Medal of Honor
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Impressions: Medal of Honor
It's impossible to avoid comparisons between EA's upcoming Medal of Honor reboot and Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare series ... so, I'll just get it out of the way: Medal of Honor unapologetically follows in the footsteps of Call of Duty. In fact, I'm willing to raise the possibility that Medal of Honor could be the "true" sequel to the Call of Duty 4 campaign many of us are still waiting for after suffering through Modern Warfare 2's increasingly preposterous storyline. Recently, I got a peek at a new Medal of Honor trailer which lays it out like this: There are two sides to every war: the sledgehammer and the scalpel. What Call of Duty 4 did so well was to portray exactly how these two components work in tandem, as it featured scenarios in which large assaults aided small elite forces, and vice versa. Medal of Honor promises to recreate similar battlefield situations, with the "scalpel" represented by the Tier 1 Operators, an elite branch of SOCOM. %Gallery-87981%
Medal of Honor screens lack renowned facial hair rendering
Click to bust into the image gallery! We've got some good news and some bad news for those of you eagerly awaiting EA's Medal of Honor reboot this summer. The good news first: Five new, high-resolution images of the game -- albeit stills from the debut trailer -- are in the gallery below. Now, the bad: We count only one Tier 1 Operator featured in the screens with a beard. We know, we know -- it shocked us, too! We'll make some calls and demand that the appropriate amount of facial hair rendering be included in the next batch. You can thank us later. %Gallery-85956%
Medal of Honor, APB dated for Summer 2010
According to EA's list of upcoming titles in its latest earnings report, a couple of high-profile games are going to be released this summer between July 1 and September 30: Realtime Worlds' crime-themed MMO APB (which is likely to be the "major MMO" to whose spring release John Riccitiello referred to previously), and ... a "TBA" Medal of Honor title -- possibly the one with the beard. EA did say that game would be out before March 2011! The summer release is listed for consoles, PC and handhelds. Also due out in the quarter: the expected spate of annual sports franchises (Madden, FIFA, FIFA Online, NHL), a Monopoly game for consoles and handhelds, and a new MySims title -- we're guessing MySims Sky Heroes.
The 'Medal of Honor' Beard Cover Interview
In early December, EA revealed the cover for its Medal of Honor reboot and all anyone could say was: "BEARD!" Well, after months of trying to get an explanation of how that grizzly (Adams) decision went down, Craig Owens, director of marketing at EA Los Angeles, has finally delivered the answers. Here are the declassified details of our exchange: Joystiq: How did you select the cover image for the Medal of Honor reboot? Craig Owens: What you see today as the key art (or box front image) is the result of a long process that's been going on for nearly a year now. When we set out to reboot the Medal of Honor franchise, we knew that the key art of the new game had to accomplish two very important things. First, it needed to stay true to the authenticity that the brand is known for. Secondly, it had to be unexpected not only for the brand but also for the shooter genre. After several months of reviewing many, many concepts, it wasn't until this past summer that the new face of Medal of Honor was born. During an agency pitch meeting with several creative agencies, our current partner – Ignition Creative based in Santa Monica, California – revealed a concept, using a photographed model with this real, epic beard. That concept was nearly identical to the final image you see today. When the development and marketing team first saw it, we immediately knew that was our guy. He was authentic to a Tier 1 Operator and unexpected for both MOH and the current characters out there in the gaming space. %Gallery-79326%
DDR Universe 3 is latest addition to Games on Demand
Looking to cram your Xbox 360's side saddle (that's what the cool kids call the hard drive) with more precious e-games? Major Nelson reports US gamers can now check out DDR Universe 3 for $30. Of course, we don't have to tell you that you should own a dance mat before downloading, unless you're one of those freaks who plays DDR games with a controller. If you're outside of these states united, then you can check availability of a new Game on Demand: Medal of Honor: Airborne. If that's not enough to satiate your carnal lust for new gameplay experiences, a new demo for Superstars V8 Next Challenge may also be available to you. Shortcut: Add DDR Universe 3 to your queue [Xbox.com]
EA: Medal of Honor, Dead Space 2, Crysis 2 before March 2011
During EA's half-hour investor callstravaganza yesterday, CEO John Riccitiello unleashed a flurry of game titles set to be released in the company's "FIscal 2011." For EA, that falls anywhere between April 1, 2010 and March 30, 2011 -- a window that now holds the release of "a great new version of Medal of Honor, a revitalized Need for Speed, Sims on console, FIFA in a World Cup year, an innovative and new take on Madden, Dead Space 2, Crysis at full margins, a new MMA game, and many others." Considering this laundry list of games is getting little more than a 12-month window for release, we're taking the logical next step and throwing darts at images of the games on our cork-board calendar. According to our impeccable aim... everything is coming out in November. Not helpful! [Via Eurogamer]
Spike VGA 2009 Wrap-up: The awards, the trailers, the premieres
As you can probably tell by looking at our front page, last night's Spike Video Game Awards show was a pretty prolific source of gaming news. From the big reveals of games like Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, to new trailers for Crackdown 2 and Halo: Reach, to ... well, the actual awards, it was a pretty busy night for all parties involved. We've collected all the stories, trailers, and winners of each award in this post to prevent you from hunting through our archives -- or our hateful, hateful liveblog -- to find what you're looking for. You'll find them all listed after the jump!
