Grasshopper Manufacture is a company that has quite a lot of famous names in the video game world in its roster, but it seems that two of those names have moved on from the company. In a report by Siliconera, it seems that two of their most recent high profile workers have left the company. Ex-Marvelous president Yasuhiro Wada and Little King’s Story creator Yoshiro Kimura both worked for Marvelous in the past and joined Grasshopper in 2010.
The two had worked alongside Suda 51 as producers for the No More Heroes games, though their current projects were unknown. However with Grasshopper Manufacture currently developing a literal ton of games, such as Evangelion Sound Impact, Lollipop Chainsaw, Codename D, Sine Mora and Black Knight Sword, it is mildly concerning to see these names leave the company.
The Sims 3 is one of Electronic Art’s most successful titles, selling over 3.7 Million copies since its launch. What isn’t there to love? Making your own people, giving them dreams, relationships and if you are feelings particularly evil, you can make them lose everything and even kill them if the mood strikes you. It has challenging and open ended game play that can last weeks, or even longer for the more dedicated Sim-er.
The Sims 3 offered more than its predecessors, with an entire city being accessed, rather than just a household. You can ride your bike to the park, take the car to work, visit the local supermarket and so much more. Also with the release of the expansion packs, you can travel the world, extend your career options and explore your childhood in new and exciting ways. The Sims 3 Pets in also arriving in kennels soon.
Now the lovely people at Electronic Arts and Prima Games have put together not only a strategy guide, but a whole BOX SET of strategy guides. Helping our Sims live the best lives they can, or finding the best way to destroy them.
The guides includes an extensive Object Reference Guide which is exclusive to the box set. It includes images and information on EVERY item available on Sims 3, including the standard items, the Sims 3 Stuff Packs and the Sims Online Store. This will be very handy for the house designers who love the game.
So look exclusively to  EB Games for over 1000 pages of stats and information to bring you Sims 3 knowledge to the next level. The box set is set to be released 18th October 2011.
Imagine having to sit through and play the most shonky, awful, horrible and dead set worst games ever made for 24 hours straight – Could you do it? Well three courageous Australian gamers: Dan Camilleri, James Camilleri and Mark Dawes are going to be doing just that. All in a bid to raise some much need funds for the victims of the East African drought.
Starting 10am (AEST) on September 17th, these three guys will be playing some of the worst games ever made. At least 15 games will be played all up across 3 different platforms, Xbox 360, Nintendo 64 and PC. The entire 24 hour event will be live streamed online for your viewing pleasure with regular updates across Lame Game Marathon’s Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook pages.
Some of the games on the line-up include Grey’s Anatomy for PC, bad movie tie-in Iron Man: The Game, digital board-game fail Rugrats Scavenger Hunt and the notoriously bad Superman 64. What lame game marathon would be complete without it?
East Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. The situation has become so bad that it has reached the point of being the worst food security crisis in the world today. The devastating crisis is affecting more than 12.4 million people, more than half of Australia’s population.  So help support The Lame Game Marathon by tuning in on September 17th and by donating to the UNHCR.
To see how Lame Game Marathon’s progress is shaping up, check out their Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook pages
As you may know, Australia does not currently have an R18+ classification category for video games. Whilst a R18+ rating is currently pending in Federal Government, the reality is that an actual R18+ rating will take months or years to finally see the light of day.
However you can help speed up this process, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) is currently looking for volunteers to test out martial and content that may be subject to a R18+ level classification category. This in turn, will help determine community standards in regards to classification categories in the future.
Banned: ‘The House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut
Anyone over the age of 18 may participate in the focus groups which are taking place in Sydney on Saturday October 22, Monday October 31 and Wednesday November 2. While we wait for an R18+ rating, Australian gamers are still missing out on content that others gamers around the world have free access to. Content like ‘The House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut’ for Playstation 3 which was recently refused classification and therefore effectively banned in the country.
