Reservoir Dogs Preview
September 27, 2006
Quentin Tarantino’s 1992 cult classic Reservior Dogs is one of the coolest movies ever made. Now, that’s not so much my personal opinion as it is a fact. Moving on…
The movie picks up after the surviving members of Joe’s crew blasted their way through police (and some innocent civilians) to the abandoned warehouse after their diamond heist goes very, very wrong. The game, on the other hand, allows the gamer - who plays as any of the Mr. Colors, Nice Guy Eddie, or Joe – to 
play out the diamond heist, learn where Mr. Pink stashed the diamonds, and witness the kidnapping of (the soon-to-be-earless) Officer Marvin Nash. In typical Tarantino style, the game’s plot is revealed through a series of non-linear, intersecting story lines. The game has a feature that, surprisingly, rewards players for making shrewd, cunning decisions, and not for becoming a foul-mouthed, trigger-happy maniacs. The game’s “Threat System” lets you see how far you could push the police before they attack. You can use hostages as leverage, but play it cool; if your Adrenaline Meter climbs too high, your character will get anxious and jittery – not a good way to be when handling hostages and police presence. The Adrenaline Meter also comes into play during “Bullet Festival,” which is employed as a very unorthodox technique for crowd control when you’re out on the street. In addition, the game features the complete movie soundtrack and the vocal work of Michael Madsen, reprising his role as Mr. Blonde.
The Xbox version of the game was recalled in the U.K. because the appropriate rating of “18” (equivalent to our “M” rating) had not been printed on the disc. Australia, however, has banned the game entirely, deeming it “ultra-violent.” In this connection, British police officials have condemned the game for its excessive violence toward police. “Players can take police officers hostage and go on to burn out their eyes with a lit cigar, chop off their fingers with a cigar cutter, and hack off their ears using a scalpel, while [the police officers] plead for their lives and scream in pain,” reports The Yorkshire Post.
Reservoir Dogs will be available for PC, PS2, and Xbox on October 24.
Scarface: The World Is Yours Preview
September 26, 2006
Remember at the end of Scarface (the movie) when Sosa’s guys ambush Tony Montana and shot him about a thousand times? Well, Scarface: The World Is Yours picks up here. That tough bastard lived. He’s pissed off and wants everything back immediately. You play as Tony Montana, who has been recreated masterfully for this game. The voice, though not Al Pacino’s, is dead-on, and Tony is as power-hungry and fearless as ever. And no, this game is definitely not suited for the kiddies.
The game’s hidden agenda seems to be for you, as Tony, to “shoot, kill, taunt.” After blasting through an enemy gang, hit the B button and listen to Tony unleash a profanity-laden insult. This is the Taunt feature, which is not restricted to post-kill situations. Press the button at any time and Tony will have something to say. If you’re walking in the road and a car whizzes past, bumping Tony on the way, or if some slouch is looking at you the wrong way, hit B and Tony will tell set it straight. There’s also a feature referred to as Balls Points. Every time Tony’s mouth lets loose, you accumulate points. The culmination of these points is Blind Rage mode, which comes in handy when your health is low and you’re in hot water. During Blind Rage mode (not just a clever name), you assume a first-person view, you have unlimited ammo, and you go completely bananas!
Like that in the movie, success the game’s seedy drug underworld depends on respect, reputation, and all-around drug kingpin savvy. The game quantifies your reputation for your drug business dealings, and playing as Tony allows you to blow cash on boats, cars, henchmen, drivers, and assassins (who refuse to kill innocent people). And then there are the cops. The amount of heat you draw as you rise to the top of the drug game depends on your (surprise, surprise) Cop Heat meter. It’s important - and very pricy- to pay off the Vice to keep this meter down, as too much heat will anger the Feds, who will chase and shoot at you relentlessly, thus ending your game. Otherwise, a cop can be bribed or run from, which will definitely raise your Cop Heat status.
