Category: Videogames

Kratos Returns to the PSP in God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Get set for more God of War action on your PlayStation Portable with Ghost of Sparta. Being developed by the excellent people at Ready at Dawn Studios, Sony has promised to take portable visuals to new heights with this game. Here’s some more info from the press release along with additional screens:

Set in the realm of Greek mythology, God of War: Ghost of Sparta is a single-player game that allows players to take on the powerful role of Spartan warrior Kratos. This new adventure picks up after God of War concludes, telling the story of Kratos’ ascension to power as the God of War. In his quest to rid himself of the nightmares that haunt him, Kratos must embark on a journey that will reveal the origins of lost worlds, and finally answer long-awaited questions about his dark past. Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, he will have to overcome armies of mythological monsters, legions of undead soldiers, and amazingly dangerous and brutal landscapes throughout his merciless quest.

The game has been given a vague release date of “later this year in 2010”.

I’m totally psyched for this game. I love Ready at Dawn’s work. The company is one of the best PSP developers out there. Chains of Olympus is a great game that a lot of people I know missed simply because they’re not down with PSP. Any of you psyched for God of War: Ghost of Sparta?

Coffee Talk #137: What Do You Hate About Modern Games?

Yesterday I asked you about classic gaming features you miss. Today I want to know what modern gaming features you loathe. Games aren’t automatically more fun just because technology is more advanced and development techinques have improved. Sometimes there are trends that decrease the fun level. So get into your bitter barn and think about the things you hate in today’s games.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Bryan Danielson winning a match before E3, the lost Lost script, or your favorite Poison song, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Yesterday I asked you about classic gaming features you miss. Today I want to know what modern gaming features you loathe. Games aren’t automatically more fun just because technology is more advanced and development techinques have improved. Sometimes there are trends that decrease the fun level. So get into your bitter barn and think about the things you hate in today’s games.

As for me, I hate that consoles have to be online for some content to be accessed. It absolutely sucks that certain bits of DLC need to be verified through the Internet. If you’re Internet service is out or your playing your console on the road without a connection, there’s a good chance that you can’t play everything you’ve purchased. I understand why the online check happens, but there has to be a better way, no?

Now it’s your turn! What are the trends in gaming that irk you? Tacked on cooperative play? Day one DLC? I want to know!

Joey Ansah’s Street Fighter Legacy Short Film Looks Kind of Sweet

Actor and martial artist Joey Ansah is a longtime Street Fighter fan that has been disappointed by the various Street Fighter movies. Taking matters into his own hands (with Capcom’s blessing), Ansah is working on a short film that aims to honor the source material. He released two teaser clips and they look pretty cool. I’m hoping this project pans out and makes me forget about Jean Claude Van Damme and Kristin Kreuk movies.

Check out the two clips and let me know what you think (please)! Special thanks to JC for sending this in!

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

Iron Man is set to take on the movie world with his repulsor rays and unibeam, but he’s also saving a few blasts for the realm of videogames. Iron Man 2 comes out this week…for pretty much every platform known to man. PSP owners should keep an eye on Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake; if it’s anything like its PS3 counterpart, it will be a delightfully fun action game that oozes charm. Aside from those two titles, there’s not a lot going on this week.

Any of you buying new games this week? If so, kindly share what’s on your wish list.

Coffee Talk #136: What Classic Gaming Features Do You Miss?

Games get better all the time. Development techniques improve. Gameplay styles evolve. Consoles and PCs become more powerful, which allow them to be potentially more immersive. Despite all of these factors, there are things I miss about the good old days of gaming. Perhaps it’s the primitive charm of classic games or maybe I like how old games required me to imagine or maybe it’s simply nostalgia, but there are many things I miss about the classics.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Floyd Mayweather’s annihilation of Shane Mosley, what the hell happened to Rasheed Wallace, or your best wishes for Bret Michaels, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Games get better all the time. Development techniques improve. Gameplay styles evolve. Consoles and PCs become more powerful, which allow them to be potentially more immersive. Despite all of these factors, there are things I miss about the good old days of gaming. Perhaps it’s the primitive charm of classic games or maybe I like how old games required me to imagine or maybe it’s simply nostalgia, but there are many things I miss about the classics.

