What's Next For Games?

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe

2008-04-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

As a long time Mortal Kombat and DC fan, I just had to post this. A fighting game where they'll battle to the death and sets the DC Universe on a platform never seen before until this fall!

Cool tool for NVIDIA users

2008-03-21T01:27:00.001-07:00

This is a cool widget from NVIDIA that helps you determine what driver you need. Sorry ATI users, I haven't found a tool like this for their products.

Oooo Wii...!!

2008-02-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated my blog in a while, but I will be updating very soon. Plus, I finally got my own Nintendo Wii. I was gonna wait and get a PS3, but I took advantage of an opportunity to get a new Wii. I think I made a very good choice. It's a very cool and innovative system. I love the Wii Sports, especially Boxing. I started a GameFly account and I recently received Resident Evil Wii version (very cool game!). Next month I'm all set to play the new Super Smash Bros. and a few others. Well, stay posted as I'll be updating very soon. Peace!

New 2D Fighter coming soon...BlazBlue!

2008-02-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of the fighting genre since the good old days of playing Street Fighter at the local arcade. Street Fighter has dominated the genre for years along with others like Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibur(originally SoulEdge and SoulBlade). Street Fighter has always been the most popular 2D fighter but games like Guilty Gear came through and dominated its predecessors as far as graphics and gameplay. Although Street Fighter 4 will be due out within the next year or so, many have been eying a new and fierce competitor called BlazBlue. I've been researching this game, but there is a limited amount of resources unless you can read Japanese. The game is being developed by ARC System Works, the same developers behind Guilty Gear. BlazBlue combines high resolution 2D characters against high resolution 3D backgrounds. This game will push the 2D graphics enveloped to the HD arena. Previous 2D games would actually look a bit pixelated on HD screens. It will make its debut at Japanese arcades around December. There isn't an official release date for the U.S nor any info on which home system it'll be available on, but I did find some stunning screenshots. Enjoy!

Garage Games releasing Torque for Wii 1.5

2008-02-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

This is actually good news for indie game developers. The Wii is the number one next gen system right now and there is no stopping it anytime soon. I only have a little experience with Torque but I do know that it is a really nice engine and it's only getting better. It's nice to have a great engine that helps the indie developers tap into the ever growing console wars. Instead of me giving all of the details, here is an article from my favorite source,IGN

GarageGames, the leading technology provider for independent game developers, together with Pronto Games, co-developer on Torque for Wii, has announced a host of updates including the the 2D drag and drop functionality of Torque Game Builder to their Nintendo Wii game development solution.

First unveiled at the Nintendo Developer Conference in June, Torque for Wii features extensible Wii Remote support, Wii optimized skinned mesh rendering, compressed texture, interior support, and hardware blending for terrain textures. Developers will also find a powerful WYSIWYG tool chain for designers, scripting language support, a comprehensive Lot Check compliance component, and Wii graphics and audio abstraction layers.

"We're thrilled to have had one of the first affordable solutions out there for Wii game development and with the huge success of the Wii platform, developer interest Torque for Wii has been off the charts," said Brett Seyler, GarageGames VP of Business Development. "Torque for Wii continues to improve and mature and with this technology in the hands of some very talented studios, we're going to see a lot more more great games like Pronto's Destiny of Zorro come to the Wii."

GarageGames has said that they expect to see a new level of interest in Torque for Wii from casual developers due to the new 2D drag and drop game creation features of Torque Game Builder which are now incorporated into Torque for Wii. Torque Game Builder is a popular solution for casual game developers looking to make games for PC and Torque for Wii now offers those games a path to the Nintendo Wii. GarageGames claims more than a dozen titles in development for the Wii using Torque.

The company has provided publicly on their website that Torque for Wii licensing for developers has no term limits on development and a zero-royalty, flat-fee structure. They have also said that heavily discounted license pricing is available for games targeting the WiiWare downloadable service, versus those aiming for disc-based retail delivery.

http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque/twii/

Kane's Wrath

2008-02-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of the Command and Conquer series for about 10years now and they only get better throughout the years. The latest of the series is Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. This March EA will be releasing an expansion pack called Kane's Wrath. Command and Conquer is known for the intense superweapons that can change the course of a game. The new expansion will feature Epic Units which are about as powerful as a regular Superweapon. Check out the preview below.

GET OVER HERE!! Mortal Kombat hitting the big screen again!

