[Source: Playstation Blog]

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Anyone following Atlus should have a pretty solid glimpse of what they are all about. Even though they are in the gaming business, they don’t strive to make something lighthearted serious. In fact, they intend to bolster that idea both with their upcoming title 3D Dot Game Heroes and this particular vignette. Titled “The Most Interesting Hero in 3D”, this quick video shows some of the bigger enemies and bullet points of the game.

3D Dot Game Heroes is slated for a North American release on May 11, 2010. Be sure to check back at Spawn Kill for the latest on this action/adventure title.

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The main campaign of BFBC was as hilarious as it was action-packed. Did you decide to continue that trend with this game or has the focus shifted more to the intricacies of combat?

Lo Wallmo: We are trying to move more toward a serious tone in this game compared to the last game. I think some people were a little bit put off by the humor. Some people thought it was a little bit too corny, maybe. We tried to move toward a more serious military game, but still maintain the essence of the characters, which is pretty funny. They’re supposed to be funny guys and you’re supposed to feel like they’re real people and not like crazy killing machines.

So you think that’s to create more attachment to the characters, to give them more personality?

Lo Wallmo: I would think so, yeah. The characters have real hearts. You’ll like to experience this adventure together with them.

Has the health system been revamped in any way? It became cumbersome to keep using the shot over and over.

Lo Wallmo: It was a decision we made pretty early to remove that [the shot] and go for a more standard rejuvenating health system, where you duck into cover and recover your health.

Is there a set level cap for the multiplayer? And what of perks, leveling up, etc. like in MW2?

Lo Wallmo: There is a cap at level 25. Our perk system is customizable. You select the kind of bonuses you would like to apply to your character as you unlock them, so for instance if you have more health, you can have that, but you don’t get to do more damage with your explosives. So there is an either/or system, where you select one perk that is available to you — you might want to scope out your gun or you might want more ammo. You can select the perks you want.

Was the same graphics engine used in the original game implemented this time?

Lo Wallmo: Yes, it’s the same, just optimized. There has been a lot of work done to improve the rendering so we can show more cool stuff on the screen.

Can we expect to see a little more character development? I grew to love the characters and hoped for more intimate departures into their personalities with the original game.

Lo Wallmo: The characters have their own ride, each and every one of them, throughout the campaign. You’ll see that they have their ups and down. They’ll definitely be different than they were at the beginning of the game near the ending.

With the popularity of ME2’s Cerberus Network, since you’re launching day-one DLC quite similar to that, can players expect to see any free maps or characters?

Lo Wallmo: Absolutely. There is a pack of maps being announced for launch that are free, but there is also going to be paid DLC, which we will make sure is not as game-changing. There will be more things to supplement the game with later on.

What about BFBC2 should attract players scorned by the bugs and various annoyances brought on by MW2? What are you anticipating will draw in that audience? The multiplayer? A mindblowing campaign?

Lo Wallmo: We really feel like players should have an equal opportunity to enjoy the game and not be bugged by cheaters. That’s why we feel strongly about dedicated servers for this game to keep the important parts of the code away from the players. That’s something we feel strongly about. It should be fair for everyone.

Do you feel that BFBC2 is trying to bring in people with a mind-blowing campaign or is there a focus on one or the other? Or is there a good balance of effort put into both pieces?

Lo Wallmo: Hands down, we are most focused on the multiplayer aspects, as we have a lot of pedigree there from the Battlefield franchise in the past, but we also love creating single-player games and put more focus into it this time around, so I would hope that it’s 50/50, but our heart has been in the multiplayer and online. “Online vehicle warfare” is kind of our tagline. It’s what we like.

How long do you think the campaign is?

Lo Wallmo: About 6 to 10 hours, depending on how you play.

Thanks for doing the interview with us! It was a pleasure!

Thank you.

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In the realm of Kala Moor, people have been mysteriously vanishing. Vicious fiends from below the earth have been surfacing and wreaking havoc across the land. When offered a vast reward to find missing townspeople, protagonists E’lara and Caddoc set out to unravel the mystery of the blight and rescue theinnocents.

