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Metal Gear wins the future
The people of CESA sure love Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. They gave it a "Best of Show" award at Tokyo Game Show a few weeks ago, and now they're willing to give it the prestigious "Future Award," which is given to games which are sure to be hits in the future. It joins other games such as Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360, Elebits for the Wii, and Heavenly Sword for the PS3.Monster Hunter Portable also won a "Special Award." The game gets to wear a special hat and sit in the corner because of it. Check out the rest of the winners at Siliconera.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
A few steps away from Sega's booth at DigitalLife was Konami's. I got a chance to talk to Matt Knoles, product manager for Konami, and play a few rounds of multiplayer from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Although Matt couldn't reveal anything new to you guys, the ability to go hands-on with the game was exciting. Four PSPs engaged in the battle, and I got into the control scheme very quickly. It was relatively simple to move around, lock on and start firing away. It was a great deal of fun, but I worry that the multiplayer may be a bit too shallow. The gameplay was fun, easy to pick up, and graphically very impressive, but at the same time, it felt unrefined. It wasn't hard to find yourself fighting with the camera, and entering first-person view seemed to give you a distinct disadvantage in the game.I previously questioned whether or not controlling the game using the PSP's analog nub would be effective. The answer is: yes. But, I think it will work much better in Portable Ops' crucial single player story mode, where the pace should be slower, and the game should be... well, stealthier. A slower pace will certainly make the controls much more forgiving. However, the production values of the multiplayer game are so amazing, that I believe that the game should be quite amazing when it comes out in December.The PSP met the Blue Screen of Death for this unfortunate player.
GPS sells out in Japan
Japan is certainly excited for the new GPS peripheral. amazon.co.jp is reporting that its first shipment for the device is already sold out. The customers that are buying the tool are also buying Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, most likely because the Kojima stealth game happens to support the device. They're also picking up Chotto Shot (the PSP camera), because as you know, once you start buying peripherals for a system, you want to buy them all. The hardcore Japanese PSP fans appreciate the PSP's Swiss Army knife-like functionality... how about you? Will you be picking up the GPS system when it comes out?[Via PSP-Vault]
Teaser site reveals new GOW tidbits
The revamped Gears of War site has officially launched, brothers and sisters. The site is one of those interactive doohickeys akin to the Alone in the Dark and Condemned websites. You "play" as Marcus still trapped in his cell. When the lights black out, you're left with 4 matches to light up your surroundings. Highlight a message scrawled onto the wall and you can watch flashbacks that reveal the game's story and more about Emergence Day and the Locust horde. Anyone looking forward to Gears of War should check it out.[Via Gamerscore Blog]
Portable Ops crucial to Metal Gear Solid 4 story
Everything's connected. At least, according to Kevin Bacon JJ Abrams Hideo Kojima. And, in order to fully understand the events of the amazing-looking Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3, you'll have to buy yourself a PSP. The two upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear titles (Digital Comic 2, Portable Ops) will establish the story for the next-gen sequel. "We'd like you to definitely play it [the PSP games]," Kojima was quoted saying. "If you change the Ops story, you have to change 4. If you change 4, it also becomes necessary to change Ops. Until Ops is finished, 4's story can't be finalized." We'll all get a taste of the Guns of the Patriots' storyline when Portable Ops hits the system in December.[Via IGN]
The GPS games: more details revealed
The upcoming camera and GPS peripherals have been getting a lot of attention, most notably because they have the ability to extend the PSP's already impressive capability set, and interface with games in new, original ways. One of the more creative examples we mentioned earlier was Hot Shot Golf's communication with GPS that transforms the game into a personal golf assistant when you're actually on one of Japan's golf courses. According to IT Media, this can become the "golf tool of the new age." This will certainly bring in a very unique audience to the world of gaming: golfers, who might pick up a PSP just to get all the golf data they could ever want. (But we wonder, how many people will actually use this functionality? And: will it work on US golf courses?)Of course, Hot Shots Golf isn't the only game using PSP's GPS feature. Read on to see how other software is taking advantage of the device.
Multiplayer footage from MGS: Portable Ops
GameTrailers has just posted a beautiful montage of scenes from Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops' multiplayer mode. As expected, the graphics look sharp, and it appears the game will feature an abundance of gameplay modes and features. But, the video does show off some clunky gameplay; will controlling Snake via analog nub be as effective as I'm hoping it'll be? Portable Ops looks to hit our PSPs in December.
