Gamernode: Latest Game and Console News

Daily Q: What was the first PC game you played?

For me (I'm still a young fellar), it would have to be Oregon Trail on the old Apple II computers in second and third grade of elementary school during the early 1990's. Later when two games called Doom and Doom II were released in 1993/1994, my PC gaming life took off from there.

I have other early memories with various FPS from Apogee Sotware during the mid-90's, now known as 3D Realms; I remember juggling the various floppy disks for installation of Blake Stone: Aliens, also don't forget Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem and even Rise of the Triad.

To relive the classic game that is Oregon Trail, head over to VirtualApple. It requires Windows and, if you're using it, a Firefox plug-in/extension.

So what was your very first PC game and when did you play it?

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Warhammer Online beta sees major cutbacks

I think Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning may be walking on thin ice at the moment. I've been looking forward to this game for a long time, but I'm starting to wonder if it might be in a bit of trouble.

Mythic is holding a private "Guild-only" beta test that just started today. The idea is that guilds from other games sign up to participate in the beta to test out the guild system.

However, today when the beta started there were 4 less major cities than originally planned, and four fewer classes. The cities have been downsized to just one major city per racial class.

All things considered, that's a pretty sizable chunk of the game to be chopping off as late as a beat test. It can be expected that certain things will be removed, but this is a big one.

WAR is going to be going up against a goli...

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CD Projekt to change the world of digital distribu...

CD Projekt (the developers of The Witcher) has announced their new digital distribution system called Good Old Games, or GOG for short. GOG has been described as "Steam for old PC games" and that's an accurate description. GOG is built around old PC games from the mid 90s to the early 2000s. This means it offers only beloved classics and not newer games. CD Projekt has already secured a winning launch lineup including Fallout 1 and 2, Freespace 1 and 2, Sacrifice, and Descent 1-3

Probably most exciting is the way CD Projekt is handling the whole thing. Game prices will range from $5.99 to $9.99 and Good Old Games will be completely DRM free. Like Steam, once you buy the game it's yours forever. You're free to download the game as many times as you want as well as download it to as many PCs ...

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New console RTS from Total War developers

Creatve Assembly, the masterminds behind the ever popular Total War series, are coming out with a brand new strategy game exclusively for consoles. As with most console RTS projects, the game promises a simple control scheme that will "revolutionize" the genre. Multiple vertical layers of combat -- air, surface, underground -- are said to set the game apart from other RTS efforts.

"Stormrise has been built from the ground up specifically for high def consoles to provide a more intense, frenetic style of game that, coupled with the all new control mechanic, will revolutionise the way RTS games are played," claimed Sega Europe marketing director Gary Knight.  

Are console-exclusive RTS games a smart move, or is leaving the birthplace of the strategy genre a formula for failure? It seems more ...

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Infinity Ward "definitely"doing a sci-fi shooter

Rumors have been floating around that Infinity Ward, makers of the popular Call of Duty series, are planning a sci-fi shooter as their next project. According to the latest issue of Xbox World 360, the studio's sci-fi project is "definitely" happening. "The net is awash with rumour mongering that Infinity Ward are beavering away on a brand new sci-fi shooter," says the mag. "However, we can confirm that it is definitely happening."

Speaking on its official website blog recently, the developer itself revealed plans of possibly exploring new IP. 

"We're excited to announce that in the recent months we have decided to reup on our contract with Activision publishing," the developer said in the post. "The recently renegotiated deal may not seem like much of an impact from the outside perspective,...

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Animal Crossing Wii is done, Punch-Out!! Wii in th...

The newest issue of NGamer has hit European magazine racks and it brings us some juicy info on two of Nintendo's upcoming games that will be at E3. Namely, Animal Crossing Wii and Punch-Out!! Wii.

First off, NGamer tells us that Animal Crossing Wii is completed. Presumably the game's code is ready to be pressed onto a disc and shipped to retailers. Contrary to previous rumors, the game isn't an MMO but will still offer online features includng Wifi sharing like its DS predecessor. Additional details were not divulged but at least we know for sure that the game exists now!

Additonally, Punch-Out!!, an old classic, is set to be revived on the Wii and is currently in development. Like Animal Crossing, NGamer didn't reveal much other than the title's existence. The magazine tells us that the tit...

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Halo 3 fanboy + cardboard = very, very sad

Sometimes you see something that makes you laugh, but also die a little on the inside. This is definitely one of those moments. Marvel (or cringe?) as the young man plays host to a showcase of his cardboard Halo weapons collection. If it's any consolation, I will admit he's better at using cardboard to make Halo weaponry than I'll ever be.

