Slashdot Mirror

I really doubt the film jibe. Read this and look at the date. If there's a film in the works, it's not shooting yet, and it would take presumably at least one year or possibly two to get everything simply DONE in preparation for release.

http://cds301.bit-drive.ne.jp/shp/02-27-QR103/

These take a minute to start.

http://cds301.bit-drive.ne.jp/shp/02-27-QR103/

These take a minute to start.

http://cds301.bit-drive.ne.jp/shp/02-27-QR103/

These take a minute to start.

http://cds301.bit-drive.ne.jp/shp/02-27-QR103/

These take a minute to start.

http://cds301.bit-drive.ne.jp/shp/02-27-QR103/

These take a minute to start.

I don't care about anything. It looks sexy! Really sexy.

According to IGN, Mario Kart: Double Dash sold 528,000 copies so far.

The mainstream media really has something against Nintendo this round. They'll gladly complain that their sales are down over past years, but they'll also ignore the fact that sales below Nintendo norms are still really damn high compared to almost everybody else.

They have video of it here, and they have an index of their stories about it here (The index also links to screenshots)

They have video of it here, and they have an index of their stories about it here (The index also links to screenshots)

I would suggest taking a serious look at Rio Karma. A very nice player indeed. I have owned it for about 3 weeks now and it's working great with a 12-14 battery life to boot. Check out this review

The Rio Karma was recently featured on /. here. I also found a very good review of the Karma on IGN. All of that was enough to convince me to purchase one. Why go for the iPod if you can't get a good price on it anywhere? There's plenty of worthy competition now.

When MMORPG based on the LORD of the rings story will come out, that's when we'll know that the Tolkien family will have totally sold out.

First, there already IS a MMORPG based on LOTR... but that's already been mentioned.

Second, no offense, but FUCK THE TOLKIEN FAMILY. Especially Christopher Tolkien, the old piece of shit. It's HIS FAULT that Peter Jackson won't get to make The Hobbit. Although that article doesn't mention it, I've read other places that JRR's grandson, the son of Christopher Tolkien, DOES like the new trilogy, and wanted the movies to be made. Unfortunately, that probably means that if The Hobbit will ever be made into a movie, we'll have to wait until Christopher Tolkien dies.

There is a camera hack for NWN, but it has not been updated to the latest versions.


Nwvault camera hack page.


smeat!

From the press release: "Both brands will remain separate entities."

Neverwinter Nights, in my opinion, was basically designed from the ground up for the mod community. The core game was somewhat "vanilla", but Bioware has tirelessly supported the community, adding requested features and even Linux support over the last year.

As one of those crazy folks who have been writing modules, it's interesting to see how my freely donated time has affected the community. NWN modules are quite a bit different, focused primarily on story and character development instead of twitch action. It's interesting that my rewards tend to be in the satisfaction that others are enjoying my work, rather than hard cash.

I've had cancer patients, Israeli soldiers, people who have lost family members, to ordinary people around the world drop me e-mails telling me how much they appreciate my work. It still amazes me that one person can reach out and touch the lives of so many.

-Adam Miller (author of the Shadowlords and Dreamcatcher campaigns)

"By listening to the "fans", who never seemed to understand the point of the game, they turned one of the most innovative games of recent times into a sub-par FPS."

Only if you're a supremely sub-par player, I'd guess. I did one level guns-a-blazin, decided it wasn't for me, and went for super stealth the rest of the game.

Just so I understand you, you're saying that you bought the game, played one level as an FPS, decided it wasn't for you and went super stealth for the rest of the game. This apparently invalidates my claim that the game does not work as an FPS.

If you loved the stealth aspect of Hitman 2 then do yourself a favour and check out the first one. Hell, just download the demos and see if it your thing. You might be surprised. The graphics might not be as pretty but the gameplay is so much more tight and involving.

Which was kinda my point.

Sometimes "feedback" is more than just e-mails to the technical staff. There was so much (righteous) negativity towards the shoddy GameCube port of BG:DA that they are not even releasing the followup on the GameCube, citing that "not enough money was made on the GameCube version for the first port". So BG:DA2 was cancelled for the GameCube because it didn't sell.

