Pre-E3 Blog - Anticipations

Long time no blog. It's been kinda a weird month.

Anyway, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is mere days from now, an while it's a much quieter affair than in years past (though it's back in LA, unlike last year when they made it WAY quiet), it's still set to be extremely eventful as far as video game coverage goes. Big announcements (and hopefully big suprises) are always a big deal, and news, previews, screenshots, and videos come by the truckload.

What follows is a brief, off-the-top-of-my-head-at-2:30AM list of games I hope to see coverage of from the show, as well as games that I hope to see (but may not). It's far, FAR from a list of everything these companies will be showing, it's just some of the known (or rumored) stuff that's caught my interest.

I'm going to try to make a prediction post on Sunday, the day before Microsofts press conference, when all hell begins to break loose. Nintendo and Sony have press conferences on Tuesday, and the expo itself begins on Wednesday, with amazing events such as a keynote address by my very own (Texas) Governer Rick Perry (?!?). Still not sure who made that decision, but hey, it could be interesting.

Microsoft:
New Halo Title (?) (Peter Jackson's Halo Chronicles?) (360)
Halo Wars (360)
Gears of War 2 (360)
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (360)
Fable II (360)
Avatars - Microsoft's answer to Miis (360)
Lips (only because the Elite Beat Agent guys are supposedly making it) (360)
Alan Wake (please?) (360 & PC)
Crazy motion controller?!? (360)

Nintendo:
Animal Crossing (Wii)
Suprises (Nintendo is good at those. Kid Icarus?)
Fire Emblem (DS)
Kirby Superstar (DS)

Sony:
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Killzone 2 (PS3)
God of War III (?) (PS3)
Resistance 2 (PS3)

Square-Enix:
Chrono Trigger (DS)
Final Fantasy IV (even though it'll be out really soon) (DS)
Star Ocean 1 & 2 Ports (PSP)
Star Ocean 3 (360)
Anything Kingdom Hearts related

Ubisoft:
Assassins Creed 2 (360 & PS3)
Prince of Persia (360 & PS3)
Beyond Good & Evil 2
Far Cry 2 (360, PS3 & PC?)

Konami:
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
Castlvania Judgement (Wii)

Capcom:
Mega Man 9 (Wii, XBLA & PS3)
Bionic Commando (360, PS3, & PC)
Bionic Commando Rearmed (360, PS3 & PC)
Resident Evil 5 (360 & PS3)
Street Fighter IV (360, PS3, PC & Arcade)

Bioware:
Dragon Age (PC)
Sonic Chronicles (DS)

MISC:
Fallout 3 (PC)
Fatal Frame 3 (Wii)
Mortal Komabt vs. DC Universe (360 & PS3)
Dead Space (360 & PS3)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Everything)
Tomb Raider: Underworld (360 & PS3)
Spore (PC)
Sonic Unleashed

That's all I can think of right now... Hopefully I'll be super excited about some of the announced titles.

Updates/Freelancing

This past week, I've been counting down the days until the newest "Alone in the Dark" game. The 5th in the series, but the bajillionth game to follow the lame and confusing "trend" of naming a new game in a series the name of the original game. You know, so new people don't feel left out! So you end up with multiple games called "Sonic the Hedgehog" (one was great and I grew up playing it. One sucks and I hated playing it!), multiple games called "Bionic Commando", and multiple games called "Alone in the Dark".

But while I'm stoked to play a new survival adventure game in the acclaimed series that essentially started that genre (even the horrible Uwe Boll movie can't tarnish that), reviews (all two of them) are only average, with some European players (the game is out over there, apparently) really disappointed with it (granted, this is the internet we're talking about). Still, these haven't diminished my desire to play the game... Not at all! But discussions about the length did... There has been made mention that the game lasts 6-10 hours, ish... Not horrible, but maybe not something I want to spend $60 on. I mean, if I did beat it in 6 hours (additional playthroughs for Achievement Points not withstanding), then that's like $10 an hour. So I'm going to wait for more reviews and/or see if there's any sweet deals for the game on it's release date next week. Maybe $10 off or something could entice me... Again.

See, ideally Atari would send ME a copy of the game for review, and I could be telling YOU whether or not it's worth the money. But alas, the folks at Atari (and several other companies) are still trying to figure out whether I'm actually a member of the press, and not just some kid wanting free games for the sake of free game.

Nintendo, on the other hand, has been super helpful so far, and the folks at Capcom are already saying, "Hey, uhhh... You want a download code for Commando 3 so you can review it for us?" Granted, I still haven't recieved said download code, but maybe they just don't want anymore less-than-stellar reviews on the net?

