<![CDATA[Kotaku: weapons]]> http://tags.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: weapons]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/weapons http://kotaku.com/tag/weapons <![CDATA[More Details On God of War Comic, Books... Knife?]]> This October, God of War die hards will be able to get their hands on the United Cutlery replica Blades of Chaos and the first of six issues of the new comic series from DC Comics.

Then, this March, the first of two God of War Novels arrive from Del Rey.

Sounds like someone went a little marketing crazy. Here's the break down of the books, the comics and, yes, that fancy set of knives.

God of War Comic Book Series (October 2009): Published by DC/Wildstorm Comics, the series will be written by Marv Wolfman (The New Teen Titans, Crisis on Infinite Earths). The six-issue series will be released on a monthly schedule, leading into the March 2010 release of God of War III for the Playstation 3.

United Cutlery's Blades of Chaos (October 2009): United Cutlery , manufacturer of licensed edged and adult collectibles for the entertainment industry since 1981, will create a scaled replica of Kratos Blades of Chaos. The weapon will be a total of 20-13/16 inches long and have a 12 7/16-inch blade constructed from solid-cast zinc aluminum with a custom-etched mold texture, and unique fantasy grindings that mirror the piece used in the game. The handle grip is injection-molded and surrounded by an intricate, detailed cast-metal guard and pommel. The Blades of Chaos replica includes a custom display stand with the God of War logo.

Del Rey Books' God of War Novels (March 2010): Del Rey will publish two novels based on the God of War series. The first novel, God of War, will be written by author Matthew Stover. In the novel God of War, Kratos, the game's protagonist, is a great warrior who seeks revenge on the God of War Ares for the deaths of his wife and child. On his journey to Olympus, Kratos must battle great monsters of legend—and fight his own inner demons. Kratos' quest will take him through a world of Greek mythology transformed, in which the familiar legends take on a terrifying new life—from the Aegean, where Kratos will grapple with the Great Hydra, to the depths of Hades, where Kratos will face death itself, to the heights of Mount Olympus.

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<![CDATA[Don't Cross The Streams While Using Wolfenstein's Particle Cannon]]> As true during World War II as it was in the 1980's - if your weapon fires a particle beam, never, ever cross the streams.

Hell, for all we know crossing the streams might be just fine, but from the look of the effect that the particle cannon is having on the enemies in Wolfenstein, I very much doubt anyone has had the time to consider the implications. They're far too busy screaming and then disintegrating into nothingness. On the plus side, it does look like hats are immune, so all you have to do in order to survive is completely cover your body in hats.

Then take a picture and email it to Owen@Kotaku.com. There's no contest...it just seems like the sort of thing he'd get a kick out of.

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<![CDATA[The Cut Scene: Inside The Video Game Weapon Replica Business]]> Down the street from a Kroger shopping center and a Wal-Mart in Marietta, Georgia lies an arsenal. The Empire Swords shop looks unassuming enough from the outside, but once you step through the doors...

Swords, axes, staves, and daggers line the walls. Racks filled with cruel-looking implements of destruction stand before giant sets of armor. Every possible surface contains metal instruments that could kill in the right hands, from butterfly knives to broadswords taller than your average man.

The video game sword replica business is a multi-million dollar industry which has grown in great leaps and bounds over the past several years. From Prince of Persia to Mortal Kombat to Halo, new weapons come to market at an astounding rate, selling out nearly as quickly as the local sellers can import them. Leading the way is replica dealer Empire Swords.

An Empty Hand Craves A Sword
The sword has long been a pivotal aspect of human culture. Much more than a weapon of war, the sword has been used to represent triumph, defiance, loyalty, betrayal, and even love. As children we took up sticks, participating in mock battles between good and evil in our backyards, given courage by broken tree branches we imagined as gleaming weapons of old. Now, in this age where our weapons are represented on screen, our hands reach for plastic controllers instead of imaginary leather-wrapped hilts, and the sensation is nowhere near as satisfying as swinging real steel.

That's where the video game weapon replica business comes in.

Up until several years ago, there really wasn't that much of a market for video game replicas. Cutlery shops carried the odd assortment of martial arts weapons along with the rare recreated movie prop, while medieval weapons dominated the collector's market, doing huge business at Renaissance Fairs and science fiction conventions.

