Namco Bandai have launched a countdown website which appears to be counting down to the reveal of the next game in the Tales Of franchise. Last week it was revealed that the next instalment of the Tales Of franchise would be unveiled at the Tales Of Festival, which this countdown website appears to be counting down to.
The countdown clock will end on June 2nd, which is of course the date of the Tales Of Festival. The countdown site can be viewed here in all it’s teasing glory. The site itself has a notice that the unveiling of the next game will be broadcast on the site to Tales Members, more details on the broadcast and Tales Membership can be found here.
What do you think of Namco Bandai’s hype train or the next Tales Of game? Has it gotten you appropriately hyped? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sorry to break it to you Xbox 360 and Wii Gamers out there, but you just don’t know what true art is or even have the ability to appreciate such a thing. This surely factual declaration that is in no way bias was made by one the developers of Journey, Jenova Chen.
Chen recently when interviewed by Venture Beat, made the obviously 100% truthful claim that PS3 gamers simply appreciate and understand art better than any other, “Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste. They care about how grown-ups feel toward their games. The player who owns a PlayStation 3 is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360.”
This statement definitely has nothing to do with his game Journey being exclusive to the Playstation 3, definitely nothing to do with it at all. It is of course based on hard fact that Chen spent tireless hours researching all in the hopes of proving to everyone that his game Journey is a work of art and that if you don’t appreciate it or buy it, you are nothing but a mere Neanderthal beating your fists on a Xbox controller.
Sony themselves even jumped in to echo Chen’s sentiments when Jack Buser, Senior Director of Playstation Digital Platforms added his two cents, “Our primary PSN audience is indeed more adult, and many of our best-selling titles appeal to this demographic. Many PlayStation and PSN games have themes that require a user to think and feel about a deep, immersive gameplay experience, and we see that exemplified in the success of titles like Flower, Journey, and Heavy Rain. Titles like these can only be found on PlayStation, and our users enjoy the emotional and thematic sophistication of their games, especially with our digital offerings.”
So if you are an Xbox or Wii gamer, you best return to your simple minded lives because you are forever doomed to not appreciate true art such as Journey because the fact that you aren’t a Playstation gamer means you’re incapable of thinking and feeling about deep and immersive gameplay experiences, because you’re a dumbass.
Thank you Jenova Chen and Jack Buser, you have truly opened our eyes to our innate lack of intellect. Myself and millions of other buffoons shall never understand or appreciate the true intricacy and beauty of art such as Journey. Now please excuse me while I bludgeon myself with a Kinect.
For those of us gamers that are intrigued to find the similarities among music scores in video games, take a gander at Sam Hulick’s most recent creations. Sam has developed the music behind the popular Mass Effect series which has been nominated several times for best original score. Additionally, his music for the original Mass Effect had won him “Best Original Music” for IGN, GameSpy, and GameStop in 2007.
Overhaul Games has taken a well worth risk in Sam to develop new soundtracks for Balder’s Gate: Enhanced Edition. His original creations can be heard alongside new gameplay content yet not disturb the previously mastered audio. Hulick wanted to share the following:
The music of Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II was a huge inspiration for me as a composer who was just venturing forth into the world of writing music for games. So to be able to travel back in time, so to speak, and score original material for the Baldur’s Gate saga is a dream come true for me.
Whether or not you are pumped that Sam has accepted the role, an additional fact that can be taken away from this is that there will be new gameplay content. If you loved the original story and the plethora of addictive side quests, be ready to waylay some new enemy forces! For future updates check out Sam’s twitter, @samhulick.
That right Jetheads, the iOS phenomenon Jetpack Joyride from Halfbrick Entertainment has rocketed its way onto Facebook. The game that topped iOS game charts has been a huge success for Halfbrick who you may recall for their smash-hit Fruit Ninja franchise and as such it was only natural that Jetpack Joyride would eventually ride into Facebook territory.
The game is now available to play on Facebook, although Halfbrick are still classifying the game as being in it’s beta phase. Halfbrick’s chief marketing officer Phil Larsen had the following to say on Jetpack Joyride’s move to Facebook; “With Jetpack Joyride’s success on the iOS platform, it only made sense for us to bring Barry and his mischievousness to the entire Facebook community, the active and casual nature of Facebook gaming allows us to do even more with the beloved franchise and focus on the game’s addictive competitive elements and endless replayability.”
You can go for a Jetpack Joyride right now at Facebook here. What do you think of this iOS sensation blasting onto Facebook? Let us know in the comments section below.
