Night Note: The onAXIS Situation

To: onAXIS Readers
From: onAXIS Administrator

As you've noticed, we have a partner site, onXBOX, opening soon all about the latest news in 360 gaming. I've been thinking about the situation.

I figured instead of launching another separate site, why not open the new site, powered by WordPress (will be heavily modded to have the best functionality and user friendliness), covering the latest in all three gaming console news? And for those who prefer to stick to one console, there will be three seperate pages on the site, one known as onAXIS, another as onXBOX, and another as onWII.

The only thing right now that is stopping me from launching the site is a custom WordPress theme (which I will get to work on designing very soon, once I decide the color scheme), and a name for the new site. I very much like Japanese terms so I would want it to relate to that.

So, I figured, why not have the users of the current site, onAXIS decide? Please, send me an e-mail of what you think might be a good site name. Try not to include the word "GAME" in the site name. Lets try and be unique. Our e-mail is: admin@onaxisonline.com

Anyway, we had some pretty good stories today (for me, at least). The first videos and images of FIFA Street 3 got me pretty excited, big soccer fan here currently waiting for the U.S. arrival of PES 2008. Anyway, view todays hot stories below.

Hot Stories for October 22, 2007
Uncharted: Drake's Jeep Chase
Warhawk v1.2 Patch Detailed
Naruto: PS3 Project: New Scan
HAZE: Demo Coming November 16th, 2007
EA Talks: Army of Two Delay
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: Jet Ski Gameplay
FIFA Street 3: First Video
FIFA Street 3: Coming In Spring 2008

Street Fighter IV: Capcom Gamers' Day 07 Franchise Interview

Street Fighter IV was a big announcement at the Capcom Gamers' Day. It was too suspected so we knew it was coming. This video gives us some information about the new Street Fighter installment, along with some information on Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

Capcom Gamers' Day Overview

The Capcom Gamers' day was a great event for announcements. We had Lost Planet on the PLAYSTATION 3, Street Fighter IV, Bionic Commando, and more. Recap it all in this nifty little overview.

GameSpot: Kane & Lynch on the PLAYSTATION 3

GameSpot shows us Kane & Lynch: Dead Men being played on the PLAYSTATION 3 for the first time ever. Enjoy the gameplay movie.

[Via GameSpot]

The Simpsons Game: E for All 07 Bart Clips

When Bart realizes he's in a game he turns into his infamous alter ego as he floats, jumps and makes his way through the game. Are you ready to play as him?

And below, Bart decides to use his super powers for the greater good and save a museum from destruction.

Army of Two: New Images & Information

Today, EA announced the Army of Two delay for a Q1 2008 release. Destructoid was able to get a hands-on with the game. They end their impressions with:

"When interviewing Woody Mister, the military consultant to Army of Two, he made a claim that while Gears of War was originally his favorite title to play, Army of Two had taken its place in light of its concentration on co-op interaction. For gamers who are looking for a twist in game play and have a favorite gaming pal to play with, this game should be a refreshing new spin on the typical shooter. However, gamers who are typically pinned on the ways of the Halo-style shooters and enjoy going lone wolf on games may have a bit of trouble adjusting to the co-op oriented game play. But hey, maybe that's a good thing. It's nice to know that a game has opted to extract some of the most valuable social elements of gaming and modify it into a means of play within the game. Perhaps it'll go all the way to even encourage gamers to make more friends! Now that EA has announced the delay with hopes to make some polished tweaks to the game, we can only wait and see whether they'll clean up whatever obstacles may deter gamers from putting down the controller. Meanwhile, so far the game follows up with alright enough action and is complimented with a decent amount of entertaining dialogue. It looks like this game will be a pretty fun play. "

Read the full hands-on at the link.

[Read: Army of Two Hands-On]

Bionic Commando: Swing, Chain Reaction, & Gunplay

Videos seem to be rolling in like a ball with these Bionic Commando features. The first video is the Chain Reaction video, showing full advantage of the physics system to set off chain reactions and destroy the world around you.

The second video is a video showing how you can swing from building to building. *looks at Spider-Man* Your not the only one now!

The third video shows the tool of the trade, the gun, and how you play with it. Enjoy the videos.

