Old Video Game News Thread (cat's news from Guru)

[BobYoMeowMeow]

The purpose of this is to repost news which are only up to a month old.
one post per article
If you want to reply to any of these articles
please put the title of the article in your quote

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4/9/10
Japanese RPG with Goddesses Representing the Game Industry
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/04/500x_sega2.jpg
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/04/500x_sega1.jpg
Platform: PS3
Genre: RPG
Release date: 2010 Summer
Developer: Compile Heart
Publisher: Sega
# Takes place in the fictional world called Geimugyokai (Game industry)
# Geimugyokai is split into 4 different worlds with 4 different goddesses
# The four worlds are Platetume, Rinbox (360), Lasdition (PS3?), Ruwii (Wii)
# The four goddesses are Purple Heart (Neptune), Green Heart, Black Heart, White Heart
# Battles are in 3D
# Game companies are represented by characters in the game too (Gust, Nippon ichi etc)
# Able to summon guardian angels from actual games or from pictures in the PS3 photo album
# Possible to customize appearances and combos
# Neptune and others work together to beat the evil goddess “Majekonnu” (Majikon is the term used to refer to DS flash carts like R4 etc)

Canned Dogs Blog Archive Compile Heart’s game about the game industry (http://zepy.momotato.com/2010/04/07/compile-hearts-game-about-the-game-industry/)

Soooo let's guess....
top left is ps3
top right is wii
bottom left is Sega Neptune
Sega 32X - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_32X#Sega_Neptune)
bottom right is xbox 360

[BobYoMeowMeow]

Infection Vs. Resurrection: The New Science of the Zombie


Where once they shuffled, now they run. Initially born of forbidden voodoo rituals or the sign of a religious apocalypse, for the past decade zombies have slowly metamorphosed into the by-products of something else entirely.

Science now, not the supernatural, is most often to blame when loved-ones become something less than human and begin to prey on the survivors.

While earlier works of fiction have played with the notion of what a zombie is and how it comes to be, it is pop culture's modern influence on an ancient fear that has had the greatest impact on the undead's evolution.

But why?
God is Dead, But Science is Undead

"In so many ways, our supernatural gods have been replaced by technological wonders — so of course our monsters can't be far behind," Dr. Carolyn Kaufman, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology, tells Kotaku. "The god/monster duality reflects what happens when something we trust religiously turns on us. The pleasant propaganda (the so-called "good intentions") is shucked away in place of something hungry and mindlessly evil (the money-grubbing executives, for example).

"These days most people are not afraid that god is going to strike them down, they're more afraid that something in the medical world or pharmaceutical world is going to backfire."

And at the same time, Kaufman points out, science has helped to decrease peoples' fear of the supernatural.

"Science has demystified so much of that," she says. "But there is still is so much mystery behind what big corporations are doing. They have so much power and so much power in our lives."

And with this shift in perspective, this realigning of what is dreadful and frightening to the masses, comes a shift in how those fears are played upon in pop culture.

Books and movies had 28 Days Later, House of the Dead and The Crazies. Video games have Resident Evil, Dead Rising, The Secret World and, perhaps, even Left 4 Dead.
Fear of the Unknown

It turns out that Left 4 Dead, Valve's popular zombie apocalypse first-person shooter, hasn't quite yet spilled the beans about what caused their outbreak of the undead.

Valve's Chet Faliszek was surprisingly coy when we asked him exactly what gave birth to his games' zombies.

"While I appreciate your attempt to fish an answer out of me on how the Infection in Left 4 Dead started, we aren't giving that away yet," Faliszek said. "But in the (upcoming episode of Left 4 Dead 2) "The Passing" and the comic book coming out following its release, we will learn more on how the L4D Infection works and the implications of that behavior."

This ambiguity of the zombies' origins is deliberate, Faliszek says.