The next game in the Trails series, developed by Nihon Falcom, is Trails of Naytua (Nayuta No Keisei in Japan). It is set to be released in Japan on July 26 for the Playstation Portable. Since the release date is a mere two months away, Nihon Falcom has released a longer trailer for the game. The trailer shows off some of the gameplay features, including dungeon exploration and the battle system. Also in the video is Nihon Falcom’s president Toshihiro Kondo discussing the various features of the game. The game’s supposed vocal main theme is also played in the background. The tune is quite good and it has the potential to become quite catchy.
Nihon Falcom has a busy summer with both the release of Naytua No Keisei and an enhanced port of Legend of Heroes: Zero No Keisei, known as Legend of Heroes: Zero No Keisei Evolution for the Playstation Vita, which will be released in August and will feature voice acting in all sections of the game and mini games.
Sony Computer Entertainment America will be quite busy with their E3 media conference as the official E3 website has been updated with a statement claiming that they will reveal 20 new gaming experiences. The statement reads:
“Come join PlayStation as we give the largest show in entertainment a triple shot of excitement. Be one of the first to witness the launch of more than 20 new gaming experiences. Meet up with developers one-on-one. Then check out the new lineup firsthand and keep on playing as long as you can.”
Of course, this will not include a new console, as Sony has throughout the year declined that the next console, codenamed “Orbis”, will make an appearance at the trade show. What it will include should be already introduced are a few games that have been announced, such as God of War: Ascension and The Last Stand. Playstation All Stars Battle Royale will also make an appearance with new additions to the roster. The Playstation Vita should also get a decent amount of first and third party games to add some variety to the handheld.
Mass Effect 3 Razer Imperator Manufacturer: Razer Device: Mouse Price: AU$109.95 Purchase:Razerstore
As one of 2012’s biggest game releases, Mass Effect 3 has been the focus of attention for many gamers over the past several months. And why wouldn’t it be? The hugely in depth storyline (ending not withstanding), kick ass gameplay mechanics, the addictive nature of multiplayer, AND the opportunity to knock out an annoying paparazzi reporter?
Not surprisingly, due to this popularity ME3 has seen no shortage of additional peripheral products released into the gaming and collectors markets. Anyone who has graced the inside of their local game shop will have no doubt witnessed the strange abundance of N7 branded collectibles, toys, clothing, posters and hardware. Naturally, as one of the biggest and most reputable peripheral brands on the market, Razer has also added their own arsenal of Mass Effect 3 branded products to the many retailers and shopfronts around the world.
This is certainly not the first time Razer has thrown its name in behind a popular gaming title. This is particularly true of many games from Bioware and EA, such as Dragon Age, Battlefield 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and of course, Mass Effect. And like many of the other games that have been released previously, no branded Razer arsenal would be complete without the release of a new mouse variant.
The Mass Effect Imperator Mouse is the 3rd variant in Razer’s Imperator series (preceded by the basic Razer Imperator and the Battlefield 3 Imperator). Undoubtedly designed for the action oriented gamer, this particular peripheral boasts several customisable features to match the preferences of even the most sensitive handed of gamers. In testing the performance of the mouse out for myself, I thought it would be imperative to see how the mouse handled on the variety of genres. With that in mind SWTOR, Age of Empires and naturally, Mass Effect 3 itself were all viable testing grounds to explore the capabilities of this mouse, and I must say, the verdicts are favourable.
The additional side buttons allow for additional functions in MMOs and FPS games. For instance, setting a quick run function in SWTOR allowed me to assign crew tasks and micromanage my inventory on the run, whilst still being able to direct avatar movement. This is a feature which comes in handy, especially for players like me who will attest to accidently running off cliffs on numerous occasions due to my own lack of control co-ordination. While the basic default settings of the mouse suited my play styles just fine, the side keys also feature an adjustable slider on the underside of the mouse so the player can feel free to slide the side keys to any one of five comfortable positions. Adding this feature feels like the product is doing more than simply meeting a demand. Rather, the mouse attempts to make gaming functional and inclusive for the player.
In playing Mass Effect 3 online, one of the other key mouse features I found was the centre buttons that allow for sensitivity adjustments on the go. The ability able to decrease aim sensitivity whilst peering down the scope of a sniper rifle resulted in a marked improvement in my accuracy and headshot counts. Being able to adjust aim sensitivity eventually became second nature to me when switching between the tighter controls required of the sniper rifle and the looser aim of an assault rifle. And there’s nothing more deadly on a ME3 multiplayer field than a Berserk Krogan that has the capacity to look and turn quickly, and yet aim with deadly accuracy.
