Monday, October 31, 2011

Breaking down Capcom's Dragon's Dogma press demo


Capcom's upcoming fantasy role-playing game Dragon's Dogma isn't interesting at all. It might not even be good.

Writers in the gaming press have a tendency to go easy on in-development games. Readers love jumping to conspiracy-theory conclusions about our positivity but, the truth is, we want games to be good and interesting just as much as you do. And so we give them the benefit of the doubt when we write our previews. So what's different with Dragon's Dogma? Dragon's Dogma 10/31/2011

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Deja Review: MDK2 HD


Murder Death Kill? Mystical Door Knobs?

Malevolent Didgeridoo King? The true decomposition of codename "MDK" used to be a legend of sorts in the game industry. Now, there's not so much as a hint of enigma around the latest letters appended to the game: MDK2 HD does indeed run in haughty definition. Even if you're joining us from 2000's PC version of MDK2 (released alongside a Dreamcast version, and preceding a PlayStation 2 port), you'll be treated to a significant visual upgrade in MDK2 HD, care of Overhaul Games. What hasn't changed in the last eleven years, of course, is the incredulity that results upon playing a funny, frivolous and uncluttered action game from BioWare. Yes, that BioWare. MDK2 HD (10/11/11)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Prelude to punches: 11 gameplay videos for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3


First Soulcalibur 5 , and now Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3?









We don't know what the French have done to get into such good graces with Japan's fighting game developers, but we're going to start taking notes. We want in on some of this pre-release expo-match lovin'. While we're out buying cigarettes and complicated foods to up our Frenchness, take a long gander at these 11 UMvC3 videos from a recent expo-match event at Paris' Manga Cafe, lovingly captured and uploaded by YouTube user Pharaon92i (with permission from Capcom France). Most of the new characters are represented, including the very best new character, so head on through for a look at the many punches you'll be receiving come November 15.

Friday, October 28, 2011

EA suffers Q2 loss, revenue propped up by FIFA and Madden


EA's net performance during its second fiscal quarter, ended September 30, 2011, was either good or bad, depending on which net you're referring to. EA reported a net loss of $340 million, but scored a significant goal in shipping "nearly" 8 million copies of FIFA 12 -- half of the 16 million shipped in the game's lifetime.

Overall sales of the footie franchise improved 25 percent year-over-year. Madden NFL 12 was another standout performer during the quarter, shipping more than 3 million units. EA also pointed out continued strong performance of 2010's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (with shipments at 11 million so far). In a follow-up investor call last night, EA predicted similar fortunes from this quarter's Battlefield 3 launch, with store shipments already hitting 10 million. Though EA's bottom line certainly didn't improve for the quarter (net loss for Q2 2010 was $201 million), revenue was up overall to $715 million. The biggest increase was in net digital revenue -- the realm of add-ons and online passes -- which rose over 40 percent to $234 million compared to the same period last year. EA's next Q3 will provide a crucial look at the company's future, as it'll divulge Battlefield 3 sales and an early performance indication for BioWare's big-huge investment in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Obsession Confessions: Fright Night

This website requires Flash Player 7 or higher. It looks like you do not have this installed. Visit the Adobe website to download the latest version of player.. JavaScript needs to be enabled on your PC in order for you to view this content. Please enable JavaScript and try again. Find out which games have had the official PlayStation community quaking in their boots. We asked the members of the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com to tell us their favourite spine-tingling game on PlayStation. Check out the ghoulish top ten below. 1. Silent Hill (PS one) "Hearing the static of the radio that tells you that there are hostile beings nearby that you can't see but feel is priceless." (blucerkiato, Italy) "I'd hear that radio everywhere for weeks after playing – a top class game!" (T-e-X, United Kingdom) 2. Dead Space (PlayStation 3) "The surroundings, the sound, each step I take in this game makes me fear what's around the next corner." (davidsantos, Portugal) "What an adrenaline shot! That spaceship, alone in the dark and so many frights coming from those aliens! There were some moments when you could take my sofa away and I'd have remained in the same position." (kragny, Spain) "Dead Space was pretty jumpy in parts and I always felt pretty tense about what was going to come around the next corner. Standing in the lifts always gave me the jitters as well." (Rooney53, United Kingdom) 3. Project Zero (PlayStation 2) "If a haunted house is scary, imagine being able to see dead people through a camera... that is even worse." (Panquecas, Portugal) "You cannot hide from your enemies since they are ghosts who can go through walls. The only way to defend yourself is using your picture camera, changing to first person mode and not being able to see who is coming from behind." (Vis_T, Spain) "I remember all these ghosts that suddenly appear out of the blue and you have to try to capture them with the camera." (Jackfriz, Italy) 4. Resident Evil 2 (PS one) "One of the worst experiences with survival horror videogames, not just because I was really young but for the way that one moment things are calm and quiet and then suddenly change for the worse." (OuterHeaven__, Spain) "I remember that playing this game, the biggest fright was when the zombie's hands reached through the window in the police station and grabbed me." (Rympal, Poland) "For me it is without a doubt the moment when Leon stops in front of a pool of blood, examines it and then raises his head before you see a Licker. I remember quickly putting the disc away in its box." (Mauno, France 5. Clock Tower 3 (PS2) "The idea of being an innocent little girl chased by evil murderers without the chance to escape grabbed my attention." (Lost_rider, Italy) "That doll still gives me the heebie-jeebies to this day." (penguin_on_speed, United Kingdom) 6. Silent Hill 3 (PS2) "Definitely the scariest game I've ever played mostly because of the oppressive atmosphere of the whole game." (Remy2405, Germany) "Silent Hill 3 scared the living hell out of me... that bit with the bleeding mirror... not nice at all at three o'clock in the morning in darkness with loud headphones on!" (FatBoyJack, United Kingdom) 7. Resident Evil (PS one) "When everything was quiet, the dog zombies would smash throug the windows from outside and jump at you in the corridor of the mansion when you were least expecting it." (rialivo, Italy) "The original Resident Evil for the fact I nearly got the fright of my life the first time the monster came smashing through the window at the start of the game." (McNeilio, United Kingdom) "Like many, I jumped when the dogs shattered the windows of the corridor. I dreaded opening a door and falling on two or three hungry zombies while my charger was almost empty." (bobby526, France) 8. Siren Blood Curse (PS3) "Claustrophobic locations, killer nurses, mad doctors and the decline of a broken family..." (TheQueenC, Italy) "Typical Japanese horror stories with graphics done so well that make you feel like you're really there..." (Sand_Snake, France) 9. Fallout 3 (PS3) "Fallout 3 was pretty scary because you didn't expect to be scared by it. You could just be walking around the wasteland, and then you'd notice a deathclaw in the distance. You know it's going to try to attack you, so you have to quickly think about what you're going to do before it kills you. That's the kind of horror that I see a lot in the game: you're presented with a sudden task and you need to resolve it quickly, and it makes you panic – lovely!" (Mattiebo123, United Kingdom) 10 BioShock (PS3) "There are scenes in this game when you really want to hide underneath your bed." (kokinhas4, Portugal) Thanks to all those who got involved and contributed via the official PlayStation Forums. Head over to community.eu.playstation.com and keep the conversation flowing about your most chilling game experiences and all things PlayStation.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The action heats up in the PlayStation Community


