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Prinny, Can You Really be the Hero? The answer is an Astounding Yes Incredible and original PSP title. Prinny is a hero to hungry PSP gamers. 
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FFXIII Gets "T" Rating Long After Nintendo Tried Marketing Original to Adults
by Kombo Staff | 11/20/09 | 3:08 PM PST
Following the announcement of a release date, The Examiner reports that Final Fantasy XIII now has a rating by the ESRB. And that rating is... T for Teen. Like you thought it would be anything else.
The reason for the rating is Violence (natch), Mild Language (yippee), and Suggestive Themes-- hello. Examiner says that "While the rating shouldn't be a shock to anyone, the use of suggestive themes could be. With the game appearing to have a heavy atmosphere of love and caring, two women who link together to form a car, are surely some other sexual like surprises, the suggestive themes are likely to be minor sequences."
On a related note, did you know that Nintendo once tried to market the original NES Final Fantasy toward adults?
FFXIII Gets "T" Rating Long After Nintendo Tried Marketing Original to Adults
by Kombo Staff | 11/20/09 | 3:08 PM PST
Following the announcement of a release date, The Examiner reports that Final Fantasy XIII now has a rating by the ESRB. And that rating is... T for Teen. Like you thought it would be anything else.
The reason for the rating is Violence (natch), Mild Language (yippee), and Suggestive Themes-- hello. Examiner says that "While the rating shouldn't be a shock to anyone, the use of suggestive themes could be. With the game appearing to have a heavy atmosphere of love and caring, two women who link together to form a car, are surely some other sexual like surprises, the suggestive themes are likely to be minor sequences."
On a related note, did you know that Nintendo once tried to market the original NES Final Fantasy toward adults?
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GameStop's Black Friday Video Game Deals Revealed
by Kombo Staff | 11/20/09 | 12:33 PM PST
The dreaded date of Black Friday on November 27th, 2009 draws ever closer. And while Kmart's gamer deals did little to excite, perhaps GameStop's offerings will do a little more for you.
So if you decide to venture forth out into the November cold at 6am for the named-in-poor-taste "Doorbuster" deals that run until 11am, or just any of the other deals which run all week, here is what you can expect.
GameStop's Black Friday Video Game Deals Revealed
by Kombo Staff | 11/20/09 | 12:33 PM PST
The dreaded date of Black Friday on November 27th, 2009 draws ever closer. And while Kmart's gamer deals did little to excite, perhaps GameStop's offerings will do a little more for you.
So if you decide to venture forth out into the November cold at 6am for the named-in-poor-taste "Doorbuster" deals that run until 11am, or just any of the other deals which run all week, here is what you can expect.
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"We Interrupt This Deathmatch to Bring You the Following Announcement..."
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 11:13 AM PST
Some of you might be familiar with the Emergency Broadcast System or its successor, the Emergency Alert System, which tend to interrupt television shows and commercials with their shrill sound tests. And on occasion, they even warn you of imminent danger, too.
That is, unless most of the time your television spends on is used playing video games, in which case you'll be halfway to Oz before you know what's going on. That's why state officials in New York are planning to send the alerts issued by the Emergency Management Office over video game networks.
"We Interrupt This Deathmatch to Bring You the Following Announcement..."
by David Oxford | 11/20/09 | 11:13 AM PST
Some of you might be familiar with the Emergency Broadcast System or its successor, the Emergency Alert System, which tend to interrupt television shows and commercials with their shrill sound tests. And on occasion, they even warn you of imminent danger, too.
That is, unless most of the time your television spends on is used playing video games, in which case you'll be halfway to Oz before you know what's going on. That's why state officials in New York are planning to send the alerts issued by the Emergency Management Office over video game networks.
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Rebuttal: Is Infinty Ward Anti-PC?
by Matt Pearce | 11/20/09 | 6:16 AM PST
A few days ago we published an article under the title "Modern Warfare 2: The Battleground for PC Gaming?" in which one of Kombo's Editorialists, Eric Frederiksen, discussed the hardcore PC gamer's opinions regarding Infinity Ward's move to do away with dedicated servers for their latest release. Like Eric, I'm a huge PC gamer. I've been playing PC games since DOS, and I don't plan on quitting. I fondly remember Quake LAN parties and dialing-up friends for Warcraft 2 matches. I'm also sad to see that games are straying from dedicated servers. In fact, the only statement of Eric's that I directly disagree with is that Infinity Ward's decision to use matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2 is "...one of the loudest shots fired from the bow of a major publisher against PC gaming." Infinity Ward isn't anti-PC, they're anti-piracy. If they were anti-PC they wouldn't have spent the time and resources to port the game to the PC. I know piracy played such a huge role in the decision, because shortly after the first Modern Warfare was released, Kotaku dug up a blog post of Robert Bowling's (creative director of Infinity Ward and a major proponent of the new matchmaking system) in which he mentions a disturbingly large number of people playing pirated versions of the game on the online multiplayer. Mr. Bowling titled this blog post "They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More". With that said, it can't be denied that Infinity Ward did, in fact, anger a lot of their hardcore PC fans with the decision to use matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2.
