General gaming |
- Yu Suzuki Leaving Sega Job in Favor of Advisory Role
- Brink to Offer its DLC Free for Two Weeks
- The (Original) Star Wars MMO Shutting Down in December
- Sony Fired Network Security Employees Prior to PSN Breach, Lawsuit Claims
- Xbox Live Getting Free-to-Play Games - Report
- PS3 Price Drop to be Announced in August - Report
- PSN Store Remains Down in Japan, Sony Apologizes
- Dial Other M for Murder: Is the Metroid Series Dead?
- Rich Outer Life: The Evolution Samus Aran
- Other Missteps: Sequels That Disappointed Fans
| Yu Suzuki Leaving Sega Job in Favor of Advisory Role Posted: 24 Jun 2011 06:34 PM PDT "I'll be leaving my current job at Sega this September, and after that point I'll remain on as an advisor," he told Gamasutra. Suzuki formed his own studio, YS Net, in 2008 before changing his role at Sega in 2009. He retired from his job as research and development creative officer in favor of working in what was described at the time as a "diminished capacity." It was recently announced that he had taken on a producer role at Premium Agency, a developer that's working on smartphone games and a fighting game for Kinect. "So I've formally been with both companies from 2008 until September 2011," he continued. "With the new company [YS Net], I've been doing pretty much what I personally want to do myself." |
| Brink to Offer its DLC Free for Two Weeks Posted: 24 Jun 2011 05:52 PM PDT The Agents of Change DLC had been planned for release this month but is now expected to be out in early July. For its first two weeks of availability, it'll be completely free on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Steam. Anyone who downloads it during that period will have free access to it forever; after that period, those who want to download it will have to pay. Included in the DLC are two new maps, new player abilities (including napalm grenades and pyro mines), new weapon attachments, and new outfits. |
| The (Original) Star Wars MMO Shutting Down in December Posted: 24 Jun 2011 02:30 PM PDT The long-running MMO first launched in 2003 and has undergone some big changes over the years. It received several expansion packs, but one update in particular, known as 'New Game Enhancements,' ditched the game's profession system and allowed anyone to play the role of a Jedi. It was widely criticized, though it apparently wasn't bad enough to drive all of its players away as the game has continued to operate for more than five-and-a-half years. The upcoming shutdown, taking place on December 15, 2011, will put an end to both the MMO and Trading Card Game, which was an aspect of the game released as a part of an update in 2008. The official site describes it as a "very difficult decision, but SOE and LucasArts have mutually agreed that the end of 2011 is the appropriate time to end the game." |
| Sony Fired Network Security Employees Prior to PSN Breach, Lawsuit Claims Posted: 24 Jun 2011 01:09 PM PDT After the PlayStation Network was attacked in April, Sony was criticized for not informing users more quickly that their personal data had been compromised. There was a gap of at least one week between when the hack occurred and when the public was alerted to the incident. Sony says the delay was because it was unaware of everything that happened as a part of the breach; Congress and various Attorney Generals expressed their displeasure nonetheless. Another criticism was that Sony's security simply wasn't what it should have been to prevent the attack from happening. Whether or not that's the case, this new lawsuit presents some compelling evidence that Sony perhaps didn't do all it could to ensure security was up to snuff. "Sony sought to cut its costs at the expense of its customers by terminating a significant number of employees immediately prior to the security breach, including personnel responsible for maintaining the security of the network," the class action lawsuit reads. |
| Xbox Live Getting Free-to-Play Games - Report Posted: 24 Jun 2011 12:05 PM PDT Develop says multiple sources have indicated Microsoft is talking with developers about bringing F2P titles to its home console. Xbox Live will add a microtransaction service that would allow in-game items to be bought "on the fly." That likely means items could be accessed immediately without having to restart the game, a process that would otherwise severely inhibit such games from catching on. Free-to-play games traditionally rely on microtransactions (and sometimes advertisements) to support themselves. Anyone is able to play the game for free, but players are encouraged (but usually not forced) to make purchases of things like additional levels, cosmetic items, new weapons, etc. |
