The Select and Start News Report: 10.27.08
Posted by Vincent Chiucchi on 10.27.2008
E3 returning to the way it was, LittleBigPlanet in trouble over Qur'an verses, and a new Star Wars MMORPG is announced. All that and my trip to the Street Fighter Club in the latest Select and Start News Report.
How much would you like to bet that the winner of the 2008 election turns out to be Joe the Plumber? At this point he seems to be the only person that people geneally like in this election.
Big News
ESA PLANS TO MAKE E3 LIKE IT USED TO BE FOR NEXT YEAR [credit: GameSpot, GameDaily, Gamasutra, The Escapist, 1UP, GamePolitics]
The world of gaming was changed when the ESA decided to tone down E3. It went from a big time event in LA to a business and media summit in Santa Monica, and many people wound up hating the change. It seems the ESA has listened to those complaints, because in 2009, they've decided to bring back the old E3 we all knew and love. The show will take place from June 2nd to June 4th at the LA Convention Center. Instead of the estimated 5,000 that attended the invite-only events in the last couple years, they will now be hosting it for an estimated 40,000. The initial word is that the public will not be allowed, although there's talk of having two days after the invite-only event open for the public. ESA president and CEO Mike Gallagher doubts that will happen though. Booth babes, who've been gone from the event since 2006, will also be allowed to come back.
I'm glad the ESA is bringing back the old E3 considering how paying four times the amount for membership and access to E3 when it was supposed to be scaled back didn't make any sense. But I've seen a lot of people hate the ESA now for not letting the public attend E3, even with this revived version coming next year. Hasn't that always been the case with E3? Wasn't letting too many people in the reason ESA thought that scaling back was the best option? Or were they just not enforcing who was actually able to attend? Hopefully they do decide to hold those two extra days for the public, considering how all the other conventions do that now.
In other news, With the ESA deciding to redo E3 the way it was, the IDG have cancelled their E For All expo and encourage everyone to attend E3 again, which they will be producing. Seeing how E Fow All was only there because E3 was cut down and attendance was low, this was bound to happen.
PROVING ONCE AGAIN THAT RELIGION AND GAMES DO NOT MIX [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily, Joystiq, 1UP]
Just when everybody was ready to go out and buy LittleBigPlanet, suddenly it had to be delayed because of verses in the music that cite the Qur'an. Some Muslim groups consider it offensive for any text from the Qur'an to be used together with music in this way. The game should be out in the US by the time you read this, and Europe should be getting it on November 3rd. So why did the music contain verses from the Qur'an? Malian singer Toumani Diabate, the musician behind the LittleBigPlanet song, says "it is quite normal to play music and be inspired by the words of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace on his Soul) in my country in Mali. You can see this on television all the time." According to Diabate's record label, World Circuit Records, 'Tapha Niang' is an adaptation of a traditional Malian song about a beloved hippopotamus shot by a white hunter; in the adaptation, Diabate laments the death of his young brother, using the Qur'an verses to "draw strength from the words of the Prophet" and overcome his grief. The record label says that in this context, the use of the words was appropriate: "He is not blaspheming or taking the Qur'an out of context." The game's latest patch, version 1.02, removes the song from the game.
There are many inappropriate jokes I can make here, but I'll be keeping them to myself.
STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC ANNOUNCED [credit: GameSpot, GameDaily, Gamasutra]
Last week LucasArts and Bioware announced their latest game in the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Old Republic, an MMORPG based on the KoToR universe. The story of the game takes place 300 years after KoToR II, where the Sith Empire has reemerged after nearly being exterminated by the Galactic Republic. The Sith then began to take over many worlds belonging to the Galactic Republic, and as the war continues, players decide whether to join the Republic to the Empire. Picking one of these factions is separate from picking a Light or Dark side, meaning you can join the Republic and be part of the Dark Side, or vice versa with the Empire. The only classes confirmed so far were the Jedi and the Sith. Just like KoToR, players will have NPC companions tagging along with them. The game is being released for the PC and has no release date, while console versions have yet to be determined.
They say that this game is not going to replace Star Wars Galaxies, but come on. This is a BioWare game based on the series that won Game of the Year honors. When this comes out, Galaxies will cease from players lack of interest, and it'll all be for the better.
