video games: January 2009

Thursday, 15 January 2009

Left 4 Dead PC Fixes Arrive

Once again, it's time for updates and bug fixes to our favorite games of 2008. And it looks like Left 4 Dead is the next in line.

Steam news has the complete list of fixes and changes, including improved loading times and fixes for certain map exploits. No patch yet for Xbox 360 owners, but Valve promises an update will be available in "the coming weeks."

The complete list of changes can be found after the jump.

New MadWorld Screens and Impressions of the Ultraviolence

Singer Gary Jules released a bittersweet, understated cover of the '80s song "Mad World" several years ago. The upcoming Wii title of the same name is nothing like that. Melding Manhunt levels of bloodletting with a sparse Sin City-like aesthetic, MadWorld's certainly unlike anything else on Wii. But game's aren't sold on geysers of blood alone -- the real question is whether it has anything to offer on the family-friendly console outside of shock value. I recently got to play through a chunk of the game's Asian Town level (talked about in our last preview) to find out just that.

PlayStation 2 Limited Edition LEGO Batman Bundle (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

PlayStation 2 Limited Edition LEGO Batman Bundle (Video Game)
By Sony

Buy new: $149.99
17 used and new from $149.98
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by W. Lee "tonsofsee"
Customer tags: playstation 2(6), batman(5), ps2(4), ps2 console(3), video games(3), playstation, games, playstation2, ps2 lego batman bundle, playstation i like, console

New MadWorld Screens and Impressions of the Ultraviolence

Despite the undisputedly adult content, MadWorld never takes itself too seriously. The level I explored was scattered with different ridiculous way to eviscerate, impale, and otherwise turn your opponents into bloody piles of hamburger. Massive spikes cover almost every surface, even the passing buses. And whether it's sharp or blunt, you can use almost anything in the environment to come out ahead in a fight.

Master of Orion 3 (CD-ROM) newly tagged "pc games"

Master of Orion 3 (CD-ROM)
By Atari

Buy new: $19.99
$12.99
24 used and new from $1.86
Customer Rating:

First tagged "pc games" by A.L.
Customer tags: pc game(7), science fiction(6), boring(5), worst game ever(4), classic(3), pc(2), software(2), strategy game(2), video games(2), micro managemant, computer games, empire building

Major League Baseball 2K7 (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Major League Baseball 2K7 (Video Game)
By 2K Games

Buy new: $19.99
$24.99
20 used and new from $5.49
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by M. Thomas
Customer tags: mlb(3), 2k sports(2), sports games(2), video games(2), 2k sports 2k7, 2k7 for kevfin, mlb 2k7, xbox, xbox games, sports game

Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games: Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games (Paperback) newly tagged "video games"

Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games: Console, Arcade, and Handheld Games (Paperback)
By David Ellis

2 used and new from $47.59
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Christopher D. Nash "Frecklefoot"
Customer tags: history of video games, electronic games, history, video game book, video games

Persona PSP Info Apparently Leaked By Hong Kong Game Magazine

Atlus is preparing a PSP remake of the original 1996 Persona 1... at least, according to Hong Kong's leading magazine GameWave. Some credence should be given to the information, however: GameWave recently leaked the existence of Disgaea 2 Portable and Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield for PSP several days before their official Japanese announcement, complete with SKU numbers.

GameWave claims the remake releases in Japan on April 30 for 5,040 yen, and will feature all-new characters and scenarios. Considering the magazine's reputation for PSP news leaks, we'd call the info solid; expect an official Japanese announcement soon.

Award-winning Science Fiction Author To Pen Doom 4

Are you ready for a little culture with your Doom? Well, even if you're not, get ready because id Software has picked up an award-winning science fiction author to pen Doom 4.

We still don't know much about the game, but according to Computer and Video Games, award-winning British author Graham Joyce is now attached to the project. His prizes include the British Fantasy Award, Imaginaire Award and the World Fantasy Award for titles like The Facts of Life, Indigo and Dark Sister.

So what's he going to do with Doom? Unfortunately, Joyce only said, "I can say that id have hired me to help develop the storyline potential."

