The Negative Edge News Report 08.16.06
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 08.16.2006
This week I try and (mostly) fail to bring you positive Sony news.
I took a different approach to putting this column together this week - I started early. I was totally expecting to get sidetracked by something else this week so I decided not to take any chances. Looking back, I'd say that I do better when I'm under pressure.
A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a YouTube video that he described as being "weird." I see weird things all the time on the Internet so I wasn't expecting much. As jaded as I am, what I found when I clicked on the link actually surprised me. That doesn't happen often so I came to the conclusion that this is a worthy video to share with everyone -
Attack of the Show had Jack Thompson on as a guest in their "The Loop" segment last week. There is some debate as to whether or not Adam Sessler was able to put Thompson in his place or whether he made gamers look like idiots. What do you think?
The first step is to admit your problem. Maybe this thread will give you the courage to do so.
The News
Evo finals this weekend
Do I have to remind you that Evo is this weekend? Check it out if you happen to live in or near Las Vegas and you have nothing better to do this weekend. Here is the schedule off of the main site -
Friday, August 18th
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Dead or Alive 4 Pools and Semi-Finals
12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Tekken 5 Pools and Semi-Finals
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Marvel vs Capcom 2 Pools and Semi-Finals
7:00 PM - 11:00 PM Guilty Gear XX Pools and Semi-Finals
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Mario Kart DS Time Trials
Saturday, August 19th
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Hyper Street Fighter 2 Pools and Semi-Finals
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Street Fighter III Pools and Semi-Finals
6:00 PM - 11:00 PM Capcom vs SNK 2 Pools and Semi-Finals
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Mario Kart DS Semi-Finals
Sunday, August 20th
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Mario Kart DS Finals
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Dead or Alive 4 Finals
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Tekken 5 Finals
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Hyper SF2 Finals
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Guilty Gear XX Finals
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Capcom vs SNK 2 Finals
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Marvel vs Capcom 2 Finals
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Street Fighter III Finals
Personally, I prefer watching the semi-finals as there is more variety in character selection in those matches. Most of the top players at these tournaments tend to pick only top-tier characters so you end up seeing the same matchups over and over again. For example, in Capcom Vs. SNK 2, most teams will consist of Blanka, Sagat, and another character. There is always a chance that there will be another "Evo moment" so you never know...
Microsoft's Game Studio
In a recent press release, Microsoft announced that it will be releasing a beta version of XNA Game Studio Express at the end of August. According to Microsoft, XNA Game Studio Express is "a set of tools based on Visual C# Express 2005 that allow students and hobbyists to build games that target both Windows and Xbox 360." More details on this software is provided in Microsoft's XNA faq. I have taken the liberty of pointing out some of the more interesting details -
Q: Can I use the XNA Game Studio Express or XNA Framework to build a commercial Xbox 360 game?
A: XNA Game Studio Express will enable you to create Windows and now Xbox 360 console games much more easily. These games are limited to non-commercial scenarios for 360 titles created with XNA Game Studio Express. However, XNA Game Studio Express may be used to create commercial games which target Windows. We will be releasing XNA Game Studio Professional next spring which will allow developers to create commercial games for Xbox addition to Windows.
Q: How much will XNA Game Studio Express/XNA Framework cost?
A: The XNA Game Studio Express tools and runtime environment for Windows is completely free. To develop, debug and/or play games on the Xbox 360 you will be required to purchase a XNA "Creator's Club" subscription on the Xbox 360 through Xbox Live Marketplace. The subscription is available in 2 options, $99 a year or $49 for 4 months.
$99 for a year does not sound bad at all. What's the catch?
Q: How exactly can I share my 360 game to other 360 users? Will my game only be available to people with the XNA "Creators Club" subscription? Will it be available to all 360 users that have an Xbox Live account?
A: There is currently no supported way to share binaries on the Xbox 360. Currently, there are four requirements that must be met in order to share a game targeting Xbox 360 which is developed with XNA Game Studio Express.
1. The individual you are planning to share the game with must be logged in to Xbox Live and have an active subscription to the XNA Creators Club
2. The receiving user must have downloaded the XNA Framework runtime environment for the Xbox 360
3. The receiving user must have XNA Game Studio Express installed on their own development PC
4. The game project, including all source and content assets, must be shared with the receiving user. The receiving user then compiles and deploys the game to their Xbox 360.
I knew it was too good to be true. As a programmer, the one thing that scares me the most is having some bastard that doesn't know how to program come in, make a few changes, and call my work his or her own. Also, requiring the receiver to have a subscription and to compile the game manually is too much to ask from someone that just wants to play and/or put out casual games. Microsoft can't possibly expect people to embrace such a distribution scheme. I'm sure (I hope) that Microsoft is working on a way to make binaries downloadable and runnable, but in the meantime, this is beyond bad.
Q: Do I need a hard drive to run XNA-based games on my Xbox 360 console?
