Developer Tri-Ace, best known for working on the Star Ocean series and the Valkyrie Profile series has announced two games today that will be published by Konami in the future. Though the announcement isn’t really from the company itself but actually a leak from Famitsu, the standard source of all leaked information from Japan with Andriasang placing it on the internet.
The title for the PSP that they will be developing is called Frontier Gate and will apparently combine Monster Hunter styled gameplay with turn-based RPG gameplay. The game will contain three player co-op and allow players to select one of fifteen partners to travel with and each will have a unique storyline. The other title announced is Beyond the Labyrinth for the 3DS. The title will be a 3D dungeon RPG that is being developed by Takayuki Suguro who worked as director for Resonance of Fate and also Elebits producer Shingo Mukaitouge.
Neither title has a set release date but Frontier Gate is most likely going to be released sometime this year. A few days ago Tri-Ace revealed a tech demo that shows just what they are capable of creating with a game and it certainly is amazing to see. Hopefully we can expect this type of quality with these upcoming titles.
Well it seems that owning a gaming console isn’t as safe as it used to be. Perhaps in an effort to clear the air before they have the same legal and public outcry as Sony is suffering at the moment Microsoft has issued a warning today that some Xbox Live users may be approached through messages that will want players to give the phisher their personal information or log in information.
The official statement stands as thus: Users may receive potential phishing attempts via title specific messaging while playing Modern Warfare 2.
We are aware of the problem and are working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience
Of course these problems are easily avoidable as anyone who has spent time online knows that you should never give your password and account information to anyone, even if they say that they are from Microsoft. That and Modern Warfare 2 has always had people who have sent out these types of messages in an effort to scam others. This move is most likely just an effort to prevent legal action or to make Microsoft look better compared to Sony’s failed handling of the current PSN situation.
Disney Interactive are spoiling us again with another trailer for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean, this time for the ‘At World’s End’ section of the game relating to the corresponding movie.
It’s another trailer packed full of classic LEGO humour. Rock, paper, scissors anyone? And could it be…split-screen co-op? Prior LEGO games have all used a fluid drop-in, drop-out system on a single screen between the two players, but could we see that changing now. Upon revisiting LEGO Star Wars II, it wasn’t quite as seamless as memory would like us to believe, with the camera often dragging the next player off the edge, but improvements were made each game to create a much better experience.
Other than that, will you be picking this up when it is released on May 10th in North America and May 13th in Europe? It will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, Nintendo 3DS and DS.
John Woo’s latest action film, Reign of Assassin’s, will be available on DVD and Blu-ray from Madman on the 22nd of June, 2011.
Our favourite Hong Kong actress, Michelle Yeoh (yes, the awesome woman from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), returns in a ‘swords and sandals’ adventure which sees plenty of swordplay, fighting, and assassinations. Yeoh’s character, “Drizzle”, was a prominent member of a deadly gang, the Dark Stone Gang, but chose to leave her life of theft and murder and begin anew. Choosing the name Jing, she becomes a shop-keeper. However, the Dark Stone Gang is searching for her as she alone holds the secret that could allow the gang to control the entire world.
Any film with swords and assassins is bound to pique our interest, and any film starring Michelle Yeoh is pretty much guaranteed to be great. Reign of Assassin’s is available for DVD pre-order here for $29.95, or Blu-ray pre-order here for $39.95.
Razer Onza Tournament Edition Xbox Controller Developer: Razer Compatible with: Xbox 360, PC Available for purchase at: Official Razer Store ($49.99USD)
The controller for a console is an accessory that is overlooked by a lot of gamers. Many stick with the one they have – or choose the cheapest option – but it’s when you feel a great controller in your hands that you finally know what you are missing. The Razer Onza Tournament Edition gives Microsoft gamers everything they ever wished for in a controller: it’s customisable, durable, responsive, and sleek.
Obviously, the Tournament Edition is catered more towards professional gamers and e-sports events such as the World Cyber Games. However, I don’t think casual gamers should be daunted by this label of it being a “professional” – this controller has plenty of potential to flow on to mainstream players who are seeking an alternative to the standard Xbox360 controllers or current third-party ones.
The sleek design makes the Razer Onza Tournament Edition a powerful and stunning device.
To start with, let me just say that the controlleris absolutely beautiful. Before I even got to play around with it, I couldn’t help but think how good every aspect of the controller looked. From the slim triggers which give the controller a sleek yet powerful appearance to the Razer logo tattooed on the right side of the controller which gives the controller a brilliant finish, everything just is aesthetically brilliant. The backlighting (which isn’t included in the original Onza) makes the controller come alive and almost radiate; throw this all in with the font Razer selected, and the Onza TE truly is a visual masterpiece.
