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Archive for March 2009
At GDC 2009, publishers and developers are anxious to discuss with you all the new games and gadgets they have in the works, but also the methods in which they wish to limit your access to their games and gadgets. Digital rights management (DRM) is a hot topic these days, especially for us bedraggled and well-worn PC gamers. Console gamers mostly don’t have to deal with any of the aggravating issues afflicted upon computer gamers–you just get the game (new or used) and throw it in your console. For computer gamers, it gets more complicated, because we’re all filthy pirates. Or hadn’t you heard?
Microsoft, Valve and Stardock, three heavyweights in computer gaming and digital content distribution are all at GDC this year, keen to appease consumer concerns that their systems are not DRM. Call it something else, but it’s not DRM, because DRM is a dirty word. Kind of like how AIG wants to change their name now, because hey, that solves the problem with consumer confidence.
Fresh from GDC via Joystiq comes the best news I could have hoped for (well, maybe second best): Professor Layton and the Curious Village, one of my all-time favorite DS games, is finally getting a sequel in America. Level-5 director Akihiro Hino spilled the beans on Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box, an English language version of a game that has been out in Japan since late 2007. Along with the news that Diabolical Box should be out in North America and Europe within 6 months, Hino said that he hopes to eventually bring all six Layton games (three of which are already out in Japan, with a fourth being released this fall) to English-speaking regions. I hope so too. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go find my practice matchsticks.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata ended yesterday’s GDC keynote with an announcement that sent shockwaves through the internet: a new Zelda DS game will be released this year…and it’s got trains! The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks follows 2007′s Phantom Hourglass as the the hallowed series’ latest cel-shaded entry. This time, though, Link’s trading his trusty boat for a cannon-toting locomotive, traveling from dungeon to dungeon on Hyrule’s surprisingly well-developed railway system. Will the story revolve around Ganon kidnapping Princess Zelda to prevent her from appropriating the funds necessary to improve the kingdom’s public transit infrastructure? Will players need to use the touchscreen to figure out complex rail schedules, including rush hour express trains and holiday specials? Only time will tell.
Seriously, though, I can’t wait. Heck, I’m just glad to see Nintendo try something new with the series. You OMG*LINK*N*TRAINZ*LOLZ party poopers can zip it… or put it in the comments. Everyone else should check out the trailer (courtesy of Joystiq) after the break.
Continue reading I Hear That Train A-Comin’: New Zelda Announced for DS
Erich’s out sick this week, leaving Dave in charge of unruly crew Tim, Adam, and Steve, who join him for some good-natured Wii bashing before spoiling Braid, musing on the possible game-changing OnLive, and launching into an epic roundtable discussion of this week’s Symposium Ad Nauseum topic: Objectively Crappy Games That You Love. Titles discussed include Time Killers, Weaponlord, Shaq-Fu, Two Worlds, and Batman for the Commodore 64. Send any and all comments, complaints, and fanboy ravings to feedback@pixelverdict.com.
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The Charge
Sometimes fighting isn’t enough.
Opening Statement
With Street Fighter mania claiming the PS3 and 360 crowd it was assumed that Capcom wouldn’t be far behind with an iteration of their flagship fighting series for the most popular console in the world. Ask yourself this: are you man enough to fight with Street Fighter Friends?
On the weekend of March 13th, Gold and Platinum members of Club Nintendo were invited out by The Big N for a special sneak preview of the new Nintendo DSi handheld console, which bore some unexpected fruit and new hope for a lot of handheld gaming fans.
Continue reading Downloadable Game Boy/Advance titles coming to DSi?
It still prints money!
According to an article by Kotaku, everyone’s favorite non-hardcore waggle-centric gaming console is set to break another sales record:
Japanese financial news source Nikkei.net predicts that the Nintendo Wii will break 50 million in worldwide sales this month.
The Nintendo Wii went on sale in Japan in December 2006. This latest milestone means that the Wii will have sold faster than the PS2 did during its first three years when Sony achieved 50 million PlayStation 2 consoles shipped.
I’ll be the first to admit that my Wii is covered in gray dust and hasn’t been (ahem) waggled since Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but it’s an impressive figure all the same. It might lack a satisfactory game library and be awash in crappy third party titles, but if the system keeps selling at this rate, Nintendo shan’t complain.
(via Kotaku)