Friday, September 24, 2004

Sony at TGS
Today's press conference reveals 46 new titles, but not the launch date or price.
TOKYO--In a press conference today, Sony Computer Entertainment revealed some new details on the PlayStation Portable, which is slated for release this winter. SCE revealed 46 new titles that are currently in development for the PSP, which brings the total number of games in development to 105. There are 60 companies currently developing games, while 100 have signed on as third-party publishers and are currently planning titles.

Some notable new games that were announced today come from major third-party publishers: Atlus is developing a Persona RPG, SNK is developing a 3D fighting game based on the King of Fighters series, Namco is making a Taiko no Tatsujin drum/music game, and From Software is making a Tenchu title.

Rez and Space Channel 5 creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi's new game, developed by his new independent studio Q Entertainment, was also shown. Called Lumines, the title is described as a "sound and light action puzzle game," and it will be published by Bandai. Visitors to the Tokyo Game Show will get the first chance to check out Lumines and 21 other titles that will be playable at SCE's booth.

No mention of specific movie titles were announced for release on the PSP's proprietary UMD media, although SCE president Ken Kutaragi said that plans to do so are in the final stages. When asked if the PSP will be able to record data on the UMD, Kutaragi confirmed that Sony doesn't have any plans to allow users to do so, at least in the early years after the machine's release.

"We're seeing the UMD as a medium for software distribution, so it should be good enough to just release it [without recording capabilities]," Kutaragi said to the press assembled at the conference. "But if the market starts to get stabilized and things are going well, there might be [game] companies that want to take advantage of UMD recording capabilities in their games. If that happens, we'll have to discuss with the companies about what kind of recording format to use, whether to add on stronger copy protection, or to even to make it into an international standard."

A new feature announced for the PSP during the conference is that the handheld will adopt the Cross Media Bar (XMB) interface for its system menu. The XMB originated in Sony's PSX hardware, and is now making its way to the company's other home electronic products.

Surprisingly, SCE did not use the conference to announce the price of the hardware. Sony won't be announcing it at the Tokyo Game Show, either--the official rationale is that the company will be using the reactions of the visitors to its PSP booth as one of the yardsticks by which it will determine the handheld's price. The handheld's release date hasn't been fixed, either, although it's slated for release sometime this winter. "We won't announce the price of the PSP today," Kutaragi said. "We hope to announce the price and release date of the PSP after we hear the voices of our users, distributors, and developers at the Tokyo Game Show."

When asked whether the PSP will be priced higher than the Nintendo DS--which Nintendo today announced would sell for 15,000 yen ($149)--Kutaragi declined to comment, but stressed that SCE's handheld will still sell well if it's more expensive than the DS, since the systems are positioned differently and won't be competing directly in price. Kutaragi said that he sees the DS as a new GBA model, while on the other hand he sees the PSP as a totally new handheld with next-generation specs. "When the [original] PlayStation came out, it cost 39,800 yen," he said. "At that time, Nintendo's [Super Famicom] was around 12,000 yen, but they both sold pretty well." Kutaragi also noted that the PlayStation's launch price of 39,800 yen was in no way indicative of the PSP's price.

Kutaragi revealed that the PSP hardware is already finished and ready to launch, and that software availability is the main factor that will determine the release date. "It wouldn't be good if there were a stack of games released at [the PSP's] launch, and then a long period afterward without game releases," Kutaragi said. "So we need to look ahead. We want to make sure that we have a steady release [schedule] before announcing the launch date." When asked if the PSP will be released within the year, Kutaragi said boldly, "I want to get it out. We're preparing for it." For more updates, be sure to check My coverage of Tokyo Game Show 2004(coming soon).

The lists of PSP games that will be shown at the Tokyo Game Show and of today's newly announced titles are below.

Games to be on exhibit at the Tokyo Game Show:

Electronic Arts
Need for Speed Underground Rivals [working title] (Racing)

Capcom
Vampire Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (Fighting)

Genki
Tokyo Freeway Battle (Racing)

Koei
Shin Sangoku Muso [working title] (Action)

Konami
Ys: Ark of Napishtim [working title] (Action RPG)
Mahjong Fight Club (Table)
Meikyu Tansaku Gata Monster Shooting [working title] (FPS)
Metal Gear Acid [working title] (TBA)

Sony Computer Entertainment
Tenchi no Mon (Sword Action RPG)
Dokodemo Issho (Chatting Game)
Minna no Golf Portable [Hot Shots Golf in the US] (Golf)

Sega
Puyo Puyo Fever (Action Puzzle)

Taito
Puzzle Bobble Pocket (Puzzle)

Namco
Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten (Puzzle)
New Ridge Racer [working title] (Racing)
T.O.E. [working title] (RPG)

Hudson
Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory [working title] (Action RPG)

Bandai
Eiyuu Densetsu Gagarve Trilogy: Shiroki Majo (RPG)
Soukyuu no Fafner [working title] (Action)
Lumines (Sound and Light Action Puzzle)

From Software
AC Formula Front (Mech Simulation)

Marvelous Interactive
A.I Series Shougi [working title] (Table)

Newly announced PSP titles:

Aqua Plus
Visual Novel Series (Adventure)

Atari Japan
TBA (Action Adventure)
TBA (Driving Action)
TBA (Racing)

Atlus
EX Jinsei Game (Table)
Touge MAX (Racing)
Princess Crown (Action RPG)
Persona (Action RPG)

Imagineer
Educational Game (Educational)

SNK Playmore
KOF [working title] (3D Fighting)

MTO
Angel Collection (Dressing)
Puzzle

Ongakukan
Mobile Train Simulator + Densha de GO! Tokyo Kyuukou Hen [working title] (Simulation)

Global A. Entertainment
Mushi (Simulation)

Xnauts
Sengoku Cannon [working title] (Action)

Konami
TBA (Simulation RPG)

Success
TBA (Table)

Sammy
Jissen Pachislot Hisshouhou! Series [working title] (Pachinko Simulation]

Sony Computer Entertainment
RPG [working title] (RPG)
MMORPG [working title] (MMORPG)
Karaoke [working title] (Karaoke)
GAMES [working title] (Online Game)
NOVEL [working title] (Novel)
Red Line [working title] (Communication)


Taito
Space Invader Pocket [working title] (Shooting)

Takuyo Kogyo
Plus Plum 2 Again [working title] (Puzzle)
Hoshigari Empusa (Academic Love Simulation)

D3 Publisher
Puzzle [working title] (Puzzle)

Tecmo
Karakuri (Action)
Tecmo My Generation (Variety)
Dokodemo Kaishou! Pachislot Sengen (Pachinko Simulation)

Tomy
Action Game (Action)

Dorasu
Dorasu Slot2: Shuyaku wa Zenigata (Pachinko Simulation)

Namco
Taiko no Tatsujin [working title] (Music)
Namco Museum [working title] (Variety)

Bandai
Soukyuu no Fafner [working title] (Action)
Dragon Ball Z [working title] (TBA)
Naruto [working title] (TBA)
Patlabor [working title] (Mini Patrol)
Lumines (Sound and Light Action Puzzle)
One Piece [working title] (TBA)

From Software
Kings Field (3D Real-Time RPG)
New Adventure Game (Adventure)
Tenchu (Action)

Mainichi Communications
Toudai Shougi Portable (Table)

Yamasa Entertainment
Yamasa Digi Portable (Pachinko Variety)

Previously announced PSP titles with name changes:

Electronic Arts
Need for Speed Underground Rivals [working title] (Racing)

Capcom
Vampire Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (Fighting)

Sony Computer Entertainment
Saru Gecchu P! (Monkey Grabbing Action)
Derby Time (Horse Racing Entertainment)
Tenchi no Mon (Sword Action RPG)
Popozaru Academia: Dossari! Sarugee Daizenshuu (Monkey Game Collection)

Taito
Puzzle Bobble Pocket (Puzzle)

Dorasu
Dorasu Slot: Super Hanahana 30 (Pachinko Simulation)

Now Production
Higanjima [working title] (Horror Adventure)

Namco
Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten (Puzzle)

Bandai
Eiyuu Densetsu Gagarve Trilogy: Shiroki Majo (RPG)



Comments (0) | Permalink

TGS 2004 Preview: Everything old is new again
WHAT TO EXPECT
To the legions of videogame otaku who live in the greater Tokyo area, late September means only one thing. It's time to take the train out to the Makuhari Messe hall in Chiba prefecture just outside Tokyo and wait in line for hours and hours, queued up with their fellow gamers, until the doors of the world-famous convention center open and they can stream into the annual Tokyo Game Show.

