Only on Destructoid: When I first heard that No More Heroes was coming to the PS3/360, I was totally shocked. Porting a two-year-old Wii game to HD consoles? It's ludicrous, unheard of, and potentially brilliant. Whi... 110 comments
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All these Black Friday deals are a bitch to keep track of. That's what we're here for, though. Over the past few weeks we've been reporting on some good deals, but having to hop around our fine w... 19 comments
First thing's first -- Zipper Interactive has announced that its beta program for the massive online PlayStation 3 exclusive shooter MAG has been extended. It was originally scheduled to end... 175 comments
Zombies. Gamers love them. They infest almost every single genre of gaming and then some. There are zombie shooters, zombie survival-horror, zombie platformers, zombie tower defense games, zombie... 28 comments
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While those of us with laptops who couldn't process their way out of a simple algebraic equation are playing Left 4 Dead 2 on their 360, there is definitely a large chunk of gamers out there who ... 24 comments
A surprise announcement at E3 this year, the PlayStation 3 exclusive ModNation Racers looks to redefine the kart racing genre with its ridiculous level of customization and community featur... 26 comments
Those who have played Left 4 Dead 2's "Dark Carnival" campaign will likely know of The Midnight Riders. They are a fictional rock band that Ellis seems to be rather fond of, and the campaign's fi... 61 comments
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[Editor's note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our community blogs.]
We told you about the anime Princess Robot Bubblegum in GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, and Conrad was kind enough to record the entire thing so that we could take a moment to enjoy and discuss the piece. Clocking in at around 11 minutes, the show does what GTA has been known for in its more recent iterations: lampooning culture.
Except, in the case of Princess Robot Bubblegum, it's about fifteen years late. I really shouldn't mind, and it's not like this bothers me on the scale ofModern Warfare 2, but it's still ticked me off just a bit. Follow me after the jump so I can rant a bit.
"This is not tingling any anime spider senses. I've seen crazier animes, so the parody effect is less than mild.
And yes, this is still what a lot of anime is about. Maybe not as much tentacles n..."...
You read that right. Hideo Kojima, the man behind Metal Gear Solid, along with Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the character designer and manga creator for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Ryuji Gotsubo, the illustrator for the Twilight novels in Japan, are judging what amounts to a fanart contest for Twilight.
In conjunction with the Japanese website pixiv -- essentially a Japanese deviantart -- users will submit their fanart for Twilight: New Moon, whereupon Kojima will give one winner an autographed copy of Metal Gear Solid 4, Sadamoto will give an art kit, and Gotsubo will give them an autographed copy of the first three Twilight books in Japan (it adds up to the first book in the US edition.)
If you're interested in checking out some of the submissions, here's a link to the search for "New Moon" as a tag on the website. The question that's floating around in my head is: why, Kojima? Do you just have this much free time, or are you really that big of a Twilight fan? And will this have an impact on your future games? I'm afraid you're going to rename Raiden "Edward."
[Editor's note: We're not just a (rad) news site -- we also publish opinions/editorials from our community & employees like this one, though be aware it may not jive with the opinions of Destructoid as a whole, or how our moms raised us. Want to post your own article in response? Publish it now on our community blogs.]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been in the headlines quite a bit recently, mainly concerning the leaked footage of the airport level. We've had varying levels of reactions go around here amongst the watercooler at Destructoid, and I've noticed a wide range of opinions in the comments as well.
The thing is, I just can't stand by Infinity Ward's decision on the scene.
Honestly, I get a horrible, unsettling feeling in my stomach when I think about the scene. I sat and watched it a few times over, and despite what explanations I've heard about the scene and Activision's statement on it, it just doesn't come across as something that "evoke the atrocities of terrorism," at least not in a way that it should.
"I as well had a uncomfortable and/or sick feeling in my stomach after watching the level here. Strange because I was expecting to be like "LOL".
I don't know man..."...
[dTunes is a community organized blog showcasing the musical tastes of Destructoid's users. For two weeks, the editorial team is commandeering the series because, hey, we like music too. To further expand your horizons, make sure to check out the dTunes blog.]
You've heard the musical tastes of Conrad, Topher and Rey, and now it's my turn to shine here on the editor's dTunes week! What, you're guessing it's going to be nothing but weeaboo music after the jump? You'd be surprised. Sure, I spend a lot of time writing about Japan, watching Japanese programming, and reading things in Japanese, but I have to take a break from all of that at times!
Ironically, the biggest expansion of my Western musical horizons came when I was in Japan. A bunch of my friends passed around an external harddrive, and we copied all our music onto it to pass around. It was a real blessing at times, because it helped to mitigate those feelings of homesickness that inevitably welled up late at night or after a hard day.
My musical tastes actually float in the range of rock and punk, having grown up on KROQ and WRAT radio stations in the New Jersey area. But, I decided to pass on posting about the likes of Streetlight Manifesto, Meat Loaf and Bon Jovi in order to highlight some things that I hope you haven't heard.
Recently THQ invited me out to sit down and play the final build of MX vs. ATV Reflex (Samit played an earlier build this year,) and while I was at it take a shot at helming both an MX bike and an ATV. I had a classmate back in high school who would do MX biking out on his farm because it was a nice, open area to build a whole course.
But then I got the location. Lot 16 of the Meadowlands Stadium.
A parking lot? Alright, I'll bite, I suppose. When I got there, I saw the track -- a ring of dirt piled up for a few hills with a couple of turns put into it. My first thought? Hamza nearly died getting that interview for Ride to Hell, while I'm actually going to die for this preview.
"Man... I would like to suggest the Developers to TRACK DOWN how many seconds a game demo keeps on someone console's HD... This REFLEX game, is a SHAME. Sorry to say. It's not acceptable to have a..."...
Survival horror is quickly running out of places to go. The genre feels as though it has matured to the point where not a lot of innovation is going on. At least, until we heard about Cursed Mountain. Last month, I previewed it and was pretty excited: the premise behind it, moving survival horror controls to the Wii to make for a more intimate experience, sounded good.
Needless to say, I was pumped to rip into this one. Rescuing my brother from the undead in the Himalayas? Grab the climbing gear and magical pickaxe, and I'm more than ready to go. Set in the 1980s, a lot of the modern conveniences like cellphones and GPS devices aren't around, so it's all up to climbing instinct.