While the developer knows that people want "tidy" explanations for horrific events, Valve decided to avoid that. Instead Left 4 Dead tells its story through messages scrawled on walls and snippets of conversation, never really revealing what it is that we should fear.

What we can tell so far gives little indication of what caused the outbreak, but it does show that despite facing a ending world the survivors, at least initially, have little interest in discussing religion.

Faliszek points out that's because so far, in both the first and second games, the survivors don't have the time to sit down and chat really.

"They are all still rooted in practical survival," he said. "With the Infection sweeping the land quickly and our meeting the eight Left 4 Dead one and two survivors early in the Zombie Apocalypse, they haven't had a chance yet to think about anything but their survival or in the case of Coach; cheese burgers."

He adds that despite not knowing what it is that gave birth to the undead, the creatures still tap into deeper fears.

"They are more than just enemy soldiers, but a force on the world that is overwhelming," he said. "It is everything that can overwhelm you in life coming at you as one single clear enemy. Once the zombie apocalypse starts, you know the world is never going to go back to the way it was. You can't be a conscientious objector to the war on zombies, they are a force you have to fight or they will destroy you.

"There is also this feeling, while it is an overwhelming force working against you – if you play your cards just right, do everything perfectly, you can survive. It is up to you. It represents your daily life itself but in a clear and simple package."

World War II shooter Call of Duty: World at War, which features a surprise appearance of zombies in its multiplayer modes, also decided to be ambiguous about their zombies' origins.

"In Call of Duty: World at War, Nazi Zombies represent a fear of the unknown" said Josh Olin, Community Manager at Treyarch. "Their origin and biology is deliberately vague, a riddle to be solved by those who are interested.
Fear of the Supernatural

Of the video games out or coming out that feature zombies, only one seems to seriously look at the concept of these creatures being the by-product of the supernatural.

The yet-to-be released computer game The Secret World is a massively multiplayer online game set in a world deeply influenced by religion, said the game's creative director Ragnar Tørnquist.

"Religion plays a huge role in history and mythology, in modern conspiracies, urban legends and pop culture – it's something that affects all of us; politically, spiritually – positively and negatively," Tørnquist said. "It's an important part of the real world, and it's an important part of the secret world. Of course, our setting isn't based on a specific religion or set of beliefs – or religion in general – but it's a world where demons and vampires are real, where powerful secret organisations have ruled over mankind for millennia, where magic is everywhere and where the lines between the natural and the supernatural are thin. The spiritual – whether it's religion, the occult, or simply the fear of things that go bump in the night – fits right into that."

While publishers Funcom have been tight-lipped about how expansive the game will be, they have said that it will include modern day settings in New England, Egypt, New York, Seoul and London. All of which were researched to allow the game to tap into the local cultures' beliefs and traditions.

Among the supernatural creatures players will stumble across and fight will be hordes of the undead. Zombies that can be, Tørnquist says, categorized as supernatural. They are not born of a virus or bio-hazardous material, but rather mystical means, he says.

But despite that, Tørnquist and his team still aren't tapping into a fear or religion or religious consequences in their use of these creatures, but rather the ominous threat of a greater power in control of the undead.

"Our zombies play on people's fear of – and hope in – something bigger than ourselves, something ancient and mystical and spiritual that cannot be explained by science or technology," he said. "It's the idea of a world – a universe – of secrets, only a few of which we have deciphered. And there really is something terrifying and dreadful about seeing the dead being brought back to life by those who wish to destroy mankind – it's a slap in our collective faces and a great incentive for joining the war on darkness."
Fear of the Known

Like Dr. Kaufman, Tørnquist sees the move away from supernatural zombies as a response to a shift in public sentiment and fears.

"I guess it's the zeitgeist – the spirit of the times – to fear disease, pollution, technology gone haywire," Tørnquist said. "Zombies were traditionally supernatural; corpses reanimated through witchcraft and voodoo rather than victims of the superflu, but I think that most of us – at least in Europe and North America – fear a pandemic, global warming or a natural catastrophe more than we do dark sorcery."