The first thing I noticed when I held the Onza TE is how well the contours fit into the shape of my hands. The controller has a streamlined feel and the rubberized texture ensures the controller doesn’t slip out of your hands easily (a problem I’ve had many a time with my standard X360 controllers). The bottom of the controller has a nook for your middle fingers to go so you can easily access the triggers without straining too much, and – because the controller is slimmer than the standard Xbox360 one due to the lack of a battery compartment – the analog sticks are far easier to reach.
The ergonomic design of the controller means it fits perfectly into the hand.
That’s just the start of it, though. Not only does the controller look stunning and feel fantastic in the hand, but the controls themselves work like a charm. The action buttons are hyper-sensitive, which can feel strange at first – when I pressed them for the first time, I wasn’t really certain that I was actually pressing them, and they feel a bit like clicking the buttons on a mouse – but after a bit of getting used to I have to say these buttons are far better than the buttons that come with other controllers. With the Onza TE, I felt the strain between my right index finger and thumb lessen noticeably in games like Final Fantasy XIII which require repeated mashing of a button.
The D-Pad also feels a lot sturdier and pressing on the directional buttons yields a far better response than on standard and third-party 360 controllers. Often when I’m using the Microsoft 360 controller the D-Pad doesn’t respond one hundred percent of the time, but that was never an issue with the Onza TE. The vibrations also feel more intense and immediate on the Onza TE as compared to other controllers; I was surprised the first time my Onza TE vibrated, because I was so familiar with the dull vibrations on my standard controller. It’s nothing which makes or breaks a controller, really, but it’s nice to have.
Of course, much of the responsiveness in the controller can be put down to the fact that it’s wired. Many people find wired controllers a bit of a pain (I, for one, hardly ever use wired controllers) but I really grew to like the wire on Razer’s new controller. It sports a braided cable which keeps the wire from getting worn, and the length (15 feet, or just over 4 metres) is ample enough so you can take it anywhere you need to. Wireless controllers do tend to lose responsiveness if they’re taken too far away from the console anyway, so really you’re not missing out on much if you have a 15 foot long cable on a wired controller.
The braided cable enhances the responsiveness of the Onza TE
Another great pro that outweighs the con of having a wired controller is the customisability of the Onza TE. Razer is notorious for allowing the players to customise their gameplay, and this controller is no different. Firstly, the controller offers a left and right multifunction button (MFB) just above each set of triggers. Players can assign any button to the MFB, and it allows for tailor-made gameplay depending on which game you’re playing. In Mass Effect 2, I remapped my Y button to my RMFB and the X to my LMFB to allow for quick access to skills and reloading. It worked a treat and my game ran far smoother because of it. Also, I really disliked the position of the Start and Back buttons on the controller – they’re too difficult to reach in my opinion – so being able to move those buttons to the MFB really meant I didn’t have an issue.
The resistance of the analog sticks are also adjustable, which is a warmly welcomed customisation feature. Prior to playing with this controller, I had always wished I could change the resistance of my analog sticks (I’m a big fan of high resistance so my character’s movements can be as accurate as possible) and now Razer have made it a reality. Like the MFB, the adjustable resistance on the analog sticks means players can tailor their controller to suit exactly what they need for different games, as well as their own playing style.
All the PC gamers must be getting slightly jealous at all of these goodies Xbox 360 players are getting, but fear not: Razer hasn’t forgotten you! The Onza TE is fully compatible with the PC (the controller uses a USB so it can easily plug into your desktop or laptop), and all the benefits Xbox360 players receive are instantly transferred to PC. I played a bit of Assassin’s Creed with the Onza TE (and a bit of Hearts and Solitaire too, just for kicks!) and found all the features of the controller applied just as well to my PC games. If only Razer could make some sort of hybrid controller for WoW and other MMO’s, and I’d be set!
The headphone jack at the bottom allows for online gamers to easily chat.
The Onza TE is, of course, made for online gamers as well as offline gamers, so a 2.5mm microphone jack is included. However, the Microsoft Chat Pad isn’t compatible with the controller so all of those who want to play and type at the same time should stick to using it on a PC (or just chat through a mic, like the rest of us!).
The customisability and responsiveness of the Onza TE makes it an absolute delight to game with, and both casual and hardcore gamers will find plenty to love in this controller. However, what really sold me was that Razer could make a controller which looks as stunning as it plays. The current Xbox360 controller market is slim and I – like many other gamers – have stuck to the standard Microsoft one. However, I think once the controller is released I may have to award it the highest accolade a reviewer can give anything: I’m going to buy one.
I give the Razer Onza Tournament Edition
This just in – I checked the Razer Australia site and there appears to be a Dragon Age II Collector’s Edition controller. Sign me up!
