Final Fantasy Tactics Concert Hitting Japan on November 22

FFT concert

A lot of you know that Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite game of all time. One of the reasons why I love the game so much is its excellent soundtrack. Apparently I’m not the only one that feels that way. A group of (mostly) volunteers is putting on an orchestral (plus saxophones?) concert of the FFT score. Original Sound Version noted:

Not only will there be a live concert featuring the music from Final Fantasy Tactics on November 22, 2009 in Japan, but arrangements of 61 songs will be performed in medley form, just ten songs short of the entire soundtrack.

This group of performers put the word out over a year ago, calling for players, conductors, and production staff to volunteer their time with the intent of tailoring their arrangements to whatever ensemble they could get together.

Man, I’d love to be in Japan to catch this…. I’m completely impressed that this event is happening. It’s a testament to how passionate Japanese gamers are about their hobby. I mean, I was already impressed by the intricate costumes of Japanese videogame cosplayers (they make Americans look like a joke), but this is taking it to another level.

Anyone want to put on an FFT concert with me? I’m pretty awesome with a triangle.

Source via Kotaku

David Cage Explains Why He Chose the PS3 for Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain

If you’re not looking forward to Heavy Rain for PlayStation 3 then I probably won’t like you. Okay, I’m half-kidding about that, but it is the game I’m looking forward to the most in 2010. A lot of gamers are wondering why Quantic Dream chose to make this a PlayStation 3 exclusive. Company founder and co-CEO David Cage explained it all to Push Square

Whatever I answer, my answer will be suspicious… I think it had to be on PlayStation 3 for two main reasons: the hardware, the architecture of the PS3 is extremely powerful in the way it is structured. If you make a real PS3 engine, then you can have really fantastic performances. If you try to port from another platform, then it becomes difficult.

That’s a pretty reasonable answer. I’m also happy Cage pointed out the issue of getting better results when using “a real PS3 engine”. Too many developers get middling resorts because they have to go multiplatform, which causes some gamers to write off the PS3. But wait! There’s more!

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Shigeru Miyamoto Says Next Zelda to Use Wii MotionPlus

Zelda fans better get their arms ready because series creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed that the next version of the game will use Wii MotionPlus for swordplay and targeting. Wired Game|Life’s Chris Kohler did a nifty bit of translating and reporting on the matter. In a recent Q&A session, Miyamoto said:

In this (installment of the series), we’re using MotionPlus to make you feel much more like you’re actually fighting while holding a sword in your hand. In the previous game, you aimed at things by pointing at the screen, but this time we’ll use MotionPlus to create a much more convenient targeting system and a more pleasurable playing experience.

Zelda Twilight Princess

I’m glad that Wii MotionPlus is being used in key Nintendo franchises like The Legend of Zelda. However, I expect that some purists are not going to be happy. How do you feel about Wii MotionPlus in Zelda? Love it? Hate? Or are you taking the wait-and-see approach?

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Apple to Offer Subscription TV Through iTunes?

iTunes 9

The word on the street is that Apple will be competing with cable and satellite providers by offering a subscription television service through iTunes. The proposed service would require a $30 subscription and would work with all iTunes compatible devices. All Things Digital has reported:

The company is trying to round up support for a monthly subscription service that would deliver TV programs via its multimedia software, multiple sources tell me.

A so-called “over the top” service could theoretically rival the ones most consumers already buy from cable TV operators–if Apple is able to get enough buy-in from broadcast and cable TV programmers.

I would love for cable and satellite providers to have another competitor. As it is, the service is too expensive. While $30 a month sounds brilliant, I worry about Apple getting all the programming I want. My TV tastes are all over the place. I’d want WWE shows, HBO series (Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage), boxing, baseball, American Idol, and superhero cartoons (just off the top of my head).

Would you be down with television provided by Apple?

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iPhone Games Dominate New Releases in App Store

iPhone 3GS

Apple’s iPhone has evolved into quite the multifaceted device. While it was initially lauded for being an easy-to-use smartphone with a fantastic web browser and outstanding movies/music capabilities, it quickly became a prominent gaming system. In fact, games have been dominating Apple’s App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch. GigaOm’s Om Malik reported:

From August 2008 to the same month in 2009, more apps were released in the “games” category than any other and, as a result, the iPhone (and iPod touch) became a new handheld gaming platform, one that impacted Nintendo DS. The Japanese game device maker acknowledged that the iPhone and iPod touch were among the reasons why its profits declined drastically in the most recent quarter.

Are any of you taking iPhone gaming seriously? Or do you think it’s more of casual gamer thing? I’m loving Civilization Revolution and greatly looking forward to Ghosts Attack. If you have any iPhone game recos, I’d love hear ’em!

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Ric Flair Cuts a Promo for the Hulkamania Tour

To promote the Australian Hulkamania Tour, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair cut a promo on YouTube. While Flair is still money on the microphone, I’m sad that he’s getting back in the ring. Don’t get me wrong, he was the best in-ring performer of all time and it’s up to him if he wants to make money getting in the squared circle…but his send-off from the WWE and his WWE WrestleMania 24 match against Shawn Michaels were perfect. Hopefully ‘Naitch does well in Australia, but I’d hate to see him tarnish his legacy.

