Category: Previews (Page 16 of 17)

      Appear in an EA Game and You Can’t Fight in the UFC

      July 15, 2009 /

      Dana White taking some questions.Dana White, president of UFC has confirmed his rumored stance that fighters hoping to make an appearance in an upcoming Electronic Arts UFC game will be banned from fighting with UFC.

      His stance (har har) comes after what he claims was bad form by EA. Apparently UFC approached EA some time ago with the idea for a UFC branded game and was told, “You’re not a real sport.” That’s how White remembers it, anyway. He goes on to say the following:

      We put our asses on the line, THQ and the UFC, to make a video-game deal in the worst economy in the world. We go out there and do this thing, and it’s successful, and now [expletive] EA Sports wants to do a video game. Really? That’s not what you told us a year-and-a-half ago.

      On the one hand I try to be sympathetic with the guy. UFC is now turning serious money and has an enormous following. But things weren’t always this way, and I distinctly remember a whole lot of people dismissing early UFC as a violent fad that couldn’t last.

      The most interesting part of this whole thing is that the game is getting made, regardless of what White thinks. I’m not sure how he thinks the game can carry the UFC brand and not have UFC fighters. Clearly the decision to make the game was out of his hands – I wouldn’t be surprised to see someone take the appearance decision away from him either.

      Source: MMA Junkie

      EA, News, Previews

      Bioshock 2 Gets Pushed to 2010

      July 14, 2009 /

      Bioshock 2 logo.It’s no big surprise to see major titles get pushed back by publishers. That’s what’s happening with the sequel to Take Two Interactive’s smash hit Bioshock, the appropriately named Bioshock 2. Originally scheduled for an early November release, the company now says we won’t get back into their super-creepy world until the first half of 2010.

      Take Two says the game is being delayed to “provide additional development time for the title.” Again, not something so uncommon for a sequel, especially for something as big as Bioshock 2. I’m happy to let them take their sweet time on the game if it means it will hold a candle to its older sibling.

      The truly disappointing news is for investors. In an apology for the delay, Take Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick had this to say: “We recognize that our revised outlook for the balance of fiscal year 2009, due to both internal and external factors, is a disappointment. That said, we concluded that moving the release of BioShock 2 into fiscal year 2010 was the right decision for the product.”

      The delay means we’ll be seeing plenty of heavy-hitters from Take Two next year. Their 2010 lineup now includes Bioshock 2, Mafia II, Max Payne 3, and whatever other titles remain as yet unannounced. Even if we disregard those unnamed titles, 2010 is going to be a very big year for Take Two.

      News, Previews

      Scribblenauts Could Make a Platform Migration

      July 11, 2009 /

      Scribblenauts.We’ve already heard some good news from PopCap today regarding Plants vs. Zombies coming to multiple platforms. There’s more good news folks. Remember that sleeper hit from E3 this year, Scribblenauts? The one that lets you pit Albert Einstein and God against a kraken? The game I want so badly I could nearly wet myself?

      Yes, that game. And it might be coming to multiple platforms. I have to say “might” because in his interview with vg247.com, Scribblenauts technical director Marius Fahlbusch does some serious ass-covering. When asked the big question (regarding other platforms), he said, “The concept would definitely work on other platforms as well and we’ve seen gamers from very different backgrounds pick it up and enjoy it equally.”

      Yeah, no kidding! The minute I heard the concept, and that it actually worked, I’ve wanted it on my PC, my 360, and my iPhone, and I wanted to be playing them all simultaneously. Again, as with PopCap and Plants vs. Zombies, there’s no word on when this could even potentially become a reality. I would guess around the time the DS version has made 5th Cell enough money to cover some of the development cost on other platforms. And it will. That game is going to explode.

      News, Previews

      Analyst Says Starcraft II Won’t Release On Time

      July 10, 2009 /

      Starcraft II logo.According to a recent WSJ article, analysts are expecting Starcraft II to catch some delays. The article is based on speculation from Stern Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia, who thinks the latest from Blizzard will see the same fate as Activision’s Singularity. The time-manipulating FPS has been pushed into Q1 2010.

      Originally set to release this October, Bhatia doesn’t think the SC:II delay would hurt Activision in any way. It’s hard to think that a serious Starcraft release could ever hurt that company (and no, I don’t consider the original Starcraft:Ghost concept to be serious).

      If SC:II does get pushed into next year I hope Blizzard has some incredible news for us at BlizzCon. New IP maybe? Just maybe? Don’t forget, BlizzCon’s happening the third week of August. If you haven’t picked up your tickets yet, I hate to say it, but you’re too late.

      News, Previews

      Forza 3 Takes a Page from the FPS Handbook

      July 10, 2009 /

      Forza 3 Nissan.

      There’s a definite line drawn between serious racing games and games like Burnout:Pardise. The former has almost always attracted the serious gearheads – people who want the ability to fine tune every part of a car, some of whom actually know what the hell they’re doing. The latter is for people like me, who just enjoy driving really fast and looking at pretty cars. Okay, so I also like the former, but I really don’t know what I’m doing, which makes it tough to really get into the game. I’ll race around the early tracks, completely dominating the competition, but by the time it gets to the long races (like the 4-5 hour matches) I’m just bored.

      Turn 10, the guys who put out the Forza franchise, want to change that, and they say it all comes down to conventions of development. Korey Krauskopf told Kotaku he thinks developers have become too specialized.

      “I think that’s more about developers trying to be different, not an indictment of the user. I think it’s that game companies are making their games more specialized,” he said of the increasing specialization in games like Forza. By making the game incredibly detailed, developers limit their player base because it confuses your average player. That’s Krauskopf’s take anyhow.

      For others, like myself, it’s just too much information. I love learning new games, mastering new playstyles, but a game like Forza takes more time than I’m willing to commit to learn all the ins and outs. Turn 10 plans to add all sorts of “auto-tuning” features to Forza 3 alongside huge customization for multiplayer matches with the hopes that it will draw a more casual crowd. ‘Kopf cites games like Halo 3, where players can edit almost everything about the world, including handicaps/assists for certain players, to create a competitive experience for everyone.

      As a short list, Forza 3 will include team modes, racing handicaps, one-button racing, auto-tuning, brake and acceleration assists, among other aids for the challenged gamer. Maybe I’m just a little too competitive, but you can bet your ass I won’t be using any assists in my gaming, no matter how badly I need it. For those folks with a more healthy disposition toward friendly gaming I’m sure this is a welcome addition to the franchise.

      Previews, Xbox 360

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