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UT 2007 screenshots are unreal
Strategy Informer has released some new shots of Unreal Tournament 2007. The (mostly confirmed) 360 title is looking silky smooth. These are the kind of visuals we would have doubted before Gears of War showed us what our curvy little white box (and the Unreal Engine) is capable of producing. It makes us happy knowing that we don't have to spend hundreds of dollars upgrading our PC just to play it. As of now, we're still left with a vague 2007 release date, so soak up these screenshots for all they're worth, because you won't be getting much else any time soon. Hit the read link for more new shots.[Via Evil Avatar]
A new Area 51 game emerges for certain!
How many of you remember that classic Midway arcade title, Area 51? With that weird 3-D live action characters and the fairly wonky, but cool as hell, aiming system (I swear I missed completely, yet I nailed many a creature more often than not)? If so, get excited, since it seems the rumors of an Area 51 sequel are true -- enter the trailer for Area 51: BlackSite. It's a PS3 game for sure. In the trailer at least, no other platform is mentioned, but there will probably be word on that later on. Not much else to say about this -- check out the trailer on IGN and see for yourself if this brings back memories or if I've gotten some Area 51's mixed up in my distant arcade-rocking past.
Jack Thompson in new Mortal Kombat
In the early 90s the Mortal Kombat series set the bar for hidden characters. So when we caught wind of a Jack Thompson sighting in Armageddon we figured Midway was at it again. Alas, it was too good to be true, and the Thompson appearance was simply the result of some clever work in Armageddon's Kreate-A-Fighter mode.The good news is that you can easily recreate the Thompson clone with Gaming Target's detailed guide. But the fun doesn't stop there, there's instructions for molding an eclectic band of misfits that includes Evil Dead's Ash, Friday the 13th's Jason, Hulk Hogan, and Silent Bob. That squad's a good foundation for a solid fighter in and of itself. Toasty!
P8 demo alive and slo-mo kicking (and UMK3!)
Somewhere in the dark of night, the Project 8 demo finally slipped onto Xbox Live Marketplace. We were at the movies (the Prestige kicked ass) so, we're not sure if the demo made it onto Marketplace before midnight as promised or not. Of course, we're sure some of you were watching for it, and know exactly when it came out.And now, the other good news: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is now available on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 points. We're not sure if someone screwed up or if someone's is just making amends with all the gamers who wanted their P8 demo earlier, but there you have it. Hell, maybe they actually meant to release it on a weekend instead of a Wednesday. After all, MS works in mysterious ways. We're downloading both right now. Anybody tried these yet? Are they awesome? Not awesome?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Midway releases LA Rush gameplay trailer
Midway has just released a gameplay trailer for LA Rush, which is due out in November. Featuring "amazing jumps, spectacular stunts," the game allows players to customize their cars by dropping them off at West Coast Customs, race against other players wirelessly and allows you to pull off some crazy jumps in the Stunt Arena. Judging by the video, the game looks like it's a lot of fun. And with West Coast Customs in the game, you're biggest decision could be whether you want a tanning bed or fireplace in your car. [Thanks, Steve]
Mortal Kombat on XBLA in November, reveals Midway
When my dad was coming up, one's identity was forged in this simple distinction: The Beatles or the Stones? In my day it became: Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat? This "classic" debate should enjoy a bit of a revival when Midway's Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 is hoisted onto Xbox Live Arcade alongside Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting next month. Which franchise do you tend to ally with?Note: Midway has not announced UMK3's price or disclosed online multiplayer details.
Midway lets slip a PS3 game rumor -- it's original!
Our mates at IGN have been keeping tabs on Midway's Surreal Software's newest next-gen title, but until now there was speculation as to what game they would be continuing on the next-gen consoles. Rumors hopped between a new Drakan game or another The Suffering title. It's not. It's a new game. Not a sequel. Which is great news since many of the next-gen games are indeed sequels, especially those hotly anticipated for Sony's new console. The job listing is still up, asking for a Senior Associate Producer and claiming their new title has "a concept which will blow you away." Is that being cute? Will there be a lot of explosions? Or... is it really that original? Either way, it's exciting news from Midway, as the aforementioned games were indeed pretty fun.
