Next generation games review for XBox 360 Playstation and Wii - Gran Turismo 5 - Prologue - Rainbow Six Vegas 2 +

Next generation games review

Screaming down a hairpin, taking out the trash and playing tennis with a hedgehog and a monkey, I have been working my thumbs to bone tracking down some of the best games soon to hit the shelves.

Gran Turismo 5 - Prologue

Decent exclusive PS3 titles have been fairly thin on the ground so far, but finally we are starting to see some of the games we were promised when the machine launched.

Power sliding onto Sony's PlayStation 3 console comes the oft-delayed Gran Turismo 5 - Prologue.


The full version of the game is due out in 2009 in the UK and late 2008 in the US and Japan but a cut-down version is being released in late March to whet the appetite of the franchise's fans.

In the early version there are 71 motors to choose from and high-definition visuals that make previous incarnations of GT look like the crude scrawls of an infant.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2

PS3-exclusive titles might be a bit thin on the ground, but there are plenty of games which are available for both the PS3 and Microsoft's XBox 360.

This game rather explosively falls into this category, and has set its laser sight on Call of Duty 4's crown as top first-person shooter.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six team is back for another pop at taking out the bad guys in Sin City. The plot behind this shooter makes the Die Hard movies seem cerebral, and basically involves dispatching hordes of balaclava-clad bad guys.

But it is the ability to direct your AI-controlled team to do your every spec-ops bidding that makes this title so much fun.

Sega Superstars Tennis

This is another all formats title for those who will be left with a headache after all those screeching tyres and booming guns. Perhaps the cartoonish charms of Sega Superstars Tennis will soothe their aching head.

In this game, classic Sega characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog and the big-eared simian from Monkey Ball limber up for a tennis title with a twist.

Characters can perform special moves, obstacles can be introduced to the court, and the whole thing feels a million miles away from most of the dark and gloomy titles dominating contemporary gaming.

Wii Fit

If Nintendo has its way we will all be cancelling our gym memberships and getting fit with the help of its videogames console and a weird bit of plastic that you stand on.


With the aid of the balance board peripheral, Wii Fit puts the user through a series of exercises in the comfort of their living room.

Stand on the board and the Wii measures how much exercise the user is doing.

These exercises range from Yoga tasks, to weird imaginary hula hoop competitions, to daily fitness tests that can be saved and the progress viewed via the power of onscreen diagrams.

More on this BBC story here

Rock Band Gets Music Store Update

Harmonix gives Rock Band a major software update, plus an in-game Music Store.

Like Rock Band but hate some the quirks that impeded your game play and made wailing away to Ozzy not as intense as it should have been?

Well, Harmonix said it was listening, and Thursday it came through with a major software update for the title as well as the introduction of a slick in-game Music Store for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

The Music Store will be accessible from the main menu, and an overview over at Game|Life Thursday describes the Rock Band Music Store experience as fast, easy to navigate and full-featured.

You will also be able to preview songs before you buy them, and can check out the difficulty level broken down by instrument before buying as well.

As for the nitty gritty software update, here's just a sampling of what Harmonix says is only the beginning of a series of bug fixes planned for Rock Band:

- Faster loading of downloaded content. You download list is now going to be cached, meaning it only needs to load up once, not every time the system is turned on.

- PlayStation 3 microphone latency issues have been addressed, somewhat. This is not a 100% solution to the PS3's microphone lag with some setups, but it should work in some situations, Harmonix said.

- Fan cap revision -- Increase on number of fans possible. Easy allows travel across Atlantic, Medium has a wider range of venues and Hard players (on the Xbox 360) can unlock the "One Million Fans" achievement.

Joystiq has a pretty extensive list of what's left in the Rock Band update.

In related news, Harmonix reps also said Thursday that more than 6 million Rock Band songs have been downloaded so far by its musically inclined fan base. The Music Store should go a long way toward doubling that figure.

Top 10 missing things from Nintendo Wii Smash Bros. Brawl

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is great, near-perfect even… but it’s not. There are still a few things missing from it that keep it from being among my favorite games of all time.

