Tag Archives: microsoft gamer’s day

After the break. It’s Rare assistant producer Adam Park talking to Gamespot UK. There doesn’t appear to be any video in it at all, just the stills released earlier today.

You can see all our coverage on the sequel so far here. Take a look at the interview after the break.

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Microsoft just released five shots of the upcoming Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. The company also just confirmed that the first episode of the XBLA title will be available for download on May 21 for 1 for 1600 Microsoft Points.

Shots and press release after the link.

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After the link. It’s one of the developers at Rare’s office talking with Gamespot about the title. Haven’t watched it all the way through, but fill your boots.

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As seen in this press release, Fable 2 is now listed by Microsoft as a “holiday” release, as opposed to the previous “autumn”.

The release was issued at the start of the Microsoft Gamer’s Day in California, which is now ongoing. See all our coverage here.

EG’s reporting that Silicon Knights RPG Too Human will release in Europe on August 29, and in the US ten days earlier on August 19.

The news just came out of the Microsoft Gamer’s Day in California.

On Gamersyde. There’s only four but they look “sweet”. Go see.

Gamevideos just posted the first trailer of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. It gave us goosebumps, which is the only sign we need.

The video shows myriad vehicles, racing, platforming, exploration, construction, Grunty the witch and an updated version of the Banjo theme tune. And Mario, just for fun.

After the link. Thanks, Psychotext.

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TVG’s reporting that Alan Wake won’t be shown at today’s Gamer’s Day in San Francisco today, and is unlikely to make it out this year. From the site:

A Microsoft Spokesperson has told TVG that Microsoft’s Gamers Day (soon to start in San Francisco) is showcasing all of the company’s major game releases for 2008, strongly suggesting that triple A title Alan Wake (which isn’t on show at the event) will quietly slip into the 2009 release window that we all probably knew but hoped wouldn’t happen.

Things are about to get moving in San Francisco, so keep watching for announcements throughout the evening. You can catch all our coverage here.

On NeoGaf. The series of photos shows construction underway, a few new vehicles and the parts shop interface of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

Danish site Gamereactor has described in detail the first level of Rare’s new genre-blender, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts.

“When Fileccia [head programmer] jumps into to the first of six gaming worlds, namely Nutty Acres, we see the game open up,” said the site, lovingly translated by videogaming247.com.

“The palm island is designed after an idea to make the world look artificial. The grass is sewn together with a huge needle and a huge glass case surrounds the island.”

Whilst talking about how you design vehicles, the article explained:

“Fileccia wanted to show us how important [vehicle design] was for the game and its many missions. On the top of the island he had a mission whereby he had to collect 15 coconuts from a nearby orchard before the time ran out.

“He was given a pre-made car to help him, that has the ability to suck up the coconuts. However, as there isn’t enough space to suck them all up he has to go backwards and forwards to unload. Until in the end, he jumped out of the car and instead leapt into a helicopter [that he had made earlier] which can grab onto a large barrel with a hook enabling him to scoop all the coconuts in and began collecting nuts like it was Christmas.”

We’ll say it again: Now, please Rare. Thanks. The game will be shown to press in San Francisco at 5pm today. Check out more details here.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking of a recent press day at Rare, Gamereactor has revealed a few multiplayer modes for the new Banjo Kazooie title – supposedly named Nuts & Bolts – on Xbox 360.

“The best part of the day by a mile was when Rare had arranged some duels between the journalists,” said the site, translated by videogaming247.

“Although Salvatore Fileccia [head programmer] wasn’t willing to divulge too much about the game’s online capabilities, we got the opportunity to engage in four different duels over the local network.

“The first was a kind of ‘King of the Hill’ where we had to keep inside a circle that constantly moved. Two others were races, [the last being] some sumo-wrestling, where we had to push each other out of a ring. After we first had played the games only using the pre-made vehicles, we then were given the opportunity to create our machines, our own ultimate weapons, in an attempt to win the levels.”

We’ll take this game now please. Thanks, Rare. The game will be shown to press in San Francisco at 5pm today. Check out more details here.

By Mike Bowden

Whilst talking about Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise’s new card system, Danish site Gamereaktor has confirmed that there will be over 100 different Piñatas in the sequel, including a chicken called Cluck Norriss and a Yeti.

“Suddenly I had huge animals such as gorillas, moose and Yeti’s running around the middle of the garden, whilst a very special card gave me infinite amounts of money and unlocked every item in the game,” the article explained.

“With over 100 Pinata’s – mainly because of the fact the you can quickly go to a desert and snowy landscape to catch these animals – I already look forward to sharing the crazy creations – such as the kick-ass chicken Cluck Norriss and a moose that at Christmas time changes into a reindeer – with players all over the world.”

We want it more by the minute. The Rare game will be shown officially to the press in San Francisco today, so keep an eye out at 5pm BST for more. In the meantime, check out details, screens and news of an offline co-op mode.

By Mike Bowden

Danish site Gamereactor is reporting that Rare has implemented a new game mode in Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, whereby you can jump straight into the action with no long, drawn out tutorial.

It says that Rare has listened to criticisms from the first game and acted accordingly.

