Finally found a [URL=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3168782]Dragon Age Preview[/URL]. At it looks like it’s precisely what I want… a team based, pause played RPG played from a top down perspective. A modern day Baldur’s Gate.

Also found an interview with John Carmack talking about Rage being developed simultaneously for Mac inhouse still, and that they’re beginning to create a new Doom for all platforms (i.e. PC, Mac, PS3 and 360) about now.

Rage sounds pretty awesome, like a cross between Fallout/Jagged Alliance and Death Race 2000, on top of what looks like the prettiest game engine to date. Here’s to hoping they don’t royally screw it up, because I am seriously up for heck of multiplayer post-apocalyptic vehicular rampaging.

Time for a news roundup:

[URL=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/31271/E3-08-80GB-PS3-coming-to-Europe]The new 80GB PS3 coming to Europe in late August[/URL]. And they’d better include a DualShock this time.

The PS3 video download service is ot available in Europe now, won’t be this year and is region locked, so [URL=http://kotaku.com/5026071/ps3-video-service-is-region+locked]faking an US account isn’t even enough.[/URL] No big surprises there though… in other news: iTMS Sweden still only sells pixar shorts in their movie selection.

BioShock for the PS3 [URL=http://kotaku.com/5026089/ps3-bioshock-gets-exclusive-dlc]is getting exclusive DLC[/URL]. Missions outside the main game, since they didn’t want to butcher the story up.

Bungie’s new game (appearently a Halo game) [URL=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/07/halo-bungie-e3.html]got its announcement pushed back to a later date[/URL]. Since their publisher (MS) thought it would be strong enough for a special event.

Miyamoto is [URL=http://kotaku.com/5026096/miyamoto-were-making-pikmin]Working on a new Pikmin game[/URL]. Which is awesome. Even more awesome is the way he announces it. “We continue investigating all types of games,” Miyamoto responded. “When it’s time to announce such a title, I’ll announce it.” Then he did. “We’re making Pikmin.”

Also, some kind of price has to go to Apogee for creating the [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36747.html]longest trailer ever with absolutely no content[/URL].

Video roundup coming later… I’m still browsing through and downloading the new footage.

OK, video time!

Let’s start off with pleasing Greg.

Here’s [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36764.html]Spore[/URL], with some [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36765.html]more[/URL] followed by [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36756.html]yet more Spore[/URL].

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36769.html]Fable 2[/URL] with intense [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36773.html]dog action[/URL] and [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36775.html]a murder spree[/URL].

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36793.html]Silen Hill: Homecoming[/URL] in an extremely low resolution HD shot…

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36799.html]Tom Clancy’s Endwar[/URL], the RTS that’s supposed to be able to be controlled completely by voice commands while in battle. Though this trailer reveals that what they really wanted to do was a Need For Speed with tanks.

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36794.html]More The Force Unleashed Gameplay[/URL]. Since the game is basically done, they’ve flooded the internet with movies now. I chose to only watch at the ones that appears to be from the Tie Fighter factory since it’s apparently one of the first levels…. I’m actually looking too much forward to this game to want to see what else is coming.

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36767.html]Castelvania Judgement for the Wii[/URL]. I like Konami’s definition of this game. It’s not a fighting game, it’s a “3D versus action game”. The difference being mostly that you’re not forced to face the opponent all the time but can turn your back to him as well…

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36693.html]The Bionic Commando Remake[/URL] by the Swedish studio Grin actually looks neat.

And what is a E3 without more [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36707.html]Gears of War 2[/URL] and [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36720.html]Killzone 2 footage[/URL].

Now for the more interesting action:

[URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36750.html]Flock[/URL] looks like it can be [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36751.html]completely bonkers crazy[/URL]. I can’t wait to see more.

And then of course there’s Capcom’s [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36818.html]Age of Booty[/URL] (previously called “Plunder”), that is an instant win both because of the Pirate theme and for getting the word “Booty” into its name. Looks like it can be a great little Arcade/PSN title.

Yay!

Found some [URL=http://e3.g4tv.com/e32008/videos/27090/Face_Time_Dragon_Age.html]Dragon Age Gameplay footage[/URL]! Top down view optional Looks nice though… no news of any kinds of requirements so far… only an early 2009 release date.