Players will be given a choice between these specific characters: E’lara, a “ranged weapon” expert, and Caddoc, a skilled swordsman. Each of the protagonists/players will have access to various weapons and augmenting spells. The game itself takes advantage of the notion of cover mechanics, letting players play tactfully or direct. Players will also be able to pull off combination attacks, as well as heal each other regardless of proximity.

Bethesda is confident that Hunted: The Demon’s Forge will appeal to a variety of gamers, from action/hack ‘n’ slash to first-person shooters. The game takes full advantage of the Unreal engine and offers highly-detailed environments set in locations such as vast forests, damp dungeons, haggard towns, and ancient ruins.

If the concept isn’t enough to sell gamers, Bethesda was kind enough to include a handful of screenshots indicating how the game looks so far. Though no release date has been confirmed, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge may be coming out this year.

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Modern Warfare 2

According to 1Up.com the price was announced by Robert Bowling on the Major Nelson’s weekly podcast. Even though their competition, DICE’s Battlefield Bad Company 2, will be releasing a free map pack on the same day, I can’t see IW or Activision backing down from this price. The maps in MW2 don’t bother me as much as the unbalanced perks do but having the fan favorite Crash and Overgrown could add some enjoyment to the game, if it plays well with all the new perks and kill streaks. The map pack is due out March 30^th on the Xbox 360 but no dates have been set for PS3 or PC but I assume that it will release on the PS3 on April 1^st.

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In Green Day: Rock Band players will step into the shoes of the Northern Californian band and play through the story and history of Green Day. As players progress they will unlock more than 100 collectible images and over 40 minutes of unreleased videos from interviews, outtakes and performances. The set list from the punk-pop band spans the entire career including “Brain Stew,” “Jaded,” “Hitchin’ a Ride,” “American Idiot,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” The already released Green Day tracks can be imported into the upcoming title and will have added vocal harmonies, unique performance visuals and exclusive archival material.  Green Day: Rock Band as the standalone game will release at the standard $59.99 on Xbox and PS3 and $49.99 on the Wii. Gamers can also pick up the “Plus” version of the game which costs $10 more but will come with a special package and all 6 DLC Green Day tracks already released which is a $22 value. Hopefully with the release date set so soon after the announcement of the game we won’t simply be getting a track pack title but we’ll know more about the game in the months to come.

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The first part of the demo will be the bathroom interrogation scene, which if you haven’t seen it yet it’s pretty brutal. The next part will fast forward you to a later part of the game to give you a preview of the story and showcase the new gameplay. For those who don’t know, Splinter Cell: Conviction can be played more like an action/shooter rather than a stealth title, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go old school and stealthily take out all enemies. You will also be able to check out the marking system which allows you to plan your attack ahead of time and execute it with perfection. The demo trailer can be accessed via the Spotlight section on Xbox Live and make sure you check back with us for our demo impressions this week.

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So what will gamers be getting from the pre-order bonuses? If you pre-order from GameStop gamers will get Kratos and his “Kart of Chaos”, if you pre-order from Amazon and get Ratchet or Clank and their karts, and pre-ordering from Best Buy will net you Nathan Drake and his “Jungle Jeep”.  Each pre-order will come with an additional bonus mystery mod and kart package that will include additional accessories to make your own creations but more information on those mystery items very soon. They all look too awesome to pass up but the Nathan Drake bonus is probably the one I’m going with. Where will you be pre-ordering ModNation Racers?

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MLB 2K10

“Workaround One” Most Effective

When attempting to connect, make sure it connects to the first attempt the game tries. If it moves to another connection, then simply cancel and try again. This may take a little bit longer (about 2 minutes) than connecting via workaround two.

“Workaround Two” Effective

When you select a ranked game, it will say “loading online roster” and then “restoring default roster” and move on to connect to a player. However, after it attempts to connect to another user afterwards, it will sometimes say “restoring default roster” a second time. If you see the “restoring default roster” a second time, then the glitch will happen. Simply press “A” to cancel the connection and try a ranked game again.

You should only see the game say “restoring default roster” once. Anymore than one time will cause the glitch.

Now I can’t say I’m surprised as NBA 2K10 also suffered from online issues so gamers can only hope that a patch for this issue is released much sooner than the first patch that hit the NBA title.

