season), Midway has two flagship titles to boost revenue: Blitz the League II (already released to mediocre reviews) and next week's Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. For Q408, Midway expects net revenue of $105 million, or approximately half of its annual revenue, with more losses to follow and an underwhelming 2009 lineup (This is Vegas, Wheelman and TNA). The publisher, now under new management, looks to have a rather steep uphill battle -- or using Midway's own Mortal Kombat metric, it'll be at least 4 more contenders before they get to challenge Goro.
Opinion: Why I can't go beyond the first 5 mins of Call of Duty: World At War
I've been avoiding Call of Duty: World At War. Not because its developer, Treyarch, has yet to inspire me. Not because it's another World War II shooter. I've been avoiding World At War because the featured enemy is the Japanese Empire. Let me explain: While not the first game to portray the Pacific-side of WWII, World At War is the most prominent. One could argue for Medal of Honor's pair of entries, but those came as the franchise was dwindling (not to mention, before and during Joystiq's infancy). World At War follows the overwhelming reception of Call of Duty 4 and benefits from a massive marketing campaign from its publisher, Activision. In short, it's in my face and on my mind.
Joystiq interview: Hitting the open road with Vigilante 8 dev Isopod Labs
After a number of false starts, the re-imagining of Luxoflux's late-90s car combat title, Vigilante 8, finally crashed headlong into Xbox Live Arcade, a release that has so far been met with both rubbernecking and a handful of mixed reviews. The game's developer, Isopod Labs, was co-founded by both Peter Morawiec and Adrian Stephens, the same two individuals behind Luxoflux, in January 2007. Vigilante 8: Arcade represents the studio's first title, and on the heels of the game's debut we cornered one half of the founding duo in Adrian Stephens to speak more in-depth about his company and why it was important to the team to revisit their past.
Joystiq hands-on: Halo Interactive Strategy Game
Interactive level design to the max! The Halo Interactive Strategy Game is a crown of shame, aiming a Christmas-ruining SPNKr at happy children everywhere. Sure, I tempered my expectations of a board game based off a video game -- especially an "interactive" one. But after imposing it on my regular game night friends, the Halo board game's missed potential let me down. Building the map was fun. Playing capture-the-flag, deathmatch, or an objective-based contest wasn't.The game is full of weak and unclear rules and an optional DVD just distracts from the strategy. This could have been a chess-like adaptation of Halo, but it just ends up feeling sorry.%Gallery-35732%
Halo Wars CE to include Halo 3 Mythic map pack
click to enlarge It seems Halo Wars is set to become the new Crackdown, with Microsoft enticing franchise fence sitters with goodies from Halo 3. The real-time strategy game set within Bungie's sprawling, hoop-filled universe will arrive this forthcoming February in both regular form and a Limited Collector's Edition. The latter should prove tempting even to those who prefer to see their aliens on the other side of a crosshair, as it will include early access to Halo 3's Mythic multiplayer map pack. The three maps, named "Assembly," "Orbital" and "Sandbox," join Halo Wars: Genesis, a graphic novel by Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund; a "unique" in-game Wraith vehicle; six leader cards (they "possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle," it says here) and a "Spirit of Fire" patch, which your mom can sew onto your favorite jacket. Just be sure to pay her back the $79.99 as well.%Gallery-36281%
Branching Dialogue: Survive All Horror (Part Two)
Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. Though the latest survival-horror scare pair, Dead Space and Silent Hill: Homecoming, are unlikely to be praised for oozing INNOVATION! out of every pore, both games do a lot to improve and streamline the genre's traditional gameplay. So much so, in fact, that some of the contrivances I would have vigorously defended before, passed off as "misunderstood" by run 'n' gunners, no longer seem worthy of the effort. But which genre staples can be safely torn out without leaving the design document in tatters? Well, there are two in particular which I'm glad to be rid of.
