B3yond the Report 09.23.08

Posted by Derek Robbins on 09.23.2008

All is well with B3yond the Report as Square says that development on Final Fantasy 13 is going well, but all is not well for Little Big Planet as its launch may be a bit lacking. Find out this, and more, in this week's B3yond the Report.

Hello and welcome to B3yond the Report. I am your host Derek Robbins and I will be bringing you this week's news from Sony.



B3yond the News of the Week

FF XIII progress is looking fine
So were you worried about Final Fantasy XIII's progress when it was announced as coming to the 360 as well? Well don't worry as Square Enix revealed in an interview with Australia's Official Playstation Magazine that Final Fantasy XIII was being developed right now as though it was exclusive for the Playstation 3. The game's scenario is already complete and the artistic side is 80% done. Hey it sounds like it's coming along pretty swimmingly. Don't take my word for it though, let's ask Yoshinori Kitase about this whole situation:

Because it is coming to two platforms, there might be some fans that are worried it may become generic, so that it will fit onto both consoles, but the PS3 version is what is in development right now and the team is looking to specialise it for the PS3 so that the game is maximised, and then they will port it over to the 360 and full utilise the capabilities of that console.
We're trying to use the hardware to the max for both consoles, so there will be no decrease in quality with it going to both platforms.
So that's been said. I'm glad they aren't doing both at the same time because that can really hurt game quality. I like the idea that they're tweaking each version to make it more unique to the console that it will be shown on. Fully utilize the 360's capabilities though? I wasn't aware that FF XIII was going to become a shooter! Neato!

They also go on to claim that the 360 version of the game won't even be started until FF XIII is burned onto BLU-ray discs. Could this mean that there won't be a couple more years of delay? That'd be ideal considering it's already been too long of a wait for this generation's taste of Final Fantasy.

The interview also revealed that Final Fantasy has more of a Science Fiction feel this time than Traditional fantasy so that might be a breath of fresh air to fans who were skeptical about jumping on XIII's bandwagon. Whatever the case, expect FF XIII to launch in Japan sometime next year and hopefully in America in that very same year.

Source: Final Fantasy XIII.net



Little Big Dissapointment
More news on Sony's self-billed GOTY candidate Little Big Planet has come to the surface and this time it's not exactly news that the fans wish to hear. At the games launch one of the most anticipated features, the game's "online create mode" which will allow players to create and play stages online, will be absent. Don't worry! You can still play online, you just can't play created stages online…yet.

Here is a brief Q&A written by one of the game's developer's, Sam Protagonist.

Is online create in the game from launch?
No it's not, however it will be included in the first game update after launch. We're working on making this available as quickly as possible, but want to make sure it's right before releasing it.
What does online create actually mean?
Online create, quite simply, is the ability to use the create side of the game in an online multiplayer fashion.
So I can still share my levels?
Absolutely. All of the sharing features of the game are up and running.
And I can still play multiplayer?
Yes, both online and offline multiplayer (or any combination of the two) for playing through the story, or any downloaded levels.
And I can still create levels with my friends offline?
Totally. Up to 4 players can work together on a single PS3 to create levels. Also, you can still work collaboratively with friends to build levels by exchanging them through the share portion of the game.

Call me an optimist but I am glad that they're trying to get the online stuff PERFECT. From the sounds of it, this is the sort of gaming experience that deserves the best possible treatment and the fact that they aren't willing to let people do this until they feel it is just right really speaks levels of it. Plus, you can still create levels and play with your offline friends so that's nice.

You can even share your levels which is what I was looking forward to the most…so I don't feel it really hurts the game THAT much…but I can see why some people would be let down. One of the things that promises to make LBP a multiplayer experience to remember won't be available out of the box which is a shame. NOT TO WORRY though, I have some things that you can pass the time with while waiting for LBP's online create mode.

Did somebody say trophy list? Because I think I heard somebody say Trophy list.

