「稼働日発表！」　プロジェクトマネージャー：塩沢夏希 [SFIV Blog]

They're also giving away posters! Hopefully, said posters feature Wonder Woman and Sonya Blade for extra poster-kissability. For those who aren't able to make the trek to Comic-Con, perhaps these day old MK vs. DC in-game screenshots will soothe the pain.

According to the Bungie weekly update, the Halo developer's presence at Comic-Con 08 will be minimal. Microsoft reps will be in attendance, however, hyping up the next Halo novel and shilling Spartan and Master Chief bobbleheads. Bring cash. Lots.

Bungie Weekly Update: 6/20/08 [Bungie.net]

Metal Gear Solid 2 Raiden Stealth Camouflage Version

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the hit video game, this exclusive NYCC figure from Medicom is a must-have for any fan of the action-packed franchise as well as nostalgia-struck gamers from the NES-era. 7" tall and features multiple points of articulation. Available from selected retailers on the show floor. Limited to 1400 pieces.

And yes, we want to give it away. To you. Or you. Or you. Let's do a contest. Oh yes, let's. We're going to kick off a Metal Gear mustache contest. But not just any mustache contest! Contestants must create and wear mustaches made out of anything BUT hair. Got that? Entries must be of a non-hair mustache, and it must be on the contestant's face. Finalists will be announced on June 12th. That's soon! Send your entry to kotakutcontestATgmailDOTcom. May the best 'stache win!

Hit the jump for a look at box's backside.

NYC Comic Con geek-gasm [Boing Boing TV]

NECA's Falk hopes that, like the recently-announced comic book series, the Gears figure series will play a role in helping fans feel more connected to the story and characters of the upcoming game. The picture shown here is a frankly amazing "Exploding Head Locust" figurine that was on display at Comic Con. My crummy photograph, with the glare from the display case, unfortunately couldn't capture the whole fabulously grotesque splatter effect.

The Epic crew were tight-lipped about specific details on the upcoming title, but we did glean plenty of interesting info from Capps and Ortega about what to expect. More chainsaws? More drama? More Locust explosions? Hit the jump for much more on Gears 2 from Comic Con, including an in-depth interview with Ortega.

"We said, 'let's look at all of the game systems and see how we can make them bigger, better, and more badass,'" Explained Capps of the team's goal for Gears 2. And that's every game mechanic, from the cover system to Cliff Blezinski's beloved chainsaw bayonets — an element of the game Capps confessed he was actually against at first, but is now glad of, to say the least. When an audience member asked the panel whether Gears 2 would enable players to do more with the close-range chainsaw combat, Capps declined to specify directly — but reiterated the promise that everything that makes Gears what it is is getting the "bigger, badder, more badass" treatment.

Capps admitted that while the original Gears received acclaim for its characters, the story was "disappointing," in that the game was built largely around its environment, not its plot. Ortega, who's writing script and story for the sequel, pointed out how challenging it can be in development cycles to accommodate everything one might hope for, story-wise, in a single game.

"A place builds over time into a fun encounter space, but that makes it tough for a writer," Capps said. "The story must adapt to the game design."

So while Ortega might have his work cut out for him in Gears 2, this time around, the Epic team says it plans to address some fan questions on the Gears backstory — and the stuff that doesn't make it into the game will be fleshed out in the comic books. Expect Gears 2 to present a much more in-your-face portrayal of war, too. Capps says he told the designers, "I want D-Day," and less the spying and infiltration feel he felt the previous installment had.

For Ortega, this presents an interesting opportunity to look at the smaller dramas that often go on during the larger conflict of humans at war. Dom's wife Maria will apparently play a significant role; while Capps joked that this was because the Gears franchise didn't have enough hot chicks, Ortega pointed out the added significance that human emotional relationships can take on in wartime.