A: Yes. The XNA Framework runtime environment for Xbox 360 requires that a physical hard drive be present on your Xbox 360 retail console.
Q: How exactly will I be able to run a game built with XNA Game Studio Express on my Xbox 360?
A: On Windows, you'll be able to develop, test and distribute software created with XNA Game Studio Express for free. When you sign up for the nominally priced annual subscription to XNA Game Studio Express for Xbox 360, you'll be able to write a game on Windows, then send it to your Xbox 360 to test and enjoy. Eventually, you'll be able to distribute that code to other Xbox 360s, opening up a unique publishing avenue which will democratize game development on consoles.
I'll have to admit that this announcement got me a little excited at first. I wouldn't mind putting that one game that I've been designing for 10+ years in my head out on a platform like the 360. The $99 price point for a year is a lot less than I would have expected. However, the current distribution model as outlined in the released faq is ridiculous. A little clarification is in order as I do not believe that even Microsoft would try something like this without good reason.
Coming soon – A Star Trek game that does not suck?
IGN is reporting that Bethesda Softworks has gotten all five captains from every live-action Star Trek show to provide their voices for the upcoming PC and Xbox 360 game, Star Trek: Legacy. This will be the first time that William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Scott Bakula, Avery Brooks, and Kate Mulgrew have all worked on the same Star Trek project.
I've played my fair share of Star Trek games. Most of them were pretty bad. The only exception that comes to mind is the Star Trek: 25th Anniversary PC game. The fact that Bethesda Softworks was able to secure the use of all five actors/actresses means that they either have an awesome game in their hands or that the game is so bad that they needed some gimmick to hook fans. I'm hoping that it's the former.
Online Bomberman in November
Atlus has announced that it will be releasing Bomberman Land Touch! in November. In addition to 2-8 player single cart wireless and 2-4 player Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection battles, the game will also feature an action/adventure game component as well as thirty-six 1-4 player mini-games.
The wireless and Wi-Fi battle modes would have been good enough for me. I played against four other people in the Saturn version of Bomberman at the Classic Gaming Expo last year and as far as I can remember that was the most enjoyable experience that I had at the event. This is definitely something that I am looking forward to.
Taxpayers get screwed because politicians tried to get "easy" popularity points
According to an ESA press release, a US District Judge has ruled that the State of Illinois must pay the video game industry over five-hundred million dollars in attorney's fees for its "unconstitutional effort to enact a law banning the sale of violent video games." The press release also provided some choice quotes from the president of the ESA and an Illinois District State Senator -
"Judge Kennelly's rulings send two irrefutable messages – not only are efforts to ban the sale of violent video games clearly unconstitutional, they are a waste of taxpayer dollars," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the ESA, the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. "The sad fact is that the State of Illinois knew this law was unconstitutional from the beginning. Taxpayers have a right to know that over half a million of their dollars and countless government hours were thrown away in this fruitless effort."
"I am very disappointed that the state of Illinois has to pay these fees for what was such a clearly unconstitutional law from the start," said Senator Cullerton, Illinois 6th District State Senator. "When I spoke against the law in Springfield, I predicted we would have to pay legal fees. The amount ordered paid to the plaintiffs by Judge Kennelly doesn't even count the substantial fees the State will have to pay its own lawyers."
Nothing pisses me off more than seeing politicians trying to pull the video game violence card whenever they are up for re-election. Its sad that tax payers have to foot the bill this time, but in the long run it's good for video gamers as hopefully this will show these politicians that the video game industry isn't as easy a target as they think it is.
Lode Runner digs into the DS
A Load Runner game has been announced for the Nintendo DS. In addition to the regular game, the DS version will include a puzzle mode which does not have enemies or a time limit. The game is set to be released in October in Japan.
Lode Runner was one of my favorites when I was younger. I was actually hoping that it would come out on Live Arcade. Being able to download new map packs every few months (or years) would have been great. Of course, having a portable version is also nice. This should be very import friendly as the basic premise of the original game is easy to pick up.
The editor of Official PlayStation Magazine would rather buy a 360
In order to bring balance to my column, I'm going start to counter all negative Sony news with some positive Sony news and tidbits. Here is my first attempt –
Reason why Sony Rules #1 - The PS2 is the home of many great RPGs. Nobody can deny that!
PS3 and Xbox 360 side-by-side comparisons
Games Radar has released some screenshots of side-by-side comparisons of a replica of the PS3 and an actual Xbox 360.
How did Sony go from something that looks as cool as the redesigned PS2 to that monstrosity?
Reason why Sony Rules #2 – The redesigned PS2 looks awesome!
EA wants Sony to get off of its ass and do something
David Gardner, EA's executive VP and COO of worldwide studios, recently had a few choice words about the PS3 –
"There's no doubt that EA has historically bet more on PSP. I think we were excited by the technology, but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun. We must never forget that what we need to focus on is fun and so EA is putting more effort behind DS games – and creative ones that really take advantage of the hardware."
You know you have problems when one of the biggest publishers out there is talking smack about you.