This website requires Flash Player 7 or higher. It looks like you do not have this installed. Visit the Adobe website to download the latest version of player.. JavaScript needs to be enabled on your PC in order for you to view this content. Please enable JavaScript and try again. Resistance 3 takes top billing as the PlayStation Community gears up for intense action, great tournaments and a host of fun activities. Battle stations The war against the deadly Chimera in Resistance 3 has been intense on the official PlayStation Forums and in the Resistance 3 space of PlayStation Home, the community winning the battle against the Chimera by sharing tips and comments about the best strategies to unlock trophies. Polish user Psychopath-PL might have gone a bit too far but he sure knew how to show his dark side to win an exclusive Resistance 3 T-shirt on the Forums. Balls and bullets The season kicked off for football fans on PlayStation 3 as EA SPORTS FIFA 12 and PES 2012 took to the pitch. Fancy showing us your virtual skills using nothing more than a wireless controller and some fantastic new features? Then head over to community.eu.playstation.com to get involved. If you were more into firing guns than shooting balls, the Battlefield 3 Open Beta, playable with up to 23 other players via PlayStation Network, gave you the chance to jump into the Operation Métro map to get an early taste of the thrilling gameplay coming your way. Tell us what you thought of it over at community.eu.playstation.com. Home for talents Kasabian came to PlayStation Home to answer questions submitted by the PlayStation Community in September 2011. Fans were also treated to a live performance from the band, and this was subsequently made available to stream exclusively from Music Unlimited. A special PS Home contest inviting users to post a screenshot of their favourite place or activity in PS Home gave members of the PlayStation Community the chance to see their creations displayed in Home Square too. Check out these awesome images from Russian member annkoko and Italian member kiwi70! Finally, in preparation for the release of DanceStar Party, take a look at a video clip entirely directed in PS Home by French member Alinea3. Video games for all September and October are typically the months when the video games come to town in the form of various trade fairs around Europe, including GAMEFest in Spain, the UK's Eurogamer Expo, IGROMIR in Russia and Paris Games Week. Each one is a perfect occasions for PlayStation Community members to meet up and take part in exclusive competitions to win great prizes. The zombies are coming out to play If you fancy a fright fest this Halloween, head over to the official PlayStation Forums at community.eu.playstation.com, where you'll be scared and entertained in equal measure, including the chance to carve your very own Halloween pumpkin and pick up some cool prizes. You'll find details on all the online fun nights, tournaments and competitions in the PlayStation Network Events Calendar at eu.playstation.com/psn/events; alternatively, visit community.eu.playstation.com and sign in using your PlayStation Sign-In ID and password.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

FIFA 12 and Cars 2 in PSP hardware bundle this November


The arrival of a new PSP hardware bundle may seem ill-timed with the impending launch of the Vita, but Sony isn't about to stop catering to the gift-craving siblings, cousins and nephews of the world this holiday. And we don't know about you, but we don't have any nephews that are worth spending two hundred and fifty dollars on.

Instead, for $160 you can pick up the new PSP Entertainment Pack, which includes a PSP-3000, 2GB Memory Stick Pro DUO, a UMD copy of soccer smash FIFA 12 and a download voucher for Cars 2 (a racing game, we'd venture). The bundle should be available on November 15th. If you're jumping into PlayStation Portable gaming now (and feel free to use the "nephew" excuse we fabricated above), you should keep an eye out for the Mega Man and Monster Hunter packs at Gamestop. That is, if you're willing to add UMD clutter to your life -- with an uncertain shot at backwards compatibility.