Even the Locust horde may see a somewhat more complex treatment this time, possibly even a sympathetic one. The original Gears of War ended with a surprisingly erudite female voice — the Locust Queen, promising her forces would fight on. Why, an audience member asked, give her that elegant British accent? "Because British accents mean you're smart," Capps teased. But more sincerely, the team confirmed that adding a shade of complexity, some facets of humanity to the series' villains, as Halo 3 did with the Covenant, was part of their strategy to give Gears 2's story more depth. "A bad guy can't just be 'roooar, destroy world, evil,'" said Capps.

In response to a question about possible future downloadable content for Gears 2, Capps was unwilling to make any promises, but stated, "Epic has been doing DLC since 1996." And largely for free, too, he reminded, stating flatly, "We're not Rock Band. ...Mind you, I bought a lot of the Rock Band songs... but this is how Epic has always done it. You expect that bonus."

More vehicles? "We'll see." An audience member pointed out a particular vehicle sequence in the original Gears that he didn't care for; Capps admitted that wasn't "the best level ever," but says that sequences like that are necessary to mix up the shooting action and aid the pacing of the game. He calls sequences like these "sorbet," in that they refresh the palate for the next round of intense gameplay, and told the audience to "expect more sorbet" in Gears 2.

What's in store for fan favorite Cole Train? An audience member wanted to make sure that Cole would be back for the second game. Capps promised that he would. "You can't get rid of Cole Train!" He explained, and then added — jokingly? "At least not until halfway through." Capps did like to joke a lot during the presentation, but perhaps ominously, Ortega added, "No one's safe in Gears."

As for what kinds of multiplayer Gears 2 might contain, Epic's not saying at this stage, but said there'd likely be further info on that in May.

While Joshua Ortega's voice was nearly gone thanks to days on end of promotional activities for Gears 2 and his other work, he was kind enough to sit down after the presentation and discuss the Gears 2 story and the experience of writing it. Originally a music journalist, Ortega has spent his career largely writing for comic books like Star Trek, Spiderman and The Necromancer, and also published a critically-acclaimed science fiction novel, titled Frequencies, before being tapped by Epic to work on this title.

We asked Ortega where he's been getting his inspiration for the work on Gears 2. "First and foremost, as a game I think it's just brilliantly rendered and executed. They all did a great job; it's really fun, easily one of the best games I've played as far as gameplay goes," he told us enthusiastically. "Also, it's an 'ugly' environment because it's a dead world, but then they've really rendered it beautifully." The war-torn environment can still be beautiful, Ortega explained, piquing the imagination and providing a complex, interesting world for a writer to work with.

"You have humanity on the brink of extinction," continued Ortega. "You have a culture that's warred over emulsion, the energy source for the planet. It's a brilliant concept." Ortega isn't patting his own back here; the original Gears concept was done by a different writing staff. So what's it like to take the ball and run with it from here?

"There's some neat advantages to coming on at this stage," Ortega told us. "A lot of the groundwork's laid, and now it's exploring all the pathways. And we had more time to put this one together. The first game had a real tight development schedule — just had to get out what you could — and it came out great, but people wanted more. They could only get to so much in the first game, so we do have that nice advantage in expanding on it."

One thing we learned from hearing Ortega speak at various Comic Con panels today is that writing for games is not necessarily the way one might think — it's usually not that a creative writer swoops in to have a team of game designers bring his dramatic vision to life as a game. Instead, game design and mechanics are the largest priority, especially in a shooter like Gears of War, and the writer is tasked with working around that. We asked Ortega if he found that challenging.

"Definitely," he stated. "It can be, but to Epic's credit... [the reason] they brought me on was because they wanted more of a story this time. So at the same time, you want to make sure you don't mess up gameplay, but I'm there to do story. Cliff, Rob, Mike, all the guys involved in it... want me to do story. So they're all like, 'let's find a way to make it work.' I actually had a fair amount of creative freedom; it's not so limiting. It's kind of a nice balance... a nice process. Certainly there are times it'd be like, 'ooh, could you throw this character in?' 'Nope, not time.' So you do work around that, but there are always challenges in writing for games."

