Riot Games’ Marc Merrill talks about League of Legends, a new MMO

League of Legends is a new massively multiplayer online game that hopes to distinguish itself from by offering a persistent world in which players build powerful summoners and then take them into battle arenas to test their mettle.

According to the Web site, some of the game features include:

• Play as dozens of unique Champions with diverse skills and abilities while engaging in fast-paced team-oriented combat.

• Compete in a variety of highly stylized and unique handcrafted battle scenarios.

• Create your own persistent Summoner avatar and customize your appearance through achievements that you earn in game.

• Advance your Summoner in rank and power to gain skills and abilities that give you an edge in battle.

• Join clans and teams to compete with other players in tournaments and organized leagues.

• Assemble Legendary items for your Champion by forging together basic items you obtain on the battlefield. Choose from over 200 uniquely crafted items to augment your Champion's power.

• Robust matchmaking and detailed stat tracking help to ensure balanced games for new players and veterans alike.

• Unlock new content through persistent gameplay and mastering the game.

• Integrated Leaverbuster technology helps ensure people stay for the whole game!

• Participate in the creation of League of Legends through our Suggestion Engine the community will have an unprecedented voice in what new content is created and implemented into the game.

Well, GameZone wanted to know a little more about the game, so we contacted the folks at Riot Games and its president, Marc Merrill, was good enough to spend some time to answer our questions.

Question: Tell us how the players’ suggestions will be implemented into the game and how much of a voice will they have in the direction the game does take?

Marc: We want our players to take an active role in the development of League of Legends and we’re committed to building an infrastructure that supports this. We will be providing players a direct line to our developers when submitting new ideas or feedback on existing elements in our games in the form of our Suggestion Engine. We look forward to releasing additional information about this system in the near future.

We’re committed to building deep relationships with our players and are working to provide channels of communication to support this. We can’t wait to have an active feedback loop with our players, and have already begun hearing and sharing ideas on our forums. Players should definitely come check out what we’re doing at www.leagueoflegends.com.

Tell us about the combat system. Is this turn-based or real time. How do players level up skills?

Marc: The combat system for League of Legends is fast-paced, real-time PvP combat. The player takes the role of a Summoner who calls forth one of many unique Champions to control for a given gameplay session. Champions begin the game at low level with only one skill, but as the player battles during a game session, the Champion will grow in power and gain many additional abilities and items until they are very powerful by the end of the game session. The gameplay combines the best elements of both MMORPG PvP combat and level advancement into short game sessions, which creates a fast-paced gameplay experience where the player is constantly faced with tactical and strategic decisions every moment.

What, exactly, is at stake in this persistent world and what sort of time commitment will players have to invest?

Marc: The persistent elements of League of Legends primarily revolve around the player’s Summoner, which is tied to the player’s account and represents the players’ accomplishments and status in the game. As Summoners play the game and progress in power and influence they gain levels and the ability to unlock a variety of new abilities and other elements that we look forward to discussing when we reveal details about the Summoner system.

As far as time commitment, League of Legends offers the most fun elements of MMORPG games without the need to dedicate hundreds of hours for leveling and gearing. League of Legends is fundamentally a skill-based game and thus players who play most effectively with their teams will be the ones winning the games, not the ones who have grinded through levels and gear to earn tremendous numeric advantages that are impossible to overcome. However, the persistent elements of League of Legends will provide players with growth opportunities, unlocks and customization options that will always give players goals to strive for, without turning the gameplay into a painful level grind.

Tell us about the RPG elements of the game. Do you follow some of the tried-and-true implementation of levels and skills, and how much customization is available?

Marc: League of Legends offers a large number of RPG-like elements, from a rich and compelling fantasy universe to character customization options, numerous items and spell-like abilities on both Champions and Summoners.

The level system for both Champions and Summoners is fairly traditional in that players gain levels which grant them new powers and customization options for how they want to “build” their characters, but we diverge from the “tried-and-true” model in that unlike most RPG games, our players aren’t stuck as one race/class combination for the whole time that they play the game.

At the beginning of every session, players select from an array of highly stylized and differentiated Champions, each with a unique lore, theme and ability. As the champion progresses and grows within that session, players select skill order and items to match the strategic needs of the team. At the end of every session, champions reset and players are awarded experience for their Summoner. As Summoners continue to engage in combat on the Fields of Justice, they gain options to unlock and customize ability, appearance, Champions, and much more.

What was the inspiration for this game?

Marc: A large inspiration for League of Legends came from DotA-Allstars. We wanted to expand on the innovative and fun gameplay mechanics pioneered by Guinsoo in DotA-Allstars, who is now one of the key Game Designers at Riot Games on League of Legends, and bring them to a broader online gaming audience through better matchmaking capabilities, a persistent element, leaverbuster technology, and robust community features. Imagine playing battlegrounds in or arena in WoW and having the option to choose any class and gear before entering the session. We want players to experience the huge diversity of play styles provided by our champions without grinding for months to play them.

What role will guilds play in the game and how will leagues different from the regular play?

Marc: Community is a very important part of League of Legends, and we are focused on developing features that help build community. Since guilds and leagues play an integral part in community development it’s on our radar, but we are not announcing details at this time. We will be announcing more details on guilds and leagues as we approach launch, but suffice it to say that we competitive play is extremely important to us and we want to facilitate it as much as possible.

What do you think sets this title apart from other online games?

Marc: League of Legends possesses a unique moment to moment gameplay experience that isn’t found in any other commercial products and merges it with a highly unique and interesting Summoner system. Additionally, the League of Legends team is committed to forming an incredibly close relationship with the community around the game and is dedicated to continuing to improve the product over time to evolve it in the direction that our players want to see it grow.

The Witcher comes to next-gen console systems and CD Projekt’s Jakub Stylinski explains what that means

“The first thing they’ll see, almost literally, will be a completely redone and visually enhanced user interface”

The Witcher was one of those role-playing PC titles that was a pleasant surprise when it released. Oh, there was little doubt – having seen previews of it – that it would be fun, but the surprise was the depth of the gameplay and the expansiveness of the world.

But that was back in October of 2007. In 2009 the game will be heading for the next-gen consoles, specifically the 360 and PS3. While the storylines are intact, the game engines and combat systems have been rebuilt.

What does that mean for console gamers who have yet to play the game?

GameZone turned to Jakub Stylinski, senior designer at CD Projekt RED, to answers as to what will make the console version unique.

Question: Rise of the White Wolf uses the same storyline from the PC release, but it has been built from the ground up for the next-gen console systems. What is the first thing that players, who may have played the PC version will notice when booting up the console version?

Jakub: The first thing they’ll see, almost literally, will be a completely redone and visually enhanced user interface. The first in-game features we think they’ll notice will be the highly enhanced camera work on the cut scenes, which makes everything look more cinematic. They’ll also see a new tutorial that will feature movies and audio commentary

In addition, we’re revamping the combat system with more mo-capped animations for a wide range of combat actions (parry-riposte, enhanced evasion, contextual actions/attacks, etc.). We’re also enhancing enemy AI – Geralt’s foes will be more aggressive, perform a wide range of offensive and defensive actions, and generally seem smarter and more alive.

Obviously the combat had to be configured to the console controllers, but how has it changed in terms of game mechanics?