In fact, there are 10 things missing.

I have played the game all the way through. I have unlocked all the modes, characters and almost 150 trophies. I’ve seen the best and the worst the game has to offer.



Here’s what’s missing, the 10 things that must be in the sequel. Hopefully someone will take note.

1. Worldwide Simultaneous Release
This one is key. Once the game hit store shelves a month ago in Japan, “Smash Bros.” fans like myself found it almost impossible to avoid being exposed to any of the the game’s secrets. I can just imagine what it’s like for fans in Europe who have to wait even longer. Leveling the playing field for all fans and keeping all the secrets secret until the game is actually released would be a dream come true next time around.

2. Increase the Multiplayer Number
“Resistance 2” will have 60 players online at once playing the same game, and “Smash Bros.” only has four. Even off-line, “Smash Bros.” still only has four. While it may break from the “Smash Bros.” mold, upping the overall players per game would just add to the fun. Think about playing with eight of your friends all at once on one screen. It would be crazy, hectic, and awesome.

3. Downloadable Content
Some of these things are mainstays on the Wii’s competitors, but seem foreign to Nintendo products. Downloadable content stands out at the top of that list. “Brawl” is perfectly suited for additional content via Nintendo’s Wii Shopping Channel. Fans of the game are rabid, and many of them would most likely purchase every piece of content just to have the complete “Smash Bros.” experience. Characters would be best for this, but I would settle for more events, trophies, or challenges.

4. More Characters
I don’t think this is asking a lot. The Nintendo universe is ripe with additional characters that could be included in “Smash Bros.” So are the Konami, Capcom, Sega, Namco and Square Enix universes. The current list tops out at a total of 35 characters (37 if you count Samus and Zelda as two each) which is meager when compared to another personal favorite, “Marvel vs. Capcom 2“’s 56. “Mortal Kombat Armageddon” had over 60 characters. In all honesty, all they really need to do is add in Toad and I’ll be happy.



5. Voice Chat
Another way that the Wii is lagging behind its competitors is the lack of voice chat. Trash-talking aside, if you have tried to set up an on-line match against one of your friends you have seen just how much “Brawl” would have benefited from having voice chat. We know Nintendo wants to keep their console family-friendly, but it’s gotten a bit ridiculous. Maybe next time around we can at least chat with people with whom we’ve exchanged friend codes.

6. Unlockable Incentive Content Included On Other Games
Imagine if, come April 27, you run out and buy “Mario Kart Wii” and, upon throwing it in, it recognizes that you have a “SSBB” save file and you receive a message that “Baby Mario has joined the Brawl.” Or the Rainbow Road stage is now playable. I’m well aware this is a long shot, but it’s still well worth considering.

7. DS Connectivity
This may be a bit of a pipe dream but the DS/Wii connectivity is an underused feature that could really be used well. For example, imagine if you were able to play a mini-game to collect stickers and trophies and then beam them back to your “Smash Bros.” save file and add them to your collection. It’s just another missed opportunity.

8. Capcom-Inspired 2D Fighting Mode
I’m not saying that “Smash Bros.” needs another game mode. By the time you’re done unlocking everything there is more than enough. But what if there was another way to brawl? “Smash Bros.” owes a bit of inspiration from the “Street Fighter” series, primarily from later titles in Capcom’s series, with their aerial attacks and full screen super moves. But what if it harkened back to the days that made “Street Fighter” famous? Imagine a two-player mode that was in the vein of “Street Fighter II” — 2D fighting on a single plane, finite life bars, and no getting eliminated for falling off the stage. I know it’s not classic “Smash,” but it would be a whole new way of playing the game.

9. Online Stats and Rankings
“Smash Bros. Brawl” starts tracking stats from the second that the console is turned on, so why can’t it provide some kind of online stats tracking and rankings? There are millions of people playing this thing online, and we just want to know where we stand. This is another simple yet vital feature that PS3 and Xbox 360 games have over the Wii.