The game also features a very cool “Mix tape” feature that lets gamers create their own music compilations. You can listen to just the original film score by Giorgio Moroder, popular hits from the 80’s, contemporary songs, or a mix. Pre-made mixes are by genre and time period – rock, hip-hop, reggae, reggaeton, Latin, and country. The artists featured are awesome: Johnny Cash, Debbie Harry, Pit Bull, Rick James, Judas Priest, Grandmaster Flash, Burning Spear, Iggy Pop, Public Enemy, Run DMC, and Peter Tosh. Lending their vocal talents to the game are James Woods, Michael Rappaport, Ice T, Oliver Platt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joy Mohr, Roma Maffia, Cheech Marin, Tonny Chong, Ricky Gervais, Tommy Lee, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara from Entourage, Bam Margera, and Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog and B. Real, among others.
Originally scheduled for relase yesterday, Scarface: The World Is Yours will be available on October 8 for Xbox, PS2, PSP, and PC.
Meet the “Real Heroes” of America’s Army
September 15, 2006
America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch is the official United States Army game and the new version of the hit PC game America’s Army: Operations (launched in 2002 on July 4, naturally), which garnered approximately 7.5 million online registrations. America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch was released officially yesterday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the finest, most demanding military institution in the country.
Special Forces Overmatch not only allows players to use new weapons and vehicles during simulated counterterrorism missions, but players also have the opportunity to meet several “Real Heroes” who have fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. The “Real Heroes” appear as part of the game’s virtual recruiting station and training sessions designed to prepare players for the missions. “Our part is to get the story out of our soldiers and the people we served with, to push the message that we are normal people,” says Jerry Wolford, a 39-year-old sergeant in the U.S. Army, who was wounded in 2003 and earned a Silver Star for protecting other troops while helping secure bridges over the Euphrates River in As Samawah, Iraq. “Because of our training, we reacted the way we hope everybody would.” Action figures of Wolford and seven other soldiers will be sold online and in stores soon. Players can see video of the soldiers and learn about their citations on the America’s Armysite. “The Real Heroes young adults can learn about the accomplishments of some of the heroic men and women that make the Army the world’s premier land force,” said Colonel Casey Wardynski, Project Director for America’s Army. Col. Wardynski says the eight featured soldiers will also visit schools and America’s Army public gaming competitions.
Some new features of Special Forces Overmatch include the following:
Virtual Recruiting Station – Meet SFC Gerald Wolford of the 82nd Airborne, SGT Tommy Rieman of the 51st LRRPS, SSG Matthew Zedwick of the 7th Cavalry Regiment and MAJ Jason Amerine of the Special Forces and read their bios, review their military medals and decorations, watch videos describing their Military Occupational Specialties: Infantry, Special Forces and Airborne and Ranger School training. Players logged in with an active player account are granted a one-time Experience Point bonus for each Real Hero they meet; a 3% XP bonus is applied after visiting each in VRS.
Dynamic Content Delivery System - DCDS adds new content and updates existing content at any time. Maps and gameplay changes can be provided with greater frequency than ever before.
New Artificial Intelligence - Special Forces Overmatch debuts two new missions that will pit Rangers and Special Forces against an overwhelming force of enemy AI soldiers and vehicles. U.S. forces will be outnumbered by as much as 5:1.
Enhanced Training – Gain valuable experience in Javeline (an anti-armor weapon) missile system, M1114 Up-Armored HMMWV w/ CROWS (the vehicle pictured), rifle marksmanship, Eagle Tower Confidence Course Challenge (which accurately depicts the course found at Fort Benning, GA), weapons familiarization (instruction in M9 Pistol, AT4 Anti-Armor Rocket, and Bunker Defeating Munition (BDM)) and built-in full motion video support.
Explore the Army – ETA provides free play on selected missions to players who do not have an active player account.
Improved Player Stats - Player stats are now kept and viewable in the player’s “Record Brief” section of the user interface. These stats are focused on teamwork, completion of the mission, and the welfare of your troops.
Finally, players can go through a simulated boot camp or team up with other real players to engage in online 3D multiplayer battles. America’s Army: Special Forces Overmatch is rated T for Teen.
Left Behind Coming to PC
September 11, 2006
Inspired by the widely popular Left Behind novel series, Left Behind: Eternal Forces - after spending more than four years in development stages - will be available for PC in October. It is reported that more than 10,000 retailers will carry the game, which looks to be a hot shopping item for the Christmas season.
