New Line & Epic Team Up for ‘Gears of War’ Movie
March 22, 2007
New Line has won feature rights to bring Microsoft and Epic’s Gears of War to the big screen.
New Line’s deal is with developer Epic, which held onto all ancillary rights to the property when Microsoft signed on to publish the game. Though not announced yet, a sequel video game is assured. If development of both projects goes smoothly, New Line and Epic would surely love to see the film and a game sequel come out around the same time.
Gears of War, which has sold more than 3 million units, is the most popular game on Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, and despite being released in November and available only for the Xbox 360, it quickly became the US’s fourth best-selling game of 2006 and won Game of the Year honors at the Game Developers Choice Awards and the Interactive Achievement Awards.
Epic developed an extensive Gears of War backstory in hopes of utilizing it for a film as well as potential novels. “We wanted to make an entertainment property that’s not just for games but for other media,” said Epic VP and co-founder Mark Rein.
Movie producer Wyck Godfrey explained, “I’m not a gamer, but what blew me away about Gears was how it captures the mythology of a war mission and how high the stakes are.”
Stuart Beattie will be handling the movie script, and once this is completed, producers Godfrey and Marty Bowen will start looking for a director. They’re aiming at a summer 2009 release. Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski (CliffyB) will exec produce the film and consult on its development for Epic.
Several movies based on video game franchises (Doom, Super Mario Bros.) have bombed with both critics and audiences, but Rein said he and the Epic team considered that history carefully when mulling a movie deal: “Our first and foremost philosophy is to do no harm, so we debated heavily the idea of doing a movie at all, but we feel we stacked the deck in our favor by working with the best players.”
Microsoft Investigates Possible Xbox Live Fraud
March 21, 2007
Microsoft announced yesterday that it is investigating possible fraud on its Xbox Live online gaming service after reports that some gamers have had their Xbox Live accounts hijacked and their credit card used to buy Microsoft Points.
“Recently, there have been reports of fraudulent activity and account theft taking place on the Xbox Live network. Security is a top priority for Xbox Live, and we are actively investigating all reports of fraudulent behavior and theft,” a Microsoft rep said in a statement.
Gamers have been reporting the incidents for some time in online forums and to Microsoft’s Xbox help desk, and many gamers have been less than thrilled with Microsoft’s response. One Xbox Live user claimed that his account was hacked, his credit card info was stolen, and Microsoft responded that he should call his card company since it’s not their problem.
Security researcher Kevin Finisterre was playing Halo recently with several friends when some of their opponents threatened to steal their accounts, he said. “Literally the next day my girl’s account was locked out,” Finisterre wrote in an e-mail yesterday. He claims that he received a message on his Xbox that said, “We are sorry we must log you out of Xbox Live because someone else is using your Gamertag,” and the account was banned. Finisterre said that calling Microsoft was no help and that he got the runaround from the support people who answer the official help line.
Microsoft asks any Xbox user with a question about the security of their Xbox Live account to call in, so that - in the words of a Microsoft rep - “an Xbox customer service representative will help them understand our security policies and procedures.”
Xbox 360 Welcomes Latest Ace Combat & Devil May Cry Installments
A recent issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reports that the latest installment of the Ace Combat series - at least for now - won’t be coming to the PS3. In addition, Capcom has announced that Devil May Cry 4 will also join the Xbox 360 lineup.
According to the Famitsu article, Ace Combat 6 has only been listed as an Xbox 360 title. Whether a PS3 version is in the works is still unclear.
Ace Combat 6: Kaiho e no Senbi (loosely translated to “The Flames of War Towards Liberation”) will become the first ever Ace Combat game to be released on a non-handheld, non-Sony console. Ace Combat 6 is planned for a Japanese release some time by the end of 2007.
Possibly one of the most significant changes to the Ace Combat protocol will be addition of Xbox Live support, with online multiplayer modes enhancing the gameplay experience. Confirmed so far are team battle, battle royale, and co-op options.
In a press release from Capcom’s main Osaka branch, Capcom said that it will be “pursuing a multi-platform strategy to help enhance profits”, indicating that Capcom is no longer willing to bet on the PS3 being the undisputed console champion this generation. Nevertheless, Devil May Cry 4 will mark the series’ first foray on the Xbox.
