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Sony to unveil PS3 TV tuner, says BBC
According to the BBC, a new peripheral will be announced at Leipzig "that will allow the recording and playback of digital TV" on the PS3. This isn't news for those that remember previous statements that said they're going "to release a digital tuner for the PS3, turning it into a programmable TV recorder."The Sony keynote is just moments away -- stay tuned for what will undoubtedly be some interesting fireworks we'll be able to share with you.[Via Joystiq]
BBC says Sony to unveil PS3 TV tuner at Leipzig
Either someone at the BBC has an inside source – replete with trench coat, fake mustache, and comically inverted newspaper – or they've been reading Joystiq and assembling the clues to paint a not altogether surprising portrait of Sony's Leipzig Game Convention keynote. The Beeb says Sony are on the cusp of unveiling a tuner "that will allow the recording and playback of digital TV." Of course, this is similar to remarks made by Sony's Warwick Light who said they're going "to release a digital tuner for the PS3, turning it into a programmable TV recorder."The BBC also expects Sony to give more details about their PSP video download service developed with Sky in the UK, which we learned about last month and to deliver more details on the PSP's VoIP and instant messaging system being developed along with BT in the UK. Are these the fireworks David Reeves promised? Well, they didn't know about the DualShock 3 that's expected to unveiled today, so perhaps there are more fireworks in store.
New Metal Gear trailer dies during Leipzig
The Konami press conference at Leipzig was supposed to feature a brand-new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4. The crowd, jittery in anticipation, shivered as they saw the opening moments of Kojima's latest ... and were shocked to hear the audio start fading away -- and the video, gone. Konami pulled the plug due to "technical difficulties." Now, the trailer is being rescheduled for tomorrow, to satiate the bloodthirsty crowd.At the very least, Europe knows that Kojima is aiming for a simultaneous release for its upcoming PS3-exclusive. "In the past, I felt bad that the European versions of Metal Gear were always last. I can confidently say that we aim to have a simultaneous worldwide release with Metal Gear Solid 4."
LGC07: Kojima hearts Europe, wants simultaneous worldwide MGS4 release
Before showing off Metal Gear Solid 4 live for the first time outside of Japan, Kojima-san got up in front of the entire Konami press conference in Leipzig and had a bit of a heart-to-heart with the audience. In English. He said that despite his busy schedule he was very happy to be back at the Game Conference here in Germany. Along with E3 and the Tokyo Game Show, he considers the Leipzig convention to be a central show for the industry.His love for Europe doesn't stop there. Kojima-san went over to lament the fact that games are constantly released late over here. He is determined to make Metal Gear Solid 4 a simultaneous worldwide release for all regions, Japan, the US and Europe. There's more Metal Gear Solid news to come tomorrow when Kojima-san hosts a separate press conference himself. We'll be there to let you know what's new.
LGC07: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 coming to Wii in... 2008
During the Konami Press Conference at the Leipzig Games Convention today, it has been confirmed that a Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 will be released during the course of, err, 2008. While the current generation versions of the game will be out October this year, Wii'll have to wait before kicking off. While it's currently unknown how exactly the game will differ from its console counterparts, you can likely expect a complete overhaul of the control method. We already envision strapping Wiimotes to our legs and frantically kicking our TVs over in excitement. Well, we do that already, but now we'll have a game to go with it.
LGC07: FIFA 08 to include video uploads, 5 vs. 5 online play
EA announced some new details on the next iteration of the FIFA series here at Leipzig today. Firstly, FIFA 08 will play at 60 frames per second on the PS3, so EA has clearly gotten over whatever development problems it had with Madden. The game also has an impressive feature list as far as team and league numbers go: 30 leagues 575 teams 15000 players Each of these players will supposedly use 35% more processing power whilst playing than in any previous versions of the game resulting in 1000 decisions made per second per player. We're not sure we can make even close to that many decisions per second, as we still have trouble deciding just which flavor of fruit drink to purchase. Will that leave us at a disadvantage?After seeing all the FIFA 07 videos on YouTube, EA decided it would make it easier for players and integrate video uploads directly into the game. There are no details regarding where they will be uploaded to, but for the moment we're optimistic about this feature. Finally, an announcement came regarding a post-launch downloadable extra mode which will allow gamers to play 10 person 5 vs. 5 matches online. Up to 10 consoles (EA said PS3s, but we're assuming it will be available for the 360 too) can connect online for true member-of-the-team online football (yes, football, not soccer) action.
