Silent Hill 5, Resident Evil 5, Horror Bits And Pieces

Barely did we get to write about the (final?) Resident Evil: Extinction movie a few days ago, and now we stumble upon various bits and pieces of info regarding Capcom's next-gen game in the series, Resident Evil 5, and also about Konami's own survival horror sequel, Silent Hill 5. What a lovely match. Neither one of these won't be coming out anytime soon, and with SH5 it's not even certain yet what platforms it's being made for. In other words, they make perfect targets for any self-respected rumour-monger.

One such rumour is based on an interview with Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi from the Japanese magazine Famitsu Xbox 360 (via Gamefront (via 1UP)). So, a few translations later - and hopefully not too much confusion inserted in the process - it appears that Resident Evil 5 doesn't really stand a chance to be released until the second half of 2008, or maybe even 2009, on the PS3 and Xbox 360. Other bits drawn from the interview tell about how the hair textures are going to be awesome (that's... awesome); hot and cold will be gameplay mechanics; and they are targeting to have the game running at 60 frames per second. Wow, so much useful info, I can almost imagine the whole thing in action! Almost.

As luck would have it, details are even more scarce about Konami's horror sequel, Silent Hill 5. Not only is there no set release date, but they didn't even announce a lousy platform for the thing! All we have is this vague hint dropped by Akira Yamaoka in an interview with Famitsu: "We cannot say yet but we are hoping to carry on the plans of the earlier Silent Hill platforms". Meaning... PlayStation 3? Anyway, here's some more about a certain thing they call "scary daytime":

"we are working on a new unique idea of fear in daylight and the game will play like Silent Hill 2's psychological roots. (...) It's a hard idea to explain, but you really have to look at the scene to understand. In a way like the Resident Evil 5 trailer where it was not the middle of the night and the vision was clear but the fear was still there. It will not be the same but that is an explanation of the idea of having fear in daylight. It is a concept that we are working on at the moment still."

Thank you, Akira-san, that was also very useful and revealing indeed.

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The so-called "patent trolls" aren't the only ones threatening to put Nintendo in legal trouble, as we've seen last week. But we can't say this comes as a surprise either: after all the Wii-induced injuries that have been scandalously reported ever since the console launched in the US one month ago, simple complaints about the Wii wrist strap were bound to become blown-out lawsuits against the Japanese console maker. And that's exactly what happened on December 6, when a suit was filed in the US by Green Welling LLP, with the (plaintiffs') hope of becoming a "class-action" and squeezing some "Wii points" out of Nintendo's accounts:

"The class action lawsuit seeks to enjoin Nintendo from continuing its unfair or deceptive business practices as it relates to the Nintendo Wii. The lawsuit also seeks an injunction that requires Nintendo to correct the defect in the Wii remote and to provide a refund to the purchaser or to replace the defective Wii remote with a Wii remote that functions as it is warranted and intended."

Nintendo was quick to react to this issue, and they began replacing the original 0.024"-thick straps with a thicker, 0.04" strap, that was supposed to be included with every Wii console shipped from early December. But much to my surprise, when I got my brand new Wii just a few days ago, it was still using the old, thin and supposedly fragile strap. I'll be putting it to the vodka-imbued multiplayer test tonight, so wish me luck!

Those who are already stuck with the allegedly faulty Wii strap have no reason to join the class-action, though, because Nintendo also took a second measure to keep themselves legally safe: they offered to replace any Wii strap for free with the thicker variant. And to top it all off, they have also issued the following statement this week: (our bold)

"We believe the lawsuit to be completely without merit. Nintendo has a long tradition of delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service, and we take all reports from our customers seriously.

At the time we became aware of the lawsuit, we had already taken appropriate steps to reinforce with consumers the proper use of the Wii Remote and had made stronger replacement wrist straps available. This suit has had no effect on those efforts."

The matter is probably far from over, but if there's any sanity left in this world, we should be able to conclude that all's well when ends well. When it's done.

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While hoping (and hoping, and hoping...) that Atari have learned their lesson after the whole Driv3r fiasco, and that they will finally deliver a decent PC racing experience early next year, the publisher now reveals more info about Test Drive Unlimited on the PC. But firstly, if you haven't kept up with the game's delays, let it be known that the PC version of TDU should come out in mid February 2007 - same as the PlayStation 2 and PSP versions. So far it was only released on the Xbox 360, back in September, receiving mostly 80+ review scores.

But back on topic, Atari claims that the PC game has been painstakingly adapted and configured to get the very best out of the latest cutting edge PC hardware (no word on us normal gamers, without "cutting edge PC hardare"). Although Test Drive Unlimited boasts plenty of online features and it's even described as a MMO Racer, there will be no monthly subscription required to play. And, of course, the game will also include a single-player component, which you may quickly get bored of.