However they misunderstood the feedback -- they assumed that the reason nobody was buying the GameCube version was because nobody was interested, when the real reason was that the port was shoddy and so much later than the PS2 release that most interested parties had already bought and played the game, and the other interested parties were capable of reading a review.

So BG:DA2 is on the incredibly inferior PS2 and not on the GameCube at all. The strange thing is that this "lesson" is being repeated by many gaming companies of late: release a late, shoddy port of "game X" on the GameCube, it doesn't sell, and then halt development for the GameCube. It's strange that the companies don't learn from "Soul Calibur II" that all consoles given equal footing, the GameCube version sold incredibly well.

Even games as recent as UbiSoft's XIII suffer from substandard GameCube ports -- XIII for example doesn't offer LAN play for the GameCube, so obviously people would prefer the XBox and PS2 versions which have that feature. The sad thing is, Ubi will probably assume that there just isn't any interest for the GameCube version and not release the sequel on the GameCube, or something ridiculous like that, when what they should be doing is apologising to the GameCube owners and releasing a version with LAN play and watch it sell like hotcakes. Are you kidding? A $99 console, and we can get 4 players on each of 4 boxes, for 16-person LAN shooter madess? How freaking insane would that be. But no, they put LAN play on the $200, 100-pound (ok the weight is an exaggeration) XBox and the $200, 8-bit-graphics (ok that is another exaggeration) PS2. And on top of that, how about using the GBA-link feature to use the GBA as a radar device, or for guided weapons, etc, some feature which would actually make the GameCube version even more appealing? And each of the other consoles has something "exclusive" like a multiplayer mode, why not an exclusive multiplayer mode for GameCube such as "Reverse Tag", etc? Although this is just another stupid gimmick -- these "console-specific" feature-wars are just stupid, stupid, stupid and don't seem to have any technical basis whatsoever.

Bottom line: the GameCube just outsold the PS2 for the insanity that was Black Friday and Thanksgiving week. When are developers going to stop misunderstanding the "feedback" when their games do not sell on GameCube?

I thought they have been recreating this and this

I thought they have been recreating this and this

Wonder where they got that idea...?

(Albeit on a somewhat larger scale...)

First of all, comparing FMV gaming to making stylish games is like comparing a nuclear blast to a firecracker. FMV gaming, as a mechanic, had no redeeming qualities. It removed control from the player, limiting gameplay to a choose-your-own adventure game with extremely few options. Adding pop cultural references to a game, however, simply risks diluting the original vision. Many games have been both hip and great, but no games have been both FMV and great (Dragon's Lair fans... Watch a video).

To support this assertion, the reviewer points to Jax and Dexter 2 and THPS. Jax and Dexter 2 is generally viewed as one of the year's best games... Adding liberal cultural references hasn't hurt the gameplay one bit. And Tony Hawk wasn't cool or hip until it was so embraced that it defined culture. Even so, gameplay has not been hindered one bit, and the series continues a surprising streak of great games.

Second, Jade from Beyond Good and Evil's original incarnation was hardly a socially ackward girl. Pictures of the original Jade are available here. As you can see, she went from a trendy, hip early 20 something wearing a t-shirt and jeans (look at that off-kilter waist bag), to a trendy, late 20 something dressed like an undercover reporter. She had large breasts, a visible buttline, a waistline like a carrot, and a midriff. The only non-stereotypical aspects of her character are the short hair and short body. Her second incarnation has the same pants, a lower-cut shirt, a green jacket, and a green headband. The last time I went to a club, headbands were not trendy. Though a little desexualization wouldn't hurt, the character is hardly a cash-in.

Licensed games are largely ignored by gamers in-the-know, and are hardly a new scourge. ET on the 2600? Simpsons on the NES? Lethal Weapon for the SNES? Anything THQ touched before the Playstation? If anything, the proportion of licensed drivel on consoles has gone DOWN, if for no other reason than the expense of developing 3d games has reduced the cash-in opportunity.