Whoa, Flock looks awesome… About the god damn time there’s a game that lets you terrorize farm animals with a UFO. Looks like it could be fun puzzler.

Greg - 17 July 2008 07:18 PM

Whoa, Flock looks awesome… About the god damn time there’s a game that lets you terrorize farm animals with a UFO. Looks like it could be fun puzzler.

Yeah, that and Fat Princess, that I haven’t seen any real gameplay footage of yet is the true GotS candidates.

Frantic and fun, Fat Princess pits two hordes of players against each other in comic medieval battle royale. Your goal is to rescue your beloved princess from the enemy dungeon. There’s a catch though: your adversary has been stuffing her with food to fatten her up and it’s going to take most of your army working together to carry her back across the battlefield.

Also, realized that I never posted a link to the [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36561.html]Resistance 2[/URL] demo. It’s like the gears of war 2 demo, just several floors higher up.

Whaleman - 17 July 2008 02:57 PM

And then of course there’s Capcom’s [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36818.html]Age of Booty[/URL] (previously called “Plunder”), that is an instant win both because of the Pirate theme and for getting the word “Booty” into its name. Looks like it can be a great little Arcade/PSN title.

Did that trailer seriously say “All Yer Booty Arrr Belong to Us” at the end?

Raws - 17 July 2008 08:31 PM

Whaleman - 17 July 2008 02:57 PM

And then of course there’s Capcom’s [URL=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/36818.html]Age of Booty[/URL] (previously called “Plunder”), that is an instant win both because of the Pirate theme and for getting the word “Booty” into its name. Looks like it can be a great little Arcade/PSN title.

Did that trailer seriously say “All Yer Booty Arrr Belong to Us” at the end?

You’re damn right it does!

Ok, now this is interesting news…

EA + LucasArts + BioWare = [URL=http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-tech-observer/2008/07/17/ea-to-play-in-knights-of-the-old-republic]Knights of the Old Republic MMO[/URL]. If done right, it could be the one and only WoW killer out there… if done wrong it’s just another StarWars: Galaxies. The KotOR Universe is much better suited for a MMO than the original trilogy setting though… and I trust BioWare. I just wonder wether this will be a pure PC MMO or if EA will try to mash it onto the consoles as well. Time will tell… but it could get interesting at least.

No Johan, that is not interesting news. All my roommate does is play Warcraft if he’s not at work or at his job or the one night a week he’s at his GF’s. He barely cleans anything in the house as is and has his stupid friend over who crashes on the couch and plays WoW with him. What the world really does not need is pacify people like them….

Better get used to it, Greg. MMOs ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. They are fun, you know (to a certain point, in the case of WoW).

Of course, that doesn’t excuse obsessive slobehavior like your roomate’s. You best slap some sense into that boy, preferably by endlessly freestyle rapping next to him until he stops playing the game in order to shut you up.

Yeah Greg, I think your roommate is just a crappy roommate.  Can’t blame everything on WoW, or you start to sound like Hitler.

It’s just to face it. MMOs and Sims are the future of computer gaming. MMOs since they’re the hardest to pirate and give a long term income to the developer, and Sims like it sells like crazy anyways. So with that aspect it would be interesting to see what a developer of really good RPGs can do with an MMO set in a really interesting universe. And hopefully they’ll create a game where you can reach the max level in less than 360 hours. WoW is crazy like that, and getting even worse for every new expansion. I would absolutely love a StarWars MMO where leveling is just a way to familiarize yourself with your character, and the end game is as much about exploration as WoW’s leveling is.

I’m jaded I know, but the body of people I know who play WoW aren’t the coolest crowd, namely college dropouts types working remedial jobs. One might argue these people are attracted to WoW because of the lack of ambition they have.  I’m not advocating a ban on MMORPGs but I’d like to see more attention put on curbing obsessive behavior that seems to be fairly common. My roommate probably only averages two and half hours to three hours a day, but that’s rain, sleep or shine. He used to be a cooler guy, used to play music (talented vocalist), bike and such but doesn’t anymore.  One of his friends broke out of it and got a GF and is applying for community college because he “escaped” as he put it and the crowd always tries to suck him back in. Its just a game style that is easily more conducive to overplay than anything else out there.  I suppose I should let it go and I probably will once I’m not around it. I just have to live in direct contact with it on a day-to-day basis and its remarkably clear how better my roommate would be if he gave up warcraft.