Cursed Mountain is taking a stab in a very different direction, so there's a lot of new ground to tread. Do they climb up to the top of the pile in the genre, or do they lose their footing along the way and fall short? There's only one way to find out: check out the full review after the jump!
"@Jonathan Holmes
I'm sorry, I just have serious trouble understanding why it is that there can be such massive discrepencies between initial impressions and the finished product.
In the case I ..."...
Turning off twitter is the only thing I can do to avoid hearing everyone talk about the great time they've been having at PAX. Well, watching through the entirety of the first season of Black Lagoon in one sitting helped too. See? I managed to work in the weeaboo stuff easily!
One of our top stories today was clearly Ready to Friday BioWare talking about how they deal with piracy. I'd have to agree, incentives like limited editions are probably one of the best ways to get people to buy their stuff. Atlus has been pushing that route hard with Demon's Soul, and I think it'll work well for them. Won't stop the Lagoon Trading Company, but it's not like much can.
The big story, though, is that the Japanese Prime Minister's wife is batshit insane. She eats the sun for nourishment. And she was abducted by aliens. You need to read it to believe it.
With the Ace Attorney series largely behind us, where can we turn for quirky DS mystery titles? Well, why not stick with Takumi Shuu, the director of the series, for his new title Ghost Trick. Just announced by Capcom in the latest issue of Famitsu, the title is slated for a 2010 release, according to Canned Dogs.
The main character, Sissel, is dead. Somebody shot him. Yet his spirit has come back from the dead to try and solve the case! Equipped with special powers, the only problem is that he doesn't quite remember everything that happened before he died. He's only got a few hours to live, and so he's got to solve the case quickly and keep the detective alive who's working on his case.
I'm sure we'll get more details as the game draws closer to its release date -- and Capcom will likely have some more information when we hit the show floor at Tokyo Game Show. We just have to liquor them up a bit. You can check out the scans from Famitsu down in the gallery to get an idea of what the art will look like.
Why hello there! I'm sure you were expecting to see Hamza here, but he's busy PAXing up Seattle. So you know what that means, right? We talk about tentacles, of course!
Actually, my favorite bit of news today was Mr. Tomino decrying games as evil. I'll try and push him on his comments when he appears at New York Anime Fest. Want to challenge him yourself? We've got a couple of tickets to give away!
And now, onto your daily dose of Destructoid delectables!
Follow me as I spend a month trying to better myself by using EA Sports Active to exercise and follow its diet tips.
Well, I've finally come to the end of my month-longtraining with EA Sports Active. It's been an interesting month, coming into this whole thing not really knowing what would happen to me. I had hopes that I'd undergo some sort of magical transformation, but knew in the back of mind that changes would be minimal.
Still, I was surprised at how things went this past month. All I can say at this point is to follow me after the jump as I give you my full breakdown of Active after the jump. I think you'll be interested to hear how it all turned out.
After seeing Cursed Mountain at Deep Silver's press event, I also got a chance to spend some time with Risen, a PC/360 fantasy RPG that's apparently banned in Australia. Before going into this, I knew about as much as we had postedalready, which is to say not that much. Thankfully, all the other journalists in the room were in the same boat, so we got a nice full walkthrough on the title.
Like many in the fantasy genre, this RPG has you rise as a nameless hero from the rubble of a shipwreck to become a man of legend. Yes, I realize it sounds like Fable or any number of other stories, but when it comes to the fantasty genre, it's all about execution.
Want to know how the game is? There's only one way to find out.
"I want to like this game more but there's got to be some hook to differentiate it from the other great RPGs to be released this fall like Dragon Age: Origins, Alpha Protocol, and Brutal Legend. L..."...
We've previously spoken withCursed Mountain developer Deep Silver on the title, and even got some time with it at E3. But the spectacle of lights and blaring noises doesn't make for a very condusive to playing a horror title in. So, with the lights dimmed a bit more and most of the thumping bass beats gone, Deep Silver invited me to check out their title at a New York City hotel.
Set in the 1980s, this survival horror title has you facing the elements, the undead, and the less-than-friendly recluses of the Himalayas. It's a time without GPS devices and cellphones, yet is familiar enough to most people that they can relate with the character.
How does the title hold up against the legions of other survival horror titles that are out there? Especially considering that not many have really bothered to try the genre out on the Wii? Well, you can find out your answers to this and so much more after the jump.
When it came out, Cross Edge hit with a relative flop. The title is a crossover RPG featuring characters from the realms of Capcom, Nippon Ichi, Namco Bandai and others as they attempt to reconcile why they've all been transported to an inter-dimensional world, why people are trying to kill them, and how they can get back home.
The game had a lot of potential behind it, giving us some of our most iconic characters from strong properties, in something that seemed fun and original. But, it all went wrong. The game did poorly in reviews, panned by many, and forgotten in favor of Nippon Ichi's next title.
I really wanted to like the game. I tried. Hard. But after playing the game for 15 hours, a lot of yelling, screaming and frustration, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Playing the game brought me to a low I hadn't thought I'd hit before. After the jump is my tale of how this happened.
Follow me as I spend a month trying to better myself by using EA Sports Active to exercise and follow its diet tips.
Coming back from Otakon, I had a nagging problem that only got worse with the drive home and some horsing around with friends. I injured my knee, and had to hobble around for a week before it was better enough to attempt exercising again.
Upon my return to playing Active, I was greeted with the message that I couldn't complete the challenge at this point. It offered to let me restart my whole adventure again, which I politely declined. I ran through another week's worth of training to see what it threw at me, and then ran out of time with the 30 days it had slotted for me.
Well, next week I'll still be using the software, just to see how the game is outside of the 30-Day Challenge. But, until then, follow me after the jump for my adventures this week.
"Who is buying EA's crap? How about they make some hardcore games for the Wii, I know Extraction is coming, but they were stupid and made that "On rails," making games on rails is kind of lame now..."...
Taisho Yakyuu Musume is a title with a whole lot of Japanese in it, and it doesn't really tell you much about the game, does it? To explain real quick, and thus give you an idea of what this currently airing anime is all about, the Taisho era dated from 1912-1926, while "yakyuu" is the Japanese word for baseball -- and "musume" means "girl" or "daughter," depending on the context. So, here we have a series about Japanese girls in the 1920s playing baseball. What's not to love about it already?