Rebuttal: Is Infinty Ward Anti-PC?
by Matt Pearce | 11/20/09 | 6:16 AM PST
A few days ago we published an article under the title "Modern Warfare 2: The Battleground for PC Gaming?" in which one of Kombo's Editorialists, Eric Frederiksen, discussed the hardcore PC gamer's opinions regarding Infinity Ward's move to do away with dedicated servers for their latest release. Like Eric, I'm a huge PC gamer. I've been playing PC games since DOS, and I don't plan on quitting. I fondly remember Quake LAN parties and dialing-up friends for Warcraft 2 matches. I'm also sad to see that games are straying from dedicated servers. In fact, the only statement of Eric's that I directly disagree with is that Infinity Ward's decision to use matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2 is "...one of the loudest shots fired from the bow of a major publisher against PC gaming." Infinity Ward isn't anti-PC, they're anti-piracy. If they were anti-PC they wouldn't have spent the time and resources to port the game to the PC. I know piracy played such a huge role in the decision, because shortly after the first Modern Warfare was released, Kotaku dug up a blog post of Robert Bowling's (creative director of Infinity Ward and a major proponent of the new matchmaking system) in which he mentions a disturbingly large number of people playing pirated versions of the game on the online multiplayer. Mr. Bowling titled this blog post "They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More". With that said, it can't be denied that Infinity Ward did, in fact, anger a lot of their hardcore PC fans with the decision to use matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2.
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The Re-Imagining of Mortal Kombat That Might Have Been
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 4:58 PM PST
Before departing Midway last year, artist Vincent Proce put together a proposal for a new Mortal Kombat game that was "a re imagining of the Mortal Kombat franchise from the original premise but mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." As a part of that proposal, he redesigned four of the characters from the original roster.
Given that he's no longer with the company, the idea isn't going to happen and only stands as a vision of what might have been. Nevertheless, he says "I still would like to one day redesign all the rest of the original characters if I ever find the time.
You can check out the four designs in much higher resolution alongside brief descriptions at his blog, along with some other cool stuff, including various MK vs. DCU endings and images.
The Re-Imagining of Mortal Kombat That Might Have Been
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 4:58 PM PST
Before departing Midway last year, artist Vincent Proce put together a proposal for a new Mortal Kombat game that was "a re imagining of the Mortal Kombat franchise from the original premise but mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." As a part of that proposal, he redesigned four of the characters from the original roster.
Given that he's no longer with the company, the idea isn't going to happen and only stands as a vision of what might have been. Nevertheless, he says "I still would like to one day redesign all the rest of the original characters if I ever find the time.
You can check out the four designs in much higher resolution alongside brief descriptions at his blog, along with some other cool stuff, including various MK vs. DCU endings and images.
source: Super Punch, via Destructoid
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Media: 20 Screens of No More Heroes: Hero's Paradise; Marvelous Losing Money on Most Wii Titles, Profiting on PSP
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 3:57 PM PST
Marvelous has launched the official Japanese website for the HD version of No More Heroes, known as "Heroes' Paradise." Unfortunately, there is almost nothing to do there, but never fear; it just so happens that the Japanese Xbox.com website has updated to include the game, and has presented 20 new screens which now reside in our gallery below.
Media: 20 Screens of No More Heroes: Hero's Paradise; Marvelous Losing Money on Most Wii Titles, Profiting on PSP
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 3:57 PM PST
Marvelous has launched the official Japanese website for the HD version of No More Heroes, known as "Heroes' Paradise." Unfortunately, there is almost nothing to do there, but never fear; it just so happens that the Japanese Xbox.com website has updated to include the game, and has presented 20 new screens which now reside in our gallery below.
