Gamernode: Latest Game and Console News

Indie Game Highlight: I Wanna Be the Guy

Welcome to the second Indie Game Highlight. Our last Highlight focused on Noitu Love 2 and now we are going to talk about what is quite possibly the hardest game ever created: I Wanna be the Guy.

Yeah forget those Super Mario Bros. hacks that you have all seen. IWBTG is hands-down the hardest game I've played and trust me because that's saying a lot. The game is a 2D side-scroller shooter much like Mega Man, only your character has the ability to double jump. Oddly enough though, there are hardly any enemies.

You control a seemingly immortal fifteen year-old boy who wants to be The Guy. Don't ask me what that means because I have no clue.

Since there are very few enemies in the game, the developer has to rely on smart and fiendish level design. Indeed, the level design and creativity is off...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Surfer Girl -- Exit stage right

Within the game industry there is a person whose presence has been usually tolerated or looked up to, depending on your viewpoint. Longtime blogger and rumor rat, SurferGirl, has given her share of tips, gossip and viewpoints about the game industry for a while but has evidently called it quits according to her last blog.

The site Surfer Girl Reviewed Star Wars, was an insider source of information and commentary on the world of video gaming. Her views and style--both appreciated and criticized by the gaming community, was none-the-less, a favorite of game journalists.

In her last post she exited the world of video game blogging in what some would say, by sounding just a bit bitter about the state of games, as she referred to a video she posted to explain her feelings.

What I'm saying above ...

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Daily Q: What is your favorite fighting franchise?...

Fighting games seem cyclical in nature, rising and falling in popularity by an invisible schedule.

In the early 90s Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat reigned supreme (with King of Fighters and Virtua Fighter on the up and up), then other games took over, then Mortal Kombat came back, then it left, then Virtua Fighter got popular again, etc. But no matter how good (or bad) recent titles in a series are, all gamers have that one fighting series that they value above all others.

What is your favorite fighting franchise?

There are many to choose from. Do you enjoy the over-the-top fatalities of Mortal Kombat? Do you like the licensing of Marvel vs Capcom? Are you a technical purist giggling with joy when you play Virtua Fighter? Are you one of those people who considers Smash Bros. a fighting g...

• (12)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Another videogame movie to ignore: Street Fighter

I don't trust videogame movies and there are more than a few examples not to. So when news breaks about the new Street Fighter movie, titled Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, I usually ignore it. But it is my duty to report my findings on the internet, so I will indulge you this time readers... this time.

Justin Marks the writer of such classic films as Unbroken and Fast Forward recently discussed why Chun-Li (played by Kristen Kreuk) was the focus and made a point to say "I've never seen a successful action movie (in my mind) that blatantly sexualised [sic] its female lead and succeeded for its audience; Catwoman, Elektra, the list goes on and on."

"Then I think back to The Terminator, or possibly my all-time favourite movie, Aliens, and I think of how Ripley is depicted in that film...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Return of the Microsoft Wiimote

The rumor has cropped up again that Microsoft has their version of a Wiimote up their sleeve, or hiding in their very deep pockets. According to Kotaku an anonymous tipster claims that Microsoft will be showing off their new controller as early as next week to certain members of the press.

"Microsoft plans to show off some of its 2008 and 2009 wares at an event next week, one that hits during the Game Critics Awards at which some of the "Best of E3" awards are judged. Occasionally, NDAs and embargoes ensure that what is shown at the Game Critics Awards doesn't go public until E3 proper, which may keep details on a the rumored new Xbox 360 controller under wraps.

However, Microsoft's event next Tuesday, at which the new Banjo Kazooie is confirmed to be shown to North American press, comes wi...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Crackdown developer pushing for GTA MMO

With the awesome success that is GTA IV, we're all wondering how GTA developer Rockstar Games will capitalize on the newly introduced yet insanely popular multiplayer modes in the official fourth title. Two days ago, we proposed a question if a GTA MMO could triumph World of Warcraft; could this question actually come to fruition?

According to a credible source, Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds purposely bought the rights to its upcoming MMO All Points Bulletin in order to sell back to Rockstar Games as GTA Online.

Realtime Worlds has strong connections with the GTA franchise; its founder David Jones assisted in development of the original GTA title. The company also employs other developers that helped in the GTA franchise.

The source elaborated on how the company would support the game, ...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Activision's Q4 financial results rivals EA

With Activision's fiscal fourth quarter financial results released, the video game publisher now rivals Electronic Arts as the world's largest video game publisher. For the quarter that ended on March 31st, Activision reported a net income of $44.2 million, which is certainly a jump from a loss of $14.4 million during the same period last year.

Net revenue for the company jumped 93% to $602.5 million, which exceeded the company's own guidance of $350 million. The increased revenue and profit are attributed to excellent sales of Guitar Hero III and Call of Duty 4.