Originally a light novel, then moving onto a manga, anime, and drama, the series is now getting a PSP makeover, based on the currently-airing anime. Classified as a "Taisho romance adventure," the story follows the girls as they gather together the members of their team, figure out how to play the game, and fight against the male-dominated world of baseball to show them what Girl's Power! is all about.
Made by 5pb. Games, the game will be called Taisho Yakyuu Musume ~Girl's Adolescent Journal~ and will follow the more than typical setup of an adventure novel, with branching storylines and the like (for multiple playthroughs.) The game will at least feature the show's entire cast, as they voice act their way through everything.
How often is it that you get to play as a Japanese version of A League Of Their Own? I'm tempted to play through it, if I could find a copy on the cheap -- the 6,090 yen price tag is a little much to stomach. Japan really needs to work on cutting down those prices.
Atlus really wants to make it worth your while to buy the American edition of Demon's Souls, and so they've decided to sweeten the offer by adding in the game's soundtrack on top of the 40-page artbook and all the other goodies they're throwing in. The 71-minute CD contains the haunting music of Shunsuke Kida, and is reason enough for me to pre-order the title.
When they talked about the game at Anime Expo, and mentioned their "Stop Importing It!" edition, the logic behind wanting people to buy the local edition was fairly straightforward: It provides an equal playing field for a lot of players, and the experience will be a lot more fun. There's also the fact that they spent a good deal of money trying to bring the title over here, and it'd be nice if people actually bought it so that they could stay in operation.
Are many of you set to buy the game when it comes out? Does the soundtrack tip the scales and make you want to pre-order the game, or does it really have to be something special before you pre-order a title?
Remember EA's #Lust contest for Dante's Inferno that they ran at San Diego Comic Con? Well, in a strange twist of fate, PixelPoet of GayGamer came in as a runner up in the contest, after submitting somepictures of himself with a Booth Bro (suggest a better name for them if you've got one) from PAX.
When he found out that he won one of the five runner up prizes ($240 to the EA Store and a shirt), he declined the offer and sent back an email to the people at EA, pointing out how narrow-minded the contest was. PixelPoet also pointed out how just the week before, EA had run an event in San Francisco with GLAAD, where they talked about many publishers still had a "boys club" mentality about who played their games.
And so, what to do with those $240? Well, PixelPoet had a couple of suggestions:
1) A new sexual-harassment training video/seminar 2) Another PR team to try to spin this whole debacle of a contest into a positive light 3) A direct phone line to EA's legal depart to use before you try anymore PR stunts 4) Six copies of your game when it releases, since I know you've lost at least that many fans with this stunt 5) Or the next time you go to Hooters (for the wings, of course), leave a $240 tip for your waitress in a karmic way of balancing out what has been done to the booth babes of SDCC due to this contest
Kudos to PixelPoet for his letter back to the folks at EA, which is fully available over at GayGamer. I think this just adds to the hilarity of all the backfire this event caused EA at SDCC. Did any of you readers actually enter the contest?
Time once more for the Badass of the Month Club, wherein the staff highlights a character or industry figure of noteworthy badassery.
Sexy and deadly are always a good combination. We've seen it for years with characters like Morrigan and Chun-li (before the thunder thighs got out of control), but no one captured it quite like I-No, who induced many a people into chucking their controllers in frustration when she made her way onto the screen in Guilty Gear XX.
She's certainly a badass character to play against, for anyone who's tried. She'll kick your ass six ways from Sunday with her rockin' tunes, skimpy outfit, and a hat that would put Harry Potter's sorting hat to shame. So, let's get into why this black-haired bombshell earned herself a place in our Badass of the Month Club after the jump.
Osamu Tezuka's classic title Astro Boy is an important piece of animation history -- many cite it as the birth of the modern anime, with its debut on TV in 1963 (the manga started in 1952). And now, the character is getting a 3-D film from Imagi Studios, which you can check out the trailer for it here. Coupled with the release of the film is a game from High Voltage Software (The Conduit), and put out by D3Publisher.
What intrigued me about this title is that preceding this title (not directly) is the 2004 title Astro Boy: Omega Factor, an amazing shooter/beat-em-up developed by Treasure that really set the bar high for the people at High Voltage. And things aren't any easier when they said they're looking at Omega Factor as a source of inspiration.
So, how do they hold up? Find out after the jump, of course!
"Much like Omega Factor, this Astro Boy title is a mix of shoot-em-ups and a brawler settings -- focusing mainly on the brawler. Taking place in a 2.5-D environment, the game has you firing lasers..."...
Over at Canned Dogs, they caught wind of a cute little trophy in the newly released RPG Agarest Zero: if you go ahead and complete all the guild quests and unlock all the titles for your character -- probably the equivalent of getting 100% completion in the game -- you unlock the hikkikomori trophy.
That sure is something to be proud of, right? A clear reminder that you spent way too much time working on this game. Hikkikomoris are people who just spend all their time in their rooms, often playing games and browsing the Internet -- to the point where they lose all ability to interact with people in a normal fashion. It's a serious problem, but also something that's regularly lampooned in the media. So, it's all in good humor.
I'd love to see more of these trophies and achievements make their way to the forefront, taking a jab at the people playing the game -- like Silent Hill having an "obsessive door checker" trophy. Any thoughts for tongue-in-cheek stuff like this? Games like Idolmaster immediately come to mind as something that's ripe for the picking.japan
"Isn't this trophy pretty much the same as the gold trophy in Cross Edge when you unlock every title? The Hikikomori?
I still only have three trophies in Cross Edge despite playing for over 20 ho..."...
Follow me as I spend a month trying to better myself by using EA Sports Active to exercise and follow its diet tips.
Coming back from Otakon, I've had some time away from Active to really sit and think about how the software handles, and to try it out once again with a bit of a different mindset when it comes to the game.
For those of you just joining me, I'm now heading into my third week of training using EA Sports' Active software, working to complete their 30-Day Challenge and see what effects it has on my body. Will it turn me into Brad Nicholson, or will I end up the same as I always was, except a little bit sweatier?
If you haven't already, check out my first impressions of the title from last week, and follow me after the jump, where I take a critical eye to the flaws of Active.
