Video Game Buttons Blog

May 15, 2007

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Activision officials have announced Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, the latest game in the popular Tony Hawk skateboarding franchise, which will debut for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, and Nintendo DS later this year.

Few details have been announced, but an official statement notes that Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground will give players “the freedom to define their character, story and style based on the choices they make, the paths they choose and the style of skating they use on the proving grounds from Philadelphia and Baltimore to Washington, D.C.”

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is also expected to feature deeper character customization than that from previous Tony Hawk games, and it will include a new video editor, as well as a customizable lounge area for players to meet up online and organize games.

In addition, the game’s online component will be featured prominently.  Activision notes that players will be able to segue from Proving Ground’s single player mode to the online mode “seamlessly.”

Proving Ground will also offer players the ability to utilize new gameplay mechanics such as skateable terrain altering and building, and bowl carving, as well as more “Nail the Trick” moves “such as Nail the Grab and Nail the Manual intensifying the thrill of pulling off big tricks.”

Neversoft president Joel Jewett claims that Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground is “largest, deepest and most compelling Tony Hawk game ever.” He added, “Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground drops players into the skateboarding world like never before…Proving Ground will throw you so deep into the lifestyle of skateboarding that you won’t be able to get out. Hands down, it’s the most exciting Tony Hawk title yet.”

May 11, 2007

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Publisher Sega has revealed its 2007-2008 line-up, including Condemned 2: Bloodshot for PS3/Xbox 360, a conversion of arcade gun game Ghost Squad to Wii, Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm for XBLA, RTS Universe At War adding an Xbox 360 SKU, and a new PC RPG deal with Gas Powered Games.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, developed by original franchise creator Monolith Productions, and sporting “an all-new fighting mechanic and online multiplayer functionality”, will debut in early 2008 for the next-gen consoles.  According to the firm, “Players will engage in visceral combat using a variety of firearms, blunt instruments and an all-new fighting system complete with defensive and offensive combo chains, [as well as an] all-new set of high-tech forensic tools.”  Online multiplayer modes will include hand-to-hand deathmatch playable across the network.

Ghost Squad for Wii is a conversion of the arcade gun game title originally developed by Sega’s AM2 arcade division. The Wii version brings the arcade experience home and adds a number of new Wii-specific gameplay modes and features. The game features the use of the Wii Remote as a multi-purpose tool that allows players to easily control the targeting of on-screen enemies, defuse bombs, and rescue hostages, and will debut for the 2007 holiday season.

Happy Tree Friends False Alarm, based on the popular and gory animated series, Happy Tree Friends, is currently under development by Stainless Studios (Novadrome), and is scheduled for release via digital download on PC and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade in fall, 2007.  Sporting a “physics-based reactive environment”, Happy Tree Friends False Alarm is an action-puzzle game in which you use resources such as concrete, ice, gasoline, and nitroglycerin and “save the Happy Tree Friends from hilarious disaster situations and their own bad luck.”

Universe at War: Earth Assault, the already-announced PC RTS title from the former Westwood veterans at Petroglyph, is now also confirmed to debut on the Xbox 360 in Q1 2008.  The title is themed around a near-future Earth under siege by aliens, and is scheduled for a PC release in 2007 for the holidays, before moving onto Microsoft’s next-gen console next year, with “…a control scheme built from the ground up to ensure smooth gameplay and ease of command for console gamers.”

Finally, Sega has announced a new partnership with Gas Powered Games, the creators of Dungeon Siege and Supreme Commander.  Under the terms of the worldwide agreement, Sega and Gas Powered Games will collaboratively develop an original, and as yet unspecified role-playing game for the PC.  A release date for the RPG is not yet announced.

May 7, 2007

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In his latest Entertainment Software Publishing and Retail industry report, video game analyst Michael Pachter says that the “quality and quantity of the underlying available content” will be the key decider over the next-gen, giving the slight edge to the PS3.

“We believe that the Xbox 360 and the PS3 are far more similar than their predecessors were and believe that the economics of game development will serve as a disincentive to third party publishers to offer exclusive content for either console,” Pachter explains.  “In a perverse way, the similarity between the two platforms will likely serve to lower the costs of porting software from one platform to the other, and we anticipate that virtually every third-party title produced for one will be produced for the other.”

That lack of differentiation, Pachter concludes, will give the Wii an initial competitive advantage, as by nature of its control mechanisms, publishers are far more inclined to create separate SKUs. Scoring that content exclusivity is the “wildcard” in next generation console sales, and Nintendo’s particular advantage, he says, is its “deep library of internally developed games/brands,” concluding, “we think that Nintendo’s Wii will gain the greatest share of the hardware market in 2007.”

