MEGAMAN LEGENDS 3 CANCELLED

Yes, I have returned to blogging.  No, I can not express how angry I am right now.

Capcom has lost all dignity with this one; unless they restore this project, they will never have my money again.

http://www.capcom-unity.com/gregaman/blog/2011/07/18/a_message_from_capcom
http://www.capcom-unity.com/devroom/blog/2011/07/18/a_message_from_capcom

If you're a Capcom Unity member, please Vote Up the Megaman Legends 3 comments here:
http://www.capcom-unity.com/go/suggestion/box

If you're not a Unity member, please sign up and defend this game if you're a fan!

Crysis Coming To Consoles

Remember Crysis?  No, not the one set in New York.  The original one; the one set in the jungle, which blew people away with its amazing graphics (you know, if you managed to get it to run on your computer).  Well, that game may be coming to consoles, according to a listing on the Korean Ratings Board.  Apparently, the listing is only for the 360, so while a PS3 version makes sense, it has yet to be seen.

I wonder how Crysis will port to the 360; the graphics will probably only be as good as the "medium" settings on the PC.... but at least 360 owners will be able to experience the superior gameplay of the original Crysis.

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-07-01-first-crysis-coming-to-consoles-report

I Am Alive IS FUCKING ALIVE

Well, will you look at that!  It seems that not only did I not completely imagine the existence of I Am Alive, but the game may actually release sometime this century!  HOLY SHIT!  Earlier today, I Am Alive was given a rating of MA 15+ by the Australian Classification Board, which means that it must actually be in development!  FUCK YEAH!  Anyway, there was a point at which the game was thought to be converted to a downloadable title as opposed to a full retail game, but this was later revealed to be a hoax.  Eurogamer still has the release window printed as "2011", which I HIGHLY doubt, but whatever.  Miracles happen.  Sometimes.

Anyway, here is the ratings page (a.k.a. proof of existence) for the game:
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2011/02/02/i-am-alive-not-a-download-title-just-a-joke/

And here's the story:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-28-i-am-alive-release-imminent

On a side note, I apologize for all the swear words.  I just felt like it; we all have our days.  Anyway, I am actually looking forward to this game, and have been for quite a while.  The premise itself intrigues me.  Survival without horror?  Count me in.  Hopefully, Ubisoft Shanghai can deliver the goods.

Here's Some Video Of Gotham City Imposters

Gotham City Imposters is a FPS set in the Batman universe.  Wait... what?

Apparently, one side has players as Batman impersonators and the other side has players as Joker impersonators; these are all fakes, though.  Nobody is actually playing as Batman or Joker.  I personally think the game is just an attempt to cash in on the Batman license; seeing the game in action didn't really help.  The guy in the walkthrough (see: source link) says that the game has an "unprecedented amount of customization"... that's nice, but I was watching the game in action as he was saying this, and I didn't see anything special.  BUT... of course, I haven't played the game, so it might be the funnest thing in the world for all I know.  We'll find out when the game hits XBLA and PSN in the early part of 2012.  

Also, in addition to the walkthrough in the source link, I found more gameplay on YouTube.  At the very least, the levels look creative:

Source: http://videogames.gameguidedog.com/news/gotham-city-imposters-gameplay-walkthrough-and-developer-interview/3874/

WarDevil Canceled... Again

It's been almost a month since I posted about the happenings of WarDevil.  Now, it seems that the game has been canceled yet again.  Here's a brief history of WarDevil:

1. Announced in 2004 as an exclusive for the as-of-yet-unnamed Xbox 360
2. Announced again in 2005, this time as a PS3 exclusive
3. Later changed; set to be released on BOTH consoles
4. Canceled!
5. Brought back to life under the name "Project Kane"
6. Canceled!  Again!

Hooray!  And there you have it.  So, I guess the game is officially "dead" for now... unless, that is, another developer decides to pick up the project.

.......

