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GameLife host arrested for VT-style threat
Andrew Rosenblum, the host of the video game show GameLife, which previously had some content streamed by MTV's online service Overdrive, has been arrested by Boston police for allegedly sending an e-mail to an ex-girlfriend threatening to kill her. According to the Boston Herald, Rosenblum wrote in the e-mail, "(I)'m gonna (expletive) bring a gun to your school and kill you and K (another female student) and everybody you love. It's gonna be VT all over again ... Seriously I'm just that demented ... killing people can change people's lives forever. (T)he best is in the end when I pull the trigger on myself, too."Rosenblum, a part-time student at Boston University, wrote the letter hours after the VT shooting where over 30 people died. He was arrested at 3:15 AM yesterday morning after police received a 911 call from a girl who went on three dates with Rosenblum and then dumped him. She called police because on the evening of the Virginia Tech killing she received the threatening emails from Rosenblum which she printed. Needham police say they take the threats as "very serious."Right about now is probably the worst possible time for anything video game related being tied into a Google search for Virginia Tech massacre. It doesn't help that the Boston Herald in this morning's edition incorrectly said Rosenblum's show is currently being streamed by MTV's Overdrive, essentially tying video games, a source of pop culture and a national tragedy all in one neat little package for the mainstream news. This is pure news chum for the network sharks looking to fill 24/7 news coverage of anything VT related.Update: MTV contacted Joystiq to let us know they do not own GameLife, nor did they produce it, they merely provided the means to distribute some content. An MTV spokesperson said, "Gamelife's Andrew Rosenblum contributed 2 review segments last year to the MTV.com show, The G-Hole, which is actually hosted by Blair Herter. MTV does not own Gamelife nor does MTV have a video game show entitled Gamelife. In addition, Andrew Rosenblum has never hosted a show for MTV. Gamelife is a completely separate entity from MTV."
RedOctane not taking Rock Band route
RedOctane and Harmonix are going full steam ahead to best each other in the rhythm game genre. The former allies are now locked in a Cold War with their new parent companies in a rhythm game arms race. Speaking with Eurogamer about future non-Guitar Hero projects, which have not been announced, RedOctane co-founder Kai Huang said, "We're definitely looking and evaluating and have been evaluating all types of different instrument-based games, and drum is certainly one of the ones that we've been looking at ... We haven't made any announcements yet about what we're going to do and when we're going to release a game, but fans can rest assured we're definitely looking at all of those types of games." Huang says the beauty of Guitar Hero is its simplicity. It looks like we're starting to see a clear divide showing between RedOctane and Harmonix. RedOctane will continue down the simple and proven route, while Harmonix is going for something bigger -- much bigger. There's still a lot of debate about which company is on the right path. It'll certainly be interesting to watch these two keep on rockin' down different roads and see who can make it work.
Pachter: Activision right to buy Red Octane instead of Harmonix
In the wake of Red Octane's controversial Guitar Hero II launch on the Xbox 360 and MTV's purchase of Harmonix --- the original developers of Guitar Hero -- there's one big pink elephant question floating around the industry: Did Activision make a mistake when they purchased publisher, peripheral manufacturer, Guitar Hero rights holder Red Octane instead of developer Harmonix?Michael Pachter, managing director at Wedbush Morgan Securities, thinks Activision made the right decision, "Would you pay $150 million dollars for someone who ripped off [Konami's] Guitar Freaks? The game is fun, I totally respect Harmonix, I'm sure Red Octane turned to them [with Guitar Hero] and said let's figure out a way to rip off Guitar Freaks and help sell our peripherals ... I think at the end of the day, the MTV/Harmonix game [Rock Band] will be a good game, it will cannibalize market share. I think it's good for consumers and it'll make Activision and Neversoft work harder [on Guitar Hero III]."The entire situation between Red Octane and its former developer Harmonix has become very complex. With Activision's purchase of Red Octane and MTV's purchase of Harmonix the two companies are on very separate paths. Red Octane has retained Neversoft to develop the next Guitar Hero. Red Octane retained all rights to Guitar Hero, including the look and -- most importantly -- the guitar.
