Saturday, March 15, 2008

Grand Theft Auto IV Games Aktuell Preview: Multiplayer

The latest issue of German gaming magazine, Games Aktuell, revealed some new information about Grand Theft Auto IV and it's multiplayer modes. Lets take a look, the translation are a bit rough, however.

  • If Nico Bellic just not moving, then it only scratches on the head, then on the arm - and finally in step.
  • When you run over pedestrians, blood stains remain on the hood.
  • At various points, there is swab cleaning the ground forces.
  • A beer in Liberty City is called Piss Water.
  • Taxi novel means Bellic Novel Enterprises.
  • The soundtrack will be announced shortly.
  • The Soundabmischung is optimized for surround-there are many bi-directional effects.
  • Police, taxis, ambulances and Co. can be easily accessed by mobile phone.
  • Niko's cellphone is the popular Sony Ericsson W800i.
  • Niko can climb over normal fences and barbed wired fences.
  • Niko will fly through the front window as it cracks when he hits something while going really fast in the car.
  • If your driving drunk for a number of hours, the screen will blur.
  • On the Brooklyn Bridge, the toll is five dollars. If your driving in the police car, the cost will be less.
  • If you are a taxi driver, there is a bonus, he expresses more on the Tube.
  • There is nearly no difference in graphics between singeplayer (story mode) and multiplayer.
  • In some missions, you can use the police radio.
  • The game's Airport is Francis International Airport like in Grand Theft Auto III.
After this they went onto multiplayer. They've played Death Match and Mafia Work only. All of the game modes are either against men as well as a team against another team, with up to 8 teams and a maximum of 16 players allowed. Liberty City in multiplayer mode looses none if it's fascination, the city is almost the same as it is shown in story mode.

When they were playing Mafia Work, they explained that each player on each team had a cell phone with the same job to complete. Who ever does the job first gets the win. It seems as if you can call the police on other players if they are stealing a car. The host of the game gets to select the police involvement, transportation available, pedestrians, friendly fire on or off, the time of day, weather, and arms supply of the match.

[View Scans]

Friday, March 14, 2008

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: Ferrari F2007 Screenshots


Today, Gran Turismo Korea released some new off-screen screenshots of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue today showcasing the Ferrari F2007 exterior and a bit of the interior, along with a controls screen, and the back of the box. Enjoy!

Metal Gear Online Beta Starts April 14, 2008

Thanks to tipster Jonathan, we've discovered that the Japanese Metal Gear Online site states that the beta's official start date is April 14, 2008. It may possibly start at the same time worldwide. All I know so far is, April is going to be a hell of a month for the PlayStation Network.

[METAL GEAR ONLINE TEASER SITE] [Thanks Jonathan!]

Capcom Explains Reason for No SSF2T HD Remix Beta on PS3

For those who haven't heard, the Xbox 360 is getting a beta of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix when they purchase Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 on Xbox Live. PlayStation 3 owners, however, do not receive the beta.

A Capcom fan got angry on the forums and expressed his disappointment, so Capcom stepped in. They stated that the budget would raise if they did two betas, and in their ideal world, they would do the beta on both consoles. The main point is, however, "There is code parity across the two and any issues found in 360 will be fixed in PS3. So while PS3 owners won’t be able to participate in the beta, they will still benefit in the finished product."

The only thing they don't really explain why they are doing it on the Xbox 360 however.

[Reasons Behind No SSF2T HD Remix Beta on PS3]

PSM 3's April 2008 "The Insider" Rumors

The latest issue of PSM3's rumor section has some interesting rumors from 'the man who knows too much'.

- In-game XMB will be coming, but not for a few more months.
- He says to except a big announcement involveing Home, including information the the trophies/accomplishments that everyone has been wanting.
- A sequel to a popular Xbox 360 title will be received soon, making it's first appearance on PlayStation 3 (before Xbox 360), and states it's not Lost Planet. Perhaps Dead Rising 2?
- He suggests that the big announcements of 2008 will for the most part not come in the form of games but in the form of PlayStation Store surprises, firmware, and PlayStation Network functionality.
- Ubisoft are to make some big announcements during their Ubi Days even this May in Paris. His tips include Alive, Assassins Creed 2, and Prince of Persia.
All these rumors sound great. Knowing Capcom though, I do not think that PlayStation 3 sequel to the Xbox 360 game will be Dead Rising 2. Any other suggestions?