PSP 3000 Hacker Battery Lands Maker Datel in Legal Trouble

Datel Lite Blue Battery Tool You may remember back in November we reported on the successful attempt by Datel (best known for the Action Replay line of products) to crack the PSP 3000. The development of the Lite Blue Tool allowed users to enter the handheld's service mode, thereby enabling them to downgrade the system's firmware and gain access to all sorts of third-party applications, tools, and emulators that Sony doesn't want running on the PSP. We quipped, "Your move, Sony," at the end of that story and it seems that Sony has indeed made a move -- to pursue legal action against Datel.

The listing for the Lite Blue Tool on Datel's website has been altered in light of recent events. Now known as the MAX Power Digital, the battery now only be able to put the PSP 2000 in service mode; when plugged into a PSP 3000 it will act as nothing more than a battery. Despite there being no indication of why the sudden change, Portable Video Gamer has received an explanation from Datel:

Due to legal action by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe we are currently not able to fulfill orders for the Lite Blue Tool Battery. Any orders received for this product have not been processed and no charges have been made. We will inform customers about availability of this product when this situation has been resolved.

It seems that we're back where we were before Datel's original announcement -- although now we know the PSP 3000 isn't hack-proof (as if such a feat were possible) and that Sony won't sit idly by while others crack their systems. Looks like the hackers and pirates will have to be more quiet next time or risk facing the wrath of Sony's lawyers.

We Love Golf! (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

We Love Golf! (Video Game)
By Capcom

Buy new: $39.99
$24.32
41 used and new from $15.45
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by J. Negron "A SAVED HUSTLER"
Customer tags: golf(5), wii(4), wii game(4), wii golf(4), wii game golf(3), video games(3), mario golf, board game, kids, golf sim, nintendo golf, nintendo

Final Fantasy Legend II/SaGa 2 Remake Announced For DS

Square Enix has today announced a fully 3D, grounds-up remake of the seminal 1990 GameBoy RPG SaGa 2: Legend of the Secret Treasure via the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. Released in America in 1991 as Final Fantasy Legend II, the game was the second in senior Square staffer/Last Remnant producer Akitoshi Kawauzu's wildly nonlinear RPG series that continued on to Romancing SaGa, SaGa Frontier, and Unlimited SaGa on various other platforms.

SaGa 2 featured an impressive (for the time) twelve worlds to explore, with a rare collaborative soundtrack by Square maestros Nobuo Uematsu and Kenji Ito. The remake looks be in the style of Square Enix's DS revivals of Final Fantasy III and IV, and will sport all-new character designs by Gen Kobayashi of The World Ends With You fame. SaGa 2 will see Japanese release some time in 2009.

Dead Space Afterthoughts

Dead Space Afterthoughts
EA Redwood Shores talks about the good, bad, and confusing elements of its critically-acclaimed horror game.

By Philip Kollar

Along with Mirror's Edge and Spore, Dead Space established Electronic Arts as a top tier publisher of original intellectual properties in 2008. We fought our fears and conquered the creatures on the USG Ishimura, and then hunted down EA Redwood Shores executive producer Glen Schofield. This interview contains spoilers, though, so be wary if you'd like to save the thrills you haven't yet experienced.

1UP: It seems that fewer publishers are taking chances on original intellectual properties these days. Did this make Dead Space a hard sell?

Glen Schofield: Not really. It wasn't easy, but I talked with the execs about the concept, and it was a solid idea -- a known yet underdeveloped genre, in my opinion, and one which Electronic Arts wasn't in yet. There was also a groundswell of talk within the company that we needed more new IPs. They also saw the passion the team had for making this game, and that goes a long way. Put these things together and it's a daring call to green light a game like this. But everyone was on board. Once people saw our first playable vertical slice [of the game], I think they all breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing we made the right call.

Psychic Detective (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Psychic Detective (Video Game)
By Electronic Arts

7 used and new from $31.98
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by BilRal
Customer tags: video games(5), electronic arts, pc games, adventure, vintage pc, ea, detective games

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Dead Space Afterthoughts

Dead Space Afterthoughts
EA Redwood Shores talks about the good, bad, and confusing elements of its critically-acclaimed horror game.

