Monthly Archives: December 2009

Assassin’s Creed II isn’t only holding its own in the year’s hottest charts, but has managed to secure itself a Game of the Year nomination at the VGAs this week and a stable MC rating of 91 percent.

If you’ve been playing these last few weeks, you’ll know the plaudits are well deserved. The original’s lack of variety has been so soundly buried under tons of superb presentation and sheer class that the game’s massive team can rightly line up for its giant “win” stamp.

With Ezio’s adventures being very much of the moment, we managed to grab some time with scriptwriter Corey May and producer Sebastien Puel to chat about getting such a massive title through to completion, justification for that much-debated slow start and the thinking behind the game’s showstopping “Nintendo joke”.

Hit the link.

Interview by Patrick Garratt.

More »

Another week, another number one for Modern Warfare 2 in the UK. This is its third number one.

Assassin’s Creed II’s dropped off a place there, down to three. FIFA replaces it in second.

Data below for the week ending December 5. Last week’s chart here.

And here we are. Another year almost done, and we’re still here. Why? Because you read the website. Better than that, you spend your time getting involved and making VG247 what it is by commenting, giving us your feedback, suggesting upgrades and pressing F5 when it matters. Without you we’re nothing. It’s time to give something back.

Below are details on the second VG247 community awards. We’re adding game awards as well this year. You matter. They’re watching.

VG247 Community Awards 2009

• Best Poster (Overall) – There’s no specific criteria for this. Which community member was “best”? Do as thou wilt. The winner gets a retail DJ Hero Renegade Edition for 360.
• Best Poster (Trade) – Rightly or wrongly, we’re reporting on a subject surrounded by a ridiculous amount of bluff and misinformation. This award should go to the reader who did the best job this year of adding depth to our trade coverage. The winner gets a blue DSi and a copy of Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics.
• Best Fanboy – VG247′s community wouldn’t be what it is without insane people fighting over bits of plastic. While we’re reticent to applaud those that clearly struggle with the concept of “perspective” in their day-to-day lives, there’s something oddly romantic about a childish mentalist having schadenfreude sex-wees every time someone charges for something or a port’s framerate drops. Whoever wins this gets promo copies of Forza 3 and Assassin’s Creed II (PS3), and a retail copy of the Age of Empires Complete Edition. Because, you know, it could go either way.
• The Shatner – We did a lot of thinking about whether or not to do this, but given the fact the entire site’s indelibly stained with Shatner’s blood – to his delight, no doubt – it’d be churlish to deny him his legacy. You’re voting for a proper twat here. The Shatner isn’t awarded to a “fanboy”. Whoever wins this award should be a relentless troll exploiting our lenient banning policy for selfish means, someone apparently committed to behaving in a way specifically designed to damage VG247 and its general user experience. The prize? Whoever wins gets banned for the next 12 months. From one legend to another. Choose carefully, kids.
• We are the mod – We need a mod to watch for and delete spam in both the comments and on the forum. Nothing else. Vote for someone who can be granted admin rights and won’t turn into a Nazi.

VG247 Game Awards 2009

• Best Publisher – One company only, please.
• Best Developer – This is going to be tough, but there can be only one. Not two. One.
• Best Game of 2009 – It’s been a fantastic year. We’re not going to give a shortlist, but you can only vote for one game each. Don’t fuck with our mojos by giving us a 1-100 list, or anything stupid.
• Most Anticipated Game of 2010 – We don’t need to explain this, right? Again, please nominate only one game.

How to vote – Mail your nominations to patrick [at] vg247.com with the subject “VG247 community awards 2009″. We’ll announce all the winners next Monday, December 14, so everyone will get their prizes before Christmas.

DSi LL’s second Japanese week’s seek sales drop well back from its opening 100,000 to 67,000.

Apart from that, looks as though everything’s nicely up, there, aside from PSP go and 360. Hard lines.

Data below for the week ending November 29. Last week’s figures here.

• DSi LL – 67,243
• Wii – 46,673
• PS3 – 46,558
• PSP – 38,839
• DSi – 37,021
• DS Lite – 7,268
• PSP go – 3,809
• Xbox 360 – 3,685
• PS2 – 2,057

Crystal Dynamics is looking for a multiplayer designer with “5+ years working on current AAA multiplayer games on next-gen consoles”.