[Rumour: Some interesting rumour’s from UK magazine, PSM3’s ‘The Insider’]

Alone in the Dark: March 2008 Trailer


Atari released a brand new March 2008 trailer for their upcoming horror adventure game, Alone in the Dark. The game is looking way too impressive. Give it a watch.

Valkyria Chronicles: Largo Potter Trailer


A new trailer has appeared for SEGA's upcoming Valkyria Chronicles. The release is right around the corner for Japan, but unfortunately, the US release is in the summer. The new trailer shows Largo Potter, an anti-tank specialist. Enjoy!

PSM3: Metal Gear Online Scans

The latest issue of PSM3 features a preview of Kojima's upcoming Metal Gear Online (starter pack to be bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4). There isn't much new here, but PSM3 says its a bit plain so far, but there is an emphasis on strategy and tactical play. The scans are at the link. Enjoy!

[Metal Gear Online Scans & Preview from PSM3]

HAZE Script Reaches Over 1,000 Pages


According to a promo video for HAZE, the script for the game is currently over 1,000 pages long. You know how long 1,000 pages are? We couldn't imagine. The vdieo shows script writer Rob Yascombe as he runs out the studio with a gun giving people interviews. Enjoy!

[Haze script is over 1,000 pages long]

Team Fortress 2 DLC Price to Be Decided by Sony & Microsoft

Recently, Valve stated that they are going to bring downloadable content to Team Fortress 2 on consoles, hoping for it to be free. Valve has stated today that regarding pricing, "The platform holder owns the final call." Lets hope that Sony goes the nice way and gives it to us for free.

[Team Fortress DLC Price Is Up To Microsoft And Sony]

Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer Modes Revealed in OPM Spain

The latest Official PlayStation Magazine in Spain revealed the multiplayer for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV. There will be 15 of these multiplayer modes.

- Hangman's NOOSE
- Car Jack City
- Bomb da Base
- Bomb da Base II
- Mafia Work
- Team Mafia Work
- Deathmatch
- Team Deathmatch
- Turf War
- Cops N Crooks
- Race
- GTA Race
- Deal Breaker
- Free Roam

The host of the game makes the rules of the online match. In "Race" and "GTA Race" modes, the host decides vehicles and laps. In "Team Deathmatch" and "Deathmatch" modes, he decides the number of pedestrians, traffic flow, police involvement, and weapons.

"Mafia Work" and "Team Mafia Work" modes let you play as one of Kenny Petrovic's mafia henchmen, completing to complete hits ordered by the boss over your phone before your rivals. The "Cops n' Crooks" mode is when a group of players are the police, and a group of players are the criminals. An unrelenting chase then begins through the city, with 4 players using the same vehicle. They can also see the criminals location on their GPS while criminals have no clue as where the police are.

Hangmans Noose is a cooperative mode, where you and your friends escort a mafia man to the helicopter, while being ambushed by the SWAT.

Your also able to create your own character for the online mode, changing his race, sex, skin color, hair and clothing. Up to 16 player gameplay. Amazing.

[GTA 4 multiplayer modes revealed]

Devil May Cry 4 is 9th PlayStation 3 title to Pass 1 Million

According to the latest gaming charts, Capcom's Devil May Cry 4 has become the ninth PlayStation 3 title to pass the 1 million units sold mark. The PlayStation 3 version has also passed the mark quite faster than the Xbox 360 version, as you can see due to the fact it has 60,000 more sales. Congratulations Devil May Cry 4.

[VGChartz - Devil May Cry 4]

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Battlestations Developer Interested in PlayStation 3

Atilla Soross, the Senor Developer over at Eidos Hungary, stated in an interview that although the Battlestations series have only appeared on the Xbox 360 and PC, that the developer isn't ruling out bringing the series to the PlayStation 3.