By Philip Kollar

1UP: It seems that fewer publishers are taking chances on original intellectual properties these days. Did this make Dead Space a hard sell?

LocoRoco 2 Priced at $20

Heads up, LocoRoco fans. We already heard prior to the holiday break that LocoRoco 2 was set to ship on February 10, but today the PlayStation.Blog has issued one additional, particularly delectable detail about the game's release: it'll only cost $20.

Naturally, they framed the announcement around the idea of giving consumers a break in this sagging economy: "In a time where it can be tough to spend money on games, we're definitely excited to bring PSP players the world of LocoRoco for this super-low price," wrote SCEA Santa Monica producer Tsubasa Inaba. Sure, you could also argue the low price is in Sony's own interest to get as many people to actually buy the thing as possible, but whatever -- we'll take a deal anywhere we can get it, these days.

Inaba also announced in the post that anyone who pre-orders the game through Amazon, GameStop, or GameCrazy (or other, unspecified participating retailers) will get a voucher to download a demo of the game through the PlayStation Network "weeks before the game releases." That's as specific as the post gets, but if you were planning on buying the game anyway, may as well give in to those annoying sales clerk pleas and get your pre-order in soon.

Syphon Filter 3 (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Syphon Filter 3 (Video Game)
By Sony Computer Entertainment

Buy new: $24.98
63 used and new from $0.01
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Colette A. Owen "Colette the gamer"
Customer tags: video games(8), playstation 2(3), syphon filter(2), epic military fantasy, military, 1 cent games, espionage

Bejeweled 2 (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Bejeweled 2 (Video Game)
By PopCap Games

Buy new: $19.99
15 used and new from $10.72
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Gillian Buchanan "Classical Music Editor at BellaOnline.com"
Customer tags: pc game(5), addictive(4), video games(4), games(2), puzzle games(2), bejeweled, cubis2 game, fun, macintosh game, computer software, puzzle game

Kawasaki Jet Ski (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Kawasaki Jet Ski (Video Game)
By Bold Games

Buy new: $19.99
14 used and new from $9.49
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Karen Carmody
Customer tags: wii(3), video games(2), jet ski, racing, game, wii game

Woman Kills Dog With Wii Remote, Neighbor Revives It

I saw this on Countdown with Keith Olbermann just now and had to share it. A Michigan woman was playing Wii bowling with her daughter and accidentally hit her dog in the face -- killing it. A neighbor thankfully was able to revive the dog, though. A local news station did a report on the incident and spoke with the family. Here's that video:

We should add this to our list of possible Wii injuries: Killing Dog.

LocoRoco 2 Priced at $20

Whiz Kid Learning System By Vtech (Office Product) newly tagged "video games"

Whiz Kid Learning System By Vtech (Office Product)
By Vtech

1 used and new from $89.89

First tagged "video games" by Tina "Tina"
Customer tags: video games

Resident Evil 5 Demo Coming to 360 January 26, PS3 a Week Later

Joystiq reports that the long-awaited Resident Evil 5 demo is coming very soon. While it's been out on Japanese consoles for quite a while, American audiences haven't gotten a chance to try the game. It will come to the Xbox 360 on January 26, and enjoy a week of exclusivity. After that, we assume the following Thursday, the PlayStation 3 will have its turn.

Resident Evil 5 is on the most-anticipated list for a lot of gamers this season, but early previews have some wondering if it's too similar to its predecessor. Luckily, soon players will get a chance to test the game and see how they feel about its similarities for themselves.

Nintendo isn't 'Rivals' with Microsoft, Sony

Wii Sure, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft are fundamentally competitors in the videogames business, but it seems that's not the way Nintendo likes to look at it. Speaking in an interview with The Korea Herald (via Gamasutra), Mineo Koda, their chief executive in Korea, said Nintendo's only "rival" is any consumer who still isn't interesting in videogames.

"People often ask such questions [about rivalry with Sony and Microsoft], and we say our competitor is neither of those companies, but consumers indifferent to games," Mino said. "There were many people who have distanced themselves from games. We felt a sense of crisis that there would be no future if the game industry remained unchanged. That is one of the biggest reasons we adopted a strategy to expand the game population."

