Archive for the 'Main Content' Category
High Voltage's monster/zombie shooter The Grinder is going multi-platform
High Voltage Software President Kerry Ganofsky and Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger revealed their upcoming monster/zombie shooter, The Grinder, will no longer be a Wii exclusive.
During an interview with IGN today, the company executives confirmed The Grinder would be coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. This announcement comes as a bit of a surprise as High Voltage has previously been a strong Wii supporter, creating such titles as The Conduit and a variety of WiiWare games.
"Bringing our third internal IP to all the current-generation systems allows us to show off what our company can really do and get it into the hands of the most gamers" said Nofsinger.
High Voltage confirmed that PS3, 360, and PC versions will be shown at March's Game Developers Conference.
New details on single-player mode were also revealed:
"We have a large gameplay experience planned which includes a lengthy story mode, planned DLC, and an experience system that promotes replayability. I don't want to give too much away, but we are very excited about the release of Grinder as well as providing future support of the game with regular updates" Ganofsky said.
A new trailer for the game can be viewed below:
The Grinder is set to release Halloween 2011. When asked why such a distant launch date was chosen, they explained by saying:
"With the move to all of the current-generation systems, higher resolution art content needs to be created which takes a bit longer than our previous games."
Ultimately, however, that does not explain why the Wii version could not launch first, giving it exclusivity for a time before the higher resolution artwork for the other versions is ready.
Nintendo's first Japanese M-rated game is about to launch, after 3 years
Producer Hitoshi Yamagami revealed in an Iwata Asks interview that Nintendo's upcoming gory action game, Zangeki no Reginleiv, took over three years to develop.
The game, formerly known as Dynamic Slash or Dynamic Zan, is scheduled for a February 11 release in Japan. However, Zangeki no Reginleiv originally began development between the summer and fall of 2006, prior to the Wii's release in November.
Yamagami also spoke about the debate surrounding just how violent the game would be. Ultimately, the development team justified chopping off limbs because it was of mythological giants, not real people.
Due to the violence in the game, Zangeki no Reginleiv is Nintendo's first CERO D (ESRB M) rated game in Japan. Nintendo is shipping the game in the first Wii black box, with perhaps the best box art ever. The hope is color coded boxes will help parents find appropriate games for their children easily in stores.
Zangeki no Reginleiv will launch in Japan on February 11. No North American, European, or Australian dates have been announced yet.
New controller mimics classic Super Nintendo and Genesis pads
DreamGEAR has released a new, very noteworthy controller. Dubbed the "Arcade Fighter Classic Pad," this Wii controller pays homage to the two main consoles from the 16-bit era: the Super Nintendo and the SEGA Genesis.
DreamGEAR's new controller has a d-pad and six face buttons, similar to the Genesis, with the Classic Controller's ZL/ZR buttons as the shoulder buttons instead of "L" and "R."
The controller plugs into a Wii Remote just like the Classic Controller (except with the cord coming out the top of the controller). There's no telling what the quality of the build is since this controller is coming from a third-party accessory manufacturer.
Regardless, it's good to see another iteration of a classic design. DreamGEAR is offering the controller for $24.99 on their site, but smart folks may run to Best Buy to check it out for only $14.99.
As for me? Even though I'm happy with the Nyko Wing, I'm waiting for the Classic Controller Pro with Monster Hunter Tri.
Previously Project Needlemouse, SEGA is bringing a new classic Sonic to Wii
Today SEGA unveiled a sequel to 1994's Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic and Knuckles, titled Sonic the Hedgehod 4 Episode 1. The game is set to launch this summer on WiiWare for download.
The game, previously codenamed Project Needlemouse, will bring the Sonic franchise back to its 2D roots. This announcement comes as a relief to many fans after SEGA has struggled to have success with 3D Sonic games.
The game's storyline is set after 1994's Sonic & Knuckles, now available for download on Virtual Console. Sonic will be the only playable character in the new game.
As the name suggests, SEGA plans to release future titles in the Sonic series episodically. No word yet on how many episodes SEGA plans to release.
See the first trailer for the game below.
Sega associate brand manager Ken Balough explained to GameSpot why they decided make Sonic a downloadable game:
"In recent years, we've seen a huge surge of classic game properties making a return in this arena. [Downloadable] games offer players a chance to play terrific games without breaking the bank. It's also a promise to Sonic fans. We're going to deliver a Genesis-era Sonic game as if it were created today that goes to the core of what classic Sonic fans desire. This means [the fan] gets to judge us on our work each step of the way, and we plan on delivering that goal in a big way."
Balough also explained what their goals in terms of graphics for Sonic 4 were:
"One of our goals was to make a gorgeous-looking 2D Sonic game. This approach allows fans new and old to see what a 2D Genesis-style game would look like today with modern graphics. "
Balough did confirm the Wii version of Sonic 4 will "be able to use motion control" and run at 480p resolution.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 is set to release on WiiWare this summer.
THQ says de Blob 2 coming to Wii in 2011
During an investors conference call yesterday, THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell announced that a de Blob 2 sequel will be coming to Wii in fiscal 2011.
"Our de Blob franchise will be back again in fiscal 2011," stated Farrell. "We successfully launched this highly-rated franchise in fiscal 2009 to broad, critical acclaim."
Initially developed by a small group of college students, de Blob puts players in control of a ball of color with the mission to jump around and repaint a barren city.
The evil INKT Corporation has been removing color from the world, spreading lies that color is dangerous in order to secretly mine color and sell it overseas. Left with a monochrome city of gray buildings, players take on the role of a hero referred to as "The Blob," which is literally a transparent blob with ears that grows a face and arms when stationary.
THQ's unique action puzzler took home five awards at the annual Games Developers' Association of Australia (GDAA) Awards in 2008. It received "Best Console Title", "Best Gameplay", "Best Graphics" and Best Audio" along with the coveted "Best Game" award.
For more info, check out The Wiire's de Blob Impressions.