This fear of science could always give way to a resurgence in religion and fears driven by the supernatural, mythological and religious. After all, Kaufman points out, a similar shift has happened before.

"Even centuries ago, technology seized the human imagination as a way to (accidentally) create monsters," she points out. "Take Frankenstein, for example, or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. These authors argued that technology was giving humans the tools of the gods, and that humans were too flawed to handle it.

"These days I think people worry less about humans having the power of gods than about letting someone else have the power of gods. Absolute power isn't frightening unless it belongs to someone else. In the modern world, though, lots of entities have overwhelming power over our daily lives — the drug companies, the Apples and Microsofts, and so on."

Infection Vs. Resurrection: The New Science of the Zombie - Zombie - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5512715/infection-vs-resurrection-the-new-science-of-the-zombie)

For those who love realistic zombie
Realistic zombies > Magic zombies
even warcraft III showed zombies as a biological threat as it is a disease

and oh,
this is the Bible for killing modern zombies
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/Zombiesurvivalguide.jpg/180px-Zombiesurvivalguide.jpg

You can buy the book at a Barnes and Nobles
or download the book here
Max_Zombie.pdf (http://www.mediafire.com/?njmmzn0zjzz)

The cat recommends buying it so that you don't need a computer during a zombie outbreak to remind yourself how to survive.

[BobYoMeowMeow]

4/8/2010
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Limited Edition Pack Available for US

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/04/500x_metal_gear_solid_big_boss_pack.jpg


Metal Gear fans won't have to settle for the limited edition (and garish) "spirited green" PSP when buying their Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker bundle. The superior "Big Boss" pack is also coming to U.S and Canada.

It's coming to the United States as a GameStop exclusive, which may be bad news to some of you hoping to vote with your dollars elsewhere. The better news is that the package, better in aesthetic and Memory Stick storage size, is $199 USD. That's the same price as the minty green version.

What does one get with the "Big Boss"? This, Snake.

* "Camouflage" PSP-3000 system
* Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker game on UMD
* Voucher for in-game content unlockable early on in the game
* PlayStation Network downloadable movie voucher - title to be announced
* 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo
* Premium carrying case

Watch for it June 8 alongside Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, a game stuffed with corporate sponsorship and cross-game tie-ins.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker 'Big Boss' Pack Sneaks Stateside - Metal gear solid: peace walker - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5512901/metal-gear-solid-peace-walker-big-boss-pack-sneaks-stateside)


This is awesome because you don't have to waste your money on this
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_mgs_pw_psp_green.jpg

and camouflage isn't so bad

[BobYoMeowMeow]

3/31/2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2: Rock Mario

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_rock_mario.jpg

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/comment/9/2010/03/3e9f409fcd9def1d1360677960320c16/340x.gif


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If4hYfI2ghQ

anyone else see the resemblance?

[BobYoMeowMeow]

3/30/2010

10 Available Races in Final Fantasy XIV (or 14)
http://cache-05.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_plainsfolk_02.jpg
http://cache-08.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_dunesfoilk.jpg
http://cache-02.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_foresters.jpg
http://cache-07.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_highlanders.jpg
http://cache-01.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_keepersmoon.jpg
http://cache-05.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_lohengarde.jpg
http://cache-09.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_midlanders.jpg
http://cache-03.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_seawolf.jpg
http://cache-07.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_seekerssun.jpg
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/03/500x_shaders.jpg

Introduction of the 10 races living inEorzea

Hyuran

Midlander

* Majority of Hyuran, which is has large population.
* They live in different towns and villages,and their vocations vary.
* Because of the custom of reading books from the early age, they tend to have relatively bigger percentage of intelligence.

Highlander

* They used to live in highlands in northern margin. Highlanders are muscular and big for Hyuran. It became very rare to see them except mercenary males in other cities, after their state city Ala Mhigo fell.