Jakub: Combat will be real time and more immersive, as most of the controller buttons will be assigned several context-triggered actions.

The player will have more control over combat and a whole range of options at his or her fingertips. We believe the system will be easily mastered by casual players, but hardcore players will find plenty of challenges when playing at higher difficulty levels.

Speaking of controllers, does the SIXAXIS controller have any motion functionability in the game?

Jakub: Yes, the game will feature SIXAXIS functionality, but that’s about as much as we can say right now.

Has anything been added, content-wise, to the expansive mission system Geralt undertakes?

Jakub: If you mean additional quests, the core game will not contain any beyond what was in the award-winning PC release. We wanted to retain the same deep story that made The Witcher a success, and we’re focusing our efforts on ensuring the rest of the game plays really well on consoles.

This is a mission-driven game that still has such an open-world feel as to make the overall gaming experience quite deep and rewarding. Is this a single-player experience on the consoles, or are there multiplayer elements?

Jakub: Rise of the White Wolf will be strictly a single-player experience.

How does the story of Geralt, in your opinion, differentiate itself from other RPG-style fantasy games?

Jakub: Most RPG-style fantasy games simply stay clear of adult themes and mature social issues like racism, political intrigue and genocide. The Witcher is also much less fairy-tale-like than typical fantasy. It is set in a grim world where nothing is clearly right or wrong, forcing players to explore moral gray areas and often choose between the lesser of two evils to advance. Most missions can be completed in several ways and the game has three different endings depending on the player's actions and choices throughout the adventure. We’re not planning to add any multiplayer functionality, as we’re committed to making the best single-player game possible.

Why do you think Geralt makes for such a compelling lead character in a book?

Jakub: Geralt of Rivia is the most famous and skilled of all witchers, a guild or caste of professional monster slayers. They’re mutated and have murderous tendencies, so they’ve become social outcasts. Most people think they’re no better than the monsters they kill. Geralt’s just a bit different – he’s known to be a bit more… hmmm… human. He lets his emotions cloud his judgment, though not a lush he loves to have a drink from time to time, and when he does, he’ll rarely pass up a pub brawl. He’s also known to be a bit of a womanizer, and it seems that the girls just can’t get enough of that tough demeanor, chiseled physique and long flowing hair.

The original story, from which this was drawn, was more a series of vignettes involving the Witcher, rather than a cohesive tale. How hard was it to cull a consistent storyline from the writing of Andrzej Sapkowski?

Jakub: A complex issue, but here’s a simple answer. Sapkowski essentially provided us with a hero and a rich, singular world. Though difficult, weaving a non-linear tale using that hero in that world proved possible, as the PC release demonstrates. In addition to the short story collection, The Last Wish, that’s been published in English, other parts of the world have already seen a number of additional novels based on Geralt’s adventures … we really have a rich world to work with.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Publisher: RockStar Games

Developer: RockStar North

Category: Action

Release Dates

N Amer - 12/02/2008

Intl - 12/03/2008

Official Game Websit

Also available on:
• Xbox 360
  
• PS3

As far as the PC goes, Grand Theft Auto has always been a franchise to show up fashionably late to the party. Often arriving several months to a year after the console launch, PC releases of the series have been a given from the first entries to the franchise, offering some graphical improvements and new features each time. Now, the most recent entry to the series is making its appearance on the PC.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, chances are you’ve heard something about Grand Theft Auto IV. The first entry to franchise to be featured on current-gen consoles, the game released on 360 and PS3 with deafening fanfare back in April and is now arriving on the PC.

Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC offers the same great single-player campaign as the wildly successful console versions, while offering graphical enhancements and higher resolutions and a host of new features and upgrades to the multiplayer and community elements in the game. You’ll now have the ability to import your own music tracks to a custom radio station, as well as record your own videos and edit clips together through the game’s new video editor and share them with other players via Rockstar’s Social Club community element. While the game has some problems here and there with stability, the core game is a fantastic addition to the series and one that no GTA fan will want to miss.

The storyline in Grand Theft Auto IV follows Nico Bellic, a Russian immigrant who comes to Liberty City at the behest of his cousin Roman. He quickly becomes enveloped in the world of organized crime, working his way up the ranks within Liberty City, making friends and a whole lot of enemies along the way.

The game’s single-player gameplay has been largely unchanged from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game (check out our reviews for those here). The multiplayer element is also pretty solid, offering up the same great multiplayer mode while upping the player count from 16 to 32 while still performing quite admirably with little lag.

The PC version’s video editor is definitely one of its bigger additions. After creating an account and logging onto Rockstar’s Social Club, you’ll be able to capture videos of your gameplay in order to export them into the game’s video editor utility. Capturing videos of your gameplay is a snap, simply press the F2 after you do something awesome and the last thirty seconds or so of gameplay are recorded and stored into the video editor. After you’ve gotten some cool footage, you can open your cell phone and enter the video editor.

From the video editor, you can edit your clips however you see fit, adding in filters, splicing different videos together, adding in music and so on. Once you’ve edited the clip to your liking, you can then post it onto the Social Club for other members of the community to check out and rate, Youtube-style. This is a great touch for the game, as the open world has always allowed for some crazy stuff to go down, and you’ll definitely be able to catch some great videos on the Social Club.

There are some intrinsic benefits to playing the game on the PC when it comes to controls, namely with aiming and shooting. Using a gun is a lot more intuitive on the PC since you have the keyboard-mouse configuration to work with. For driving, a gamepad usually feels the most comfortable. Fortunately, GTA IV lets you use each control option on the fly, switching between the two without requiring you go through the options menu at all.

While the game offers some pretty impressive new features that PC gamers and fans of GTA will undoubtedly want to check out, there are some pretty serious technical issues with the game that have been making their rounds in the public and on various tech forums. The game has some pretty severe stability issues, performing poorly on machines that meet or exceed the system requirements and even locking up and shutting down when some features, like the Social Club, are turned on. While Rockstar has stated that they are currently working on a patch for the game that will hopefully address these issues, gamers should be aware that the game does have some pretty serious stability problems as it currently stands.

Graphically, the game is a noticeable improvement over the console versions, benefiting from super-high resolutions and improved character models. The whole city looks fantastic and filled with details, and that’s only with a few of the graphical settings set higher; on future machines, this game will drop jaws. Still, the technical issues are tough to overlook and many gamers, regardless of how top of the line their PCs are, will need to scale down the settings a lot in order to get it to run properly.

The sound department is largely unchanged from the console versions, which is a good thing, as it sports some excellent voice acting, great sound effects, and a huge and robust soundtrack. One thing that the PC version has over the consoles is “Independent FM”, a special radio station that allows you to import your own MP3s to a special folder and listen to them within the game. Like an actual radio station, you can opt for DJ banter or simply listen to your music.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a solid port of the beloved title, albeit one with some technical issues that will be rectified with a patch soon. Still, if you’re a PC-only gamer waiting for the chance to take this plunge into Liberty City, the new features will definitely impress.

Review Scoring Details for Grand Theft Auto IV

Gameplay: 9.5
The single-player campaign and storyline has been unchanged from the console versions, which is a good thing. The mouse and keyboard controls are also very intuitive when it comes to handling guns, and the new video editor feature is a blast.