Why? Probably because Uncharted 2′s multiplayer will keep the game away from the bargain bins long enough to make its ludicrous development costs actually, fiscally worthwhile, and Tomb Raider’s “a bit like it”.

Just saying. The job posting’s here. The next Lara game hasn’t been formally announced yet.

1UP’s posted up the first of a week’s worth of Alan Wake content updates, the first preview focusing on the thriller’s light and dark mechanics.

The Remedy adventure, six years in the making, is looking at a spring release for 360.

Get some new shots here, including this one of Alan going toe-to-toe with a tractor.

Halo Reach’s premiere at the VGAs next week will be a true, in-game showing of the title and looks set to debut 2010′s biggest game “by far,” if Spike’s Geoff Keighley’s comments on the latest Major Nelson podcast are to be believed.

“At the VGAs we’re actually going to be able to go down on the planet Reach and see this game for the first time,” said the presenter.

“It’s all going to be in-game stuff. This is not CG, this is not live action, like all the kids on Twitter are speculating. You’re going to get a first glimpse of the world of Reach, which is phenomenal.

He added: “I think it’s going to be the biggest game of next year by far. Folks loved ODST and thought it was great, but when people see the huge leap forward Bungie’s taking with Reach… Everyone I’ve talked to that’s been on the team and seen it is incredibly excited about that game.”

Hot shit. These quotes are pretty much the first thing Keighley says in his segment. Listen to the file at about 1.18.

The VGAs take place on December 12.

EA’s pulled Fight Night Round 4′s Champions Pack 2 after the add-on was reported to cause 360 lock-ups, as you can see on the game’s forum.

“We have come to the tough decision to take the DLC down from XBL Marketplace, fix the issue, and look to prop up a corrected Champions Pack 2 in the near future,” said the firm.

“Unfortunately the fix requires a full pass of approvals by all parties involved and may take longer than a few days.”

EA went on to apologise for the snafu, and promised to try to get the code back in action before the Christmas break.

Some new shots for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker popped up on the net today.

There’s some nice ones in there, as well as some artwork.

Joystiq has the lot. Go have a look.

Game’s out on PSP in the US on May 25 and in the UK May 28.

When the Left 4 Dead 2 SDK’s finally released, it looks as if it will support custom models.

According to L4DMods, users will have the ability to create survivors, common and special infected, weapons and edited weapon functionality unique to campaigns maps.

Sounds rather neat, actually. Head on through the link to read up on it.

Via EvilAvatar.

Sony has announced that BUZZ! Quiz World will arrive for PSP on December 17, available only through PSN.

There’ll be over 3,000 new questions in the updated single player mode, you’ll be able to connect with up to three other players for multiplayer via the online infrastructure mode, and the ability to access MyBUZZ user generated content as well as downloadable Quiz Packs.

In other BUZZ! news, the Rock Idols Quiz Pack for PS3 hit this week, just in case you didn’t know already, BUZZ! maniacs.

More through the US PS Blog.

Activision has announced that a track pack for The Fall of Troy is now available for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero on 360, PS3 and Wii.

It contains three songs from their latest album, In the Unlikely Event, which are: “Panic Attack,” “A Classic Case of Transference” and “Single.”

Tracks will run you 440 MS Points, $5.50/£3.74/€5.12, or 550 WiiPoints.

Individual tracks will cost you the usual price.

Via PR mail.

Tim Schafer has told GamePro that despite sales results being readily available for Brutal Legend, he doesn’t want to know how the game is doing until after the holiday are over.

His philosophy on matters such as this differ from most, in that he feels his creations sell better via word of mouth as opposed to more traditional methods.

“I like to give it time, you know? I think many people look too soon but a lot of games I’ve worked on have succeeded based on word of mouth,” he said. “With Brutal Legend’s multiplayer, people need to play it and talk about it, so I usually don’t look at the sales number for a month or so. Definitely not ’til after Christmas.

“For the most part very happy [with its reception] it’s very interesting and a new experience for me to be talking to players directly. We’re online with our headsets battling, and they’re telling me exactly what they think about the game and it’s a whole new experience for me. It’s really fun to be playing on a team with other players swapping strategies and going head-to-head with people who are better than me at my own game.”

There’s loads more through the link, there, where Tim talks about his inspiration for some of the characters, the original name of the Razor Girls, and how Double Fine wants to produce more DLC for both “single-player and multiplayer, as well as some tuning patches”.

Thanks, Joystiq.