Miqo’te

Seekers of the Sun

* They are a tribe of Miqo’te who calls themselves “The apostle of the Sun.”
* Most of them believe in the Sun God Arzema, and are active basically during daytime.
* They have impressive eyes which is vertically big with pale iris.


Keeper of the Moon

* They are a tribe of Miqo’te who calls themselves “The guard of the Moon.”
* Most of them believe in the Moon Goddess Menefina, and are basically nocturnal.
* Majority of them has vivid makeup for battle on their faces.


Lalafell

Plainsfolk

* They are a tribe of Lalafell who used to live in thatched roofed houses which are connected in basement like nests ofants.
* Their hair color is olive or flaxen. They have big ears so that they can hear footsteps of moles.


Dunesfolk

* They are a tribe of Lalafell who used to move around deserts in movable housings with large livestock.　
* Their pupils are covered with thin film and that makes their eyes look like glass.
* They put treasure beads which show fate of constellation on their foreheads.


Elezen

Forester

* They are a tribe of Elezen who has lived in a thick forest for hundreds of years.
* They have amazing farsightedness like a hawk, and are very good archer.
* Nowadays, quite a few of them adapted city lives or went back to nomadic life in plains.


Shader

* They are a tribe of Elezen who has lived in dim limestone caves for hundreds of years.
* Their hearing which is as acute as that of bats can even hear the rustle of enemy. Therefore, many are good at martial arts.
* Nowadays, some keep on living in caves and are almost like bandits. They despise Forester as betrayers.


Roegadyn

* Seewolf (German pronouciation)
* The tribe of Roegadyn once feared as pirates that attacked from the northern sea and earned themselves the title, "Wolves of the sea."
* It is still common for them to be employed as sailors and navy.
* Tribe of the scarlet flame, Lohengarde
* This Roegadyn tribe lives near a volcano opening and are known as the "Guardians of the flame."
* Not only strong in body, their training to resist fire has also given them great magic strength.

Pictures from official website
FINAL FANTASY XIV (http://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/)

Translation from here
Official Japanese FFXIV Site Updated - FFXIVCore.com - Final Fantasy XIV Fansite (http://www.ffxivcore.com/topic/4763-official-japanese-ffxiv-site-updated/)

Now which race do you want?

oh and here's the music track from official website
http://www.ffxivcore.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=2228&

[BobYoMeowMeow]

Trauma Team - Trauma Center With More Gameplay Variety(and it's $40)

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/05/trauma_team.jpg
6 styles of gameplay

Surgery
You all should know what this is already lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NamSBZYwNM[video]

Endoscopy
Surgery involving Microscopic procedures
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-238ib5Tmdw[video]

Forsenics
Phoenix Wright + Trauma center combined
you investigate crimes using science to find evidence
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMd0y74flTU[video]

First Response
Where you care with multiple patients... up to even 5!
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkuKBPh--Hc

Othopedics
Repairing bones.... wait why does the guy doesn't open his eyes?
You're trusting someone like that to perform on your bones?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4mkB4oPgGA

Diagnosis
Interacting with patients to find symptoms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX-EgrY-ob0

Coming to America on May 18, 2010


Atlus' eagerly anticipated surgical simulator Trauma Team for the Nintendo Wii is coming on May 18, and rather than submit the game to Atlus' traditional last-minute delay, they've gone and dropped the price by $10 instead. Score!

I tease Atlus, but only because they have a tendency to scoot their games across the calendar with whimsical abandon at times. There's not scooting this time, however. No, this time around the company is dropping the price of Trauma Team, one of its most hyped upcoming titles. The game will only set Wii owners back $39.99 now, which is only $5 away from your average big-name Nintendo DS release.

If you ask me, there's a dart board somewhere in Atlus' offices, filled with giant areas that read GAME DELAY or FREE SOUNDTRACK, and in the middle there's a tiny red PRICE DROP dot. The world is much simpler in my head.

http://kotaku.com/5505582/trauma-team-undergoes-pre+op-price-drop

$40!