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McKidd Talks Call of Duty Movie
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 12:47 PM PST
According to a story in the New York Post, Kevin McKidd, voice actor for Captain "Soap" MacTavish in Modern Warfare 2, has said that the video game franchise may be on its way to the big screen:
"They were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood they probably couldn't get Gerard Butler, so they got the No. 2 Gerard Butler, me. I had no idea it would be so huge, and now there are talks of a feature film," he told PopWrap. Asked if he'd reprise his role in the film, McKidd said "if the script is good, and Gerard isn't available [laughs], then absolutely."
Hmm, are we at a point where we can begin to have hope for something like this? Prince of Persia looks like it may be good, but that remains to be seen.
McKidd Talks Call of Duty Movie
by Kombo Staff | 11/19/09 | 12:47 PM PST
According to a story in the New York Post, Kevin McKidd, voice actor for Captain "Soap" MacTavish in Modern Warfare 2, has said that the video game franchise may be on its way to the big screen:
"They were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood they probably couldn't get Gerard Butler, so they got the No. 2 Gerard Butler, me. I had no idea it would be so huge, and now there are talks of a feature film," he told PopWrap. Asked if he'd reprise his role in the film, McKidd said "if the script is good, and Gerard isn't available [laughs], then absolutely."
Hmm, are we at a point where we can begin to have hope for something like this? Prince of Persia looks like it may be good, but that remains to be seen.
source: G4TV.com
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Wii & PC: The Ultimate Team
by Brian Langlois | 11/19/09 | 5:44 AM PST
After my recent game store encounter in which I encountered resistance and admonishment for my choice in gaming platforms, I started thinking. Is having just a Wii and a PC such an odd combination for a gamer? Maybe it is, but after consideration I have come to the conclusion that it is by no means a bad partnership. In fact, I'd say it offers a player a great scenario full of choice. Really, the Wii and PC could not be more different as platforms, which is perhaps why I gravitated towards PC gaming so I could have a unique experience, and learn some things along the way too. For me, the combination has worked out really well so far, with each system catering to a different aspect of my gaming needs.
Wii & PC: The Ultimate Team
by Brian Langlois | 11/19/09 | 5:44 AM PST
After my recent game store encounter in which I encountered resistance and admonishment for my choice in gaming platforms, I started thinking. Is having just a Wii and a PC such an odd combination for a gamer? Maybe it is, but after consideration I have come to the conclusion that it is by no means a bad partnership. In fact, I'd say it offers a player a great scenario full of choice. Really, the Wii and PC could not be more different as platforms, which is perhaps why I gravitated towards PC gaming so I could have a unique experience, and learn some things along the way too. For me, the combination has worked out really well so far, with each system catering to a different aspect of my gaming needs.
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Spike Announces 2009 Video Game Awards Nominees
by Eric Jones | 11/18/09 | 5:34 PM PST
Earlier today, Spike TV confirmed that Halo: Reach will be among the megaton world premieres headlining the network's 2009 Video Game Awards show. But what about the nominees for the actual awards?
Well, those are up too, and they reveal that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves goes in as the top pick with eight nominations. Batman: Arkham Asylum swoops in next, picking up seven nods, followed by a pair of big-time shooters, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2, each with six noms apiece.
The full list is available after the cut, which I'll leave you guys to discuss the semantics of (like the need for Best Performance by a Human Male and Female categories when there's already a category for Best Voice). Hopefully we'll find out more info on the rest of the exclusives, musical guests, and who the hell is actually going to host this shindig before it airs live on December 12.
Oh yeah, and if you want to actually vote, click here.
Spike Announces 2009 Video Game Awards Nominees
by Eric Jones | 11/18/09 | 5:34 PM PST
Earlier today, Spike TV confirmed that Halo: Reach will be among the megaton world premieres headlining the network's 2009 Video Game Awards show. But what about the nominees for the actual awards?
Well, those are up too, and they reveal that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves goes in as the top pick with eight nominations. Batman: Arkham Asylum swoops in next, picking up seven nods, followed by a pair of big-time shooters, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Left 4 Dead 2, each with six noms apiece.
The full list is available after the cut, which I'll leave you guys to discuss the semantics of (like the need for Best Performance by a Human Male and Female categories when there's already a category for Best Voice). Hopefully we'll find out more info on the rest of the exclusives, musical guests, and who the hell is actually going to host this shindig before it airs live on December 12.
Oh yeah, and if you want to actually vote, click here.
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Can "We Pray" Hope to Match the Popularity of "Wii Play?"
by David Oxford | 11/18/09 | 3:31 PM PST
"We would like to... pray?"