Well, enough chit-chat. The fact-sheet supplied by Atari is quite long, and we're not cutting anything out. So here goes!

- Test Drive Unlimited redefines the racing genre: over 1000 miles of tropical Hawaiian roadways, instant challenges launched with a flash of the headlights, online functionality allowing thousands of gamers to play and up to 8 to race against each other, and much more;

- New Hardcore Mode: Available in free-ride and multiplayer challenges, simulation mode will expand the experience for players looking for ultra-realistic driving for both cars and bikes. For the cars, telemetric data shows the actual physics modelled on real life parameters (independent grip for each tyre, weight transfer with G-meter, suspension, etc). Adapted to steering wheels and the standard controller, the hardcore mode shows drivers exactly where they succeed and where they need to improve, pushing their driving skills and the vehicles to the very limits;

- Online community: launching in January 2007, www.testdriveunlimited.com/community will play host to a global community of elite racers with Player of the Week section, Leaderboards, Hall of Fame showing top scores in real time, ability to load gamer profiles to compare scores, and more;

- TrackIR support: Innovative TrackIR technology from NaturalPoint® delivers an unprecedented level of view control, allowing players to look all around the cockpit of their cars using natural head motions for a more immersive and realistic experience;

- Seamless online connection: Unlimited new challenges, opponents and competitions;

- Configured for steering wheels: the PC game will work with most existing wheels, and includes manual clutch management (3 pedals) and H shifter to let players get the very best out of the new Hardcore mode;

- 90 licensed vehicles: Cars and bikes from exclusive manufacturers including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Saleen, Shelby, and Jaguar;

- Realistic cars and bikes: Amazing render quality and unrivalled interior details including full car functions such as radio, electric windows, horn and more;

- Personalisation: Upgrade each car or bike with options from the actual manufacturers' catalogue. Players create unique characters, buy new homes and garages, and tune and upgrade vehicles with performance kits and new paint jobs;

- Create challenges or races from more than 50 game rules and settings. Upload self-created challenges online to become part of the player community;

- In-game communities: Players can create or join a club to talk, chat, trade, race or organize club-based competitions and tournaments;

- Simplified match making and division based rankings make Test Drive Unlimited the most comprehensive and accessible online racing experience.

We have some recent PC screenshots in our TDU gallery, and there's a new Lexus trailer on the game's official website from a few days ago. All that's left to say is that the game is currently in closed beta (a "highly successful" one allegedly), which will be followed by an open beta in January 2007.

P.S. There's some new Xbox 360 content available for Test Drive Unlimited on XBLM: "Available for download on Xbox Live Marketplace for 350 Microsoft Points, the Test Drive PURE POWER 2 Download Set (...) features seven supercars, including a Ferrari 250 GTO and the 25th anniversary edition of the Lamborghini Countach. One of the seven vehicles, the Chevrolet Corvette C1 1957 Hardtop, will be available free to all gamers".

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All right, listen up, maggots! Drop your Battlefield weapons and line up for this huge 845 MB download: it's the long awaited Armed Assault demo, and it's here to kick some bulletproof ass. Coming from the makers of Operation Flashpoint - one of the best military simulators ever - ArmA: Armed Assault is a first-person tactical military shooter with large elements of realism and simulation. The game features both a story driven single-player campaign (with different endings, depending on how you choose to play the missions), and large scale multiplayer battles, where tanks supported by infantry and helicopters taking control of an enemy city can be played with 100+ human opponents!

Well, at least in the full version. Because this demo here only allows for 3 multiplayer missions - Cooperative (1-8 players), Capture the Flag (1-16 players) and Capture the Island (1-60 players) - playable on a cut down part of the game's main island, Sahrani.

The game's official website was relaunched earlier this month, so you might want to go scouting for more intel on the game's features, weapons, vehicles etc. Also, a topic full of fan-made screenshots is set up on the Bohemia Interactive forums, where you can see some really cool shots from Armed Assault (and some really bad ones too).

Bohemia Interactive already released the game in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany and other German speaking countries, where it received review marks ranging from 70%, all the way to 88%. Could be good, or it could be great! The estimated release date for the rest of the world Europe and UK is Q1 2007.

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Sony was betrayed yet again! This time, it's SEGA who's dropping the PlayStation 3 exclusivity, for the Virtua Fighter 5 game. In their announcement today, they say that the next-gen brawler will also be released on the Xbox 360, but admit that it will only happen some months after it comes out on the PS3. As it stands now, Virtua Fighter 5 should kick off on the PS3 on February 20, 2007 in North America (and obviously no sooner than March in Europe), while the Xbox 360 version is scheduled for a summer 2007 release.