The dying (perhaps dead?) gameplay convention I miss the most is turn-based combat in RPGs. I totally understand why RPGs have moved towards real-time combat — it’s more appealing to a broader audience. I get it…but I don’t like it. I loved the combat in Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy IV/V/VI. The epic turn-based battles in titles like Final Fantasy Tactics, Ogre Battle, and Disgaea are some of my fondest gaming memories of all time. Sadly, that gameplay style is on the endangered species list.

Today I wanted to ask you about aspects of classic gaming you miss the most. What conventions and gameplay styles get you teary eyed? Perhaps there’s a storytelling technique you miss. Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

UFC Undisputed 2010 Roster Reveal Video

Here’s a great video that shows the entire roster for the upcoming UFC Undisputed 2010. Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Brock Lesnar, Chuck Lidell, BJ Penn, Quinton Jackson, Kimbo Slice, Diego Sanchez, Shane Carwin, Demian Maia, Rashad Evans, and Lyoto Machida are just some of the fighters in the game. Check the clip for the entire roster!

Zurg Kicks Ass in Toy Story 3 Trailer

Here’s a cute trailer for the upcoming Toy Story 3 videogame. Buzz and Woody take a backseat in this clip, allowing Zurg — complete with maniacal laughter — to shine. The fake AC/DC music is extremely amusing; you need to hear it if you’re a fan of the band. I’m excited for the movie and interested in the game (the tech looks pretty sweet). How about you guys and gals?

Blast From the Past: Reset Episode 9

Live from New York…it’s Reset episode nine!!! Okay, it’s not live, but two of these clips are from the excellent Digital Life conference in New York where Ruby and I got into all sorts of trouble. Closing out the show, Kat pays a visit to Planet Moon to check on an exciting PSP game.

Part 1 — Reset’s team of R&R (Ruby and Raymond) were thrilled to go to New York for Digital Life. Great games, cool gadgets, and a wonderful crowd made the expo really exciting. Now, the Reset crew understands that not everyone can make it to every show out there, so we thought we’d bring the show to you. Plus, the gang bumped into an old friend from Episode 5 (hint: she won a bikini contest, is really hot, and is now a Queen of EverQuest).

Part 2 — While Ruby and Raymond thought that Digital Life was awesome, they wanted to check with the people to see what they thought. The duo pestered a bunch of attendees to see what games caught their eye, what’s tops on their holiday wish lists, what free stuff they picked up, and what they thought of Raymond’s ex-girlfriends. Never let it be said that Reset isn’t in touch with the man on the street.

Part 3 — Kat visits Planet Moon to get the scoop on its upcoming game, Infected. One of the few truly original games for the Sony PSP, this game has it all: flesh-eating zombies, awesome weapons, breakneck action, killer multiplayer, a rocking soundtrack, and that inimitable Planet Moon humor. If you’re looking for a game that will make your hair stand on end and make your sides hurt from laughter then look no further.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I have to play Nier this weekend for work purposes. It’s funny that a Square Enix game is taking me away from another Square Enix game (okay, it’s not that funny). I’m hoping that my copy of Super Street Fighter IV arrives today. It seems like the perfect game to break up the action. I’m also curious to see how tournament hosting works. Perhaps there will be a Super Street Fighter IV RPad.tv Invitational in the near future.

As always, I want to know what you’re playing this weekend. Kindly share the games on your weekend playlist!

Activision and Bungie Sign 10-Year Publishing Agreement

In a tremendous move with all sorts of implications, Activision and Bungie have closed on a 10-year publishing-agreement. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

They have entered into an exclusive 10-year partnership to bring Bungie’s next big action game universe to market. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will have exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on the new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie remains an independent company and will continue to own their intellectual property. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The partnership is brilliant for Activision on several levels. It helps take attention away from nasty legal battle with its former Infinity Ward employees. It also replaces the talent lost from Infinity Ward creators jumping to Respawn. Since Infinity Ward clearly isn’t going to be the powerhouse studio it once was, Activision needed to replace it with another top-notch studio. Bungie is one of the few studios that can match the quality and success that Infinity Ward brought to the table. There are many gamers that would argue that Bungie makes better games.

As for Bungie…well, it has a partner with a boatload of money and global marketing muscle. Gamers will also see its titles on multiple platforms, which will be huge.

Naturally, I want to hear your thoughts on the partnership. Let ’em fly (please)!

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