Graphics: 9.0
Graphically, the game looks great, with some nice improvements over the console games. The character models sport some nice detail improvements and the environments come alive in great ways. However, the game requires a lot of tweaking and downscaling in order to run properly, even on high-end systems.

Sound: 9.0
The new Independent FM feature is a great touch, allowing you to put your own spin on the game’s already impressive soundtrack.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
The new features are nice additions, but the PC version’s stability issues are too major to overlook.

Multiplayer: 9.0
Same modes as the console versions, but the PC game increases the player count from 16 to 32, which is a nice touch.

Overall: 9.0
Grand Theft Auto IV is a solid port, adding in some compelling features to reward PC gamers for their patience. However, they’re going to want to sit tight and wait for Rockstar to issue a patch to fix the game’s stability problems.

Spider Man

Publisher: Activision Inc.

Developer: Apsire

Category: Action

Release Dates

N Amer - 10/21/2008

Intl - 10/24/2008

Official Game Website

I don’t know what it is about Spiderman games, but they must be selling because companies keep making them. Is that a bad thing? Well…

This most recent reiteration of Spiderman is entitled “Web of Shadows.” It is (I believe) the first Spiderman game that has no attachments to any comic/movie. It was granted complete narrative freedom. I’m here to say though, that with so much potential under their belts, WoS just really doesn’t hit the mark. It is repetitive, a little frustrating, and in some cases embarrassing in terms of voice acting. That being said, lets dive into the positives first.

Web swinging is awesome. Period. The Spiderman games have always given a fair amount of freedom for city-slinging. You can spend a couple hours easy just goofing off and running along the side of buildings if you wanted, and in some respects, this is the biggest “fun factor” that game was going for it. The animations are well done, the draw distance is decent, and the stringed combos work flawlessly in mid-air gliding.

This brings us the combat system, which earns major advancements from the combo system as well. Parker can pretty much chain together an unlimited amount of strikes as long as it’s not interrupted by a building or enemy attack. This works excellent to a certain degree. The studio has made leaps and bounds as far as mechanics and animation goes from the previous games, but hasn’t mastered the balance of it. There are very few times where it specifically matters which combo you pull off in order to kill an enemy. Almost all attacks work, which really removes the skill of strategy to play a part in the fighting mechanics.

Which brings us to the story. WoS really does a horrible job of making itself really compelling and enthralling to play. Basically the city is contaminated with Venom’s black “ooze from space” and starts to rip itself apart. Spiderman is not immune, and contracts the ooze himself, which gives him even stronger abilities (albeit evil) ones. You will have to make a few moral choices along the way, which - to its credit - affects the gameplay. But it’s too bad they are never super interesting, or even remotely make you care about what your choices were. On top of that, WoS kills what it had going for its replayability with choices by forcing the player to learn specific moves by repeating them over and over. I can’t tell you how many times I aimlessly kicked an enemy to death (a thousand?).

The graphics are decent but not amazing. The NPC’s are super clunky, and the voice acting is horrific. In the end, this game is like having 2 colored pages in a comic book that is totally black and white. There are far too many negatives pulling this game down than the positives keeping it afloat.

Gameplay: 6.5
Starts out with promising depth and game mechanics, but is overwhelmed by monotony and frustration.

Graphics: 7.0
The depth of field and textures are well done, but the characters other than Spiderman are super clunky and awkward. Also has a few weird clipping issues…

Sound: 5.8
Music and sound effects are lacking and I wish there was a worse word to use but abysmal will have to do.

Difficulty: Easy
If you can push buttons repeatedly then you will beat the game. Be aware that “repeatedly” is not to be taken lightly.

Concept: 8.0
As a concept, the game idea is great. It's a Spider-man game with no strings attached to the movies or comics with deeper fighting mechanics than the previous Spider-man games. It's just that the game mechanics and story never live up to it's conceptual potential.

Overall: 6.5
Only go buy this game if you are a die-hard Spiderman fan, or have an unhealthy obsession with bad voice acting…

Top 10 Things to do when you get the New Xbox Experience

The New Xbox Experience is here and Game Solutions Team has posted the Top 10 list of things to do with NXE when you finally get it.

1) Create (or Customize) your Avatar – You can spend as much (or as little) time as you want in the Avatar Editor to personalize your little guy/girl

Bonus: When you are done with #1, be sure to take a Gamer Picture of your Avatar. In the Avatar editor, choose Gamer Picture. You can use the controls to move your avatar around, zoom in and out or even change the background color (press Y)

2) Explore the all new dashboard. (hint: use the trigger and bumpers to quickly scroll up and down or left and right)

3) PAR-TAY! Check out Xbox LIVE Parties and chat with up to seven of your friends. Go to the Friends channel…choose a friend who is online and press Y to get the party started. You can also hit the Xbox 360 Guide button > Party >Start a Party. Once you do that, send off invites to your party (since one does not make a very good party…does it?)

4) Themes. While any themes you work will NXE, check out some of the new themes via My Xbox and select your profile (second slot) and then change theme. Xbox 360, Spectrum, Day and Night are new themes that available as part of your NXE upgrade…check them out.

5) Marketplace on Xbox.com. This new feature lets you search, browse, and purchase games and videos while you are away from your console. You can also perform account management functions like changing your billing information, viewing your purchase history, and downloading items you already own.

6) Netflix – Xbox LIVE Gold Member and you have Netflix? If you are in the US you can stream thousands of videos (some in HD) directly from Netflix to your Xbox 360. Not a member? Sign up for a free trial at Xbox.com/netflix

7) Install to / Play from Hard Drive. With the game in the tray, return to your dashboard. (pressing the guide button then Y works as always) then go to My Xbox. From here press Y, which will bring up a new menu which will allow, among other things the ability to install a game to your hard drive.
Hint: You can still use the Xbox 360 guide while installing a game to keep in touch with your friends or start a Party.
Bonus: Before you do #7, be sure to set up what happens when you turn on your Xbox 360. My Xbox->System Settings>Console settings. Then choose Start up to to choose Disc, Xbox Dashboard or Windows Media Center. Once you are done there…check the option right below it: Autostart. This tell your Xbox 360 what to do when you insert a game. The choices are enable or disable. I have mine set to disable so I can easily use install to hard drive.

8) Delete Zero Gamerscore games. You can remove any games from your games played list that you have earned no achievements or gamerscore. Press the Xbox 360– guide button, navigate left to the games section and choose Achievements. From here choose the game with zero gamerscore you want to remove and press X (Delete Game History.)

9) Press the Xbox 360 button on your controller to see the all new Guide. The team has added more functionality than the old guide, while making it more responsive. It’s a quick way to check your messages, see who is online or start a party.

10) Take a look at Community Games in the Games Marketplace. For the first time in the history of console gaming, thousands of games developed by the creative community will be available to the public.

For those that have the new Xbox Experience, what are your favorite new feature(s)?

NXE - Install or Not to Install Games to the HDD

You no doubt know that the New Xbox Experience was released today and one of the best features allows you to install your games to the HDD (the Hard Drive).

Installing your games to the HDD can make some games perform a little better while also putting a little less wear-and-tear on your DVD drive.