Rock Band wireless guitar on GameStop.com
As a general rule, GameStop is perfect for coming up with good video game rumors. In fact, it's practically a rumor generator. That said, this particular product listing is very interesting. Just yesterday, it was announced that Harmonix was working with MTV and Electronic Arts to create Rock Band (think Guitar Hero with a full band). Now we see this listing on GameStop for a wireless guitar controller ($80? Ouch). We have no way of knowing if the controller would be specifically for Rock Band, but we would certainly hope not, considering Guitar Hero II has yet to be blessed with such a peripheral for the Xbox 360. The listing has a ship date of November 1st of this year. Do we really have to wait that long to get some wireless guitar action?And that's when the GameStop rumor train comes full circle, as apparently you can already buy 360 wireless guitars used (they're even back ordered). We'll just have to wait and see how accurate the Rock Band guitar listing turns out to be. Keep your fingers crossed.[Thanks, Shafnitz]
Harmonix introduces "Rock Band" to the world
Harmonix, the legendary minds behind the legendary Guitar Hero titles, have introduced to us the latest idea from their rockin' minds: Rock Band. Along with MTV, Harmonix and Electronic Arts are all gathering their creative forces to create a four-person rock experience, complete with guitar, bass, drums and a microphone for a lead singer. Of course, if you're feeling especially talented, you could be a three-piece band if you can sing and strum simultaneously.Coming to both the PS3 and 360 this coming holiday season (right around Christmas, we'd imagine), there is going to be a wealth of online features to make this game worth the price, even if you've no friends willing to play with you (ahem). Teaming up with musicians across the country and downloading songs... sounds amazing, doesn't it?There's so much coming for this game and hopes are running very, very high. Having been dreamt of for years by gamers and developers alike, the advent of online distribution for games, music, and online features... we can only imagine the badassery this game will provide us. Go ahead and check out the huge preview over at IGN and let us know what you think of this fantastic idea. Not that we're leading you on by calling it a "fantastic" idea or anything...
Harmonix announces Rock Band
Apart from the lucky few that have received their pre-orders early, 360 owners have yet to get their mitts on Guitar Hero II. It may come as a surprise then, that Harmonix, developer of the GH series, has announced its next project, Rock Band. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. According to USA Today, players will interact with one of four different devices this time: guitar, bass, drums, or microphone. Not only that, but the game will support online play, allowing different "members" of the band to play with one another across unfathomable distances. What is more, thanks to Harmonix's new owner, MTV, you can expect more original recordings and fewer cover bands this time around. The game will be published by EA and should debut by the end of the year.While we love us some Guitar Hero, we do have our questions. First of all, given the absolute timing necessary for a game of this nature, we have to wonder about the quality of online play. Second, if you manage to get your whole band into one room, you'd best hope you have one huge television. We're not sure the gang will love the idea of squinting the night away as they try to decipher the correct set of rapidly moving colors. And, of course, what happens if you and your friends reach some "creative differences?" What if you have to audition a new drummer? Drummers come and go, you know.Still, the concept is grand, and we can only hope that Harmonix pulls it off. In the meantime, we've got some practicing to do.[Via Joystiq]
USA Today: Harmonix announces Rock Band for Xbox 360, PS3
Bidding farewell to the solo gig and the lone Guitar Hero, Harmonix has revealed its next game to be a monstrous multiplayer musical mash-up. USA Today reports that Rock Band will simultaneously support four peripherals -- two guitars (one bass, one lead), a drum kit and a microphone. You'd expect things to get cramped with all those blaring devices and gyrating gamers, but we assure you, the world's wide stage is more than accommodating. Arriving on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 just in time for the holidays, Rock Band will allow you to jam with friends both in person and online. "You could have one guitarist in Germany and another one in Texas, a drummer in New York and a singer from somewhere else, and they can play together online," says EA's unshaken David DeMartini. The article notes that while EA is publishing the game, creative and financial support is provided by new Harmonix owner, MTV. As a result, the game's licensed tunes are expected to come from the original artists. "We'll be covering a great breadth, from metal to classic rock to Southern rock to everything in between," assures Harmonix co-founder, Alex Rigopulos. Once the game arrives, it is likely that more songs will be made available for purchase and download online. With Guitar Hero II arriving on the Xbox 360 tomorrow (6 April in Europe) and Rock Band slated for the end of the year, how long until exhausted gamer bodies hit the flo?[Update: The official press release reveals the list of music labels contributing master recordings: EMI Music, Hollywood Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group's Universal Music Enterprises and Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment.]See also: Guitar Hero Effects Pedal confirmed in 360 instructions[Thanks, FranX]
EA publishing next Harmonix game
Activision may control the Guitar Hero franchise, but EA has the developer in its clutches -- or at least, the two are holding hands. Now an MTV brand, Harmonix has reached a publishing deal with EA Partners, which puts control of the sales, marketing, and distribution of the rhythm whiz's next project in the hand of the mega-publisher's "indie" arm. While Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopoulos has called the game "hugely ambitious," actual details won't be revealed untill a later date.The announcement was made last night by EA Partners VP David DeMartini (pictured) during an invite-only GDC event.