Some arrive in elaborate costumes, dressed as their favorite game characters. Some arrive with thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment to photograph the cosplayers (those who dress in character). And some are there for the swag--not only the cheap freebies, but the expensive goods as well, like Final Fantasy jewelry at the Square Enix booth or S.T.A.R.S. police outfits at the Capcom stand. But they're all there to play the games. Just like E3, the Tokyo Game Show features elaborate booths with playable versions of games that won't be out for months. But unlike E3, which is an industry-only show, two out of the three days of TGS are open to the public.

It is a mixed blessing. Sure, you can get in… but the lines to play the popular games can be unbearably long. The two-hour waits at E3 to watch the Halo 2 demo or to play Nintendo DS are legendary. These sorts of waits are commonplace in Makuhari. Waiting to play Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in 2002 was like waiting to get on Space Mountain at Disneyland in July.

THE BOOTH CRAWL
As is the case most years, Square Enix's booth will be one of the most visited on the show floor. And the reason why doesn't have much of anything to do with Final Fantasy Tactics or anything called Final Fantasy. It's all about Dragon Quest VIII. Not only is this long-awaited sequel to Japan's most popular game series (which releases in November) going to be playable at TGS, there's the added bonus that the game looks stunning--the cel-shaded graphics engine brings famed manga artist Akira Toriyama's creations to life far better than the clunky 3D engine that powered the last Dragon Quest title. Two hour wait? Try four.

That's not to say that Final Fantasy won't have a commanding presence, however. The three Final Fantasy VII spinoffs unveiled thus far--Advent Children, Before Crisis, and Dirge of Cerberus--will undoubtedly draw crowds; the FFXI expansion Chains of Promathia, probably less so. And Final Fantasy XII will be shown--if, surprisingly, only on video.

Kingdom Hearts 2 and Chain of Memories will both be playable, as Square Enix and Disney attempt to build up the series as a "third pillar." Other series getting sequelized entries include Front Mission and Hanjuku Hero; among the company's entire console lineup the only new title is the PS2 RPG Radiata Stories.

But it's not just "Squeenix" falling back on old favorites. Practically everywhere you go on the floor of the Messe, you'll see mostly sequels, remakes, and ports. In an industry where revenues are shrinking--from about $6.8 billion in 1997 to about $4.5 billion in 2002--publishers want to weather the storm by producing games with proven returns.

Another extreme example of that strategy would be SNK Playmore, who recently abandoned their NeoGeo home and arcade systems to create more original games for contemporary hardware. Of the ten games that the company has announced for the show, four will be Metal Slug titles and four will be King of Fighters games. The only "original" game on the roster is NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, a fighting game featuring the characters from Metal Slug and King of Fighters.

Next, take Sega. Of the whopping 24 titles that will be shown at the company's booth at TGS, only three-- Shinsengumi Gunraw-den, Chaos Field, and Kimishine--are original titles. That leaves 21 sequels, ports, remakes, and licensed titles. This is not to say that none of those games will cause a frenzy--new entries in the Shining Force and Sakura Taisen series are sure to excite fans.

Microsoft, whose TGS booth is often the preferred meet-up place for the few American game industry types who make their way to the hall, continues to push the Xbox in Japan although the system could not be considered anything more than a pronounced flop in the Land of the Sinking Yen--the console has yet to break the half million units sold threshold even, and its unlikely to ever hit that milestone (the 3DO sold better there), but the Xbox isn't dead.

In fact, Microsoft will be showing off 31 titles at its booth. Most are third-party titles, and many have been brought over directly from the West and thus have little appeal to the Japanese gaming mainstream no matter how popular they are at home--Halo 2 and Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow being major examples. Only a few are Japan-developed, like Blinx 2 and Phantom Dust. Industry analysts expect only expect one to break 100,000 units sold--Dead or Alive Ultimate.

HARDWARE ALERT
And then there's the PSP. If E3 was the christening, TGS is the coming-out party. The PSP games will be playable for the first time at TGS, and Sony will bring a lineup of third-party heavy hitters into the PSP section of its booth. Capcom, Koei, Hudson, Namco, Bandai, Konami, Sega, Taito, and From Software, among others, will put their products up for playable demonstration in the booth as well. Many are, again, sequels or ports, but one of the most anticipated titles is completely original--Lumines, the "sound and light action puzzle," by Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

Finally, it's tough to ignore that the PSP will have serious competition in the portable-gaming realm at TGS. It's not the Nintendo DS--Nintendo never shows their wares at the TGS, preferring to host their own events later in the year. The competition on the show floor this year will be from mobile phones. The Japanese as a nation are years ahead of the curve in the cell-phone market--both in user base and technology. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii is one of the most successful designers in the industry. Ask him what he considers his primary competition, and he'll talk about cell phone gaming.

Japanese are still spending lots of money on entertainment, but a lot of it is now being diverted to gaming on mobile handsets. So of course NTT DoCoMo, the wireless giant, will have a massive presence at TGS. And every publisher worth a damn is jumping on the bandwagon, eager for a slice of the ever-growing pie. NTT's booth will include upcoming games based on Metal Gear, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Mega Man, Phantasy Star, and Gundam.

If the "importance" of the Tokyo Game Show has been declining in recent years, it's mostly the fault of E3. Even though the Electronic Entertainment Expo takes place in Los Angeles and is focused on products that will ship to the US market, it's still viewed even by the Japanese media as a global event--the biggest stage for the whole world to crowd around and bear witness.

The reality is that Tokyo Game Show is created for one territory, a territory that remains in great part, cut off from the rest of the world. Even though Japanese publishers are making the effort to be more international in their outlook, the fact remains that plenty of TGS titles shown are ones that Americans will clamor for information on, but will likely never get to play.

Still, the event is fascinating and important--and GameSpot is dedicated to bringing you all the news and excitement showcased in the annual event. For the latest news on hardware and games, check out My's TGS coverage, coming soon.


Comments (0) | Permalink

Tokyo game show 04 preshow!!!
The Tokyo Game Show opens Friday morning in Japan, and--aside from a few last-minute surprises--I have the complete list of every title that will be on display. For analysis of this list and more information on the Tokyo Game Show report coming soon, check out our feature preview.


my News will be updated throughout TGS with new announcements and media; keep a close watch on our continuing coverage for all the latest. For now, the full title list is below.

Atlus
Shin Megami Tensei Online Imagine (PC)
Digital Devil Saga Avatar Tuner 2 (PS2)
Growlanser IV: Return (PS2)
Kowloon Youma Gakuen Ki (PS2)
Shin Seiki Yuusha Taisen (PS2)
Stella Deus (PS2)
Duel Master 3 (GBA)

Acquire
Way of the Samurai 2 (PS2)

Arduc
C@M-Station (PS2)

Atari Japan
DRIV3R (PS2)
Godzilla: Save the Earth (PS2)

Bandai
Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed: Owaranai Ashita-e (PS2)
Naruto: Narutimate Heroes 2 (PS2)
Uchuu-senkan Yamato: Iscandar he no Tsuioku) (PS2)
Kidou Senshi Gundam (PS2)
Keroro Gunsou: Meromero battle Royal (PS2)
Pochitto Nyaa (PS2)
SD Gundam Force Daikessen! Jigen-Kaizoku De-Skull!! (PS2)
SD Gundam Force (GBA)
Kamen Rider Blade (PS2)
Meitantei Conan: Daiei-Eikoku no Isan (PS2)
Konjiki no Gashbell!! (Tentative name, PS2)
Kaiketsu Zorori: Mezase! Itazura King (PS2)
Fullmetal Alchemist Dream Carnival (PS2)
VatrollerX (GBA)
Legends: Yomigaeru Shiren no Shima (GBA)
Bouken-ou Beat: Buster's Road (GBA)
Bouken-ou Beat: Darkness Century (GBA)
Kiss x Kiss Seirei Gakuen (GBA)
Gundam Network Operations 2 (PC)
UniversalCentury.net Gundam Online (PC)

Broccoli
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Koutetsu no Girlfriend 2 (PS2)

