Burnout Paradise Gets Previewed
Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Action, Driving, Electronic Arts, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Tom Bramwell has a preview for the upcoming Burnout Paradise that is surprisingly thoughtful and critically considered as far as previews go. He discusses the challenges faced by Criterion Games in re-inventing a popular series practically from the ground up and asks some pertinent questions where they ought to be asked. For example, when the topic of the Crash mode comes up and Criterion mentions that they have scrapped the original concept of the popular mode, Bramwell presses the point, getting Criterion rep Matt Webster to confess they don’t yet know exactly how it will all work out:
Asked whether they’re opting for a Burnout 3 approach of trying to manoeuvre the car in slow motion between power-ups and Crashbreakers, or a Burnout Revenge “golf swing” of perfect start and target cars, Webster admits it’s not all there yet. “We’re still throwing ideas around. I think we’ll be talking about it more in the coming weeks.”
The preview isn’t about sticking it to the Burnout devs, though, it reads more like a fan of the series seeing drastic changes and slowly coming to the realization that if executed properly, these could make for a remarkable game. Among the more exciting aspects of Criterion’s open-world approach to Burnout is the focus on seamless online play that works the way most gamers prefer, by putting the folks in your Friends list first.
Burnout Paradise is scheduled to hit shelves early next year for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Read More 
| Eurogamer
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E3 2007: Preview: Hellgate: London
Posted by Edie Sellers Categories: Action, E3, Games for Windows, MMORPG, PC, Role Playing Games
Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned about Hellgate: London as I got a tour of a few levels with Tyler Thompson, Flagship Studio’s director of technology.
Platform: PC
Release date: Still shooting for summer 2007 - which, let’s face it, is right now. According to Tyler, “We’re still working for that. If it takes a little bit longer, then we’ll let it take a little bit longer.” In industry speak that means, “If you don’t see it by August, you’ll see it for the holidays.”
Look: Flagship Studios, at its top levels, is populated by ex-Blizzard brains, including Diablo creators Erich Schaefer and David Brevik (and don’t forget Bill Roper, who played an integral role in the Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo series). So, think Diablo, but much, much better looking. Tyler told me that the game is in the alpha stage. I’m used to seeing games in alpha looking a bit rough around the edges. This game was, in the levels he toured me, free of jaggies and visual glitches. The word that comes to mind is “shiny.” I found it to be very reminiscent of Diablo in look and feel. Of course, bear in mind the tour was guided, which means I only got to see the best looking areas.
The biggest improvement in look, and, ultimately, playability, is the improved camera from Diablo 2. Gone is the fixed, third-person isometric camera in favor of 360-degree, fully rotational viewing.
More after the break.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: Preview: Hellgate: London
E3 2007: Preview: Fallout 3 Details And Impressions
Posted by Edie Sellers Categories: Action, E3, First Person Shooters, PC, Third Person Shooters, Xbox 360
Here’s a quick rundown of what we learned from Bethesda‘s demonstration of Fallout 3.
Story: Post-apocalyptic teen ventures out of underground vault in which he’s been born and raised to find his dad and his fate in new-post nuclear world. Mutants, animals and humans hate you.
Setting: Washington DC, both downtown and outskirts.
Look: It’s Bethesda. Of course it looks good - for a post apocalyptic world. Very cool mix of art deco and post-modern ‘50s kitsch.
More after the break.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: Preview: Fallout 3 Details And Impressions
More Super Paper Mario Details
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Wii
EGM’s Shane Bettenhausen has played through a full preview build of Super Paper Mario and he took some time out after completing the game to answer questions about the game at 1up. There’s some interesting ground covered in the Q & A, particularly since not a whole lot is known about the game other than some short previews and some movies of boss fights that have hit YouTube. It was known that the game would neither be a straight platformer, nor an updated version of the other RPGs in the Paper Mario franchise, but the preview gives some insight into how the combination is going to work. The game also looks to feature a lot of content, roughly 27 hours for the main game, plus more for some of the side quests and extras. From previously released screenshots, gamers know the game will support 16:9 presentation modes, but Bettenhausen also clarifies that the title will support progressive scan as well. The preview also briefly touches on the story, characters, and Wii-mote support. The preview screen shots released look great, and this update gives gamers something to look forward to on April 9th when the game releases in the US.
