The Casual Gamer News Report 09.01.06
Posted by Damian Sarcuni on 09.01.2006
No HD for you one year, Timeshifters shifts, and Tecmo is going to, well…do..something….
Welcome back to the Casual Gamer News Report. Damian Sarcuni here, filling in for the man with the greatest last name in video gaming new history, Steven Masters. Steven is currently off moving to Kansas, so be sure to send your sympathies here. He should be back soon, so I won't make any major changes to his column format…yet.
A little more about me
Is this Steven's version of Matt Hardy's "Matt Facts"? Hmmm…I'll take a whack at it.
I religiously believe that people who don't like cheese are demons in human guise. Lactose intolerant people are being punished as they were evil in a former life.
News of the Week Past
Game Releases, Updates, and other Tidbits
Gamespot.com now reports that the all new Dark Messiah of Might and Magic will be available for download via Valve's Steam game service. Ubisoft, the game's developer, has agreed to use the distribution service to further screw those who can't afford to buy the game retail. However, buying the game through Steam will not include the extras in the retail only limited edition of the game, which will feature extra in-game content a "making of" video, trailers, collectible cards, and the game's soundtrack on CD.
Meanwhile, on Saint's Row, several message boards have reported multiple bugs throughout the game's single and multiplayer modes. According to Gamespot.com, the game's developer, Volition, has reported on their company web site that they are aware of the issues being faced right now, and they are working diligently to resolve them. When the announcement was first placed on the company's homepage, the corporate heads at Blizzard Entertainment all sneezed simultaneously.
Lastly, Gamespot.com also reports that Nintendo has announced it's 2 millionth sucke-I mean user for their online wi-fi service. Nintendo plans to continue to support online play WiiConnect24, an online service that will send downloads and updates to the console, which will be "always on." Even while you sleep; even after you pull the plug. Isn't Skynet technology wonderful?
Console War Updates: The Front Line
Sony (PS3, PSP)
PS3Land.com reports that the Sony PS3 will NOT be shipping with HDMI cables. The useless luxury was originally thought to be a major selling point for the Sony console, but instead Sony will be replacing the long awaited peripheral with somewhat less demanded "NOTHING". It is unclear what cables the PS3 will ship with at this point, and it is also uncertain if HDMI cables will ship outside of the U.S. region. So for those of you outside of the States…yeah right keep dreaming.
Also on PS3Land.com, Namco's latest entry into the Ridge Racer series has had most of its details revealed to the public, including 22 tracks, customizable vehicles, online play with up to 14 players, and all new special event modes downloadable from Sony's online service. Translation for all you frontrunners out there: They turned Ridge Racer into a Need For Speed Underground knockoff.
Gamespot.com reports that Electronic Arts will be developing a retro mix game for the PSP that will feature half the playable screen size and double the loading time of their original incarnations. The compilation, entitled EA Replay, will feature the following titles:
B.O.B.
Budokan
Desert Strike
Jungle Strike
Haunting starring Polterguy
Mutant League Football
Road Rash
Road Rash II
Road Rash III
Syndicate
Ultima: The Black Gate
Virtual Pinball
Wing Commander
Wing Commander: Secret Missions
Suck it up mech fans, no Battletech 3025 yet again. Pwned.
X360
Further signs of Russia's imminent return to communism appeared this week as Microsoft's chief of European chief executive stated that there would be no shortage of Xbox 360's for the holiday season this year. IGN.com reports claims that Microsoft has tripled production on the next-gen system, bringing Microsoft's factory submission numbers up to a whopping 3 units per week.
IGN.com also reports that Vivendi games has ironically delayed its upcoming first person shooter TimeShifters, into the 2007 year. The only reason given for the significant delay was that Duke Nuke…er… Timeshifters needed more development in order to become a major franchise.
Wii
Topping off the "oncoming train wreck" section of our news week, Capcom announced that it will indeed be making a new Resident Evil game for the Nintendo Wii. Experts estimate that after the game's release it will take approximately 5 hours before Capcom sells the exclusive rights for the new title to Sony and Microsoft.
Meanwhile, everybody's favorite bootleg developer, Tecmo, is reported to be supporting the Wii's virtual console heavily. According to IGN.com, Tecmo did not give specifics on just how much interested they have in the Wii other than a few upcoming titles, confirming the long running rumors that Tecmo has absolutely no idea what they are doing.
Sales Chart
As was to be expected, Madden NFL '07 and it's Hall of Fame Edition counterpart debuted on all game consoles this week at the number 1, 2, 3, 4 5 6 aaaaaand 7 spots on the sales chart this week, proving that no matter how many times they called you a geek, every last one of the meat head jocks that bullied you in high school was harboring at least one video game system in their respective households. Dead Rising dropped to the 8 spot and the Nintendo DS held on for dear life with Brain Age and New Super Mario Bros. at 9 and 10.
Goooo Readers
Hmm…I'm having an awkward moment here. Even if Steven has received any ideas for the section, there's no way I could have seen them. What to do?
I swore when I wrote this report that I would keep my Angry Gaming attitude out of the news stories. I failed miserably, so if you like this writing style please be sure to check out my column on Mondays. If you didn't like it, keep checking the rest of 411mania games for all the latest news, reviews, and rants in the video game world. I'm out for the week guys, thanks for reading!