Is this true with all games? NO! Unfortunately a few games are worst if installed to the HDD and Halo 3 falls into this category. Halo 3 will actually see increased loading times if installed to the HDD. You can read more on gamesols.blogspot.com.

So what games are best installed to the HDD? game solutions team has compiled a list of games showing how much time you will be saving.

Be sure to spread the word on this topic. If you play multiplayer with people with Halo 3 installed on their HDD, your load times will also be affected even though you're playing from the DVD.

Gears of War 2 Sales Top 2 Million Units in its Blockbuster Opening Weekend

One of the biggest entertainment events of the holiday season has arrived. With weekend sales topping 2 million units worldwide, “Gears of War 2” is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest releases of this console generation.

Over 20,000 retail locations opened their doors at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7 to celebrate the worldwide release of “Gears of War 2.” After months of anticipation, throngs of eager fans in 20 countries were finally able to get their hands on the Xbox 360 exclusive title.

“We were so excited to launch ‘Gears of War 2’ on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business,” said Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games. “We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that’s exactly what’s happened.”

More than 1.5 million people logged into “Gears of War 2” on Xbox LIVE during the weekend, racking up a total 15 million gameplay hours and helping set a new record for concurrent LIVE players. These players also collectively unlocked more than 19 million Achievements.

“Gears of War 2” provides an epic, adrenaline-fuelled rollercoaster ride that expands upon the original game’s themes of loss, hope and survival. “Gears of War 2” sees COG heroes Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad fighting to save the last cities on Sera from an engulfing Locust threat, while the mission turns personal for Dominic Santiago as he uncovers clues in the search for his missing wife, Maria.

“Gears of War 2” is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and is now available exclusively on Xbox 360 with an ERP of $59.99 (U.S.) for the Standard Edition and $69.99 for the Limited Edition. For the latest information, please visit http://gamesols.blogspot.com

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com

Innovation comes from unexpected places to long-established titles

Some old genres get some very next-gen facelifts and boy, what a great thing to see

There is an old adage about standing still in a moving world, about how if you don’t move forward, you risk falling behind. For the video-game industry, moving forward was something that seemed to happen infrequently. It felt, from the perspective of a game reviewer, that most developers were content to borrow from the past, make a few changes but nothing that significantly changed the initial concepts or gameplay styles.

Stuck into a mode where expecting things to be old-school, even if that ‘school’ was a year ago, can be dangerous for the industry. We crave surprises; we thirst for change that takes genres forward and takes advantage of the new hardware. Changes do not necessarily mean just a shiny coat of paint that elevates graphics, but rather taking the core elements and then bending them to try something new.

It rarely happens, and yet, within the span of a couple of weeks, innovation has reared its head and in some pretty unlikely places – a Tom Clancy title and a game from DICE/EA.

When one thinks of anything attached to the Tom Clancy name, it has evolved to the point where it is solid, but not totally fresh. Endwar is fresh, and it may have some of the same mechanics at the core of the gameplay, but the way it is all brought together smacks of innovation. The real-time strategy genre has core elements – there are two or more sides, each with tech trees, each with the ability to invest in upgrades, and each vying for domination. These are usually in the point-and-click manner. You find a unit, you click on it, you click where you want it to go and it goes. You click on it again, highlight and click on an opposing force and it goes there and fights said opposing force. Click wrong and you may work yourself into a corner. Translating that to the consoles from PC was a challenge and credit goes to the dev teams who tried. But the folks behind EndWar did it one better. You don’t click on units, you speak to them. The Logitech headset that works with the game is the control interface. It is a marvelous bit of engineering, not only in concept, but in execution. You don’t have to speak slowly, you don’t have to yell, you talk in a normal voice and the game recognizes it and does what you tell it to do.

That is next-gen, that is intriguing and a whole lot of fun.

Then there is Mirror’s Edge, the effort from DICE and EA that is – roughly speaking – a platformer combined with a first-person shooter – except you don’t do much shooting. You platform jump, run, dangle, swing, slide, wall climb and perform a variety of acrobatic moves within a vibrant living city. Without going into a lot of detail, this is a game that really takes the concept of 2D platforming, elevates it to first-person 3D and brings it solidly into the next-gen era.

From Mirror's Edge

Regardless of whether either game is critically acclaimed or not, what matters the most is that developers are thinking in different ways, and trying to bring innovation back to the industry.

It is about time. We have seen some innovation in the storytelling elements of late with games that had compelling characters and enough twists and turns to keep players wondering what would happen next. The graphical upgrades have been evidenced with the power of the next-gen consoles, but little has been done in terms of moving genres forward.

Dokapon Kingdom from Atlus has done a good job of taking some diverse genres and combining them to render out a game that has solid multiplayer elements, like a party game, with some board game elements and role-playing aspects.

And judging from what has been released in snippets, there might be more innovation on the horizon.

It’s about time. The industry is still, in many ways, in its infancy. It is feeling its way around but in that attempt, and with the goal to remain viable, we’ve seen a lot of games churned out that are just rehashes of what we have seen before.

One had to wonder if developers were focused on the financial bottom line, or just out of step with the gaming community. Players grow, and as they grow in proficiency they are likely to not want more of the same, but rather want games that challenge them. As evidence, the online element is flourishing. Players would rather take on other players than NPCs. Get into a shooter deathmatch online and, if your first foray, you may be surprised at the skill level. These are generally not places for the timid.

Finally, though, it seems that developers and publishers are getting to the place where taking a few chances (albeit well-thought-out chances) is warranted. Innovation will only lead the industry forward.

Sure the bottom line is still financial, but when one considers the entertainment value (especially in tougher economic times), it makes sense to be diverse enough to make games as compelling as possible. Consider the price for a movie and the length of time spent in a dark theater, inactive, while you are being assaulted by video and dialogue. It is a passive thing. Juxtapose that against the cost of a game that actually requires something of you, something interactive. When you think about the length of time spent in a game, and the game’s cost, it does not take an economics major to realize that – for the most part – the better value is playing a game (in terms of money spent per hour of entertainment value). You go to a movie and drop $20 (or so for a single person) for two hours of entertainment. You pay $50 for a game and get anywhere from six to 40-plus hours of involvement and entertainment value.

This is why it is important for game developers to think ahead of the curve, to learn from what has happened in the past, and then to exercise that creative vision to move in new directions.

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com

Cutting the Deck with Neverland Card Battle's Nate Fitt

“One of the things about the game that I really enjoy is how deep the gameplay can be as you continue to build new cards and bring new possibilities to your deck.”

Over the past few months, it has become apparent that developers are slowly moving away from PSP and Nintendo DS. Blame it on their dedication to Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 development or the assumption (perhaps inside knowledge) that the next generation of handhelds is not too far off. Whatever the case, there just aren't as many PSP and DS releases as there were a few years ago.

However, there is one genre that seems to be flourishing in the portable world, and that's strategy games. From Yggdra Union (PSP) to Ninjatown (DS), some of the year's best and most unique strategy games have been exclusive to just one handheld. Yuke's Company of America hopes to add another to the list: the PSP-exclusive Neverland Card Battle.