Breakout characters, and characterizations, are a rarity based more around great games than great design. The Master Chief as the pinnical of character design? One or two new games destined for legend come out every year... And as such we get one or two new characters in our vocabulary. That's not a weakness of the industry so much as a reality of shared experiences. Otherwise we would have Bubsy 3D 11 shoved down our throats. Characters are born, they live, and they die. It is one of the few motivations to create original content.

And as a final note, XIII wouldn't be anywhere near as engrossing an experience if designers had kept the comic book people away. The Final Fantasy series wouldn't be great if they had kept the movie people away. Embrace the artistic qualities and abilities of other forms of communication. Don't use them in inappropriate places, just as they wouldn't put footage from a House of the Dead game into a movie. But don't push them away. We are all entertainment brothers and sisters.

Not strictly accurate: http://www.bupipedream.com/091903/release/r1.htm

Despite his close-call experience on 9/11, MacFarlane regrets that "Rhode to Rhode Island" was cut from the DVD because it contains an Osama bin Laden joke - made well before 9/11/01.

Also, http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/429/429628p7.htm l:

IGNFF: What was the issue about the Osama Bin Laden joke, which made it to air originally, was excised from the re-air, and was excised from the disc?

MACFARLANE: Yeah, again, that was one that the more I field this question, the more I think it should have been on. I was kind of neutral. They said, "Listen, we think we might cut this out," and I said, "Well, I don't know." [...] Yeah, my argument was, "Well, look. I missed that flight by 10 minutes and I'm okay with putting it on." I don't know. There were two arguments. There was the argument that, well, you know, it's an interesting piece of entertainment history and it was made two years before this happened, which I tend to agree with. It's just - take it for what it is.

After all, we know how spot-on IGNs reviews are and how well they correspond to the tastes of their readers.

Also not to be missed is the Bone Kenning series. Well, I suppose it can't rightly be called a series just yet, but Wes is working on the second one.

I love the Claw Chronicles modules. Abaddon (the person who made them) can really tell a story and the maps he builds are just phenomenal.

Other NWN series you'll want to check out are "Penultima" and "Penultima Rerolled" (by Stefan Gagne - 5 modules each), and "Shadowlords" and "Dreamcatcher" (by Adam Miller - also 5 modules each).

I could list more great ones like "In The Company of Thieves" and "A Harper's Tale" but just go here for a more comprehensive list.

What the hell are saying? Karaoke Revolution was the FIRST game on TIME's game list thingy...

You're using Karaoke Revolution's placement on one list as your counterpoint? Time magazine, for that matter. Not exactly what I would call a trusted source for video game reviews, or a good indicator of what's hot in the U.S.
Keeping with the Karaoke Revolution example, I bet you didn't know that there are TWELVE versions of Karaoke Revolution scheduled in Japan, with (I'm sure) many more coming? Or that another Japanese company beat Konami to the punch on Karaoke games, with 3 or 4 versions already?

Checking IGN's list of PS2 music games, I see only a handful that were developed in the U.S. Most of the big names started off in Japan, and they have a lot more versions to boot. DDR has 20 console versions in Japan, a whopping 5 in the U.S. Most of the arcade versions are supposed to be Japan-only.
Mad Maestro has four different versions in Japan. The only (good) music game which is U.S. (and Europe) only is Frequency and its sequel, Amplitude.

And then there are games which won't ever see the light of day outside of Japan due to the expensive controllers that are required to play them, and also due to the insane learning curve. Most of these come from Konami's Bemani line. Games like Beatmania (5 keys and a turntable) and Beatmania IIDX (7 keys and a turntable), Keyboardmania (2 octave keyboard), Pop'n Music (9 round buttons), Guitar Freaks & Drummania (umm.. a guitar and a drum set). Non-Bemani games include Taiko no Tatsujin, Donkey Konga, Vib Ribbon (and Mojib Ribbon),

Here are some links to some nifty videos of a few of the games mentioned above. Watch them and tell me something like this would go over well in the U.S.
Beatmania IIDX 1
Beatmania IIDX 2
Drummania
Keyboardmania

Try importing them sometime. They don't require knowledge of the Japanese language, they're a lot of fun, and well worth the money- I highly recommend them.