Tidbit News
-In an interview with British website GamesIndustry.biz, Bungie's PR and community director Brian Jarrard and writer Luke Smith confirmed that Bungie is working on new IPs, and they won't be exclusive to the PC and Xbox 360. Nothing else had been said about either game they're working on. [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-Xbox Live Primetime, the feature in the New Xbox Experience where you play quiz shows against others from around the world, will not be available at the launch of the NXE and has instead been delayed until Spring. Microsoft said that the delay is needed in order to ensure a smooth launch of the new 360 dashboard. [credit: GameDaily, Gamasutra]
-Have the November issue of Playboy? If so, check out Miss November. You might recognize her as Grace Kim, a former publicist for Guitar Hero publisher Activision. According to her interview with Kotaku, "Activision was getting annoyed [over the time demands of the Playboy picture shoots], and I wanted to keep my job [at first]... But my boss wasn't happy and I wasn't happy, and being a Playmate is a job. I really wanted to explore that area, and see where this path would take me. And, working so much for Activision kind of killed my love a little for Guitar Hero." [credit: GamePolitics]
-EA Sports President Peter Moore has stated that EA's NBA Street franchise is being put on indefinite hiatus, the reason being that EA wants to create their own intellectual properties within its Freestyle brand. [credit: GameSpot, GameDaily]
-In order to make the game get it's Teen rating, Midway is pulling back on Joker's Fatality that involves him pulling out a gun and shooting his opponent in the head. The fatality still happens, but the head shot takes place off screen. Apparently Midway is trying to get this game a Teen rating so it can widen it's audience and actually make a profit. [credit: Joystiq]
-In Japan, a 43-year-old woman has killed a 33-year-old man...in Maple Story. The two were virtually married, until he suddenly divorced her in the game. She got into his account (he provided the login information) and killed his character. The woman is facing charges of "suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data" and could face up to five years in prison or a $5000 fine. Why can't the crooks I come across in that game face the same penalties? [credit: 1UP]
-Just when I thought the latest 50 Cent game was officially dead, THQ officially announced that it has acquired the publishing rights for 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Damn it! [credit: Gamasutra, GameDaily]
-The PSP-3000 was just released, and already Sony is receiving a slew of complaints about the new PSP having interlacing scan lines visible on the screen. Sony released a reponse stating that since the problem is caused by the hardware specification, Sony will not release a system software update for the issue. Way to shoot yourselves in the foot Sony. [credit: Gamasutra, GameSpot]
Come November 4th, Rock Band 2 owners can get the following 20 downloadable songs by using the DLC redemption code found within the game's retail packaging:
The 88 - "Sons and Daughters"
Authority Zero - "No Regrets"
Between the Buried and Me - "Prequel To The Sequel"
The Cab - "Bounce"
The Chevelles - "Get It On"
The Cocktail Slippers - "Give It To Me"
Dealership - "Database Corrupted"
Endeverafter - "I Wanna Be Your Man"
The Ghost Hounds - "Ashes To Fire"
Hollywood Undead - "Young"
Kutless - "The Feeling"
The Len Price 3 - "If I Ain't Got You"
Lesley Roy - "I'm Gone, I'm Going"
Opiate for the Masses - "Burn You Down"
Semi-Precious Weapons - "Magnetic Baby"
Shaimus - "Like a Fool"
Thenewno2 - "Crazy Tuesday"
Tickle Me Pink - "The Time Is Wrong"
Underoath - "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures"
X Japan - "I.V."
[credit: GameDaily]
Street Fighter Club
Friday night Capcom held a Street Fighter Club event in Brooklyn that only about 350 people were able to attend, and I was fast enough to sign in and be one of them. Plus since I was one of the first 250 in line, I walked away with a bunch of free goodies. Even though I had my camera phone, it's basically crap when trying to take pictures in the dark. I was thinking of bringing my camcorder but I was worried that somebody over there would make a big deal out of it and either take it away or kick me out (BTW, F-U New York Yankees). If you want to see pictures of the event, you can check it out at the Capcom Unity website.
So the event was supposed to start at 8PM, but they were only letting in like eight people at a time about every five minutes, so I didn't get it until like 9:20PM. The first thing I see when I get it is all sorts of stuff for sale relating to Street Fighter, like "Shadaloo Aspirin", "Dhalsim's Yoga Spicy Ramen", "Edmond Honda's Herbs & Spices", "Sonic Boom Sticks", and a "Hadouken Lighter Stick". Also on the counter where people were signing up was an SNES hooked up to an old TV with Street Fighter II Turbo Hyper Fighting hooked up. Nobody was playing it though so I'm not sure if it was there just for show or not. Before signing in we also had to recite the rules they posted, which was basically no this and no that. Surprisingly, "No Drinking" was not one of the rules. That's just asking for trouble Capcom!
The entire event was in the dark, with the lights coming from either the Christmas lights or the very bright HDTVs playing SF4 and SSF2THDR. The first floor had a couple TVs with Street Fighter HD on them, one with controllers, one with arcade sticks. I tried out the Xbox 360 version with the controller, and I have to say, using the D-Pad for 2D fighting sucks on the Xbox 360. The game itself however was looking great. The 2D animation looks as great as Guilty Gear, and all the characters were available for play. I believe Capcom will be releasing this game any week now, at least before 2009 hits.