2008-02-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Well this is actually movie news but MK lies dear to my heart as a gamer, which is why I'm a bit skeptical about another movie. I mean the first movie was decent, but the second movie was terrible. "Oh how I miss the excitement of learning new fatalities and watching in awe as my favorite MK characters perform some of the goriest moves ever scene in a video game". Ok sorry I had a moment there. Anyways the next movie will not be a sequel, but more like a re-envisioning. Well, hopefully they'll stick closer to the source material this time. Although many of us were under 18 when we first played Mortal Kombat, the movie should stick closer to the game and go for an 'R' rating. I would like to at least see the famous Scorpion spear move, "Get Over Here!!". Then maybe have the camera follow the spear and right into his opponent's head. Then he pulls the head clean off of the torso with nice crisp sound effects and all. Yeah I know that's sadistic, but hey its MORTAL KOMBAT!! Here's the article from MovieHole

Filmmaker mink, attached to direct the third installment – or is it a reboot? - of the “Mortal Kombat” movie series, dropped by the compound today to answer questions about the video-game cum film.

The status of the film, as of today, is that “...the Producers are working out their deals with the studio and arranging their financing”, says the director, who helmed Steven Seagal's “Into the Sun”.

mink says the project isn't so much a sequel as it is a “re-envisioning(if that is a word) of the Mortal Kombat franchise from top to bottom. Todays audience is a savvy involved group so the film must be A plus plus in every area in order to capture the magic of the first film. It is taking the entire concept to the next level across the board in every area visual design, story, cast, FX, photography and most importantly the fighting scenes. The original Mortal Kombat game was born a child of many visual loves by the creators at midway so this latest version borrows heavily from that pioneering spirit and must be thought out and executed at the highest level in order for it succeed in today's market place. This is no overnight task.''

Though the IMDB has Christopher Lambert returning as Raiden, mink says casting hasn't begun yet.

“First things first, is the way these larger projects need to be done. It is still in the business stages but once that is squared away all casting options will be explored along with the continued development of the best story line.”

The last we heard the film was supposed to be shot in Louisiana.

''At one point Louisiana was on the table for various reasons. It still maybe in the future if that is appropriate place to work for the picture''.

Though Drew McWeeny and Scott Swan wrote the original draft of the script, “the writing has been handled by the Producers and their writers at Threshold Studios in conjunction with Midway, of course.”

So there you have it. Not quite time to “Fight!” just yet, but when it is, we'll scream “Get Over Here!”.

Indie MMO Game Developers Conference coming soon!

2008-02-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Last Straw Productions will be hosting this year's Indie MMO Game Developers Conference on March 29th and March 30th 2008 in Minneapolis, MN. The conference will give indie game developers the info and contacts needed to build a successful MMOG. You can find more details about registration here

IMGDC

Last Straw Productions

Sin City goes Virtual!

2008-02-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

You know I guess since Vegas is such the ultimate fantasy land, a game had to be created around it eventually. A new game titled "This is Vegas" will be hitting the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC later this year. It'll include everything from gambling to wild parties. I'm sure it'll be a Mature rated game sorta like GTA meets Vegas except not as much violence. It'll definately put the "Sin" back in "Sin City".

And the winner is...BioShock!

2008-02-04T00:28:00.000-08:00

Well, looks like BioShock was the #1 choice for 2007 at the Game Critics Awards. I personally haven't played it, but I hear nothing but good things about it. Judging by all of the previews and screenshots I've seen, it looks like a very impressive game. Here's a list of the top winners:

10. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PlayStation 3 (87 points)
9. Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (88 points)
8. God of War II for the PlayStation 2 (103 points)
7. Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 (213 points)
6. Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 (232 points)
5. Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii (323 points)
4. Rock Band for the Xbox 360 and PS3 (349 points)
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (361 points)
2. The Orange Box for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 (387 points)
1. BioShock for the PC and Xbox 360 (464 points)

Ready...Set...Excercise!

2008-02-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

The Wii has definately taken the gaming world by storm and has introduced a way of gaming that will actually get you up off of the couch. If you've played Wii Sports and felt like you had a good workout, then wait until you get a chance to play Wii Fit. Not only will you use the Wii Remote, but you'll also use the Wii balance board to add to the interactivity of the Wii Fit games. It's due out in the U.S real soon. Check out the preview.

Soul Calibur 4 hitting the PS3 and 360!!

2008-02-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Ok I'm definately getting a this! Check out these screens from the upcoming Soul Calibur 4!

Release Date:06/15/2008
ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
Genre: Fighting
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai

Music Break! Just Daft'ing Around

2008-01-31T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ok these dudes definately represent the future and technology. Time to teleport back to the 90's when Daft Punk hit the electronic house scene and took MTV and the niteclubs by storm.