In a few weeks, Activision will merge with Vivendi SA to form a new publisher called Activision Blizzard. The deal is worth $18.9 billion; once the deal is completed, the publisher will certainly rival Electronic Arts for dominance ...

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Today's article is brought to you by the number 10...

It has long been known that I don't agree with the numbered review system. I stand by the Penny Arcade method of asking (or reading the input of) people who have similar tastes as you if you should play a specific game. I frequently get asked how was "insert game title". And I'll either say, "it was great you should play it," or "it wasn't so good," and then recommend something similar.

Stephen Totilo is leading a fantastic discussion on the "10" review score. He notes that 4 of the 12 highest rated games ever (according to Gamerankings.com) have been released in the past 10 months. Doesn't that seem a little strange? I personally agree with Stephen Totilo and don't think we've reached some golden era of games but that reviewers are more easily impressed.

"Our vocabularies and scoring ...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Gore Verbinski to direct BioShock film

Remember that BioShock film rumor we reported back in January? Apparently the rumor was 100% true because Pirates of the Carribean director Gore Verbinski is all set to direct and produce the movie adaptation of BioShock.

Screenwriter John Logan (Sweeny Todd, The Aviator, The Last Samurai) is currently in talks to write the film's screenplay. Publisher Take-Two Interactive will receive a "multimillion-dollar advance against gross points on the film."

The director said that a release date has yet to be planned but will start pre-production as soon as Logan can write the script. In addition, Verbinski noted that the game's setting design and characters (particularly the Big Daddys and Little Sisters) inspired him to create the game into film.

Verbinski said, ""I think the whole utopia-gone-wron...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Rockstar releases patch for GTA IV. Needs work.

Rockstar has released a patch for the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV to address crash bugs found in the game. That's the good news. The bad news is that it only fixes the online multiplayer server problems and not the main issues with the game hanging up and freezing during the offline game.

Rockstar said the fix ""prevents Gamespy's servers from being overloaded and therefore reduces the impact on those servers that were causing the game to stutter and lock up."

That's great, but the awful issue of not even being able to play the SP game is still alive and well. Rockstar says it is "monitoring" the offline and online portions of the game.

"We continue to monitor the performance of the game both on and offline and will provide further updates as necessary. We want to assure everyone that,...

• (6)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Indie Game Highlight: Noitu Love 2 for the PC

Welcome to the first Indie Game Highlight feature. Here I will comb the galaxy (or my local town) to bring an awesome indie game to your attention. Our first subject is the frenetic side-scrolling platformer and more: Noitu Love 2 for the PC.

Noitu Love 2 is a game much in the vein of Gunstar Heroes. Only it's better. It's a 2D platformer, beat-'em-up, and shooter all in one. The major difference here is that the game is controlled almost exclusively by the mouse.

During gameplay you will control your character with the arrow keys (or WASD if you're right-handed) and control a targeting reticle with the mouse. When you click anywhere on the screen, your character will attack.

You use the keyboard to move your character, dodge attacks, and jump but you will you use the mouse to attack your f...

• (3)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Jasper chipset for the Xbox 360...cooler and quiet...

No matter how great the Xbox 360 is the console is louder than hell. Those fortunate enough to still own an original model will agree that having to turn up the volume on the television not so you can hear the game, but because you need to hear it over the fan on the 360, is annoying.

Microsoft has made improvements to their chipset by rolling out the Falcon chipset in the past. The Falcon has helped, but the noise issues are still there.

Rumor is Microsoft is going to roll out a third version of their chipset called Jasper. Like the Falcon it is supposed to produce less noise and overall make the Xbox 360 run at a cooler temperature. The launch of this new chipset is going to be August, if rumors prove true.

[Via Kotaku]

• (4)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Pro Tip: The World Ends With You

I have been playing The World Ends With You for the past couple of weeks. It is a fantastic game and anyone with a DS should pick it up. However, I'm not going to suggest anyone go out and purchase this game at its current 40 dollar price point.

Really, wait until it drops to 35 or even 30. I only picked it up because I had a 25 dollar gift card to Best Buy that had been sitting around since Christmas and the game intrigued me.

I'm just going to go over this broad brush, to give you a feel for how the game works. You are part of some weird screwed up game. You have seven days to stay alive and complete seven missions (one per day).

You go around the game collecting pins. These pins have abilities that you can use to fight Noise (invisible monsters). You can shoot fire, summon ligh...

• (2)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Daily Q: Can Wii survive past this year without an...

There's no question that the Wii is a bigger success than anyone imagined it would be--but is its time up? With most of the normal Nintendo giants out of the way--and still little to no third party support for the little white system--can it possibly last much longer?