"whormongr what bands did you buy off of amazon? My resistance bands are getting shredded now so I'm looking for a replacement, but the ones I've found don't work well for the EA Active as they se..."...
When you take a look at me, I don't seem like someone in dire need of a diet or an exercise program. Clocking in at 6'2" and 184lbs, I come off as a bit lanky to most people -- but the truth is, I've got a lot of fat that manages to pack its way into inconspicuous spots, and frankly, I could stand to get rid of it. Not only that, it wouldn't hurt to build up some muscle -- although I'm not expecting EA Sports Active to turn me into my counterpart here at Destructoid.
So, I decided to take Active's 30-Day Challenge in an effort to see what sort of change the game can really help with. Since changing your body for the better isn't solely about exercise, I'm doing this in conjunction with Toshio Okada's Sayonara, Mr. Fatty!, a book I've raved about over on Japanator. I really encourage you to check out the review, and the book itself -- it's not solely about dieting, but for putting the reins on any part of your life that you wish to control.
I hope you'll follow me over the next four weeks as I attempt to change myself for the better.
The real highlight of our time at Anime Expo was the cosplay. We coveredpanelshereandthere, but what all the readers on Japanator really reacted to, and what you guys did when we put up our first round of photos, was the cosplay. And so, with Anime Expo now over, and the Japanator team looking ahead to Otakon in just under two weeks, it's time to share the rest of that videogame cosplay with you.
Thanks again to our amazing photographer Ace0fClub5, we got some truly stunning shots that you can check out in our gallery. We've also got a ton of other cosplay photos over on Japanator that you need to check out. Like this cosplayer from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.
While Anime Expo was a poor event for news and exciting updates, it sure provided for some great eye-candy.
Dale, Tim Sheehy, and I are here at Anime Expo in Los Angeles. Here at America's largest anime convention, with well over 30,000 people attending, there are plenty of opportunities for some amazing cosplay -- and it doesn't hurt to have Ace0fClub5, one of our community members, taking his professional-grade photography (as he has donein the past).
So what we've got here for you is a teaser of some of the cosplay photos that we've got over on Japanator, with plenty more to come over the next three days. Seeing these Street Fighter cosplayers together (they planned it out as a group, naturally) was really impressive -- there's a lot of attention to detail there that really comes out in these photos. Sirs, I applaud you.
It's a little early to tell which cosplay is going to be overplayed at the con, but right now it's looking like Pyramid Head is itching to be the overplayed costume of the year -- although people are still being inventive with the outfit, so who knows. Anyways, enjoy even more photos over on Japanator!
The King of Games is a legendary shirt designer, combining their sharp designs with high-quality shirts. Of course, they charge out the nose, at 3,800 yen ($40) per shirt. They've had some fantastic shirts in the past, like this pricey ($55) Mother shirt, along with countless Mario items. Next up on their list? Why, it's none other than the PixelJunk series.
Two shirt designs are coming out: one for the PixelJunk series in general, sporting the logo against a white background, with the Q-Games logo on the back, and the other specifically for PixelJunk EdenEncore, featuring a row of all the stage icons in blue set against a brown background.
Add these shirts to your collection of Japan x Game from Uniqlo, and you'll be set in terms of your fashionable yet geek-tastic clothing. Personally, I prefer these subdued designs, despite the fact that PixelJunk Eden is such a vibrant and busy game. It makes these shirts a good base for other shirts, if you're looking to go with a--right. This isn't Destructoid's fashion corner.
"Those are very expensive! Yikes.
I would love to get a hold of the Kid Icarus shirt they had a while back... Man, that shirt ruled! I've been looking for it everywhere(for an affordable price).
..."...
Want to see the PS3 at its most innocent and cute? Well, look no further than the forthcoming P.S. Triple-san webcomic that's making its way to the English speaking world via the iPhone App Store. As you can see above, it's all about the PS3 and its friends in the gaming world.
Right now, the creator has an English-language blog running over at 1Up, where you can see the comics in "breathtaking monochrome, done lovingly by hand in MS Paint." Any color versions that they end up doing (which look a lot nicer, I assure you), they suggest going ahead and downloading the app from the iPhone/iPod store.
Unfortunately, I'm without the hippest and latest technology, so I can't join in the downloading spree, but I'll be sure to keep reading the webcomic. Echoing the sentiments of Canned Dogs, I can't wait for Sony to kick things into gear and turn this into an anime. We've already got Suzumiya Haruhi-chan as one, so why not P.S. Triple-san?
I'm really looking forward to seeing more of these translated. The Japanese seems easy enough, so I might just add the bound volume from Amazon.jp to a shipping order. This looks so cute. Especially X-locks.
Ah, I love catching strange and bizarre cellphone games announcements off of 2ch. It always puts some context to the absolute batshit-insanity surrounding some of these titles. Like this one: Ecchi Onee-san Rearing. Yes, you read that right. Perverted child rearing of older sisters. On a cellphone. In Japan.
As the son of a robotics scientist, your job is to raise and rear these robotic girls. While they have the full-bodied looks of a woman just a few years older than yourself, they still have the innocence and mind of a simple child. Just writing up this description, I feel incredibly dirty. So, with a caring and loving touch, you can raise her into becoming the type of woman that you envison.
You'll help her with food and exercise, and don't forget to help her with bathing and medical checkups! Those are the words of the Japanese, not mine. The game is available for 315 yen, and is made by Gameloft, the purveyor of fine Onee-san titles to cellphones.
You can go check out their website if you'd like. I'm going to go hang my head in shame in the corner real quick.
For only $5.99, you too can now relive those early days of the Nintendo DS by sitting with Dr. Kawashima and playing Brain Age -- or as those Europeans call it, Brain Exercises with Dr. Kawashima. Bandai Namco is the one releasing it all throughout the world, and you can find it in the iPhone store right this very minute.
While not the full-featured version of Brain Age that we've come to know and love, the game will help you keep your brain sharp on the go -- although that's what the DS version was supposed to do, I thought. Either way, they've gone ahead and added a challenge mode that will have you passing the iPhone around to your friends, instead of connecting wirelessly.
I have to admit, Brain Age was one of those titles that I really never expected to see ported. It brings back some memories of when I first got my DS, though. I wonder what will happen if I boot up the game again. Perhaps Dr. Kawashima's floating head die--"ran away."
