Sega Confirms Yakuza 3 for the U.S.
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsWe’d already heard from insiders that Yakuza 3 would be making the trip to U.S. retailers, and now skeptics can rest easy; Sega has officially confirmed Yakuza 3 for a Stateside release. Sega’s assistant community manager Aaron Webber posted a notice on the official PlayStation blog this morning announcing the game’s localization. As many have predicted, this Yakuza sequel will stick with the original Japanese voice actors rather than going the expensive — and ultimately less realistic — route of hiring English voiceover talent. Subtitles aren’t so bad, right? Look for the PlayStation 3 exclusive sometime in March of next year.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized Review
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsConventional wisdom tells us some things just shouldn’t work, like the magical equilibrium of a Segue, the stupefying strength of Pykrete , and the over-the-top action of Call of Duty on the Nintendo DS. But sometimes insane ideas breed remarkable results, and with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized , developer n-Space proves once again that a surprisingly good version of Modern Warfare on Nintendo’s underpowered handheld isn’t as impossible as it seems. Whether it’s actually worth playing, on the other hand, is a different matter. Mobilized uses the DS’s touch screen for a “mouse-look”-style control setup: You use the stylus to aim and the D-pad (or face buttons if you’re left-handed) to move, with either shoulder button firing your weapon. While that gives you surprisingly decent control for a handheld FPS, it also might break your hand. Unless you place the DS on a table, you’re forced the hold it in what I call a “talon grip,” attempting to keep the device steady and use the D-pad with one hand while the other streaks across the touch screen to aim.
Lance Henriksen To Appear In Aliens vs. Predator
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsYou might remember Lance Henriksen from his roles in Aliens and Alien 3 . More recently, he’s also appeared in Alien vs. Predator , and now he’s slated to take on a role in Rebellion’s upcoming shooter of the same name. Henriksen will play Karl Bishop Weyland, who is a descendant of the AvP film’s Charles Bishop Weyland. He starred as Bishop in the earlier Alien films. “They’ve made me look very good,” said Henriksen. “This is the first time I’ve been fully represented in a game, with my voice and how I look, and the Rebellion guys have done a great job. I might score from this game!”
Fans Vote for Red Dead Redemption Preorder Incentive
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsRed Dead Redemption isn’t coming until April of next year, but RockStar has the hype building well ahead of schedule. We’ve already noticed plenty of trailers during shows like South Park , and today the developers revealed plans to offer preorder bonuses through GameStop — the catch is that fans will get to vote on exactly what those bonuses are. Don’t get too excited just yet, though. RockStar is limiting voters to a selection of three different predetermined options, and they’ve yet to reveal exactly what those choices will be. All we know for sure is that all three bonuses will be “outfit challenges,” which are apparently in-game missions that reward players with unique costumes. These exclusive clothing options will also somehow affect the way characters in the game react to the player, so they’re slightly more than a cosmetic preference. RockStar promises more info on these preorder incentives in January. What kind of outfits would you like to see in the open-world Western?
Tekken 6 Review
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsNamco Bandai recently released a Tekken 6 patch to fix several problems plaguing the online portion of the game. With the patch, I probably won’t hear the words, “Online is f****** unplayable,” a passionate sentiment sent to me over Xbox Live when Tekken 6 first released. On launch day, Tekken 6’s online matchmaking was unacceptable. A four-bar connection, graded on five-bar scale, was persistently problematic. Moves stuttered, framerate dropped, and inputs lagged. And, naturally, the community grew upset and disappointed. Namco Bandai was quick to address the concerns by developing a patch that corrects the lackluster online mode. Matches on a four- or five-bar connection feel smooth — and definitely playable. And thanks to the improved quality, you can evade attacks by sidestepping into the background or foreground as a reaction rather than anticipation; the old netcode forced players to guess their opponents’ actions. Combos requiring precision timing, which were frustratingly hard to execute in laggy conditions before the patch, are within reach (if you have the dexterity to pull them off). Once the connection drops to around one- to three-bars, you can feel the lag on each input. Matches under these conditions are serviceable, but the latency will throw off your timing.