PS, I'm sorry if this ruins Halo for you, as it nearly ruined Halo for Chris.

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New Wii controller in the works?

While scrounging around the U.S. Patent Office website for new information on the rumored Xbox 360 motion-sensing controller, the folks over at Spong stumbled upon a patent filed by Nintendo for what appears to be a brand new Wii controller with a familiar GameCube-esque button layout AND a space to mount a Wii remote.

The text of the filing supports that observation, describing "An imaging information arithmetic unit...at a front end of the housing...in such a manner that an imaging device thereof is exposed from a front-end surface." That's the Wii remote.

While greatly appreciated, something like this is long overdue for the Wii, and should have been provided at launch. Good show, Nintendo, but you're more than a year-and-a-half late, so...not really.

Here is the full abstract of the pat...

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Capcom's "super-secret project" for E3: Flock

According to a post at the Capcom blog, the company has some tricks up it's sleeve for next week's E3 Media & Business Summit. Namely, a project entitled "Flock."

Capcom gave no hard details on this "super-secret project," but it is rumored to be "a surprising take on a next-gen favourite."

Using the title as a clue to what the game might be, I am hoping that it's somehow related to Dead Rising (flock of zombies), but it could also be a Lost Planet spin-off (flock of aliens), or even something to do with the Resident Evil franchise (flock of zombies...again).

I guess we'll find out next week. Capcom's press conference will be held on Tuesday at 4:30pm, and GamerNode will be there.

[via Capcom, NeoGAF]

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Sony's got an Afrikan orchestra

Sony has remained relatively quiet about the upcoming photojournalistic safari sim, Afrika, for the PlayStation 3. The following video clip, however, is anything but that.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the game's soundtrack by composer Wataru Hokoyama and his orchestra, who have done work for award-winning independent films, the Dungeons and Dragons movie, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Have yourselves a listen, and hopefully I'll have myself a gameplay session at E3 next week.

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Patapon 2 revealed in latest Famitsu

Scans from the latest issue of Famitsu confirm that Sony is planning to release a sequel to the fantastic Patapon. However, the game is right now only confirmed for Japan, and Sony has not yet commented on whether or not the game will see release in North America, or any other territory for that matter.

The scans, as you can see for yourself below, seem to show off plenty of the same beautiful art style that the original introduced earlier this year, and furthermore I can't imagine the game play could have been changed too radically. So if you liked the original, then there's most likely a lot to be excited about.

There do appear to be some new inclusions, though. For those of you who don't Nihongo o hanashimasu (speak Japanese) the Japanese word for flying is bolded on the right hand side o...

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Square-Enix's E3 line-up. No FFXIII?

E3 is the place for game developers and publishers to show off their games to get everyone excited, and we all know amongst many other companies, RPG champions Square-Enix will be there as well. While reading their press review of games they will be featuring at E3, something very noticeable that stuck out was the fact that Final Fantasy XIII for the PS3 was not mentioned. Could this mean that they really don't plan on showing it at E3, or perhaps have it make its grand opening preview to everyone's surprise?

Despite FFXIII not being in the press release, other big games are expected to show their faces at E3. Here's what we can expect to see From Square Enix at E3:

E3 2008 Line-up(Square-Enix)

Multiplatform

THE LAST REMNANTPlatform: Microsoft Xbox 360® / PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment ...

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Top selling games of 2008 in Japan

Some say that 2008 has had a good start, and some are still waiting to see the big name games come out. But either way, since it's about halfway through the year let's take a quick look at the top selling games so far in Japan.

The last issue of the mega popular Japanese video game magazine Famitsu released the list and it's interesting to see a couple of games still hanging on to their spots. What's more surprising: seeing Mario Kart DS hanging on or seeing Metal Gear Solid making the top 10 list after just a month? You decide.

10. Wii Play (Wii) 411,416 copies, 9. Mario Kart DS (DS) 416,935 copies, 8. Mario Party DS (DS) 497,547 copies, 7. Wii Sports (Wii) 544,958 copies, 6. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) 576,437 copies,

5. Pokémon Ranger: Battonage (DS) 576,467 copies, 4. Wii Fit (Wii) 1,443,16...

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Best news I've heard all day

I was getting really concerned about the looming Rock Band 2 release.  I have invested quite a bit of time, money, and Microsoft points to Rock Band, purchasing at minimum one song per week since the game was released.  I, like many others, did not think there would be a Rock Band 2, just a continuation of the weekly downloadable content.