A press release from Capcom’s American branch reads as follows: “Capcom is committed to making its titles available to as wide an audience as possible, and has been building its technology base to meet that goal,” said Mark Beaumont, executive vice president, officer and head of Capcom consumer software publishing in the Americas and Europe. “This announcement means that PS3, Xbox 360 and PC owners worldwide will be able to experience the latest installment of one of Capcom’s pillar franchises.”
Release dates for each version of Devil May Cry 4 still have not been announced.
PS3 Firmware Update Details
March 20, 2007
Sony has confirmed in a press release today the impending release of PS3 firmware update version 1.60. The update, set to be released in Japan this Thursday, March 22, will allow the following options:
Pinpoint zoom and resolution settings for the internal PS3 internet browser: Sony has now made it easier for those wiht larger displays to zoom in on website fonts or display text in resolutions better suited for whichever television you happen to be using.
Folding@home: PS3 owners will be able to use their consoles to participate in the genetic study currently being conducted by Stanford University. The research will be used towards fighting such diseases as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and cystic fibrosis.
Remote Play through wireless access point: PSP owners who also happen to own 20GB PS3s can now increase connectivity between both machines through any wireless access point.
Background downloading: Users now have the freedom to download files and games without having to stare at the download screen the entire time.
Full size on-screen keyboard: This makes it easier to type text within the PlayStation browser without the aid of a USB keyboard.
This firmware update will not be pre-loaded onto PAL systems, as most of those consoles have already been packed and shipped to retailers. Reportedly, this update will also contain the data meant to improve backwards compatibility in PAL PS3 machines.
My most heart-felt condolences go out to all of you who were expecting DVD/PS2/PS1upscaling or other features not having to do with the internet browser.
Nintendo: Phantom Hourglass Playable Online
March 16, 2007
Nintendo confirmed last week that the upcoming DS Zelda game Phantom Hourglass would be playable over the internet through the Nintenedo Wi-Fi Connection. It’s reported to be released initially in Japan and is undergoing the “fine-tuning and polishing stages” of development as per Nintendo’s Eiji Aonuma, one of the designers working on the project.
This was announced at the Game Developers Conference last week where the multiplayer was displayed again. Aonuma also explained that “the first thing I have to do without taking any breaks at all is get into the office and see that it gets done.”
Phantom Hourglass’s multiplayer gameplay on the Wi-Fi will consist of one-on-one combat where the player manuevers Link through a maze as the Stalker’s three Darknuts are attempting to halt his progress. Power ups such as Pegsuas boots and a shield to use to deflect one attack by the Stalker are available to Link. The Stalker itself will also have access to the boots in addition to a tornado to obstruct Link’s path and a power up to increase offensive power.
Folding@home Software To Be Released This Month
March 15, 2007
The Folding@home software is expected to be added to the PS3’s XMB via the 1.6 firmware update being released at the end of March. As on the PC, users will be able to either set the application running manually or have it run automatically whenever the PS3 is idle.
Sony Computer Entertainment’s Folding@home distributed computing project on PS3, first announced by Leland Stanford Junior University last August, is used to aid in calculations relating to the study of protein folding and protein folding diseases.
The project is already being run by joining thousands of PCs throughout the world, which analyzes radio-telescope data to find evidence of intelligent signals from space. The Folding@home project involves simulations to help study protein folding and related diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, cystic fibrosis, and certain forms of cancer. Once the data is processed by PCs and PS3s running the software, the information is then sent back via the Internet to the project’s central computer.
“Millions of users have experienced the power of PS3 entertainment. Now they can utilize that exceptional computing power to help fight diseases,” said Masayuki Chatani, CEO and CTO Computer, SCEI. “In order to study protein folding, researchers need more than just one super computer, but the massive processing power of thousands of networked computers. Previously, PCs have been the only option for scientists, but now, they have a new, more powerful tool - PS3.”
“We’re thrilled to have SCE be part of Stanford University’s Folding@home project,” said Vijay Pande, associate professor of chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. “With PS3 now part of our network, we will be able to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world’s most life-threatening diseases.”