For the hardware buffs out there, it is worth noting that the mouse is outfitted with a dual laser sensor system. For those scratching your heads as to what this means, it basically translates to the mouse being able to quickly and easily adjust for use on any surface, making it an ideal portable device for gaming without the need for a mouse pad.
The one limitation that seems to be common amongst Razer products is the requirement to log on to Razer’s Synapse service to make the fine-tuned adjustments. While the factory default settings are honestly fine by me, for the sensitive PC gamer, this is an additional step that must be taken.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the mouse itself looks damn cool, and should be considered a must have for the devoted Mass Effect fan. The physical shape of the mouse is designed to fit to the contours of the player’s hand. Even for extended periods of time, my hand was rested very comfortably during hours of gameplay. A luxury that a friend I was playing with was notably lacking. The scroll wheel also boasts a rubber coating to improve grip and control of the centre wheel functions. The mouse is also sleek and lightweight, which makes movement easy. (A popular feature that is shared amongst many Razer products.) When used in conjunction with the similarly ME3 branded Razer Vespula mouse pad, the combination was not only aesthetically pleasing, but very comfortable for playing through until the late hours.
The armor weave design on the primary mouse buttons mirrors that of Shepard’s N7 armor, even down to the detail of adding the official N7 logo to the base of the mouse. The solid red backlight on the mouse wheel is also a cool touch. Again, another feature which mirrors the visual design of Shepard’s armor. In using the mouse for myself, I couldn’t help but visualise the Commander keeping one of these within a compartment of his/her armor to pull out and game at his/her own convenience. It’s as if to say: “My name is Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite device on the Citadel.”
In addition to the afore mentioned physical and functional features of the mouse, avid players of ME3 will also be pleased to note that registered purchases of the Mass Effect 3 Razer Imperator also come with exclusive DLC codes. Specifically, these include multiplayer reinforcement packs AND the Collector Assault Rifle to be used in either PC or Xbox 360 editions of the game.
If there was one word that I would use to describe this particular product, it would be accommodating. The ergonomic design of the mouse allows for comfortable hand fit and play regardless of physical size, sensitivity preference, or predispositions to button mapping. The customisation options available for controls and sensitivity also add to this notion. In addition, the mouse lends itself well to pretty much any genre of gaming that can spring to mind. Regardless of whether your preference is for shooters, action, strategy, role playing, sports or even online play, the Imperator comes highly recommended from me.
The Lord of the Rings is considered as one of the finest examples of fantasy literature since its publication between 1954 and 1955. Despite the mixed reception at the time, the Peter Jackson trilogy pushed the epic into the spotlight in the 21st century, with various other forms of media swept up in its story of good and evil. Video games are no exception, with the latest rumour being that there will be a Lego game based on the famous trilogy.
A listing on the shopping website ShopTo has pointed to a possible release of such a game this year. It has been taken down, but a cache version is available to view. While the page is for an Xbox 360 version, it should make an appearance on other consoles, handhelds and mobile devices, with a release date of October 26. It should be noted that a line of Lego based on the Lord of the Rings will be released later this year as well as Peter Jackson’s vision of The Hobbit, the prequel of the Lord of the Rings.
Are you excited about Middle Earth in Lego form? Will The Hobbit feature in the game? Give us your thoughts below.
On the 14th of May at 8:50pm Tokyo time, Sony Computer Entertainment will be holding a session based on the music of Gravity Rush (Gravity Daze in Japan), the anticipated new IP coming out on the Playstation Vita. Director Keiichiro Toyama and sound lead Kouhei Tanaka will be the hosts of the session, with a live orchestrated performance of selected music tracks by Tanaka. The session will be broadcasted live on Japanese video website Nico Nico Douga, which you can find here.
Gravity Rush follows Kat, a young woman with amnesia and the ability to manipulate gravity. She must protect the town of Hekseville after the appearance of a gravity storm and monsters, who threaten the town. Gravity Rush will be available in North American and European markets this June. It has already been released in Japan.
If you enter a Gamestop and notice a lack of Playstation Portable games, it is because of Gamestop’s announcement that one in four stores will not stock PSP games. That is 25% of all stores in the region. In a statement made by Gamestop (and published on Kotaku), a Gamestop representative noted the following:
“The consolidation is occurring to maximize the merchandising space in the smallest 25% of stores. It will also provide a greater assortment in those stores that will continue to carry the category.”
This comes as no surprise given the release of the Playstation Vita in February and the slow sales of the seven year old handheld. The Playstation Portable did have some fantastic games, including a huge library of JRPG’s, excellent first party games and, of course, Monster Hunter.
Did you have a Playstation Portable? If so, what games did you have? Give us your experiences below.