Rock Band to perform on PS2, hits Europe in 2008
Harmonix and MTV Games have announced that 2008 will see the release of a PlayStation 2 version of their musical peripheral extravaganza, Rock Band. The non-HD concert will take place alongside the launch of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions in Europe, both of which will feature "extensive localized music content" on-disc and for download in order to make up for missing a now much quieter Christmas. Publisher EA also revealed ten new master tracks to be featured on Rock Band: "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones "Highway Star" by Deep Purple "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash "Epic" by Faith No More "Cherub Rock" by Smashing Pumpkins "Creep" by Radiohead "Sabotage" by Beastie Boys "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go (We'll be playing this one on a treadmill.) "The Hand That Feeds" by Nine Inch Nails You'll find a full list of confirmed songs after the break.
Will Diablo 3 be announced at GC 2007?
GC is a kind of European E3/PAX that is located in Leipzig, Germany. It is a trade fair for the Video Game Industry as well as a hands-on exhibition for the game playing public. All of the major players will be there including Microsoft, EA, Nintendo, etc.Today (August 22) at 10:30am Leipzig time, the day before the Games Conference opens to the general public, Blizzard is holding a press conference. The topic? "Presentation / Demo new games". Are they going to be giving new info about StarCraft II and Wrath of the Lich King? Probably. Are they going to finally announce the project that their third development team is working on? There is a lot of speculation that yes they are and it is Diablo III.Right now, Diablo.com redirects to the Blizzard.com home page. Diablo3.eu was getting a forbidden error but is now directing to the UK Diablo II expansion site. Worldofwarcraft.com/wrath also was showing a forbidden error up to being announced at BlizzCon.I'm pretty excited at the prospect as that was my biggest disappointment at BlizzCon. Do you think they will announce a new game at GC? If so, what do you think it will be? Or am I just being unrealistically optimistic yet again? I guess we'll find out soon.Update: So far, nothing new has been announced at GC.[via BlizzPlanet]
Too Human trilogy may conclude on next next-gen console
Silicon Knights president Denis Dyack was just keeping it real when he confessed to IGN that the Too Human trilogy might drag on past the Xbox 360's life cycle. Ya think? The ongoing legal drama with Epic is just the latest hiccup in what's close to a decade-long project. (Silicon Knights began development in 1999 and first previewed Too Human, originally a 5-disc PlayStation game, at E3 in 2000.) But if Dyack's prediction comes true, if there is only one 'next next-gen' console, then at least future Too Human sequels will not be slowed by platform transitions.Dyack's newest estimate for the release of the first game is now "early 2008," curtailing total development time to the 9-year mark and improving the forecast from last week's more broadly cited date of "2008." The first truly playable version of Too Human will apparently be shown to media outlets as early as October.
Sega pulls wraps off Viking: Battle for Asgard
Someday, Blizzard will wise up and realize that they're wasting their time with World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2. What they'll someday realize is that the Lost Vikings IP is where the real money's at. Until that sweet day of vindication though, we have to placate ourselves with other Viking-themed titles, such as Sega's newly-announced Viking: Battle for Asgard, due on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in early 2008.In the hack-and-slash, which is being developed by Creative Assembly of Spartan: Total Warrior fame, you'll play as Skarin, a viking defending his people from an encroaching army of undead Vikings and an evil goddess. Expect to hear more about the game during the Leipzig Games Convention this week. Expect to hear about more about a new Lost Vikings exclusively in our dreams.
Lair dev calls ESRB 'bizarre', urges 'push the sex!'
Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht delivered a scathing critique of the ESRB's rating system during his keynote at the GCDC developer conference in Leipzig, Germany. The Lair developer devoted much of his address to the topic of censorship in games and called the ESRB's standards and practices a "bizarre system," describing the process of Lair's certification as a "charade." To be approved for a 'Teen' rating, Factor 5 had to cut much of the gore (read: blood) originally coded in the game, but was permitted to allow burning bodies -- screaming burning bodies.Eggebrecht questioned the ESRB's understanding of teen-appropriate content, claiming that the MPAA's equivalent rating for movies (PG-13) permitted a greater spectrum of violence. He also lamented the censorship authority's taboo against sex in games, especially homosexual content, and urged fellow developers to challenge the ESRB's rating system, along with the notion that games are kids' toys: "Push the violence! Push the sex! But push it in an artistic way! Show that games are art!"
Dreamcast still strong, two new indie games at Leipzig
Coming up on its eight birthday, the Sega Dreamcast continues to prove that it's worthy of attention, with two new independent titles announced for the aging system. Publisher RedSpotGames will be debuting these titles at this year's Leipzig Games Convention, starting this Wednesday.The first game, Dalforce, is a vertical-scrolling "bullet hell" shooter title which allows for up to four players. The second, Wind and Water Puzzle Battles, is an action puzzle game being ported from the GP2X. According to Arcade Renaissance, both games are scheduled for first-quarter 2008 releases, although RedSpotGames' website is currently down for maintenance, and we can not confirm this. Both titles will, however, be shown off at Leipzig this week, so stay frosty as we bring you more details once the conference gets under way.