While the team is aiming to expand on the Gears mythos in the second installment, one thing they're pleased about in its predecessor is the main characters, especially Marcus Fenix. We asked Ortega about getting to know Marcus, how he determines the journey of an established character, and who he feels Marcus is. "He's a great anti-hero," Ortega said. "I think at his core that's why people dig Marcus a lot... because he's fighting for the COG, and he's a gear and he's part of the government and he's a soldier and that's what he does... but at the same time, you know, he's cynical and definitely worldly. He understands his government doesn't always have the best interests of the people... he's not just a by-the-book, y'know, 'oh, yeah, whatever you say, Sir.' He'll carry it out if it means saving humanity, but he's also, at the very least, going to throw a wise-ass comment about it, or even the reason why he's in prison at the start of the first game is because he rebelled on orders."

Added Ortega, "He's a rebel; I think people like the rebels." And he's going to continue to be a rebel? "Yep."

So what might lie ahead for Marcus in Gears 2? "We've got a nice arc for Marcus. Dom has a great arc in this one, too. It's going to really be fun to see people's reaction to Dom and this expansion on his story. I think that he and Marcus will be on a very equal plain by the end, where you know a lot about both of them. And we've got a lot of really fun twists in store — and there's gonna be some pretty heavy, emotional stuff."

Ortega also noted how much fun it's been to work with the Gears' voice cast, and the role that they play in developing the characters. Earlier, on the panel, Capps had talked about how Cole Train's character's personality owes a lot to creative ad-libbing by Lester "Mighty Rasta" Speight. Ortega says that having such an enthusiastic crew of voice actors is inspiring as a writer: "In Gears 1, any deficiencies in story were totally made up for by the talent of the voice crew. Everyone is so perfectly cast, and they love their roles. They're into it, and they can ad-lib all day; it's pretty amazing. It really does make it where you can jump in... you have an advantage. For me, I can come in and hear the actors' voices, and I write from that."

What themes and conflicts can we expect? "Certainly the big thing is going with the last stand of humanity, and looking at [this] example of a totally collapsed society... a war over limited energy sources, and now [humanity is] at the brink of extinction, fighting their greatest enemy ever. The whole beginning of the game is like the D-Day invasion; it's their last chance."

Continued Ortega, "We wanted it to be really emotionally resonant, and part of the reason for bringing Maria, Dom's wife, into the story is that I think it's really powerful in an epic when you also have a micro-level, personal connection. So you get the big story, but then you have this emotional center to connect back to so it's not just all big stuff, nameless people. When you have someone who's actually been affected, they have a name, they're a character... I think that's big. So I'd say we're really going for strong storytelling, and definitely with surprises. We'll never be able to talk about them until after the game's out, but I think people are really going to be pleasantly — or frighteningly — surprised!"

The Medicom-created action figure is of the dreaded "stealth camo" variety and limited to 1400 pieces. Can't imagine it will be too hard to get your hands on one if you don't go to the show, as I have quite a few... wait, that may be too embarrassing to print. Let's just say some people who didn't go to Comic Cons past found a way to get glow in the dark EVA figures.

Show Exclusives [NY Comic Con via MTV Multiplayer]

There aren't really any details about what exactly they two will discuss about the upcoming Epic game, but the presentation is set for the morning of the last day of the show.

The show, which runs from April 18 through April 20, will also play host to exhibitors Konami, Namco Bandai, Square-Enix and Ubisoft who will be conducting their own demos and videos. On April 20, the show's last day, the show will have a dozen panel discussions about different facets of gaming including "video game journalism", writing for video games and how to get started in the industry.