Capcom
Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)
Rockman Power Battle Fighters (PS2)
Rockman X8 (PS2)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge (PS2)
Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2)
Biohazard 4 (GC)
DarkStalkers (PSP)
Capcom Fighting Jam (AC)
Unannounced title

Cyber Front
Seikai no Senki (PS2)
Fushigi no umi no Nadia (PS2)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (PS2)s
Chuukana Janshi Tenhou Painyan (PS2)
Fantastic Fortune 2 Triple Star (PS2)
Princess Maker 2 (PS2)
Princess Maker 4 (PS2)
Kollon (PSP)

D3 Publisher
Giant Robo the Animation: Chikyuu ga seishi suru hi (PS2)
Love Songs ADV Futaba Riho 14-sai: Natsu (PS2)
Love Songs ADV Futaba Riho 19-sai: Fuyu (PS2)
Meshimase Roman Sanbou (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Vol 63: The party u-nou goods (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Vol 64: The Splatter Action (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Vol 65:The Kyonshee Panic (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Vol 67: The Suiri (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Ultimate Vol.20: Love Mahjong 2 (PS2)
Simple 2000 Series Ultimate Vol.21: Kenka Joutou! Yankee Banchou (PS2)

Digital Act
Campho Advance (GBA Peripheral)

Electronic Arts
The Lord of the Rings, The Third Age (PS2)
Golden Eye: Rogue Agent (PS2, GC)
FIFA Total Football 2 (PS2)
Need for Speed Underground 2 (PS2)
Burn Out 3 Takedown (PS2)
Star Wars Galaxies Japanese Full Edition (PC)
Star Wars Battlefront (XB)
Star Wars Republic Commando (XB)

Game Infinity
Mistic Nights (PS2)
Digi Dance (XB)

Genki
Fuun Bakumatsu-den (PS2)
Racing Battle: C1 Grand Prix (PS2)

Global A. Entertainment
Jinrui Sousa-kan Poni: Alien vs Alien (PS2)

Hamster
Sukusuku Inufuku (PS2)
e-jay club world (PS2)

Hudson
Bomberman Battles (PS2)
Momotaro Dentetsu USA (PS2)
Tengai Makyou III: Namida (PS2)
Kita-e: Diamond Dust + (PS2)
Rengoku: The tower of Purgatory (PSP)
2 new mobile RPG titles

Irem
Disaster Report 2 (PS2)
Unannounced title

Jaleco
Kousoku Kidou-tai: World Super Police (PS2)
2 New unannounced titles

Koei
Kessen III (PS2)
Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends (PS2)
Angelique Etoile (PS2)
Harukanaru toki no naka de 3 (PS2)
Dynasty Warriors (tentative name, PSP)
Uncharted Waters Online (PC)

Konami
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2)
Rumble Roses (PS2)
Neo Contra (PS2)
Pro-Yakyuu Spirits 2004 Climax (PS2)
J League Winning Eleven 8: Asia Championship (PS2)
Pop' N Music 10 (PS2)
beatmaniaIIDX 8th style (PS2)
DDR Festival Dance Dance Revolution (PS2)
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (Tentative name, PS2)
SLAI: Phantom Crash (Tentative name, PS2)
Nanobreaker (PS2)
Enthusia Professional Racing (PS2)
Meine Liebe: Yuubi nari Kioku (Video exhibition only) (PS2)
OZ (Tentative name, Video exhibition only, PS2)
Metal Gear Acid (PSP)
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim (Tentative name, PSP)
Mahjong Fight Club (PSP)
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django (GBA)
PowerPro-kun Pocket 7 (GBA)
Croquette! Great Jikuu no Boukensha (GBA)
Ganbare Goemon Kessaku-sen! Yuki-hime to Magginesu (Tentative name, GBA)
Metal Gear (Mobile)
Metal Gear 2 (Mobile)

Microsoft
Blinx 2: Battle of Time & Space (XB)
Conker: Live & Reloaded (XB)
Castle of Shikigami II (XB)s
Dead or Alive Ultimate (XB)
Fable (XB)
Fatal Frame2: Crimson Butterfly (XB)
Forza Motorsport (XB)
Guilty Gear XX Reload (XB)
Guilty Gear Isuka (XB)
Gungriffon Allied Strike (XB)
Full Spectrum Warrior (XB)
Halo 2 (XB)
Jade Empire (XB)
Outrun 2 (XB)
Psyvariar 2 Extend edition (XB)
SNK vs. Capcom SVC Chaos (XB)
The King of Fighters 2002 (XB)
Ture Crimes: Street of LA (XB)
Star Wars Battle Front (XB)
Star Wards Republic Commando (XB)
Street Fighter Anniversary Edition (XB)
Spike Out Battle Street (XB)
Sudeki (XB)
Tomy Clancy series Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow (XB)
Tom Clancy series Rainbow Six 3 Black Arrow (XB)
Hitman: Contract (XB)
Phantom Dust (XB)
Metal Wolf Chaos (XB)
Metal Slug 3 (XB)
MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf (XB)
Xbox Video Chat (XB)

Namco
Tales of Symphonia (PS2)
Tales of Rebirth (PS2)
Ace Combat 5 (PS2)
Death By Degrees Tekken: Nina Williams (PS2)
Rune Chaser (PS2)
Tekken 5 (Arcade)

NTT DoCoMo
Shin Megami Tensei 20XX (Mobile)
Biohazard The Stories (Mobile)
Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII (Mobile)
Saka-tsuku Mobile (Mobile)
I.Q Intelligent Cube (Mobile)
Famisuta Mobile 2004 (Mobile)
Kidou Senshi Gudam: Guripusu Senki (Jack's Dungeon (Mobile)
Street Fighter II (Mobile)
Dai Makai Mura (Ghouls 'n Ghosts) (Mobile)
Rockman EXE: Phantom Of Network (Megaman Battle Network) (Mobile)
Shutokou Battle Evolution (Mobile)
Kengou Shura (Mobile)
Mobile Sangokushi II (Mobile)
Mobile Suikoden (Mobile)
Mobile Angelique (Mobile)
Mystia (Mobile)
Magical Drop EX (Mobile)
Dragon x Dragon (Mobile)
Final Fantasy II (Mobile)
Fire Pro-wrestling (Mobile)
Power Smash Mobile (Mobile)
Network Taisen Appli BakuBaku Animal (Mobile)
Phantasy Star Gouka-ban (Mobile)
Minna no Golf i (Mobile)
Bakushou!! Jinsei Kaidou (Mobile)
Chaos Breaker (Mobile)
Chase H.Q. (Mobile)
Ys VI (Mobile)
Road Monarch (Mobile)
Pro Mahjong Goku (Mobile)
Kamaitachi no Yoru 2 (Mobile)
Fuurai no Shiren Extra (Mobile)
Princess Maker 2 (Mobile)
Monster Farm POP (Monster Rancher) (Mobile)
Peketus (Mobile)
Tales of Breaker (Mobile)
Pac Mania (Mobile)
Tengai Makyou Ziraia (Mobile)
Jaseiken Necromancer (Mobile)
Mobile Tengai Makyou New Appli (tentative name) (Mobile)
Momotarou Dentetsu Mobile (Mobile)
Bomberman 3D (Mobile)
Soukyuu no Fafner (Mobile)
Digital Monster Ver.1 (Mobile)
Gunpey (Mobile)
SD Gundam Battle 3D (Mobile)
Keitai iHorse DX! (Mobile)
Keitai de Hakken! Tamagocchi (Mobile)

Sammy
Guilty Gear Isuka (PS2)
Berserk (PS2)
Standard Daisenryaku: Dengekisen (PS2)
The Rumble Fish (PS2)
Victory Wings: Zero Pilot (PS2)
Strugarden (PC)