First gameplay footage of Medal of Honor revealed
It's been a while since the Medal of Honor franchise has found its way on to store shelves, but we're interested for what the series will bring to the crowded realm of modern shooters. At tonight's 2009 Video Game Awards, the first footage of the recently revealed Medal of Honor impressed with solid visuals and a metric ton of explosions. Not enough for you? The gameplay trailer concluded with one NPC kicking a booby trapped prisoner through a high rise window. Now we're not marketing pros, but that should be the first bullet point on the back of the game's box. Check out the trailer -- in all its YouTube quality glory -- after the break. Update: Hi-res version now available above.
Mock the Medal of Honor box art and this man may kill you
It seems the cover star for EA reboot Medal of Honor bears quite a resemblance to a real-life military man -- and not the fictional lumberjack uncle we like to think resides in every Canadian family. Life did a feature on the armed forces in Afghanistan back in 2002, and one of the individuals (codenamed "Cowboy") highlighted in several photos (via UGO) seems to match the one highlighted on the FPS cover. EA did mention working closely with "Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community," so it seems possible that the main character could be inspired by (if not actually based on) Mr. Cowboy. We've contacted EA to get some intel on this. We'll let you know, if we haven't been taken out for yesterday's ZZ Top joke.
EA aims to reclaim FPS dominance with Medal of Honor, Battlefield
"I'm not saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but in the way that Activision sort of alternates sequels of Modern Warfare and Call of Duty and owns the leadership position in FPS [first-person-shooter], between Medal of Honor and Battlefield, I want it back," EA CEO John Riccitiello declared in an interview with Kotaku. This means war. With the Call of Duty franchise growing into a $3-billion juggernaut, it's no surprise to see EA looking to topple Activision's bulging beast and reap the significant rewards. According to Riccitiello, the newly rebooted Medal of Honor and March's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 represent a strategy of "innovation and quality," one he suspects is bolstered by DICE's multiplayer expertise. "We think we've got an advantage over Modern Warfare 2 with our multiplayer," he suggested. "The guys at DICE do that really, really well." So, you think the console wars are intense? Just wait until you see the war ... wars.
New Medal of Honor promises 'most authentic modern war experience'
Click to enlarge Shrugging off years of mediocrity and partially descriptive subtitles, EA's newly announced Medal of Honor reboot will thrust players into a modern milieu: Afghanistan. Set for release in 2010 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the new first-person shooter follows the Tier 1 Operator, described as "a relatively unknown entity directly under the National Command Authority who takes on missions no one else can handle," and not described as an oddly militant member of ZZ Top. EA claims that "Tier 1 Operators from the US Special Operations Community" have been involved since the earliest stages of the game's development. The publisher seems intent on throwing the gauntlet down in the modern war arena (do they still use gauntlets?), promising a "best-in-class single-player campaign" from the minds at EA Los Angeles, as well as a multiplayer component developed by the Battlefield veterans at DICE. You can bear witness to the game's full unveiling during Spike TV's 2009 Video Game Awards on Saturday, December 12 at 8:00PM PT. You can witness beard in the gallery below. %Gallery-79326%
EA: Medal of Honor being revitalized, details 'in the months ahead'
After relaying the company's success in revitalizing the long-abused Need for Speed franchise with this year's well-received Need for Speed: Shift during this afternoon's Q2 conference call, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau revealed, "In the months ahead, you'll hear more about our plans to revitalize core IP, including the Medal of Honor franchise." The long-established war series – whose Allied Assault team led to the creation of Infinity Ward and the now dominant Call of Duty series at competitor Activision – has been absent since 2007's triple showing of the poorly received Medal of Honor: Airborne, the poorly received Medal of Honor: Hereos 2, and the even more poorly received Medal of Honor: Vanguard. Yeah, a reboot seems in order.
Shock! ESRB rates more PS1 downloadables
Maybe Sony hasn't completely given up on releasing PS1 games for download onto PS3/PSP. The sharp eyes of David B. discovered two new games added to the ESRB database: Rayman 2 and Medal of Honor. While we're pretty certain the latter hasn't aged too well, we're more than glad at a chance to play Rayman 2 again.Of course, we have to remember -- just because the ESRB has rated a game doesn't mean it'll release any time soon.