However, while the analyst says Sony may struggle to secure third party exclusivity, he does expect that a combination of blockbuster internally-produced games, the growing installed base for the PSP and continued robust PS2 software sales will make up for the third party shortfall.

On top of that, Pachter also says that aside from game content, “we expect the ultimate outcome of the console wars to be decided by the motion picture studios. Should the studios embrace Sony’s Blu-ray standard for high definition DVDs, we think Sony will gain an insurmountable advantage over Microsoft; should the studios embrace Sony rival Toshiba’s HD-DVD format, we think that Microsoft can maintain its first mover advantage and will dominate software sales for years to come.”

By the end of the cycle, though, Pachter predicts, “we see Sony ‘winning’ the console war with 36% of the market, with Nintendo ‘capturing’ second place at 34% and Microsoft finishing third at 30%” — a virtual “dead heat,” with all three generating “significant profits.”

May 3, 2007

Officials from LucasArts and developer Day 1 Studios have announced the development of Fracture, a new original title for next-generation console platforms.

Fracture development, as well as a few details, were first announced this past August, and LucasArts and Day 1 have now revealed that the title will involve an “intriguing storyline” concerning a conflict of ideologies leading to war in the year 2161.

Little has so far been revealed regarding Fracture’s gameplay, but LucasArts and Day 1 officials note that the third-person action title will involve terrain deformation so that players can “literally change the battlefield on the fly.”  In Fracture, gamers play as Mason Briggs, a demolitions expert, and utilize an array of weapons to fight for the cybernetic Atlantic Alliance against the genetically-enhanced soldiers of the Pacifican army.  Those damn Pacificans.

Among the examples offered by LucasArts and Day 1 regarding Fractured’s robust terrain deformation technology are the ability for players to burrow beneath otherwise impassable structures using rockets, as well as the use of vortex grenades to pick up surrounding rocks and debris to be used as weapons.

“LucasArts sees simulation-based gameplay as an essential component of a true next-gen experience, and that’s exactly what Fracture delivers,” said Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts.  “Day 1 Studios has done a phenomenal job of creating true next-gen tech that not only dazzles on a visual level but also serves as a core gameplay mechanic. Unlike many other next-gen games on the market, Fracture simply isn’t possible in the previous generation of consoles.”

Fracture is currently expected to ship this summer for the PS and Xbox 360.
 

April 30, 2007

When EA’s Madden series had been given exclusive rights to NFL franchises in a 5-year deal, it seemed as if rival publishers and developers - like Take-Two’s 2K Sports line- would not be able to create NFL-based video games.  A recent announcement, however, shows that 2K Sports has managed to find a way around the licensing agreement by focusing on past players instead of present ones.  Take Two’s All-Pro Football 2K8 is scheduled for a summer release on the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles and will feature nearly every single retired NFL great to ever wear a football uniform. 

 
“With All-Pro Football 2K8, we’re bringing the greatest players in football history back to the game,” said Greg Thomas, President of 2K Sports’ Visual Concepts. “Imagine an offense featuring John Elway, Thurman Thomas and Jerry Rice going against a defense led by Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary and Reggie White. By highlighting the signature abilities of the game’s greatest legends, we have created a highly customizable and unique football experience tailored for the football fan.”

 
The known list of players is in excess of 200 so far, but here’s a list of notables (by position):

Center
Dermontti Dawson
Jim Otto

Corner Back
Lester Hayes
NightTrain Lane
Willie Brown

Defensive End
Chris Doleman
Deacon Jones
Dexter Manley
Elvin Bethea
Gino Marchetti
Jim Marshall
Leonard Marshall
Reggie White
Rulon Jones
Tony Tolbert
TooTall Jones

Defensive Tackle
Art Donovan
Bob Lilly
Dan Hampton
Dan Saleaumua
Jerome Brown
Leon Lett
Marty Lyons
Mike Golic
Randy White
William Perry

Fullback
Daryl Johnston
Ickey Woods
Merril Hoge
Tom Rathman

Safety
Eugene Robinson
Leroy Butler
Ronnie Lott
Solomon Wilcots
Jack Tatum

Half Back
Barry Foster
Barry Sanders
Christian Okoye
Dave Meggett
Earl Campbell
Emmitt Smith
Freeman McNeil
Gale Sayers
Marcus Allen
O.J. Simpson
Ottis Anderson
Paul Hornung
Ricky Watters
Roger Craig
Thurman Thomas
Walter Payton

