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Loco Roco sequel confirmed
Sony Computer Entertainment President Phil Harrison recently spoke to MTV News, and made a startling revelation about the PSP exclusive LocoRoco. "It was a very successful game for us and we're continuing to evolve the franchise," he said. "We're going to bring 'LocoRoco' back in a couple of new ways with some new friends in the future." LocoRoco and Friends. Sounds like a sequel to me. Considering how many new levels the development team has created for the holidays, it seems like there's still a lot more LocoRoco to come.
MPIO readies brushed aluminum MG100 PMP
While it's been a hot minute since we've seen the tried and true brushed aluminum look exemplified in a DAP, MPIO is apparently prepping its MG100 (formerly dubbed the FG300) for release. Not deviating too far from its other stylish units, this portable media player reportedly houses 1GB or 2GB of internal flash memory and features voice / line-in recording, an FM radio, and even "adjustable playback speed" to turn even those slow jams into a chipmunk remix. It'll also play back video files in the MTV format, and while prices haven't been confirmed just yet, we're hearing that the 1GB rendition will demand about €99 ($130), and the 2GB variety will require around €125 ($165). So if you're itching for more details about the forthcoming player, be sure and hit the read link for a bevy of glamour shots.[Via DAPReview]
Gamer's Week recap, in video
We're guessing if you're anything like us, you probably missed the bulk of MTV's Gamer's Week last week. Something about two new game consoles dropping, and the knowledge that these would all end up on the internet where we could watch them in between marathon rounds of Wii Sports, blogging, and hygienic necessities, prevented us from watching them on the old television. Now you can spend a boring Thanksgiving afternoon in your room, drunk on tryptophan, watching all of MTV News' Gamer's Week 2.0 videos online. The Real Price of Virtual Gold: Half a million Chinese laborers spend their days killing World of Warcraft monsters for actual income. But is it exploitive? My Gaming Block Austin, part 1: Sway goes to the mecca of video game development, visits studios and a gaming center -- and sees what his voice might sound like in a game. My Gaming Block Austin, part 2: working out and eating wings. Keiko Takamura, Second Life Star: Making friends at school was tough for Amy Te, but she's had no trouble selling out shows in Second Life. You Hear it First, Frogg Marlowe: Jeremy Works performs in the virtual world as an amphibious musician -- but that doesn't protect him from hecklers. 25 Years of MTV Video Games: From Pac-Man and the dawn of the arcade to the Dreamcast to the PlayStation 2, MTV has always had a finger on the joystick. See also: Joystiq talks with MTV News' Stephen Totilo
MTV's unaired Mass Effect preview
Time constraints apparently forced MTV to cut some delicious Mass Effect footage from the latest episode of G-Hole, part of Gamer's Week 2.0. It's all good though, GameTrailers has us covered (video's also embedded below). Since when did BioWare's latest turn into a 3rd-person Halo with squad dynamics and telekinesis? Show us more!
Catch a new concert every week on MHD
MTV's high definition network, MHD plans to premiere a new concert every week for the rest of the year. According to Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President of VH1, live concert and music programming are among the top things HD viewers want in a music channel. Of course, that doesn't explain why they only show music videos at 3 AM, but hopefully this is the start of an improvement. MHD launched earlier this year and is already available in half the HDTV-equipped homes in the country. MHD certainly puts up nice concert programming, the problem is they repeat the same content over and over throughout the week. Most networks don't consider adding one new episode of a show each week a major achievement, we'll be very excited when MHD reaches that point.The concert premieres planned: CMT Giants: Reba McEntire, premiering Saturday, November 18 at 8pm ET/PT on CMT and simulcast on MHD The 2006 MTV European Music Awards, premiering Saturday, November 25 at 9pm ET/PT CMT Crossroads: Lindsey Buckingham and Little Big Town, premiering Saturday, December 2 at 9pm ET/PT on CMT and simulcast on MHD Life & Rhymes: Snoop Dogg, premiering Saturday, December 9 at 9pm ET/PT Summer Fest: Lynyrd Skynyrd, premiering December 16 at 9pm ET/PT Isle of Wight Festival: Snow Patrol and Jet, premiering December 23 at 9pm ET/PT
Wii have no room to play (Wii annoyance #003)
The Nintendo Wii has been getting plenty of buzz over the past few weeks from various sources. Nintendo isn't too shocked by it; they did build the machine to accommodate a whole new target audience. However, Nintendo may have one fatal flaw in their design: space. It would seem that Nintendo didn't account for room size when dreaming up the little wand that links our world to the Wii world. Some guys over at MTV decided to run a four player Wii match and found their existing room -- which is wide enough to fit a couch and have four-player traditional matches -- didn't accommodate their Wii gaming; they were getting in each others way. The Wii may be the smallest next-gen console, but it clearly requires the most space to truly enjoy. And yet another traditional element of console gaming has vanished in the Wii's growing wake; no longer can the console be moved to a back-room and be enjoyed. Either that, or we're going to have to learn to play without looking like a toolbox. PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyancesWii delights vs. Wii annoyancesXbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Looking at Link from a different angle