| PS3 Price Drop to be Announced in August - Report Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:50 AM PDT Trade insiders are expecting a cut that could see the PS3 be priced at 199.99 GBP ($319) in the United Kingdom, according to MCV. That's obviously more than the PS3 currently retails for in the United States, and it's unclear if the price drop would only be for Europe or if the price would be slashed worldwide. The most recent PS3 price cut came alongside the announcement of the PlayStation 3 Slim in August 2009. The cheapest new PS3 is the 160GB model that retails for $299.99 in the U.S. (A limited time Call of Duty: Black Ops bundle is now available for the same price and includes the game and a free map pack.) |
| PSN Store Remains Down in Japan, Sony Apologizes Posted: 24 Jun 2011 10:01 AM PDT After not addressing the situation in recent weeks, Andriasang reports Sony has published a brief note today apologizing for the Store (and Qriocity) downtime. According to the translation, Sony says it needs more time "to make adjustments with the various related parties." It didn't offer up any time frame for when services might be brought back online or what parties it's referring to. It's possible the holdup is connected to what we heard last month, that Japanese authorities were blocking PSN's return in Sony's home territory until specific security measures were shown to have been implemented. Hopefully for those in Japan that will happen soon, though you would think Sony would have offered some indication of that if it is indeed the case. |
| Dial Other M for Murder: Is the Metroid Series Dead? Posted: 24 Jun 2011 09:07 AM PDT
Feature Dial Other M for Murder: Is the Metroid Series Dead?Despite its positive debut, some fans speculate Metroid: Other M has killed the long-running series. But why? When Metroid: Other M was revealed at E3 2009, fans went berserk. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime presented the game with an oblique trailer that slow-burned its way to the revelation that Nintendo was developing a new console-based Metroid game with Tecmo's Team Ninja. Every fan present in LA's Nokia Theatre felt a chill of realization when a man's voice curtly asked, "Any objections, lady?" -- an obvious echo of dialogue from Metroid: Fusion's A.I., Adam. Every fan felt a thrill of excitement when they saw a vividly rendered Samus Aran performing acrobatic stunts to defeat her enemies. Every fan felt a shock of amazement when the trailer's in-game footage hinted at a game combining the 2D exploration of Super Metroid with the first-person shooting of Metroid Prime and the visceral 3D combat of Ninja Gaiden. By the trailer's end, the mood was electric. The day's most enthusiastic cheers filled the air. When Metroid: Other M was released a year later, fans went berserk again. This time, though, that frenzy wasn't the enthusiastic delight of loyal acolytes being rewarded for their vigil; rather, it was the vocal fury of the faithful crying betrayal. Reviews were all over the place. While several publications such as Joystiq and Wired gave it top marks, gushing about the game's modern feel and streamlined action, others (including 1UP) tempered their praise with criticism of Other M's uneven mixed-mode interface and poorly told story. |
| Rich Outer Life: The Evolution Samus Aran Posted: 24 Jun 2011 09:07 AM PDT
Feature Rich Outer Life: A History of Samus Aran's HistoryThe story of Samus before Other M's awful truth For most of her bounty hunting career, Samus Aran hasn't had much to say for herself. She primarily works alone, and there are only so many conversations she can strike up with that little hula Zoomer bobbing away on her dashboard. Maybe that's why manga-ka and comic artists have striven to put words in Samus' mouth and ambition in her Power Suit since her conception in 1986. The results have been interesting and varied, to say the least. We regard today's Samus as a bit of a brooding character who will soliloquize at the drop of a Federation trooper's helmet. But through her career on the NES, when she had the least to say about herself (not even revealing her gender until you had suffered and bled for the privilege), she was arguably at her most talkative. |
| Other Missteps: Sequels That Disappointed Fans Posted: 24 Jun 2011 09:07 AM PDT
Feature Other Missteps: Sequels That Disappointed FansSix other sequels that dropped the ball It's amazing how often a developer seems to have a rock solid grip on what they're doing, then releases a sequel which completely misses the whole point. Here's several more from recent memory. You may expect to see Metal Gear Solid 2 on this list, but that was no accident. Hideo Kojima just thrives on your anguish.
X-Com: ApocalypseDeveloper: Mythos | Publisher: Microprose | Release date: June 30, 1997 |
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