Gears of War should look great on your crap TV
Gamers will be pleased to learn that all missions in the upcoming Gears of War should be easily accomplished without the need for excessive squinting or unanswered pining for a better television set. According to an entry on the official Epic Games forums, the upcoming, Unreal-powered and unbelievably macho tale of man versus monster has been tested on "small, non-HD TVs, to make sure you can read the writing." Presumably, the legible on-screen text in Gears of War will not be conveyed by a lonely security guard who calls at the worst possible times. Though this news will allay the fears of those still confined to the realms of standard definition, developers shouldn't expect a pat on the head whenever they cater to a huge part of their audience. This just in: Gears of War will totally work on your Xbox 360. Thanks for going the extra mile, Epic![Via 1UP]See also: Dead Rising: patch chance lost! Mea culpa for 360's Kong In defense of Sony's HDMI.O.U.
Bungie podcast, hear the waaambulance live [update 1]
Bungie has posted their very first official podcast. While it's kind of short on Halo 3 tidbits, the show should be interesting to any Halo fans out there. For example, the podcast reveals that the composer of the Halo series, Marty O'Donnell, used to make his living writing jingles. You might know his work for either Mr. Clean or Flintstones vitamins (which the podcast's theme song is based on, incidentally). The podcast also let's us hear some of the placeholder dialogue from Halo 3 and some never before heard sound effects, though it's not as interesting as you might think. In the end, though, the best part of the show is the live reading of Bungie's now infamous Waaaaambulance. For those who don't know, the wambulance is Bungie reading letters from some of the dirty cheaters that have been banned from Live and are now begging to get their accounts back. Good stuff. We look forward to future episodes. Follow the read link to download the show.Update: Corrected spelling mistake. Cuz I'm a moron.
TGS 06: Every PSP game previewed
There are way too many PSP games at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Because not all of us have time to read all the impressions and previews of all the games coming out, PSP Fanboy has created this nifty guide for all the games that were previewed. You'll get a thumbs up or a thumbs down from the major video game news sites. If a game looks like it might be a real winner, we'll award it "The Official PSP Fanboy Entranced Korean Award." These are the games that'll end up in Korea on giant PSPs, luring people to their eventual doom. And, that's pretty cool. Read on to see all the previews!
TGS 06: Best in Show, according to CESA
The mighty Computer Entertainment Software Association of Japan revealed the eleven titles they thought were the "best in show." Of those titles, two were exclusives for the PSP. Here are the winners, in no particular order: Elebits (Konami) for the Wii Gyakuten Saiban 4 [Phoenix Wright] (Capcom) for the DS Gran Turismo HD (Sony) for the PS3 The Eye of Judgment (Sony) for the PS3 Seiken Densetsu 4 [Dawn of Mana] (Square Enix) for the PS2 Tales of Destiny (Namco Bandai) for the PS2 Blue Dragon (Microsoft) for the Xbox 360 Heavenly Sword (Sony) for the PS3 Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops (Konami) for the PSP Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (Capcom) for the PSP Lost Planet (Capcom) for the Xbox 360 This should come as no surprise. There are so many excellent games at TGS this year, that it must've been nigh impossible to even narrow the list down. But, for those of you that are battling a fanboy war, you might want to note that PSP got two titles, and the DS only got one.[Via Joystiq]
TGS 06: Which games support wireless? [Update 1]
The good folks at IGN have compiled a fantastic list of games that support ad-hoc (local) wireless and infrastructure wireless. It's been slow to start, but more and more games have been adding support for internet play and downloadable levels, and they should be commended. The games that use Infrastructure mode include: Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Monster Hunter Portable 2 (downloadable levels only) Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Kingdom of Paradise 2 (downloadable items only) Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology (online leaderboard & downloadable levels only) Mahjong Fight Club P-Kara While this isn't a huge list of games, it's a huge improvement over the early years of the system's life. I'm happy with the support we get from heavy-hitters like Ratchet & Clank and Metal Gear Solid.[Update 1: This list is only of games present at TGS. There are tons of other games that feature wireless support that aren't on display.]
TGS 06: Metal Gear Solid PSP bundle
They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, and these pictures discovered by a GameSpot member are absolutely mind-blowing. This PSP bundle appears to include a very sexy MGS pouch. Once I find out details about price, I'll be sure to let you know. Most likely, this one will stay in Japan only, to the great pain of Metal Gear fans like myself.