The game is being developed by SEGA's Tokyo based team AM R&D Development No.2 (or simply "AM2"), and porting it to Microsoft's next-gen console will certainly lead to some serious competition with Tecmo's Dead or Alive series. And as the legend goes, competition is good for us gamers, m'kay.

"Virtua Fighter 5 features beautifully detailed stages from around the world where players face off in fast-moving martial arts battles against one of 17 characters. Two lively new characters join the elite group of fighters, adding two new unique fighting styles for players to try and master. With more skill and strategy than ever before, players are also given the opportunity to learn and employ the new "Offensive Move" technique to take down their opponents from different angles, adding a new dimension to the game and something for both new and old fans to master. Virtua Fighter 5 also includes the ability to customise characters by selecting from four base costumes and a wide range of unlockable accessories and earnable items. As players win more tournaments they will not only earn costumes and accessories, but also prizes and in-game money that will allow them to buy items from the in-game shop."

Is it just me, or are publishers starting to panic over the lacking availability of the PS3 - and of potential customers for their PS3 "exclusives"?

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We briefly mentioned this yesterday as part of the Q1 2007 line-up for the DS and Wii, but Nintendo felt the urge to release a more lenghty announcement today, for the upcoming release of Children of Mana in Europe. This latest saga from Square Enix's World of Mana universe will be released for the DS across Europe on January 12, 2007, after having launched in America not long ago. So far, the game hasn't enjoyed a very warm welcome in the West, despite the series' success in Japan - where it's better known as Seiken Densetsu.

The game is set on the island of Illusia where the legendary Mana Tree grows. Ten years ago, chaos almost took over the world of Mana. Legend says, however, that a boy and a girl saved the world using a legendary sword. Now the land is threatened with danger from a most unlikely source, and the "Children of Mana" must rise to defeat evil before it consumes the very heart of their world.

Players must select one of four different characters, Ferrik, Tamber, Poppen or Wanderer, who each have different strengths and weaknesses. Once a character is chosen, players equip them with weapons and magical gems to help them traverse treacherous battlefields and mysterious dungeons. When venturing out of Mana Village, players can be accompanied by one of eight elemental spirits. Each of these spirits have a unique magic power which can be used to assist players in battle. Players can take along Salamander to use blistering fire magic, or Luna to use the arcane powers of the moon - but choose wisely, as each spirit will have a different impact in battle.

One of the key features of Children of Mana is multiplayer mode, where up to four players can play together in the same game (although each player requires a copy of the game) via the Nintendo DS Wireless function. Players can cooperate with each other to defeat powerful enemies, or compete against each other to obtain rare items.

Some screenshots and wallpapers are available for viewing locally.

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Lara Croft's tenth birthday is still being celebrated for another few months, until its culmination with the Tomb Raider: Anniversary game in Spring 2007. And one of the latest reports covering this playful event has also touched on the subject of Tomb Raider 8 - the next generation sequel currently in the works at Crystal Dynamics, as well as the third Lara Croft movie starring the voluptuous Angelina Jolie. They haven't quite started making it, but they might be pretty soon now...

The report I was telling about is the latest Eurogamer TV Show, part of which is dedicated to the Tomb Raider series' 10th anniversary this year. EG spoke with "Eidos big cheese" Ian Livingstone, who is more than impressed with how the new Lara is shaping up for the future Tomb Raider next-gen sequel (not to be confused with the upcoming anniversary edition). In the interview, Livingstone is quoted as saying:

"I've seen some of the in-game models and it's just like watching television; if you felt you were in love with Lara Croft previously, you ain't seen nothing yet. You'll be drooling when you see the new Lara as she appears in the next iteration."

Drooling sounds good. Definitely! So we'll be looking forward to Tomb Raider 8, or whatever they'll call it. As for the third Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie - the one that's been rumoured all through this year - it finally looks like things are being set into motion:

"There's a possibility - we've been talking to Paramount, who've agreed to assign a scriptwriter," he told EGTV. "That's nowhere near the green-light process but it's a very healthy start to have a scriptwriter which they're going to pay serious amounts of money to write the first script."

That still sounds like an awfully long way to go, but at least the Tomb Raider: Anniversary game should be coming out pretty soon...

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As a kid, I was among the many faceless fans of the ninja turtles, mimicking all sorts of ridiculous martial moves. Although today I'm no longer a fan of super-heroes, or even mutant turtles, there are still plenty more people willing to give a dime in order to see Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Donatello once more. Thus, the TMNT brand lives on, and next year it will be recycled in a new CGI movie from Warner Bros. And, as Ubisoft now informs us, in a new video game for all sorts of platforms, that will precede the movie's premiere from March 2007.