World of Warcraft’s Last Major Raid Content Patch Before Cataclysm Expansion To Drop Early This Week
Written by from on December 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsWord on the street is that the latest update to the multimillion subscribers MMO could hit as early as Tuesday. When asked in an interview we conducted on Monday afternoon, Blizzard would not confirm a definite launch time, but hinted that the content will indeed be coming early this week. Patch 3.3, entitled “Fall of the Lich King,” opens up raid dungeon Ice Crown Citadel, where players will finally be able to slay the legendary Lich King, Arthas — a fight, it seems, which will befit one of Warcraft’s most powerful evil forces. Known as Ghostcrawler to the World of Warcraft community, lead systems designer Greg Street says fighting Arthas will be “a very challenging encounter. We definitely have structured it in such a way that it presents a really big challenge to raiders, particularly on the heroic mode.”
Tony Hawk: Ride Review
Written by from on December 7th, 2009 | 0 CommentsWhen Neversoft announced earlier this year that they would no longer helm their flagship skateboarding series, I was simultaneously relieved and heartbroken at the prospect of a new team taking a crack at a title I once held in the highest regard. After all, Pro Skater single-handedly redefined the extreme sports genre. But with a pedigree as long and tumultuous as the Tony Hawk series, a reboot was imminent, if not necessary to breathe new life into the game. For Tony Hawk: Ride , fledgling developer Robomodo exchanged the traditionally complex button combos of almost every other skateboarding game for a more accessible, motion-based skateboard controller. As the tenth iteration in the Tony Hawk Skateboarding saga, Ride represents a more casual, peripheral-centric product that, while interesting in theory, shifts too easily from fascination to frustration.
Hideki Kamiya Would Like To Revisit Viewtiful Joe
Written by from on December 7th, 2009 | 0 CommentsPlatinum Games founder Hideki Kamiya has created some of the best-known IPs in gaming, including Devil May Cry , Okami , and Viewtiful Joe . He’s moved on though, leaving the rights to all of them in Capcom’s hands. Capcom has since gone on to make sequels to Devil May Cry and Okami. Kamiya said he would love to do the sequels himself, but he also said there’s “no point.” “Up until very recently I really felt someday I wanted to make a sequel to Okami, and there were others who wanted me to as well. But then the other day I heard the announcement that someone else would be making a sequel and now I’m just not interested in it anymore,” Kamiya told Game Informer .
Modern Warfare 2 Patch in Certification, Fixes Various Exploits
Written by from on December 7th, 2009 | 0 CommentsSome of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ’s cheating issues will be addressed soon, as we’ve found that the 1.06 patch is in the hands of certification to be released. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling tweeted PS3 patch notes, along with word that it’s with Microsoft certification now (via Joystiq ). We can only assume this means the patch has also been sent to Sony, or will be in the very near future. The update will remove the javelin glitch , which allowed players to turn themselves into powerful, fast-moving weapons. The patch will also fix exploits that allowed for infinite care packages, and areas where players could hide inside pieces of geography. Check out the video above for a look at the javelin glitch in action, and shed a tear for the cheap tactic that will soon be nothing but a memory. Here’s to you, cheaters.
Master Higgins Speaks… Again
Written by from on December 7th, 2009 | 0 CommentsMaster Higgins Speaks… Again A year later, we talk once more with Hudson’s Japanese game master on the past, present, and future of his career and Hudson as a company. By Ray Barnholt Last year, I talked to Takahashi Meijin, a.k.a. Master Higgins, Hudson’s longtime spokesman in Japan who quickly rocketed to “hero” status in the eyes of game-playing kids in the ’80s, due in part to his natural “16-shot” turbo button-mashing ability. In that interview, we discussed his origins, the finer points of his celebrity back then, and of course, got him to ham it up . This year, he came back to America to headline Hudson’s fall Gamer’s Day press event. So, naturally, I had to talk to him again. Takahashi was joined by Kazufumi Shimizu, director of Hudson’s upcoming Wii thriller Calling , as well as Hudson Entertainment’s director of marketing Mike Pepe. 1UP: Meijin, thanks again for coming by to talk. I thought we’d just pick up where we left off, where one thing I meant to ask last time was: Where did you get the arm talent [that let you do the crazy "16-shot" ability]? Did you always have it, or did you develop it?