Press release is after the jump, if you so desire.
While I was recouperating over the weekend, a fax was sent out to all the game makers from the EOCS, with details as to what some of the regulations are. Naturally, we turn to none other than our friends at Canned Dogs for more information on the whole thing.
Some of the main details include:
"Training" and "slave" aren't allowed anymore.
Rape, confinement, stalking, domestic violence, or anything that promotes a criminal offense is no-go.
Hentai CG images cannot contain more than 20% of sexual violation.
Hypnosis is OK
One of the interesting things in the wording about rape/confinement/etc is that it can't show the offenders in a positive light -- it gives me flashbacks to my class on Film Noir and talking about the Hayes Code, and the impact that had on the American film industry. Just a cross-cultural comparison I'm highlighting here.
Apparently pressure for regulations were aimed at retailers first, and then it finally worked its way up to the EOCS -- and already there had been regulations happening in the AV world, with rape and loli-like live action stuff being put on hold after the summer of 2008.
This is a huge problem for some people, like one company that had a project 90% done, only to find out that it's no-good under these regulations. Some of the reactions that Canned Dogs collected, as well as the ones in the comments, are really worth reading.
"I do agree with Paul Soth, it's not a law. yes it's a publishing association guideline, much like the old Comics Code Authority, and this is our morality obligation.
| "...
I'll flat out admit it: I'm taking one for the team while Samit is at E3 and posting this. At least I know who Kobe Bryant is, so this post isn't going to be a complete failure.
But yes, Kobe Bryant has made it onto the cover of NBA 2K10 for the first time. If you're a big sports fan, you can go over to NBA 2K's website and vote for which Kobe Bryant cover you want to see on the final version of the game, which we've got down below in the gallery.
Peter Molyneux knows that we're a savage group of people. We kick children, shout obscenities, and curb-stomp puppies on a daily basis. So, not surprisingly, within moments of Lionhead Studio's Milo project being unveiled, many of us has inappropriate thoughts about what we could possibly do with Milo.
And so, Molyneux said that they're taking "very, very, careful precautions" to make sure that we don't have inappropriate relationships with Milo. The game is supposed to replicate your childhood -- the fun and simplicity of it all. So, "it's almost impossible to form an inappropriate relationship... it's just not something that's possible to do within the game."
Well, Mr. Molyneux, that sounds like a challenge. So, you don't want to give us the option of locking Milo in a room and leaving him to die, but we can still introduce him to our pet snake. Plus, you know somehow, Japan is going to do something inappropriate with this technology. Sure, it might not be with Milo, but it might be with Kate, whoever she might be -- the full title of the game is Milo and Kate, by the way.
"Since Peter Jackson and Spielberg are on board for the Natal, I could see this turning into an interactive moviesque type deal.
Your talking to Milo and having a chat and then some cinematic thi..."...
Pop 'n Music is one of those arcade games that is just hardcore. I don't have the the ability to focus as well as those people do, so I flounder quickly. But that's partially because I don't get enough practice with it. Thankfully, Konami has come to the rescue, and announced that they're bringing Pop 'n Music to the Wii.
The game is set to launch this Fall with a "variety of original and licensed music," although they don't quite give hints to any of the songs that'll be included -- the only extra info we've got is that there'll be competition and battle modes for you and your friends. Oh, and there's full Mii integration! I bet you're super-excited about that!
Anyways, check out the press release after the jump and the screens in our gallery.
Well, here we go: Kojima's new project is Metal Gear Solid: Rising, which will featuring Raiden as the main character. With the tagline of "Lightning Bolt Action," we now have the start of the Metal Gear franchise on the Xbox 360. That's all the word Kojima had to say as he came onto the stage to speak to the Microsoft panel crowd.
So, no, it's not Metal Gear Solid 4 on the Xbox 360.
[Update: Press release after the jump. Also, G4 has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid: Rising will NOT be an Xbox 360 exclusive.]
"Even though i am a HUGE MGS fanboy, this is a stoop lower than i expected from Kojima (not the console flip, the possibility of it bieng an action game)
All my hopes are pleading for a Espionage ..."...
Not to leave Sony out in the cold, Hideo Kojima announced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker at the Sony Press Conference. The title, a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3, takes place ten years after the events of the game, will be taking place on the PSP.
"It's a true sequel of the Metal Gear franchise," said Kojima, saying that he is deeply involved in the game, as he will be writing the script, producing the game, and the main Metal Gear Solid 4 team will be working on this project. The game, from what we can see in the trailer, is based around Big Boss' establishment of Outer Heaven.
The game is going to have all the feeling of a Metal Gear title, Kojima says, but adding in the elements that are native to the PSP for a special experience. Kojima really took some time to pump up this game, and it seemed like that he was taking a swing at Metal Gear Solid: Rising, in his emphasis how this is a real title.Just an amusing little note from him.
So now that our E3 coverage is in full swing, and the major press conferences are behind us, it's time to take a step back and do like we do every year, and take a look at what Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have presented to us. Each company has paraded themselves in front of us, showing off their wares and vying for our praise and dollars.
So, tonight's article isn't about who "won" E3 -- you guys got to vote on that -- but instead, I want to try and take a critical eye to what happened. There were moments for each company that appealed to my inner hater, as well as my inner fanboy, and I'll be sure to put both out there, along with a bit of logic, if that's possible. So I invite you to check your feelings at the door while you read this, and just try to enjoy.
"Microsoft to me a lot of their games were either expected or leaked out so I knew most of the games they were gonna announce before they even announced them. Though I'm glad they finally showed s..."...
So, this seems like the final update in the whole rapegamesaga: The EOCS has met, with about 100 representatives total gathering, and reached the nearly unanimous decision that rape games should be banned. Going into the meeting, it seems as though that was pretty much the only available option in the face of the news storm surrounding the genre. No vote was held, but at the same time, no one found it absurd that rape games should be banned.
The details over what this means though -- what's acceptable and what's not -- is still up in the air. The EOCS will be working with each of the companies to try and help them adjust their titles, until they can make a body of regulations from all this. So, while we are seeing the EOCS take a step back automatically, they are at least doing their most to make sure the companies aren't getting overly screwed here.
