The Select and Start News Report: 07.07.08
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 07.07.2008
Chrono Trigger comes back to the DS, Rock Band is getting a sequel, Minnesota wastes its money, PS3 firmware update gets pulled, Judge dismisses injunction against Activision Vivendi merger, and more.
Well my 4th of July holiday was definitely fun, as Joey Chestnut retained the Nathans Mustard Belt at the 2008 Hot Dog Eating Contest by beating Takeru Kobayashi in a dog off. They probably wouldn't have tied and done that if they had kept the contest at 12 minutes rather then 10 minutes. Anyways, congrats to both Chestnut and Kobayashi for putting on such an amazing show for the 35,000 people that attended.
Oh, and the ladies LOVE Kobayashi. Or at least the one screaming her head off right next to me.
Big News
CHRONO TRIGGER COMING TO DS; MAIN CHARACTER AT LOSS FOR WORDS [credit: 1UP, ShackNews, Gamasutra, GameSpot]
Many RPG fans were excited to hear that coming during the holidays, Chrono Trigger will be remade for the DS, with stylus controls, wireless multiplayer, dual-screen presentation, and a brand new dungeon. The game will stay in 2D rather then get the 3D remake like Final Fantasies III and IV did. The japanese teaser site recently released this trailer:
Of course like the announcement of Earthbound for the Virtual Console, there's a lot of people out there excited for this but there's probably an entire audience of gamers that are wondering why we think it's so great in the first place. So here are a few reasons why I personally liked this game:
1. The combination techniques. The "Techs" is basically the game's magic system and depending on what Techs your characters have learned you can learn new and more powerful Double or Triple Techs. I HATED how it was basically absent from Chrono Cross because they decided to make it only between two characters and considering you can get around 50 in that game it seemed like it didn't exist.
2. The timeline. After going through a bit of linear gameplay you can start hopping between timelines and alter the story somewhat, especially with the side quests.
3. Multiple endings. This was one of the first games I can recall that had multiple endings depending on what you did when you eventually defeated the final boss. Even not defeating the final boss has it's own cinematic ending of sorts showing the world getting destroyed because you completely screwed up. Some hero of time you turned out to be!
4. One of the characters you play as dies (I won't say who in case you never played it). Granted unlike FF7 there is a quest where you can revive that character, but you don't really have to if you like. Not doing it will just result in a different ending and missing out on what I think is one of the best scenes in the game.
5. New Game Plus. Once you beat the game you can start all over but keep everything you've earned, and another major difference is that you can go and face the final boss whenever you feel like it resulting in even more endings, some of which are quite funny.
So if you've never played Chrono Trigger before then I suggest checking it out when it's on the DS. I know I will.
YOUR LAW FAILED TO BECOME REAL; PAY $65,000 [credit: GamePolitics, GameDaily]
Another failed game law, another dose of money the ESA recieves. This week the ESA announced that the state of Minnesota will pay the ESA $65,000 for legal fees by the video game industry in its court challenge to Minnesota's "fine-the-buyer" law, where underage buyers of M-rated games would be fined $25. Just before the news was wrapped up for this case, this editorial appeared in the Duluth News-Tribune that bashes the ESA:
From the outset, the law skirted First Amendment rights and targeted the wrong people - minors... The logic was counter to that of more effective laws to protect minors, such as penalties to bars that allow underage drinking or fines to stores that sell cigarettes to kids...Though [Attorney General Lori] Swanson had indicated then she would continue to defend it, this week she cut her losses. Hence, the $65,000 of legal fees.
"Minnesota's citizens should be outraged at paying the bill for this flawed plan," Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the video game trade association, said in a statement. He's right, but what about his group's members who make and market games depicting sexual exploitation and violence as fun? A little outrage is due there, too, for creating the problem in the first place.
First of all, the ESA doesn't make any video games. Second, there wasn't any problem in the first place until ignorant folks like you decided there was a problem. Third, the ESA had won about ten cases similar to this and those states had to pay legal fees. If you did actual research yourselves and realized what little chance you had, you wouldn't be wasting money. Unfortunately, my state of New York was retarded enough to make a bill that will eventually be struck down and our money will be wasted. But then again, New York LOVES to waste money, as evident by those god awful waterfalls in the city people refer to as "art."