No, that's not an Engrish joke, but the apparent idea behind Prayer Works Interactive's worship-themed game "Mass: We Pray," which features motion controls and two unique peripherals:
GameSpy points out that this is obviously fake*, and it certainly looks fake, but to be honest? I could easily see Ned Flanders and his kids playing this on The Simpsons. And apparently, I'm not the only one to think so (NSFW).
* ...or is it? As that second video points out, both IGN (in their "Cheats" section, no less) and GameTrailers have entries for this thing.
Well, if it's real, it will make a nice accessory to Super Noah's Ark 3D, Bible Adventures, and Left Behind. If not... then I applaud those who perpetrated this gag.
Can "We Pray" Hope to Match the Popularity of "Wii Play?"
by David Oxford | 11/18/09 | 3:31 PM PST
"We would like to... pray?"
No, that's not an Engrish joke, but the apparent idea behind Prayer Works Interactive's worship-themed game "Mass: We Pray," which features motion controls and two unique peripherals:
GameSpy points out that this is obviously fake*, and it certainly looks fake, but to be honest? I could easily see Ned Flanders and his kids playing this on The Simpsons. And apparently, I'm not the only one to think so (NSFW).
* ...or is it? As that second video points out, both IGN (in their "Cheats" section, no less) and GameTrailers have entries for this thing.
Well, if it's real, it will make a nice accessory to Super Noah's Ark 3D, Bible Adventures, and Left Behind. If not... then I applaud those who perpetrated this gag.
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Random Video of the Day: Konami Code (Paper Planes Parody)
by David Oxford | 11/18/09 | 12:06 PM PST
Black Nerd Comedy has put together a "song parody of Paper Planes by M.I.A. (MIA) about the best cheat in video game history... the Konami Code!"
Konami and Contra fan that I am, you just know I couldn't pass this up:
I hate to pick this apart, but Super C used another code, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II did as well; III's was a slight variation, swapping B and A. And Castlevania III was the only one with such a cheat, and that was used by entering your name as "Help Me."
Still, fun video, and kind of catchy. That it has its own little dance is a plus.
Random Video of the Day: Konami Code (Paper Planes Parody)
by David Oxford | 11/18/09 | 12:06 PM PST
Black Nerd Comedy has put together a "song parody of Paper Planes by M.I.A. (MIA) about the best cheat in video game history... the Konami Code!"
Konami and Contra fan that I am, you just know I couldn't pass this up:
I hate to pick this apart, but Super C used another code, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II did as well; III's was a slight variation, swapping B and A. And Castlevania III was the only one with such a cheat, and that was used by entering your name as "Help Me."
Still, fun video, and kind of catchy. That it has its own little dance is a plus.
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World Premiere Halo: Reach at Spike Video Game Awards
by Kombo Staff | 11/18/09 | 10:27 AM PST
GameTrailers TV's Geoff Keighley has announced via his Twitter that the Spike TV Video Game Awards are going to be held live on December 12th. Furthermore, the first "world premiere" of the show has been announced, and it is none other than Halo: Reach.
On Spike, he writes "Publishers contributing exclusive new content to the VGAs include 2K, Activision, Disney Interactive Studios, Electronic Arts, LucasArts Entertainment, Microsoft Game Studios, THQ, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and more to be announced in the coming weeks."
In addition, he says that VGA nominees are available now and can be voted on at the VGA website. "Uncharted, Assassins, Batman, MW2, and L4D2 are GOTY noms," he says.
World Premiere Halo: Reach at Spike Video Game Awards
by Kombo Staff | 11/18/09 | 10:27 AM PST
GameTrailers TV's Geoff Keighley has announced via his Twitter that the Spike TV Video Game Awards are going to be held live on December 12th. Furthermore, the first "world premiere" of the show has been announced, and it is none other than Halo: Reach.
On Spike, he writes "Publishers contributing exclusive new content to the VGAs include 2K, Activision, Disney Interactive Studios, Electronic Arts, LucasArts Entertainment, Microsoft Game Studios, THQ, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and more to be announced in the coming weeks."
In addition, he says that VGA nominees are available now and can be voted on at the VGA website. "Uncharted, Assassins, Batman, MW2, and L4D2 are GOTY noms," he says.
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Former Visceral Games Staff to Head Up Sledgehammer Games, Run by Activision
by Eric Jones | 11/17/09 | 8:36 PM PST
Earlier this year, it was announced that Visceral Games heads Glenn Schofield and Michael Condrey would be leaving parent company EA for the shores of rival publisher Activision. Since then, we haven't heard a peep from the duo, until today. Activision has officially announced the formation of Sledgehammer Games, to be headed up by Schofield and Condrey.