Currently, the game doesn't have any more pompous title than "TMNT video game", however Ubi is already offering a series of details: starting with the developing studios - from Montreal and Quebec, the platforms - PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, GBA, DS and Wii, the launch date - March 13, 2007, and other things that we'll be listing below:

- Intense Ninja Fighting: Harness the power of Ninjitsu and become a master of combat. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are playable and each have unique acrobatic moves, weapons and combat skills, such as Michelangelo's fast nunchuck face slap and Raphael's powerful Sai throw.

- Unique Acrobatic Navigation: The Turtles jump from rooftop to rooftop, scale tall buildings, dive into sewers and race through every corner of the city to confront their enemies.

- Powerful Tag-Team Moves: Together the Turtles can team up to reach locations unattainable alone, or defeat the enemy.

- Diverse Enemies and Bosses: Characters from the movie and the original comic book series - including the Purple Dragon Street Gang and the infamous Foot Clan - and a whole new group of enemies creep out of the shadows to face the Turtles.

If you'd rather have facts over empty words, the official website for the TMNT video game welcomes you with a tiny trailer, also featuring scenes from the game.

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NetDevil Working On Toy MMO, Warmonger Shooter, And One More

For a company that has been around for nearly ten years, all that NetDevil has to show for today are two mediocre MMO games: the first (from 2001 and still running) is Jumpgate - which may very well be the first massively multiplayer space simulator universe, and the other one is this year's Auto Assault cvasi-fiasco, released by NCsoft. What could possibly be even less appealing than a vehicular combat MMO? How about a toy MMO? Like... Lego or something.

The studio is in fact working on a new, as yet unannounced MMOG for a "major toy company", as confirmed to Gamasutra by NetDevil president Scott Brown and creative director Ryan Seabury. The two didn't reveal what IP they're dealing with, nor the toy company in question, but they expect to announce it in early January. The only hint dropped by Scott Brown is this:

"It's not that hard to figure out, but everyone we've told this to has responded that the IP is a natural fit for a MMO."

Does Lego seem like a natural fit for a MMO to you? Or maybe Transformers? Oh, I know, how about Barbie? That's gotta be it!

Aside from the "toy MMO", NetDevil is also working on two more projects, one of which is a modern day urban shooter called Warmonger. With it, they plan to take full advantage of Ageia's physics processing hardware, and create a highly destructive game. Kotaku is absolutely thrilled with the idea of being able to destroy anything in the environment one chunk at a time, and especially with this particular example offered by the devs:

"One example they gave was having the ability to shoot a hole through the ceiling so the person, and anything else that happens to be on the floor above you, actually falls through."

Also worth mentioning is that Warmonger is based on the Unreal Engine 3 technology, and like we said it will support Ageia's PhysX processor for enhanced destructible enviroments.

So, that leaves us with one more project - on which NetDevil has yet to reveal anything. But apart from the three future games, they are also working on making their five-year-old space MMO Jumpgate look better. Why would they bother, for a game with a user base of just about 1,000 people? Well, simply put, because it's profitable. Or so they say.

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26 Wii And 66 DS Games In Q1 2007, Delays, New DS In 2007

Nintendo is making sure to keep those games rolling out by the lot all through the winter, and into the spring of 2007. The Japanese publisher has already promised to release another 26 Wii games and 66 DS games in the first quarter of 2007, complementing their already rich "launch period" line-up on the Wii and adding a staggering number of new DS titles. The overall quality may not look too high, but the sheer number of options gamers will have should be enough to keep Nintendo on par (at the very least) with their next-gen opposition.

Among the Wii games set for release in Q1 2007 are titles such as Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (the only one set for a January release), Excite Truck (it's still not out in Europe, but it should be in February), and then from March onward SSX Blur, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Heatseaker, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, Blazing Angels: Squadrons of (W)WII and many more.

Over on the DS, the list is topped by Children of Mana (in January) and includes Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (in February) and such oddities as Rayman Raving Rabbids, The Settlers or Theme Park. This is but a small fraction of what Nintendo has lined up for early 2007, and you can see both lists - for Wii and DS - complete with release dates for each game on N-Europe.

There are still many notable absents from those Q1 2007 line-ups, some of which won't be coming out until the end of 2007. As CVG has learned from "reliable sources close to Nintendo", Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption on Wii, and Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on DS will not see light of day until Christmas 2007, which could mean anything from October to December.

So 2007 is going to be yet another busy year for Nintendo, especially now that a new rumour also seems to indicate the arrival (or at least the announcement) of a new version of DS next year in Japan. The info originates from various Japanese blogs and boards (via JeuxFrance), and it tells about wider screens for the new DS (3.5-3.8 inches, instead of 3.0 in the current version). Also, Nintendo will supposedly release new colors for its Wii console during Spring 2007 in Japan.

If there's no pink, I'm not interested.

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