Verizon's V CAST Mobile TV going live March 1st
Nah, Verizon Wireless isn't snapping up Alltel just yet or anything, but the carrier is formally announcing its plans to launch its much-anticipated V CAST Mobile TV service right on schedule. The March 1st date that's been floating around is purportedly true, meaning there won't be any unforeseen delays in enjoying the mobile TV abilities of your forthcoming SCH-U620 or VX9400 -- if you're in a launch market, that is. Currently, the exact whereabouts of launch capabilities is a bit ambiguous, and curiously omitted are major markets such as "New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Diego and Las Vegas," but the provider reportedly plans to have a good deal of these "major markets" covered by the "end of Q1," or March 31st. The service will utilize Qualcomm's MediaFLO mobile TV network, which AT&T also plans on eventually using, and will offer up programming from CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, NBC News, NBC Entertainment, and Nickelodeon. Unfortunately, we're still in the dark in regard to an official pricing structure, but with only T-minus two days 'til kickoff, the remaining minutiae should surface soon enough.
MTV interviews Phil Spencer about Halo [update 1]
If you haven't had your fill of Halo 3 news this week, then check out MTV's video interview with Microsoft's GM of publishing of first party titles Phil Spencer. Phil talks about everything Halo related including Peter Jackson's upcoming project, Halo Wars, and the Halo 3 beta. He discusses where they are at with all their projects, how involved they are with Mr. Jackson, how the Halo Wars RTS came to be, and gave us no news on the beta that we didn't already know. It's good to hear about the status of the other Halo projects as it looks like we'll be hearing about Halo Wars in the near future. RTS FTW, SS! (For those of you who aren't l33t, that translates to "real-time strategy for the win, super sweetness!")Update 1: Corrected our source and video links.[Via 2old2play]
MP3 could be delayed (again)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Metroid_Prime_3_could_be_delayed_again'; Come on! What do we have to do, Nintendo? Do you want us to slay a foreign diplomat? We will, we will honestly go to Wal-Mart, buy a shotgun, and kill whoever you please. Just don't, in the name of all that is holy and good, delay Metroid Prime 3: Corruption again. Please! We can't take all of this dancing around a release date and Reggie implying that the game will come later than expected, comparing it to the brilliance of Twilight Princess. Our hearts, as full of love for Nintendo as they are, only crave one thing: Samus.Er, we mean ... Samus in a game. We aren't weird or anything.
Tigole doesn't deny the idea of player housing
The good guys over at Curse Gaming have pointed to a Jeff Kaplan interview at MTV.com, in which he talks about comparisons to Second Life, how the Sword of 1,000 Truths didn't make it to the expansion, and the idea of player housing!They caught him on the phone at the BC Launch at Universal CityWalk in LA (where, strangely enough, he's being asked to sign things as "Tigole"), and it seems as though the interviewer doesn't quite have a grasp on online gaming-- Kaplan is asked how Second Life compares to WoW, and as he says, while Second Life is great, it's not really a competitor to what Blizzard has built. There's a huge difference between Blizzard-created content, and the user-created stuff. He also namechecks the Starcraft and Diablo universes (not the first time we've heard those hinted at).But the most interesting part of the article is what Kaplan says about player housing: "I think housing can take 'World of Warcraft' to the next level." That's definitely not a "no" to the idea, and frankly it's much more credit than I ever thought Blizzard would give to creating an in-game customizable area for players. While he does say it's an idea they had in the beginning (the huge inaccessible instance in Stormwind was rumored to be a player housing area at one time), Kaplan also confirms that if they're going ahead with it at all, they won't release anything until they have a "Blizzard-quality feature." So while there's no way we can expect it in the next patch (or even the next expansion), it's very interesting news that the gears appear to be turning over at Blue HQ about player housing.