When Video gaming hits prime time TV news you now something big is going on. So when i saw the latest Sony PSN debacle on the nightly news and the likes of Reteurs taking a vested interest and publishing articles i knew it was something to follow. Ive done a lot of research on this and im not ill-informed but basically i dont know anymore than what i can find online so you can take what i say with a grain of salt. Most of the people writing articles or commenting on this topic have zero knowledge of hacking, DOD security or anything to do with cybersecurity for that matter. At the moment everything is speculation moulded together by very little fact.
For some unbeknownest to me reason Sony do seem to have had an odd number of hacks and threats and born the brunt of much anger over the past few months. Even their retaliation to protect their hacked system was met with scorn and distaste from many members of the gaming community and internet freedom fighting groups. Honestly wouldnt you fight to protect your source of income. Sure Sony are a multi-billion dollar enterprise but if it was that easy to create and maintain then why dont you go and do it. How many years have they been bringing quality products into your homes from televisions to sounds systems, gaming consoles and music.I didnt hear you all complaining when you were playing games or watching a VCR on your brand new Trinitron. Basically what i am getting at is these guys arent this evil corporation they are being portrayed as. They are not intentionally trying to screw you over contrary to what some of you believe and while i do believe that certain products (games ahem) are overpriced it still doesnt give anyone the right to intentionally try and destroy a network to steal information simply because they have found a way to do it. Ive also found a way to steal information and heaps of money at the same time. Its called explosives, sledge hammers and the local bank but see how far that gets me if i try. What im insinuating is that if the local bank gets robbed, we dont blame the bank security, we put the blame on those who actively participated in it. Again im not saying Sony are not to blame for part of the problem but surely the blame lies solely with those responsible. I do understand that with a bank you are sure that your money will be recovered and although Sony took a long time to admit what the real outage was caused by we have no idea how they might recompensate their customers, even those who didnt lose anything but were inconvenienced. This is a must for Sony, without recompensation for any lost monies resulting from the incident, many customers will not return regardless of any security updates.
We live in a world where due to the internet, the dissemination of information happens at a very rapid speed so dont believe everything you read unless you know its coming from a very reliable source. Im not going to turn this into a massive article as i get bored myself reading people waffle on so i will get to the main point. If these hackers tried to do this on other companies servers i bet they would find loopholes and flaws in every network, even large corporations carrying sensitive information. The general feeling around the internet that was even posted in a recent article on capsulecomputers tells of the infamous Rebug CFW that essentially allowed users developers access, plus there was a credit card style dump exploit on the network. Sony probably should be more wary of breaches in their network but if people werent trying to steal it in the first place….well you get my drift.
Theres plenty of arguments against sony so dont think im some fanboy. They lied to their customers by not informing them of the breach until long after it had occurred. Maybe they didnt know the full extent of it and decided that to save face it was better not to say anything if no personal data or fraud had taken place. Maybe they did and wanted to catch the culprits before telling its users. Either way it was a mistake on their behalf but something that i believe can be overlooked if handled in the correct way by their PR team. Id also be annoyed if someone stole money from my credit card but if i was assured of compensation then let begones be begones. Its all going to depend on how Sony choose to deal with this problem as to how many valued customers they might lose to Microsoft.
WOW, I cant believe it has been a decade since Remedy and Rockstar games first released Max Payne. So much would have changed in the lives of Maxs diehard fanbase, ( 26yr olds now with jobs and families were then 16yr old carefree kids), its fantastic news to hear that Rockstar have gone to the effort of including the 8 year gap in Maxs life as well. Much has changed in the technology available to developers over this time period especially graphics and physics engines and Rockstar plan to make use of all the advances in Euphoria Physics, particle effects and AI available to them. Judging from the latest screenshots which look beautifully rendered with rich environments, Max has undergone a Bruce Willis type transformation, losing the suave haircut in exchange for a shaven head, and swapping his NYC cop badge for a degenerate seedy life in Brazils Private Security sector.
True to form, Max has delved deeper into substance abuse and darkness, transforming into an alcohol swilling, pillhead, addicted to the painkillers he battled with and energised him in the previous titles. The scope of the enviroment will vastly differ from the constraints of being in one city as Max now has an entire country to potentially explore in his new position protecting the Branco family of Brazil, made up of the 3 brothers Rodrigo, the real estate kingpin, Victor the politician and Marcello the playboy, Fabiana, Rodrigos trophy wife and Giovanna his sister.
There is a heavy emphasis on creating a cinematic style of gameplay combined with natural realism to really immerse the player in Maxs world. This will all be made possible with NaturalMotions Euporia engine which allows developers to add adaptive real time effects rather than predetermined events into gameplay. Maxs general movement and bullet time scenes will no longer be a staged movement, but Max will react to the environment around him, diving hands down to break his fall and responding differently to the environment even if replaying the same scene. Slow motion gunplay and responsive enemies will enhance the games cinematic feel.