Well Rock Band 2 is official, and it posed a ton of questions.  Questions like will my old instruments work with Rock Band 2? Will my sweet character and all his guitars carry over to Rock Band 2? And most importantly, will the over 100 dollars worth of tracks that I purchased be playable in Rock Band 2?

These were all questions I thought would be answered during E3 (which some of us will be attending) but it seems Kotaku has the scoop, answering all of th...

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E3 '07 One Year Later

If anyone gets the chance, the guys over at MTV Multiplayer are doing a great "one year later" series as they gear up for E3 this year.  You can read about Sony and Nintendo announcements from last year and compare that to what has / has not happened for each of the big 3.  It's really interesting how much you forget in a year.  Like Unreal Tournament being a console exclusive on the PS3.  Whoops, that game drops today for the Xbox 360.  Also, inFAMOUS was announced last year but is only now getting the press from Game Informer.

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A conversation with a Sony head

It's not often that one gets to sit down with the head of a major studio. It's even less often that one gets to sit down with the head of Sony's Worldwide Studio.  Luckily, someone did. (Unluckily that person wasn't me.)

Fortunately with the power of the Internet at my disposal I can easily direct you to not only ThreeSpeach, the 'semi-official' PlayStation blog, but also their interview with Shuhei Yoshida (the aforementioned head of Worldwide Studios).

Since the interview questions are being asked by someone who is quite literally on the Sony payroll they are more on the mild side.  It's more of a 'getting to know the guy who replaced Phil Harrison' piece than anything else but there are a few interesting bits hidden behind the fluff.

Mr. Yoshida talks about why there are fewer third party ...

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The "Creativity" Award - Square Enix

Welcome to You Win! This GN feature has been put together to honor not only the best and the brightest in the videogame industry, but also the most useless, incompetent, and just plain foolish.

GN will be looking at industry news, announcements, game releases, retail, politics, marketing, corporate shake-ups, critics, and anything else that could possibly inspire us to create and bestow a brand new (and extra shiny) custom award as often as possible. The frequency of new "winners" is entirely up to how consistently awesome or despicable everyone chooses to be.

Today's award goes out to a publisher/developer who has mananged to win the hearts of vast throngs of gamers over the years. The combined force of Square Enix has created many popular games and franchises, from Final Fantasy to Dragon ...

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Square-Enix's iPod RPG out now

Guess what? Today Square-Enix's iPod tactics RPG is available for purchase in the iTunes store for $5. What's that? You didn't know Square was making an iPod RPG? Yeah, pretty much no one did until less than 24 hours ago.

Titled Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes, the game plays like a simpler version of Tactics, using the click wheel for movement and selecting actions. (Sorry, iPod Touch owners, but this is for click wheels only.)

To take advantage of its unique platform, Square-Enix threw in a feature where your characters are created based on which songs you select. Like Monster Rancher with CDs, each song in your library gives you various class- and level-type characters based on a variety of factors.

Don't expect a huge epic Square-Enix RPG, but who could turn down an offer to get a Mons...

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Brian Bendis comments on the deceased Marvel Unive...

Comicmix.com recently held an interview with Brian Michael Bendis (read: longtime writer for Marvel comics) and though the subject of the interview was meant to be about hardcore comic matters such as Skrulls and Dire Wraiths, the conversation nevertheless shifted towards videogames.

As it turns out, Bendis himself is a big gamer, but beyond that he was also an executive producer on the tragically departed Marvel Universe MMO. (I still have the introduction video saved on my 360's hard drive. It hurts too much to delete it and admit that it's gone.)

Perhaps the most heart-breaking part of Marvel Universe's cancellation is that nobody ever bothered to tell us why. One day it was there, and one day it wasn't. From the sound of Bendis's own words, that's pretty much the same way the folks on t...

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Start earning Fable II money early

You can never have enough money when it comes to RPGs. Snagging the best loot early on makes the first few levels a breeze, making what could be a terrible grind more manageable. So how would Fable fans like the chance to earn all the money they could possibly want before Fable II hits? If you've got spare time, a love for mini-games, and extra dollars burning a hole in your pocket then pre-ordering Fable II is the answer.

Microsoft is launching an incentive program where those who slap down the extra dollars can have access to several mini-games all based around money earning mini-games which can then be used in Fable II once it launches. No cap has been mentioned by either the Microsoft or Lionhead camp, so conceieveably gamers could be sitting on a truckload on money come Fable II's lau...

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