Read More | 1up
Twilight Princess Previews Hit The Web
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Action, Adventure, Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Wii
Nintendo’s embargo on all things Zelda ended on Friday, and those people who were invited up to Nintendo HQ to preview The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess were finally able to talk about what they saw and experienced. Overall, the tone has been that Nintendo has released another masterpiece in the Zelda series. Some sites were more effusive than others, with some believing that this release is close to being the “greatest Zelda ever.” Some were a little more cautious about their praise, citing such issues as the quality of the graphics and the adjustment needed for the Wii-mote. Most everyone agreed that this should be one of the longest Zelda outings ever, clocking in with at least 50 hours of gameplay. Overall the previews have been very positive, and Twilight Princess looks to be the launch title to have this holiday season. Those gamers looking to avoid spoilers may wish to stay away from some of the previews; Wired’s Game|Life blog does a very good job in avoiding plot points and details over giving an overall impression of the game, and GameSpot contains the majority of their spoilers to a single page within the preview. Other previews, though, seem to sprinkle the plot points through their coverage, so those looking to go into the new Zelda fresh might want to stay away. Still, reading through all of the coverage for any new details of the game will be really hard to resist for fans of the series. The previews are (in alphabetical order):
Read More 
| 1up
Read More | GameDaily
Read More | Game|Life
Read More | GameSpot
Read More | GoNintendo
Read More | IGN
Read More | Kotaku
New Legend Of Zelda Trailers Online
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo, Role Playing Games, Trailers, Wii
Nintendo has posted a couple of new trailer videos for Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess on the Wii. The first shows off the introduction to the game, with Link riding through the game world. The second offers some tidbits of the gameplay and the cutscenes for the game. Also available on Wii.com are some gameplay experience videos, with other players taking on the new Zelda on the Wii. The new videos definitely recall the previous incarnations of Link on the Nintendo 64, with new twists and upgrades for Nintendo’s new console.
Read More | Wii.com
Halo 3 Details Start To Surface
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Bungie, First Person Shooters, Xbox 360
Halo 3 details are finally starting to show up in magazines and online media, and 1up has a quick preview of a few of the things discussed in the December issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1up drops some hints about new weapons, new vehicles, and what form Halo 3 will take at retail. According to 1up, consumers will be able to either purchase a standard, collector’s edition, or a Legendary edition (that should include some insane collectibles in the package). Further, Bungie has apparently been tweaking the controls to take advantage of the Xbox 360 controller and also tweaking existing weapons. 1up promises that the next three weeks will bring more Halo 3 content online, but the new details released today already raise interest.
Read More | 1up
More Wii Remote Questions Answered
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Wii
After ComputerAndVideogames ran down an extended preview of the Wii remote, there were still some lingering questions. Now, a few of those questions are explored. ComputerAndVideogames tackled battery life and power for the Wii controller; Nintendo believes that the remote should last 60 hours without the pointing function, 30 hours with. ComputerAndVideogames also discusses the pointing capabilities of the remote, saying that the remote doesn’t function as a light gun, but instead operates like a virtual mouse. They don’t rule out this functionality, but it was not present in any of the games tested. Other topics raised include calibration of the controller, replication of motion in games, and the sensor bar. While not as detailed as the previous Wii remote preview, at least some new questions are answered.
Read More | ComputerAndVideogames
New Gears Of War Promo Site Live
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Screenshots, Third Person Shooters, Xbox 360
A new Gears of War promo site has been launched, and gamers that navigate through the creepy interface will be able to find four preview videos of the game, giving more insight into the world of Gears. The link to the site was given through an e-mail sent to gamers that signed up for updates on the Gears of War official site. For those that don’t want to bother going through the interface, Xboxyde has extracted the videos and made them available for streaming on their site.
Read More | Xboxyde
Click to continue reading New Gears Of War Promo Site Live
Read More | Gears Of War
Underground Wii Parties Have Started
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Nintendo, Wii
Nintendo has said that they have been throwing secret underground Wii events across the country, and Siliconera has a couple of links to gamers that have been able to attend a recent party in Los Angeles. People attending the party were lead to a secret location, where they were able to be among the first to play such titles as Wii Sports, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Rayman Raving Rabbits, Trauma Center: Second Opinion,Excite Truck, and more. Fairly lengthy impressions can be found in the blog and forum posts, but overall it seemed like the general feeling was good about the games presented. All attendees also got a coupon for a free Wii remote when they purchase a system later.
Update: Another Nintendo Underground Party Here
Read More | Nintendo Forums via Siliconera
Read More | eToychest via Siliconera
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