The faith-based, sci-fi Left Behind series of novels starts with the sudden disappearance of billions of people in one cataclysmic moment. Those “left behind” remain so in utter confusion and bedlam, victims of devastating earthquakes and other unimaginable disasters. Rayford Steele, a hero of the series, believes that Christ has raptured his true believers and left all others behind for the dawn of a seven-year catastrophic period known as the Tribulation. Steele sets out to search for answers, encountering God’s enemies and what seesm to be the end of the world as we know it. Available in 30 different languages, the Left Behind thrillers have captured the imagination of millions and have become a worldwide phenomenon. Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have released 12 volumes of the series and plan to release another two.
In a formal statement, Troy A. Lyndon, CEO of Left Behind Games, dismissed the “misinformation” that has been spread recently about the game’s violence. Lyndon notes that the game features a battle between good and evil and does not include any gratuitous death, blood or gore. Allegations that the game promotes killing or violence in the name of God have been vehemently denied by Lyndon and Left Behind Games. For the initial missions, there is little emphasis on inciting physical warfare; even as the missions progress, neither war nor violence are “objectives” for gameplay. Physical conflict does, however, result when the gamer must defend against the forces of evil, led by Global Community Peacekeepers. The true objective, Lyndon claims, is for the gamer to convert non-believers and prevent evil from ruling the world. In this connection, players must find “tribulation clues,” which include Biblical clues, codes and information.
In single player mode, players must fight evil, but players choose to defend good or evil in multi-player mode. Working for the forces of good, players must keep their people housed, fed, armed and nurtured with prayer. Players also recruit others to battle evil forces. They can send people into battle but lose points by killing evil soldiers or by failing to meet the spiritual needs of the troops. Evil can be thwarted with a hit of the prayer button.
Eternal Forces, Lyndon claims, introduces gamers to “powers of influence which result in a battle for the hearts and minds of people.” He promises that unlike most modern video games, Eternal Forces will “encourage gamers to think about matters of eternal significance.” In closing, Lyndon maintains, “At Left Behind Games, we are dedicated to making great games,” and he encourages Left Behind gamers and supporters to challenge those “making negative statements about this game.”
Analyst Michael Pachter has played Eternal Forces and says that the game was well made. He predicts sales of between 250,000 and 1 million units but is uncertain whether the mainstream video gaming audience will find the game too “preachy.”
Big Announcements from EA
September 1, 2006
Electronic Arts, the largest video game publisher in the world, signed deals with Microsoft’s Massive and IGA Worldwide to bring real-time ads to its Xbox 360 and PC games this fall. IGA will deliver the ads to Battlefield 2142, an upcoming sci-fi shooter, and Massive will deliver the ads to Need for Speed: Carbon, which is scheduled to be released in late October. For players with a PC connected to the internet or those playing on Xbox Live, online updates will result in Need for Speed: Carbon ads being updated over time.
Marketers and advertisers clearly recognize video games’ value in reaching the coveted 18-34-year-old demographic, but Chip Lange, EA’s vice president of online commerce, does not want the new ads to disrupt game play. “In a racing game, advertising is not only nice to have, but it’s an essential component to create the fiction of being there. This agreement with Massive allows us to vary what relevant ads are served to the game player,” he said. Company officials also noted that the new ads can be tailored to specific regions, such as Europe or the United States.
EA also announced that Madden NFL 07 grossed over $100 million in its first week, making it the biggest launch in EA history. To get an idea of how massive these numbers are - especially for a video game - consider that the film version of the international best-seller The Da Vinci Code grossed $102 million in its first week. Not bad.
Finally, EA announced the release of “EA Replay,” a collection of titles released between 1990-1995 that have been reprogrammed for use on PSP. A set of 14 titles will be released on November 7 for $19.99
A Quick Look at “Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII”
August 30, 2006
Square Enix’ Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, the third installment in the Final Fantasy VII compilation, takes place three years after the original game. For this first-person shooter game (that can be played with a PS2 controller or with a USB mouse and keyboard), you play as Vincent Valentine (pictured), a hidden character from the first game who had a ill-fated love affair with Lucrece (the scientist) and who was the subject of Hojo, the mad scientist.
Dirge of Cerberus certainly has some RPG (role playing games) treats: add magic, upgrade your guns, and buy and sell items. You can also customize three guns for short-, medium- and long-range fun. Ultimately, you’ll be squeezing the trigger more than employing any magic or upgrades. The missions in the game are few in number and optional. Points earned on them will level up Vincent between stages and help you purchase items and weapon upgrades.