Bronze Trophies (32):
The Gardens: Complete all levels in The Gardens
The Savannah: Complete all levels in The Savannah
The Wedding: Complete all levels in The Wedding
The Canyons: Complete all levels in The Canyons
The Metropolis: Complete all levels in The Metropolis
The Islands: Complete all levels in The Islands
The Temples: Complete all levels in The Temples
Expert Creator: Complete all levels in the Tutorials
Artist: Place a sticker
Homemaker: Place 10 stickers or decorations in your pod
Fashion Sense: Choose a costume for your sackperson with at least one item on your head, at least one item on your body, and a material
Forager: Collect 25% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
Sticky Fingers: Collect 50% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
Treasure Hunter: Collect 75% of the prize bubbles on the story levels
2X Multiplier!: Get a 2X Multiplier
8X Multiplier!: Get an 8X Multiplier
Incredible Speed!: Travel at incredible speed
Incredible Height!: Travel to an incredible height
Friendly: Complete a level with more than one player
Party Person: Complete a level online with 3 other players who are on your friends list
Socialite: Complete a level online with 3 other players who are not on your friends list
Top of the class: Win a 4-player game
Traveler: Complete a community level
FIRST!: Be among the first 10 people to complete a community level
Opinionated: Tag a community level
Neighborhood: Watch Heart 5 community levels
Networking: Heart 3 authors
Talkative: Post a comment on a community level
Creator: Build and save a level with the thermometer more than 30% full
Team Creator: Build and save a level with more than one player with the thermometer more than 30% full
Publisher: Publish a level
Look what I made!: A level you published was played by 5 or more people

Silver Trophies (8):
Just Beginning: Complete all the main path story levels
20X Multiplier!: Get a 20X Multiplier
Hi Score: Collect 1,000,000 points over all levels you have played
Booty Master: Collect all the prize bubbles on the story levels
Dr Frankenstein: Create a living creature with at least 2 eyes, 2 legs or wheels, and a brain
Crowd Pleaser: A level you published was played by 50 or more people
Feel the love: A level you published was hearted by 10 or more people
Celebrity: You were hearted by 5 or more people as a player

Gold: Trophies (3):
Play: Complete all story levels without dieing, with the exception of those levels that only end when you die
Create: A level you published was hearted by 50 or more people and you were hearted by 30 or more people
Share: Play 150 community levels, tag 50 community levels and heart 10 community levels

Secret Trophies (4):
Trendsetter: Place a sticker or a decoration on another player's sackperson
Cranium Collector: Kill 100 Creatures across all levels
Secret Stickerist: Unlock the race in First Steps
Sackbird: Spend 8 seconds or more in the air

Platinum Trophies (1):
100% Complete: Earn all LittleBigPlanet trophies to unlock this platinum trophy
A lot of these trophies seem rather interesting and it appears that the Gold Trophies will take quite a lot of dedication. I'm not much of an achievement/trophy guy to be totally honest but a lot of these seem like things I would want to try eventually…so I look forward to playing the game and trying to get these trophies.
So yeah, it's disappointing that online create isn't available right off the bat but I bet you can pass a lot of the time getting those trophies…so no worries! Also if you haven't seen LBP's instruction manual, here it is in PDF form LBP Manual

Source: PS3 trophies for the trophies and The Playstation Boards for the other news.



Capcom's TGS lineup

Remember that one week where B3yond the Report became B3yond the RPG when I posted Squares TGS lineup? Well this week we got news of what another big company, Capcom, was going to unveil at the show. Let's take a look shall we?

A playable version of Resident Evil 5 with new controls, presumably "Gears" style to REALLY piss of fanboys of the series.
Bionic Commando (PS3,Xbox 360)
Street Fighter IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
Monster Hunter 3 (Wii)
Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom (Wii)
Dead Rising: Chop Til You Drop (Wii)
Fate Unlimited Codes (PS2)
Mega Man Star Force 3 (NDS)
Gyakuten Kenji (NDS)
Devil Kings : Battle Heroes (PSP)

I'll only really touch on things for the Sony consoles. Let's see…first of all I am looking forward to the revelation of Resident Evil 5 but I am also a bit skeptical about the control style change. If you were to ask me, Resident Evil 4 was about as perfect controlling a survival horror/action title could get. It was ideal. The fact the creator hinted that they were going for something GuiltyGears (of War) like has me nervous.