And really? I'm not at all surprised by the actions. It fits with the mindset of a Japanese corporation or business group. I had my hopes that since the companies were mainly made up of younger people -- or at least that's what I'd assume -- they'd be a bit more open-minded and willing to fight the good fight. But, they are a niche industry, and they want to avoid government intervention.
"Interesting post. I have been wondering about this issue, so thanks for posting. I’ll likely be coming back to your blog. Thanks ever so much, very great article! If you do not mind, please visit..."...
Often times, video game companies like Capcom and Atlus give us little figures or plushes that tie into their upcoming releases, but this might mark the first time a company's ever created something amazing in the vinyl department. The fine folks at Aksys Games, who are publishing BlazBlue here in North America, sent us a little e-mail this morning featuring news on this amazing Mighty Mugg of Noel Vermillion, one of BlazBlue's 13 fighters. Noel is their second prototype BlazBlue toy, with the first being a plush of plushie of the game's catgirl, Taokaka.
There's a catch, though: they're only going to make the figure if fan demand is high enough. To that end, they've posted a news item up on the Aksys Games' Web site. So if you really want this Noel Mighty Mugg, go forth and let them know by leaving a comment.
So, I can only assume you've read about Burch 'n Davis playing Brutal Legend, and will be hungrily anticipating our hands-on that'll be coming up later. Well, in the meantime, I'm here to bombard you with assets, this time of the rocking video kind.
Here we've got the E3 trailer that was shown at Microsoft's (I believe) press conference, and the accompanying video Jack Black did for it. You can check out both videos after the jump, but be warned: spend at least fifteen minutes between watching them, otherwise there's a good chance that your face will melt off.
Destructoid is not responsible for any face-melting or other bodily injuries that occur as a result of watching the following videos.
Must slow motion be used excessively in every single sports trailer? I realize that it heightens the tension when used properly, but it seems like recently it's taken over the entirety of the trailer. Point in case being the Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 trailer we've got waiting for you after the jump.
I suppose it lets them bring in text of all the features of the game, but even then, wouldn't it just be better to have the video dramatically slow down like in 300? That's just my own personal opinion. On a separate note, how many of you readers actually play soccer games? I feel like they're the bastard child of the US sports market -- and yes, I realize you European folks will probably be buying this in droves akin to how we buy Madden.
While this hasn't been announced at E3, we did get word this morning of a new version of The Witcher. This 1.5 version will include everything from the Enhanced Edition of The Witcher, plus another five fan-made adventures. The big thing here, though, is they've dropped all their DRM and have even removed the disc check so you don't need to have the DVD in-drive in order to play the game.
This outreach of trust to the fans is nice to hear about. For all of you with copies of The Witcher, the game will automatically patch in all this once it's released (no date on that yet), so look forward to seeing that! The press release is after the jump for all of you who are interested.
Intrepid reader Tobbii sent us in a video he put together breaking down the Metroid: Other M video, attempting to discern any secrets from it. Since so few details are available at the moment, there's a lot up for interpretation. But there was one interesting detail that he noticed, right around the 2:40 mark.
Yep, the possibility that they've already teased us with a release date! Could the game be coming out on March 25, 2010? Well, there's nothing more I can say other than check the video out after the jump and let us know your own thoughts on the matter.
"He keeps saying "Flashback! Flashback!" but what about the more obvious conclusion? That being, this is a prequel to Metroid 1, or possibly spans from before Metroid 1 through the events of Metro..."...
Yesterday, during Sony's press conference, they mentioned a whole host of new content joining the PlayStation Network. Now, knowing me, I'm taking a moment to highlight some of the content that is near and dear to my heart. Amongst the wide number of logos that Sony threw up on the screen were ADV's The Anime Network, Viz Media, and Starz's Manga Entertainment. They'll be joining FUNimation and others on the PSN with some great titles.
Like? Well, apparently Starz is handling the distribution of Gurren Lagann, one of those series that will inspire you to do great things. Similarly, other titles like Ghost in the SHell and Robotech will be distributed on the PSN. Viz will likely distribute episodes of stalwart shonen titles Bleach and Naruto, while ADV will bring plenty of its VOD service to the PSN.
Starz will also be bringing other titles from their wide range of programming in, like Dead Space: Downfall and films from Overture Studios, which will be available in both SD and HD. TV shows, like Painkiller Jane, will be available in HD when possible, no doubt.
"Good news I guess.
Maybe they can finally release 1080p Gurren Lagann dual audio w/ 5.1? or at least 720p dual audio 2.1. Fucking A GAINAX release blu-rays already. Also I'd like a good group t..."...
Catching up with EA CEO John Riccitiello, IndustryGamers talked with him about the upcoming future of motion controllers. The boys at EA have been playing around with both Sony and Microsoft's technologies for a while, and they first were informed about the projects about 15 months ago.
Since then, they've been experimenting left and right. In talking about Project Natal, he said, "it's certainly very compelling for a number of game concepts I've got in my mind and my teams are working on. ... I think the challenges around it is that there's a lot to be worked out – it's not something consumers have interacted with before." Natal's ambition was really shown off with Peter Molyneux showing off Milo. After seeing it in the press conference, I fully expected it to be something that was buggy, but I have a gut feeling Microsoft has put a lot more into it than I'm expecting, and the hands-on reports will prove that initial expectation wrong.
Meanwhile, Riccitiello considered Sony's motion controller "a great bridge technology," providing users with an experience that's unlike what they've used previously, but at the same time, "it doesn't require quite the leap of faith that Natal does." At this point, though, all we're seeing is a technical demo, and so we don't have anywhere as great an idea of how the technology will play out as we do with Project Natal.
Both technologies, to me at least, seem to be trying to do a bit more with motion than the Wii is managing. Just because Nintendo did it first does not mean they can do it best. But it seems to me, as well as to Riccitiello, that each of the companies are carving out their own distinct niches when it comes to motion technology. It's certainly a boon for us: with this generation's lifecycle only approaching half-way through, this technology should really be something special by the end of the generation.
"A few other points is that no one is gonna want to hold their arms out like their driving for very long before getting tired. So it's MOMO Wheel regular game controller motion sensing device. A..."...
For those of you who want to relive the magic of Kojima speaking and moving, especially when it comes to him talking about Metal Gear Solid in Japanese, then boy, have I got a treat for you. Now, while you sit and eat your Chocolaty Rice Crisps for breakfast, you can hear Kojima's announcement in the full.