Frontlines: Fuel of War: Tank Demolition Gameplay Videos

Use every trick you have at your disposal to get in close and plant your explosive charges. Enemy troops don't stand a chance once you get behind the controls of a tank!

Enjoy.

The Simpsons Game: E for All 07 Land of Chocolate Cam

Watch Homer as he tries to gorge himself on chocolate bunnies in this Land of Chocolate video from EA Games' upcoming The Simpsons Game. The Simpsons Game is set for release on October 30, 2007.

Uncharted: Drake's Jeep Chase

Every new video we see of Naughty Dog's upcoming action male Tomb Raider title, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, seems to bring a new genre of gaming into the game.

In this video, we have a Jeep chase through the jungle. Will Drake make it out alive?

EGM: December 2007 Reviews, Rumors, & Suchg

Thanks to NeoGAF member EGMFan89, we have the latest buzz from the December 2007 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Lets start, we won't leave anything out.

Rumor Mill

• God of War 3 & Gears of War 2 coming next Winter.
• Geist Sequel in the works.
• Skies of Arcadia sequel in the works.
• Square Enix's It's a Wonderful World coming to North America.
• MMOFPS coming for Xbox 360.
• Disgaea 3 will not have online functionality.

Reviews

• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation: 6.5, 6.5, 8
• Beautiful Katamari: 7, 4.5, 4
• Bladestorm: the hundred years war: 4, 6, 4
• Conan: 5.5, 5.5, 5.5
• Clive Barker's Jericho: 3, 4.5, 4.5 (shame of the month)
• Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness: 7.5, 7, 7
• Folklore: 5.5, 7.5, 8
• Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock: 9, 8.5, 8
• Halo 3: 10, 10, 9
• Phoenix Wright: Trials and Tribulations: 9, 7, 7.5
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction: 8.5, 9.5, 9
• Sega Rally Revo: 7.5, 7, 7
• Silent Hill Origins: 7.5, 7, 7
• The Eye of Judgment: 8, 8, 8
• The Orange Box: 10, 9.5, 10
• The Simpsons Game: 7, 6.5, 7
• WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2008: 8,7, 5.5

Is it just me, or are the new IP's of PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive games getting flip floped scores everywhere?

[Via NeoGAF]

Warhawk v1.2 Patch Detailed

Last week, Dylan Jobe posted about the v1.1 patch. Now he introduces us to v1.2, which is currently in it's testing stages. Jobe writes:
Patch v1.2 addresses some main requests that our community has made as well as fixes the primary exploits and glitches … and adds some new layouts!

Patch v1.2 includes:

• 5 New layouts.
• Clan game server option.
• Buddy slot reservations.
• Integrated Warhawk Store.
• Updated CTF capture/return behavior.
• Internal stat padder protection.
• Booster Pack status display at join game list.
• DualShock3 integration.
• Separate SIXAXIS motion control on/off per mode (ground, hover, flight).
• Detailed Player Score display at end of game fixed.
• Added new server type filters (player, ranked, dedicated, clan, Official Warhawk, etc).
• Added new server full/open filter.
• Fall damage exploit fixed.
• Dismount into walls exploit fixed.
• Invisible Tank, Turret & Warhawk exploit fixed.
• Auto-kick of idle players.
• Add to Favorites button added to end game screen.
• Increased VOIP volume when not using headset.

He goes into clarification with the items on the list:

The new clan-game server option lets you set 2 clan names, one for the Eucadian team and one for the Chernovan team. Then, when you launch the game, the server will auto-sort the clans on the correct teams. The server will also only allow members of those 2 clans to connect. Clan games are also displayed in a different color at the join game list.

Buddy slot reservations allow you to specify a number of player slots on the server that *only* players in your PSN buddy list can join. So go ahead and kick up a game and you can always make sure that you friends can jump in with you and get their Warhawk on!

We also fixed what a lot of players refer to as the “tank” glitch. This actually could happen to turrets and Warhawks too. It is an annoying exploit and we’re happy to have it fixed – I’m sure all of you will be too!