"All of the cards are unique," said Nate Fitt, Marketing Manager of Yuke's Company of America. "They all have different abilities and skills. One of the things with the unit card that's really interesting: some of the more powerful cards (and not-so-powerful) have different methods for attacking. There is the traditional, move your unit up to your opponent and just initiate an attack, a hand-to-hand kind of thing. However, some characters have the ability to use a skill, and that allows them to hit an enemy with a projectile. Also, some cards have a first strike ability, where their first strike prevents the enemy from making a counterattack."

I love strategy/RPGs but haven't gotten into many card-based games. Yggdra Union was good, but it wasn't really a "card" game, per se. With that in mind, which direction does Neverland Card Battles take? Is it a full-fledged card game?

Nate Fitt: The correct answer is yes, it is more of a full-fledged card game than Yggdra Union. I don't know too much about Yggdra Union. But I can tell you that ours is very much different, especially with how the cards are used. Neverland Card Battle takes more of a traditional approach to card-based gaming by offering many different options per card, and those cards are split into different types. The first is a unit card, which are your allies. The spell cards, which you can cast and inflict damage on another character. There is a mana-based system that is very similar to the trading cards of table-top games. People familiar with those will certainly pick up Neverland Card Battle.

Describe the gameplay for us. What happens over the course of each turn?

NF: Each battle in Neverland Card Battle is a sequence of head-to-head battles with various characters that you meet along the way in Neverland. Each battle takes place on an adventure game board. It's the kind of game board you can move your character around on, very similar to the strategy/RPG side. At the start of your turn, essentially, the way your character goes about it (it's a turn-based game), you have cards in your deck and you need to accumulate mana to use the cards.

What makes Neverland Card Battle unique and different from the other card battlers out there is how you fire the mana. That is done by moving your character above the tile and essentially making the tile that you cover your color. A lot of the game, the mechanics, are really moving your character around the tile board, acquiring mana, and using that mana to use the cards in your deck. Now the way that the game starts off, every card dominator (the characters that you fight are called dominators) has a deck of 30 cards. In the beginning you have three cards drawn but at your very first turn you won't be able to use any because you don't have the mana.

As you gain mana you'll be able to use more of your cards. One of the first things you'll come across is that you'll want to summon other units out onto the board. When you do have the mana to summon these units, they can get mana which will go into your collective mana pool.

How will you "conquer territory" in the game?

NF: I find this element really compelling. It makes each battle unique and different. You can take your opponent's mana by moving over their square [tile] after they've acquired the land. And let me clarify; when I say conquering land, I mean making it your own by moving your character over it. That land becomes yours.

Many of the levels have what is called attributed land. What that means is, some of the tiles are color-coded with a border around the title. These colors are attributed to specific attributes such as water, air, earth and fire. Some of the units that you possess in your deck will have an attribute attached to them. If you have a unit with the earth attribute, and there's an earth square all across the board, you don't have to summon the character adjacent to your character, you can actually summon him across the board, preferably in a position where you can steal your opponent's land.

You'll be able to utilize more than 200 summoning cards. Do they make up the bulk of the game, or are there other types of cards as well? And what exactly are the summoning cards?

NF: One of the things about the game that I really enjoy is how deep the gameplay can be as you continue to build new cards and bring new possibilities to your deck. The summoning cards themselves... There's a general term in the game, and they're all called special cards. Summoning cards pertain more to the unit cards and base cards; tangible units and actual base cards that you can throw out onto the board, creating a base they can attack.

Tell us about the story, its characters, presentation, etc.

NF: There's an evil deity who wanted to end the world. His reasoning behind ending the world was to save it from itself. The first character that you'll come across is the guardian. When trouble starts brewing, the guardian has to call the other dominators out to help save the world. You'll learn how to become a dominator and top battler. Other characters that you'll come across... I don't want to spoil it, but some are there for their own personal benefit. Some are there for revenge over the loss of their family.

This game is based on the Japanese PS2 title, Cardinal Arc: Neverland Card War. How does the new handheld version differ?

NF: When we saw the title we were really excited about it. We really wanted to make sure that when we brought it over [to America], we enhanced the features but not change the game [too much]. We wanted an American game experience, but if you change it too much you risk ruining what was good [about it in the first place]. The main difference is the implementation of the ad hoc mode. Card games are traditionally played in cafes. A lot of people like to play on the go. Having the ad hoc mode included really stands out.

Also, in making the change to a widescreen presentation we had to make some adjustments. [Lastly], having the ability to save on the go. I really wanted this feature. Sure, you can just turn the power off. But other times somebody else may want to play and you want to save it, that's not something you can do with most strategy games [save any time]. If something comes up and you want to get away, you can.

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com

Renegade Kid Founder and Creative Director Jools Watsham on the DS-Exclusive FPS, Moon

"The heart of Moon is certainly a FPS, but we’ve also focused a lot of our attention on the story aspect of the game, which we hope results in an enjoyable blend of action and adventure."

It's not everyday that a developer chooses to create a new first-person shooter for the Nintendo DS. Though the dual-screened handheld has been hugely successful, it isn't as powerful as PSP, and certainly cannot compare to the latest consoles. But when it came time to develop Moon, Renegade Kid didn't look at the other guys. This developer went straight to Nintendo DS.

"We chose to develop Moon for the DS for a number of reasons," said Jools Watsham, Founder/Creative Director of Renegade Kid. "We love the DS. We wanted to build upon the technology we created for Dementium: The Ward, and we wanted to work with Mastiff. We approached Mastiff and they were onboard with the idea straight away. Having an opportunity to develop an original FPS title for the DS was something we were all instantly excited about."

Moon is being called an action/adventure. Does this mean you don't think of it as an FPS?

Jools Watsham: The heart of Moon is certainly a FPS, but we’ve also focused a lot of our attention on the story aspect of the game, which we hope results in an enjoyable blend of action and adventure.

Does Moon use the touch screen at all, or do the controls have more of a traditional console feel?

JW: Yes, we have utilized the touch screen to provide an intuitive control scheme that is very close to what you would expect from a mouse control scheme on a PC title.

What engine does Moon use?

JW: Moon utilizes the Renegade Engine 2.0, Renegade Kid’s proprietary 3D engine.

Moon has a very futuristic view, with what appears to be different visors. Is that correct, and if so, what can you tell us about them? If not, what exactly am I looking at?

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com

Cheyenne Mountain’s Dan Elggren talks about bringing Stargate Worlds to life

“…with Stargate Worlds I feel we had a great vision from the beginning”

When you build a game on a pop culture icon, there are certain expectations. When you build it on a license such as Stargate, well, cast aside the expectations and get ready for a wild ride through the imaginations of developers. Why? It’s simple, actually; while Stargate – as a license – has certain parameters in terms of races and behaviors, the portals that give the license its name can lead to virtually anywhere.

Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment is the driving developmental force behind the title. According to the press release, Stargate Worlds Online:

“… provides players with a form of ranged combat unique to MMORPG that will take full advantage of modern and science fiction weaponry, cover, and terrain. Players will be able to form squads with their friends or use bots for players who want to go solo. Squad leaders will control maneuvers and objectives through an innovative combat control interface. Players may choose to create characters that are members of either the SGC (the Good Guys) or the System Lords (the Bad Guys). Characters are equipped with varied and mixed skills, with the choice to form such classes as Research, Combat Marine, Medical, Scientific, Diplomatic, Engineering, Archeological, and Exploration. PVP will be possible between the two alliances on many contested worlds, actually swaying the balance of power on those planets, and unlocking hidden content. Cooperative play will also be possible, and players will be encouraged to forge temporary alliances to deal with greater threats, such as the Ori.