Sega
Shining Tears (PS2)
Sakura Taisen V: Saraba Itoshiki Hito Yo (PS2)
Altered Beast (PS2)
Sega Superstars (PS2)
Sonic Mega Collection Plus
Typing of the Dead: Zombie Panic (PS2)
Shinsengumi Gunraw-den (PS2)
Sega Rally 2005 (PS2)
Super Monkey Ball DX (PS2, XB)
Sega Ages 2500 Virtua Fighter 2 (PS2)
Dororo (PS2)
Puyo Puyo Fever (PS2, PSP, DS)
Derby-tsuku 4: Derby uma o Tsukurou 4(PS2)
Shining Force (PS2)
Sakura Taisen III (PS2)
Sakura Taisen V Episode 0: Kouya no Samurai Musume (PS2)
Spike Out Battle street (XB)
Outrun 2 (XB)
Chaos Field (GC, DC)
Kimi no Tame nara Shineru (DS)
Shining Force: Resurrection of Dark Dragon (GBA)
Advance Guardian Heroes (Treasure, GBA)
Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst (PC)
Derby Owner's Club Online (PC)

SNK Playmore
Metal Slug (tentative name) (PS2)
KOF Maximum Impact (PS2)
KOF 94 Re-bout (PS2)
KOF 2003 (PS2)
Metal Slug 4 (PS2)
SVS Chaos (XB)
Metal Slug 4 (XB)
KOF 2002 (XB)
Metal Slug Advance (GBA)
NeoGeo Battle Coliseum (AC)

Sony Computer Entertainment
Genji (PS2)
Wanda & the Colossus (PS2)
Wild Arms: The 4th Detonator (PS2)
Bakufuu Slash Kizna: Arashi for EyeToy (PS2)
Arc the Lad Generation (PS2)
Gran Turismo 4 (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank 3 (PS2)
Waga Ryuomiyo: Pride of the Dragon Peace (PS2)
Card Captor Sakura: Sakura-chan to Asobo (eye toy, PS2)
PSP Booth:
Electronic Arts K.K.: Need for Speed Underground Rivals (tentative name), racing
Capcom: Vampire Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, fighting
Genki: Tokyo Xtreme Racer, race
Koei: Shin Sangoku Muso (tentative name), action
Konami: Ys: Ark of Napishtim (tentative name), action RPG
Konami: Mahjong Fight Club, table
Konami: Meikyu Tansaku Gata Monster Shooting (tentative name), FPS
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan: Metal Gear Acid (tentative name), TBA
Sony Computer Entertainment: Tenchi no Mon, sword action RPG
Sony Computer Entertainment: Dokodemo Issho, chatting game
Sony Computer Entertainment: Minna no Golf Portable (a.k.a. Hot Shots Golf in the U.S.), golf
Sony Computer Entertainment: PoPoLoCrois Monogatari: Pietro ouji no Bouken, RPG
Sony Computer Entertainment: Ghost in a Shell SAC (tentative name), FPS
Sony Computer Entertainment: Derby Time, hose racing entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment: Pipozaru Academia: Dossari! Sarugee Daizenshuu, monkey game colletion
Sony Computer Entertainment: Saru Gecchu P!, monkey grabbing action
Sony Computer Entertainment: Gran Tourismo 4 Mobile, driving simulation
Sega: Puyo Puyo Fever, action puzzle
Taito: Puzzle Bobble Pocket, puzzle
Namco: Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Daijiten, puzzle
Namco: New Ridge Racer (tentative name), racing
Namco: T.O.E. (tentative name), RPG
Hudson: Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory (tentative name), SF action RPG
Bandai: Eiyuu Densetsu Gagharv Trilogy: Shiroki Majo, RPG
Bandai: Soukyuu no Fafner (tentative name), action
Bandai: Lumines, sound and light action puzzle
From Software: AC Formula Front, mech simulation
Marvelous Interactive: A.I series Shougi (tentative name), table

Square Enix
Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song (PS2)
Radiata Stories (PS2)
Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special (PS2)
Kingdom Hearts II (PS2)
Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Akaki Elixir no Akuma (PS2)
Final Fantasy XII (PS2, video exhibit only)
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2, exhibit form unannounced)
Hanjuku Hero IV: Shichi-nin no Hanjuku Hero (PS2, video exhibit only)
Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (PS2, PC, video exhibit only)
Front Mission Online (PS2, PC, video exhibit only)
Egg Monster Hero (DS, video exhibit only)
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (GBA)
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (DVD)
Fantasy Earth: The Ring Of Dominion (PC, video exhibit only) Cross Gate Power-up Kit 3 (PC, video exhibit only)
Ever Quest II (Japanese distributor. / PC, video exhibit only)
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII (Mobile, video exhibit only)

Success
Akaitoto (PS2)
Psyvariar 2 Ultimate Final (PS2)
Konohana 4 (PS2)
Super Light 2000 Heisei Hakuto-dens (PS2)
Super Light 2000 ZOOO (PS2)
Super Light 2000 Tetris (PS2)
Psyvariar Revision (Mobile)

Sting
Riviera: Yakusoku no Chi (GBA)

Taito
Kyoushuu Kidou Butai: Kougeki Helicopter Senki (PS2)
Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 2: Sengoku Ace & Sengoku Blade (PS2)
Psikyo Shooting Collection Vol. 3: Sol Divide & Dragon Blaze (PS2)
Rakugaki Oukoku 2 (PS2)
Usagi: Yasei no Topai (PS2)
Tsukiyo Ni Saraba (PS2)
Puzzle Bobble Pocket (PSP)
Ultra Puzzle Bobble Online (XB)

Takara
New Life Game (PS2)
Duel Masters 3 (GBA)

Tecmo
Kagerou II: Dark Illusion (PS2)
Tecmo Hit Parade (PS2)
Rakushou! Pachi-slot Sengen 2 Decadan Juujika
Dead Or Alive Ultimate (XB)
Gungriffon: Allied Strike (XB)
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly (XB)
Real: Zero (Mobile)
Monster Farm POP (Mobile)
4D Zero (Amusement/Theater)

Tomy
Zoids Versus III (GC)
Zoids Struggle (PS2)
Zoids Saga Fuzors (GBA)
New Naruto title (DS)
Naruto RPG (GBA)
Naruto: Gekitou Ninja Taisen! 3 (GC)
Ichigo 100% (PS2)

Tonkin House
D > A:White (PS2)
Best Price Missing Blue (PS2)

VU Games
Crash Twinsanity (PS2)
Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage (GBA)
Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy (GBA)


Comments (0) | Permalink

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

the people in
i cant wait to finis the frist chapers of " My Girl Friend Ami" (my post story) this is mostey for me but i put out a list of the chaters for u to see, and so i wont forget.

Main: Kido, Ami, Jakuku, Shinde A.K.A Pokukeyu (pockey for short)
Kuroudo A.K.A Shimu (sim for short)

sub: Mayu, Shineiichiku, Hekutoru, Ande, Jorudenu, Kio,Fuie, Jinkiu. (some of thise chaters will chage spots of sub to main)
Comments (0) | Permalink

More MegaMan NT Warrior for Kids
Kids'WB has ordered an additional 30 episodes of MegaMan NT Warrior. The new episodes will air in the spring of 2005, in the meantime Kids'WB will air the first two seasons daily from October 4th to October 22nd and again from November 22nd to December 9th. Cartoon Network will also air a MegaMan NT Warrior marathon on Saturday, October 2nd
Comments (2) | Permalink

a heads up for ya!

	i am starting my work on my first post story called " my girl friend.... look for it every saturai day.the storys rating is M, or R. the post story may have strong lange (like saying "what the fu*k") and some sceans that are just plane bad. hehe. *coughporncough*

Comments (0) | Permalink

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

X-boxed
(this is 3 reports in 1)Let's face facts: Halo 2 is going to be the biggest Xbox game this year. Maybe the biggest game, period. The fan base that has emerged around Bungie's original trendsetting Xbox shooter is nothing short of staggering in its size and its fanatical devotion, and now that fan base is beginning to slaver like a hound before the feast of a stack of hams at Halo 2's imminent November release. Anticipation for the game is so strong that even a peripherally related, Web-based marketing campaign recently whipped legions of fans into a frenzy without ever mentioning the game's name.

Even now, just two months before Halo 2's release, Microsoft and Bungie have remained viciously protective of the game's vaunted single-player campaign. Not so with the online mode, however. The secretive developer invited us right into its own offices recently for an afternoon session with the same multiplayer beta version that 7,000 lucky Microsoft employees have been pounding on for weeks. After a few hours of battling it out across five maps with new weapons, vehicles, and game modes, we must say that Bungie seems to be going well above and beyond expectations with Halo 2's robust multiplayer offering. And we haven't come close to seeing all of that offering just yet.