Early video games simply didn't warrant weapon replicas, as the weapons represented in such games were too crude to carry recognizable characteristics. Swords weren't much more than straight lines, and there isn't much of a collector's market for accurately recreated straight lines. It wasn't until the late 1990s that video game weapons really began to develop distinctive a character all of their own. There was a cloud on the horizon...a cloud with a very, very large sword on his back.

An Audience With The King of Swords

It crosses my mind upon entering Empire Swords that were a group of time-displaced Vikings find this shop, the Wal-Mart wouldn't stand a chance. Then the shop's owner comes out to welcome me, and I think, "Too late, the Vikings are already here."

Perhaps he isn't a Viking, but Empire Swords' owner Scott Marlatt, with his long hair, high forehead, and steely gaze, looks every bit like he could step back through time and be perfectly comfortable living by the sword. In a way, that's what he does.

Despite his anachronistic looks, Scott was an internet pioneer in the replica sword business, back when martial arts weapons were the order of the day. He says that in 1999, his eBay store was one of the twelve largest in the world, though eBay couldn't hold his ambition for long. Soon Scott launched his first direct sales website, www.EmpireSwords.com, which soon gave way to www.KingofSwords.com. Over the past 10 years his store has been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, the Discovery Channel, and The Learning Channel.

The Rise of the Video Game Replica

If anyone could be said to be an authority in the replica sword business, Scott is that person, and a few years ago he was there when the entire industry changed.

"Up until two, two and a half years ago, traditional sword sales were the katanas, medieval weaponry, standard military replicas and fantasy. Over the past couple of years we've gotten to where the most popular swords every day are anime, video game, and new movies."

Within the course of a few years, video game and anime replicas have become somewhere between 30-40% of Scott's business and that number is growing as quickly as new weapons can be made...and that's pretty damn quick.

The majority of unlicensed video game weapon replicas come into the country from manufacturers located in China and Pakistan. The creators obtain a reference, which often times consists of screenshots from the video game they plan on replicating, and from the point they have a prototype it takes roughly 90 days before importers in the United States get their hands on the finished product. The process goes so quickly, that sometimes the manufacturers will create weapons based on early, unfinished screenshots or concept art, resulting in weapons that don't quite match up with their in-game counterpart.

Others, like the Halo energy swords, sound great on paper but don't quite meet expectations. "We were really excited when we heard it was coming, going as far as to promote it heavily on our site, and once it came in we were like...okay, that's a toy."

Sometimes an existing product coincidentally turns out looking like a video game weapon, as is the case with the Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones Daggertail Chain Whip, seen above. It comes packaged in a box that announces it as a "Professional Chain Whip", which of course shouldn't be confused with your more amateur chain whips. It's obviously not the Daggertail, but it's certainly close enough to sell to fans.

The Master Sword - Made In Pakistan

A favorite from my own personal collection, the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda series is one of the most replicated video game weapons on the market today, with different versions crafted for different games from different companies.

This version, at least according to Empire Swords, is Link's Sword version 2. It has a stainless steel blade, a cast metal handle, and an etched pseudo-Triforce towards the base, similar enough to be recognizeable without being too close to draw a lawsuit. It's a bit wobbly, but shiny enough to see the reflection of my beard in when I attempted to take a close-up shot of the etching. It's a nice enough rendition, I suppose. Certainly closer to being a Master Sword than I am to being Link.

The only real problem I have with my Master Sword is the fact that the pommel has a big "MADE IN PAKISTAN" sticker on it, that for some reason I can never bring myself to remove. After spending countless hours throughout countless games trying to get to the point where I was in possession of this sword's virtual counterpart, and here it was in Pakistan the whole time.

Games Pushing Steel

Between the Empire Swords store and the Empire of Swords website, a wide variety of anime and video game properties are represented. You'll find two different version of Bloodrayne's arm blades, two different Halo energy swords, two different weapons from the Legacy of Kain series, and a smattering of Soul Calibur weapons, including Tira's ring blade. There's a lot to choose from, but certain properties sell better than others.

"The biggest properties? It's going to be a fight between Bleach, Legend of Zelda, and Devil May Cry", says Scott, slipping out from behind his desk to show me one of their latest offerings, the Vergil's Yamato Sword from from Caocom's Devil May Cry series. Using a Japanese PVC figure of Vergil as a reference, it's one of the better replicas I've seen, detailed down to the custom scabbard.

Of course Scott's answer might have been quite different a year and a half ago, before one gaming company put a stop to unauthorized weapon replicas using their properties.

Square Enix Deals A Mighty Blow

Before February of 2008, the Final Fantasy series dominated the video game replica industry. Ever since Cloud Strife appeared with the gigantic Buster Sword on his back in 1997's Final Fantasy VII, fans had been clamoring for recreations of the iconic weapons from the series. Over the years, the Buster Sword has been reproduced in multiple forms, from a simple and cheap giant wooden version to the masterfully crafted amalgamation blade seen in the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent's Children. "The Buster was the number one selling sword in our entire history as a company," says Marlatt.

Each new game in the series brought new iconic weapons. Seifer and Squall's gunblades from Final Fantasy IX, Tidus' giant fishhook sword from the 10th game in the series...even Sephiroth's ridiculously large katana were all recreated, selling by the truckload to rabid fans around the globe. Business was so good that shops formed solely to sell Final Fantasy recreations.

Then Square Enix decided that enough was enough, filing a lawsuit in U.S. federal court to halt the import and sale of Final Fantasy replica weapons.

The lawsuit turned the replica weapon business on its ear, with resellers like King of Swords scurrying to pull the products from their catalogs, fearing that Square Enix would target them. As hard as the resellers were hit, Scott says the fans were hit harder.

"The fanbase were the most upset when we removed the weapons for sale. They were asking why...they were mad at Square Enix." Marlatt went as far as to try to reach out to the company in order to reach some sort of agreement, but Square Enix wasn't buying what he was trying to resell. "We contacted their corporate headquarters in California and Tokyo right when this happened, and they had no interest whatsoever in producing any sort of weapon replicas."

In February 2009, Square Enix finally settled their federal lawsuit, and while resellers like Empire Swords came through unscathed, importers such as the Marietta, Georgia based TrueSwords.com were hit hard, with a substantial portion of the money awarded Square Enix in the lawsuit coming from the Atlanta-area.

Now a single Buster Sword sits behind a door in the back of Empire Swords, a reminder of the game series that changed the entire replica weapon industry.

In Before The Lock - The Final Buster Sword

Just before Square Enix dropped a legal bomb on the Final Fantasy replica weapon business, the most intricate version of Cloud Stryfe's Buster Sword hit the market. Patterned loosely after Cloud's multi-part Buster from the computer animated film Final Fantasy VII: Advent's Children, this monstrosity consists of six different pieces that can be put together to form one giant weapon.

Separately, the major pieces only loosely fit the definition of a sword - lengths of sharpened metal with grips of varying degrees of practicality at the end. Put together they actually form a rather attractive weapon, though one far too heavy to actually swing, and it's only a third of the size of the sword featured in the movie! That Cloud has some seriously strong arms.

Untapped Potential

The Square Enix lawsuit actually punctuates one of the oddest aspects of the video game weapon replica business. Despite millions of dollars being spent of relatively low-quality video game weapon recreations each year, hardly any of the products are officially sanctioned by game publishers. With the exception of non-functioning promotional weapons like the Gears of War 2 replica Lancer or the ultra-expensive World of Warcraft's Frostmourne sword commissioned by Blizzard, most game companies shy away from officially stamping their name on huge pieces of pointy steel. Why?

Well, because they're huge pieces of pointy steel. As lovely as millions of dollars worth of licensing fees may be, the potential bad publicity generated the first time a teenager accidentally stabs himself in the stomach with Link's Master Sword far outweigh the potential gain. Fending off claims that video games cause violent behavior in children is much easier when you aren't arming them.

Is The Video Game Mightier Than The Sword?

The effect that video games have had on the replica weapon business is a testament to the growing influence that gaming has on our culture. Gamers' love for their favorite franchises have transformed the replica marketplace, bringing new life and new customers to an industry that generally found inspiration in ages long passed. Just ask the King of Swords.

"Video Game & Anime sword replicas sales and production have continued to grow very rapidly over the past few years. It is quickly becoming one of the most sold and sought after series in the sword market. Who doesn't want to hold their favorite heroes weapon in their ands, even if only to quietly display it on a shelf or wall? With new games, new series, new heroes, and new weapons constantly being released, I believe we'll continue to see new generations of replicas offered in the years to come. It's the fans that keep the games "alive" and the swords that won't let them die!"

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<![CDATA[Gun "Enthusiast" Makes Real Gears Lancer That Can Really Kill You]]> The Gears of War Lancer replica is certainly cool to pose with and the Nerf version is definitely... cute. But neither packs the actual killing power of the real-life version with working chainsaw attachment.

A few enterprising gun enthusiasts have gone the extra mile for their bayonets, strapping on 14 inches of chainsaw for proper eviscerating. They call it the "Firearm Mounted Anti Zombie Device" but we know it better as the standard issue Lancer from Epic Games' third-person shooter.

Yes, it works, as proven by the video of the thing in pumpkin-slaying action.

Here is just one of a half-dozen videos of these things laying waste to squashes and tree limbs. We'd definitely recommend not trying any of this at home, especially if you don't have the health regenerative powers or biceps the thickness of Marcus Fenix's.

More videos and pics of folks in "Get 'R' Done" hats at the AR15 forums.

Firearm Mounted Anti Zombie Device WITH VID!! [AR15.com Forums via Gizmodo]

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<![CDATA[Gears of War 2 - The Non-Review Review]]> Gears of War 2 is a hard game for me to write about. Partly because (drum roll, please) I didn’t play the first one and mostly because of all the restrictions placed on last week’s three-day GOW2 marathon. I’m not really allowed to talk about campaign mode’s “plot spoilers” and I can’t talk about the glorious Horde mode multiplayer until October 15 (not sure if that includes co-op campaign mode).

So what can I talk about? I’ve got a handy-dandy list of weapons and vehicles, new screen shots and a few details about my experience with the game. To avoid embargo-breaking territory, you’ll have to wait ‘til at least Oct. 15 for my full impressions (since Horde mode and co-op made up most if it).

Hit the jump for a Gears of War 2 fix.

New or not, there’s a buttload of content to this game. So much so that the PR rep handling the event couldn’t even name all the different weapons, vehicles and enemy types off the bat. Instead, he sent out several word docs with lists and info blurbs and an admonishment not to print any of it in full.

So here’s a castrated list of weapons:

* Boltok Pistol – A “high-caliber revolver.” It’s the future, right? Why do they still have revolvers?! This is a one-handed sidearm that (along with the Snub and Gorgon pistols) is the only weapon you can use while holding an enemy in front of you as a shield. I like pistol-whipping people with it.

* Boomer Shield – You get this one when you kill a Mauler and take its shield. I never found it in the game, but I’m told that it makes you way slower and you can only use your pistol with it. Lame.

* Boomshot Grenade Launcher – Another weapon you’ve got to take off a Locust. I heart this gun – it makes things go ‘splode and produces baby cluster bombs. Alas, the range is limited and it takes forever to reload, so I had to ditch it almost as soon as I got it.

* Frag Grenade – Duh.

* Gnasher Shotgun – Yay! Shotgun! I carried this weapon the whole time and went out of my way to use it even when the game obviously wanted me to be using something else (feh, sniper rifles). It’s only got eight rounds, though, so make ‘em count!

* Gorgon Pistol – Never found it. I guess it’s got a small clip and takes an abnormally long time to reload.

* Hammer of Dawn – This sounds pretty boss. “An Imulsion-powered satellite that rains down a devastating particle energy stream.” Why didn’t they just give me this weapon right from the start? Could’ve blown through campaign mode in, like, three hours.

* Hammerburst Assault Rifle – I didn’t like this one as much as the Lancer. It might be more powerful and you can zoom and stuff, but I never seemed to hit what I was aiming at and the scoped view was useless thanks to the heavy kick.

* Lancer Assault Rifle – You know it. You love it. Use it.

* Longshot Sniper Rifle – Normally, I love sniper rifles, but I just wasn’t into it in Gears. Maybe because I think of sniping as more suited to stealth games and Gears is anything but stealth.

* Mortar – Again, duh. Don’t shoot it into the side of the wall in front of you.

* Mulcher – It’s like a mini machine gun. You have to mash the Left Button to cool it down pretty much at the same time as you squeeze the right trigger, because this sucker overheated way too soon for my taste. Stupid point-and-spray tease…

* Poison Grenade – Never found it and I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing I didn’t. I probably would have stuck it to myself and wound up poisoned because – as I’m sure you can guess – I’m a wee bit incompetent with the shooters.

* Scorcher Flamethrower – I didn’t find this one, but I watched freelancer Adam Pavlacka crisp the beejesus out of many a Locust in one level. He seemed to dig it. And I guess it blinds enemies – but really, you’re not shooting this thing to blind them, you’re shooting the burn them.

* Smoke Grenade – I’m sure you can imagine what this does.

* Snub Pistol – Arg. More pistols.

* Torque Bow – I saw this in action in multiplayer. The targeting reticule maps the arrow’s trajectory, so it’s easily one of the most accurate weapons in the game. But, we were playing on Horde mode, so I can’t tell you how wrong that went. Yet.

* Troika Cannon – Duck. Fucking duck. And there’s no point in using one because you’ve probably frag grenade’d all the Locusts standing near enough to use it just to stop that bastard from raining rapid fire death down on you.

“Gears of War 2” Vehicles

* APC – “Armored Personnel Carrier.” I wouldn’t have figured that out without the PR rep to tell me what it stood for. It reminds me of a Jawa sandcrawler – but with guns. Love to see the Sand People take on one of these…

* Assault Derrick – Another fuck off huge personnel carrier that deploys Grindlifts. They have sexy names like “Betty” (wait – that’s my mom’s name. Ew.) and they tend to run off cliffs easily. It has a bulletproof windshield, but shoot at it anyway. It’ll help with that cliff problem.

* Centaur Tank – I don’t think I got far enough in campaign to see one. Supposedly, it’s “surprisingly maneuverable” despite its size and it can turn on a dime. Sounds like the perfect thing to run people over with.

* King Raven – The only helicopter in the game. I’m not sure if you actually get to pilot it – I do know you spend a lot of time in them. They make Black Hawks look like horse flies.

There you have it, kids. When that nasty embargo expires on the 15, I’ll get into why I found this game fun. That’s right – fun. And it didn’t matter one bit that I a) don’t like shooters and b) never played the first one.

I’ll be buying Gears of War 2 when it comes out November 7.

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<![CDATA[Game Guns Are Fun Guns, Not Real Guns]]> You use a lot of real guns in games today. Heck, I spent nearly all weekend playing Call of Duty 4, and am now convinced I can work the assault rifle arsenals of both the American and Russian armed forces. I really can't though, and Popular Mechanics are here to remind me that despite looking and sounding real, most in-game guns don't behave like they're real. Take Rainbow Six Vegas 2, for example. Developer Philippe Theiren:

"I take these weapons, and look at what defines them, or what people think defines them. For an Uzi, people think it fires lots of bullets, and it's really inaccurate." That, he knows, has nothing to do with reality—if anything, Uzis are considered some of the most reliable and accurate submachine guns around. But the 80s (and Miami Vice in particular) offered us the Uzi as a low-life villain's weapon, spit-fire and out-of-control. "So I make it fire faster than it should. It's about taking the personality of a weapon, and making it shine in the game,"
Slightly disappointing, if only from a "what if Red Dawn happened to me" point of view, but interesting nonetheless.
Shooting for Realism: How Accurate are Video-Game Weapons? [Popular Mechanics, via GamePolitics]]]>
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<![CDATA[Square Enix Cuts Down Sword Pirates]]> Odds are many of you already own one or more Final Fantasy replica weapons - and that frightens me - but at least they are generally of the more shoddy, unlicensed sword replicas you were likely to find on the cheap via eBay or Bob's Discount Cutlery Emporium. Now Square Enix is taking steps to get those sharp, pointy objects out of the hands of fans, having filed a federal lawsuit in the Central District of California against those whole would infringe upon their intellectual property. At least four manufacturers are named in the suit, which came about after the US Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol seized a crate of counterfeit swords designed in the style of famous Final Fantasy weapons. Square Enix investigated, and while many resellers ceased their rampant reselling, the companies targeted by this lawsuit refused to cooperate, calling down spiky-haired justice upon them.

Squeenix's general counsel Yasuhiko Hasegawa offers an apology of sorts to fans who lived for this sort of crap.

While Square Enix appreciates the enthusiasm of its fans, and values its relationship with them, it is also obligated to protect its intellectual property rights or risk weakening or losing the very rights that enable the company to continue to provide its fans with an exciting entertainment experience.
Now the companies, who have not been named specifically, will have to go to court, where Square Enix lawyers will take on their lawyers in classic, turn-based RPG style.
SQUARE ENIX Files Federal Lawsuit Against Alleged Infringers of FINAL FANTASY Franchise

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 12 /PRNewswire/ — SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD., a Tokyo-based leading digital entertainment content company (Square Enix), announced today that it had filed a federal lawsuit in the Central District of California against alleged infringers of Square Enix's intellectual property. The lawsuit names at least four wholesalers of unlicensed sword replicas and their principals, which have willfully infringed four videogames and one CG-animated film in Square Enix's FINAL FANTASY(R) franchise. Additional defendants may be added to this lawsuit. By filing this lawsuit, Square Enix is stepping up its anti-piracy enforcement with aggressive initiatives against individuals and organizations involved in the theft and unauthorized use of the company's intellectual properties. This lawsuit follows multiple confidential settlements with various retailers of similar infringing items, each of which involved the payment of a substantial financial penalty.

The current lawsuit is a result of cooperation with the United States Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol, whose agents seized a crate of counterfeit replica swords. These seized swords had been designed to replicate the unique swords featured in Square Enix's FINAL FANTASY franchise. Square Enix conducted a thorough investigation to identify the primary wholesalers and retailers of these unauthorized products in the United States. The targets of the current lawsuit have refused to cooperate with Square Enix.

"We are actively pursuing those who commit intellectual property infringement against our company," said Yasuhiko Hasegawa, Square Enix's General Counsel. "Any illegal activities, including the sale and distribution of unauthorized replica merchandise and counterfeit jewelry, and the unauthorized copying of Square Enix games, music, movies, images, and other intellectual property, will be prosecuted. While Square Enix appreciates the enthusiasm of its fans, and values its relationship with them, it is also obligated to protect its intellectual property rights or risk weakening or losing the very rights that enable the company to continue to provide its fans with an exciting entertainment experience."

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<![CDATA[Halo Sword For Sale...Costs $125, Life And Soul]]> We're sure that we have more than a few sword collectors in the audience—you know who you are because on your wall you have a few ninja stars, some Conan memorabilia and a duplicate of the Highlander sword. Why do you collect these things? Where do you find the money?

On a side note, said audience will probably find this Halo energy sword knockoff (spoiler: we know it's fake because it's made of metal) interesting. At 36" long and 14" wide, its stainless steel mirror finish is perfect for seeing the reflection of your gleeful (somewhat freaky) tears. Current bidding has the piece at $124.95. Yes, that may sound high, but after all, just what are your children's college accounts for anyway?

Halo Energy Sword [via hawtymcblog]

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<![CDATA[Soul Calibur Director Katsutoshi Sasaki on Weapons, Characters and Storyline]]> Back when I lived in New Orleans, my friends and I would get together on Friday nights and play video games until the wee hours. Eighty percent of the time the evenings were dominated by one game: Soul Calibur 2. My friends would practice during the week, becoming proficient enough with certain characters to come back on the weekend and kick some serious ass. When I heard I would be covering Soul Calibur IV, I was looking forward to checking out the game, but the reality of the situation turned out to be even more exciting: I would be interviewing the series' director, Katsutoshi Sasaki.

I started off asking him some general questions about the new title and discovered that like every new release in the franchise that we could expect to see new characters and new weapons. I asked how many we might see and he grinned and said a few words in Japanese and his translator told me "several" but that they weren't saying an exact number at the moment. The game will be appearing on PS3 and Xbox 360 and the 360 version will have various achievements although they couldn't tell me at the time how many or what for. There will also be downloadable content in the form of new levels and costumes for both platforms. As we've heard before the game will be online compatible, allowing players to compete side by side or over their connection. Revamped gameplay and new moves will also add some more freshness to the franchise.

Once I was done with the regular questions, I decided to get a bit more personal. I asked him who his favorite character in the series was and he said Taki, followed swiftly by Lizard Man. We then talked about popular characters with fans and it seems that Sophitia is the most popular character across all territories. Nightmare and Zazamel are probably the most popular in the States while the Japanese tend more towards female characters. This led me to ask him a bit about his seeming attraction to strong female characters. Asking this actually revealed quite an interesting story about Soul Calibur's character design process. The character's look and feel are actually inspired by the weapon. The weapons are thought up first and then they design a character that they feel suits that particular weapon. An interesting process to be sure and one I never would have thought of. He also revealed that much like traditional animation, a set of designers is assigned a character that they work on exclusively with very little cross over.

Finally we chatted a bit about story. In my opinion, Soul Calibur has a pretty deep storyline for a fighting game, especially compared to other games in the genre. Mr. Sasaki felt that because the games is weapon based, that the story was very important to help add depth to the characters who could otherwise seem one dimensional. In addition, the game was designed to appeal to two types of gamers. Those who want a strong fighting game will find a rich battle system, and can play the vs. modes on their own merits, while those who wish to dig a little deeper will find a solid story and interesting characters. More games should take this approach and they might find themselves appealing to a wider audience and selling more copies.

After that my time was up and I thanked Mr. Sasaki for his time and for making the game that has kept my friends and I occupied and threating each others lives for years. I haven't been able to do that since Hurricane Katrina chased me out of New Orleans and I look forward to the release of Soul Calibur VI so I can put on that headset and use Ivy to lay the smackdown while I jeer at them from miles away. It'll be just like old times.

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<![CDATA[Bungie Profiles the Spartan Laser]]> Mmm, the Spartan Laser. This is not a laser that reads data off of a DVD, or entertains your cat. No, this is a burn a hole through Wyoming sort of laser. The kind featured in the classic movie Real Genius, only with 100% less giant feathered Val Kilmer hair. Bungie has posted a profile of this powerful weapon on their page, providing censored specs of the M6 G/GNR, examples of use, and strategies for making it an effective tool in your arsenal. '

The laser requires a quick three second charge before it's able to fire, at which point it lets loose a red beam of light for a split second. Anything in the path of the laser will be destroyed, multiple enemies, vehicles and objects. Because of this you must be particularly careful of friendlies in the area, as they can be wounded or killed by exploding vehicles or the laser itself.
It sounds absolutely glorious. Expect every thirteen year-old griefer to make a beeline for this baby once the round starts up, at least until the three second recharge rate outlasts their attention span.

Spartan Laser [Bungie.net]

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<![CDATA[Clip: Diddy Kong Racing DS Missle Shooting]]>

There was some talk yesterday when I posted that Diddy Kong Racing DS clip about what the weapons were like in the game. They're tricky, that's what they're like. Check this clip, for instance, to get a good gander at how precise you need to be to smack someone down with a missile. And yes, the cars seem to get stuck on things awfully easy. Arrrgh.... and I don't mean that in a piratey way.

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<![CDATA[New Halo 3 Rifle In Great, Great Detail]]> Bungie has posted details—very in depth details—on the assault rifle the Master Chief will be using in his third shooting spree for the Xbox 360. The MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System preview should let future Halo 3 players know how suitably they'll be armed and provides a look at weapon strategies. Handy.

Early impressions from the fictional field? They sound crypitcally positive, including comments like "The MA5C is built like a brick outhouse with Venetian blinds. You can pound on a mike foxtrot with it like it was a sledgehammer" and "The only thing I can think of that would make the (MA5C) any sweeter would be an under-slung shotty or a forty mike mike." Err. Right.