“The universe evolves as players inhabit and vie for control over alien worlds. Local populations will shift their allegiance between the two alliances. Outside threats, such as the Ori, will conspire to further change the face of these worlds. Players will be able to tip the balance of power on these worlds, beating back the Ori invasion, and swaying the local populations to their side through quests, combat and trade. Whether you are a solitary explorer, master tradesman, or commander of a massive armed force- your every action will alter the worlds of the Stargate universe.”

All in all that sounds like a very deep and expansive online gaming experience. Of course, GameZone wanted to know more and contacted the good folks at Cheyenne Mountain. Dan Elggren, Stargate Worlds studio head, took time to chat with GameZone about this upcoming MMO.

Question: You are working with an IP that in many ways allows for a lot of creativity, yet initially you have to establish that bond with the movie and television show. What sort of challenge does that present to establish the IP as well as move it forward into new realms?

Dan: You’ve really touched on the most important issues that we face when building on an existing IP like Stargate. You can’t rely on the IP as a crutch to carry you. You have to concentrate on building a good game. The Stargate IP is a wonderful background and gives us a ready-made palette on which to paint our stories.

We do need to create a bond with Stargate early on, and there are a few ways we do that. First, we’re telling a story that from very early on, fans will recognize as part of the Stargate universe. Second, it won’t take long for players to get to a Stargate, and there aren’t many icons in science fiction that are as instantly recognizable as the gate.

In the end, however, it doesn’t matter how strong a connection we make with the IP if our game doesn’t live up to expectations. And that’s why our number one job is to build a fun game.

Typically the sci-fi genre has not fared really well in MMOs, especially when they are focusing on a shooter element to drive the combat and action. Yes, some games out there do well, but do not enjoy the overwhelming success that fantasy MMOs seem to have. What elements are you bringing to the genre that should have players sitting up and taking notice?

Dan: Well, for one thing we have the Stargate license and I think this is a franchise that is just crying out for a video game.

But overall, I think the market is just waiting for the right game to come along. As for the overwhelming success of fantasy MMOs, we obviously think it’s just a matter of time before there’s a breakout sci-fi title. Gamers want a quality, fun game, and that’s what we have to deliver to be successful.

We really don’t want to over think this and over analyze it. If you build a stable, fun product, you’re probably going to be more successful than a buggy, boring product.

The MMO genre, as a whole, seems to be revolving around game play elements that have not varied much in the past four years or more. What have you changed with the mechanics of the SGW title?

Dan: First of all, I don’t believe in discarding play elements just because they’ve been around for a while. We are building an MMO and MMO players will feel at home when they step through the gate. But it’s the way we implement these systems, especially in combat, that makes all of the difference in the world. One playtester who had about 15 minutes of game time commented that Stargate Worlds plays like an MMO, but feels like a tactical shooter.

It’s a tough concept to explain, but once you get in and play, it all snaps into place.

Another area where we’re looking to innovate is with mini-games. We’re getting the player more involved in activities like opening locks, sabotage and translation by creating mini-games that they have to complete to accomplish their goal. These are Bejeweled-like games that scale with the character’s level. We’re aware that some players out there aren’t interested in this kind of gameplay, so we have given them the choice of “calling in help.” Characters get XP for completing mini-games, and it’s possible to advance through level cap, kicking back in the major cities and fielding calls for mini-game help.

How much personal customization will players have in terms of looks, clothing and weapons?

Dan: Players will have a choice of multiple heads, hairstyles, scars and bling at launch to personalize their characters, but much of the customization will come through the gear they pick up over the course of the game. We’re going to have enough weapons, armor and other gear to keep players satisfied.

Is the leveling plan similar to what players are used to – as in, kill “X” things, gain XP, level and invest skill points, or have you done something a little different?

Dan: That basically covers the gist of it, except for the “Kill X things.” Stargate Worlds is based on a license with a rich history, and “Kill 10 Jaffa” just isn’t very Stargate! That was never Jack O’Neill’s mission. That’s not to say you won’t ever kill 10 Jaffa in the course of a mission, just that the MOBs are obstacles, not objectives. Your mission will be something along the lines of “disable the Ha’taks over Hebridan before they destroy our base.” There will certainly be a number of Jaffa willing to die to prevent you from completing your mission, but you don’t have to kill the Jaffa along the way. You just have to get past them.

The MMO genre is rife with players that tend to be transitory. They will jump into a new game, muck around a bit and then either return to what they have been playing or go off in search of other pastures. What do you think will be the draw that keeps them in SGW?

Dan: I think more and more people are playing multiple titles these days, and Stargate Worlds is likely to look and especially play differently from other titles, so we feel good that our game will stand out from the crowd and be a permanent part of the rotation.

One other thing that I think weighs in our favor is our aggressive content update plan. We’re going to give players new content on a regular basis. We’ll be adding new story, new levels, new archetypes and, obviously, new worlds about every three months post launch. This will be free content that we’re giving away on an aggressive schedule. We believe that this kind of content is part of what gamers are paying for with their monthly fees and we will deliver on this promise in a big way.

Let’s talk about the graphic engine … what are you using and what does it allow you to realize within the game’s visuals? Do you use recognizable characters from the TV series or are all the NPCs new to the game? Did you use motion capture for the animations, or are they all computer rendered?

Dan: We’re using Unreal 3 for our graphics engine and Big World for the back end. Unreal is an incredibly flexible tool with great sliders. Our goal is to build a game that looks great on low-end systems and scales up to look breathtaking on high-end boxes.

We will have all of the main characters from Stargate SG-1 in the game in one way or another. Our game is set between seasons eight and nine, so you’ll get to see everyone from Jack O’Neill to Vala Maldoran.

We are using key frame animations for Stargate Worlds. The final animations haven’t been implemented in the game at this time, but I’m confident that they will please our fans.

Sound is an element that is often overlooked unless it is bad. Tell us a bit about the musical score of the game?

Dan: Stargate has a great musical tradition from Joel Goldsmith, and that’s something we want to bring to Stargate Worlds. Our Sound Designer Nick LaMartina is operating under the assumption that when you go through the gate and come out in a location where you’ve never been before, the music you hear helps set the identity. Each planet has its own identity and we’re using the big lights and the trumpets to tell a story.

Nick’s a bit of a mad genius. Once you get him talking about the sound of falling dirt, you’ll never think about it the same way again.

Will the game have PvP?

Dan: Yes! At launch we’re going to have PvP servers and opt-in PvP. In one of our upcoming episodes we’ll add a much deeper and more extensive system that we’ll be creating based in part on how people play the game. When you’ve got Archetypes like Scientists and Archeologists running around, you’ve got to find innovative ways to balance that against something like a Jaffa warrior or a stealthy Commando. So, we’re going to keep a close eye on how people play PvP and any issues that may arise before we put in platoon-on-platoon large scale PvP events.

After having worked on this game for the past several years, what do you personally like the most about it?