Reason why Sony Rules #3 – Check out the next news story
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Collection on the PS2 and PSP
According to 1UP, Sega is set to release a collection which contains many of their hits from the 16 bit era. The collection will include the following –
Alex Kidd — The Enchanted Castle Originally Released: 1989
Altered Beast Originally Released: 1989
Bonanza Bros Originally Released: 1991
Columns Originally Released: 1990
Comix Zone Originally Released: 1995
Decap Attack Originally Released: 1991
Ecco the Dolphin Originally Released: 1992
Ecco: The Tides of Time Originally Released: 1994
Ecco Jr. Originally Released: 1995
Eternal Champions Originally Released: 1993
Flicky Originally Released: 1991
Gain Ground Originally Released: 1991
Golden Axe Originally Released: 1989
Golden Axe II Originally Released: 1991
Golden Axe III Originally Released: 1993 (Japan)
Phantasy Star II Originally Released: 1989
Phantasy Star III Originally Released: 1992
Phantasy Star IV Originally Released: 1994
Ristar Originally Released: 1995
Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi Originally Released: 1991
Shinobi III Originally Released: 1993
Sonic The Hedgehog Originally Released: 1991
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Originally Released: 1992
Super Thunderblade Originally Released: 1989
Sword of Vermillion Originally Released: 1990
Vectorman Originally Released: 1995
Vectorman 2 Originally Released: 1996
Virtua Fighter 2 Originally Released: 1996
Unlockable games will include Zaxxon, Tac/Scan, and Zektor.
I can understand the exclusion of Moonwalker, but why no Streets of Rage?
This Week's Desktop Wallpaper
I found "LoZ - you Are A pirate" while I was perusing deviantArt the other day. It was drawn by someone that goes by the name of ~hylianmage. Here are the artist's comments -
I was listening to that song on loop and eventually it effected my thoughts... I thought that I might do a ton of characters again, but I decided not to. I just chose some of my random favorite characters (that's why they really don't go together). I put Moosh in 'cause I forgot him in the group pic Kafei's there... 'cause he's Kafei.
Ridge Racer 6 was the first Ridge Racer game that I ever played so I cannot compare it to the previous games in the series. At first I hated the way the cars moved and how drifting was done but after I figured things out I found that the game was quite enjoyable. I never thought that It was worth $49.99, but at $19.99 I think that Ridge Racer 6 is a worthy purchase. This price seems to be universal so you should be able to get it for under $20 everywhere.
When I was still in college (some time in the late 90s) one of my friends emailed me an abridged script of The Matrix. I found it to be a very entertaining so I did a search using altavista (this was before google). Eventually, I found out that the script came from The Editing Room. After figuring this out, I proceeded to spend the rest of that day reading and re-reading all of the available scripts when I should have been doing my homework. Here are some video game related excerpts that I found -
Meanwhile, CARY manipulates LINDEN ASHBY into joining the tournament, which is strange, since you'd think SHANG TSUNG would have a vested interest in having skilled warriors stay the hell AWAY from the tournament. It's also odd in that JOHNNY CAGE has no ties to TSUNG or the tournament, and really has no business being there. For a change, this part is EXACTLY LIKE the games.
Here, follow me on these American Gladiator ball things that were obviously not created with toys in mind.
He does. After a while, SCORPION and SUB-ZERO show up. Again. They FIGHT. Although CHEESY beyond the expected limits of human comprehension, it looks COOL.
I am The Explainer. I designed the matrix screenplay. Unable to decently explain the convoluted plot well, I have resorted to putting myself here in the final act and having you ask all of the questions the audience wants to ask.
(dramatic pause)
You must begin by asking your own questions then gradually switch to asking those of the audience, in order to not make this scene any more awkward than it already is. Concordantly, while your first question may be the most pertinent, you may or may not realize it is also the most irrelevant.
KEANU REEVES
Why am I here?
THE EXPLAINER
Many years ago, shortly before the success of Speed, you sold your soul to the devil in exchange for a promise of notoriety that your piss-poor acting skills do not deserve. This series is the actualization of this promise.
KEANU REEVES
What was the Osiris? And who was that kid in zion who kept pestering me?
THE EXPLAINER
You will find the answers to these questions by purchasing The Animatrix, a collection of nine animated shorts from some of Anime's top directors.
KEANU REEVES
Alright. Well, what was that crap Glora said about vampires and werewolves? And how did Jada Pinkett Smith get to Laurence Fishburne during the car chase? And what the hell happened during the power plant takeover climax that-wasn't?
THE EXPLAINER
You will find the answers to those questions by purchasing the Enter The Matrix game, available for Windows, Playstation2, Xbox, and Gamecube. Enter the Matrix features awesome gunplay and spectacular martial arts that bend the rules of the Matrix. This game isn't just set in the Matrix universe--it's an integral part of the experience, with a story that weaves in and out of The Matrix Reloaded. Enter the Matrix is the story behind the story.
