DMC4, UT3, Chrono Cross, and HD-DVD's Demise

[hesham8]

Regarding UT3: Mods are unfiltered by Sony. Expect "Battlefront" and "Halo" mods.



UTIII PS3 cooker released to a selection of mod developers

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] is reporting that Epic have finally released the Unreal Tournament III [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] to an unknown number of mod developers on the Developer mailing list. This is probably the last step in the testing stages and those who have received the update for the Unreal Editor have been asked not to release the cooking code. Mods for the PS3 version of UTIII will now, as a result, start to be released but not at the torrential rate that they will once the cooker is released publically.

PSN@Home have also checked out the notes for what is and isn't supported in PS3 mods. Restrictions, thankfully, seem few. Mutators can only utilise UnrealScript, due to the the restrictions in the PS3's RAM capacity. Also, due to Unreal Tournament III using a proprietary audio encoder, sound effects cannot be added to the game. This is a shame but could be rectified in the future.

If you are one of the lucky mod developers who received the cooking code and you have a mod to release for the PS3, let us know.


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Who doesn't love Wal-Mart? A lot of people, apparently, but their influence in most things consumer-related is undeniable despite your personal beliefs. This is why we took note of their latest advertisements for the PlayStation 3. They're obsessed. We've got one video above for Heavenly Sword and we've got three more waiting for you after the jump. We know the heart of Wal-Mart is in us all, but by the power of Grayskull, we just can't pass up those deals.

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The HD-DVD group has cancelled its pre-CES press conference as a result of Warner Bros' [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. In an email sent out to invitees they stated that they are "currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps." This is a clear indication of the gravity of Warner Bros' announcement - to cancel a press conference is an undesirable and, usually, very public action to take.

We're not the type to start going all "[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]", but this certainly feels like a turning point in the format war. Blu-Ray's newfound support from Warner Bros and New Line Cinema means that huge future releases such as The Lord of The Rings and I Am Legend will only be available on Blu. This year's CES is definitely one to watch.



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Posted Jan 5th 2008 9:10AM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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We already know that the US will be enjoying a [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] of Devil May Cry 4 when it is released next month, but it would appear that a UK version will also be available. Unlike the US version, however, the UK version seems to do everything right. We suggested of the US Special Edition that perhaps a physical paper-and-glue artbook would be more attractive than a DVD full of images, intended for use on the PC.

The UK version will feature no such disc, but will come with a signed artbook in a metal case. With GAME [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] at only a fiver more than the vanilla version, this is too great a deal to pass up. Ready your wallets, Devil May Cry fans.

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Posted Jan 5th 2008 12:00AM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Warner Brothers' surprise announcement of Blu-ray exclusivity may have effectively ended the format war. At least, that's what analysts are thinking. Richard Greenfield, the media analyst with Pali Research, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] a pretty sharp comment about the state of the format wars. It's over. "We expect HD DVD to 'die' a quick death," he said.

According to Greenfield, NBC Universal did not commit to backing HD DVD exclusively, which means their catalog of products can move to Blu-ray in the future. Fans of Heroes and Battlestar Galactica, among other series, can breathe a sigh of relief. Paramount and Dreamworks, on the other hand, do have an exclusivity agreement, but may have a potential "escape clause" to abandon their support of the format.

Toshiba and Microsoft are the big backers of HD DVD in this format war, and it appears that WB's announcement caught the electronics manufacturer off-guard. According to [Only registered and activated users can see links. ], the company released a statement: "Toshiba is quite surprised by Warner Bros.' decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning the support of HD DVD ... We were particularly disappointed that this decision was made in spite of the significant momentum HD DVD has gained in the US market as well as other regions in 2007."

The next steps are unclear at the moment. Will Toshiba and Microsoft raise the white flag, or will they bust out the moneybags to continue the battle? "We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps. We remain firm in our belief that HD DVD is the format best suited to the wants and needs of the consumer."



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EGM's sometimes-right rumor mongerer, Quartermann, is now claiming that Sony has signed an agreement with a major third party Japanese publisher to create remakes for the PSN. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] further fuels the fanboy fire with a rather unhelpful (but exciting) tease that'll get our imaginations rolling:

"As for which publisher this is, the magazine doesn't reveal. Could it be Konami? A remake of Contra or Castlevania could be pretty sweet. Or Capcom? Ghosts & Goblins or Strider please. Or maybe even Square Enix? Chrono Trigger = OMG."

We're pretty certain the EGM team knows exactly what's going on -- but must keep their mouths shut on the specifics. Regardless, things are going to get pretty interesting later this year.



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Posted Jan 4th 2008 7:45PM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Have you been enjoying the Burnout Paradise demo? (We have!) Well, you'll be glad to know that the game's online support has just been expanded. Now, with a simple press on the D-Pad, you'll be able to play with up to 8 players online. According to the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ], "a total of 13 new Freeburn challenges will be available for players to attempt - 3 challenges in 5, 6 and 7 player sessions, and 4 new challenges for those playing in 8 player sessions." This is, of course, to get your appetite ready for the full game coming out in two weeks.



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Posted Jan 4th 2008 6:15PM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Foreign reviewers have received copies of Devil May Cry 4 on PS3, and have revealed a few new details about the game. First is an annoyance that we're sure many will complain about: the 5GB install to remove the game's load times is not optional. When the game releases, you'll be forced to endure minutes upon minutes of waiting as the game copies gigabytes of data to your PS3 hard drive.