As for your enemies, you’ll be facing soldiers and beasts that come from every angle. After a while, their location and tactics become predictable. Boss battles will be more difficult than your typical enemy encounters, so you’ll have to use some unorthodox methods to make it out alive. Be sure to look for…cough, cough…any explosive barrels that you can shoot. Just an idea. You play with very little interaction with your surroundings, which you may find unassuming and repetitive.
Character movements and facial expressions are fluid and life-like, easily placing them among the best in the world of PS2. And the CG movies? Awesome. On “Normal” mode, this game is not particularly difficult at all. There are plenty of power-ups around and your bullet supply is seemingly endless (a blessing for RPG fans that might not play FPS (FreeSpacePort) games). FSP aficionados might want to go straight to “Hard” mode.
The New Microsoft Habu
August 23, 2006
Microsoft and Razer, a computer gaming peripheral team, have joined forces in creating Microsoft Habu, a gaming mouse that, says MS, “allows gamers to experience PC gaming as never before.” Microsoft Habu is a super-precision, pleasant-to-handle mouse with virtually no skipping or pixel jumping or negative acceleration. Microsoft Habu is due out in October and its features are as follows:- Interchangeable side button panels provide gamers with two options for different hand sizes or preferences.
-2,000 DPI laser engine, powered by Razer Precision, delivers super-fast response time
- On-the-fly DPI lets players adjust DPI for controlled sensitivity
- Always-On mode pioneered by Razer gives gamers virtually no latency
- High-speed motion detection lets gamers get their speed on with movement of up to 45 inches per second and 20G acceleration
- Seven programmable buttons with Hyperesponse allow gamers to program their button functions; Razer’s Hyperesponse technology reduces latency
- On-board profile memory enables gamers to store up to five game control profiles on the mouse
-Ultra-slick Teflon feet let gamers enjoy smooth and quiet gliding
- Ergonomic design features GlowPipe side rails and large, rubber-coated buttons
- Thin, flexible wire provides gamers with the speed of a wired mouse with the feel of a wireless device
Microsoft Warns of Cyper Theft
August 17, 2006
Video game developers were warned by Microsoft that criminals are now heavily targeting PC games. Widely popular multiplayer games have created a market for game identities of value - those loaded with gold or other forms of game currency to be used for buying weapons, spells, and other entities for advancement within the game. For these multiplayer online games, players act as a fictional character and interact with others in the game’s virtual world.
World of Witchcraft, for example, requires a player to buy game software and pay a monthly subscription. Dave Weinstein, a Microsoft security development engineer, explained that there can be more value on a player’s game account than on the credit card used to pay for the game; some game accounts can be worth as much as $10,000. As a result, these accounts have joined stolen credit card numbers, false working papers, and fraudulent passports as hot items on the black market.
“The police are really good at understanding someone stole my credit card and ran up a lot of money. It’s a lot harder to get them to buy into ’someone stole my magic sword,’” Weinstein explains.
Microsoft: Create Your Own PC & Xbox 360 Games
August 14, 2006
Microsoft is scheduled to announce today the August 30th release of XNA Game Studio Express, a free set of tools that gamers can download from www.microsoft.com/xna to their Windows PC and use to create their own games.
For the holidays, Microsoft will unveil a “Creators Club” membership ($99/month) for Xbox Live, allowing novice game developers to test their games on Xbox 360. Games developed through XNA will only be available to members of the Creators Club, a name that is expected to be changed. Microsoft plans to eventually allow independent game creators to demo and sell their games on Xbox Live.
In addition to the XNA tools, GarageGame’s Torque Engine will be included in the package from Microsoft and will help gamers refine and run a game. Spacewars, a free game in the Microsoft package, can be easily modified and run by beginners who may not have too much computing know-how.
With this program, Microsoft will tie gamers to Xbox and be in a position to explore some new ideas. It will also increase the pool of game developers. Most games take between a year and a half to three eyars to develop; companies want to back the sure thing, which is why there is not much risk-taking in video game development nowadays.
So far, ten universities have added game Studio Express to various curricula for the upcoming fall semester, which means that students can test their prototypes on an Xbox 360 console, rather than on a high-powered, more expensive PC.
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