Word is that the new developer is working on a game based upon an existing Activision franchise, so we'll have to wait and see what they're up to.
Former Visceral Games Staff to Head Up Sledgehammer Games, Run by Activision
by Eric Jones | 11/17/09 | 8:36 PM PST
Earlier this year, it was announced that Visceral Games heads Glenn Schofield and Michael Condrey would be leaving parent company EA for the shores of rival publisher Activision. Since then, we haven't heard a peep from the duo, until today. Activision has officially announced the formation of Sledgehammer Games, to be headed up by Schofield and Condrey.
Word is that the new developer is working on a game based upon an existing Activision franchise, so we'll have to wait and see what they're up to.
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EA Montreal's Schneider Asks Developers: "Who Do We Make Games For?"
by David Oxford | 11/17/09 | 5:07 PM PST
At the Montreal International Game Summit, EA Montreal's Reid Schneider put forth a question for developers to ponder: "who do we make games for?" While he says that one should make games for themselves, they should also remember who their market is. This led to an interesting analogy, as he recalls how he was charged with improving his fraternity's parties:
"The first unanimous request from the guys was that we needed to have more girls at our parties," he said. "I was in total agreement; this made complete sense to me. But the core problem is that our parties were about good beer and music that we liked. It was just for us. We were missing our audience. We were building stuff for ourselves."
EA Montreal's Schneider Asks Developers: "Who Do We Make Games For?"
by David Oxford | 11/17/09 | 5:07 PM PST
At the Montreal International Game Summit, EA Montreal's Reid Schneider put forth a question for developers to ponder: "who do we make games for?" While he says that one should make games for themselves, they should also remember who their market is. This led to an interesting analogy, as he recalls how he was charged with improving his fraternity's parties:
"The first unanimous request from the guys was that we needed to have more girls at our parties," he said. "I was in total agreement; this made complete sense to me. But the core problem is that our parties were about good beer and music that we liked. It was just for us. We were missing our audience. We were building stuff for ourselves."
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Confirmed: Pandemic Studios to Shut Down
by Eric Jones | 11/17/09 | 4:36 PM PST
UPDATE: Nick Earl, EA's Senior Vice President of the EA Games label, confirmed today in an internal memo picked up by Kotaku that Pandemic will be shut down, and approximately 200 employees will be let go, including CEO Andrew Goldman, President Josh Resnick, and Vice President of Product Development Greg Borrud. Earl said the closure was to "improve our cost structure, ensure quality and build schedule integrity for this studio."
However, a "core IP team" will be integrated into the company's Los Angeles office, plus the Pandemic brand and franchises will "live on", with new games based on the developer's franchises to be revealed "in the months ahead."
Original Story: With EA's profits not meeting standards, it's looking like cuts are planning to be made. The biggest cut will come from the EA-owned Pandemic studios, which was purchased alongside parent company Bioware in early 2008. Sources speaking with Kotaku have confirmed that the studio will be shuttered today, with all but some 200 employees laid off.
The developer is best known for their work on games like Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Battlefront, and Mercenaries, and was working on the upcoming WWII title The Saboteur. Development for that game will switch to EA Montreal (currently working on Army of Two: The 40th Day), while the few remaining employees will be integrated into EA's other teams.
Confirmed: Pandemic Studios to Shut Down
by Eric Jones | 11/17/09 | 4:36 PM PST
UPDATE: Nick Earl, EA's Senior Vice President of the EA Games label, confirmed today in an internal memo picked up by Kotaku that Pandemic will be shut down, and approximately 200 employees will be let go, including CEO Andrew Goldman, President Josh Resnick, and Vice President of Product Development Greg Borrud. Earl said the closure was to "improve our cost structure, ensure quality and build schedule integrity for this studio."
However, a "core IP team" will be integrated into the company's Los Angeles office, plus the Pandemic brand and franchises will "live on", with new games based on the developer's franchises to be revealed "in the months ahead."
Original Story: With EA's profits not meeting standards, it's looking like cuts are planning to be made. The biggest cut will come from the EA-owned Pandemic studios, which was purchased alongside parent company Bioware in early 2008. Sources speaking with Kotaku have confirmed that the studio will be shuttered today, with all but some 200 employees laid off.
The developer is best known for their work on games like Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Battlefront, and Mercenaries, and was working on the upcoming WWII title The Saboteur. Development for that game will switch to EA Montreal (currently working on Army of Two: The 40th Day), while the few remaining employees will be integrated into EA's other teams.
source: Kotaku
November 20, 2009