10. Create-a-Character
I hoped that player-created characters could somehow be included in this version of “Smash Bros.” but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. My Mii has been left to fight elsewhere. Next time around, the Miis should be an integral part of the game, and you should be allowed to use them as customizable characters that you can brawl with, both online and off. Most of the other major fighting franchises have done it, not necessarily well (”Soul Calibur” I’m looking at you). But at least they’ve done it. Why can’t “Smash?”

Source: MTV Blog

UK Xbox 360 sales soar 40 per cent

Sales of the Xbox 360 leaped 40 per cent last weekend following Microsoft's decision to cut prices across Europe, according to sales monitoring firm Chart-Track.

The figures will make good reading for Microsoft as arch rival Sony readies next week's £299 PlayStation 3 hardware bundle in support of the launch of Gran Turismo 5: Prologue Edition.

Microsoft cut the pricing on all Xbox 360 models in Europe last week. The Arcade model now costs £159, the Premium model is £199 and the Elite model is £259.

Industry experts expect no imminent price cut for the PlayStation 3.

However, Microsoft will be disappointed that sales of games titles failed to register a similar spike, which industry experts put down to high profile launches in the previous week.

"That is mainly because the week prior there were big new Xbox 360 releases like Army of Two, Bully and MX vs ATV," Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch told GamesIndustry.biz.

"Now it's a question of Easter. The real litmus test will be over the next three to four weeks. It is too early to read too much into it at this stage."

With the industry preoccupied with the ongoing battle between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Bloch revealed that Sony's PlayStation 2 continues to enjoy sales mileage.

"The greatest surge was on PS2," he said. "There was a lot of price promotion going on, with certain titles being well and truly flogged. It is now the calm before the high point of Easter."

Source: Vnunet

Interactive Movies Come to Life on PLAYSTATION 3 with System Software Update Version 2.20

Interactive Movies Come to Life on PLAYSTATION 3 with System Software Update Version 2.20

Downloadable Movie Content and Interactive Games, available with BD-LIVE

PS3’s Interoperability with PSP (PlayStationPortable) Enhanced

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that system software update v.2.20, for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3), planned for release in late March, will add Blu-ray Disc (BD) Profile 2.0 (known as BD-LIVE). With the ability to take full advantage of interactive features, such as downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more, BD-LIVE promises to offer PS3 users the ultimate interactive film experience. In addition to BD-LIVE, the system software update will enable photo and music playlists on a PS3 to be copied to a PSP (PlayStationPortable), as well as other new features.

To access Blu-ray Profile 2.0, users require an Internet connection and at least 1GB of local storage. Movies with BD-LIVE are scheduled for release next month.

The following features have been demonstrated to be possible with BD-LIVE and will vary depending on the title:

· A variety of downloadable content, including bonus scenes, shorts, trailers, subtitles, ringtones that can be sent to mobile phones, images, and more.

· Interactive movie-based games can pit players who are sitting in the same room, or are across the world and online, against each other.

In addition to BD-LIVE, system software update v.2.20 enhances PS3’s relationship with PSP, enabling users to copy their favourite music and photo playlists to their PSP and experience them on-the-go. This new functionality makes it easer than ever to share media content between the two systems.

The following new features will also be included in the system software update:

· “Resume play” will enable PS3 to start playing a BD and DVD video at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been removed.*1

· “Audio Output Device” will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.

· PS3’s Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser’s view speed will be improved.

· DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable.

· “Mosquito Noise Reduction” will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback.*2

*1 BD-J format disc is not supported.

*2 BD discs recorded with BDMV format are not supported.

Microsoft says core gamers will tire of Nintendo Wii’s ‘party’ image

In a comment that is obviously meant as a cheeky little dig at Nintendo’s strategy with the Wii (and one that Microsoft is actually hoping to emulate with the Xbox 360), the firm’s European boss Chris Lewis has stated that he doesn’t want the Xbox 360 to become something that “only gets yanked out of a cupboard at Christmas.”