But then, what we have seen is just as substantial as some other games' entire online modes right out of the box. Online functionality is still new to this hardware generation, and Bungie's baby may very well redefine what it's like to play console games over the Internet. The multiplayer interface is being designed from the ground up to be as streamlined as possible, offering extensive options for finding allies, finding games, tracking your performance, and generally being as customizable as possible. We've rarely seen this degree of options in the setup portion of a multiplayer game before, and this thing isn't even finished yet.

Once you get past all these menus, you'll find there's quite a bit of game in Halo 2's multiplayer mode (as if you expected anything less). We got our first hands-on look back at E3, and we've since formed a more complete picture of the game's online component now that we've tried a number of new maps, interesting new weapons, and new multiplayer game types. Bungie seems to be doing quite a respectable job of maintaining the unique identity and feel of Halo while adding a whole bunch of new content to the mix.

Bungie wisely knows that while the original Halo's intense single-player campaign drew in millions of players, it's the multiplayer features that have kept those same players dragging televisions to each other's houses for all-night slayer sessions in the three years since the game's release. So to say the developer is paying extra special attention to Halo 2's Xbox Live implementation would be a terrific understatement. In fact, irrespective of the actual guns you'll be shooting and the maps you'll be shooting them on, the initial multiplayer setup--everything from the character creation to the friends list to the game-finding interface--was extremely simple and among the most elegant we've seen in an online-enabled console game.

Once you've created a profile, defining your online warrior is a simple process. You'll start by choosing to play as either a Spartan--you know, like Master Chief--or one of those wily Covenant Elites, and you'll get to define your choice of costume colors and insignia at this point as well. Amusingly, your choice of model has nothing to do with which team you end up on, so you'll often see a team composed of both Spartans and Elites charging into battle alongside each other. While this may look a little odd, the action is so frantic you won't have much time to care what your enemies look like, you'll only see what color they are.

In any case, after you've specified the look of your character and set up your controls, you'll get to search for a match to join. Online matches in Halo 2 will fall into two basic categories: official, ranked games that come as is with predefined map selections and settings, and custom games in which you can define all the relevant parameters, such as weapon availability, number of players, and so on. Of course, there will be something like a zillion possible combinations of these settings, so if you want to play on one particular map using only energy swords and grenades all the time, you can.

In fact, Bungie has devised an elaborate stat-tracking scheme that will keep tabs on just about every aspect of your performance in online games. Furthermore, your performance will contribute to a transparent experience level that you'll accumulate as you play, and you'll visibly gain levels over time that correspond to how well you play. We actually managed to hit level two on the afternoon we played the game, though we imagine higher skill levels will take much more time (and skill) to reach.

The purpose of your experience level? To match you with players of similar ability, of course. The experience system will be weighted such that the greater the differential between your level and that of your opponents, the more experience you'll gain if you win. Conversely, when you defeat players of lesser skill, you won't gain much experience at all. If you're a real stat hound, you'll be able to check out all your own performance numbers, as well as the profiles of other players, on bungie.net.

This leveling system has one catch: Only official games will contribute to your statistics and your experience level. Before you cry foul, realize that this limitation is in place to keep less-than-scrupulous players from artificially jacking up their level by exploiting certain game types or settings. Though the standard ranked games will be more or less random--that is, you'll have to prove your mettle on all combinations of maps, game types, and so on--Bungie will be able to run specific game-type tournaments with associated leaderboards. An amusingly titled "One Versus One Weekend Spectacular" was mentioned as a possibility so that players will be able to compete in these mini-tournaments and then (hopefully) see their names up in lights for that particular series of games--assuming, of course, they do well enough.

This online stuff is all well and good, but how can Halo 2 possibly re-create the personal experience of playing in a living room with other people? You might be surprised. Find out about that next.

Regardless of whether you're playing an official match or a custom game, you'll have to find possible matches through the game's search feature, which lets you set up preferences and then looks for games matching those settings. In other words, there will be no lengthy, cluttered list of servers to scroll through; you won't be able to see a comprehensive summary of all the games running at a given time. Bungie views this as an antiquated and clumsy feature that doesn't serve the user very well, so the team has replaced the server list with a playlist feature that essentially lets you define a set of possible, preferred game types. The game will then do its best to match up one of the games you've specified in your playlist, so you'll have at least some measure of control over the types of matches you'll be playing. And finally, during the matching process the game will take into account the speed and stability of your connection to the host and peers of a given game so that you get the smoothest possible gameplay online.

Not surprisingly, Halo 2 will have full support for Xbox Live 3.0 functionality, which includes advanced messaging and clan support. But Bungie is going well beyond the basic features by implementing a robust friends list and party system that will make it marvelously easy to locate and play with other players that you know. Even better, it'll be equally easy to make new acquaintances as you play and quickly form a group of people that you want to play with--or against--all the time.

For starters, you'll have a basic friends list that you can pull up at any time between games. This list will show you which friends are online and what they're doing, and you'll be able to send them text or even voice messages asking them to play a game with you (or telling them to get bent, if necessary). The game will similarly maintain a list of gamers you've recently played against in random matches, so if you decide you want to keep tabs on that guy who just owned you so handily with the sniper rifle, you'll be able to access the list of recent opponents and get in touch with him. From the demonstration we saw, all of these actions can easily be accomplished effectively at the touch of a button.

The friends list is nice enough on its own, but an even more compelling matchmaking feature is Halo 2's innovative party system, which Bungie says is aimed at re-creating the experience of playing Halo with other people sitting on the same couch. It works like this: You'll be able to invite players on your friends list, or those who you've recently played against, to join your party, and this party can then access games as a single unit. The purpose of this party is to keep friends playing together across multiple games, so you won't have to worry about having one friend attempting to join your game and ending up in another, or other such confusing situations.

Just because you've got your little online clique set up doesn't mean that you'll have to shut out all other players. You'll even be able to merge your party with another party if you want to form an unstoppable gang for large-scale team games or a massive slayer match. Bungie demonstrated these party features to us once, and after that we didn't have much problem setting up our own parties for ourselves. Forming a party is entirely menu-driven and easy to figure out, so we expect this is a feature that hardcore Halo 2 players will use extensively to maintain the integrity of their online games.

Now that you've got your party set up, you're searching for a game, and you're ready to get your kill on. So how does Halo 2 actually play? Keep reading to find out.

Red Versus Blue

Depending on your expectations, it may come as a shock to you (or not) that Halo 2 plays a lot like, well, Halo. At least where the multiplayer is concerned, that is; we sure can't comment on the single-player campaign just yet. Anyway, the multiplayer beta gave us access to three basic modes: slayer, capture the flag, and assault--the first two of which will be quite familiar to Halo vets. Slayer is, of course, the basic deathmatch mode, and it also comes in a team-based flavor that hasn't lost any of its frantic thrill. Capture the flag is also an old standby, and it can be played in one- or two-flag variations, depending on preference and map
As a new gameplay mode, assault was the biggest surprise for us. This mode essentially works like a reverse capture the flag: The team on offense begins with a bomb that it must deliver into the enemy's base and then protect for a certain number of seconds before scoring a point. Once the bomb is planted, the defending team can run up to and defuse it, provided they get there with enough time to spare--which usually requires them to blast their way through all the people that are defending the bomb. Assault is a little like the demolition mode in Counter-Strike, though it felt decidedly like Halo to us. This certainly isn't the end of the new multiplayer modes that are in store; Bungie just wasn't ready to tell us about the others yet.

Once you're in a game, Halo 2 feels just like Halo, which is certainly good news for anyone who liked the feel of the gameplay in the original (we think there are a few of you out there). One of the biggest additions is the ability to wield two weapons at once. We've seen this feature in demonstrations before, but perhaps didn't appreciate its true import until we used it in the multiplayer beta. All smaller weapons--that is, pistols, submachine guns, and so on--can be dual-wielded together, with the left trigger controlling your second weapon so that you have to use both triggers to fire both weapons at once. The effect of ripping into another player with two magnums (the new pistol) or a submachine gun and a plasma rifle is downright devastating.