Dan: That’s really one of the most difficult questions for me to answer. As studio head I’ve got to be a big picture kind of guy, and I can honestly say that the sum is more than the parts. We’ve talked about sound, combat and mini-games just in this Q&A and I get to watch all of these incredible pieces come together to make a great game. So it is not often that you see a vision of a game come to life early in the development process and have it be the same vision of the game at launch. Yet with Stargate Worlds I feel we had a great vision from the beginning and have spent the development of the game iterating on that vision.

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Producing a Legend: Q&A With Legendary’s John Garcia-Shelton

“We’ve designed our multiplayer around one of the most unique aspects of Legendary, which is the three way battle that happens between the monsters, the Black Order, and you.”

There will be several battles fought this year, but only one of them will be Legendary. Legendary's world is turned upside down after Charles Deckard, a talented art thief, is duped into stealing and opening Pandora's Box. "To Deckard, his mission is to simply sneak into the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and use the key he's been given to open up a box that they have in storage," said John Garcia-Shelton, Producer of Legendary. "Seemingly, it's just another job. He has no idea that what he's opening is Pandora's Box, nor what will happen when he does open it.

"On the flip side, those that hired him (a group known as the Black Order) don't know exactly what will happen either, but they do expect Deckard to die when it's opened. Obviously, this doesn't happen, and it's the signet that's branded on Deckard's hand when he opens the box that becomes a key plot point in the game."

After Deckard endangers the world (accidentally), how does he come to realize that he's the only one who can right this wrong? Or is it a matter of redemption: he feels he must be the one to fix it?

John Garcia-Shelton: With Deckard having the signet on his hand, he gets mixed up in an secret war that's been waged behind the scenes for thousands of years. The war is between the Black Order, who have always believed that opening Pandora's Box represents a new power for mankind to control, and the Council of 98, who have vowed to keep Pandora's Box and the horrors within contained forever. It's members of the Council of 98 who inform Deckard of the role in this battle that he's been inadvertently thrown into, and he is the only one who can fix it.

How will Deckard's skills as an art thief affect the gameplay?

JGS: There's many points in the game where gates and doors will be locked, and Deckard has to use his skills to get through. For the most part, though, Deckard's life as an art thief is put behind him the second he opens the box. He's got a new mission ahead of him as a solider and a savior. Plus, there's not much call for an art thief when the world is going through an apocalypse.

Does he have any special abilities or powers?

JGS: He does, and these come from the signet that gets branded on his hand. Right away, players learn how to use the signet to absorb animus from creatures. Animus is the life energy of the mythical beasts, and Deckard can use absorbed animus to heal himself. Later on, he learns how to emit an animus pulse - which is a force that can shove enemies back, as well as do some other special things which I'll let players discover for themselves.

Can you detail the weapons lineup?

JGS: I absolutely can. We wanted to get a good mix of weapons in, with each having its own unique place in the game. For example, weapons that deliver a solid punch such as a shotgun or heavy machine gun are more useful against the creatures, but assault rifles and SMGs are more effective against the human opponents you'll face. There's also a flamethrower that's good at burning up everyone and everything, and a high caliber pistol which is very powerful at short ranges. And of course, whenever you're out of ammo or in a tight place, you'll always have your trusty fire axe to do some chopping.

Gryphons and werewolves are among the creatures you'll battle in the game. What else will we encounter?

JGS: Players will face off against a pretty big array of mythical monsters – some of which they might not have heard of. In addition to gryphons and werewolves, you'll battle Minotaurs, Nari (demonic babies with wings), Echidna (a huge creature which lives below the earth that uses its tentacles to attack things on the surface), Firedrakes (huge lizards that can breathe fire), and a lot more.

Will there be any boss battles or boss battle equivalents?

JGS: You bet. The two that come immediately to mind are the golem and the Kraken. The golem is a mindless creature of destruction the size of a building that's formed from cars, rubble and other non-living debris. The Kraken is a creature known for dragging huge ships underneath the water, and when Deckard crosses paths with it, it's dragging national landmarks beneath the waves. Both these creatures can't be defeated by conventional methods, but if I say any more than that I'll be ruining surprises!

Tell us about the level architecture. What kinds of worlds/environments will we battle through?

JGS: Most of the game takes place in either New York City or London. There are parts where you'll be in more remote areas, but we wanted to project to players the apocalyptic changes that opening Pandora's Box has had on the world. There's no better place to show this than a big city.

A couple of the screenshots remind me of the movie Cloverfield. Coincidence? Or was this movie or others inspiring?

JGS: It is a coincidence. When I went to see the movie, I was thinking how Legendary-esque it was. Great minds think alike, I guess! We did watch a lot of monster movies and disaster movies when we were putting together the ideas and storyboards for Legendary, so I can see how there's similarities between the two.

How will Legendary's multiplayer mode fit the unique situation Deckard caused, and what multiplayer types can we expect?

JGS: We’ve designed our multiplayer around one of the most unique aspects of Legendary, which is the three way battle that happens between the monsters, the Black Order, and you. While playing through single player, you’ll constantly be asking yourself, should I go after the monsters for some animus or the people for some ammo. With multiplayer, each team has to collect animus from wandering beasts that are more than happy to rip your throat out, and use it to fill containers. The first team to fill their container wins. However, each team can also attack the other, stealing animus for their own containers. It can turn into quite the heated brawl.

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com/

GTR Evolution - Demo Coming Next Week

SimBin has announced that they will be releasing a demo version of GTR Evolution sometime within the next 5-10 days. The demo features multiplayer capabilities, so potential GTR Evo fans can get a full taste of what the online gameplay is like. The guys have also included a spanish supercar called the Sunred SR21 Supercar. You can check out this car in the picture to the right. They have included the Brands Hatch racetrack, so stay tuned for more.

http://gamesevolutions.blogspot.com/

Microsoft Announces Halo: 3 Recon at Tokyo Game Show 2008

Halo 3: Recon, TEKKEN 6, RESIDENT EVIL 5, Star Ocean : THE LAST HOPE and THE LAST REMNANT Headline Blockbuster Xbox 360 Lineup at Tokyo Game Show

Against the backdrop of one of the world’s largest video games events, Tokyo Game Show 2008, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a blockbuster portfolio of games for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from many of the world’s most renowned developers. The lineup, which features a variety of high-profile titles coming this holiday season as well as in 2009 and beyond, was headlined by “Halo 3: Recon,” an exciting new chapter in the legendary “Halo” franchise from acclaimed developer Bungie, as well as the announcement of “TEKKEN 6” coming to Xbox 360, which brings the “TEKKEN” franchise from Namco Bandai Games to Xbox 360 for the first time in history.

During his keynote address, John Schappert, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of LIVE, Software and Studios showcased the best blockbusters Japan has to offer from the most popular genres. Cementing the reputation of Xbox 360 as the premier home for great storytelling and the industry’s best role-playing games (RPGs), Schappert provided an exclusive look at the widely anticipated “Star Ocean: THE LAST HOPE” and “THE LAST REMNANT” from developer Square Enix. Action-adventure fans were also given a new look at the latest trailer for “RESIDENT EVIL 5,” slated to launch on Xbox 360 in March 2009. Finally, Schappert thrilled the capacity crowd by announcing that fighting franchise “TEKKEN 6” would be launching on Xbox 360 for the first time, releasing worldwide in 2009.