If you’re interested in volunteering for the review, sign up before September 19 at ALRC’s website
It seems that everything that was once cool and popular shall never fully fade away, but merely lie dormant waiting for the chance to once again enjoy the limelight. The Smurfs are no exception to the rule, currently enjoying a massive overhaul and comeback in various forms of media. So it should come with no surprise that Ubisoft have announced their Smurfs and Co. Facebook game has reached 10 million active monthly users.
Smurfs and Co. is a social based network game that entails players taking on the role of a smurf to build smurf villages and uncover special smurfy ingredients to aid Papa smurf in his creation of a magic potion to finally rid the smurfs of the evil Gargamel by erasing his memory.
Being such an old and respected franchise its not hard to fathom why the game has reached such a high user base and appeal across varying generations and game preferences. Ubisoft are also keeping the stakes interesting by consistently adding new features and contests to keep players on their toes. The Smurfs and Co. has been the No. 1 licensed based social game on Facebook since its launch.
To take control of the iconic blue characters visit www.facebook.com/thesmurfco. Smurfs Dance Party seen in the demo for Nintendo Wii and DS are available and instore.
Crytek are definitely setting a new benchmark for downloadable games with the announcement that their 2007 PC exclusive FPS‘Crysis’ is heading on to consoles this October. News of a Crysis port was rumoured with the release of Crysis 2 earlier this year, seeing as its sequel was simultaneous released on both console and PC.
This port version of Crysis will feature a modified and enhanced single-player campaign with remastered visuals featuring all new lighting effects and other visual optimizations thanks to the implementation of CryENGINE 3, the game will also support full stereoscopic 3D.
Crysis is set to be released on Xbox LIVE and Playstation Network for 1600 Microsoft Points/$20 this October
Hmmm… I think I shall try something. Every now and again, I will write up an article summarsing the latest news from Sony in terms of the Playstation brand. If we have already reported it, then there shall be a link to that story, where you can have a conversation on the topic that is being reported. Anything we miss will be listed here. So, what has been going on in the World of Playstation for the last month?
In Other news: Dancestar Party Announced The creators of Singstar has revealed Dancestar Party, a dancing game. Perform the hottest moves along the stars who made them famous with the only party game that lets you dance – and sing – along to original music videos by legendary artists.
Two HD Collections Being Released in September My fellow Australians, we do not have to wait for long for God of War Collection: Volume II and the Ico and Shadow of the Collossus HD Collection as they will both be released on September 29. Just for clarification, God of War Collection Volume II is the European/PAL name for the God of War: Origins Collection.
Anime News Network has featured FUNimation’s Director of DVD, Blu-ray & Video Production Clarine Harp and Blu-ray, DVD and Video Production Manager Matt O’Hara in their latest podcast, where he has spoken in detail on the up-and-coming Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray. Along with this, FUNimation has released a few comparison shots of the various DBZ releases for fans to compare. It’s nice to see that they have released these so we’ll know what we’re buying! You can check these images out below.
FUNimation has mentioned the following to keep in mind when looking at the comparison shots:
We provided ANN with some comparison shots of the various DBZ releases that I’ve included below. A few things you might notice about the video is that HD restoration of the film has color most true to the original work, while keeping the most amount of detail. Also, the Blu-ray version will contain more visual footage due to maintaining the original 4:3 aspect ratio in contrast to the Orange Season Sets. Since the HD restore is also handled frame-by-frame, many scratches or anomalies were removed that may be visible in previous releases.
Orange Season Sets – Widescreen DVD Transfer
Dragon Box DVD Transfer
Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Transfer
Orange Season Sets – Widescreen DVD Transfer
Dragon Box DVD Transfer
Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Transfer
Orange Season Sets – Widescreen DVD Transfer
Dragon Box DVD Transfer
Dragon Ball Z Blu-ray Transfer
Of coarse, hip-hop rapper Soulja Boy was one of the first to know, as he got both a tweet and email about it. I guess these are one of the advantages of having a famous dance named after you. Lucky guy!