There's good news, though. The game will use the PSN for ranking modes. You'll also be able to collect achievements in the game (like in the Xbox 360 version) and you'll be able to see what achievements your friends have collected (a la Xbox Live).

Finally, SIXAXIS controls have been added to the game. By tilting the controller, you'll be able to control the camera. It's not a significant extra, but it is a nice, subtle way of using the PS3's tilt functionality.






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[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Our very first prediction for 2008 has come true a few days after we proclaimed it. Warner Bros. has gone Blu-ray exclusive. According to Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, this decision was made to bring a quick end to this tiresome format war. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger," he noted. We have to agree.

Warner Bros. will continue supporting HD DVD until May 2008. However, after that time, the studio will be exclusively Blu.


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Posted Jan 4th 2008 1:30PM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Cory Barlog was the man sent to guide the God of War series after David Jaffe moved to his own studio. He left Sony's Santa Monica Studio and left God of War 3. Sounds insane, right? People did panic a little, but Barlog assures us the game and Kratos are in good, loving hands via his personal blog.

The important part to note is the story crafted in the first two games continues exactly as Barlog wanted: "When Sony and I finally did part ways the foundation of the game, along with story that completes the arc we began in God of War, was complete." So we'll still be getting Barlog and Jaffe's story instead of someone else. We're promised a big, epic bang though. Excellent.
[In other words, the story's all been written up. Nothing has actually changed. They are still in good contact with David Jaffe, and if they have questions, they can ask him.]



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A lot of things have been said about the PlayStation 3's potential, so it's hard to believe there's still something left to discuss. [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] has found something, though. Many developers have come to a consensus that 2008 will see the sexy black behemoth flourish -- Insomniac says that "the amount of action we're able to put on the screen at 60 frames per second dwarfs what we were able to do a year ago at 30 frames per second." Epic Games says user-created content will rule 2008 ... with Unreal Tournament 3 and LittleBigPlanet, we have to agree.

Traveller's Tales, the folk behind the LEGO Star Wars games, said that the secret to the PS3's potential lies in the flexibility of the SPU's: "The SPUs challenge us to come up with completely new tech ideas and to develop new features around them ... It might turn out that things we've not even thought of end up best demonstrating the power of PS3." This goes hand-in-hand with Bethesda's claim that no title is utilizing the PS3's potential even close to fully. Stuff like lighting effects will improve drastically in the coming years as people come to grips with the PS3's architecture.

There are other quotes from bigwigs in the industry, commenting on the PS3, but we'd rather [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] instead of typing them all here. Let it be known that the PS3 has far more left to offer us than we can imagine and as long as developers keep making games, we'll continue to be impressed with what we see for several more years.


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You don't have to play the newly released [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] for more than a few minutes before you realize that something is wrong ... very, very wrong. From the game's incredibly woeful character models and jerky animations to the most annoying commentator in the world, EA's NFL Tour feels like it should have been an added feature buried deep inside the bowels of the next edition of Madden than to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting gaming audience.

The game tries to combine several aspects from NFL Street and the career mode we've come to expect in Madden. However, judging from the demo, it looks as if it fails on both fronts.




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Posted Jan 4th 2008 9:00AM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Despite what some may say to the contrary, we can't help but see [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] as anything other than a combination of the Dreamcast's [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] and [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. However, that's not a bad thing at all since they happen to be two of our favorite DC games.

But instead of trying to defeat evil General Viggo or collect the mighty Power Stones, you're fighting against your friends in the animal kingdom to win the crown and be the new king. Interestingly enough, you'll be able to choose from a wide variety of combatants ranging from Toshiro the octopus to Santo the armadillo. Oh my, how the racial stereotypes abound!

Hail to the Chimp is set to hit the PS3 sometime in mid-2008.





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Posted Jan 3rd 2008 9:30PM by [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Sure, baseball is under fire in America currently due to some kind of "performance enhancer" or whatever, but that doesn't mean we can't look forward to creating our own superhero of a sportsman in MLB '08: The Show. We've got two trailers for you today and since we don't have sports games featured here that often -- you're welcome. Enjoy the second one after the jump!


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Despite the fact that [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] still hasn't seen a Western release, we can now enjoy at least one part of the collection. Included in the box set is the Metal Gear Saga video, which is narrated by an unnamed character who apparently had a run-in with Solid Snake sometime in the past.

Since the video was entirely in Japanese we couldn't understand what was being said until the guys at [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] recently translated the video. It's a pretty interesting and definitely a treat for Metal Gear fans.

[YoUrMaMa]

WOw, that was a shitload of news!

And god, DMC4 requiring the install sorta sucks.

[Wizxon]

Originally Posted by YoUrMaMa

WOw, that was a shitload of news!

And god, DMC4 requiring the install sorta sucks.

Well, I mean do you really use that much of your 60-80 GB? I mean it's not like it will make everything not be able to fit.

And if you really have that much stuff, either delete some crap, or get a new hard drive...Like a 250GB. Only about 100$ (Approx)

Wow that MGS Video was amazing. I played every MGS game (Starting from PS1) and I loved every aspect of the story, and video shoved all of the story into one video. Made so much sense, and oh god I can't wait for the 4th one.