So anyway, since I probably won't be buying Alone in the Dark immediately, I took advantage of a sweet GameFly deal and ordered used copies of Devil May Cry 4, Burnout Paradise, and Clive Barker's Jericho for super cheap! Shhhh! Don't tell my parents I'm still spending money on games regularly! They won't understand that all three of these were cheaper than one new game, and that's totally why I bought them!

Anyways...

- In addition to the stuff I already do for the Daily Toreador, I'm going to try my hand at some freelance video game journalism. This would hopefully mean getting paid to write stuff for magazines and websites, like GameSpot.com if they're interested. Wish me luck, give me prayers, all that stuff. This is gonna have to be in God's hands, 'cuz while I can write, and I certainly know video games I don't know what I'm doing as far as the business end of it all goes.

- "The Awakening" will be shipped out to the Writers of the Future contest probably on Saturday. I'm... Iffy about it. I love the story, but really think it needs more time... Like 12 months, and an additional 60,000+ words, making it a novel and not a short story. But alas, I must force it out of the nest and see if it flies...

- "Time Shop" will also be shipped out on the same day (most likely), to who knows where. I haven't decided on which market I want my next rejection letter from yet. It might come down to posting all the publishers' names on a dart board and throwing knives at them, blindfolded.

- "Tobias" is back in production... Or will be once I stop being a lazy idiot and write the darn thing. Seriously, I have no one to blame but myself here... Myself and work, but that's kinda making excuses, isn't it?

- I'm about halfway through Ted Dekker's "Adam", and will probably finish it tomorrow. So far, it's absolutely INCREDIBLE. Very, very highly recommended.

I think that's all. I'm going to bed.

Games With the Best Stories (+ Prayer Request)

Last night, while dealing with horrible back pain, I bookmarked this Kotaku story so I could post about it today, also while dealing with horrible back pain.

GamesRadar apparently posted a list of the top 15 video game stories. They are, in no particular order:

Metal Gear Solid (1998, PlayStation, PC)
Grim Fandango (1998, PC)
The Longest Journey (2000, PC)
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox, PC, 2004)
Beyond Good & Evil (PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, 2003)
Astro Boy: Omega Factor (Game Boy Advance, 2004)
Portal (Xbox 360, PC, PS3, 2007)
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (PC, 1993)
Bioshock (Xbox 360, 2007)
Planescape: Torment (PC, 1999)
Fallout 2 (PC, 1998)
God of War (PS2, 2005)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox, PC, 2003)
Final Fantasy VI (Super Nintendo, 1994)
Silent Hill 2 (Xbox, PS2, PC, 2001)

I'm literally ashamed that I haven't played several of the games on that list, including a few suprises... GTA: San Andreas? Really?!? Astro Boy: Omega Factor?!? What?

But most of the list looks extremely solid? The Longest Journey? HECK yeah. That game had an amazing storyline. Final Fantasy VI? The best of the Final Fantasies. Silent Hill 2? SUPER creepy in a very, very good way. Amazing plot. Bioshock? Totally. Metal Gear Solid? Better than the Tom Clancy novels I've read.

So yeah, it's a pretty great list, in my opinion. I can't actually think of any glaring omissions... Maybe some SNES RPG classics like Earthbound or Chrono Trigger... Oh, maybe System Shock 2 -- haven't played that one, though, I've just heard great things.

I dunno. Mostly this list looks great. I'd probably take out KotOR and GTA, and Portal, while AWESOME, is kinda iffy...

I need to track down a copy of Gabriel Knight...

Anyways, prayer request:

My buddy (sort of. He sent me Eragon on the 360. That either makes us friends or enemies) Don Francis over at GameSpot.com had a bit of a scare the other day when his young daughter fell into the pool and had to be rushed to the hospital. She's alive and well, and it looks as if she won't have any permanent damage, praise God... But this is of course the sort of thing that no parent wants to get a phone call about, so pray for him and his family as his daughter recovers. From what little I know of him from our conversations on New Zealand and 360 Achiemvent Points, Don is a fantastic guy and a great family man, so I'm glad God was looking out for him here.

GDC '08 Highlights - Part 2

- Too Human: I've been interested in this game for quite awhile now (though not it's entire, what? 10 year on/off development cycle?), and I'm extremely glad to see it finally coming together. Looks like it could be pretty awesome, with a pretty interesting Norse/Sci-fi storyline.

- Fable 2: It's Fable... #2. Mostly they announced an interesting co-op addition to the game, plus a gambling Xbox Live Arcade side game that will net you money in the real game. Neat idea, at the very least.

- Final Fantasy: My Life as King: One of the more interesting titles that will be downloadable via WiiWare at some point (I think March in Japan?), it's like Final Fantasy, but also like a strategy game... Or something. Sounds like it could be addicting for folks like me.

- Mario Kart Wii: It's Mario Kart... On the Wii! Lots of courses, online play, and bikes...

- Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1: I really hope this game - with a mouthful of a name - isn't entirely bogged down with super crude language and content like the comics often are, because it looks like a ton of fun. Half point-and-click adventure game, half RPG, it's based on the extremely popular web comic. As I said, it looks great. I'm interested.

- House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return: Mostly this Wii game brings back great memories of beating House of the Dead and House of the Dead 2 and Nicklerama (the arcade where games were a NICKLE TO PLAY!)... I'd like to pick it up eventually and play through it again with some friends, but even the "budget" $30 price point may be too much for such short games.

I think that's pretty much it. GDC is over. Go get some fresh air or something.

I Have Odds, You Bring the Ends

- Earlier today I came up with a new short story idea that I kinda got excited about in a short amount of time. It may or may not be my first attempt at the "Horror" genre, depending on whether or not "The Witch of Sheridan Peak" counts or not. Regardless, I'll probably try to write that up in the near future (I need to write a short story for a class anyway. Perhaps that will suffice) and send it out to publishers. I've been on a real "get stories bought!" kick lately...

- ...which is why I picked up the 2007 Novel and Short Story Writer's Market at the library last week. I'm gonna find a home for Time Shop, dang it! Idealy, I'd like to have at least three short stories picked up this year. The book ("Tobias") may be a long shot, but I hope for that too.

- My DT review for this week is Professor Layton and the Curious Village. That will likely appear Friday, but if you want an early impression:











- I'm really sick of school, at which I learn little... I also need a new laptop really badly, and still kinda hate poetry, though I do have an odd sensation of fondness for the four poems I was forced to write this semester.

Those are my complaints for today.

- Yes, I bought the guitar pictured below. No, I don't know how to play. I'll start learning later this week when I have the time. I will devote my time to learning Johnny Cash songs for three reasons: 1) Johnny Cash is awesome. 2) The guitar is black, so... You know. 3) It will annoy my buddy Tim. For this reason (as well as reason #1, without the Johnny Cash part) Billy Ray Cyrus songs will also be learned.

- How much would you pay to download Bionic Commando Rearmed? The developers want to know! I personally told them $10, even though they may deserve $15, because this remake will likely be pretty radd (get it?!? Radd! Ha!), even if it doesn't have the exploding head of Adolf Hitler.

Alice

While I knew that Sarah Michelle Gellar was supposed to play Alice in the adaptation of American McGee's "Alice" video game. What I somehow wasn't aware of was that she didn't just sign on to do a role, she and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. are actually the ones who bought the movie rights.

"I just thought [it] was the most weirdly beautiful game," Gellar said. "I finished it, which was a miracle. I had a lot of help. We got the rights to it, and Universal wound up getting really excited and put a lot of money into it, and then it's the usual story. There was a regime change."

Shame. I haven't played Alice myself, but I understand it's great (or at least was for the time). I guess it's a super mature kind of retelling of Alice in Wonderland, with a crazy girl? Sounds like a golden movie opportunity to me!

But the girl who was Buffy 'aint stopping there. "It's still my project, and I'm still working diligently. So to all those Alice fans, I'm not giving up. Because I believe there is such a beautiful, crazy, cool, twisted story to be told there."

Beautiful AND diligent. You go girl. And if Freddie ever leaves you, my place is always open.

Original Source: SCI FI Wire via Kotaku

Victory!

Well, maybe people who are completely idiotic and dumb can actually be enlightened... I've seen it happen.

The crazy self-proclaimed psychologist Cooper Lawrence that went up against Jeff Keighley on Fox News about Mass Effect (calling it pornography and saying how horribly horrible it is) has actually LOOKED at the game since condemning it, and SUPRISE! She realized that she was being ignorant and stupid.

To quote an interview with the New York Times:
...Ms. Lawrence said that since the controversy over her remarks erupted she had watched someone play the game for about two and a half hours. "I recognize that I misspoke," she said. "I really regret saying that, and now that I've seen the game and seen the sex scenes it's kind of a joke.
"Before the show I had asked somebody about what they had heard, and they had said it's like pornography," she added. "But it's not like pornography. I've seen episodes of 'Lost' that are more sexually explicit."

The first step is admiting you have a problem. Thank you, Ms. Lawrence.

Fox News has not yet recanted what they themselves said on the show, and are basically ignoring requests from EA (who owns Bioware, developer of Mass Effect) to do so.

- From the New York Times via Kotaku

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin - First Impressions

I'll probably end up writing a review/hands-on for Advance Wars: Days of Ruin on the DS for the Daily Toreador next friday, but that's a ways off. To borrow from Jeff Gerstmann's early reviews, here's a short review of the game:

Industry not at fault - Opinions

Industry not at fault - Opinions

Or, my personal title for the column, "Sex, Kids, and Videogames."

It's about Mass Effect, mostly.