Dead Rising: Alive and Killin’
August 31, 2006
Capcom’s Dead Rising (exclusive to Xbox 360) has become the fastest-selling Japanese-developed next-generation title in history after 500,000 units were shipped in North America since its August 8 launch date. Despite the game’s often criticized save system, it has been a very popular rental, seizing the top spot on the GameFly chart.
Forecasting the console hardware transition, Capcom began developing titles in 2005 for foreign markets while hoping to strengthen its marketing, sales and business operations in North America. The game will be shipped in Europe on September 8 and in Japan on September 28.
“Response to Dead Rising from the trade, press and consumers has been tremendous,” said Charles Bellfield Capcom’s vice president of marketing. “The success of the game is a result of Capcom’s recognition of Xbox 360 system’s possibilities and starting development early on in order to deliver such a high-quality game.”
In July, the game was denied an age rating in Germany, which is known for its harsh rating system. Despite the inclusion of zombies and non-human enemies in Dead Rising, the German review board deemed the game too violent and refused to rate it. Sorry, Germans…
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.
Xbox 360 BC Updates
August 29, 2006
Microsoft has added almost 40 games and updated support for an additional 9 to its Xbox 360 backward-compatability list, bringing the total number of BC games above the 250 mark. Backward-compatability enables Xbox games on the compatability list to be played on the Xbox 360 console. June’s update, the most recent, added just 27 games, 6 of which were Japanese titles.
Below is a list of the most recent BC updates:
Added
Aggressive Inline
All-Star Baseball 2005
Aquaman: Battle of Atlantis
Burnout 3: Takedown
Catwoman
Counter-Strike
Dead to Rights
ESPN Major League Baseball
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Director’s Cut
Freaky Flyers Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon - Island Thunder
IndyCar Series 2005
The Legend of Spyro: A Beginning
Lego Star Wars II
Links 2004
Maximum Chase
MTX: Mototrax Featuring Travis Pastrana
MX vs. ATV Unleashed
Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Arcade Collection
Outlaw Tennis
Over the Hedge
Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Richard Burns Rally
Rogue Trooper
Serious Sam
Shincho Mahjong
Smashing Drive
Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run
The Suffering
Taz: Wanted
Torino 2006 Winter Olympics
Trigger Man True Crime: Streets of LA
Vietcong: Purple Haze
Wrath Unleashed
X-Men II: Wolverine’s Revenge
Updated
All-Star Baseball 2003
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Crash Bandicoot: Nitro Kart
Digimon Rumble Arena 2
Ford vs. Chevy
Half-Life 2
The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer
Kabuki Warrior
Magatama
Mortal Kombat: Deception
Sneakers
Game Ban Blocked
August 28, 2006
Last week, U.S. District Judge James Brady ruled that a Louisiana state law had no right to bar the distribution of materials - video games in this case - that simply display violent behavior and activity. “Depictions of violence are entitled to full constitutional protection,” Brady wrote in issuing the injunction. The law was originally signed in June by Gov. Kathleen Blanco and proposed that those who sell violent video games to minors receive a fine of $2,000, up to one year in prison, or both. The law also sought to ban sale of games to minors if the “average person” - whatever that means - would conclude he or she depicts violence that is “patently offensive” to the adult community and if the games are seemingly without artistic, political or scientific value. Entertainment Software Association, a video game trading company challenged the law, and Brady ruled that since this law violates free speech, it will not be enforced.
America’s Most Rented
August 25, 2006
Here is the latest top-rated title list, courtesy of Rentrak Home Video Essentials:
1. NCAA Football 07 (PS2)
2. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2)
3. Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
4. FlatOut 2 (PS2)
5. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2)
6. NCAA Football 07 (Xbox)
7. NCAA Football 07 (Xbox 360)
8. Cars (PS2)
9. FlatOut 2 (Xbox 360)
10. Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PS2)
Next-Gen Console Updates
Sony announced that it will offer 27 playable games for its PS3 at the Tokyo Game Show next month. In May, Sony offered 13 playable PS3 titles at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles. Having a wide variety of popular software at the time of the console’s launch is imperative for success in the game console market. Playable titles at the Tokyo Game Show include Ridge Racer 7 and Devil May Cry 4. As for the Wii console, Nintendo does not plan to release Wi-Fi connection libraries to third-party developers until early 2007, which means that no third-party launch title will have online competitive modes.
Microsoft to Release Wireless Xbox Accessories
August 24, 2006
Microsoft sure looks ready to step in the the next-generation video game arena with rivals Sony and Nintendo. Yesterday at the 2007 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft announced the release of wireless accessories for its Xbox 360 system. In addition to the Xbox 360 Live Vision camera (as reported by videogamebuttons.com), Microsoft will unveil in November the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, which will be priced at $149.99 and will feature force feedback to simulate bumpy driving conditions. Also in time for the holiday season, Microsoft plans to sell a wireless headset ($59.99) for voice chatting and a wireless receiver ($19.99) to enable game play on Windows-based computers.
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
Xbox 360 Soccer Exclusivity
FIFA ‘07 and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 will be next-generation console exclusive to Microsoft for twelve months, Microsoft revealed at a press event in Leipzig. Officials also announced the November 3, 2006 release of Xbox 360 in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and the Czeck Republic, as well as the September 29th South African release and the October 21st release in China and India. This is a big boost for Microsoft internationally, especially in soccer-hungry Europe.
Microsoft confirmed specific bundle deals and release dates for the Xbox Live Vision camera (for more info. on this, read videogamebuttons.com’s August 21, 2006 blog), which enables players to chat via video, customize their game tag for Xbox Live, put their faces in the game, and send photo messages. The camera will be available in the U.S. on September 29th, and in Europe on October 6th.
Madden NFL ‘07 Highlights
August 22, 2006
- Lead Blocker Control: This is cool. Choose a blocker before the snap, direct him to where you want him to open a hole for the ball carrier, and then take control of the running back. If the block fails, it’s your fault now.
- Highlight Stick: Have your running back make big moves for big yardage. Make him smash through defenders, juke left or right, cut back, or a combination of all of these.
- Even More RB Control!: If you keep hitting X when playing as one of the NFL’s elite backs, you’ll break tackles.
- Change View: You can now choose other players’ points of view; for example, choose a receiver’s view and look downfield to the QB passing to you.
- Hall of Fame Mode: Create a player from scratch and build up his stats for Hall of fame induction.
- New Kicking Game: Much better! Pull the right analog stick toward you and then upward to control distance and accuracy.
- PS2 & PSP Synchronization: No more clumsy exporting for upcoming games. Now you can synchronize your team’s season on PS2 with PSP (and vice versa).
- Better Music: There’s a more diverse soundtrack for PS2 & PSP.
- Online Capabilities: For PS2 & PSP, you can take on live opponents.
//
//
// 
//
// 