Uwe Boll Autograph Session on November 7

Uwe BollUwe Boll — the scourge of the videogame-movie universe — will be signing autographs on November 7 at Spudic’s Movie Empire. Most of you hate him or at least hate his work, but you have to admit that he’s a pretty good sport about his sucktitude. About.com noted:

If you want to meet the German madman who literally boxes his critics, flings personal insults at Michael Bay, and has made nearly 10 video game inspired flicks, he will be making a rare U.S. in-store appearance this weekend (November 7th) in Van Nuys, CA at the video store Spudic’s Movie Empire. The two hour signing will begin at 6PM, with Boll present to chat it up and sign autographs. Spudic’s Movie Empire will have Boll’s movies on hand as well as a selection of old school NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis and Sega CD games at the event for retro gaming fans.

Van Nuys isn’t that far from me, so I’m tempted to go. I’m not sure what I’d have him sign or what I’d say to him. If you could meet Uwe Boll face-to-face, what would you tell him?

Source via Kotaku

Sony Motion Controller Not Complete, Still in Early Days

Sony Motion Controller 2

Sony’s sex toy of doom motion controller is set to compete with Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Project Natal some time in 2010, by most accounts. Nintendo has found remarkable success with its motion controller and Microsoft appears to be close to entering the fray. Sony, while arguably having the most impressive tech of the three, seems two steps behind (like Def Leppard). In a recent interview with Gamasutra, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said:

We are also still working on the motion controller; it’s not complete. We are making changes to the hardware, so we really want to wait until we feel confident enough about giving the audience a chance to try it out. We are making progress, though, and we wanted to show at least snippets of games in that are in development.

We are still in the very early days of motion control development. We have had discussions with the company management where we discussed if we approach this as a peripheral or a platform and we agree that this has huge potential — so we position this as a hardware platform. The initiative was from the Worldwide Studios, but this has to be designed so that many different kinds of games from all publishers can participate in this hardware platform.

I’m definitely excited to play with Sony’s wand (that sounds gross), but I have to wonder about the product’s timing. If its motion controller is released significantly after Project Natal, Sony will be playing catch-up to its competitors. It doesn’t matter if its controller has the highest fidelity; the customers that Sony will attract with this product won’t care and will have had plenty of time to consider the Wii and Xbox 360.

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Epic Games Cliff Bleszinski Talks Digital Distribution, Used Games, Motion Controls, Hideo Kojima, and Getting Punched by RPad

Cliff BleszinskiEpic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski is one of the most prominent game developers in the business. He’s just a smart, talented, and quotable guy (though he whines like a little girl when you hit him…more on that later). Whether he’s talking about digital distribution, what games he’s been digging lately, used-game sales, or bars in San Francisco Chinatown, the man always has something interesting to say. Here’s my interview with one the main minds behind Unreal and Gears of War, the infamous Cliffy B.

Raymond Padilla: With games like Shadow Complex and systems like the Sony PSPgo, digital distribution is becoming a bigger part of the gaming business. How does digital distribution impact you as a game designer?

Cliff Bleszinski: A couple weekends ago, I was up in East Village at “Videogames New York”, a combination new/retro game store. On the front counter, they had Borderlands and in the back aisles, they had the Vectrex and Game & Watch. My feelings went from initially geeking out to immense nostalgia to overwhelming pride for how far this business has come in my lifetime alone. We go digital and that physical history starts drying up and eventually vanishes. Older games become the same as a 45 record.

Digital distribution has the potential to end the used game debate that’s currently raging across the business. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, I love having that pipeline into my house: Look, a new game is up on Live; download the title right to your hard drive and fire it up. At the same time, I love having games, movies, and books on my shelves at my home. It feels like an IRL representation of the facets of your personality and tastes whenever people come over to visit. The Kindle and other devices are equally fascinating. I fear not leafing through a book ever again but at the same time I cringe at the thought of having to deal with a CD and a jewel case in a world of digital music.

Finally, as far as the kinds of games I’d like to design and contribute to? Digital frees up some risk. You can make that little dream game you’ve always wanted to make and take more chances, which is incredibly appealing as a creative.

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This Week’s Videogame Releases

The gaming business is entering its final push before everything is on the table for the holiday rush. This week’s big release is Dragon Age: Origins from the outstanding Edmontonians at BioWare. Music games are facing off again, but this time the battle is for casual gamers with Band Hero and Rock Band: LEGO. Is the music-game genre to saturated? Or will these games sell to a different audience?

While you ponder that, here are this week’s PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS releases…along with some brief commentary. I’ve taken out most of the garbage and kids games (unless I found them funny). As always, let me know if you’re planning to buy any of this week’s new releases.

Dragon Age Origins chicky

PlayStation 3
Band Hero — Too bad this isn’t Band Camp Hero. I’d play an RPG about this one time, at band camp.
Dragon Age: Origins — BioWare rules!!!
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Rock Band: AC/DC Track Pack
Rock Band: LEGO
Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition — I’m pretty sure the Sith invented repackaging.

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