So now you can see for yourself as to whether or not he's taking subtle jabs at Metal Gear Solid: Rising, like I was claiming earlier. And if your cereal of choice isn't Chocolaty Rice Crisps (why, I couldn't understand), then let us know that too in the comments.
Teasing us with some new information, Jack Tretton announced that Rockstar is developing a new title exclusively for the PS3: an international spy thriller called Agent. Set in the dark world of the late 1970s (hey, that's when Peace Walker is set!), this title will "take players around the globe."
And that's all that they've announced on the title. Much like their Resident Evil announcement, details are scarce, but I'm sure we'll be hearing more soon. Not surprisingly, Tretton said that the title will have the same level of desiriability of GTA IV. Still, let's see how things turn out.
And who knows, he could go on to fight Big Boss. He certainly is an international threat.
[Update:Rockstar has sent out a press release about Agent, with a few more details on the title. Check it out after the jump.]
"I couldn't find a video on E3 08 but I did find this
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/07/27/new-rockstar-games-franchise-exclusive-to-the-ps3/
Quote from the blog post:
"...we’ve agreed to ..."...
Dale's been talkingabout the Atlus minigame bonanza 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix, and now Atlus has announced that they're bringing the title to the Wii with 101-in-1 Party Megamix. Packed with all sorts of minigames, this $20 title has fun for the whole family packed into it.
This time, with the game on the Wii, it'll be even easier to pick up and play with your friends and family. Like Dale has said for the DS title, and it bears repeating here: a single $20 for 101 games to play. You'll spend some time unlocking everything, so it's not an ADD-fest of sorts. There'll be something to enjoy for everyone, that's for sure.
Check out the screens Atlus sent us down in the gallery below. Also, the game will be hitting store shelves October 27th of this year.
I was never really one for Splinter Cell. but after watching the gameplay demo at yesterday's Microsoft press conference was rather impressive. But watching the live demo they had? That has made me completely rethink my position on the series.
And so not only does this game really bring the action in a new way for me, it looks absolutely beautiful, especially with the environmental interaction. This is always what I had hoped Splinter Cell to be, and so I say just go check out the video after the jump. You won't regret it.
Nintendo unveiled one of the greatest titles to come to the Nintendo DS: James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion. One that is surely to be a killer app for the DS! Based upon James Patterson's first television series, which aired from 2007-2008, after which it was canceled before it got a second season.
The story follows a group of four women: a detective, a reporter, a medical examiner, and an assistant district attorney, as they try to solve crimes. They use their powers to fight the forces of evil and form together to form the Megazo...sorry, got mixed up here. But yes, you will be using these womens' talents to solve crimes.
And the tagline is "Why join a book club?" Yes, why bother reading or learning, especially if you're trying to become a detective, or a reporter, or maybe even a district attorney.
Damn, where has this game been? Why haven't I been playing this yet? Well, I've seen the error of my ways, that's for sure. Demons Souls, for the newly initiated like myself, this game is a hardcore RPG set in the post-apocalyptic kingdom of Boletaria, where beasts and monsters laid waste to the kingdom of warriors there.
If you're familiar with the King's Field series of games, this is the next one in their line of titles. While I haven't touched the previoius titles, this one sounds a bit like Oblivion, in that open-ended RPG with intense customization. Hopefully without the horse armor, though. The game has fairly high rankings -- in the high 80s from Degenki, and a 9/10 from Eurogamer.
Just from the trailer and these screens, though, they've managed to really capture that dark and desolate feel. I can't wait to get my hands on this. In the meantime, check out their awesomely sexy trailer after the jump.
"I love how they have taken a different approach to going online with the bloodstains, messages and stones. I'm waiting for my copy to come from Ebay, and if it's out in Sept, I might get an Atlus..."...
For all you Mystery Dungeon fans, Atlus has announced they've acquired the rights to the Wii title Shiren the Wanderer. The Mystery Dungeon series has had a spotty release over here in the US, although you might be more familiar with Chocobo's Dungeon or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon -- same series. The first Shiren game released was translated by Sega back in 2006 and brought over here to the DS.
While we're waiting on the second title's DS remake to be translated, Atlus has brought over Shiren 3 to the US, which will be hitting store shelves in Spring 2010. This rogue-like title received incredibly high marks from Famitsu (9/9/8/9) , and so we're looking forward to giving this a shot once something is available for us to play. In the meantime, there's always staring at the page Atlus has set up.
I guess now would be a good time to pick up the DS title and get some practice in, wouldn't it?
"Word to the Wise!
This port of Shiren 3 on the Wii, while using most of the same mechanics as the Shiren the Wanderer DS game is actually a LOT more user friendly. In all honesty it's a lot clo..."...
We've got new word from Canned Dogs on the changes coming from EOCS talks -- first up is Syrup Soft. Their title has been delayed a week, presumably to change the packaging and the discs that are being pressed. Why? Because the main change is to the title. No longer will their next release be titled Gang-raped by the Entire Village ~Girls Covered in Milky Liquid~ (Machigurumi rinkan ~hakudaku mamire no shoujo tachi~) -- no, now it will be renamed to the much more tame The Trap Set by the Entire Village ~Bodies Covered in Milky Liquid~ (Machigurumi no wana ~hakudaku ni mamireta shitai~).
Actually, that's it. There seems to be no actual change to the game's content. And there are no plans to do so. So, what real changes are actually coming out of this conference? Well, the talks are happening later today, so we might have more word coming soon.
In a recent talk with the LA Times, Gore Verbinksi cited high costs as one of the main reasons for not wanting to do the Bioshock film that he was slated to do. The film was put on hold while they investigated the option of shooting the film overseas.
Well, as it turns out, the film's budget that just kept on balooning has meant that it would require going to someplace with a "very generous tax cut," for well over a year. With other projects going on, and y'know, a life otherwise, a year and a half is a big chunk of time to cut out. And anyways, it's taking away from his making videogames time.
I can understand the problem for Mr. Verbinksi. The budget required for the film is growing, as would the time required to be overseas -- many of these countries require a certain amount of work to be done in there in order to qualify for tax benefits. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an eat-in clause on his contract, which would really cut down on the incentive for him, as I really doubt it's a pet project for him.