TGS 06: MGS Portable Ops has best trailer ever [Update 2]
Words can not express how amazing the new Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops looks. Stream the video by clicking above and watch your jaw drop, with saliva literally gushing out.[Via IGN Boards][Update 1: Now embedded after the cut.][Update 2: New gameplay video added.]
Interview reveals some secrets behind MGS: Portable Ops
1UP has chatted with the people behind the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and there are a few bullet points that are pretty juicy. [Andrew's note: I'm typing this while Sony continues to not say anything interesting in their press conference.]The classic Kurosawa film Seven Samurai is the inspiration behind your newfound ability to recruit friends in the game.The unique character generated through multiplayer is determined by the IP address of the hotspot you connect to.The characters obviously feature unique attributes. Unsurprisingly, Snake will not be the best character to play as in the game. He's very recognizable, as he's gained quite a bit of infamy by this point in this story.The game is being developed by the same team as Metal Gear Acid, for better or worse.
New Metal Gear for PSP announced
Other sites may still be covering the old Metal Gear comic and treating it as "news," but we've discovered a real juicy story, via IGN: a new Metal Gear Solid Graphic Novel will be heading towards the PSP, thanks to the success of the original. It will follow the story of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and not only will it feature pretty-boy Raiden, it'll have a lot of Snake's story as well. A release date, and a title hasn't been revealed yet, but you can expect us to keep an eye out for this one. Hopefully, this new version will feature voice acting. Please, Konami?[Via IGN]
Fresh screens and a delay for Forza 2
Microsoft has finally released some real time screens from Forza Motorsport 2. Long story short, they look super nice. They just make you want to pick up that fancy racing wheel right now, don't they?And now, the bad news, we have received word that Forza 2 has been officially delayed. From Che Chou on the Forza forums:"The game is no longer Holiday 2006 -- but we won't announce a new date until X06. Gotta do what you gotta do to get things right, y'know?"Of course, nobody said it couldn't come before then, right? Right? At any rate, you'll have a long time to ogle these screens. Check 'em out after the break.[Thanks, Pixelantes Anonymous]
Metal Gear Solid case free with pre-order
You're probably going to get Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops anyways, but if for some crazy reason you're still on the fence, Konami has offered one of the cooler pre-order bonuses I've seen in quite some time. Pre-order the game at Gamestop and you'll get a case for your system for free. Not just any case, though. A pretty spiffy-looking silver case with the image of Snake giving a salute. This is some classy stuff, and is sure to be as eye-catching as the $500 Signature Edition PSPs.[Via Gamespot]
The winner of Leipzig? PSP
NOTE: This editorial is the opinion of Andrew Yoon, and does not represent the opinion of PSP Fanboy, Joystiq or Weblogs, Inc.Every video game convention, there's a "winner" of some sorts. It's pretty safe to say that the Nintendo Wii "won" the last E3, proving that waving around our hands can be fun. Not only did the Wii prove that the control scheme works, there was an amazing list of exclusives, from Nintendo's own Mario to third party efforts, like Red Steel. Nintendo wowed the crowd at E3 because of the amazing quality and potential of the games for its system.Did Nintendo pull the big win at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany this year? No. Did Microsoft? No. Sony took the win for this year's show, but not because of a great showing of PlayStation 3 goods (there were none at the show), but because of Konami's absolutely excellent lineup of upcoming PSP games. Yes, you heard me right: PSP "won" Leipzig.
New Metal Gear Portable Ops trailer and details
As we promised earlier, a new trailer for the upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops was revealed today at the Games Convention in Germany. As you know, Naked Snake no longer works alone in this mission, which takes place six years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. You'll have to choose your allies wisely, and strategically coordinate with them. According to Gamespot, you can even switch control between your four allies by pressing a button. Fans will be giddy to know that the original voice cast is back, including David Hayter who called the script for Portable Ops the best one yet. Also revealed was the downloadable characters feature: you can access different wi-fi points around the world and have characters (either from the story or randomly generated) appear in your game. Wow. How the GPS feature of the game will work hasn't been revealed yet, but let's not forget the game will be appearing at TGS.Once you're done watching the trailer, visit our sister site Joystiq for some more hands-on impressions and a crazy motherload of screenshots.