Bionic Commando will be absolutely fantastic if this year's remake is any indication of what we can expect. Everything I've seen about the game looks pretty neat and I'm certainly looking forward to the release…let's just hope that it's a bit longer than the remake we received earlier. I guess it really doesn't matter as long as it's fun, does it?

As well all know Street Fighter IV has already been declared game of the century (2000-2100) by all reputable sources so I suppose giving you my impressions on the game would be a bit pointless…but I'M GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS. Hey, do you like good games? Do you like fighting games? Then fucking buy Street Fighter IV because it's going to blow your mind. Just look at that art style! Stylish! Also, come on…you know you want to kick Dan's ass as Guile just this once.

Fate/Unlimited Codes is a fighting game based on the anime/Japanese eroge visual novel game Fate/Stay Night. Normally I would see that it's an anime based videogame and say something like "thanks but no thanks" but to be honest this looks pretty cool. In lieu of showing you a video in the video section of this column I'll link to a youtube video of the game showing arcade gameplay. You should watch this because it'll let you know how awesome Saber is. Here ya go. There is very little chance this game gets released in the states.

And to complete this sort of fighter-centric Playstation entry we have got Devil Kings: Battle heroes which is a 2 v 2 3D fighter. I really wish I could deliver you with more information about it but I can't. Just know that it's fighter, it's from Capcom…so it's probably at least worth a passing glance.

Also I am moderately surprised that there will be no Sony megaman titles at the show this year. Well, I guess after Megaman 9 what can you possibly hope to deliver? You go from super nostalgia to shitty current Megaman at the snap of a finger.



- Heck yeah, nostalgia.

Source: Capcom

September 18ths PSN update

Looks like a pretty mediocre week for PSN:

• Price Promotion
o Call of Duty 4 Map Pack 1-week price promotion @ $4.99 (from 9/18/ - 9/25)
• Rock Band
o "The Conjuring" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "Wake Up Dead" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "Bad Omen" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "Devil's Island" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "Good Mourning/Black Friday" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "I Ain't Superstitious" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o "My Last Words" - Megadeth ($1.99)
o Peace Sells…But Who's Buying? Album ($10.99) - this album includes "Wake Up Dead, "The Conjuring," "Devil's Island," "Good Mourning/Black Friday", "Bad Omen," "I Ain't Superstitious," and "My Last Words" - Megadeth.
o "Hands Down" - Dashboard Confessional ($0.99)
o "One of THOSE Nights"— The Cab ($0.99)
o "She's a Handsome Woman"— Panic at the Disco ($0.99)
o "Natural Disaster"— Plain White T's ($0.99)
o Rock Band Live 2008 Tour Pack 1 ($3.99) - includes "Natural Disaster" - Plain White T's, "She's a Handsome Woman"- Panic at the Disco, "One of THOSE Nights" - The Cab, and "Hands Down" - Dashboard Confessional.
• Game Demos (free)
o Fracture Demo
o Mercenaries 2 Demo
• Game Videos (free)
o NBA 09 The Inside: Life (x4)
o Valkyria Chronicles GC Trailer
o EA Sports Hockey League Video
o AST Dew Tour - Portland FMX Jam Session
o AST Dew Tour - Portland Skate Thrills
o AST Dew Tour - Portland BMX Highlights
o AST Dew Tour - Rob Darden Profile
o AST Dew Tour - P Rod Profile
o AST Dew Tour - Skate Park Stars
o AST Dew Tour - Behind the Scenes with Andy M.
o AST Dew Tour - PlayStation Pro Moments Portland
o Play the Pros: Baltimore


Lots of Rockband stuff, mostly from Megadeth and a Call of Duty map pack are your highlights of the week. I wish I had better news but I really don't. I guess CoD 4's map pack is kind of a good deal but I have not and most likely will not play that titles so I can't really tell you if it's worth the five dollars or not.

You have a Fracture demo which I haven't tried yet so I can't really speculate on and you also have a Merc 2 demo which you may want to get on due to the lukewarm reviews that the game is getting. The rest of the stuff you can ignore. I mean look at those game videos! Pathetic.