Speaking specifically about the Korean market, Mino said there remains a lot of room for expanding the gaming business. "We believe that the Korean market has growth potential as there are many people who are not interested in online games and who used to play online games, but do not play them anymore," he said.

Rock Band Track Pack: Vol. 2 (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Rock Band Track Pack: Vol. 2 (Video Game)
By Electronic Arts

Buy new: $29.99
$27.99
23 used and new from $25.10
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Cristina Gonzalez Mohn "mohnster"
Customer tags: wii(7), video games(5), rock band(4), guitar(2), expansion, track pack, music and rhythm games, rockband trackpack 2, drums

World of Warcraft Darnassus Nightsabers Womens Tee (Apparel) newly tagged "pc games"

World of Warcraft Darnassus Nightsabers Womens Tee (Apparel)
By JINX

Buy new: $20.99

First tagged "pc games" by Rachel
Customer tags: world of warcraft, pc games, womens fashion

DSi Rumored to Release on April 4

A rumor from IGN is circulating today that the DSi will launch in the spring. Citing "multiple sources close to Nintendo," the report states that the DS-revamp will most likely hit on April 4 for a MSRP of $179.99. The DSi sports a camera function and internal memory to support downloadable games. It launched in Japan as Nintendo's next move into catching even more of the casual market, and has already seen a good reception.

When the DSi was announced, Nintendo of America said that they would be holding off on bringing the new system here. Reggie Fils-Aime explained that demand for the DS Lite was too high to introduce a new system, and that it wouldn't launch until "well into 2009." Nintendo president Satoru Iwata predicted a summer launch, saying the autumn would be too late. But even after the DSi launches, you'll probably still be able to find the DS Lite if that's your preference. We'll let you know when we hear official word from Nintendo on when to expect the system to hit stores.

Nintendo Patents Motion Sensing Nintendo DS Card

Nintendo has been having fun with those patents and trademarks lately. On the heels of a patent for new game walkthrough technology comes a new trademark for what appears to be Nintendo DS motion sensing technology.

Siliconera dug up a trademark for the "DS Houi Sensor Card," with "Houi" meaning "direction." Siliconera speculates that it may be built directly into the card, which is reminiscent of Kirby's Tilt and Tumble for the Game Boy Color. On the other hand, this trademark may also be a preview of the Nintendo DS's next generation.

If anything comes of this trademark, we'll most likely know soon. In the meantime, I'll go ahead and entertain myself with images of people beaning each other on the train while waving around their Nintendo DS.

Lode Runner: The Legend Returns / Extra (Video Game) newly tagged "video games"

Lode Runner: The Legend Returns / Extra (Video Game)
By Petra

16 used and new from $13.65
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by AndrewXA9
Customer tags: video games(10), ps one, playstation, adventure

Extreme Paintbrawl 4 (CD-ROM) newly tagged "video games"

Extreme Paintbrawl 4 (CD-ROM)
By Hasbro Interactive

Buy new: $6.99
$6.99
14 used and new from $0.01
Customer Rating:

First tagged "video games" by Ben Clark
Customer tags: pc game(3), video games(2), paintball, arcade

Sony Won CES Street Fighter 4 Brawl

Sony and Microsoft recently took part in a Street Fighter 4 tournament held at the Consumer Electronics Show, and Sony took home the prize according to a post on the PlayStation.Blog. The final match took place between Joe C. (Sagat) from Sony and Josh (E. Honda) from Microsoft, and Joe won with a well-timed Tiger Uppercut. The prize was a Star Wars Battlefront PSP Bundle, which makes it appropriate enough to go home with a representative of Sony.

Of course, Sony and Microsoft weren't the only players i nthe tourney. When we reported the upcoming match, we noted that Capcom had a pretty distinct advantage, which played out in the results. Sony came out victorious over Microsoft, but Capcom's ringer Justin Wong bested them both according to a report from Kotaku. Still, Sony did win the console wars match, and no one can take that from them. Except Justin Wong. If you want to see more Street Fighter battles, check out the recorded version of our Street Fighter 4 Game Night, scheduled to go up tomorrow.