Posts

Upon announcing theNext Generation Portable (NGP)at PlayStation Meeting 2011 earlier today, Sony played a “concept video” to show off some of the ways in which you’ll be able to use the device. It ends with the tagline, “The power is now in your hands,” which doesn’t seem like the most original slogan for a handheld device, but hey — anything’s better than “U R Not E,” right? The video consists of people looking silly because they’re doing outrageous things in public, but I’ll give Sony credit for marketing their products without resorting to the bland white rooms that Nintendo and Microsoft have used to advertise the Wii and Kinect, respectively....

Square Enix isn’t working on an HD remake ofFinal Fantasy VII. At least, that’s what the publisher keeps telling everybody, but nobody seems willing to believe it. Game producers Yoshinori Kitase and Motomu Toriyama have addressed the issue yet again, claiming this time that it would be an incredibly difficult and lengthy process to remake something likeFinal Fantasy VII. “It is a result of considering HD graphics will be the mainstream....

Not to be confused withSpelunkyon XBLA, which Ashleytold you aboutthe other day. That’s an indie game by Derek Yu.Spelunkeris the classic Irem title, possibly best remembered for its theme song, which was playable in at least one version ofTaiko no Tatsujinif it wasn’t already etched into your brain from the original NES game. Spelunker is on its way to PSN, having been given the standard treatment with revamped HD graphics and a bumpin’ version of its original music....

In an effort to make you not get your hopes up, I tried to squeeze it all into the headline there. As per the new industry tradition, EA will be giving out some free multiplayer content on November 2, but it’s only free if you have an Online Pass (the redeemable code that comes with sealed game copies). So, what are we getting? An elimination-style multiplayer mode dubbed Clean Sweep and new maps: Bagram Hangar and Khyber Caves, plus “redesigned versions” of Diwagal Camp and Kabul City Ruins....

The above trailer showcases the upcoming DS remake of Square-Enix’sFront Mission. TheFront Missionseries— though four sequels and myriad sidestories deep — has never achieved the sort of acclaim that Squenix’sotherseries has, despite its heavily reliance on giant robotic “wanzers”, wicked sweet explosions, and similar levels of masturbatory exposition. Of course, the Japano-‘Merican gamer is a finicky beast. We predict this remake will go as unheralded as the original did in 1995, unless the bigwigs at S-E take some drastic steps to appeal to their built-in fanbase....

Last week I asked everyone to decide which electric fighter was more elite, and the debate stampeded through gameplay strategy, color theory, religious beliefs, sexual positions, and downright “Yo’ momma” smack-talking. It was one of the best damn debates we’ve ever had, and the Dtoid robot army has spoken. Here are the results: It looks like the Thunder God was just too much for the Brazilian beast to handle. He took the loss well though, and offered a congratulatory handshake to Raiden, which was an immature hand-zap prank in disguise, which was also ineffective....

It’s Hideo Kojima, the guy you know for the cool glasses and thoseMetal Geargames. The guy who made Drebin. The guy who likes the ducks and frogs. Snake’srealdaddy. And he’s finally accepted the invitation to do a keynote speech here at the 2009 Game Developer’s Conference. We’re here this morning setting up to cover it live for you. There’s gotta be something going down — that’s what everyone keeps talking about over drinks in the bars....

It’s very likely that you’ve played the hell out of one ofFlashbang Studio’s games. They’ve been on a roll the past few years with releases likeOff Road Velociraptor SafariandMinotaur China Shop. Matthew Wegner and Steve Swink are two members of the team behind these games. Not only that, but they’re also behind the Independent Games Summit at GDC Austin 09. They’ve been around for every talk, and today they got to do one of their own....

Today, an update added several cars and a few gameplay enhancements toGran Turismo 5 Prologue. The update is free and the cars are probably wicked fast. The first of the new cars is the GT by Citroen. As explained by SCEA producer Taku Imasaki (viaPlayStationBlog), the car is a result of a collaborative effort between Citroen and the developer ofGT, Polyphony Digital. Apparently it’s a real car that the developers helped to create....

A few weeks agowe reportedthat the names of a handful of Green Day tracks appeared inside date of the files found on theRock Band UnpluggedUMD. Speaking on KROQ 106.7 FM’s Kevin and Bean’s Breakfast, singer/guitar/songwriter Billy Joe Armstrong has seemingly confirmed the band’sRock Bandinvolvement. “Uh yeah, we’re doing a whole Green Day Rock Band…uh,” he said, quite articulately. While the “whole Green Day Rock Band…uh” could be interpreted as an entirely new retail disc (see also: AC/DC and the potentialPearl Jam project), that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case....

Rumorconfirmed! In a recent interview withG4,Green Day: Rock Bandproject lead Chris Foster revealed that the entire “American Idiot” album would appear in the game. “We wanted to have the entire ‘American Idiot’ album in the game. It’s like one album that’s meant to be heard and played as one unit. So you have the ability to do that. It’s the first time we’ve shipped any game with a full album involved in it....

Digital videogame distributor Green Man Gaming is running a promotion today with UK newspaperThe Sun, and giving away three games:Arma II,Men of War, andTower Bloxx Deluxe. Green Man Gaming allows users to download, play, and then trade in their PC games. The promotional codes are valid for this weekend only. If you live in the UK and have been looking to pick up one or more of these games, you may findthe promo codes here....

Ever since E3, potential buyers ofRock Band 2andGuitar Hero World Touron the PS3 (a group that includes yours truly) have been wondering if they’re going to get the same privilege as 360 owners: that is, the cross-game compatibility of instrument peripherals. During a not-E3 press conference, Activision confirmed that, at least on the Xbox 360,Guitar Hero World Tourcan be playedwithRock Bandinstruments. However, PS3 owners haven’t been afforded the same courtesy. You see, Microsoft implemented rather draconian standards for Xbox 360 peripherals, demanding that they be built to a unified specification....