In an [url=http://news.spong.com/article/11950?cb=777]interview[/url] last Friday, SNK President Ben Herman revealed that Nintendo may actually be responsible for the lack of third-party online games, saying specifically, “Nintendo is still not letting Wii third-party publishers include online capabilities in their games and it doesn’t look like they will during 2007.”
Nintendo’s online strategy, if indeed they have one, has always been something of a mystery. Still, this strikes me as something of a surprise, considering the Wii already comes with all the necessary hardware to support basic online offerings. There simply has to be more to this; I can’t think of any other reason why they would deliberately handicap a part of their business with such good prospects for future growth.
Following the [url=http://www.snackbar-games.com/n2357.html]earlier confirmation[/url] from Konami concerning the shutting down of the online portion of Metal Gear Solid 3 Subsistence, word from [url=http://capcom.com/BBS/showthread.php?t=12576]Capcom’s official forums[/url] has indicated that the the servers supporting both Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 will be closed at the end of March.
[quote]Regretfully, conditions now dictate that we must close down this server effective from March 31, 2007. Naturally it will still be possible to play the game offline, but the online component will no longer be available.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have been loyal members of the RE Outbreak community for the past months. [/quote]
The offline portion will not be affected, obviously, though from reading a number of the replies to this news on Capcom’s forums, it seems as if a lot of players were still playing this now two year old game online.
Major publisher and developer Eidos has anounced that is will publish Definitive Studios’ Traxxpad, a PSP application that allows users to create, mix and sample their own tracks at home or on-the-go. The application will ship this spring in North America.
The key to Traxxpad is its utilization of different high-end, music-making modules which focus on different aspects of music making such as sequencing, song assembly, and melody creation. Sounds can be assigned to specific buttons, and inputted into a sequence by rhythmical button presses. In addition, in order to make the game accessible to persons of various skill levels, if a sound is off-beat, Traxxpad automatically associates the sound to the nearest 16th note.
Equipped with over 1000 stock sounds which range from drum samples to more exotic instruments, the sound library will offer a variety of choices. However, if more are needed, Traxxpad can also be utilized as a sampler, utilizing its compatibility with the PSP system microphone. Traxxpad also allows users to export their songs to .wav or .mp3 files, enabling production to be as easy as burning to a disc or transferring to a MP3 player.
“The PSP system is so much more than a gaming platform,” said Eidos’ sales and marketing executive VP Robert Lindsey. “Traxxpad utilizes the PSP system hardware to its fullest. It produces professional music, and makes it easy to do, providing an end result that is more fun and satisfying than completing a pre-defined task in a game.”
Four years after the first (and only) [i]Command and Conquer[/i] shooter [i]Renegade[/i], and on the doorsteps of the first “real” [i]Command and Conquer[/i] game in years, the series is poised for a revival. According to information leaked from a recent Electronic Arts meeting, provided the upcoming [i]Command and Conquer 3[/i] is a success, EA plans to release a new shooter in the series powered by the rather high fidelity Crysis engine.
It’s currently unknown whether or not the game would be a sequel to [i]Renegade[/i], or a brand new game entirely. Nothing has been confirmed or denied, but just imagine a shooter set in the [i]Red Alert[/i] universe driven by the Crysis engine. Now that would be awesome.
In what could be the greatest sounding premise for a MMO to date, building block company LEGO and indie game company NetDevil have revealed that a new massively multiplayer game based on LEGOs is in the works.
While details are scarce at the moment, a brief statement by both companies further adds fuel to the belief that this could be the next big thing for the genre (provided it’s done right).
“The LEGO brand represents construction, creativity and problem solving — values that compliment the MMOG market,” commented The LEGO Group’s Lisbeth Valther Pallesen. “By merging the online world of social interaction with physical play, the LEGO brand is providing new experiences for children, as well as fans. NetDevil’s technological capability, openness to work with a large community, and their enthusiasm for the LEGO brand made them a natural partner.”
NetDevil president Scott Brown added: “Playing with LEGO bricks and developing online worlds are both creative activities. To bring them together is deeply professionally satisfying and we look forward to working with the LEGO team.”