Harmonix quits the band, starts up new project
As a follow-up to our speculative post regarding the future of Guitar Hero development, Harmonix has cleared up the whole mess in an interview with Gamasutra. We'll hit you with the good news first: Harmonix is in fact working on a brand-new music title. The (possibly) bad news being that they will not be involved with Guitar Hero III, leaving that title in the hands of, presumably, Neversoft.Regarding the new project, Harmonix producer Daniel Sussman took time away from reading the blogs of his favorite Laguna Beach cast members to say it's "a bigger and more ambitious endeavor than we felt we could pursue within the bounds of the Guitar Hero franchise." Though he could have just been talking about the new Fall Out Boy album (they're still hot with the kids, right?), we're excited all the same for whatever the future may hold for the MTV-owned developer.
Rumor: MTV acquiring 1UP, adding to their collection
GameDaily.biz reports a "highly-placed" source says MTV is looking to purchase 1UP.com and GameVideos.com from Ziff Davis. This seems probable considering Ziff Davis is selling the Ziff Davis Game Group and MTV has been on a gaming acquisition bender, purchasing GameTrailers, Atom Entertainment and Guitar Hero developer Harmonix. MTV's purchase of 1UP.com would allow them to acquire some gaming editorial clout, and because they already have GameTrailers they can either disband, or assimilate, GameVideos.com.Currently there is no expectation MTV will purchase any of the Ziff Davis gaming publications (EGM, Games for Windows). Revenue in the print publications has been flat and the only reason the game group didn't lose revenue was due to the online sections. Ziff Davis's earnings release states, "Lower print advertising and circulation revenues for the group's three print magazines were mostly offset by a nearly four-fold increase in the group's online revenues." Ziff Davis corporation had cash and cash equivalents drop by $5.4 million through September.These Ziff Davis Game Group stories and rumors have been growing exponentially over the last couple weeks. So, if MTV is only interested in the online portion and they've been keeping the publications afloat -- what's that going to mean for Electronic Gaming Monthly and Games for Windows?
Alive and gaming in Baghdad
"We can't go outside, so I prefer to keep inside and keep myself alive."The words are from Wisam, a gamer living in Baghdad. Wisam is a rarity, and listening to his story on Iraq blog / vlog Alive In Baghdad explains why. Wisam, a recent graduate of the Baghdad University English Department, explains that he spends upwards of $200 on electricity each month -- partly from a local generator that runs 4 p.m. until midnight and partly from the fuel he buys for his personal generator. That's a hefty sumWisam said he learned his English from games such as Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. MTV News' Stephen Totilo has a thorough piece on Wisam and the crew of Alive in Baghdad. Among the game-related topics discussed, Wisam talked about the decline in interest for war shooters like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. "We hate the attacking, the gunfire in games," Wisam told MTV News. "We started to hate it."In a sad note, Wisam described how Grand Theft Auto is much like Baghdad right now. Omar Abdullah, who interviewed Wisam for Alive in Baghdad, concurred, telling MTV News that "it was very, very similar to Baghdad. We were like, 'Oh my God. These are the same actions that happen in Baghdad.' There are some places that are divided. For each place, there is a gang ruling that place. You can go down the street and drive any car. If you want to jump on a motorcycle, you can do it."With all the news that circulates about Baghdad, include tonight's U.S. Presidential address, it's thought-provoking to see a often missed perspective on the region.