B3yond the Tabloids!

So Megaman 9 came out today for the Wii. I totally bought it and I'm telling you it's fucking awesome, seriously. Buy this game when it comes out I am a spokesperson for Sony so I am diligently waiting for Sony's version of the game to come out on September 25th for $9.99. Doesn't that seem like an awesome price for a game as interesting as this one? Worth every penny I would say.

Also be on the look out for the first bit of Megaman 9 DLC which is expected to be made available on October 6th. For a mere $1.99 you can play as Megaman's so-called brother Protoman. Protoman is expected to play a bit differently from Megaman in the sense that his shield can block attacks and he can slide and charge his buster. There are probably other things about Protoman we don't know but that's all I have. I hope his awesome theme music returns.

The new game based on 007, Quantum of Solace, will be released on the fourth of November. If you preorder the title you apparently get a free map-pack so you should probably get on that. For what it's worth 007 runs on the Call of Duty 4 engine…and I'm sure that will please a lot of people.

So were you feeling that you needed space on your Playstation 3's hard-drive and decided to delete one of the movies you paid your hard earned cash for only to discover that you can't download it later? Bet that sucks, doesn't it? WELL LUCKILY FOR YOU…Sony will allow you to re-download the movie once for free but if you delete it again bad on you…it'll be gone forever. So best make good and darn sure you are ready to delete your movies.

At an investor's meeting Activision Blizzard CEO dropped a hint that he would like the Houser brothers of Rockstar fame aboard their payroll when the brothers contracts expire in February. He said: We really embrace the individual studio model. We know how to take studios and talented teams and appropriately incentivize them. We've definitely become the destination location for independently minded entrepreneurial talent.

So how many of you reading this enjoy games that Suda51 pumps out? Don't deny it, Killer 7 and No More Heroes are fantastic games…but would you like to play something from earlier in his career? WELL DO I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU! The Silver Case, a PS1 titles, is coming to PSN. So you best get ready to purchase that baby.

So were you in the mood for a game that's so ridiculously bad…so ridiculously horrible…that you want to play it due to curiosity? 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is apparently NOT cancelled. Erm…yay?

So get this…Konami recently filed for the trademark "Metal Gear Existence". At this moment nobody knows exactly what it could be. Could it be a new PSP game? Could it be MGS 5? Or perhaps it's simply a MGS: 4 add-on like MGS 3 Subsistence or MGS 2: Substance? I have no idea but I can tell you that I am excited about it.

B3yond the Cinema



Well, in order to whet your appetite for Megaman 9's impending PSN release I have some gameplay footage to show you. Enjoy the nostalgia.



Here's some Fracture gameplay from the demo. It looks alright I suppose…just not my cup of tea.



Your weekly Street Fighter IV fight. This week we have my main Ken Masters facing off against C. Viper. Truly, this will live up to the title game of the century (2000-2100)



Here's some Tekken 6 footage. Tekken is actually one of my least favorite fighting franchises…but I think this looks alright, grainy video aside. I'm a fighting junky so I see myself getting this at some point.



I realize this is a bit dated but you really need to check out The Last Guy so check it out in trailer form right here.

The One Man Watercooler



I promise it will change! For reals!


This week marks the release of a game that I have been waiting for…for what seems like forever. No, no, Disgaea 4 wasn't announced and released in the past week. Megaman 9 has come to grace us with what appears to be a great remembrance of the old-school. I can understand why some people would be less than accepting of this game, after all…it's not like Capcom is giving us shockingly new content here. It takes a lot of the mechanics of Megaman 2 and re-uses them. The thing is though…it's a nice treat and takes us back to the past where perhaps Megaman was a better franchise.

Seriously now, let's look at Megaman today. For the most part Megaman side-scrolling platformers are gone. Oh sure we have the Megaman Zero franchise which is pretty darn impressive but for the most part Megaman is comprised primarily of generic RPGs. Don't get me wrong, it's not like these are terrible games that nobody should play ever…they're just a tad on the generic side. The days of classic Megaman gameplay? The days of something like Megaman Legends? Practically gone…it doesn't look like we'll be seeing anything like that any time soon.