What the hell are saying? Karaoke Revolution was the FIRST game on TIME's game list thingy...

You're using Karaoke Revolution's placement on one list as your counterpoint? Time magazine, for that matter. Not exactly what I would call a trusted source for video game reviews, or a good indicator of what's hot in the U.S.
Keeping with the Karaoke Revolution example, I bet you didn't know that there are TWELVE versions of Karaoke Revolution scheduled in Japan, with (I'm sure) many more coming? Or that another Japanese company beat Konami to the punch on Karaoke games, with 3 or 4 versions already?

Checking IGN's list of PS2 music games, I see only a handful that were developed in the U.S. Most of the big names started off in Japan, and they have a lot more versions to boot. DDR has 20 console versions in Japan, a whopping 5 in the U.S. Most of the arcade versions are supposed to be Japan-only.
Mad Maestro has four different versions in Japan. The only (good) music game which is U.S. (and Europe) only is Frequency and its sequel, Amplitude.

And then there are games which won't ever see the light of day outside of Japan due to the expensive controllers that are required to play them, and also due to the insane learning curve. Most of these come from Konami's Bemani line. Games like Beatmania (5 keys and a turntable) and Beatmania IIDX (7 keys and a turntable), Keyboardmania (2 octave keyboard), Pop'n Music (9 round buttons), Guitar Freaks & Drummania (umm.. a guitar and a drum set). Non-Bemani games include Taiko no Tatsujin, Donkey Konga, Vib Ribbon (and Mojib Ribbon),

Here are some links to some nifty videos of a few of the games mentioned above. Watch them and tell me something like this would go over well in the U.S.
Beatmania IIDX 1
Beatmania IIDX 2
Drummania
Keyboardmania

Try importing them sometime. They don't require knowledge of the Japanese language, they're a lot of fun, and well worth the money- I highly recommend them.

This looks pretty cool. It will retail for $20, be released for all three consoles, apparently feature 3/4 player support on xbox/gamecube, will support a global high scores list on xbox via Xbox Live, and contains: "Spy Hunter, Defender, Defender II, Gauntlet, Joust, Joust II, Paperboy, Rampage, Marble Madness, Robotron 2084, Smash TV, Bubbles,
RoadBlasters, Blaster, Rampart, Sinistar, Super Sprint, 720, Toobin', Klax, Splat!, Satan's Hollow, and Vindicators" (!!)

Another thing to look out for if you've got a Gamecube: Once Dec 6 comes, you will be able to buy "Pac Man Vs.", a really cool-looking 4-player Pac Man game (Player One uses a GBA and plays Pac-Man; Players 2-4 play on the gamecube, and play ghosts. The ghosts cannot see the entire board.), for $20 bundled with Pac Man World 2. You can also get this game free if right now you order I-Ninja or "R: Racing Evolution".

Also if you have a Gamecube: bestbuy.com is still selling Ikaruga for $20 with free shipping!! Trust me. YOU WANT THIS GAME. It is considered by many to be the greatest space shooter game of all time.

Sony has surround sound headphones out. They track the orientation of the wearer's head and adjust accordingly. Check them out here. There is an IGN review of a pair here Okay, not the most reputable place for reviews so google for some others . . .

McKellan Asks Jackson for Hobbit Adaption

That would be cool, huh huh.

It's gollum, not Golem.

A Golem is this or this or this.


Yes, I am a Pokemon fan.

It's gollum, not Golem.

A Golem is this or this or this.


Yes, I am a Pokemon fan.

I really don't see a problem with the game reviews I read. Now I know some of you may disagree with their ratings and opinions, but IGN has well-written reviews that cover just about every aspect of the game. A high profile game like Final Fantasy X-2 or Prince of Persia will usually be around 5 pages.

On the other hand, smaller fansites like Insert Credit have reviews that aren't based on the normal categories, but unfortunately the reviews are not timely enough to make the important purchasing decision on release day.