Maybe this video could give new ideas for future DDR games?? Your thoughts?

Jumpgate available at Connect

2008-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Codemasters (the developers behind The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar) have announced Connect 2008, which is a convention-style event. Connect 2008 is going to be an amazing community orientated MMO gaming event and will take place March 14 - 15 at the Omega Sektor in Birmingham, U.K. Attendees will have the chance to play Codemasters titles including The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, ArchLord, RF Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, and the recently announced Jumpgate MMO game.

read the IGN article:

Codemasters Online today revealed that their next MMORPG set for release in 2008, Jumpgate, will be fully playable at their forthcoming 2-day community event, Codemasters Online Connect.

Available to play across 400+ machines this will be the first chance players have to get hands on with Codemasters Online's latest blockbuster MMORPG set for release in Winter 2008. Lucky attendees to Connect will also walk away with an exclusive BETA key for Jumpgate as part of the gift pack being distributed to all attendees at the show.

"We are excited to be unveiling Jumpgate to the press and public at Connect," commented Edward Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online. "Connect is the perfect platform for us to demonstrate this amazing next generation MMORPG and look forward to letting gamers get hands on with this twitch-based space epic."

Recently unveiled as Codemasters Online's next MMORPG, Jumpgate is the definitive space combat MMO immersing players in an intense action-packed universe. Embarking on an immersive and accessible space adventure, players can trade valuable commodities, take part in dangerous outer-space raids, meet and play with friends and live out the dream to become an elite hero or infamous space pirate. The game features both a rich and varied universe to explore and has been designed for experienced and novice MMO players alike.

Developed by the US-based MMOG developer NetDevil, Jumpgate is a space-based MMO incorporating all-new action style gameplay like never seen before in any previous online game.

For more information on Codemasters Online Connect visit www.codemastersconnect.com

For more information on Jumpgate visit www.jumpgateevolution.com

About Codemasters

Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience on current and future gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company's dominant brands include Colin McRae Rally, TOCA Race Driver, LMA Manager, Brian Lara Cricket and Operation Flashpoint. The company is headquartered in Southam, Warwickshire UK and maintains operations in the US, Germany, France, Spain, and Benelux. More information about the company and its products is available online at http://www.codemasters.com

Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at: http://www.codemasters.com

About NetDevil, Ltd.

NetDevil is a leading independent game development company that specializes in the development and construction of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs). Founded in 1997, under the inspiration of Jumpgate(TM), the world's first massively multiplayer space simulator, the company carries on a commitment to creating interactive, virtual worlds in unique and elaborate settings. Led by a development team of talented and experienced industry veterans, NetDevil has grown to over 80 employees with plans to hire and retain top industry talent for work on its large scale projects in development. All NetDevil employees share a common vision to bring the mysteries of new and exciting worlds to life as immersive online universes. NetDevil is a privately held company, with headquarters in Louisville, CO.
For more information about the company, visit www.netdevil.com

Music Break

2008-01-31T10:51:00.001-08:00

Yes, this is a blog about video games but music blends very well with games. Enjoy the music videos! Some pretty nice sounding hip house from Riahnna and a blast from the Jay-Z past.

The hot Riahnna!

Jigga!

Tiberium

2008-01-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

Take a look at EA's new first-person shooter called Tiberium, which is based in the world of Command and Conquer 3.

PSP Dialing Those Digits...

2008-01-30T20:52:00.000-08:00

Well if you don't already own a PSP, then you may want to get one soon. There is a new firmware update 3.90 that will be available in Europe and U.S that will enable PSP owners to make free calls to Skype users on the internet anywhere around the world. You can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. The catch is that you have to own the PSP Slim, so if you already own the regular PSP, you'll have to spend more money to go out and buy a slim one. Well hopefully for Sony, people who don't already own a PSP will go out and get one. Is it worth current owners to go out and get a new PSP rather than using Skype from their computer? Well, if you get the PSP Slim and want to download the update, heres the link...update

CryEngine hitting the console!

2008-01-29T21:22:00.000-08:00

Just when you think graphics has hit it's peak. The CryEngine is one bad ass game engine! If you ever get a chance to play Crysis, do so. The graphics are amazing. Check out the article below. It's coming to PS3 and 360!

CryEngine coming to PS3, 360
Console versions of the technology behind visual stunner Crysis will debut at this year's Game Developers Conference.
By Brendan Sinclair, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jan 29, 2008 1:07 pm PT

Back in April of 2006, rumors surfaced that Crytek was bringing its much-anticipated PC shooter Crysis to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. More recently, there was speculation that an extended "Crysis 1.5" would be coming exclusively to the PS3.