“Xbox 360 continues to be the destination of choice for the best and broadest games from the world’s biggest and best developers,” Schappert said. “With the latest incarnations of the ‘Halo’ universe, as well as global hits like ‘TEKKEN 6,’ we continue to deliver on our commitment to provide the caliber of entertainment and games that capture the imagination of people across the globe.”

A New Look at the “Halo” Universe

To the delight of devoted fans across the world, Microsoft debuted “Halo 3: Recon,” developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie. “Halo 3: Recon” is a new chapter in the “Halo” saga that lets gamers experience events leading up to the epic story told in “Halo 3” through the eyes of a new hero in the “Halo” universe. The stand-alone expansion, set to release in fall 2009, extends the award-winning “Halo 3” experience with hours of new campaign excursions and multiplayer gameplay. In addition, attendees were given an all-new glimpse of the Xbox 360 exclusive strategy game “Halo Wars” from Ensemble Studios. By showing campaign mode for the first time, the live demo provided viewers with a thrilling taste of the revolutionary gameplay and new perspective of the “Halo” universe. Players will be able to enjoy the full experience when “Halo Wars” hits retailers in early 2009.

Japanese Developers Gain Worldwide Momentum

By partnering with the best and brightest Japanese developers and publishers, Microsoft is committed not only to providing an unparalleled gaming experience on Xbox 360 to Japan, but also to helping Japanese games reach new audiences worldwide. During his keynote address, Schappert announced that Xbox 360 has the most top-selling, third-party Japanese titles among all other current games platforms. He also noted that Japanese publishers have sold more than $800 million worth of games thus far on Xbox 360 and are on track to see lifetime revenue of more than $1 billion by the end of this holiday.

To underscore that point, Schappert unveiled dramatic new titles from Japan, including “NINETY-NINE NIGHTS II*” produced by Q Entertainment and developed by Feelplus. The title will join the “Ninja Gaiden” franchise and the just-announced “Ninja Blade” in making Xbox 360 the best place for Japanese action games. Schappert also declared that the release of “Star Ocean : THE LAST HOPE” and “THE LAST REMNANT” are further proof that Xbox 360 is the best console for RPGs, citing a rich portfolio of global blockbusters including “Infinite Undiscovery,” “Fable II” and “Fallout 3.” Additional Japanese-developed blockbusters debuting this holiday and 2009 include the following:

“THE LAST REMNANT” (Square Enix). “THE LAST REMNANT” is a new role-playing game crafted using the finest artistry and technology Square Enix has to offer. Set in a fantasy world, war-torn and scarred by years of conflict, gameplay revolves around mysterious artifacts — Remnants — that possess magic powers. Groundbreaking graphics possible only on Xbox 360 bring the intensity to a whole new level. “THE LAST REMNANT” is launching worldwide on Nov. 20 and will be available only on Xbox 360.

“NINETY-NINE NIGHTS II” (Q Entertainment). Set amid a dramatic, epic backdrop of a warring world, “NINETY-NINE NIGHTS II” blends strategy and action, allowing players to take control of massive armies to defeat thousands of enemies in massive-scaled battles never before seen on Xbox 360.

“RESIDENT EVIL 5” (Capcom Entertainment Inc.). Destined to bring new fans to the series, “RESIDENT EVIL 5” is the sequel to one of the highest-rated video games in history (according to Metacritic.com and GameRankings.com). Promising to revolutionize the series by delivering an unbelievable level of detail, realism and control, “RESIDENT EVIL 5” unleashes an unprecedented level of fear for the next generation. New technology developed specifically for the game, as well as incredible changes to both the gameplay and the “RESIDENT EVIL” world, will make this a must-have game for gamers across the globe.

“Star Ocean: The LAST HOPE” (Square Enix). “Star Ocean: THE LAST HOPE” is the long-awaited continuation of the celebrated science fiction and fantasy role-playing game series. Slated for release on Xbox 360 in spring 2009 and published by Square Enix, this prequel set during the aftermath of World War III combines science fiction and fantasy elements spanning multiple planets and the vastness of space itself to recount the origins of the “Star Ocean” universe. Exhilarating combat expands upon the franchise’s famous real-time battle system, introducing the amazing graphics and visual effects possible only on Xbox 360.

“TEKKEN 6” (Namco Bandai Games). The latest chapter in one of the most popular fighting franchises in the world, “TEKKEN,” a series that has sold 33 million units worldwide, is coming for the first time to Xbox 360. “TEKKEN 6” is the newest addition to the 3-D fighting series “TEKKEN,” popular for its immersive storyline with characters featuring distinctive personalities as they fight it out at incredible speeds. Starting with the launch of the arcade version in 1994, “TEKKEN” has evolved into a highly acclaimed worldwide franchise, and “TEKKEN 6,” appearing on Xbox 360, is the first multiplatform title in the “TEKKEN” series.

*Final title name is subject to change

Xbox LIVE Arcade Debuts New Lineup

Xbox LIVE Arcade continued momentum built during the summer of arcade as Microsoft announced seven new titles to the already robust lineup of classics and original titles. With the power of Xbox LIVE Arcade, a new generation of gamers can now experience some of the most beloved games of all time from Japan’s most legendary developers. Classic titles showcased at Tokyo Game Show include the following:

“ARKANOID Live!” (TAITO). First appearing in the 1980s as a block-breaking game, the next evolution will now be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Gamers can enjoy “Arkanoid” in high definition with beautifully choreographed background movies and background music. “Arkanoid” is loaded with 120 stages and colorful cooperative and versus modes.

“The King of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match” (SNK PLAYMORE). The original “dream match” comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade with new features, characters and game modes. Gamers can face their favorite “The King of Fighters” characters to determine the ultimate champion.

“Metal Slug 7” (SNK PLAYMORE). Gamers can join Marco, Tarma, Eri, Fiolina, Clark and Ralph as they prepare to take on Modern’s Forces across seven new missions. “Metal Slug 7” will also feature new weapons, colossal new bosses, new gameplay modes, and new Slugs to pilot.

“Meteos Wars” (Q ENTERTAINMENT). Take a ride through this intergalactic journey where you slide, stack and ignite your blocks to blast away the world-ending meteors! Only you can stop them from falling and crushing your planet. Master the combo links and power-ups to challenge your friends in intense multiplayer sessions.

“R-Type Dimensions” (Microsoft). “R-Type Dimensions” combines the genre-defining coin-op classics “R-Type” and “R-Type II,” with a twist. For the first time ever, “R-Type Dimensions” allows multiplayer co-op play locally or over Xbox LIVE for up to two players. Gamers fight through all 14 Bydo-infested stages in the original 2-D or all-new 3-D graphics, and can swap between the two seamlessly.

“SPACE INVADERS EXTREME” (TAITO). Gamers can experience “Space Invaders” in fully immersive sound and vivid high definition on the next-generation system, with visuals that will excite their senses.

“Tenchu: Shadow Assault” (FROMSOFTWARE). Tenchu, the world-famous ninja action game, is now on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Gamers can control their favorite characters as they use a variety of ninja weapons to defeat their enemies and complete their missions. They can use traps in multiplayer mode to kill their friends for massive points.

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