While on the subject, let me just say that print magazines are worthless now that GameFan is gone. EGM has gone downhill quite a bit, and is now trying to be Maxim for gamers.

And thanks for no goddamn Penny Arcade links, it's becoming the goatse.cx of the Games section and people are getting fucking modded up for it.

In the interview with one of the producers on IGN, they stated that before making announcements, they had to get approval from Lucasarts.

Basically, SWG has to conform to Lucas's vision, and based on what we've seen in the movies, that means that the odds are more likely that once there are "enough" jedis, people will start unlocking Ewok slots instead of Force-sensitive slots.

And who's going to pay for an Ewok character auction on Ebay? ;)

According to this story from IGN, Nintento sales have quadrupled and market share has doubled. From the article:

GameCube now runs a 'strong second' to PlayStation 2 in monthly sales, at least based on October sell-through data." It doubled its previous 19 percent [marketshare] piece of the pie to 37 percent. Combined with sales of Game Boy Advance SP -- it accounts for 'half of all system sales in 2003.

Reportedly? Reported where?

Reported on IGN among other places.

Ever tried to find a decent flight simulator on a console?

That is possibly the only genre that isn't well represented on the consoles (except, of course, the best remote controlled helicopter simulation ever, RC Stunt Copter - it really teaches you how to fly a RC heli).

However, the best car simulator / racing game on any platform is Gran Turismo 3 on the Playstation 2 (GT4 coming soon) - especially when you're playing with a force-feedback racing wheel. Some PC games come close, but in the end they simply can't match the attention to detail and depth.

Some of us older gamers can remember the time when consoles couldn't even save game

Who cares? I've been playing games since before save carts as well. And the Dreamcast has been online since 1999 - four years ago.

Still, try finding a real equivalent of Everquest or even Warcraft III on a PS2/X-Box/GC

Yeah, well the Everquest equivalent is called Everquest Online Adventures, and the Warcraft III equivalent is called Goblin Commander (from the designer of Warcraft 2 and Starcraft).

See Here

Card games have a venerable history on consoles, actually. The PS2 has about a million forms of Majong (sp?) in Japan.

PC's actually have a smaller range of games, though the niche they carry is really a lot better on the PC. But for a more rounded experience a console (any of the consoles but especially the PS2) is superior.

Don't be so sure. Don't be fooled by the clock speeds. The GCN is as powerful as the PS2, if not moreso, and is the superior of the two machines if actual output is a layman's comparison. Check out a comparison.

I'm just wondering since your opinion seems to be somewhat askew from everyone else's.

here's a pretty big list of games for mac. Just because best buy doesnt sell mac games doenst mean there aren't any.

GameSpot
ign

Movie Trailer
The preview sounds a lot like how the game Manhunt is described on IGN.
Is it possible they are the same game, or at least related?

Remember that the GBA screen is only 240x160. There are games on the market already using full motion video. Check out the new Lion King game.

GameSpot

IGN.com

FYI, both reviews seem to think its a lot better than 'evolutionary.'

"The GameCube doesn't have support for hardware bumpmapping."

Wrong. Wrong. WRONG!

You're thinking of the PS2. It doesn't have hardware bump-mapping. Fortunately the processor in it is slick enough to pull it off anyway.

They may not use it in every game, but the machine can certainly do it. It also does hair and shadow rendering.

I wonder whether the price drop might be related to the reported introduction of the new model in the U.S. soon. Perhaps they're lowering the cost on the old model to clear stock on it more quickly? Or maybe they're going for a two-tier pricing scheme: $179 for the SPCH-50000 and $99 for the older version.

I'm sorry, I'm under the same opinion as IGN, that the ads cause more confusion, then the image Nintendo is trying to market through the advertising campaigns. Just take a look at how ridiculous this picture looks. It obviously doesn't look like Nintendo is aiming for the Xbox GenXer or teen. I have to say that most marketing campaigns, at least when they start out, are meant to be confusing. They are supposed to entice you with your curiosity. Let's hope Nintendo's hyped commercial changes my opinion.

IMHO, they should have marketed games themselves, not the brand.