I've believed the Wii would steadily decline after Mario Kart and Boom Blox since last year, and that's still my stance today. After this week, and the release of Boom Blox there isn't too many big games left for Nintendo. Well, Wii Fit for one, but I don't think that will succeed as well here as it did in Japan. That leaves Animal Crossing and Star Fox as the last two popular franchises with today's gamers, but neither has performed well with recent console titles. So are the Wii's days numbered? Or will we see some non-Ni...

• (11)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

"Big-ish" Fable 2 news next week

Sam at the official Lionhead Studios Fable 2 development blog comes a tantalizing little statement alluding to some big Fable 2 news in the very near future.

By "alluding to," of course I mean flat-out telling us that Lionhead has something for eager Fable fans next week. The post reads:

"I also came into work on Monday with about 70 other people and today is just a normal working day. A lot is happening, if you are anxious to find out something new about Fable 2, I suggest you make sure you've got access to the internet, next week! Yes we are planning something (quite) big-ish."

I'm not quite sure what sort of big thing he's referring to, but we will all find out sometime next week.

[via Lionhead]

• (0)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Half as many kids purchasing M-rated games in 2008...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has just published the results of a study that shows a 22% decrease in underage purchases of M-rated videogames in 2008. With the recent release of everyone's favorite whipping boy, Grand Theft Auto 4, videogames have been under particularly heavy fire from the mainstream media as of late, so this report comes as great news for the industry.

Only 20% of the FTC's secret shoppers were successful in purchasing M-rated games this year, compared to 42% in 2006, and 69% in 2003. Of all of the retailers surveyed, Game Stop/EB Games performed best, turning away a praiseworthy 94% of shoppers. Walmart stopped 82% from making purchases, followed by Best Buy with an 80% rejection rate.                                                   ...

• (4)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Take-Two sues CTA for GTA ad pulls

Some of you may remember the issue involving GTAIV advertisements in Chicago buses, and how CTA ultimately pulled them due to a Fox report. Well, Take-Two is now taking some action against the unwarranted hatred of the GTA franchise. They are now filing a lawsuit against CTA. 

The issue initially came up a few weeks ago, when Fox broadcasted one of its usual one-sided, anti-game stories about how the CTA was allowing advertisements for the "unapologetically violent" GTAIV video game. The story stirred up so much controversy that, in the end, the CTA pulled the ads to gain back the support they lost when viewers were swayed in favor of Fox.

Now Take-Two is angry. Angry enough, in fact, to file a lawsuit. They claim that the CTA broke an ad agreement amounting to $300,000, violated free s...

• (10)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

GTA IV is glitch free according to Take-Two chairm...

When asked if GTA IV had any bugs or not, the chairman of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick replied "No, none whatsoever. I'd say the only issue is that someone came up to me yesterday in a restaurant and said ‘my thumbs are hurting from the weekend.'"

Okay, hold the phone here. Is this guy nuts or is this some kind of joke? Has he somehow not heard of all the crashes, freezes, graphical bugs, and other glitches? Maybe he was speaking for himself but if that's the case, then he should really work on his wording. The jokes just write themselves, folks.

But of course, Zelnick could have just been playing it cute by saying something so outrageous. If that was his intent, he's got a pretty good sense of humor in trying to shake things up a bit. But if he was serious, I'd hate to think what he woul...

• (5)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

PS3 is going "pro-choice" for HDD configurations

Since the PS3 has debuted, we've seen a plethora of different HDD configurations for the machine in multiples of 20. Sony has released the 20GB, the 40GB, the 60GB, and 80GB PS3 models. What's next? The 100GB?

David Reeves, boss at Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe says he would like to see the gamer take control of this decision and choose their hard drive capacity instead of facing all the different PS3 HDD models.

"We launched with 60GB and to reduce the price we went to 40GB. We're not sure we want to stay with that configuration of hard drive, and I think what you're going to see in the future is maybe consumers can choose.

"The PlayStation will stay the same, but consumers can choose whichever size of hard drive they want. They can now, or course, because it's not a proprietary hard...

• (4)
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Sony says it has a better lineup of games for 2008...

Sony is feeling pretty confident about the future of its PS3 game lineup for 2008. So much so that SCEE chief, David Reeves, said that he thought Sony's lineup was better than Microsoft's. No surprise here. 

But Reeves really may have some facts to back up his sanguine outlook. With the arrival of expected blockbuster hits coming down the pike such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance 2 and LittleBigPlanet, it looks like a pretty solid lineup indeed.

Reeves was asked if he thought the Xbox 360 was in trouble but was diplomatic in saying that Microsoft has really helped the game industry.

"No I don't think it's a sinking ship. I think they have contributed amazingly to the growth of the industry. And I think we have done exactly the same. We don't criticize the competition because we are all in t...

• (8)
• 
• 
• 
• 
•