ROCK BAND 2: ELECTRIC BUGALOO [credit: The Escapist, Gamasutra, GameDaily, Evil Avatar]
In an interview with IGN, Harmonix announced that Rock Band will get a sequel after all, coming out first for the Xbxo 360 in September and then other consoles at later times. The first thing that Harmonix confirmed is that all the songs you've downloaded for Rock Band will be compatible for Rock Band 2, and that songs you download for the sequel will work on the original. The game will also come with it's own bundle of "improved" instruments, but the ones from Rock Band can still be used. The game will ship with over 80 songs, all of them being master recordings. As for the ability to create your own songs like Guitar Hero: World Tour, that is unfortunately not going to happen.
Enjoy Rock Band 2 while you can everyone, because based on the pattern Harmonix makes it games, this will be given to another publisher and Harmonix will go off to create an even better music game then before. Or maybe they'll actually stick to this series. But anyway, glad to see all of the stuff from Rock Band (instruments and DLC) will work with the sequel, and will no doubt sell just as well as the first game.
In other Rock Band news, on July 15th you can download The Best of The Who: Rock Band Edition. This DLC features twelve tracks, including Amazing Journey, Baba O'Riley and My Generation.
JUDGE CASTS ARCANE DENIAL ON ACTIVISION BLIZZARD LAWSUIT [credit: The Escapist, GamePolitics, GameSpot]
You'd think people would love companies merging with each other considering how so many have hated Take-Two for not accepting the EA deal, but apparently no matter what companies decide to do, people will sue them. In February, Wayne County Employees' Retirement System filed suit in the Delaware Court of Chancery seeking a preliminary injunction to halt the merger, but judge William B. Chandler III has denied the injunction, so the merger will have their vote. But when he announced the verdict, he referenced World of Warcraft:
In some ways, perhaps, the world of Mergers and Acquisitions is a massively multiplayer role playing game as well. Like in World of Warcraft... the participants in the M&A field take on certain roles, interact in their own community, hone specialized skills, and even develop a unique, somewhat curious vernacular. One particular quest in the world of M&A is disclosure litigation. In the instance of disclosure litigation presently pending before this Court, the world of M&A meets the World of Warcraft. In the role-playing game that is this disclosure litigation, both sides have played their respective roles well. Like any game, this one has rules, and the most essential rule of disclosure is materiality. Because the plaintiff could not establish the materiality of its final three disclosure claims, the motion for a preliminary injunction is denied....GAME OVER.
Personally, I think the plantiffs should've taken more time to level up and acquire more spells. But at least they'll have chicken.
SONY PULLS 2.40 FIRMWARE UPDATE; NO TROPHY FOR YOU! [credit: Joystiq, GameDaily, Gamasutra, Destructoid]
Sony released the big firmware update that would include the trophies and in-game XMB...only to suddenly pull it a couple days later. Why the sudden withdrawal? According to Patrick Seybold on the PlayStation blog, the firmware update was pulled due to a "limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3."
Not many people have come out to say if their PS3 has bricked or suffered other issues because of it, so it does seem like it's a small number of people suffering the problem. I remember a time when you only needed to buy the console, and any stuff you wanted added to it you would have to send to mod shops. Good times. Anyways, at least Sony has addressed the problem and will hopefully have it fixed in no time.