"We are certainly interested in PS3 as major current-gen platform, but at this point I cannot reveal more about our plans with the brand," explained Soross.

He offered some insight of what the series could lead into in the future, saying: "... the team has several ideas about the settings of future Battlestations games and the modern era is one of them. However, currently we are focusing on realizing the potential in Battlestations: Pacific."

You never know, we could hear about a Battlestations: Pacific announced for PlayStation 3 sooner or later.

[Battlestations dev is interested in PS3]

Monolith Launches Project Origin Community Website

Warner Bros. Interactive and Monolith Productions launched the official Project Origin community website today. As you know, Origin is the seqel to the critically-acclaimed supernatural first-person shooter, F.E.A.R. The new site features the story, some back story, along with a forum for fans to discuss the game. Enjoy!

Grand Theft Auto IV Features: Saturday Appointments & Slow-Mo Driving

MTV Multiplayer has revealed two new features for Grand Theft Auto IV. Those features are "Days of the Week" and "Slow-Mo Driving".

The Days of the Week feature basically means Grand Theft Auto IV has it's days of the week (unconfirmed if seven). All we know so far is that it has Thursdays and Saturdays. No seasons or months, although.

A RockStar PR explained that in a mission titled "The Final Interview", Niko Bellic has to assassinate a lawyer. You apply for the job from one of the game's internet cafes, and your called into an interview only on Saturday. Any other day of the week, Niko cannot access this.

The other feature is Slow-Mo Driving, meaning you can drive slowly in the game even while driving fast. The game will borrow from Max Payne and Burnout and let you ride the whip in slow-motion. We have no idea why this feature was added, but any new feature is a good one.

[‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ Surprise Features: Saturday Appointments And Slow-Mo Driving]

Elefunk: Debut Trailer


Here is the debut trailer for Sony Computer Entertainment and 8bit's upcoming elephant game, Elefunk. The game's objective seems to be to rescue the elephants. Sounds like fun... sort of. Enjoy!

Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer to be Revealed Soon

German gaming magazine, Games Aktuell, is reporting that on it's next issue, it will have the first details on Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer mode. The new issue will go on sale March 19th. Grand Theft Auto IV will feature multiplayer game modes called "Team Deathmatch", "Cops n' Crooks", "Deal Breaker", "Bomb da Base" and "Hangman's Noose", and others we may learn about as well. The magazine was able to play two of these modes. We will update you when the issue is released.

[Multiplayer Details Revealed Soon]

US PlayStation Store Update: March 13, 2008

Well, time for another PlayStation Network Thursday. Lets take a look at what we've got today.
Demos
  • MLB 2K8 demo (free)
PSP Demos
  • WipEout Pulse demo (free)
Add-Ons
  • Toy Home Expansion Pack ($6.99)
  • PAIN Character: Nurse, Ginger ($0.99)
  • PAIN Character: Cheerleader, Muffy ($0.99)
  • Guitar Hero III: Dropkick Murphy’s Track Pack (free)
    • “Famous for Nothing” by Dropkick Murphy's
    • “Flannigans Ball” by Dropkick Murphy’s
    • “Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya” by Dropkick Murphy’s
  • Rock Band Add-Ons
    • “Shockwave” - Black Tide ($0.99)
    • “Beethoven’s C***” - Serj Tankian ($0.99)
    • “CrushCrushCrush” - Paramore ($0.99)
Game Videos
  • Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - Characters & Courses (free)
  • Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds - New Shot System (free)
  • Viking: Battle for Asgard Teaser Trailer (free)
  • Viking Episode 1 - Skarin’s Calling Trailer (free)
  • Viking Episode 2 - Siege of Caldburg Trailer (free)
Themes
  • God of War: Chains of Olympus Theme (free)
  • PAIN: Ginger Theme (free)
  • PAIN: Muffy Theme (free)
  • Condemned 2: Bloodshot Theme 1 (free)
  • Condemned 2: Bloodshot Theme 2 (free)
There is the update. I must say a mighty better one than the previous weeks. I will be enjoying that new Guitar Hero III content.

PLAYSTATION Store Worldwide