So, back to that videogame making business. Talking about his company Blink Wind, Mr. Verbinski said, "We're doing everything from 30 hours of gameplay to applications that may be eight minutes of highly entertaining and unique downloadable content." Verbinski's role as producer on these games seems to be that of an organizer, from how he talks. He brings the people together, and tries to get some magic to happen -- he's not going to be in there micro-managing the titles.
The whole interview is a really great read, and I suggest you plunk down a few hours at this late hour to give it a read.
"Everyone was hating on verbinski taking on Bioshock but I think he was a decent choice. Sure I would have pregered Proyas but I think Verbinski (at least with Black Pearl) has proved himself cap..."...
If only I could. This etsy wonder item has already sold out, but oh how wonderful it'd be to have in my bed. Cuddling up with this cute plushie is a much for any Silent Hill fanatic. Knowing Colette, though, she'd steal this from me. Either her or Dale North. I know they've been practicing their filching skills recently.
And so, as you lay in bed at night, clutching Robbie tight, he'll be sure to protect you from whatever flayed dogs may try and rape you with their ant eater-like tongues. Of course, there's no telling what he might do to you if you let him drop to the floor. You wouldn't do that to Robbie, now would you?
You know, I don't even know if this would be the creepiest thing in my room, anyways.
Or at least that's what I presumed, watching this thing. I mean, what can I say about reflections and explosions happening in the reflections of shards of glass floating about, forming up to the Crysis logo. And thus, I've summarized the entirety of the trailer for you. Sorry to spoil it.
But hey, if you want to check it out, it's waiting for you, right after the jump! Are any of you actually excited by this, or just want to speculate on the greatness that Crysis 2 will surely be?
Excited for the Army of Two sequel? Well, some of you are. I'm always up for another co-op game to play with my friends at home. Well, now we've got a bunch of screens and the teaser trailer ready from E3 for all of you. At the same time, I'd like to remind you of our preview from back in March.
Readers, I've got a task for you in the comments: try and sell someone on Army of Two. I mean, yeah, it sold some two million copies, so a lot of people bought it, but I know it left a bad taste in many a mouth. So, for the unknowing masses, why should we buy it?
And, for all of you to enjoy, the teaser trailer is sitting right after the jump. Click away!
Straight from the bowels of Microsoft's Press Conference comes the title Joyride. The game is a free-to-download title for XBLA that will put your avatars in the middle of the action, featuring them as the main racers of this trick-racing game.
The game will be free to play with your friends, and the game operates on a micropayment system, where you can spend money to buy more cars and tracks and all the like. What's nice is that you'll be able to share tracks and with your friends, even if they haven't bought it.
The game has a very cartoony feel, almost as though it was ripped right out of an episode of Looney Tunes. The title will be coming to Xbox Live this winter.
Everything is darker in Paris, or at least when the Nazis are around. Unless you consider the glow of their blood on the walls to be brightening. Pandemic's title has been buzzing about the office recently, what with the trailer we saw yesterday, as well as Husky's interviews with Christopher Hunt and Tom French.
I'm all for the game, mainly because getting to take on the Nazis someplace other than the frontlines of Europe is a venture that seems new and refreshing to me. So, what we've got here are another 11 screenshots from the game, all for your enjoyment. Hopefully we'll get a release date soon, I'd like to play this already.
"Looking good!
"Irish people are supposed to be neutral, this guy's sabotaging Nazi stuff is not neutral."
Surely you're thinking about the nation of Ireland, not the people."...
Straight out of the bowels of Japan comes another UFO catcher that Dale, Colette, and I will be sure to rock the sh*t out of at Tokyo Game Show: Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher. Namco Bandai's doing all the construction work on the machines, while Capcom did all the designing for the game. The machines will be launching in Fall of 2009, so be ready for it.
The takeaway message from this announcement, though, is that Capcom and Namco Bandai are using this as a test to see where they can start developing new business together in the arcade area. Perhaps a Dead Rising lightgun game could be in the future. Who knows?
"I fucking hated the Crane mini game in Mario Party, the computer was such a fucking cheater, they would never let go of you when they grabbed you, NEVER LET GO!"...
Looking for some more excitement in your Wipeout Fury HD? Well, Sony has just announced the details of its expansion pack, which will include another 8 tracks, doubling what the game has already, plus another 13 ships. That's more ships than was originally in the game.
The game will also have three new modes: Eliminator, a free-for-all melee; Zone Battle, a breakneck race to capture Zones before your opponent; and Dentonator, where you'll be dodging and blasting away mines strewn throughout the field.
That's quite a bit they've tacked on, along with online play for Zone Battle and Eliminator and new trophies for the game. Sony will be showing off more of it during E3, so I'm sure the team will talk about it more when they stop by the booth.
Really, there's only so much we can say about what's going on at Kojima's teaser page. I guess we'll hear about it in another seven hours and change, right? Well, I'm putting my hat in for guessing what the new Metal Gear title is.
That's right. It's going to be a Metal Gear weather simulator. You'll get to play as Big Boss, crawling through the lush forests of Vietnam, as it goes from dawn 'till the blackest of nights. Through, rain, sleet, and snow, you'll encounter incredibly lifelike foliage and water generation that will make you thirsty. And don't worry, Snake won't get hungry: so you don't need to worry about hunting for food. All that processing power is going into the water effects, anyways.
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3:40 PM on 11.04.2009, 
The ultimate PC gamer to-do list
Think L4D2 is an expansion? You're a f*cking idiot 
The Memory Card .76: Brotherly love
The Zen of Gaming: What games chill us out
Do the wrong thing: Breaking Sasha's promise
A spotter's guide to videogame bosses
My sexy, nerdy, fertility boosting ReBirth wish list
Revisited: the ending of Prince of Persia is broken
The Memory Card .75: The blind fighting the blind
Game SERIES Debate to the Death! The Legend of Zelda
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Ellis
Does sexual orientation have a place in games?
The art of Once Upon a Pixel: Katamari Damacy
How to respond to a videogame review
Ten 'classic' games that did not age well
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Coach
The Memory Card .74: Crono's trial
Attention, everyone buying L4D2: I have dibs on Nick
Why the Left 4 Dead survivors may secretly be infected