The original screenwriter for the World of Warcraft movie, Gary Whitta, sat down with 1UP to discuss the drafts he had written for Blizzard before director Sam Rami decided to go a different direction with Saving Private Ryan writer Robert Rodat.

Turns out, Whitta’s final product included all the major races, place and some Easter eggs people who play the game would immediately connect with.

“I did actually write three different drafts of the script, and I worked very closely with Blizzard over the period of about a year or so,” Whitta told the 4 Guys podcast. “I think in the end I came up with a movie that I thought was really cool, but what happened with Sam [Raimi] is that they always wanted a big director, and they landed one of the biggest with Sam. I think he’ll make an incredible movie. But he just had a very different vision. He wanted to tell a completely different story, so they went a different way.

“I thought I did a good job – that people who love the game would get a good account of the world. All the major races, all the major places, and some of the lesser known ones were in there. There were some cool Easter eggs if you really knew the game back to front

“I felt that it was true to the world of the game. I felt we did a good job of that, and I’m sure Sam’s version will do the same.”

More through the link.

Another free episode of Halo Legends has arrived on the Xbox Live Marketplace today.

For the next 24-hours, you can check out Master Chief in “The Package” along with four “specially selected Spartans” in what is part one of a two-part episode that concludes on December 12.

Halo Legends also arrives on Blu-ray February 9.

Thanks, Joystiq.

Star Trek Online lead designer Al Rivera has told CVG that exploration will play a rather large part in the upcoming MMO.

As a matter of fact, there will be Star Clusters to explore where you can discover a new system, participate in non-combat missions or give you an opportunity to engage in battle. You can also acquire a new Bridge Officer if the exploration pays off, and these officers are more than “just pets”.

“These systems are procedurally generated, so there are endless planets and worlds to explore,” said Rivera. “Some of the systems you discover will have combat and others some will have non-combat missions. Many involve acquiring and delivering certain commodities like industrial replicators or medical supplies. There are also thousands of points of interest throughout space and on planet surfaces that can be scanned.

“You can bring this data back to planet Memory Alpha. Collect the right data, and you may learn how to create something new, or you may peak the interest of a prominent Bridge Officer who may offer to join your crew.

“What you can expect is that your Bridge Officers will often work something like mission Contacts. For instance, if you fly by a spatial anomaly, your science officer may speak up and say he detected some unusual activity, and prompt you to explore it.

“We want the majority of the content to be delivered in this manor so your Bridge Officers seem more alive than just pets.”

Game’s out in February.

Square Enix has released screens for Star Ocean: The Last Hope International, which is different than the other version, in that it contains six language options and optional Japanese voice acting.

There’s also anime portraits, and you can choose between those and the CG faces.

It will arrive in North America on February 9.

Check ‘em out over on Siliconera.

Brazilian Senator Valdir Raupp has proposed a bill that would make it illegal to create, distribute, or import what he calls “offensive” videogames in the country.

According to Brazilian website UOL (via GamePolitics), the Education Commission of the Senate has approved the bill, and it has now gone into the Committee on Constitution and Justice for a vote.

The Senator’s motives for the proposal are to “curb the manufacture, distribution, importation, distribution, trading and custody, storage, the videogames that affect the customs, traditions of the people, their worship, creeds, religions and symbols.”

“Therefore, we seek to protect the principle of equality – for many the greatest of constitutional principles – with the characterization of such discriminatory conduct as a crime by making provision in the law,” he said.

Having previously banned games like Carmageddon, GTA and Postal, if passed, the bill could penalize offenders with one to three years of imprisonment.

Funnily enough, although probably only coincidental, Brazil has a rather large population of German descendants in the southern part of the country, although probably not as many as Argentina.

More through the link.

Visceral has posted this strange looking Rorschach inkblot teaser on its Twitter account for Dead Space.

According to D’toid, you can see “some Necromorph shapes” and the “Unitology symbols” within it.

When we look at it, it looks like a bug was squished between the pages of a book.

Hopefully Visceral will give us something more concrete on the sequel sometime soon, instead of just teasing us using by an outdated psychological test for sexual deviants.

More through the link.

EA’s releasing 1983′s Dragon’s Lair on iPhone this month.

It will feature an “arcade mode”, which is the original presentation of the game, along with a “home mode” that contains extra goodies not included in the original version.

Joystiq has a few pics of it through here, and says that a DSiWare version on the way but EA is not involved with that particular one.