Tidbit News
-Everybody's favorite soon to be ex-lawyer was rewarded with the Freedom Award by the America's Freedom Festival for, according to them, his dedication to the freedom of families and putting his own career at risk in his fight to keep obscenity out of the media. In other words, a festival based on freedom is rewarding a man who has been trying to deny our freedoms for violent video games. My reaction can be described by the following animated gif:
[credit: The Escapist, GamePolitics]
-Excited for Mega Man 9? Well unless you own a Wii, you won't be anymore. Capcom says that the game is only coming out for WiiWare, with no word on whether it'll be released for XBLA and PSN. Guess you guys will have to wait for Mega Man 10. [credit: 1UP]
-Acclaim announced the winners of it's MMO contest Project "Top Secret." Mike Zummo, 34, a usability expert from Milwaukee, Wisc., has won first place and will be director of an upcoming game for Acclaim Games. Four other contestants were also hired from participating in this contest; two are now working for Acclaim and the other two for upcoming flash game website thefanawards.org. [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
-Gamecock and Valve announced that the two companies have signed a digital distribution deal for Gamecock titles to appear on Steam. The first titles to be available on Steam will be Stronghold Crusader Extreme and Insecticide Part 1. [credit: GameDaily]
-Guitar Hero: On Tour for the DS has sold 300K in it's first week of release, making it Activision's largest game launch on the DS in company history. [credit: GameDaily]
-Atlus announced that it will distribute three upcoming titles from publisher NIS America; Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice for PS3, Disgaea DS and Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure for the DS. [credit: GameDaily]
A moment with Vodge
Now that my Spore creature is the new unofficial mascot, I'd figured to ask him once in a while on his thoughts on the latest news. This week a story that peeked my interest is how Scott Miller, the man in head of development for Duke Nukem Forever, says that E3 is irrelevant. While that may be true given the downsizing, this is coming from a company that has spent 11 years trying to make Duke Nukem Forever, and it's vaporware style of development has made Duke Nukem irrelevant to modern day gamers. I asked Vodge what he thought of this irony:
Vodge laughed his ass off to the point where I might need to make a new one.
Gaming Calendar
July 8th:
-Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)
-Activision and Vivendi to have merger vote
-Devil May Cry 4 ported to the PC
-Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (X360, PS3, DS)
July 13th:
-NCAA Football 09 (Multi)
-Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (PC)
July 15-17 - E3 Media & Business Summit to be held
July 22nd:
-Final Fantasy IV DS
-Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns (DS)
July 29th - Soulcalibur IV (PS3, X360)
July 2008 - Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People (WII, PC)
August 1st - EA Land (PC, formerly The Sims Online) will close down
August 25th - Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
August 26th - Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
August 2008 - Tales of Vesperia (Xbox 360)
Summer 2008 - Air Traffic Chaos (DS)
September 2nd - Infinite Undiscovery (Xbox 360)
September 5th - FaceBreaker (X360, PS3)
September 7th - Spore (PC)
September 16th - Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS)
September 22nd - Sim City Creator (Wii, DS)
September 23rd:
-Disgaea DS
-Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (DS)
September 29th:
-Kirby Super Star Ultra (DS)
-Wario Land: Shake It! (Wii)
September 2008:
-TNA iMPACT (Multi)
-Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
October 2008:
-LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
-Bioshock ported to the PS3
-Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 (Xbox 360, PC)
October 3-5 - E for All 2008 to be held
October 9-13 - The Tokyo Game Show 2008 to be held
November 4th - Left 4 Dead (PC, X360)
November 2008 - Gears of War 2 (X360)
December 9th - Persona 4 (PS2)
Fall 2008:
-Resistance: Fall of Man 2 (PS3)
-MySims Kingdom (DS, Wii)
Videos of the Day
FOX News helps the popularity of The Torture Game 2 go up:
Rainbow Road: I hope I go there when I die.
Chris Chikes breaks his own Guitar Hero 3 World Record by getting 100% on Through the Fire and Flames:
Guys who will also challenge CM Punk for the World Title
Good column and I can't wait for Chrono Trigger to come on the DS. And its Vicari =D
Posted By: Chris Vicari (Registered) on July 07, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Even though it is a port, it proves that the DS is the best handheld when it comes to playing games (while the PSP is th best multimedia gaming device). On a side note, I wish the Nintendo Seal of Approval meant something again. That would be nice; however, they killed that quietly. That makes me a sad panda.
In short, Chrono Trigger on the DS is a win in my books. :-D
Posted By: David (Guest) on July 07, 2008 at 10:25 AM
[credit: The Escapist, GamePolitics]