Capcom probably realized a lot of their core fans that were into Megaman when they were younger probably aren't into current-day Megaman. I mean, could you see a twenty-something jamming his way through Megaman Battlenetwork? No offense to those games but…it's a bit un-realistic. No, no, them going back to this is a sort of plea-bargain to long-time fans. It's as though to say: "We get it! You're still around and we'd like to reward you for years of dedication!"

Other franchises should learn from what Megaman is doing. Let's take a look at one of my favorite franchises ever and probably one of the only ones that I am incapable of looking at through rational eyes, Sonic the Hedgehog. The last good Sonic the Hedgehog title, in a lot of people's opinions (though not mine), was Sonic 3 and Knuckles which saw release in the year 1994. I'm not sure if you're aware but that was fourteen years ago. There are people who think that Sonic hasn't had a good game in FOURTEEN YEARS.

Someone has to be around to play these new Sonic games though, don't they? Someone has to play them so Sega knows they're making garbage that spits in the face of the original Sonic. I know there are hardcore Sonic fans out there that at least TRY each new piece of shit Sega releases and hopes that it captures something from the days of lore. Imagine if they released something similar to what Capcom is doing to Megaman 9? What if Sega decided to make a Sonic with graphics, gameplay, and platforming like you would find in Sonic 2?

No, no, Sonic Advance and Sonic Rush won't do in this case. While those are quality titles compared to Sonic's 3D offerings the fact of the matter is a lot of the "charm" is missing. Whereas the original Sonic titles relied on actual platforming, the Sonic portable titles are pretty much games that insist that you know how to press the right button. Basically if you can do that…you win. If you tried to simply just move right and not do anything in the Genesis Sonic games you would find yourself in dire straights.

Imagine if Sega actually did it the correct way? Imagine if all the charm, all the level design, all the originality from those titles was re-captured for one final glory run? Megaman 9 probably has restored a lot of faith in the blue bomber…what could it do for Sonic? Imagine a world where when we hear of a Sonic title the first thing we think of isn't "Oh God, another one?" and instead think: "Alright! Another one!" I would like to experience that feeling once again.

The thing is, no matter what you think about Megaman 9 as a title or whether you like it or not…it is important. If the game manages to sell well, as it should, it's very obvious that other companies will try to follow suit and release games in this retro-fashion. Some franchises don't really need that treatment. I mean, look at Mario. Yes, yes, old-school Mario is fantastic. Mario 3 is one of my favorite games ever…but the thing is that the third-dimension has been rather friendly to the plumber. If they were to release a new retro-style Mario…while that would be cool…would it really help the franchise at all? Most people will buy a new Mario because they know it's good…so it wouldn't help things, it'd just be a step backwards.

Of course, looking at it reviving old franchises is a bit one-sided. This is a bit of a long-shot but couldn't you see companies producing budget-priced 8-bit remakes of PS2 games? A lot of people underestimate the selling value of nostalgia and playing a game such as, say Final Fantasy X, in 8-bit graphics would probably create a sort of unique feeling. It could make one reminisce of a time period where you would run to the local rental shack, rent an RPG…and play it for days on end. It'd be a unique little experience and it doesn't have the same "Oh wow, I played this game when I was little!" factor but the thing is it could bring about feelings of nostalgia…and that could really move something in our industry. Obviously these titles would have to be budget priced but it would be pretty neat.

Whether we like the idea of a new 8-bit game in an era of brown and gray is irrelevant to the fact that Megaman 9 has the potential to be a very important title. It's not much, but it's something different and I think it'd be fairly cool.



B3yond the Mail

Steve307 does not like the future:

I wish I was more hyped for the holiday releases so far. Guitar Hero and Little Big Planet are really the only must-haves for me. Everything else is a rental at best.

Hrrm…I agree that the holiday slate looks a little thin but I mean Persona 4 comes out this year! So does Chrono Trigger DS and a couple of other DS titles. Maybe I'm forgetting something…but yeah, the Holiday Season isn't looking super tight.