VIDEO GAMES TAKE STAGE AT 2008 NEW YORK COMIC CON

GEARS OF WAR 2 CREATORS AMONG GAME LUMINARIES AND CELEBRITY GUESTS AT THIS YEAR'S CONFERENCE

Norwalk, CT, April 1, 2008: New York Comic Con (NYCC), the second largest popular culture event in the United States, today announces many of the video game highlights during its 2008 event, April 18-20, at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City. With an expanded focus on video games, this year's conference includes a look into the award-winning Gears of War franchise and the upcoming Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360 by Epic Games President Michael Capps and Gears of War 2 scriptwriter Joshua Ortega of Microsoft Game Studios. New York Comic Con is a showcase for the biggest and the best of American pop culture and video games. These driving forces in what's popular and hot are represented through a number of NYCC events, exhibitors, and guests, with this year's show attracting many celebrities including Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and T.M. Revolution.

New York Comic Con is proud to welcome exhibitors including Konami, Namco Bandai, Square-Enix, and Ubisoft; some of the biggest names in the interactive entertainment industry. These exhibitors will present their current hits and preview the summer's biggest titles from the show floor. While these demos and videos will be enough to satisfy any gamer, they are just the tip of the iceberg. New York Comic Con will present a special gamer summit on Sunday, April 20, with 12 panel discussions led by video game industry leaders. NYCC's gamer summit was created with the guidance of TenTonHammer.com and Themis Media, publishers of cutting-edge sites like The Escapist Magazine and WarCry Network. The summit will showcase games including Age of Conan, EvE Online, Iron Man, Warhammer Online, and studios including CCP, FunCom, Turbine, and 38 Studios. The summit will also feature round table discussions and topics ranging from video game journalism and writing for video games, to starting a career in the video game industry.

The gamer summit will begin with a presentation by Michael Capps, president of Epic Games, and Joshua Ortega, the scriptwriter behind Gears of War 2, discussing the origin of the Gears of War saga, its unprecedented success, and offering a glimpse into this year's upcoming Gears of War 2.

As a benefit to attendees, this year's show also features an exciting mix of celebrity guests including: Stan Lee (creator of X-Men and Spider-Man), Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy), Ron Perlman and Selma Blair (stars of Hellboy II), Guillermo del Toro (director of Hellboy II), Frank Miller (creator of Sin City and 300), Seth Green and Matthew Senreich (creators of Robot Chicken), John Cho and Kal Penn (stars of Harold and Kumar), Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer (creators of The Venture Bros.), and Eva Mendes (star of Ghost Rider).

ABOUT MICHAEL CAPPS:
Dr. Michael Capps is the president of Epic Games, creator of the multimillion-selling, award-winning Unreal series and 2006 Game of the Year, Gears of War. Epic is responsible for the Unreal Engine, the underlying technology that powers a range of games including 2K Games' 2007 Game of the Year, BioShock, and BioWare's 2007 RPG of the Year, Mass Effect. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder and three-time consecutive winner of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Engine. Under Michael's leadership, Epic has been recognized as Studio of the Year by Spike TV, Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine, and Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association. Michael serves on the board of directors for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), two leading organizations committed to advancing the interests of the game development and entertainment software communities. Prior to entering the game industry, Michael served as a professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, where he specialized in defense and entertainment collaboration, virtual reality, and computer graphics. While at the Naval Postgraduate School, Michael was also the producer, designer and lead programmer for America's Army, the official military action game sponsored by the U.S. Army.

ABOUT JOSHUA ORTEGA:
Ortega is a Seattle-based writer whose work spans nearly the entire spectrum of the popular arts. He has written for every major American comic book company including Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Image, Top Cow, TOKYOPOP, Dynamite Entertainment and more, working on high-profile properties such as Star Wars, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer, and Battlestar Galactica. A former journalist, Ortega is also the author of the critically acclaimed novel ((FREQUENCIES)), co-writer of the short film "...loves Martha," and has worked on a wide variety of Xbox 360 titles for Microsoft Game Studios, including the upcoming Gears of War 2.

What some have been referring to as "the next Power Rangers console game to be released after Power Rangers: Dino Thunder", I will forever remember as the one game at Comic Con that disappointed me most.