We enabled DualShock3 functionality in the V1.2 patch too … maybe you all have heard something about this or read about it on the internet? Ha Ha :-)

The Warhawk Store is also going to be enabled in v1.2. This allows players to purchase Warhawk content, Booster Packs, etc from within Warhawk, rather than going through the XMB and then to the store – this is mainly for convenience.

And of course some new layouts – as you’ve seen from the images scattered throughout this post!

We have found that while a lot of players like playing the really large games, there was a pretty big segment that was playing smaller games. With that trend, we wanted to rig some new layouts that are more geared for smaller games; 4 to 8 players. The new layouts are:

• Eucadia: High City
• Island Outpost: Standoff
• The Badlands: South City
• Destroyed Capitol: Garden Showdown
• Archipelago: Close Corridors

So there you have it. The update list for patch v1.2 that is currently being tested right now and we are tracking an early to mid December global release.

And of course I can’t end this post without mentioning the Booster Pack. So there, I said it…”Booster Pack” :-)

LOLOLOL

No seriously … my next post in just a few days will give you all a glimpse of an internal gameplay session we had with the Booster Pack. It’s just a glimpse because as I’ve said before, our top priority has been on the v1.1 and v1.2 updates.

Over and out…

Thats one huge update, look forward too it Warhawk players.

[Via PS.Blog]

Naruto: PS3 Project: New Scan

In the latest scan in a Japanese magazine, a new picture is shown on the upcoming CyberConnect2 developed title, Naruto: PS3 Project. No new information is given sadly, considering the title is in early development, and doesn't even have a real name yet.

It's planned for a release in Japan sometime 2008. A U.S. release date to follow.

[Via Jeux France]

Rock Band: Campaign Features No Online Co-Op

While seeing new things, and traveling in Rock Band's "World Tour" mode, the only band mates that you can have will be the ones standing next to you, not the ones in another country.

In a forum post from a Harmonix staffer, it was revealed that online co-op won't be a part of the World Tour, though it's still included with the quickplay and competition modes.

[Via JoyStiq]

BlackSite: Area 51: Online Support Limited on PLAYSTATION 3

One good thing about Midway Games' upcoming BlackSite: Area 51 is it is going to have an extensive online mode. IGN writes:

"With the Xbox 360 version of the game, players will be able to play ranked and unranked matches, and voice support will have constant chatter for teammates while everyone will be able to hear each other if they're close enough, regardless of which team they're on."

Sadly, that is not the matter on the PLAYSTATION 3 online. A Midway representative states:

"Basically, the PS3 supports the ability to host, search, and join - that's it. All of the other functionality did not make it to PS3: ranked / leader boards, match making, voice chat, private slots, etc."

This is especially weird, considering Unreal Tournament III, another Midway game, will have more online features than the Xbox 360 version.

Hopefully, Sony's 2.00 firmware will add the capability to add these online features, and they will finally get an official headset out or something.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

HAZE: Demo Coming November 16th, 2007

On the 16th of November, a Friday, the PLAYSTATION Store (Europe) will be receiving a demo for the upcoming Free Radical shooter, HAZE.

The demo will have a level that is playable for up to four players cooperatively.

This will be a great day in the name of PLAYSTATION 3 gaming, anybody want to play online with me, send me an e-mail and we will arrange something.

[Via PS EU]

EA Talks: Army of Two Delay

EA Montreal has just officially announced that they are delaying their Army of Two action shooter title for the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 from Fall 2008 to First Quarter 2008 (noo!).

1UP chatted with VP and General Manager of EA Montreal and Army of Two Executive Producer Alan Tascan about why the company decided to announce the delay so late in the game.

1UP: So what's the official announcement that you're giving us today?

Alan Tascan: The announcement is that we're pushing the game to Q1 of next year and the reason is based on the feedback we've had internally and externally. We just want to add extra polish to the game -- I think everyone would want that. Our job is to delight the customer and we feel that we need more time to add the polish.

1UP: Yeah, but what's interesting in this case is that the game got to review stage -- we were playing it to review it -- before it got delayed, so we were wondering why it took this long to figure out. We're pretty accustomed to delays in this industry, but not usually at this stage.

Alan Tascan: This was based on a lot of feedback we had internally and externally. Where we failed is in questioning whether we could really make the game better. I agree with you that this came at the last second, but it still came and I think that's better for everybody. I think the fundamentals are there, we just need to add in the extra polish that we now have time to do.