God of War II Coming to PSP and (PS3)
March 14, 2007
God of War director Cory Barlog has officially announced that the God or War series will be finding it’s way onto the PSP this year and to the PS3 some time.
Barlog is very assertive of the fact that the game will not be a port, a common practice on the PSP, but will be an entirely new game: “We’re not gonna do a port. This isn’t gonna be God of War I on the PSP, this is gonna be an all new adventure that ties into the overarching story. So if we go on to make a God of War III, the PSP [version] will tie directly into what we’re doing in the overall story.”
Although the game will not be a port of any of the existing titles, there is a chance that Kratos will revisit some familiar locations from the last two games, but only superficially speaking; “We’re not reusing any levels. We’re not doing any of that stuff. It’s all original content,” Barlog said.
There will be a possibility of the control system being altered slightly for the PSP version, due to the handheld’s lack of a second control nub. “There are pluses and minuses to all of it,” says Barlog. The overall control system is still being debated amongst the internal development staff.
There hasn’t exactly been an official statement concerning the release of a God of War game on the PS3, but an unofficial announcement was made at the God of War 2 launch party. Barlog said that the future of the series “will be in 1080p with SixAxis and vibration functions” - despite the lack of rumble functionality in the PS3’s controller.
No PSP Redesign Announcement from Sony
In regards to recent online reports/rumors of a “smaller, lighter” PSP being confirmed at Sony’s PSP in Education conference, SCEA’s Dave Karraker has said that the comments made by Sony’s UK managing director Ray Maguire were simply “general context” regarding the nature of consumer electronics, and no PSP redesign has been announced.
“We have not made any announcement regarding any new PSP hardware changes,” Karraker says.
Sony’s PSP in Education conference focused on using PSPs in mainstream education. Maguire told the education specialists that the PSP in its current form is merely the “first iteration,” and that, as with its previous consoles, a “smaller, lighter” system would be introduced in the future.
When questioned on the redesign, Maguire reportedly added that while the rest of the design might be altered, the PSP’s current screen size was “fixed,” but had no additional information regarding a date on which redesign might be released.
Microsoft Developing New Xbox
March 13, 2007
Microsoft big shot Peter Moore said in an interview that the production team behind the creation of Xbox 360 is already working on the next Xbox.
Moore even went as far as saying that Xbox 360’s successor could launch around 2012, as the team of tech-heads are looking into what kind of computing power would be available around that time frame.
It is also being reported/rumored that Microsoft could soon ditch the Xbox 360 Core version, the one without the hard drive and wireless pads that. We think it makes perfect sense to drop the cheaper model, as the Premium System is a bargain in its own right, so dropping the bare bones version makes good sense, no? By now, everyone that has a 360 should be online (or close to it), for which you need a hard drive. Microspft has issued no comment on this.
A Wii Microphone???
An anonymously written blog claims that “several insider sources” have confirmed that 1) Nintendo will release a microphone attachment for the Wii, 2) several microphone-enabled games are being developed, and 3) a new Wii Channel will utilize the microphone peripheral.
The anonymous site indicates that Disney’s karaoke sim, High School Musical, is one game that will use the microphone. Disney has commented that “an announcement will be made within the next few weeks” regarding these rumors. Nintendo UK insiders, however, have deemed the news “pure rumor and speculation.”
It has also been rumored that the next Harry Potter game on Wii will come with a microphone attachment.
Although the microphone itself hasn’t been officially confirmed, Disney’s has sent out official information regarding High School Musical: “With two all-new karaoke games on Wii and Sony PlayStation2, fans of all ages will extend their High School Musical experience as they never have before. They’ll sing their way through the original hit movie - solo or as a duet - plus perform all of the songs from High School Musical 2 and other bonus tracks from popular Disney Channel artists.” So if you’ll be singing, surely you’ll need a microphone, right?
For what it’s worth, this is not the first time that rumors have swirled around the notion of a Wii microphone; Nintendo itself once said that the microphone was one of many considerations for the Wii Remote, with the internal speaker being the company’s final decision.
Stay tuned for when Video Game Buttons officially confirms the Wii microphone!
//
//
// 
//
// 