[BobYoMeowMeow]

3/25/2010

Kingdom Heart 3 details and 3 NEW KINGDOM HEARTS GAMES?

The Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania releases tomorrow however details from the intensive guidebook containing an interview with series director Tetsuya Nomrua have already been revealed. Please check them out below, thanks to FF-Reunion. Please do not repost translations without crediting to HEARTSTATION.ORG.


“About the next title, Kingdom Hearts 3 depends on Final Fantasy XIII Versus, but development of the next title is already underway. There are two titles other than Kingdom Hearts 3 in conception, and I think I’ll release one within this year.”

“As from next year, I want to put out a title with multiple main characters.”

“The series won’t end in Kingdom Hearts 3, more like the conclusion of the Xehanort saga.”

“It’s not the case that when Sora’s story is over another hero’s story will begin; Sora will be the hero until the end.”

And on the overseas version: “We added the Critical degree of difficulty, more cutscenes, more songs to the Rhythmic Ice Cream mini game, more Keyblades, more types of enemies and altered battle balance. I still can’t say we’ll release a Final Mix, but we can’t give it the generous treatment like with Re:Chain of Memories.”

The book publisher Bent.co.jp also posted an article highlighting the features of the Ultimania and you can read the article below. Please do not repost translations without crediting to HEARTSTATION.ORG.

The Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ultimania goes on sale March 25th, compromising everything about Birth by Sleep. Fans of the series definitely won’t want to overlook this book! Here are a few of the points you won’t want to miss!

* Point 1
Detailed data on all the commands are revealed!

Fine detail on the commands, which reach into the hundreds, and variations such as ‘variation according to additional input’, ‘variation when the command level rises’, ‘variation when a symbol mark is obtained in dimension link’, ‘variation according to the number of locks in shoot lock’ are explained in a huge reveal. If you make use of this information, you’ll definitely be able to fight in a more efficient style!

* Point 2
You can look up each method of obtaining deck commands!

Divided into six categories: obtained in a cutscene, obtained in a treasure chest, obtained at a shop, obtained from an enemy, obtained through a mini game, and obtained though command chain, the methods for obtaining deck commands are perfectly explained. Of course, there is also an integrated complete list, and so please use it as you see fit!

* Point 3
All the standard corners are covered!

Everything expected to be contained in a Kingdom Hearts Series Ultimania, from a game system analysis as well as a walkthrough for the scenarios is provided, along with a mini game guide, enemy walkthrough, and fully detailed maps. When you can’t figure out what to do next, it provides complete support through your play through!

* Point 4
Take a deep look at the story of the Kingdom Hearts series!

The Kingdom Hearts series is brimming with mysteries, examine closely the new facts of their origins established in this title. Decipher the meaning of all the reports in the Xehanort Report Commentary section, as well as explanations for the mysteries of the series up until now in the Kingdom Hearts 20 Mysteries section. And round it off reading the discussion on the new mystery founded in this title in the corner called The Mystery Continuing in the Next Title.

* Point 5
Don’t miss the interview with director Tetsuya Nomura!

Every Ultimania has an interview with Tetsuya Nomura fully loaded with intriguing secrets about the series, and you won’t want to overlook this one either! About the mysteries shown in the secret event scenes, about the next title, and about the Kingdom Hearts series from here after… Among other things making it well worth reading!

In addition, there is the 30 Secrets section and a complete guide to getting the Secret Reports, an art gallery, a Q&A with developer staff, and other points you won’t want to miss. You’ll definitely want to check out this 656 page book containing information on everything Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep!

BBS Ultimania Details: 3 New KH Titles? HEARTSTATION.ORG (http://heartstation.org/?p=2093)

credits to heartstation owo
lots of info
looks like Final Fantasy XIII Versus has to come first before Kingdom Hearts though