Mike Shinobi hates F-Zero?

f zero is also outdated garbage that was made impossibly hard to make the game appear deep.

just saying f zero sucks.

As opposed to every other racing title which comprises pretty much of cars driving around and making turns? Yeah, sounds fun.

It's about damn time we get saved by the Bell

You now have my attention, at least you acknowledged a good game in Big Z's near perfecto. Good for you, you have a loyal reader for THIS week. Now don't go jinxin' the Cubs with all your romancin' of Zambrano.

As for MotorStorm P.R., big thanks to Mark for giving me that heads up last week, and yes even as a tiny demo it rocks pretty hard. Dualshock nearly rumbles out of your hands. That's hands not pants in your case Derek.

As for Big Z's genuflect pointing to the heavens. Well there's an explanation. See Carlos and I are on a first name basis and spoke before the game. He knew my flight from Chicago back down to Indy was happening at that very moment. I TiVo'd the game and was able to read his lips, "you the man Bell, when all else lost hope in my shoulder you blieved. This one was for you buddy." So there ya have it! Cub's fan since '84.

Big Z's perfect game certainly was something to watch, and I enjoyed his celebration as opposed to players who just act like it is "no big deal" to look cool.

Mark Salmela dislikes my lack of PSN.

Dammit Robbins, I'm getting so angry I could punch your cat *or your baby brother, whichever puts up less of a fight*.

You have yet to talk about awesome PSN games like The Last Guy, Fat Princess, and Fl0wer yet you talk about Spore creatures and the Chicago Cubs?

I knew I should have picked Bob Barker to replace me when I had the chance.

And when I said you needed to hate the PSN update last week, I didn't mean ignore it! I hated it more than anyone could ever imagine, but I at least covered it *sorta*! The Motorstorm PR demo is out and it kicks ass!

Well I don't have a cat, but Drew *is* ripe for the punching. I mean…read his column, don't you just want to punch him in the face?

PSN games just slip my mind sometimes, and sometimes PSN in general will slip my mind, as evidenced by last week.

Big dan "breaks down" the console wars.

theres an easy way to settle the ps3/xbox/wii debate...ps3 has warhawk and its online is free so we win, i could live on warhawk alone thats how good it is.

I'll try to break down the console wars in a way that actually makes sense. I could play TF2 forever but you don't see me calling the PC the best system just for that, do you? 360 has the biggest diversity due partly to its head start and its imminent popularity thanks to Halo. PS3 shares most of the third-parties with the 360, and also has some of the best exclusive third-parties, referring to Naughty Dog, Insomniac, and Sucker Punch of course. The Wii is made by Nintendo, and therefore has quite a few "must-have" titles, which sell the console by themselves. As long as they make Mario, Zelda, and Metroid I'll keep coming back for more.

The 411 Mania Empire



Fact or Fiction starring Drew Robbins and Mark Salmela. They talk about Mega Man 9 and the Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories. Even though I can't stand the fanbase, I loves me some Kingdom Hearts!

Select and Start News by Vincent Chiucchi. Capcom is selling the most nostalgic thing I've ever seen. Mega Man 9 in a box (with yellow sticker, as if you bought it at the flea market), with the NES cartridge, which opens up to a mini-disc of Mega Man 9. Awesome.

Coming Attractions by Drew Robbins. This week my brother rambles nostalgically about Kirby Super Star, and I can't blame him, that game was awesome.

Achievement Unlocked by Rod Oracheski. He mentions Achievement Beggars here, what an annoying bunch. Maybe if achievements meant something like in TF2, I could see a bit more reason, but a few extra points? Come on people!

The 10th Hour by ME! Well this week I write a top 10 list that the comment section doesn't read yet criticizes. Nothing new here.

Working Title by Toddo. Famed commenter Toddo steps in for Jordan this week to talk cliffhangers. Good stuff.

The Full Circle by Joe Roche. Joe doesn't like TNA Impact, which stinks because I was hoping that this game would succeed, forcing Smackdown to step its game up.

Signing Off!