Speaking of weapons, it just wouldn't be Halo without a mess of new guns to slaughter your enemies with, and Halo 2 delivers impressively in this department. Plenty of the old guns are back, or at least, new guns that are very similar to the old ones. The Spartans have a new pistol, the magnum, which doesn't have a zoom mode like the pistol in the first Halo did. Bungie wants the magnum to be a support weapon as it was intended, not the superweapon that skilled Halo players have turned the original pistol into. The standard submachine gun is similar in functionality, if not appearance, to the assault rifle from the first game. Finally, the shotgun, sniper rifle, and rocket launcher have made their triumphant return, more or less unchanged (Bungie is understandably of the "don't fix what ain't broke" school of thought). One new Spartan weapon is the battle rifle, which is a no-frills heavy gun that can't be dual-wielded, but it has a zoom feature and packs a big punch with its burst fire mode.

On the Covenant side, we got to play with several new additions to the standard lineup of the plasma pistol, rifle, and needler. Our favorite was the brute shot, which was a giant sort of grenade launcher that fired a bouncy projectile. This explosive would deflect off of one surface and then explode on the next one it touched, whether that was another wall or another player. Naturally, the brute shot is excellent for taking out opponents that lurk around corners or like to hide in hard-to-reach places. The Covenant baddies have also been granted a sniper rifle of their own in Halo 2 with the beam rifle, which has two levels of zoom and fires a high-powered energy projectile. Unlike the Spartan sniper rifle, the beam rifle draws from a large store of energy and doesn't have to be reloaded every four shots, but it's just as prone to overheating as the other Covenant energy weapons. Finally, there's the menacing Covenant carbine, which has a zoom level that actually limits its rate of fire--but is lethal nonetheless.

And then, of course, there's the Elite energy sword that the Covenant has used to make Master Chief's cybernetic life difficult. In Halo 2 multiplayer, you can wield this thing for yourself, and oh, what a deadly sword it is. You might think it dangerous to limit yourself to a melee weapon while other players are running around with sniper rifles and rocket launchers, but then, the energy sword is basically a one-hit-kill weapon. Even better, when you're close enough to an opponent, you can hold the targeting reticle on him for a moment until it turns red to establish a lock, then attack with an auto-targeted lunge that essentially guarantees your kill. We can attest that some of our longest unbroken kill streaks were accomplished using this baby, and it's sure to be a favorite when the game is released.

It's worth mentioning that any of these weapons can be used by any player, no matter whether you're playing as a Spartan or an Elite. Any player can also access Halo 2's vehicles--or even steal other players' rides right out from under them. Continue to the next page to find out more.

While Halo 2's arsenal of weapons provides a respectable number of ways to kill your opponents, Bungie is also including the expected assortment of vehicles to aid you in stamping out the opposition. Naturally, we didn't get to see every vehicle in the game during our time with the beta, but we were able to try out enough of them to know that they're good stuff. As per Bungie's approach to the game's weapons, all of the vehicles (even those from the first game) are being carefully tuned to offer the best possible fighting potential.

The warthog was a staple in the original game, and in Halo 2 it will come in several different flavors, each with distinguishing characteristics that will revolve around the weapon complements carried on board. The warthog's onboard weapons can run the gamut from standard machine guns to decidedly more powerful fare. This time around, the all-terrain vehicle will feature an E (or emergency) brake, useful for quick maneuvering, and a horn, useful for annoying your opponents.

The ghost (you know, that deadly Covenant hovercraft from the original game) is back with a cosmetic redesign and some tweaks to its abilities. You'll now be able to perform quick speed boosts, which are deadly against the unlucky foes running on the ground. And if your ramming doesn't do the job, then you'll be able make use of the twin blasters that come standard on the craft.

The banshee is another returning vehicle that will be playable for the first time on the Xbox in Halo 2. Although PC owners had the pleasure of piloting the finicky craft in the PC port of the first game, Xbox owners will soon get to discover its appeal and challenging nature firsthand. As with the ghosts, you'll be able to perform boosts that can come in handy when directed properly. In addition, you'll be able to do barrel rolls and loop-de-loops, not to mention fire off a power plasma mortar, which makes for some exciting bombing run-style discharges.

The vehicles will also reflect the symmetrical relationship between the Spartans and the Covenant, with the addition of such powerhouses as the wraith tank. This massive vehicle is the Convenant's equivalent of the Spartan scorpion and it features a powerful array of weapons. The most challenging weapon in the wraith's arsenal is the powerful mortar blast it fires in an arc. Deadly to players on foot and immensely dangerous to anyone in lesser vehicles, wraiths appear to be a pretty kick-ass counterbalance to the scorpion.

One catch to this array of vehicles is a new set of weaknesses. While riding any of the above craft would appear to offer a clear tactical advantage (and generally, it does), none of these things are invincible. Sharpshooters will be able to strike the fuel cells on many craft and bring your maniacal dreams of victory crashing down to earth. To add insult to injury, you'll have to watch out for crash landings as well, since the vehicles can explode in a truly fantastic fashion and take you with them if you aren't careful

A new, modern equalizer in Halo 2's vehicular combat is the ability to hijack yourself a pair of wheels, which we've seen in previously released trailers and demos. Although the hijacking system is still a work in progress, it handles quite well already, allowing you to snag just about any vehicle in the game through proper timing. We've seen, in previous footage, how you'll be able to knock a player off of a ghost, for instance, and hop on to it yourself. However, we were surprised and delighted to see this mechanic applied to such larger vehicles as the scorpion. In this instance, you'll be able to jump on top of the tank's turret and pound on the driver until he gets out to fight you, or until he dies.

With all these new modes of transportation, you'll need plenty of big maps to move around on. Guess what, pal--Halo 2's got you covered there. Continue on for a comprehensive look at the five maps included in the multiplayer beta

Until our time with the multiplayer beta, we'd gotten a look at just one of Halo 2's maps, Zanzibar, at this year's E3. Our visit to Bungie revealed four more levels that varied widely in terms of design, flow, and visual presentation, so don't expect a bunch of Blood Gulch rehashes when you sign onto Xbox Live on November 9. The team wouldn't commit to a final number of maps, but did say that these five represent only a fairly small portion of what will be included in the game that will be shipped. Even better, new maps will be posted as content downloads after the game's release, though we weren't given details on pricing or availability just yet.

In Ivory Tower, one of the most balanced maps we played, you'll find an expansive courtyard-like area at the center that's surrounded by multiple levels accessible by stairs and powered lifts. With the default weapons configuration enabled for this map, both the rocket launcher and the Elite energy sword are available in this courtyard, so the action tends to get extremely hectic as everyone vies for these powerful weapons. Plenty of less powerful arms are scattered throughout the outer halls, and the ledges that look down on the central area provide a great location from where players can use their weapons on hapless foes in the courtyard.

From our experience, Ivory Tower worked well for team-based competitive games, though it felt most suitable as an arena for free-for-all slayer matches, since it's essentially symmetrical and only has a few choke points for teams to fortify and defend. We expect players will identify their favorite map-and-mode combinations quickly after Halo 2 hits stores.

Waterworks is easily the largest of the maps in the multiplayer beta, and thus, it's the one best suited for large-scale vehicle combat. This level features two dissimilar fortresses that are set into opposite ends of a massive cavern and are connected by a primary walkway that dips down over a bottomless pit. Perhaps "walkway" is an understatement, though, because we saw a huge scorpion being driven over this connector more than once. Thankfully, we got to see a demonstration of a new vehicle-stealing mechanic when a teammate leaped onto the scorpion's turret and began to bludgeon the driver until he fled the vehicle. Both the ghost and banshee are also available here. The cavern's high ceilings seemed to make aerial attacks quite effective.

The two bases in Waterworks feed into networks of tunnels cut into the rock that are full of weapons and ammo. Furthermore, teleporters can whisk you between the upper and lower levels, which bolsters your defensive options when the opposing team is bringing a coordinated attack.

Lockout is composed primarily of walkways and small platforms suspended over a bottomless pit. There is, in fact, no solid ground whatsoever, so make one misstep and it's curtains for you. The action on Lockout tends to center around one relatively wide platform that gives you fairly sure footing. Several walkways extend from this platform and lead to small towerlike structures and other enclosed areas above and below. Many of the platforms in this map aren't connected by walkways at all, forcing you to jump from one level to the other. Leaving yourself exposed in midair is really not the best idea, as you might imagine.

We played one extremely frenzied energy swords-only match on Lockout that proved just how tense the action can be when the threat of stumbling to your death is ever present.