Mixed Martial Arts are starting to gain a bit of momentum as of late, with the releases of UFC Undisputed and EA Sports MMA in the last couple of years. There is a third contender in the mix, Supremacy MMA. Instead of the flashy presentation that the former two games provide, Supremacy MMA is heading for the underground feel of the sport. After getting my hands on the game today, I was convinced that they could pull it off quite well.
The day started of with a chat with Tim, the marketing manager, and Julian, his boss, both from Tuff-Kat Entertainment, 505’s Australian distributors. Our talk was all about games, with some mention of the upcoming preview. As soon as we were done with our coffees, the three of us head to the room, where a demo of the game running. First off, Tim shows off the menu of the game. There were quite the selection of game modes. You have a quick fight mode, online, tournament, story, femme fatale and a tutorial mode.
First off I was shown a quick fight. He chose St. John Ackland, who uses a submissive wrestling style. Right off the bat the gameplay is fast and brutal. The game uses a health based system and a body indicator to show what parts of the body are damaged.
Ackland’s efforts on his opponent pays off with a mix of punches, kicks and clinches. The animations are smooth and free-flowing, really emphasizing the fast pace action of the game. After that, we divulged into story mode. Each character in the game will have their own story attached to them, including a short backstory to set up the present situation. We explored Muay Thai fighter Malaipet, who has an emotionally charged backstory. His first fight was in a gym and he easily defeats his opponent.
Then it was my turn to try the game. I went straight into the tutorials. They were very explanatory and eases you into the controls. Square and Triangle were the punch and kick buttons respectively. Left stick plus X will get you into a standing clinch. Doing the same combination will execute a takedown. Pushing the left stick up will high block while going down will block low. Other features include a side step and a powerful strike which can inflict heavy damage at a cost of vulnerability while charging up.
My first fight of the game was between Jens Pulver, former UFC lightweight champion, and Malaipet (via random). Pulver uses a boxing style and it shows, as Triangle often resulted in another punch rather than a kick. Despite my best efforts, I lost the match via decision, which is determined by health and type of moves performed during the match. There are three ways to win, decision, submission and knockout. I tried a couple of more fights before moving onto another story, this time Ilya Klimenko, a Russian wrestler down on his luck and working for a real asshole (excuse the language). Considering I like a bit of ground and pound, Klimenko suits my tactics. I fought in a few matches before moving on to the female fighting. Before I talk about that, I should note that no two individuals are the same. The game has a leveling system and players can earn experience points to make their fighter stronger. A neat idea.
What makes Supremacy MMA stand out is the inclusion of female fighters Michele Guitierrez (who I picked) and Felice Herrig, both real fighters. There is a versus mode and a story mode. Gameplay wise, expect the same. The only question I raised is why are there only two female fighters? Considering this is being done for the first time in recent years, this must be testing the waters. We might see other female fighters as downloadable content, though.
The day ended with three fights with Tim to check out the multiplayer aspect. The game turns into a tug of war, with a lot of blocking and strategic thinking. There was a clinch glitch, but it was a debug version of the game, so there were a few things that needed to be ironed out. I did beat him in all three fights via decision. On that mote, my time with the game ended. Thanking Tim and Julian for their time, I left with a smile on my face. I was suppose to talk to the developers from the USA but a scheduling mix-up meant it wasn’t going to happen. Other than that, it was a great demo and it shows the potential that this game can achieve in the market.
Expect the game in September for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. A version for the Playstation Vita is also in development. Are you guys excited for this approach of MMA? Shout out below.
Konami have just announced that Brazilian starlet, Neymar, will join Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover for Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 in both North and Latin America.
Konami feel that Neymar (who is being chased by footballing giants Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea), is the perfect addition to the cover given his electrifying skill and already well-respected in the football world despite only being 19 years old.
Neymar has been representing the Brazilian national team for the last few months and is a key part of the Santos team in the Brazilian league.
Konami also have confirmed that the initial preview Xbox 360 demo, which was delayed, has been canceled. But 360 fans don’t stress, as apparently the second demo will be available on September 14th.
PES 2012 comes out in America on September 27th and October 13th in Australia and Europe.