Speaking to GamesIndustry about Microsoft’s plans to expand its audience outside the majority of hardcore gamers that currently make up the Xbox 360’s user base, Lewis said:

“I think you’ve got to be prepared to be appealing in lots of different areas and make sure you don’t become something that only gets yanked out of a cupboard at Christmas and particularly holiday peaks and doesn’t really get used the rest of the time. I think you’ve got to be careful with that. I think our depth and breadth of experience will ensure that we never get in any way put into the cupboard in that way.”

Thing is, Microsoft has had a year’s head start over the Nintendo Wii, and we’re almost positive that the ‘hardcore’ owners of Wii consoles will continue to be catered for as time goes on. With titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, No More Heroes, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and others, they already are.

Source: Games Industry

Nintendo Wii Fit US campaign to be biggest in history

Nintendo of America is believed to be planning a huge and historic campaign to support Wii Fit.

Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter has said that although US video game retailer GameStop is reporting record sales of US$7.1 billion, the company is set to lose ground to retailers like Wal-Mart and Target in the future.

What's more relevant, however, is that Pachter also discussed that Wedbush expects a "repeat of the 2002 phenomenon in 2008," meaning that hardware sales are anticipated to be flat to slightly negative for the industry.

"We expect overall Wii and PS3 dollar sales to grow by approximately $400 million per console in the U.S., but expect the other consoles to decline by around the same amount," Pachter added. "At the same time, we expect the Wii supply situation to increase by 150,000 per month, on average, with allocations of hardware favoring the mass merchants once supply and demand are in balance."

And the first glimpse of that, according to Pachter, will occur on May 19 when Nintendo debuts Wii Fit. Further on the subject of the game, Pachter expressed that he's learnt that Nintendo of America plans to support the game "with the biggest marketing campaign in its history."

Pachter added that Wedbush believes "it is unlikely that such a large marketing campaign is intended to disproportionately benefit GameStop. Rather, we think that the Nintendo campaign is likely to feature key retail partners such as Target and Best Buy, notorious for attracting so-called ‘couch potatoes’.”

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 PC Sony PlayStation3 Microsoft X360 Screenshots

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Sony PlayStation 3 screenshots

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES Ring of Fates

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates will be on sale from tomorrow exclusively on the Nintendo DS system.

FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates has been designed to be the most accessible title in FINAL FANTASY series. The unique action-based gameplay offers exciting 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving, with a control system that allows you to engage enemies on your terms and without any random encounters.

The best part of this exciting adventure is that up to four friends can team-up and co-operate with Nintendo DS Wireless Play. Like all great heroes, you’ll want to look good during the action and there are hundreds of different items and costume combinations to make your character unique.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “With a strong focus on action and exploration FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates offers an exciting, fast-paced adventure. If you’ve never played a FINAL FANTASY game before, Ring of Fates is the perfect introduction and offers even more fun when played with friends.”

For more information about FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates, please visit the official website at finalfantasycrystalchronicles.co.uk

About FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates

Story

The Great Crystal protects the land from the malefic glow of the blood red moon.
Twins are born to this land, endowed with a shared, mystical power.
Their peaceful life is suddenly changed with the rise of the blood red moon.
All fates are etched into the crystal.

Features

• Unique action-based gameplay – with 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving.
• Action-based control system lets you experience the adventure your way.
• Experience exhilarating real-time battles with intuitive controls.
• Gorgeous 3D graphics and an emotional audio score create a beautiful world to explore.
• Up to four players can co-operate via DS Wireless Play!
• Realise the tale of two heroic yet innocent twins in a unique story of fate, adventure and fraternal love.
• Hundreds of different item and costume combinations add to the fun. Changes to costume/equipment are directly visible on your character in the game.
• Trade with friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection functions.
• Additional content over the original Japanese version, with four new quests.
• Can be played in four different languages – English, French, German and Spanish. The multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to play together, can be played seamlessly even when each player selects a different language.