Joyswag: Fallout 3 Exclusive Survival Edition + Vault Boy puppet
Update: That's it folks! Contest closed.Have you been enjoying Fallout 3 this week? No? Well, whether or not you've partaken in Wasteland scavenges, here's something you might like. We've got five giveaways planned for Fallout 3, and we're starting out with our biggest package.Today's grand offer: Fallout 3: Amazon.com Exclusive Survival Edition, which includes a copy of Fallout 3 for Xbox 360, a life-size replica of the Pip-Boy 3000, a Vault Boy bobblehead, the Art of Fallout 3, the Making of Fallout 3 DVD and a Vault-Tec lunch box. (See the innards after the break.) Hardcover strategy guide Vault-Boy puppet Vault Dweller's Survival Guide There is an in-game weapon you can make dubbed (spoiler!) the Rok-It Launcher, that lets you launch any item you find as a fast-moving projectile. We want to know what items -- in-game or in real life -- you'd want to launch. Be creative!To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what item you would use with a Rok-It Launcher Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you become the ammunition. Into a super mutant camp. Naked and unarmed. Literally, no arms.) This entry period ends at 5:00pm ET on Monday, November 3rd. We'll randomly select one winner at that time to receive the Fallout 3 Survival Edition (valued at approximately $130), a hardcover strategy guide ($34.99), the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide ($0.15) and a Vault-Boy puppet ($15) For a list of complete rules, click here.
Counting Rupees: The Importance of Innovation
Each week Jeff Engel and Geoff Brooks contribute Counting Rupees, a column on the business behind gaming: One of the most prominent words in game journalism and discussion today is "innovation" – how can companies innovate successfully, and how come there isn't more of it in the industry? Implicit in this conversation are three assumptions that don't generally get examined with the same thoroughness: that "innovation" is per se important for gaming, that all innovation is essentially the same in content and value, and that companies promote profitability over innovation. I'd like to talk about these unspoken assumptions in light of the banner few years that we've had as gamers. I think most people would concede that innovation is important, whether to gaming or to consumer packaged goods. But why? At least in gaming, it's largely because our interest tends to dissipate along with challenge; if you're not being shown something interesting, why pay attention to it? Familiarity may not breed contempt, but it definitely doesn't breed excitement (nor sales) either.
Video tour: New Xbox Experience Exposed
Protip: Click on a phrase on the image above to see the related video Overview The Guide My Xbox Marketplace Installation Netflix Avatars Party System Community Games var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Video_tour_New_Xbox_Experience_Exposed'; The newly revamped Xbox 360 user interface, better known as the New Xbox Experience (or just NXE, to the kids), is getting ready to drop on Xbox 360 consoles everywhere next month. Joystiq had a chance to spend some quality time with the new dashboard (we've been enjoying it for a week, actually) and we've put together an extensive video tour of the New Xbox Experience just for you. Click on the phrases in the image above, or simply click on the links below it, and check out a video of each of the New Xbox Experience features. Enjoy.
World of Warcraft of reaches 11 million mark
We decided we weren't going to make any sort of snide comments about how little Blizzard needs the money, this time. Nope, we're just going to hit you with the facts: World of Warcraft recently hit 11 million subscribers, up from 10 million in January. The nine months that separate the two milestones is the biggest in WoW's history. In fact, the past few million-sub jumps have happened at reliable six-month intervals.If you were a Blizzard staffer who plugged all this data into a chart, you would be imaginary, because who has time to make charts when the new "Thrones Made of Bald Eagle Heads" catalog just arrived?...Crap, we were so close.
Joystiq review: Fallout 3
As an Oblivion fan, I was ready for Fallout 3 to completely blow me out of the irradiated water. I had the shiny "Game of the Year" trophy all polished and ready, and all I was waiting for was a couple of hours of play time before I made the trip to the engravers.Before I talk about those hours though, let me tell you fellow Oblivion fans what you need to hear: All the good stuff is here. There's still a giant world to explore, with tons of diversions if you don't mind chasing them down. It may not be as pretty as Tamriel, but it's a lot more dense, teeming with treasures to dig up and people to meet/kill.You still have countless different ways to customize your character, who could be anything from an evil medical genius who's got a way with rocket launchers to an angelic scientist that can decapitate a mutant with a single hammer swing.Those battles feel surprisingly satisfying too, thanks to the addition of Fallout's V.A.T.S. system which lets you stop time and to choose which body parts to target, usually resulting in a decapitation or ... de-arm-itation. Each shot uses a number of action points, and you have to wait for them to refill before you can get any more aiming assistance. It works so well that I hope something similar is implemented in the next Elder Scrolls title.%Gallery-3507%
Bethesda asks sites to remove Fallout 3 trailers due to 'ESRB advertising guidelines'
On the eve of Fallout 3's launch, Bethesda VP of Public Relations and Marketing Pete Hines has sent an email to our sister site Big Download, Shacknews and presumably others. Game Videos no longer has the trailers, although other gameplay clips still remain; as of this writing, Game Trailers still has the trailers online. Here's the full email:In connection with ESRB's advertising guidelines, you are instructed to remove immediately any of our Fallout 3 trailers from your website, pending further notice. Thank you for your attention to this matter.We're as confused as you are. We've reached out to Bethesda for more information.