After waiting in an extremely short line—no player stood taller than 4 feet—I got an opportunity to get my hands on the warm DualShock still sticky from juice box run-off for a chance to take out whatever enemy it is the Power Rangers normally battle.

Getting a grip on the Power Rangers mythos wasn't an easy task, but seemed essential to understanding my pink ranger's motivation to hit stuff. My research consisted of eavesdropping on a conversation between what appeared to be a grown man and Disney Interactive rep, both of whom seemed to know a lot about the show. It is just a TV show, right? One that's about punching and kicking things? Armed with that knowledge, I was ready to have at it.

Having watched my 6 and 7-year old peers struggle to play the game's co-operative mode, I began to fantasize about playing an undiscovered gem of a 2.5D brawler. Could this be the next Viewtiful Joe? It was cel-shaded after all. Plus, I just assumed that these children, barely able to wrap their longest digits around to the L1 and R1 buttons, simply didn't understand what I envisioned to be a deep fighting system.

There was wall-jumping, gun play, finishing moves, speed dodging and what appeared to be solid fisticuffs. Power Rangers: Super Legends also had what seemed like plenty of item collecting bonuses, with hidden power ups and collectibles that would take expert platforming skills to reach. I simply couldn't wait to be the one to dust off this diamond in the rough.

After dispatching a handful of bad guys, it became clear that the nuances of the fighting engine would take some time to unravel. Would it take timing? Creative button combinations? Pressing X more? It certainly wasn't challenging, so I experimented.

Yet I failed to truly enjoy myself.

With a few dozen (hundred?) brawls under my pink ranger's belt, I couldn't quite grasp what I had initially presumed to be so enjoyable about the title. Was I missing something? The graphics were clean, the animation fluid, the mechanics potentially workable—so why did Power Rangers: Super Legends not succeed in maintaining my interest through countless rounds of karate kicking, gun blasting and crate smashing?

Turns out the game actually just sucks.

Following rules similar to the Halo video game, players will have "shields" that can be recharged with the guns mimicking the Covenant weapons' tendency to overheat with excessive use. Each comes with a wearable sensor that will register hits as well as inform players of when their table at Chili's is ready.

No word on how the energy sword will factor into the real-life gameplay, but I foresee plenty of broken swords and wounded LARPers.

Bungie Weekly Update [Bungie]

As a recovering Star Wars toy collector, I feel great sympathy for anyone out there feeling the sub dermal creeps that can only be quelled by spending sixty bucks on twelve repainted action figures. You poor bastards.

On Thursday at the comic-con my brother and I wear walking to the hospitality suite in the nearby Marriott hotel when I noticed an older man in an expensive suit standing next to some black car. I found him to seem strangely out of place, and thought "hey, it's a guy-in-a-suit"(In a slightly pejorative fashion). After I passed the man I hear someone come up to the vehicle; feeling curious, I turned to look,only to see everyone's least favorite director of videogame-to-movie adoptions, Uwe Boll. He expressed relief to the old man, whom I assume was his chauffeur, and quickly entered the car. I pulled out my camera to take a picture, however it takes about five seconds for the camera to start up, and by that time Uwe was already in the car with the door closed. While such a picture would be of little value, I suppose I figured it would have been nice to have a picture to go with this email.

Actually, Ken was selling some of his Star Trek artwork and The Lost Ones material, too, but I wanted to make sure this gets linked from UK: Resistance. [Note to Cmdr. Zorg - I have plenty of other pictures of Ken Penders and the Sonic the Hedgehog comic books he was selling if you're interested.]

Most of the cosplay leaned heavily toward Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, and Street Fighter, but there were few stand outs. Take the Typing of the Dead cosplayer for instance. Not much to the costume, but a welcome change from all the Narutos. There was a great pink Spartan warrior that I missed getting a snap of him. Maybe next year.