Read the full interview at the link below.

[Read: Alan Tascan A02 Interview]

The Simpsons: Grand Theft Scratchy Renamed: Mob Rules

Earlier this month, RockStar got quite angry with EA Games about their Grand Theft Scratchy parody for their upcoming The Simpsons Game title.

Lead designer Greg Rizzer commented that "if we make fun of Grand Theft Auto, we're not going to hurt the sales of Grand Theft Auto... But yeah, we've definitely had some reactions -- we've had to pull stuff from the game."

The trailer showing this Grand Theft Auto parody has been renamed to Mob Rules, confirming that the scratchy parody [title] was removed.

[Via 1UP]

Assassin's Creed: Big Surpirse Coming?

On the Assassin's Creed site, a single bloody feather falls onto a vacant white backdrop. The calligraphy reads "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." Flashes of molecular diagrams fill the page momentarily. "November 14, 2007. Be prepared."

The picture above was sent in an e-mail from Ubisoft Montreal. Assassin's Creed is really looking to shape up, and it's going to be a great release. So do like the picture says, and be prepared.

[View AC Site]

Bionic Commando: Gameplay Montage & Wire Mechanics

Swing through a city that's been left in ruins as you fight dangerous enemies and make your way through the dangerous terrain. The Commando uses his bionic arm to fend off the enemy while shooting them with his other arm.

BlackSite: Area 51: BlackSite Xenos Trailer

Meet the strange and dangerous aliens you'll encounter in BlackSite: Area 51, Midways upcoming sci-fi shooter.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: Jet Ski Gameplay

There's nothing better than Nathan Drake and company jet skiing through the watery ruins and shooting off their enemies. Enjoy the watch.

FIFA Street 3: First Video

Thanks to Game1, we have the first ever video of the next installment in the FIFA Street franchise, FIFA Street 3. The part three of the footiegame will be going cartoony, as we see Ronaldinho, Rooney, Crouch as comic-characters.

[Via Game1]

FIFA Street 3: Coming In Spring 2008

EA has announced today that the next title in the FIFA Street series, FIFA Street 3, is to be released on the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in Spring of 2008. This title will feature over 250 of the best players in the world and 18 top international teams.

"We have completely re-invented the FIFA Street franchise by turning the game's biggest stars into action heroes using art direction that makes you look twice," said Joe Nickolls, producer on the project. "The power of the Next Generation hardware gives us the horsepower to break new ground for consumers, making it the perfect stage to enjoy a multi-player, sports action arcade experience. Casual gamers and sports fans can expect a simplified control system that makes it easier to perform spectacular moves and enjoy the game with friends, yet still be a challenging experience for more seasoned gamers."

The art in this game is quite different from the realistic visuals you would see in FIFA 08. The game's graphics are cartoonish and fun, unlike other FIFA Street games, the art greatly differs.

There are four classes in this game, which are Trickster, Enforcer, Playmaker and Finisher. These classes give them specific roles on the game. The NBA Street Homecourt graphics engine also ensures that gamers will be in for a treat visually.

[Via Pro-G]

Assassin's Creed DVD Issues Fixed

During the Assassin's Creed demo down at the Australian Maritime Museum today, creative director Patrice Desilets (second from the right) commented on remarks he made two weeks ago on cramming all the game's data onto the Xbox 360's puny DVD format, and into the PS3's questionable memory density.

According to Desilets, his boss called him the day after the comments were made and they exchanged a few words. All Desilets was willing to say today on the Xbox 360 issue was:

"There's no problem anymore. It's gone. I learned my lesson."

Patrice is a nice bloke, so I hope whoever spoke to him wasn't too hard on his tongue slippage.

[Via Kotaku AU]

EBGames: Weird Folklore Description

Over at the official EBGames website, under the PLAYSTATION 3 section, you'll see an image of Keats that says Folklore, they describe it as:

"Two heroes, seeking Lucky Charms ™ and answers to a mystery, journey from a small Irish village to the netherworld. They must suck up the magically delicious souls of the residents to succeed."

Is somebody at the official EBGames website hating?

[Via EBGames]