Linebacker
Chris Spielman
Chuck Noll
Dick Butkus
Gary Plummer
Harry Carson
Mike Singletary
Nick Buoniconti
Pepper Johnson
Brian Bosworth
Carl Banks
Derrick Thomas
Greg Lloyd
Jessie Tuggle
Ken Norton Jr

Quarterback
Archie Manning
Bart Starr
Bernie Kosar
Dan Marino
Joe Montana
Joe Theismann
John Elway
Johnny Unitas
Ken Stabler
Len Dawson
Lynn Dickey
Mark Rypien
Otto Graham
Roger Staubach
Troy Aikman
Warrren Moon

Offensive Tackle
Anthony Munoz
Korey Stringer
Richmond Webb
Roosevelt Brown
Tony Boselli
Tight End
Ben Coates
Jay Novacek
Keith Jackson
Mike Ditka
Todd Christensen

Receiver
Andre Reed
Anthony Carter
Don Maynard
Dwight Clark
Fred Biletnikoff
Irving Fryar
James Lofton
Jerry Rice
John Taylor
Rob Moore
Steve Tasker
Willie Gault

April 24, 2007

AG Edwards analyst Bill Kreher has revealed that Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 is now sold out in 99 out of 100 GameStop stores surveyed.

In Kreher’s April 10th survey, 89 out of 100 GameStop stores were sold out of Guitar Hero II for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, but the new survey shows a continued case of “demand outstripping supply with only 1 of 100 GameStops having GH II in stock (1 unit) and again no extra guitar (X-Plorer) controllers.”

“Roughly half of the stores without copies available expect a shipment to arrive at some point during this week. We believe Activision is currently seeking ways to increase production and fulfill consumer demand,” Kreher noted in his commentary to clients.

Of Guitar Hero II publisher, Kreher also re-iterated, “We continue to believe ATVI is poised for market share gains in first half fiscal ‘08 based on momentum from Guitar Hero and solid prospects for movie-supported franchises including Spiderman and Shrek.”

Kreher’s queries on whether next-gen hardware was available at each of the 100 GameStop stores revealed results tying in with recent anecdotal information: “Our questions on hardware availability continue to reflect high demand for the Wii. Of the stores we contacted, none had a Nintendo Wii available. Our survey also found PS3s and Xbox 360s in all 100 stores.”

Kreher has also said that, according to his retail checks, the retail Wii drought isn’t expected to end any time soon: “We were told by 5 GameStops that they expected to receive orders this week.”  The stock problems couldn’t be narrowed specifically to either high demand or short supply, he explained.  “Most of the outlets we talked to explained that they go extremely fast once they are received — people even follow the delivery trucks to the stores.”

“Most of the sales associates did not have a clue when the next shipment would be in, explaining that sometimes when the packages get off the trucks they are surprised to find Wiis inside.  We have heard from numerous stores that sometimes they will receive 10 units, then the next shipment only 2 units.  It is very volatile and unpredictable.”

Xleague.TV, the TV show dedicated to e-Sports, has unveiled the lineup of games that’ll feature in the launch of its leagues and tournaments.  The lineup enables gamers to compete across Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms, covering sports, FPS, RTS, and racing genres.

Here’s the launch line-up in full:

XBOX 360
Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Rainbow Six: Vegas
Project Gotham Racing 3
Gears of War
Halo 2
Dead or Alive 4

PS3
Resistance: Fall of Man
Motorstorm

PC
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Quake 4

Xleague.TV’s web site launches next month, and will be subsequently followed by the debut of the TV show itself on Sky in May.

April 23, 2007

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced price cuts for the PSP in Europe.

The price of the PSP Core bundle will fall from €199.99/£149.99 ($271) to €169.99/£129.99 ($230).  Earlier in the month, a price drop in the U.S. was announced (from $199.99 to $169.99), although the effect of this change on sales has not yet become clear in the latest NPD data.

Sony officials have also announced that the registered retail price of budget priced Platinum re-release titles will fall from £19.99 to £14.99 ($40 to $30).  Five new titles will also be added to the range, in the form of Ridge Racer 2, Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Killzone: Liberation, LocoRoco and Moto GP.

“PSP is unique and is constantly evolving. It offers the widest palette of mobile entertainment, from gaming to video, music, photos and internet,” said SCE UK managing director Ray Maguire. “But now the exciting possibility of connecting remotely to PS3 makes PSP more relevant than ever. So what better time to offer a brand new price point, and the launch of five new Platinum titles?”