After venturing through an endless wasteland of blue screen, the New Golden Boys created a short taking a look at the darker side of Link. Featuring interviews from different characters in the the Legend of Zelda series along with a few geeky game store clerks, the whole scene is all too familiar to Zelda aficionados such as ourselves. The short is set to air tomorrow night on MTV's unfortunately named The G-Hole Special. ***CAUTION*** This isn't safe for those sensitive to foul hand gestures or talk of molestation. Just thought we'd warn you. Catch the video after the break! [Via The Girl Gamer]
Mass Effect trailer debuts on MTV tomorrow
It's been a long time coming. So long in fact, that we damned near fell out of our collective chairs when we found out there was actual news about Mass Effect. For those that don't know (or don't remember) Mass Effect is the latest RPG offering from Bioware, creators of hits Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. Seriously, the last "news" we had about Mass Effect was a picture pack before X06. A picture pack! At any rate, the news is this: MTV will be featuring a new trailer for Mass Effect during tomorrow's episode of, ahem, The G-Hole (who comes up with these names?). The G-Hole, MTV's first show specifically about video games, will air tomorrow night at 8PM EST as part of MTV's Gamer's Week 2.0. The trailer, along with other exclusive Mass Effect content, will be available at Games.MTV.com after the television debut. So, all you enterprising YouTubers out there, grab this trailer when it debuts so we won't have to wade through the flash based nightmare that is MTV's website. (Actually don't do that, because it's, like, totally copyright infringement or something. And don't think you can get away with it just because there's absolutely nothing we can do to stop you, either.)
MTV gets it right with Gamer's Week 2.0 (the spelling at least)
Last year we were very skeptical of MTV's unfortunately-named GameØRZ Week, "an unprecedented multiplatform assault of video game related programming." Just a couple days in, we reevaluated our initial gag reflex and managed to find some decent programming nestled away, comfortably, inside MTV's unprecedented assault.So this year, we welcome the new, properly spelled Gamer's Week (2.0, natch) with less opprobrium and more hope. MTV's compiled programming across their network -- including MTV, MTV2, mtvU, games.mtv.com, Xfire, and GameTrailers -- starting today and running until Saturday. Check out our interview with MTV News' Stephen Totilo for some insight into some of the programs, hit up the press release to get the details on the week's events so you and your TiVo can coordinate, or peep games.mtv.com, "the one-stop-shop for all things Gamer's Week 2.0."
GoW: Race to Launch
On Monday night set your DVR, TiVo, VHS recorder or just tune into MTV's little documentary Gears of War: Race to Launch airing at 8:30PM. Oh and by the way, this is the same special that a GearHeads of War ultimate fan was chosen for. Seriously, you can't have enough Gears of War or Cliffy B interviews ... that's just how it is right now.
Low def trailers for High Def content on XBLM
Most of you know by now that movies and TV shows are coming to Xbox Live Marketplace on November 22nd (just one day shy of the Lost Planet multiplayer demo!). To promote this momentous occasion, a few trailers have been put up on Marketplace, featuring previews of what you'll be able to download. Yesterday, it was a Paramount Pictures preview, and today it's MTV. Naturally, these videos are there to promote all the high definition content you'll be able to buy starting on Thanksgiving eve. Why then are these videos so damned ugly? The Paramount download wasn't great but it was passable. Now, the MTV video ... well, we've seen higher resolutions on YouTube. Seriously, it's a pixelated mess, like watching something on SEGA CD. What's funny is that we actually grabbed the "HD" version of the video. Let's hope this is a mistake and not an indication of what we can expect from the video Marketplace.Anyone grab the UFC trailers? Are they any better?
Xbox 360 launch ad for India
MTV India has been airing a promotional spot for the Xbox 360 that celebrates the unifying power of games, and at the same time, shows just how localized marketing can get. Whereas the 360's "Jump In" commercial targeted stateside urban youth, this new documentary-style ad focuses on the sport of porok, a human version of cock fighting that is supposedly a tradition in certain parts of India. Do you think the symbolic approach of not showing the actual 360 console is an effective cross-cultural strategy?See also:
