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The Final Copy Of EGM That (Almost) Never Was
1UP is a husk. EGM is dead. Sad news, especially for subscribers, especially for those anticipating what would have been the magazine’s 20th anniversary issue. But hey, chin up, here’s your silver lining. Former EIC James Mielke has posted the cover of the ill-fated February 2009 issue of the magazine, an issue that should have…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 8, 2009 - Uncategorized
Yes, Yes, White Knight Chronicles Is Getting A North American Release
In an announcement that should surprise no one, developer Level 5 has confirmed its PS3 exclusive White Knight Chronicles is getting a North American release. When asked if this was in the cards, Level 5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino replied, “Yes, it should be, but the launch date has not been determined yet.” What’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2009 -
UncategorizedMicrosoft Inch Further Up The LittleBigPlanet Bandwagon With Kodu
Remember last year, we brought word of “Buko”, an XNA title that Microsoft were quietly showing off which sounded suspiciously like LittleBigPlanet? Well it’s not quiet anymore, they just showed it during the CES keynote. Renamed “Kodu”, the game admittedly looks nothing like LittleBigPlanet. In fact, it’s not even really as much a game as…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Sony Pictures Dates Ghostbusters Game
The release date for the Ghostbusters game has been announced by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in a Ghostbusters Blu-ray movie release — accidently announced, maybe! Doh. A Sony Pictures press release for the Blu-ray release of the Ghostbusters movie reads: “America’s favorite paranormal psychologists are back to save the world, this time with unsurpassed picture…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
[Update] Halo Wars Demo Dated, Release Brought Forward
Microsoft’s Robbie Bach just announced during the company’s CES keynote that a demo for Ensemble’s swansong title, Halo Wars on the 360, will be made available for download on Xbox Live on February 5. What’s more, he announced that Halo Wars would be out on February 28, instead of the previously-announced March 3, bringing the…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Does Not See Decline In Sight For DS Sales (World Domination)
After selling millions and millions of DS units, you’d think Nintendo president Satoru Iwata would be bracing himself for a decline in sales. Heck, no! Iwata sees DS sales as something that will continue to grow. His logic: Some say the market for the DS is saturated, but I disagree. In Japan, a country with…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
CES 09: Liveblogging Microsoft’s CES Keynote: Just The Games
Keynotes have changed. Microsoft’s 2009 CES keynote is being helmed by CEO Steve Ballmer, the first not to be delivered by founder Bill Gates. It’s also going to be light on video game content. That’s why we’re taking it easy this year. We’re expecting little more than some Halo-related announcements and word to drop on…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Serious Games Competition Is Serious Business
Whosegame is right in the middle of their first annual Serious Games competition which runs from Dec. 8, 2008 to Mar 31, 2009. To enter, you have to be a student or someone who really, really wants to make a Serious Game. The jury prizes are 5000, 2500 or 1000 euros worth of gift checks…
By AJ Glasser Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Dead Rising Wii Costumes Are 50% nothankyou.jpg
Dead Rising Wii has more costumes. But what kind of costumes? The latest issue of Famitsu has pictures revealing two of them, one familiar, one…unwanted. As you can see, one costume follows the lead set by the Mega Man gear in the 360 version, and is there to shill the upcoming launch of Grin’s take…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Three Things I Liked About X-Blades
The last game in the world I expected to like anything about is X-Blades – it’s a blatantly sexist, shallow anime rip-off with a paper-thin plot. But it turns out that this blatantly sexist, shallow anime rip-off game does a few things so well that I can almost overlook the sexism, the shallowness and even…
By AJ Glasser Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Microsoft Dates PlayStation 3 Price Drop For Springtime
The PlayStation 3 will get a price drop in 2009. It just has to if Sony wants the console to keep up, install base-wise. Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg agrees and expects a cheaper PS3 within months. He tells Edge Online that Microsoft is planning on its console competition becoming more price competitive in 2009. Not really…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 -
UncategorizedRickrolling Finally Comes To LittleBigPlanet
Clearly, this was just a matter of time. But for someone to record an attempted shot-by-shot remake of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” in Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet makes it worth the time. Honestly, if I tried to pretend that I was keeping up with the LittleBigPlanet Rickrolling scene, you’d be right to call…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
First Spore Expansion, “Galactic Adventures” Due In Spring
Super sim Spore will get its first expansion pack in the form of Galactic Adventures this Spring, according to an invite from Electronic Arts. And, no, the Spore Creepy and Cute Parts Pack doesn’t count! While retailers like Amazon, GameStop and Play have had Spore Galactic Adventures listed for a March release for a week…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
McGee
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Tough Times Yeah, horrible times. I just found out that a paper I worked at years ago had massive lay-offs, like six months ago. Even though it’s old news to everyone involved it’s still pretty shocking stuff. Print may not be dead, but it’s certainly going into hibernation. I really…
By Brian Crecente Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
CES 09: Don’t Count On Rock Band 3 This Year, Expect Beatles Game Instead
Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos says that Rock Band may be taking the year off in 2009, with the developer focusing its efforts on the Beatles game it announced in October. Instead, expect more music. Rigopulos said at the Billboard Digital Music Live keynote at CES that the Harmonix team will be directing its “creative energy”…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
CES 09: XBLA Doritos Game Downloaded Almost 1 Millon Times
Advergaming is huge. At least that’s the takeaway from Microsoft’s John Kroese, who revealed that the Mike Borland and Ninja Bee developed Doritos’ Dash of Destruction racked up almost a million downloads in December. Kroese, General Manager in the Entertainment & Devices Advertising Business Group at Microsoft said that the Xbox Live Arcade freebie was…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Red Bull Coming to Home This Week
Red Bull island, complete with Red Bull air racing, is coming to Home this week, hopefully free of the lines that have made bowling feel so restrictive in the virtual Playstation 3 world. Playstation Home community manager CydoniaX says that Home-goers will be able to access and explore the island by clicking on the Red…
By Brian Crecente Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Reggie: Nintendo Listens To Its Fans, Honest
If you’re feeling a bit neglected by the folks at Nintendo of America, now that it’s at the top of the console market heap, President Reggie Fils-Aime wants you to know that they’re listening. Fils-Aime tells GameDaily that Nintendo that “We listen to our fans all the time.” But what about the grumble-inducing decisions? Things…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tetris Spells Trauma Relief
Researches at the Oxford University in England have discovered that the effects of traumatic stress can be dampened by something as simple as playing a bit of Tetris. 40 healthy volunteers were exposed to a film containing a series of traumatic graphic images of injuries. Half of the subjects were given the game Tetris to…
By Mike Fahey Published January 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Kinetics of Pinball
The man behind such pinball greats as Fun House, the Addams Family and The Twilight Zone, Pat Lawlor, recently sat down with Gamasutra to discuss the history and design of pinball games. The interview covers a bunch of topics, but most interesting is Lawlor’s take on pinball kinetics. There are obviously many aspects involved in…
By Brian Crecente Published January 7, 2009