The Casual Gamer News Report 08.18.06
Posted by Steven Masters on 08.18.2006
Trekkies rejoice, Sierra rules, and WiiConnect in this slow week in...GAMING.
Welcome back to the Casual Gamer News Report. I'm still your
host back for another week, Steven Masters. A slow week in the world of gaming
means more time to work on the formatting, using the (very little) feedback I
got in a positive way (There ya go, Caleb).
A little more about me
Moving to Kansas in about two weeks for a couple of months before moving
back to Austin.
Comics (Marvel), happen to be a staple of my life
News of the Week Past Game Releases, Updates, and other Tidbits
Announced earlier this week: Classic SEGA titles coming to the PSP and PS2,
including Sonic 1, Golden Axe, Shinobi 3, and others. Personally, I'm not much
for classic compilations, but seeing as how I love everything Sonic, I'll
probably grab this when it goes cheapo next spring. The game itself is released
this fall.
In other areas, Armored Core 4 looks to be a PS3 launch while it gets
pimp-slapped off the 360. Armored Core has always been a pretty fun, if tedious,
game for me. Hopefully they streamline it a bit on the PS3. It's addition to the
PS3 launch cast can only help as well, with all the other games that have dropped
off.
Speaking of the PS3 launch party, F.E.A.R. has hopped on too, showing more
testicular fortitude than THQ has. As it were, a sequel for the NextGen systems
is in development, showing Sierra's confidence/arrogance. I mean, just because
it did good on the PC doesn't mean it'll do for nothing on other systems. I
mean, would Age of Empires or Empire Earth do good on a PS3 or 360? Didn't think
so. I realize it's a shooter, but still.
And speaking of THQ, more wrestlers and a diva have been announced. Batista,
Torrie Wilson, and Orton have been announced. Well, no shit. Like Vinnie Mac
would let a game be made without those three. The box art was released as
well.
Jumping to the Microsoft yacht, they think you should make your own games now
and as such, are releasing a BETA version of their XNA Game Studio on August
30th, while the full version will be out next Spring. Releasing your games on the PC will be free, but, as the Gates
Fates would have it, you get to pay $99 to release games on the 360. Pac Man
remakes, Galaga, and other basic early-generation arcade games are what
can be one on the low end of this, so I'm expecting RPGs and the like to be
released by big-time programmers when they get their full kits. Get the 411 here.
Trekkies rejoice, as all FIVE captains of the Star Trek series will give their
voices to the upcoming Star Trek: Legacy game. William
Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Scott Bakula, Avery Brooks, and Kate Mulgrew have all
agreed to provide their voices to battle the forces of time traveling EVIIIIIL.
The punch line is, you're a Federation Fleet Admiral and YOU get to command a
fleet against time-traveling enemies, meaning you, conveniently, visit the eras
of which the aforementioned captains...well, captained. I'm not much of a Trek
fan myself, but I understand what it is to some people and this game should be
pretty sic anyways.
This just in: Wii does the body good. Interested? Well, we're all gonna have to
wait, as NOTHING has been released on this thing yet, except it targets, in
general, the same audience Brain Age does.
Rumors on Too Human ran the mill this week, as those pesky gossipers spread LIES
that the game would be changing engines. Which wouldn't be good, considering the
game's been in development for like, a decade. Supposedly, it wasn't running too
well on the 360 despite that Gears of War and Mass Effect are on the same engine
and run just fine. Want to know more?Clicky.
And apparently Prey 2 is on the way. Yeah...that's nice, seeing as how I've
never even heard of the original....
Console War Updates: The Front Line
Sony (PS3, PSP)
Fifty buck price drop for the Game Gea-err...PSP. Not like this will let them catch
up to the DS. Even if they got a plethora of awesome and original games and
dropped the price another twenty bucks with new features, the PSP is like a frat
boy the day before finals: too far gone to recover. Sony's stockpiling PSPs now.
If sales keep going like they are, that stockpile will just mean all the Sony
employees get a free PSP.
X360
Nothing of note for the 360 this week....again.
Wii
More on the Wii (dammit, I keep typing "Wee") was released. In specific, more on
the online capabilities. Which are free and WiFi happy. Plug-and-go pleasures
with no hidden fees and costs. Nothing has been released on how much the full
service will be, except that WiiConect24 is free. More on that here.
Sales Chart
Dead Rising hits the #1 spot, finally knocking Mario
down to the second spot. Rounding out the top five are Brain Age, Ridge Racer 6
and Unreal Championships 2
Goooo Readers
This is the part where I need a section. I have some ideas, but
I want to know YOURS first, to better entertain you, my loyal
pledges...err...readers. So, mail in an idea you have to toss in here and if I
like it, you may see it here as part of a weekly feature.
The Early Morning Stoned Pimp is Here
Check out the other guy's columns from the last week
So, last week I got maybe two emails
providing any kind of feedback. Would it really hurt to send something in so I
can improve YOUR reading experience? A direct request from me to you: provide
some friggen feedback. Signing off, this is Steven Masters. L8.