MA5C Assault Rifle Preview [Bungie]

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<![CDATA[Counter-Strike Gets Weapons' Balance]]>

It appears that Steam's innovative new pricing system for weapon and equipment has lead to other tweaks for PC shooter Counter-Strike: Source.

On Oct. 11 the developer launched the system, which modifies the cost of weapons and gear based on an algorithm that "calculates the global market demand." In other words, the more popular a weapon is, the more expensive it becomes.

The unexpected result of the system, it appears, is that the really good guns got way over-priced, forcing Steam to tweak the other weapons to make them more attractive.

Specifically, the developers increased the damage inflicted by the ES57, Compact 228 and Dual Elites by 25 percent.

Counter-Strike: Source Update Released [Steam]

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<![CDATA[Ten Best Weapons in Gaming]]>

If GT had any sanity rattling around in their cerebellums at all, this list of the Top Ten Video Game Weapons would be Painkiller's entire arsenal and five other guns. It isn't; they don't. And there's a lot of often gibbering hyperbole. But it's still a lot of fun early on a Friday Morning.

But huh? The Doom chainsaw wasn't found until late in the game? Yeah, I guess E1M2 is later than E1M1. I also like what they say about the BFG: "the most brilliantly disguised acronyms in video game history!" How do you brilliantly disguise an acronym? (Thanks, Jonathan!)

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<![CDATA[GRAW Weapons]]> Darkzero has put together a monster list of all of the weapons that are in Ghost Recon Advance Warfighters.

This HUGE list is on the jump, broken down into single and multiplayer.

Single Player & Multiplayer Weapons
M8 Carbine
36K Carbine
SCAR-L Carbine
SCAR-L CQC
SCAR-H
MR-C
MK48 LMG
MG21 LMG
M107 Sniper
SR AS50
M95 Sniper
SCAR-LCQC/EGLM
SCAR-L/EGLM
SCAR-H/EGLM
M8/M320
MR-C/AGL
MR-C LW
ZEUS-MPAR
M9
M9SD
M67 Grenade
Smoke Grenade

Multiplayer Exclusive Weapons
AK-47
SA-80
MP5SD
A4 Rifle
M468-SD
T-95
T-95 LMG
M60
KJY-88 Sniper
SR-25 Sniper
PSG-1
A4 Rifle/M320
SA80/M320
T-95/M320
M468-SD/M320

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<![CDATA[More Sunder Details]]> aliensunder.jpg

And now for some of the surface military weapons for this still-unknown game. I've included a full scan this time so you can check out all the details.

surface_equipment.jpg

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<![CDATA[Revolution Game Leak: Guns and Blades]]>

As you can see, this post will have the guns and blades from the leaked document. Has anyone heard of a game called Sunder: Land of Divide?

Check the jump for more pics and back later for a third batch of details I've just received.

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<![CDATA[Revolution Game Weapon Details Continued]]> equipnan.jpg

The first batch of weapons I put up didn't look quite as nice as this second batch. This time there's a lot more detail as well. The images on the jump all came over as a single page scan. I took it apart to make it easier to view in pieces.

The pictures all deal with something call Nanon weapons, which is explained in the image above. This batch is all bombs and decoys, the next will be guns and blades.

I'm still reserving judgement on whether this is real or not.


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<![CDATA[Ten Most Kickass FPS Weapons Ever]]> vodoodoll.jpg

I just noticed that Games.Net, the people who brought us the Ten Mario Sellout Moments, has a whole list of top ten feature stories. Some of the more interesting include Ten Hugely Over-Rated Games, The Coolest Modern Video-Game Characters and Games to Play When You're Stoned. I really liked the Most Kickass FPS Guns Ever list.

The thing most impressive about this particular list is its inclusion of such a wide variety of games.

Top ten weapons include the Voodoo Doll form Blood and Blood 2, the Shrink-Ray from Duke Nukem 3D and the Pistol from Halo.

How did they leave off the Land Shark gun and Topsy Turvy bomb from Armed and Dangerous, and you can't talk FPS weapons without at least mentioning the Deagle (Desert Eagle). Boom, headshot!

Most Kickass FPS Guns Ever [Games Net]

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