Ed Boon talks about MK on the Wii
So, now US Senators aren't the only people known for flip-flopping?Ed Boon, the man behind the kombat of mortals, spoke with gaming site 1up about the recent announcement of Mortal Kombat Armageddon coming to the Wii. First, he was quick to dash away all his earlier comments, stating he thought that Mortal Kombat could not work with the Wii's controller, as opposed to just plain negativity about the console in general."Actually, my comments in the past were not "less than enthusiastic" -- rather they were responses to questions that I was asked about how Mortal Kombat could be done (with the traditional play mechanic) on a new controller. Since the Wii controller has fewer buttons than a traditional PlayStation or Xbox controller I was wondering at the time what we would be able to substitute for the missing buttons. Remember, at the time of the original interview, I hadn't even touched a Wii controller."Well then, good thing you're bringing your game to a console that has a controller lacking enough buttons to successfully play said game, eh? The rest of the interview has Ed defending past comments some more, along with his take on the announcement of Super Smash Bros. Brawl leaving out some of the console's features, as well as discussing the possibility for shells to be used with Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Rampage confirmed, first screenshots
So, you'll remember an unofficial confirmation that Midway would be bringing Rampage: Total Destruction to the Wii. Now, we have an official confirmation. That's right: coming this winter, you'll be able to unleash your pent-up rage on various architectural structures. Play as monstrous beasts such as George, Lizzie, or Ralph, or...my God...Fifi the Rabid French Poodle. Awesome. Midway is also bringing the recently announced Mortal Kombat: Armageddon to the Wii, and has also confirmed an additional four titles in development for release sometime next year.
On Wii: Fatality! Mortal Kombat confirmed
With all the Midway love for the Wii lately, it's no real surprise that they've announced another title for the console. However, the spine-ripping action of Mortal Kombat raises several other speculative possibilities. Will MK hit the other next-gen consoles? Will it use the Wiimote? How many of us will be jumping around in our living rooms screaming, "Fatality?" In an odd twist, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is being released first for the original Xbox and the PS2, with the Wii version to follow several months later. This seems like a strange move, considering it will lead to inevitable comparisions to the similarity of the Wii, spec-wise, to the current gen systems. Of course, the Wii isn't designed to be an expensive powerhouse that brings slightly better graphics into our gaming experience, but intent and purpose don't always matter, after all. The comparisons will be made. On the other hand, however, as this is the first Nintendo Mortal Kombat since 2004, its presence, along with hyper-mature games like Sadness, point to Nintendo's dedication to support games that really are for everyone, from kid's titles on up. Way up.
Midway and Ubisoft increasing Wii support
Look ladies, if we listened to every ridiculously-clothed woman we met, we'd probably be doctors by now. Then what good would that be?! No, instead we will go completely against the rational suggestion your incredibly-attractive picket signs present and mention the Wii. Oh, how we will mention it!During the recent Ziff Davis Electronic Games Summit in Napa, Midway President David Zucker and Ubisoft North America President Laurent Detoc revealed that they plan on supporting the Wii with numerous titles. Ubisoft, already bringing Rayman Raving Rabbids and Red Steel to the console, has a total of seven titles in development. On the other side, Midway commented that they are bringing a total of six titles to the Wii, which includes the recently announced Mortal Kombat Armageddon.
Midway, Ubisoft jump on Wii bandwagon
Gamasutra brings word that Midway and Ubisoft are planning to contribute a healthy lineup of games to the Wii console. Midway has six planned, thus far, and Ubisoft is gonna throw in another seven.Besides the already announced Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, the other titles have yet to be officially unveiled. Ubisoft is also staying mum, with the only two titles we know so far including Rayman Raving Rabbids and Red Steel.The reason for the recent surge in interest? Gamasutra puts it best: In general, however, it appears that extremely positive reaction to Nintendo's Wii at E3, alongside the realization that many "hardcore" game consumers will buy the console in addition to either an Xbox 360 or a PlayStation 3 has meant notably increased publisher support for the platform in recent weeks.[Thanks, Cabbage]
Wii gets Ready 2 Rumble
Midway seems to have nothing but love for Wii, lately -- the rumors about their games for Nintendo just keep rolling in. Thanks to the translators (read: people who dig on Babelfish) at Nintendo Wii News, we've learned that Midway wants to bring the boxing game to Wii for a little motion sensor-pounding action. From Jeux France:According to our information, Ready 2 Rumble 3 would be under development exclusively on Wii for the account of a large American editor. Very inspired by the capacities of the console, the developers should be useful of both pads (Nunchaku and remote control) for mimer of the virtual fists.Once we stopped laughing at "mimer of the fists," we realized this game could give us a really good excuse for accidentally punching friends in the face. Does that come in a preorder?[Via Nintendo Wii News]
UT '07 is so relatively plausible, man [update:1]
Midway announced today that Unreal Tournament 2007 will be delayed until...um...2007. That in itself is no big deal. The big part of the news is contained in this snippet from the press release:"The next gen version(s) have yet to be tagged with an exact ship date yet"The parenthetical "S" says it all. Not version, versions, folks. When asked directly whether or not this confirmed the oft-rumored development of a 360 version of UT 2007, an Atari Midway spokesman spake thusly:"Nothing is yet confirmed ... [but] I would say that your assumption is relatively plausible"Sounds like a yes to me.[Via OpenXBOX360]Update 1: Midway spokesman, not Atari. D'oh!