What I liked and hated about this event at the same time was the underground feel. It was just like being at an arcade, only nobody had to pay anything to start playing the games, and instead of arcade cabinets, we were playing console versions of the games. With so many people crowding around the units, some decided to start taking lists of names in order to keep some control. Having a memo book and pen with me, I gladly gave it up for a while so everyone at the unit I was waiting at would get to play. It was a great atmosphere, but the problem was that like the arcades, the dominant players get to play longer then everybody else. I was seeing guys racking up 20 wins in a row with the same character. Another slight problem was thanks to the "No Move Lists" policy, everybody was picking the familiar characters. Only once did I see someone pick Crimson Viper. As for me actually playing SF4 (as Ken), I got killed in the first round by someone with Guile. I haven't played arcade games with the joystick in such a long time that I'm basically a n00b with that kind of controller, and it showed. Still, I was glad I played for free rather then wasting a buck.
Like I said, we played the game on the consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360), and it looked finished. The only problem was that we kept playing on the same two stages: a temple and some kind of beer factory. At this rate, I'm pretty sure Street Fighter 4 will be released in early 2009. I didn't see any Capcom staff members (or at least anybody recognizable enough to be a staff member), so I didn't get to ask any questions about the games, though the only question I really had was if there was going to be any downloadable content for this game, such as getting new characters. Cammy was mentioned quite a few times by people waiting in line beside me, and I heard Cammy won a poll in Japan asking for which SF2 character people wanted added.
Overall I had a good time and walked away with this free stuff:
-T-Shirt, poster, and dog tag of Guile getting electrocuted
-Issue #11 of the Street Fighter comic book
-Can of "Dragon Punch" Energy Drink
-A bar of soap with Street Fighter written on it (just like the soap from Fight Club)
-Red headband like Ryu's, with Capcom and SF4 logos.
November 4th:
-Left 4 Dead (PC, X360)
-Resistance: Fall of Man 2 (PS3)
-Quantam of Solace (Multi)
-Tom Clancy's Endwar (PS3, X360, DS, PSP)
-Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World (PS2)
-Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm (PS3)
-Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
-Dragon Ball: Origins (DS)
November 7th - Gears of War 2 (X360)
November 9th - WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 (Multi)
November 11th:
-Eternal Poison (PS2)
-Call of Duty: World at War (X360, PC)
-Mirror's Edge (X360, PS3)
-Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Wii)
-Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii)
November 13th - WoW: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)
November 14th - Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (X360)
November 16th - Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (PS3, X360)
November 17th - Need for Speed Undercover (Multi)
November 18th:
-Tomb Raider Underworld (Multi)
-Rock Band 2 ported to Wii and PS2
-Sonic Unleashed (PS3, PS2, Wii, X360)
November 19th - New Xbox Experience to be launched
November 24th - Chrono Trigger DS
November 25th - The King of Fighters Collection: The Orochi Saga (Wii)
December 2nd:
-Prince of Persia: The Fallen King (PS3, PC, X360)
-Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (PS2)
Fall 2008 - MySims Kingdom (DS, Wii)
March 13th 2009 - Resident Evil 5 (X360)
Survivor: Gabon Watch
Seriously, do these people have anyone better to pick to send to Exile Island then Sugar? I almost want her to win because of this. But unfortunately, she along with Ken are on Team Suck, so I'm not sure if either are going to survive very long. Other then that, it was another "Fang loses badly because they can't get their act together" episode, and after the immunity challenge I just skipped to the end to see who got voted out.
Well, I hope you enjoy. Reality TV is not my thing.
Posted By: David (Guest) on October 27, 2008 at 05:11 AM
"-In order to make the game get it's Teen rating, Midway is pulling back on Joker's Fatality that involves him pulling out a gun and shooting his opponent in the head. The fatality still happens, but the head shot takes place off screen. Apparently Midway is trying to get this game a Teen rating so it can widen it's audience and actually make a profit."
There ya go... Alienate the people that consistently make MK a million seller, to try and widen your audience... Works so well for every one else.... Damn you Midway.. Get your shit together.
Posted By: Toddo (Guest) on October 27, 2008 at 11:12 AM
PSP... LOL
Posted By: Poppycock (Guest) on October 27, 2008 at 03:13 PM
You got to go to that event? That's it, watch your back Chiucchi. That Guile shirt and dog tag are mine!
God I am so jealous.
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on October 27, 2008 at 03:16 PM
I'm only watching this season's Survivor because one of the people on the show is pro gamer Ken Hoang.
Posted By: Vincent Chiucchi (Registered) on October 27, 2008 at 07:24 PM
