Living LIVE News Report 05.30.11
Posted by Trace Aber on 05.30.2011
Hulk Hogan is getting his own Kinect game, Half-Minute Hero is coming to the XBox LIVE Arcade, Mortal Kombat DLC is coming and Avatar Legends allows people to make their own RPGs!
REPLY POSTED
Blood on the Sand isnt published by Microsoft so they don't set the price.
Posted By: huh (Guest) on May 24, 2011 at 01:36 AM
This was in response to my question last week about why 50 Cent's Blood on the Sand was $59.99 and Fable III was $39.99, by the way. You're probably right, but sometimes I wonder if Microsoft (more specifically whomever is in charge of releasing Games on Demand) realize how some of the price discrepancies of games released at the same time looks? I guess it'll just take more time before the prices stabilize a bit, but considering you can pick up the game for about $10-$15, it's damn near insulting for BotS to be $60.
I just hope they put as much effort into the actual GoW 3 game as they did the packaging for the special editions. They basically created a whole new multiplayer "must have" mode for all shooters in GoW2 with horde mode but the lag was just brutal for the whole online experience...but....I will still be buying this game regardless. Just the regular version.
Posted By: Wii60 (Guest) on May 26, 2011 at 05:13 PM
Before we begin, we should check out the new world premiere trailer released last week…
Gears of War 3 World Premiere Trailer
Well, it doesn't give away a whole lot, but it is a well-put together video. I still don't understand the appeal of the Gears of War franchise having played the first one when it came out and the second one a little bit after the fact. I understand that they brought a lot of new features to the mainstream games, but there was nothing that made me feel like the games were must haves. Horde mode was pretty fun, but didn't justify the price tag for me. Hopefully Gears of War 3 can be as awesome as that trailer was.
I'll go to the papers if I have to.
Posted By: Randy Orton (Guest) on May 27, 2011 at 04:25 PM
Don't you dare, Randall.
Welcome everyone to another issue of the Living LIVE News Report, and as always, I'm your host for the evening, Trace Aber.
Hulk Hogan has his Own Kinect Game
I grew up as a HUGE Hulk Hogan fan, having all of his VHS tapes and any merchandise I could get my hands on (or that I could convince my parents to buy for me). And, really, what grown adult hasn't been a Hulkamanic at least once during their lifetime? Unfortunately, his popularity has been waning for the last decade or so, and while he still tries to be in the spotlight on Impact Wrestling, Hogan just isn't the draw he used to be. Also, the due is broke and needs money to the point where he's contemplating stepping in the ring again, but maybe he won't have to if enough people buy the Kinect-enabled Hulk Hogan's Main Event.
Developed by Panic Button, HHME has players creating their own wrestler and then being coached by Hogan himself on the path to superstardom (which I guess is a TNA PPV?). Hogan will focus mostly on signature poses, but the game will feature "more than" 30 wrestling combos, which may or may not be the same as wrestling moves. The Kinect sensor will reward players for more dynamic movements as they move up the ranks through nine different venues.
"Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game," said Hulk Hogan. "Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!"
The game will also feature tag team matches and weapons such as ladders and chairs. Whether or not that means we'll be seeing different match types such as ladder matches, tables matches, hardcore matches etc has yet to be determined, but you'd hope to get a little more bang for your buck in this day and age. No screenshots have been revealed yet, and the details are sparse, but Hogan might have beaten the WWE to the punch with the first Kinect-enabled wrestling game. He might also get sued first for having a child injured while "virtual wrestling" their friend.
Half Minute Hero Coming to XBLA
Half-Minute Hero was a popular PSP game released in 2009 that won numerous awards including PSP Game of the Year and PSP RPG of the Year. The premise was simple – you have thirty seconds to save the world. The game featured RPG, RTS, shoot ‘em up and action segments and each section told a much larger story. Unfortunately, I don't have a PSP and never got to check the game out. Fortunately, come June 29, the game is coming out on XBLA for 800MP.
Titled Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax, players will get to experience 60 entire RPGs, each complete with its own leaderboards and medals. There's also an online versus RPG titled "Super Hero Wars," though little information has been given on that particular aspect. SMNC will also feature an HD filter that can be turned on or off if you're not a fan of the retro pixel look. I don't understand why you wouldn't be, but it's there for you.
I've heard mostly good things about the game and, more importantly, it tries something new in an era where rehashes reign supreme. Despite the 30-second moniker, the game is supposedly pretty large with optional paths and different characters, and while it's not entirely clear if the game is a port with some added levels or an entirely different experience, it seems like it'll be worth the $10 regardless. Here's a video I found that shows some gameplay, and while I have no idea what's going on…I'm interested.
Mortal Kombat Getting its First Set of DLC Soon
According to a tweet by Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat, it looks as though the first DLC for Mortal Kombat will be seven "Klassic" outfits and 3 "Klassic" fatalities. Don't get too excited, however, as these are just the retailer exclusives for those that pre-ordered the game. So you'll get the MKII outfits for Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile and Ermac, the MK3 outfits for Jade, Kitana and Mileena, and the fatalities. There will also be a new character, Skarlet. No price or release date has been set, but a trailer for the outfits can be seen below. Expect more info post-E3.
The Digital Downloads Arcade Games
Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale (1200MP)
Games on Demand
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved ($49.99)
Sonic Free Riders ($49.99)
Eternal Sonata ($19.99)
Avatar Legends (240MP)
Barker's Crest is an indie developer known best for their golf games, including the popular Avatar Golf game. They're breaking away from golf this time around and releasing a full-fledged RPG game that sets the standard for all future indie RPG titles.
The main quest has you taking control of your avatar who was magically placed into a world one day while chilling on the dashboard. It's up to you to escape the world and save the other avatars trapped as well. Gameplay is your standard RPG fare, with solid combat and plenty of quests and people to talk to. The description touts a 10+ hour adventure, which is pretty damn good for the asking price. The game has its own sense of humor and in-jokes and while I only got to play the introduction it looks like a fun game.
What really sets Avatar Legends apart from the rest of the pack is its fully-featured level editor and online gameplay. That's right – you can make your own RPG with Avatar Legends! You can place your own terrain, NPCs, enemies, and even triggers allowing you to create your very own quest. It takes a bit to get used to but with a little fooling around you'll be making short quests in no time. Plus, you can share the maps you make with your friends!
Online multiplayer is also a nice added feature, where you and five other heroes take on five waves of enemies in both pre-made and community-made maps. The characters you use online level up independently, meaning you can have multiple classes for your online characters.
Finally, the graphics of the game are top notch and the world feels like it was designed to fit in with the avatars, avoiding the problem with most games featuring avatars. Everybody has a personality and the world feels alive, something that is not all that common in the indie games channel.
I'm sure this game has a few flaws and isn't perfect, but considering the ridiculously cheap price-tag, the main quest's length, the ability to make your own RPGs and share them, great graphics and online multiplayer, this may be the best indie game ever offered on the service. A lot of that will depend on the community it attracts, but if anything let this be the new standard for great indie games. Rating: 10.0
Signing Out
That does it for me this week. Be sure to check back next week as we discuss all of the latest Xbox 360 news, including releases, rumors and reviews! Also, don't forget to bookmark 411Mania! And a note to all of the Indie Game developers out there – if you have an upcoming title that's going to be released soon drop me a line at traceaber@gmail.com and let me know. I'll write a full review of your game to be posted on 411Mania.com, which is a great way to get your game promoted!