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Okay, we all had a good laugh there.  This game is pretty much gone forever.

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-28-ignition-cancels-wardevil-again-report

Slow News Day

Yup... not much going on today.  This probably applies to the entire month of June, as E3 just passed us by; this probably means we won't get any interesting game announcements for a little while.  I'm hoping Rockstar will reveal Grand Theft Auto V soon, but we've probably got to wait a little while longer for that.  Does anybody remember how when and how GTA IV was announced?  I don't.  I'll have to look that up and search for some patterns...

Crysis 2 Now Has DirectX 11 Support

Crytek has released a patch for Crysis 2 that will make the graphics up-to-par with the initial expectations of the game.  It can't fix the gameplay, which many people felt was far inferior to the original Crysis, but it will at least make the game look pretty.  In fact, with the patch Crysis 2 supposedly looks even better than Crysis does, which means that once again gamers will need a supercomputer and a graphics card from Atlantis to get the game to run.  The patch is 2.32 GB, which, aside from a few bug fixes, seems to be pretty much all graphics.  You can read the full list of features, as well as find links to the 1.9 update (which you need to get first) and the new patch, in the source link.

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-27-2-32gb-crysis-2-dx11-patch-out-now

What Is GoldenEye Reloaded?

Apparently, domains have been registered by Activision that point to a new 007 GoldenEye game; you can check them out for yourselves by clicking on the source link.  Anyway, there is no indication whether this is yet another remake (such as 2010's GoldenEye 007), a spin-off (such as 2004's less-than-stellar Rogue Agent), or an entirely new game.  The title "Reloaded" would suggest to me that the new game is either a port of the Wii version to other platforms, or a direct continuation of the story from the 2010 game.  I suppose we'll find out soon enough.

Source: http://gamingbolt.com/golden-eye-reloaded-under-development

Xenoblade Is Coming To America

Nintendo fans have been publicly clamoring for three Japan-exclusive Wii titles to come to the west: Xenoblade, Last Story, and Pandora's Tower.  A U.S. release for Xenoblade has now been confirmed, according to an e-mail answer from Nintendo.

Source: http://www.zeldainformer.com/2011/06/breaking-news-xenoblade-finally-confirmed-for-a-north-american-release.html

Check out the Japanese cover for the game:

And a landscape screenshot:

Both of those are from Wikipedia.  Epic, no?

Daily Video Game Deals, #11 - Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

It's always the PC deals that are cheap; the console versions of this game are still running for $40.  Web of Shadows is a Spider-Man game I've never played myself, but would like to.  Critical reception of this game was mixed; reviewers disliked the story in general, the mission structure, the voice acting, and Peter Parker's personality, but the combat system was pointed to as one of the best in any Spider-Man game; this is from what I gathered, anyway.  The PC version of the game holds a 52 on Metacritic, but has 4/5 on Amazon.  I don't know... play at your own risk, I guess.

The sad part about this is that Shaba Games, a developer of Web of Shadows (Treyarch apparently chipped in as well), was closed by Activision in 2009, so they'll never get a chance to take their combat system and try to build a great game around it.

Oblivion 5th Anniversary Edition Releases This July

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 5th Anniversary Edition will be available in U.S. stores July 12th; it will be priced at $30.  The game is essentially a repackaging of the Game of the Year version of Oblivion, with a collector's item, a "making of" DVD, a map, and a $10 mail-in rebate on Skyrim and its strategy guide.  The extra stuff is only in the U.S., though, so European stores are literally getting a repackaged GOTY version of Oblivion.

Oblivion GOTY for PS3 also has a bug that makes it impossible to cure yourself of vampirism once you get infected.  Hopefully, they fixed that.  But, they're just repackaging, so... probably not.

Last thing: no Trophies.

Sources:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/elder-scrolls-iv-oblivion-5th-anniversary-edition-available-jul/
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/117/1179134p1.html

Rumor Mill: Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar's inevitable next installment in the wildy successful series, has reportedly been in development for quite a while.