Mortal Kombat Armageddon: character select screen
A Midway forums moderator has posted the official "kharacter" select screen for Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. The image features 62 character slots, excluding the two kreate-a-kombatant boxes (at the bottom corners of the top half). In addition, Blaze, Daegon, Meat, and Taven have been locked. And, if you look closely, you'll notice Chameleon has been added. See him?
Get ready for a Rampage
Prepare to wave your tiny reptilian arms and munch a few hapless civilians, party people -- the unofficial word is that Midway is going to inject new life into the long-lived Rampage franchise. GameSpot's rumor crew reports that Rampage: Total Destruction is showing up on pre-order lists at CD Universe and GameFly for both the Wii and the DS, and while Midway reps wouldn't officially talk about the game, GameSpot's source "close to the publisher" indicated that an announcement was imminent. Of course, there is one tiny problem. Rampage was fabulous in the arcade. Since hitting the consoles, however, it's been about as exciting as Friday nights at grandma's house. But maybe a little Wiimote action is just what this franchise needs. Get a few friends together, make some popcorn, thrust your grasping fist through the front of the MGM Grand... and here's hoping for throaty, animalistic roars churning through the speaker!
Developers dish next-gen game prices
We've all heard about the supposed pricing of the next generation of games. Kaz says we're getting off easy when it comes to PS3 games. But what about the developers making these games? Recently, Brian Eddy (Midway Games), Todd Howard (Bethesda Software), and Evan Wells (Naughty Dog) discussed their take, as developers, over the pricing issues on the latest Gamasutra podcast. Evan Wells says that games are still a bargain at $60, claiming that "a small [price] increase is completely warranted" in regard to price. Could Wells' position be tied to Sony's stance on higher game prices, since he is currently the lead designer on Naughty Dog's PS3 title Naughty Dog (c'mon guys, name that thing something else already). Brian Eddy and Todd Howard disagree, saying games are too expensive as is. Eddy says that as game prices go up, gamers "simply can't afford that many games" and this may reduce sales numbers. Howard agrees and adds "I'm a proponent of a $19 price point." With these differences of opinion between developers, do you think that game prices will really affect third-party support on our next-gen consoles? If the games are more expensive, will developers be attracted to the chance to make large amounts of money quickly, or conversely, if they are cheap, will developers tend toward higher sales numbers instead?
Frontlines: Fuel of War debut trailer
World superpowers, oil, fly this, shoot that. Frontlines: Fuel of War may not come across as the most original concept, but a debut trailer that came out yesterday proves it's still got a few tricks up its sleeve. This could be an excellent squad-based and vehicular shooter for the new Sony console. However online play would really make it stand out.The footage doesn't seem to convey much in-game action, mostly theatric stuff, but it still gives you a good feel for what to expect. Frontlines comes from the same people who worked on Battlefield 2 R&D projects and Desert Combat (could ya tell?) so the style of gameplay follows that paradigm. Look for it in 2007.
Midway announces Unreal Anthology
The impossibly gorgeous Unreal Tournament 2007 won't be out for quite a while yet, a fact which appears powerless to stop Midway from making a few bucks from the franchise they previously snatched away from Atari. Dubbed Unreal Anthology, their neat little package will contain the original Nali slaughterfest, Unreal, its Return to Na Pali expansion pack, Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition and Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor's Choice Edition. Come this August, you'll be able to waltz into a store and pick up three great first-person shooters (and one alarmingly average one) for the satisfying sum of $29.99. You may also want to peruse the rest of the PC section and discover all the other titles you've missed in the years that you've been trapped in cryogenic suspension (yes, Half-Life has a sequel now).
PSP Myst coming soon
Sega recently decided to introduce a whole new generation of mobile gamers to the classic Myst, and will release the bestselling adventure-puzzle game for the PSP next month in Japan. Midway Games will be taking care of business outside the Far East with a European version, although there are no immediate plans for the North American market.The original Myst has now appeared on at least ten platforms over the past 12 years, including the Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, 3DO, CD-i, Amiga, and Pocket PC.See also: A second life for Uru Live