Midship is especially interesting for a variety of reasons. For one, it was here that we got to try out two of Halo 2's unique new weapons: the grenade launcher-like brute shot and the Covenant's sniper rifle equivalent, the beam rifle. This map also demonstrates how the maps will be able to integrate objects with physics properties. There's a platform in the middle area that actually tilts under your weight, making it more difficult to jump up to a weapon-laden platform overhead. Finally, Midship is cool simply because it's set inside a Covenant ship with the prevailingly purple-alien-technology motif those off-world bastards are known for.

This map contains a lot of winding hallways and wall-inset platforms wrapped around a relatively open, multitiered central area. Much like Ivory Tower, Midship is generally symmetrical and felt most appropriate to us as a setting for intense slayer matches in a team or a free-for-all format.

Zanzibar

Originally playable at E3, Zanzibar is the one map in the beta that felt like old hat to us. We've learned that Halo 2 will feature a number of asymmetrical multiplayer maps--that is, maps that don't have identical terrain on each end. This kind of map is well suited to game types in which one team defends a fortified position from the attack of the invading opposing force, such as single-flag capture the flag.

Zanzibar starts off with the attacking team on a beach, where they are forced to squeeze through a relatively small doorway into a massive courtyard area equipped with turrets, sniper rifles, and devious machinery. In a capture-the-flag match, the flag appears inside a small enclosure that's easily defendable, so grabbing and returning the flag in Zanzibar requires extreme effort and team coordination.

Is it possible we could have even more to say about the Halo 2 multiplayer beta and the state of the game in general? You bet. Keep reading for more.

Much has been made of Bungie's improvements to Halo 2's graphics, which represent a marked improvement over every aspect of those found in its predecessor. Naturally, we spent some of our precious time with the game scrutinizing every aspect that we could. Generally speaking, Bungie is coaxing an impressive amount of performance out of the Xbox with a higher level of detail and polygon-rich models and environments. The crisp detail on the Spartans and Elites will most certainly catch even the most discriminating gamer's eye. Everything from the subtle reflective sheen off of the Spartan armor to the flashy weapons' fire and explosions is well done and quite pleasing to the eye. The same holds true for the detail in the environments.



As you'd expect, there are some serious graphical improvements at work over the original game.
In some respects, Zanzibar remains the most showy of the environments we've seen, with its various interactive elements, such as the machinery in the interior of the complex, providing a good amount of things for devious players to do. The other maps have plenty to be proud of, too, thanks to a rich lighting system and imaginative level design. However, upon further scrutiny, you'll find there's even more going on underneath the hood of Halo 2. The implementation of a more robust physics engine has resulted in satisfying rag-doll death animations and truly awesome vehicle carnage, as the various craft take damage and explode with spectacular results. The downside to the new physics system is that you'll have to be much more conscious of your surroundings. Nothing will kill your sense of accomplishment at downing an opponent worse than being struck down by debris from the sky or the explosion from their wrecked vehicle. We were also pleased to see some more subtle uses of the physics, such as movable objects that tripped us up in some maps.

With all the graphical improvements and the added burden of network latency, Halo 2 still managed to cruise along at a respectable frame rate and with smooth gameplay. The work-in-progress nature of the beta lends itself to all manner of visual quirks as the game heads toward release, however, the game purred along smoothly for the majority of the time. There were hiccups in a few spots, but nothing that affected gameplay significantly. Despite the rumors and talk of the next Xbox on the horizon, Halo 2 makes an impressive case for the argument that there's still quite a bit of life left in the old Xbox.

The audio in Halo 2 was still coming together and obviously revolved around the combat in the levels. The bulk of the game's audio centered on the combat experience, with the various weapons' fire being piped through with painful clarity as all hell breaks loose. Each of the weapons had its own unique effects, of course, with our current favorites being the powerful boom of the shotgun and the electric thrum of the Covenant weaponry. Given the game's support for Dolby 5.1 and the impressive sound we've already heard, we don't doubt Halo 2 will offer some good business to those with tricked-out sound systems. On a related audio note, we were able to try out the upcoming Plantronics headset that's set to hit when the game ships, and, aside from the fact that we looked like a Time-Life operator on a killing spree, we were quite impressed with how comfortable it felt--light years better than the current Xbox Live headset, in fact.



Can you wait two more months before Halo 2's release? Unfortunately, you'll have to.
Based on our all-too-brief time with the online multiplayer game, we have to say Halo 2 appears to be poised on the fabled "practically guaranteed not to suck" path that few games find themselves on. Bungie's commitment to offering the best multiplayer experience and the time that has been devoted to making that happen, are paying off in spades in Halo 2. Improved visuals, a robust and innovative matching system, a ranking system, and polished gameplay all add up to offer an experience that will likely be the pinnacle of the first-person shooting genre on the Xbox, if not all consoles. If you consider that the game's multiplayer mode feels so right, even in its work-in-progress state, and if you consider how impressive the original game's single-player mode was, it's not too big of a stretch to say that Halo 2 will likely live up to the hype and be the game to buy this fall. Halo 2 is currently slated to ship this November for the Xbox. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks.


September 02, 2004 - Editor's Note: The build of Halo 2 shown at Game Stars Live, an event aimed at consumers and not media, is of the E3 build. The E3 build was designed specifically for Capture the Flag so many of the issues in this article have been addressed. As you will read in an upcoming article on IGN.com, Slayer and other modes of Halo 2 are greatly improved over what our beloved Mr. Mustang Sallee played. So chill out. Yes, these impressions are valid for the build played, but it is an old build, one not meant for Slayer Mode. We promise, Halo 2 will rock your socks off. We'd tell you more, but then Master Chief would have us killed.

We already brought you new details on Halo 2 after playing the team slayer demo at this year's Game Stars Live event in London. Having queued up a couple more times to play the game, I've come away with more reason to love Halo 2, along with a few reasons why Bungie's baby's not quite yet perfect.
Easily my largest complaint about the Game Stars Live Halo 2 experience isn't exactly the fault of Halo 2, but is an inherent problem when playing games with unfamiliar people; other people are idiots, and playing Halo 2 with random folks doesn't quite stack up to a good round of slayer with friends. And while it'd be unfair to knock Halo 2 for this unfortunate truth of gaming, the version of the game playable at the show had a few flaws that exacerbated the pangs of team slayer with strangers.

The most glaring problems are fortunately ones that will, without a doubt, be repaired well before the game releases this November. Presently, Halo 2 has some trouble with marking teammates as enemies—the slight auto-aim of weapons tracks after friendlies instead of foes, and the motion tracking radar displays buddies as red dots, the mark of an enemy in the first Halo. These hitches lead to much accidental team killing while playing at Game Stars Live, but, to reiterate, these problems are so obvious that there is zero chance of them showing up in the final build of the game.

Another noticeable detractor to the Halo 2 slayer experience is one that was (to a lesser degree) also a problem in the first Halo. Generating fair spawn points has always been a challenge for Halo in slayer modes, and this early build of Halo 2 shows that Bungie hasn't yet developed a sound fix. Spawning alone in the heart of an enemy squad isn't the best of situations, and unfortunately was quite common in the Game Stars Live Halo 2 playing. The situation surely won't be as bad as it is now once the game releases, though it remains a valid point of concern for Halo 2 since unfair spawning is the biggest problem of the original Halo.

As we draw nearer to Halo 2's November release date, everyone in the office is anxiously anticipating the game. In spite of these problems explained, the game is already a blast to play, and as Bungie inevitably irons out these kinks Halo 2 will get closer and closer to perfection.

Dead or Alive Ultimate
Tecmo's Tomonobu Itagaki is never at a loss for words. He's one of the most quotable developers from Japan and isn't afraid to voice his opinion on the competition -- a rarity among Japanese developers. Thankfully for him (and perhaps a bit unfortunate for the competition), Itagaki's bravado is exceeded by his talents. After heading up the Dead or Alive franchise and most recently, delivering the incredible Ninja Gaiden for Xbox, he's gearing up to release Dead or Alive Ultimate. Here are some of his thoughts on the game.

On DOA Ultimate's levels:

"I did not reuse anything from the previous games. Of course I kept some familiar stages from the previous version, but I totally built them again from scratch. The new stages are obviously completely new. It takes the team about six months to create a new stage. Whether it's a brand new stage or a recreation of a familiar stage, they both take six months. The reason it takes so long to recreate the old stages is that I really want to maintain the tradition, look, and feel of the original." On the new interactive moves:

"In DOA Ultimate, there are a lot more element-of-surprise moves, visually I mean, like when Tina throws Leon into the elephant. This is one of the reasons I have so much fun making games -- by surprising and delivering enjoyment to the player."