“To start with, the game starts in a green and controlled garden so you don’t have to drag yourself through all the weeding and fertilising,” says the article, translated by videogaming247. “Also, all the help missions are optional, so you can choose if you want them or not.”

“The most important thing in this regard is the option to completely bypass the traditional game and instead directly jump into a sandbox, where you can play with your garden just as you see fit,” it says.

“You will start with much more money and upgraded tools [than you did in the first game], so all you have to do in concentrate on luring the Piñata’s and attempt to get your economy off the ground by stuffing them with sweets and sending them to parties and birthdays.”

We still can’t wait. The game will be shown officially to the press in San Francisco today, so keep an eye out at 5pm BST for more. In the meantime, check out details, screens and news of an offline co-op mode.

By Mike Bowden

According to this preview of Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise by Danish site Gamereactor, Rare has confirmed that cooperative play will feature the game.

“One of the game’s most important new enterprises is opportunity to tend your garden with a friend by your side,” said the piece, translated by videogaming247.

“At the moment Rare can confirm that it’s only possible on one Xbox 360 console, but it is clear that they are working hard to implement the feature over Xbox Live.”

“The other player will not have full control over the game, and, for example, will not be able to build new houses or other constructions, but with spade in hand you can help with tending the garden thus gaining a form of magic for every uselful act than can be used to turn objects in the garden into different things.”

We can’t wait. The game will be shown officially to the press in San Francisco today, so keep an eye out at 5pm BST for more. In the meantime, check these details out.

By Mike Bowden

Bloody hell. Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is subject to the leak treatment this morning, ahead of Microsoft’s Gamer’s Day in San Francisco today, with this NeoGaf poster claiming the newly-revealed game will feature support for physical cards and Xbox 360′s Visions Camera.

The news comes from a visit to the studio a few weeks ago.

VP2 (slated for September):

I will only touch on one feature here, as GI already touched on many of the more traditional improvements. This feature is extremely cool though, in two ways.

• VP2 uses the Vision Camera in combination with physical cards sorta like Eye of Judgement. It basically scans a small code on the card, when it’s being held up in front of the camera, and this can both insert custom designed pinatas, unlock buildings or abilities, change the weather and many other things. We were told how Rare had designed a moose that got a big, red nose only around christmas time… and this could be passed around with these cards.

• So the game also got a photo mode. Cool, but that’s not the best! This photo mode is able to interpret the pictures and create the above-mentioned code based on the picture. Basically, you will have a card generator available on the internet! Imagine this: you have created this really cool pinata and instead of the tiresome task of sending it only to selected friends on Live, you can take a picture of it, get the code/card generated and share it on a forum. Instantly everyone will be able to get the pinata in their game and since the camera can also read from LCD screens, ipods, zunes etc., there is little to no hassle. Now THAT’S sharing!

You can read up about all the other, substantial leaks on Microsoft’s planned announcements today right here. Thanks, Psychotext.

Shacknews is carrying a couple of Too Human screens showing off co-op play ahead of today’s Microsoft Gamer’s Day in California.

The event’s leakier than a particularly badly built Titanic at the moment: read everything that’s happened so far here. We just hope there’s something left to see.

From the same NeoGaf thread that bought you the Fable 2 screens this morning comes what appears to be proof that the studio’s working on a new Killer Instinct.

The snap was taken by a journalist attending a day at Rare to see the new Viva Pinata title, Trouble in Paradise. The super-secret one that no-one’s supposed to know about until later today.

The next-gen fighter’s been rumoured since before we were born, so don’t wet your pants just yet, but the image after the break clearly makes mention of “KI-3D” and talks about finishing moves and depth of field. Make of it what you will.

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According to this NeoGaf post, Lionhead has plans for a further three games in the Fable series.

The news comes from a viewing of Fable 2 in Guildford in the last few weeks, and is just the latest in the string of leaks about games to be shown in San Francisco at the Microsoft’s Gamer’s Day today. More details and screens here.

Banjo and Viva shots were “released” days early, so why stop there? New shots and details of Fable 2 popped up last night, ahead of Microsoft’s San Franciscan Gamer’s Day today.

According to NeoGaf post, the mini-map’s been dropped to be replaced with the GPS-style system used in GTA, and the RPG will include eight different spells, each with five levels of power.

Apparently every house in the game can be bought and occupied by your family, and each will open different quests. The game-world itself is 20-30 times larger than the original Fable.

And Peter Molyneux’s planning another three Fable games. This is great. Microsoft Gamer Days, like Christmas, should come every day.

More through the link. Shots after the break.

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Speaking to videogaming247 this morning, Rare community manager George Kelion said that the leaked Banjo shots from tomorrow’s MS Gamer’s Day don’t show the meat of the game.

“You can’t tell altogether that much from the screenshots other than the fact that it’s pretty,” he said.

“We haven’t revealed the gameplay mechanic yet, which is the crown jewel of the game. So people really are better off waiting until tomorrow when we’ll be revealing it in-depth.”

Kelios was at pains to tell us that the rather beautiful next-gen version of the bear’s adventures certainly isn’t a racing game. Just so you know.

Banjo will be shown to the press at 5pm BST in San Francisco tomorrow.