The party was set for 7:30 and as I arrived I was greeted by the ship's captain and soon after, a waitress bearing a tray of drinks all in Gametap's colors of orange, green and blue. I chose one of the orange concoctions and made my way to the upper decks. There was a terrific spread of food and a DJ spinning some fun tunes and after stuffing my face I went outside to enjoy being on the water. After about an hour at the dock, the ship finally set sail for an two hour cruise around San Diego Bay. It was great fun and being on the open water was quite a relaxing break from the crush of the Comic Con floor.

Gametap certainly knows how top throw a soiree and I look forward to seeing how their service progresses over the next year. With new games every week including rarities like Neo Geo titles as well as getting some games the same day they hit retail, they will be quite a force to be reckoned with, especially for those who prefer PC gaming to the expensive world of consoles.

The medusa reps Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising and the pirate girl was... inspired by Pirates of the Burning Sea. Okay, okay, I realize that this is a total cop-out and that having two outfits created by professional costume makers kind of disqualifies these two. Plus, I realize there are reasons why these two won't appeal to you—I'm referring to your predilection for console gaming, of course.

Also, boobs.

Anyway! I'll have a full gallery of Comic Con cosplayers later, but in the meantime, check out these gloves!

That package, which contains the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops and DVDs Metal Gear Saga and The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 is now available in Japan and runs a very modest 6250 yen.

Interested? Then demand (or ask politely) that Konami USA bring the package overseas at all costs. Even if you're not interested, just lie. Your Metal Gear loving peers will appreciate your support.

But when I saw these awesome Lego Star Wars costumes, they instantly won my heart and I hereby award them Best in Show.

Oh yeah, Did I mention I was at comic Con?

Tsunoda—wearing sunglasses indoors—told the crowd that EA Chicago wouldn't simply be retrofitting an established fighting engine for the game, instead focusing on using the game's environment as a key component for battles. That doesn't mean that you'll see the beat bouncing, cracking environments from Def Jam ICON, though. Tsunoda said "ICONs a totally different game, but the basic premise in trying to incorporate the environment is a good one. I don't think we'll be going with a "Marvel beats" soundtrack, obviously. We're trying to open up the environment."

He also revealed that characters will be balanced in a fashion true to their Marvel Comics heritage, not simply "using three dials to balance them out." I assume that means that, in a one on one fight, Spider-Man would probably get his ass handed to him in a fight with the Hulk, but taking advantage of his surroundings will determine who is more powerful. "Debris", he says, "will need to be used in creative ways."

Visually, Tsunoda said of the game "We want high end next gen detail, but we want to have its own unique Marvel art style" adding that it "it's not going to look cel-shaded or anything like that." Expect "plenty of detail", but with a Marvel comic book art flair.

Asked by an attendee if the game would be similar to the PlayStation 2 game War of the Monsters, Tsunoda said that that "was a good analogy" but that the giant-monster scale of the new Marvel fighting game didn't apply. Instead, we'll see more street level battles populated with normal bystanders.

David Jaffe's big news wasn't as shocking as some might have been expecting, possibly even disappointing when you consider his new dev studio is first tasked with porting a PSP game to the PlayStation 2. At the very least, I'm happy David's happy. It's clear that Jaffe won't be going back to work on God of War III, defining his relationship with the franchise as "severed." I personally enjoyed Calling All Cars, so I look forward to the new team's future work.

Sadly, there was not a single piece of Dragon Quest themed silverware at Comic Con, but a Square-Enix rep hinted that it could be coming to the U.S. in the fall. Comic Con is saved! Check out a photo gallery of all the gorgeous licensed junk below.