DS Fanboy presents: Game Night [update 2]
Update 2: The staff has left the Game Night chat. Plenty of folks are still in there, gaming as you read this. So head on into the chat already!With the return of our weekly sessions last week, we decided a reminder was needed. So, we whipped up the above video, which shows Dave enjoying some Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, along with some Mario Kart Wii. If you look closely, you can even see Chris ram Dave underneath a car. How cruel!Hijinks like the above, and more, are commonplace at Game Night. So, for the full details on what Game Night is all about, head past the break.
Wii Fanboy presents: Game Night [update 2]
Update 2: The staff has left the Game Night chat. Plenty of folks are still in there, gaming as you read this. So head on into the chat already!With the return of our weekly sessions last week, we decided a reminder was needed. So, we whipped up the above video, which shows Dave enjoying some Medal of Honor: Heroes 2, along with some Mario Kart Wii. If you look closely, you can even see Chris ram Dave underneath a car. How cruel!Hijinks like the above, and more, are commonplace at Game Night. So, for the full details on what Game Night is all about, head past the break.
Rumor: Next Medal of Honor in Afghanistan, based on 2002 Operation Anaconda
Details about the next Medal of Honor have allegedly been leaked in a recent survey sent out by EA, according to French site JeuxVideo (translation). The document supposedly refers to the game as "Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda," which is named for the large-scale military initiative undertaken in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains in March 2002 (finally outside of the WWII comfort zone, are we?). Unlike Call of Duty 4, apparently this version of "modern combat" will focus on historical events, including the Battle of Takur Ghar. The survey suggests players will engage in a variety of scenarios, including front-line and sniper missions, and a "drone attack." Another tidbit claims the game will feature 60 customizable weapons. While still unconfirmed, the entire report is definitely plausible. But would it be enough to make Medal of Honor relevant again? To stay competitive, EA just might have to look to the stars.
38 Studios welcomes Thom Ang as Director of Art
Noted industry artist Thom Ang has started work at 38 Studios as Director of Art, according to a press release from the company. He has joined company founder and pro baseball player Curt Schilling, comic book artist Todd McFarlane, and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore to work on Copernicus, a secretive MMO project.Ang has previously been employed by THQ, where he worked on several titles including Disney adaptations, and Electronic Arts, where he worked on the Medal of Honor series. He's just another of many samples of veteran blood the studio has attracted.Details about Copernicus are hush-hush. We know 38 Studios is using the BigWorld and Unreal engine technologies. There have been hints in interviews about the direction the project is taking. That's about it, though.
Deal of the Day of Honor
Should you need a good dose of point and shoot in your games library, you might feel inclined to take advantage of Amazon's "Deal of the Day." At $32.99, you can shoot up some Nazis for pretty cheaply by getting the Wii version of Medal of Honor: Heroes 2. We think it's a pretty good game (unless you live in Australia), and it used to be Dave's favorite Wii title to play on Game Night until that Nintendo brawler came out. Does anyone think that they'll bite on today's deal? If so, just make sure you do it before 3am EDT.%Gallery-6588%
Fallout, Medal of Honor devs form new studio
A new development studio has formed in Pasadena, CA, co-founded by former developers of titles like Fallout and Medal of Honor. The new studio, named WhiteMoon Dreams (huh), will focus on creating original IP for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii, but is also open to working with developers on titles in need of assistance.Heading the studio are Jay Kootarappallil -- a former EA technical art director for titles like Ratchet & Clank and Medal of Honor -- and R. Scott Campbell -- lead concept and game designer on Fallout. At the moment the team is working with a "major Japanese publisher" on an unannounced title. The team hopes to focus on innovative gameplay, and "new directions in the visual medium." We wish the newly-formed studio the best of luck in its endeavors.
EA to refund Australian Medal of Honor Heroes 2 for lack of online play
If you purchased an Australian copy of Medal of Honor Heroes 2 for Wii, you may be surprised to find the game devoid of the much-touted online multiplayer. That surprise is likely exacerbated by the mention of online multiplayer both in the game's instruction manual and the official Australian web site. (As of this writing, mentions to multiplayer on the site have been removed.)Looking to retain some, erm, honor in the situation, publisher Electronic Arts is offering a refund. Said the company (via IGN), "We made an error in the documentation and marketing materials. We are very sorry to have caused confusion for our customers. We will provide a refund to anyone in Australia who wishes to return the game to EA because of the lack of online functionality." We couldn't find details on the support page as to how the refund will work, and EA is not giving a reason for the missing 32-player mayhem.%Gallery-8246%[Via NWF]