April 20, 2007

Sony Computer Entertainment America announced the key titles of their lineup for the second quarter of 2007 today, adding that “more than 100 first- and third-party PS3, PSP and PlayStation 2 titles will launch during the next few months of 2007.”  The list so far contains mostly third-party titles, but Sony is still confident that their first-party studios will soon release content that will add depth to their library.

 
“Our second-quarter line-up […] demonstrates a continued commitment from both SCEA and third-party developers to the PlayStation family of products,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing, SCEA. “We are excited by the content being developed by our partners, but are also looking forward to launching PlayStation-branded exclusive games created by our own worldwide studios this quarter and throughout the rest of 2007.”

 
Sony has also presented a total of eight new titles consisting of both original and retro games that can be purchased directly from the PlayStation Store.

 
Sony’s list of key titles is as follows:

PS3
F.E.A.R.
Spider-Man 3
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
MLB 07: The Show
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
The Darkness
The Bigs
Transformers: The Game

PlayStation Store
Calling All Cars
Championship Sprint
Gauntlet II
Joust
Mortal Kombat II
Rampage World Tour
Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Remix
Rampart

PSP
Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II
Harvest Moon Boy & Girl
Ridge Racer 2
Test Drive Unlimited
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
Valhalla Knights

PS2
Dawn of Mana
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Manhunt 2
NCAA Football 08
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2
Odin Sphere
Ratatouille
Shrek The Third
Spider-Man 3
Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam

April 16, 2007

As part of its Gamer’s Day event, Capcom revealed a number of new titles for multiple devices.

Capcom dabbled in PC gaming but never made a strong commitment to PC games, so releasing Lost Planet for PC is cool.  Lost Planet will feature DirectX 10 and Shader Model 3.0 support as well, making one of the best looking console games one of the best looking PC games ever made.  Lost Planet is a good sign that we will be seeing more Capcom titles coming to PCs in the near future.  Also coming to PC (and PSN and Xbox Live) is Talisman, Games Workshop’s hybrid board and RPG.

For many, Wii is making out the best with the new Capcom titles.  Lets’s start with Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.  Using the Wii Remote as your boomstick, players will gun down zombies and other monstrosities.   Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition might be the best Resident Evil of all time!  It includes everything from the previous versions, utilizing the Wii Remote to point and blow apart the armies of the undead.  Also coming to Wii is Project Treasure Island Z, a series of puzzles and mini-games centered around the antics of a pirate in training, Zack, and his magical monkey, Wiki.  Younger gamers will be entertained.

Newly announced titles for Nintendo’s handheld DS system include the third chapter in Capcom’s cult Phoenix Wright legal adventures, with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. Set for release in September 2007, Trials and Tribulations will continue the tradition of the first two chapters of the series, with a new “mysterious hard-boiled” prosecutor named Godot, and a return of the second game’s “pysche-lock” interrogation tool. Also coming to Nintendo DS, in October, is the latest in the decades-long running Mega Man franchise, Mega Man ZX Advent, which includes a new “biometal” system that allows players to change into different forms and utilizes the DS touchscreen to switch between ‘Biometal’ and map navigation screens.  Not a bad way to celebrate 20 years of Mega Man, I’d say.
Capcom also revealed that it was working with Cartoon Network to deliver a game based on the Adult Swim original cartoon Harvey Birdman to both the PSP and PS2 by developer High Voltage (Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude), though no further details were yet revealed.

As for PS2, Capcom has announced that the company as acquired PlayStation rights to the motor sport MotoGP, and will be publishing its first PlayStation 2 game based on the sport this year, tentatively titled MotoGP 07.

Capcom also revealed a number of digitally distributed titles coming throughout the year for PC, Xbox Live, and the PlayStation network. Foremost amongst these is the return of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix coming to all three digital platforms this fall, including newly redrawn 1080p HD graphics from the backgrounds and blocks, handled by developer Backbone and all new character portraits, done by Udon Entertainment (the company responsible for the official US Street Fighter series of comics). The game will also see “improved game balance,” and, most importantly, online play — a feature fans of the cult puzzler have been asking for since it first appeared. The game will also be including the X, Y, and Z-’ism’ modes from the Dreamcast’s “For Matching Service” version.

Also coming are two more original titles, with WizKids’ Rocketmen: Axis of Evil arriving on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network as an arcade shooter as up to four players battle cooperatively through multiple levels in a struggle to ‘free the Solar System.’