A clue pointing towards GTA V can be found in the manual from Episodes from Liberty City.  The picture, shown below, says "Liberty City, It's Over!  Next Stop."  It then has a picture under that, although it's unclear what that is.

People all around the internet have different opinions of what this could be.  Some people think the mountains point to a revisiting of San Andreas; some of the recent rumors, however, state that the game may be set in Hollywood.  I have a friend who is an avid fan of GTA, and from the point GTA IV was released it was obvious to him that Rockstar was repeating the same pattern it had with the PS2 games: Liberty City, Vice City, and then San Andreas.  I am actually inclined to agree.  I also read a comment from a person who thought that the image from the manual was from the film studio in Vice City.  I haven't verified this, but this fits in with the movie-poster theme of the picture.

Anyway, there is also the matter of the text under the aforementioned image, which reads "OPENS MARCH EVERYWHERE".  GTA IV was released in April 2008, and in March 2012 it will be almost four years since then.  GTA IV took three and a half years to develop, and if we are to assume that GTA V will use the same engine and technology, it must be almost completed by now.  Therefore, even though it's less than a year off, I believe that GTA V may actually be released in March 2012.

Sources:
http://www.1up.com/news/grand-theft-auto-v-12-release-pretty-likely
http://guyism.com/lifestyle/grand-theft-auto-5-is-officially-off-the-record-in-the-works.html
http://www.xcastonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1102:gta-episodes-from-liberty-city-manual-teases-qthe-next-stopq&catid=39:news&Itemid=104
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/987732-grand-theft-auto-iv-episodes-from-liberty-city/54406697
http://www.gta4.net/news/4359/liberty-city-its-over--next-stop/

Sucker Punch Already Working On inFamous 3?

It seems that Sucker Punch, developers of the famed Sly Cooper games on the PS2 and the newly-popular inFamous games on the PS3, are in need of a senior producer for a new video game.  The job description was posted on Gamasutra, and can be found here:
http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobseekerx/viewjobrss.asp?cjid=26816&accountno=358

The platform listed is the PS3, so it's yet another PS3-exclusive.  So, here are the facts:

1. inFamous 2 was just released
2. The inFamous games have received good sales and good reviews
3. The new game is NOT Sly 4; that game has already been announced as Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, and is being developed by Sanzaru Games

So, it must be either inFamous 3, or a new IP.  I'm leaning more towards inFamous 3 at the moment; I haven't played inFamous 2, so I don't know how it ends, but I'm assuming that Cole McGrath still has more ground to cover.

Either way, a new game is coming from Sucker Punch!

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6320693/infamous-dev-working-on-new-ps3-title?tag=hot-stories%3Btitle%3B2

Former I Am Alive Developer Has A New Game

Darkworks, the (former) developer behind I Am Alive, has announced a new game called Black Death for PC, PS3, and 360.  It's a FPS in which you have to stay alive while shooting mutants.

Source: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-23-i-am-alive-dev-announces-black-death

Wait... WHAT?  What about I Am Alive???  I've been intrigued about the game since the E3 trailer back in 2008, after which there has been absolutely no information about the game AT ALL.  There was a teaser shown at E3 2009 of the game, but it served only to prove that the game was still in development; it showed us nothing of the actual game.  Apparently, Darkworks has abandoned I Am Alive, which is something I was completely unaware of.  Development duties have been handed over to Ubisoft Shanghai, and we should expect the game sometime before the end of the world.

Google Is Now Dabbling In Video Games

Search engine giant Google is everywhere these days; hell, they're basically taking over the world.  There's a rare area they haven't approached yet, however: gaming.  According to IGN, that's about to change.  They report that Google is set on developing its own platform, and is looking for a Product Manager.  Would you buy a Google console?  The thought itself of a gaming platform made by Google is just... eerie.  Also, Google is powerful as all hell, and definitely a giant in its own right, but how will it be able to compete with the giants of gaming?  Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo dominate the industry, and I don't see anyone breaking that triumvirate anytime soon.