Although the aforementioned rumors remain unconfirmed, today the German developer announced that console versions of CryEngine 2, the technology behind Crysis' processor-punishing visuals, are in development. The console editions of the middleware will be unveiled at private appointments behind closed doors at the upcoming Game Developers Conference, which runs from February 18-22 in San Francisco.

"This year's engine will be shown for the first time running on multiple hardware platforms such as the PS3 and Xbox 360 to a select audience," the company said in a statement.

While general attendees may not be able to get a peek at the console editions of the engine, Crytek will be showing off the fully optimized engine's performance on a budget PC that could be put together for about $600. In addition, Crytek's Cevat Yerli, Sten Hübler, and Bernd Diemer will host a conference session titled "Crysis in the Making," which will provide insight into how the PC shooter came together.

Link to article on GameSpot here

Future Shock!

2008-01-27T20:34:00.001-08:00

Nintendo Wii Tricks (He be smart)

PS3 vs. Wii

What's Next For Games?

2008-01-26T22:21:00.001-08:00

I was one of the 80’s kids who owned the first Nintendo system, and what an exciting Christmas that was! The Nintendo was definitely a jewel of the 80’s that will always hold a place in video game history, but we also have to recognize the early generation systems like the Magnavox Odyssey , Odyssey 2, Atari 2600 and ColecoVision. What puts Nintendo at top is that Nintendo revolutionized the way video games were played by not only having cool looking games, but they also added extended interactivity with accessories like the track and field pad, the gun, and the power glove, on top of having games with amazing game play. I even miss blowing out the cartridge just to even get the game to work!

After Nintendo’s 8-bit reign, the 16-bit systems took over the market. Nintendo introduced the Super Nintendo and Sega introduced the Sega Genesis. Both were excellent systems and I can’t say which was better because both hosted an array of great titles. There was also a 16-bit system called TurboGrafix which did very well in Japan but couldn’t get a lot of third party support in the US. Soon after, the CD wars started with Turbo CD and Sega CD which were both add-ons for users to play games and audio CDs.

Now drifting a bit into time, we go into the fifth generation of game consoles. The Atari Jaguar, 3DO, Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 were all introduced. All were great systems but Jaguar and 3DO didn’t have the third party support needed, plus programming was a difficult task for each system. Nintendo failed when Sony decided not to create the CD add-on for SNES. Sony later took the new technology and created the Sony Playstation, which became a huge success. Nintendo had mild success with the Nintendo 64, but unlike other companies they decided to continue using Rom cartridges. Since cartridges hold less memory and cost more, the system eventually fell into a black hole. The Sony Playstation dominated the market by selling well over 100 million consoles.

Ok, lets speed through time a bit more. We get into the sixth generation of the console wars. We are now introduced to the Sony Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Gamecube. All offered more processing power and memory than previous systems, but in my opinion, the Sega Dreamcast was ahead of the game as far as graphics, gameplay, and cool titles. “Power Stone” was one of my favorite games for that system. The system ended up getting discontinued in 2001. Playstation 2 was the first to offer DVD playback and backwards compatibility, the Gamecube used the 8cm optical, and Xbox was the first to use a hard drive. Xbox was more like a PC inside of a console and was very successful due to the “Halo” franchise. The Gamecube also was a cool system and was very affordable compared to Xbox and Playstation 2. Although each system hosted a great lineup of games, Sony continued to dominate the market by selling over 120 million units.

Now we’re into the seventh generation of gaming. The Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 both have even more amazing graphics and much higher processing power, but Nintendo has finally made a very strong comeback. Nintendo introduced the Wii back in 2006 and the high amount of sales has even shocked Nintendo. The systems graphics isn’t up to par with its competitors, but the innovative gameplay is what makes this system great. It uses a wireless remote called the Wii Remote, which is used as a pointing device and can detect movement in three dimensions. The system is so fun to play that it has even attracted a wider demographic. Well, with all this said, we’ve seen a lot of growth in the gaming market. We’ve seen highly detailed graphics, backwards compatibility, high processing power, Bluetooth capability, wireless interactive gameplay, and online gameplay. What’s next? I’m sure the game wars will not end with the current systems and they will always try to out perform each other. I think the Nintendo Wii is probably the next standard in gameplay. Since it’s now introduced it can only get better with time.

Now I’d like to hear what others think future gaming will be like.

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