MTV partners with Amp'd to create exclusive made-for-mobile content
While consumers' love affair with mobile TV has been debatable, that hasn't stopped a number of firms from teaming up to deliver all sorts of multimedia to our diminutive LCDs, and now MTV Networks and Amp'd are partnering to bring exclusive, original made-for-mobile content to Amp'd users. Hoping to give customers (pre-teens, at least) something to actually get amped up about, the two firms announced at CES that they would be developing unique content, such as an elusive "episodic series," that would end up appearing on both MTV and Amp'd Live. It was also stated that MTV would "retain the rights to develop and cross-program the projects for television and other platforms," possibly suggesting that the content could leak over to other networks if the price was right. Although a "comedy" series -- Lil' Bush: Resident of the United States -- was recent ported from mobile to TV, this marks the first time that an Amp'd production will have the hefty wallet of MTV Networks / Viacom backing it, which essentially means that future content rolling out of Amp'd Live will hardly be suitable for marginally mature adults. Laguna Beach fuheva![Via mocoNews]
MHD to air "Gorillaz: Live in Harlem" concert on New Year's Eve
Responding to the request of "more MHD, please," we're thrilled to see the high-definition spinoff giving some much needed love to live concerts shot in HD. In case Times Square is too crowded, or you just aren't much for going out on the town, Gorillaz are hoping that you ring in the New Year with them as MHD airs the band's live concert from Harlem, NY at 9:00PM EST/PST on December 31st. "Gorillaz: Live in Harlem" will be shot at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater, and while the original airing takes places three hours before 2007, it will re-air at the stroke of midnight for those who miss the premiere.
What's in the name "video game"
Stephen Totilo's recent hour-long interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Studio Head Phil Harrison focused mainly on the past, present and future of the PlayStation systems and brand. But possibly the most interesting quote in the whole piece came at a point where Harrison waxed philosophical about the branding of the industry as a whole."I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as 'video games,'" Harrison told Totilo, echoing concerns aired last month by former ESA head Doug Lowenstein about the image of the term. With two industry luminaries bringing up the same issue in such a short time, we had to wonder: Is our industry being held back by its name?It's true that the word "game" in video game automatically makes some people think that our industry is devoted to nothing more than child's play, a claim that is pretty demonstrably false. Still, terms like "interactive entertainment" and "entertainment software" always struck us as a little too clunky and snobby-sounding for everyday use. Then again, terms like "graphic novel" and "cinema" probably sounded a little clunky before they came into common usage to describe the serious side of comics and movies, respectively.So we put the question to you, dear readers. Do video games need to be re-branded to erase their childish image? If so, what new term would you use to describe the industry?
PS3 will see 'user-created experiences' next year, says Harrison
User-created content, which has long been a fixture in the world of PC gaming, has never managed to gain any real traction on consoles, be that due to technological constraints or a lack of online connectivity. With both of those issues out of the way in modern systems, the time is ripe for users to interact and share their creations and experiences. Sony's Phil Harrison gets behind the idea in a revealing interview with MTV's Stephen Totilo, opining* that gaming needs to move away from presenting "closed experiences." If games are to break free (God knows they want to break free), there needs to be a constant flow of communication between Sony and gamers -- more importantly, Harrison insists that said communication flows in both directions (give us money, here's your money). "Next year you're going to see user-created experiences in a number of interesting ways on PlayStation 3," goes the official and spectacularly vague PR line. A Second Life-styled virtual network has oft been rumored, but Harrison fell victim to "line distortion" before Totilo could get any concrete information about it.So, what entails a "user-created experience?" In the worst case, it's a custom wallpaper and a shared photo between friends. In the best case? Oh, it could be anything, from personalized in-game T-shirts to deadly dungeons designed to foil your friends. Be sure to ask us about it next year. * Basis for an awful pun later in the sentence.Read (and be assaulted by Flash) -- Full interview on MTV News
Sony's Phil Harrison congratulates Nintendo
There's no doubt that the PSP hasn't done as stellar as everyone has hoped. But that doesn't mean it's done poorly, either. MTV News spoke with Sony's Phil Harrison about the performance of the PSP so far. He notes that the PSP is doing a "very good job," distinct from the "great job" that Sony did on PS1 and PS2. He thinks that "most people use their PSP at home," an oddity that he'd like to change. Finally, he praised Nintendo and the DS, stating: "Nintendo should be congratulated... [DS owners] are our customers of tomorrow." Certainly, as Nintendo DS owners get older, they'll most likely look towards products that satisfy a more mature taste. It happened with the transition from Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 to Playstation and PlayStation 2, and it may happen again.