Either way, it will be fascinating to see how this all pans out.  Also, it should be noted that nowhere in the actual job description (link posted below) does it mentioned an actual platform/console of any sort; I guess that's just IGN's hypothesis.  The project is simply called "Games at Google"; I'll be following this up once some concrete information emerges.

Source: http://games.ign.com/articles/117/1178887p1.html

Job description: http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/uslocations/mountain-view/product/product-manager-games-mountain-view/index.html

PS3 Price Drop Rumor Strikes Again

Rumor is, Sony is set to announce a price drop for the PS3 at Gamescom this August (17th-21st).  If it happens, the new price will probably be set at £200.  Not much else to say here; we'll just have to wait and see.

Source: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/117/1178883p1.html

L.A. Noire Headed To PC

Rockstar Leeds is porting Team Bondi's MotionScan-filled creation over to the PC in time for this fall.  I have read multiple angry forum posts about how Rockstar has "no love" for the PC; apparently, this isn't true.  Although, many of us will still be left wondering how amazing Red Dead Redemption would look on a PC at the highest settings... *shiver*.

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/news/6320849/la-noire-pc-bound-this-fall-ships-4-million-units?tag=recent_news%3Btitle%3B3

Lego Universe Going Free To Play

This was actually the first free-to-play transformation announced this week; City of Heroes was second, and Team Fortress 2 was third.  I just like to report things in reverse order (/order of importance, methinks).

Still... what the hell?  This makes three games THIS WEEK that have converted to the free-to-play model of business.  Ah, wait a second.  It seems that LEGO's version of "free-to-play" is a little different.  The company is still going to offer paid subscriptions for $10 a month... those who do this will have access to the full game.  Those who choose to play the game "free" will have access to a limited number of quests and functions, so that they'll WANT to pay $10 a month.  Remember how I said I hate micro-transaction systems?  Yeah... this isn't a micro-transaction system... this is worse.

If you've been dying to play Lego Universe for free, this still doesn't really seem like your chance, as you only get access to two adventure areas (out of a total fifteen), and one player property area (out of a total five).  Well... whatever, LEGO.  Whatever.  You do need to make money, and you did create the magnificence that is Lego Island 2, so I forgive you.

Source: http://blogs.forbes.com/johngaudiosi/2011/06/21/lego-universe-latest-online-game-to-adopt-free-to-play-business-model/

City of Heroes Going Free To Play

City of Heroes, a game I have been wanting to play since its release, is now going free-to-play.

Hrm... excuse me.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alrighty, I'm done.

Entitled "City of Heroes: Freedom", the superhero MMORPG will have run on a micro-transaction system.  Have I already mentioned how much I hate that crap?  Yeah, I think I have.  No matter; people need to make money somehow.  Of course, without paying, you'll only have access to a limited number of classes to choose from; that probably goes for powers as well, unfortunately.  Still, the option to play for free is there, and I intend to pounce on the opportunity.  Cryptic Studios, a developer of City of Heroes, also went on to develop Champions Online, a game that has been free-to-play since its launch, but I wasn't interested in it due to its comic-like art style; I've also read through forums which praise City of Heroes over Champions Online.

I'm looking forward to this.  The change will occur later this year, and when it happens, I will post it immediately.

Source: http://www.gametrailers.com/news/city-of-heroes-going-free-to-play/3513

Daily Video Game Deals, #10 - Spider-Man: The Movie (PC)

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my favorite PC game of all time.  It was also one of my first real games, and is probably one of the titles that got me into gaming in the first place.  Many people may not agree with my glowing opinion of this game, but I have nothing but fond things to say of it.  It's almost a decade old, but this is one game that is worth revisiting.