Branching Dialogue: Survive all horror
Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. With the debut of a brand new IP and the return of an over-the-hill franchise taking place in the space of a few weeks, fans of survival-horror have undoubtedly felt relieved to find their genre considerably more alive than many of the frightful creatures that inhabit it. Counting myself among them -- the fans, not the creatures -- I've eagerly been spending my evenings roaming the sinister streets of Silent Hill: Homecoming, as well as the cramped corridors of Dead Space. While they shamble towards the subject of scariness in remarkably different ways, both highlight the same, inherent contradiction that lies at the still-beating heart of the genre: A good survival-horror is one you don't enjoy playing.There's an element of self-deception at work here, one that willingly sets you up for the scare and the relief that comes when you realize that, oh, none of it's real. Of course it isn't, you're playing a game! But a good survival-horror will make you forget that critical fact, long enough for you to question what's around the corner and frequently enough to have you gasping at the sight of polygonal blobs leaping through the windows. It is -- and should be -- a stressful experience, a constant source of worry and unanswered what-ifs. Are you anxiously counting your spent bullets? Do you hesitate before ambling down a suspiciously long hallway? What a weird way to have fun.
And the Dead Space Costume Contest winner is ...
click to embiggen Sam Warman! Congratulations to Mr. Warman who won the votes of our esteemed judges panel with his costume's "surprisingly good detail" -- "that's a lot of stuff!" observed one of the judges on his scoring card. Also, Sam's last name is "War-man," which is totally rad.*Feel free to dispute our choice (to no avail) by selecting your picks from the submissions gallery below. Thanks to everyone who participated! *Legal disclaimer: Winner's last name was not a factor in actual judging. %Gallery-35319%
Guitar Hero: World Tour drums not recognized by PS3 Rock Band 2
Despite promises to the contrary, the PlayStation 3 Guitar Hero: World Tour drum set doesn't seem to be working with Rock Band 1 or 2. Many users on the RB forums have noticed that the game is recognizing the wireless set as a microphone, and unfortunately, the mic isn't being recognized as a beat box receptor. A Harmonix developer has chimed in to say, "We are definitely looking into this. We'll keep you posted on updates as soon as more info is available." Sony had previously said there would be universal instrument-rhythm game compatibility. The Xbox 360 drum sets seem to work with each respective game. We're working to independently confirm compatibility as we fill in the blanks to our Instrument Compatibility Matrix.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
LittleBigPlanet sequel underway as first game is powered on
Media Molecule switched on the LittleBigPlanet servers today and just like that ... went right back to work on the sequel. The team has already begun development of a follow-up title, according to BBC, and is looking into broadening the franchise -- we're talking cartoons, comics, action figures, the works. As Mr. Carter foretold: Can't stop the blows -- *KABOOM* -- the SackBoy in the room! Source - Game on for British developers [BBC]Source - Powering up! [Media Molecule]
Joystiq interview: Guitar Hero World Tour's Brian Bright
At last night's Guitar Hero World Tour party we made sure to seek out project director Brian Bright, and it took us a few hours to find him amidst the party-going rhythm gaming crowd. He agreed to go on the record, "even though I've had a few drinks!" We quizzed him about how he thinks it'll do against Rock Band, his feelings now that it's all over, and what's next for Neversoft and the world of musical games. Check out the full interview after the break.%Gallery-23477%