On why he chose to redo DOA:

"A couple of days ago I had a conversation with the president of Sega. We talked about the fact that we can bring new games, new ideas, and new concepts to the market, but as a developer it's really important to maintain the tradition, maintain what we already have, and brush up on it. There aren't many ideas or concepts that we don't already have."

On DOA Ultimate's online play:

"Our online technology is pretty advanced and I really believe that DOA Ultimate will have the best graphics out of all the online games out there. I doubt that anyone else can surpass this quality. Latency will be no problem. We've been working on this for four years."

On frame rate rumors:


"I think there's a rumor out there that the online frame rate is down to 30 frames per second. That's not true. It is 60. If any DOA game ever runs at 30 frames per second, it'll be a shame. At that time I will leave the company…if that ever happens."

On DOA 4:

"As you know, the main character of DOA and DOA 2 is Kasumi, and the main character of DOA 3 is Ayane. The main character of DOA 4 will be someone else -- of course from the characters we already know."


Comments (4) | Permalink

Monday, September 20, 2004

Kino's Journey Movie Announced
Mediaworks has announced the development of a theatrical anime film based on Keiichi Sigsawa's popular series of Kino no Tabi novels. The movie will tentatively see mainstream Japanese theatrical release next year
Comments (0) | Permalink

Nobuo Masuda at Gundam Screening
Cypress, CA (September 17, 2004) – Bandai Entertainment unveiled several screening dates for the upcoming limited theatrical engagement of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Gundam F91. The film will begin its run in theaters on October 1 in New York with a screening at the Festival of Anime to follow soon after on October 10th.

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 was originally released theatrically in Japan in 1991 where it helped to re-launch the Gundam franchise as a separate feature without ties to the original Gundam series characters or story continuity. The theatrical feature will be presented in its original Japanese language with English subtitles. Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, key creative members from previous Gundam projects have also lent a hand in the theatrical creative production including Kunio Okawara for mecha designs and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko for character designs.

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 which premiered at the Otakon convention over the Summer was well-received with well over a thousand estimated convention goers present for the screening. “The Gundam franchise is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in Japan and along with a new Gundam series [Gundam SEED] on TV, the highly anticipated Zeta Gundam release on DVD, and now the theatrical/DVD release of Gundam F91 here in North America, this is definitely turning out to be a great year for old and new Gundam fans alike,” said Jerry Chu, Marketing Manager, Bandai Entertainment.

Directed by legendary director Yoshiyuki Tomino (Mobile Suit Gundam, Overman King Gainer) – Mobile Suit Gundam F91 takes place many years after the devastating One Year War. The Earth Federation has begun constructing new space colonies to replace the former Side 4 cluster. This new Frontier Side now consists of four colonies, among them the Frontier IV colony where young Seabook Arno lives with his father and his sister Reese. Their peaceful lives are disrupted when the colony is attacked by the Crossbone Vanguard, an elite fighting force seeking to reestablish the aristocratic ideals of the Ronah family. Fleeing from the attacks, Seabrook is forced to pilot the F91 Gundam in defense of the Space Ark training facility in a journey to escape a new and destructive war.

The New York theatrical screening of Mobile Suit Gundam F91 will take place at ‘The Imaginasian’ theater located within midtown Manhattan at 239 East 59th Street and begin on October 1st. Please visit www.theimaginasian.com for more information.

The San Francisco theatrical screening will be presented at the LOWES theater at the Metreon located at 101 Fourth in downtown San Francisco on October 10th during the Metreon Festival of Anime. Gundam F91 Producer Nobuo Masuda and well-known Gundam enthusiast Mark Simmons will be on hand for a panel discussion on the film and its production prior to the screening. Passes to Metreon Festival of Anime are $15 and are available at www.acteva.com/go/metreon

Please visit www.gundamofficial.com or www.bandai-ent.com as future screening dates and locations are announced.


Bandai Entertainment Inc. is the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD home video in North America. The company has distributed notable titles like Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Seed, Witch Hunter Robin, and Wolf’s Rain. Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Bandai America Inc., who makes the toys for the hit television series, Power Rangers, Digimon, and Mobile Suit Gundam. All U.S. operations are headquartered in a large, ultra-modern facility in Cypress, Calif. Bandai Co., Ltd is the third largest toy company in the world comprising 53 subsidiaries in 18 countries. In addition to toys and children's entertainment, Bandai Co.'s global interests include video game software, multimedia, music and full-length feature films, vending machines, trading cards, candies, and licensed apparel. Bandai Entertainment is headquartered in Cypress, California and additional company and product information is available through our website at www.bandai-ent.com.

Comments (0) | Permalink

ANN and Protoculture Addicts Join Forces
anounced on 2004-09-18 15:15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Immediate Release

ANN and Protoculture Addicts Join Forces



First Issue of ANN Protoculture Addicts on Sale in January



Montreal, September 18, 2004 — At Nan Desu Kan today, ANN announced that it has partnered with North America’s oldest anime magazine, Protoculture Addicts, to produce “ANN'sProtoculture Addicts.”



“ANN has always wanted to publish a print companion to the website, and rather than start with a blank slate, we felt that it would be better to partner with an existing magazine,” said Christopher Macdonald, editor-in-chief of Anime News Network. “Protoculture Addicts is the perfect choice for us. It is more in tune with our mentality of putting information first, than any other magazine in the industry.”



“Protoculture Addicts has been around for 17 years, for many of us it was the first anime magazine we ever bought. Because it’s independent readers have always been able to trust Protoculture Addicts to be an unbiased source of information. What’s more, it’s a magazine that adult anime fans can look to without feeling like they’re reading something written for twelve-year-olds.”



“This is an excellent opportunity for us,” said Claude J. Pelletier, editor-in-chief of Protoculture Addicts. “It’s a big honor to be associated with one of the greatest anime resources on the Internet. This will provide the magazine the bigger staff that it was lacking in order to develop itself further. With a stronger production team and new ideas, I really believe that there is no limit to what Protoculture Addicts will be able to achieve. Not only will the magazine be able to become an even better guide to anime culture, but it will also allow us to realize many other publication projects that we never had time to work on before.”



The first issue of Anime News Network’s Protoculture Addicts and the 82nd issue of Protoculture Addicts will be on sale in January (Solicitation in the November issue of Previews). This issue will introduce readers to several new anime series (Avenger, Cinderella Boy, Otogi Zoushi, RE: Cutie Honey, Samurai 7, Scrapped Princess, Stellvia and more!) and will offer plenty of conventions & festival reports, reviews of all sorts of anime-related products, as well as the latest news!





ABOUT PROTOCULTURE: Protoculture is the publisher of Protoculture Addicts as well as anime resource guides like Anime: A Guide To Japanese Animation. First Published in 1988, Protoculture Addicts is North America’s oldest anime magazine. With seventeen years of experience, Protoculture Addict’s staff really knows anime. An independent magazine dedicated to keeping fans informed about what is going on in the anime industry (both in Japan and North America) and to help fans choose the best titles to buy. Each issue introduces several anime (with overviews, character & mechanical files, episode guides, etc.), anime-related products (DVDs, manga, CDs, models kits, toys, etc.), events (festivals, conventions, etc.) and elements of Japanese culture (live-action movies, books, music, etc.). It covers all styles and genres of anime and caters to the interests of both beginners & otaku. Protoculture Addicts offers more useful information than any other anime magazines. It is your best guide to anime culture! Bimonthly, 72 pages (8 in color), $4.95.



ABOUT ANIME NEWS NETWORK: Founded in 1998, Anime News Network was one of the first English language anime news websites, and remains, after six years, “the Internet’s most trusted anime news source.” ANN provides North American readers with up to date news, views and reviews regarding the North American and Japanese anime and manga industries. In 2002, ANN launched its encyclopedia, the most comprehensive compendium of anime and manga titles, releases, and people available online or in print. According to Alexa, Anime News Network is the fourth most popular anime related website on the Internet today, and the most popular website in the “Anime / News and Media” category.
Comments (0) | Permalink