Everything we knew and loved about the last Max Payne games is back with a vengeance, from Bullet time and Bulletcam to new approaches and takes on Maxs signature gun toting take down styles. Even the much loved graphic novel exerts have been given the upgrade to a motion based comic book and best of all, James McAffrey is back to lend his voice and appearance to the washed out tough guy. It wasnt so long ago that environments in most games were left unchanged even after being inflicted with heavy gunfire in an intense battle. Well thankfully times are changing and Rockstar games obsessive compulsiveness to detail ensure that every salty sweat bead that drips from Maxs head during a heated encounter is so faithfully recreated you might need to put towels under your tv. Im guessing the same will apply to weapons, characters and most other aspects of the environment.
Extensive motion-capture has been used to truly recreate the movements and behaviour of the various characters Max encounters. Partners and sidekicks of the infamous character will play an important role in his quest for justice and success.
This game looks amazing and is already creating much buzz especially amongst those who played the original titles in our gaming prime. Rockstar games look like they are onto another winner with Max Payne 3 and the world waits with bated breath for any more news.
Readers would be wise to file everything that follows as a rumor for the time being. According to reports by various users around the internet, Xbox 360 users whose systems had previously been banned from access to Xbox Live would once again be able to connect to the online service. Now, I would take most of this with a grain of salt as Microsoft has not released an official statement so far, but it does seem that many banned users were able to access Xbox Live.
The rumors flying around the hacking and modding scene, such as this forum thread, are that Microsoft was afraid of an attack from hacker “group” Anonymous, which has gained a lot of notoriety (some of it deserved and some rampant speculation) due to the state of the Playstation Network. It was being tossed around that Anonymous threatened the software giant with a similar fate and this mass unbanning was an appeasement for the hacking and modding community.
I think it should be clear to anyone over the age of 13 that this story is complete nonsense, as a billion dollar company is certainly not going to undo console bans which were put in place to stop users from either cheating online or pirating games. It should also be noted that Anonymous are not the hacking wizards that the internet seems to think they are, but instead just a group of online users who were trying to get a message across. It has yet to be seen whether Anonymous had anything to do with the Playstation network downtime and it is looking less and less likely with each update from Sony. It is even more unlikely that Microsoft would bow to the threats of an anonymous group of the same kind of hackers it deals with daily.
As evidence that Xbox 360 consoles all over the world weren’t unbanned as some sort of pacifier to the hacking community, all previously banned 360’s are now once again completely blocked from Xbox Live. It seems like the most likely explanation is that someone at Microsoft made a mistake which was then quickly corrected. The modders were at the height of proclaiming that Microsoft was running scared from Anonymous and celebrating their renewed ability to cheat their way to the top of Call of Duty leaderboards when all of a sudden it became apparent how foolish they had all been. I don’t mean to insult everyone who is involved in the hacking and modding community, but users who post comments like, “LOL. There scared!” or “I think microsoft is acting like an 8 year old girl, unbanning xboxs in fear of them being hacked because what happened to Sony! I trololol at Microsoft and Sony.” (actual comments) make themselves seem like impudent children.
I hope that this fiasco will help to reduce the amount of talk about Anonymous and hackers fighting back against corporate greed that has been all the rage the last few weeks. Anonymous did not hack the PSN, users can not threaten corporations, and if your Xbox was banned then you more than likely deserved. Now can we all please move on? To get an idea of the type of idiots really cool people that were in an uproar over this, check out DJ keemstar’s video, where he brags about having 15 banned consoles.
With the recent relases of Mortal Kombat 9 and Super Street Fighter 4 3d, as well as the pending release of Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition, the fighting game community has had its hands pretty full. Gamers who prefer their fighting games to incorporate all three dimensions might be excited to hear that Namco Bandai Europe has recently added Tekken 6 to the Xbox Live Games On Demand service. It seems that things just keep getting better fighting game enthusiasts lately. Truly this is a great time for anyone who grew up in arcade or perhaps just has a competitive streak. Tekken 6 can be download via Xbox Live’s Games on Demand service for $49.95.
Gatling Gears, the upcoming twin-stick shooter published by Electronic Arts, has finally received an official release date. Gamers can download the game on Xbox Live Arcade on May 12th and on Playstation Network on May 19th. These dates are for Australia and New Zealand, while North America and Europe will get the game one day earlier although at the same time as the Eastern Hemisphere due to the time-traveling shenanigans of the international date line. The price will be 1200 Microsoft points in all regions and AUS$ 23.95 / NZ$ 29.95.
Along with this announcement, EA have release a teaser trailer for the game which challenges players to “Blow @#!% Up”, which I can only assume means Blow Shit Up, although I’m not sure of the exact transliteration of a percent sign. Other than confusing obscene words for symbols, the trailer also shows off the frantic shooter action that Gatling Gears promises to deliver and a few explosions to top everything off. Really what more can you ask for?