The bullet points:
Start writing. If you're not technical, try getting a job in the gaming media. Gary Whitta says it requires no real talent.
Make a friend in the industry. Talent matters, but who you know can get you in the door.
Go to GDC. If you can't get in, ask someone else for their badge or harass developers on their smoke breaks.
Drunk hunt. Buy developers drinks at GDC! A little shmoozing can go a long way.
Be a pest. Bug them until they hire you or at least look at your reel.
Start small. If you're not getting a response from the HR department at THQ, find a developer without an HR department.
Staple your resume to a donut. It really works!
Be creative. One Foundation 9 employee made a mock "Mike Salmon Fishing" box with his resume on the back. Cheesy, but he got the job.
Don't stalk. Seriously, be a pest, but don't stalk.
Improvise. If you've got a bad portfolio, leave your journal. One aspiring artist lost his portfolio, showing up with only photocopies. He "accidentally" left his personal journal, filled with sketches, which made a great impression.

Furthermore, if your talents lie outside of the programming or artistic fields, you can still work for a developer or publisher in other capacities. If you're a law students, database programmer or marketing type, there are plenty of opportunities in the industry.

I know Comic-Con officially started a day and three hours ago, but Bungie just posted up their showing at the event, and I suspect there are some of you who would like to know what sort of Halo goodies will be on hand.

Hit the jump for the break down and make sure to check back throughout the day for our coverage of the biggest Comic show with video game stuff too.

Friday
Topps Presents: A Halo Universe Panel, Friday, July 27, 2:15-3:15 Room 6A
John Williams, creative director for Topps will preview the Halo trading cards and Mark Tuttle, the WizKids brand manager for Halo ActionClix will present the Collectible Miniature game via Powerpoint. Then, Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev and Halo editor Ruwan Jayatilleke will present details from the upcoming Halo: Uprising comic miniseries, due in August.

Saturday
Joseph Staten and Eric Nylund Signing, WizKids Booth (#2743), Saturday, July 28, 3:30-4:30
Bungie Writing Director Joseph Staten and bestselling author Eric Nylund will put their fake rivalry aside for an autograph session at the Wizkids booth. Staten will sign a limited number of cover flats from his upcoming novel "Halo: Contact Harvest" and Eric Nylund will sign copies of his books, Fall of Reach, First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx.

Toys and such
McFarlane Toys, Booth 2601: McFarlane Toys are making action figures for Halo 3, due in September 2008.

Master Replicas/Cogri International Booth #3229: These companies are presenting a series of scaled replicas based on UNSC and Covenant weapons, this fall's lineup includes the BR55 Battle Rifle and the Covenant Carbine.

Kotobukiya, Booth #2301: These guys will be showing the ARTFX Halo 3 Master Chief statue, an incredibly detailed figure, complete with multiple bonus parts for additional poses.

Gentle Giant, Booth #3515: Look for a Master Chief mini bust and Halo Kubricks at this booth.

Jasman Toys, Booth #1116: Jasman toys will introduce their line of electronic Halo 3 Covenant weapons using Laser Purist technology.

Acme Archives Booth #529: Halo limited edition art pieces.

Halo-related Goods at the Comic-Con [Bungie]

"We looked at past comic-based games to find out what was missing and what was needed to successfully translate the intensity, excitement and fiction from comics into fighting games," said Kudo Tsunoda, General Manager and Vice President, EA Chicago. "We're challenging ourselves to make a game that delivers on the Super Hero promises of past top-tier fighting games."

I have my doubts your team will succeed, Kudo Tsunoda. It's not you, per se. It's just that after scores of crap licensed Marvel character games, Activision's screwing up Spiderman despite the fact that had they just released a prettier version of the same game they released for the second movie and I would have been perfectly happy, and EA's own failed attempt at making the promise you just made a reality, the only developers I trust with the Marvel license right now is Cryptic, and even them I am keeping a close eye on.

Kudo Tsunoda will be on hand at Comic Con today from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. at a panel discussing the future of Marvel video game titles. Feel free to drop by and tell him I said that if his team manages to pull it off I will kiss him full on the lips - with tongue if Moon Knight is involved. Loves me some Moon Knight.

EA CHICAGO TO HEAD DEVELOPMENT ON AN ALL NEW MARVEL SUPER HERO FIGHTING GAME

Leading EA Development Team Takes on Marvel License to Deliver an Authentic All Marvel Super Hero Fighting Game for PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360
CHERTSEY, UK. - July 27, 2007 - At Comic-con 2007, Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that EA Chicago will develop a brand new Super Hero™ fighting game franchise using the Marvel license. The acclaimed studio is recognized for specializing in the fighting game genre. Launching on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, EA Chicago's Marvel fighting game will be released in 2008.

EA Chicago, the leading development team on top fighting franchises including EA SPORTS™ Fight Night series and DEF JAM: ICON™, is using their talent and expertise to take on an elusive game development challenge - to deliver an authentic Super Hero fighting experience that has been promised for years but never truly been delivered.

"We looked at past comic-based games to find out what was missing and what was needed to successfully translate the intensity, excitement and fiction from comics into fighting games," said Kudo Tsunoda, General Manager and Vice President, EA Chicago. "We're challenging ourselves to make a game that delivers on the Super Hero promises of past top-tier fighting games."

"Marvel Super Heroes are a natural fit in the fighting game genre, so we're excited to have Kudo and his team of fighting game experts put these characters toe-to-toe against each other on next generation consoles," said Justin Lambros, Vice President of Interactive, Marvel Entertainment. "This is a game that will deliver to both comic book fans and to fighting game diehards."

"Featuring a great all-star line-up of Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible powers that are authentic to the fiction, huge environments and a living world that keeps the gameplay fresh, every battle will be unique; every battle will be like a first edition," added Tsunoda.

Tsunoda will be appearing at Comic-con on Marvel's video games panel to discuss the future of fighting and comic-based titles. The panel is on Friday, July 27 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. PT. Comic fans and gamers will meet the creators of their favorite Marvel video games and hear the inside scoop on the upcoming line-up of console, PC and handhelds games featuring the mighty Marvel Super Heroes.

Comic fans and gamers can also tune-in to Spike TV GAME HEAD on Friday, August 31 at 1:00 a.m. ET/PT for the worldwide unveiling of the EA Chicago/Marvel game and a behind-the-scenes look into EA Chicago development.

That goo transforms the world's ordinary objects, such as tires and barrels, into mutated, less than scary monsters. You'll do the typical MMO whacking, whether it be with an oversized wrench or sword, or blasting with a poppy purple gun, taking out enemies to gain experience. From the hands-on time I spent with the game, it follows fairly standard MMO action conventions.

What sets the game apart are the nanos you can summon, super-deformed versions of characters like Mojo Jojo or Eduardo or Dexter. Each will give you special attack powers or physical abilities that will aid you in your quest, not unlike Phantasy Star Online's mags or other MMO-style pets.

The game also sports a sharp, clean, colorful graphical style that stands out in Western released MMOs. Textures look appropriately cartoony and every avatar shown at Comic Con looks like an anime-like tween. It's infectiously cute.

Fusion Fall is in alpha stage at this point and impossible to judge on its gameplay merits, but visually and conceptually it looks like a solid entry into the market. I signed up for the beta at Comic Con and hope to spend more time with it in the coming months.

Part of the Real Gear Robots line, it's due to hit stores next month. The rest of the line transforms into things like watches, digital cameras, and other consumer electronics mainstays— even one that looks like a Bluetooth headset. I'll assume that one is a Decepticon. And a total dick.

"Just one?" she said. "Are you joking?" I thought.

Even though I knew that this was nothing more than a joke purchase and will ultimately be destroyed by myself (or a lucky reader!) I still felt like a sucker. I can confirm that, yes, this thing is indeed disgusting to look at in real life but it does not, as Luke suspected, to actually be molded human excrement.

Final grade: F. Will mock again.

Despite having zero need for things like Madballs and liquidated Capcom PSP games, I've already found myself short on cash. Time to start stealing!

There will be tons of updates throughout the day, including lots of clickable photo posts filled with geeks in handmade costumes, copious amounts of collectible wares and additional news from the show.