[Source: 2Ksports.com ]

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• League Mode – Choose your favorite club and lead them to domestic league glory. Begin your campaign as the new manager with a mission to lead your club to greatness. Take on the challenge for turning around your team’s fortunes by winning matches, earning In Game Currency and using the proceeds to sign new players improve your chances of winning future games.Play offline against the CPU and measure your progress against friends. Showcase your football skills and management expertise and challenge friends to do better by earning Manager Experience Points (XP).

   

• Co-op Mode and Versus Mode – Join your friends in playing their league matches or challenge them to a 1 on 1 club match.

• Manager System – Slip on the old sheepskin coat and take control of your team. Man-manage your squad to get the best out of them. Select the first 11, choose the formation and make the key mid-match decisions that make the hallmarks of the next great club manager.

• 100% Mouse Play Controls – New fixes include:
  • New practice drills
  • More details in tutorials
  • New, intuitive controls for Through ball and Lob through ball
  • Mouse lock to window for windowed mode
  • Auto-Pause on Alt-Tab

• Inventory System – Earn special rewards at the end of each match in the form of Player Equipment. Improve your players abilities with boots that improve shooting, drinks that replenish fatigue and much more.

In just two weeks of Closed Beat 1, over 25, 000 matches were played in FIFA Online. With all these new modes I expect that number to double.  The closed beta will run till March 18th. As always stay tuned at Spawn Kill for our hands on impressions of Closed Beta 2!

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Here are some features you can expect to see in MotoGP 09/10:

• Brand new exciting gameplay modes that deliver the ultimate GP racing experience
• 17 official circuits and all the bikes and riders from the 2009 GP season plus the ability to update the game with content from the 2010 championship as the season unfolds
• Gain Rider Reputation points through your achievements on the track and use these to progress your career with new offers of contracts, manufacturers, staff and sponsorship deals
• Dynamic racing objectives challenge riders during racing sessions
• Compete against riders across the globe in online multiplayer mode in races with up to 20 players
• Two player split screen allows you to compete against your friends locally
• Select from 125cc, 250cc and 800cc championships with each class delivering its own exciting and unique bike handling set up.
• Realistic AI which emulates a true racing pack with different rider styles and pace.
• Accessible handling for players of all levels to create an enjoyable racing experience

MotoGP 09/10 will be available at retailers across North America starting March 16. Fans will be able to compete in the most up-to-date racing experience earlier than ever before with the 2010 season content available to download free of charge shortly after launch. While you wait for the demo check out the new gameplay screens.

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Old-school RPG fans can now rejoice, for Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II are for the first time now available on mobile phones in North America. These iPhone releases mark the seventeenth (at least) re-release of the original Final Fantasy. Of course, these updated versions show all of the polish that comes with remastering a game once every year or so.

All joking aside, the two releases of these classics are some of the best-looking yet. The games feature further-revamped graphics and sound, as well as a new input mechanism to take advantage of the iPhone’s/iPod Touch’s touch-based interfaces. In an expected but still pleasurable addition, new dungeons have been included to both games. Check out the screenshots below to see how the game looks as well as how the interface has been redesigned.

The commemorate the release of these games, Square Enix is cutting the price point of several of their other iPhone/iPod offerings. Crystal Defenders is down to $5.99 from its previous price of $7.99, Vanguard Storm is $3.99 down from $4.99, Sliding Heroes is $0.99 down from $2.99, Hills and Rivers Remain $4.99 down from $6.99, and lastly, Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes is $7.99 down from $9.99. These prices will be effective between February 25th and March 3rd, 2010.

Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II will be available from the App Store as of today (February 25th) for the low price point of only eight dollars and ninety-nice cents American each. More information can be found on the game’s official website.

[Source: Press Release]

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En Masse Entertainment CEO Jae-Heon Yang reflects upon the team, stating that they are “experts in the fields of technology, online gaming, branding and localization.”

The first title that En Masse Entertainment will be bringing to the states is the Bluehole-developed Tera: The Exiled Realm of Arborea. This MMORPG is set to launch in Korea later this year, and will hit Western shores an undetermined amount of time afterwards.

While not much news has been launched about this upcoming title, the screenshots of the game show a lot of promise (these screens are actually from my personal video game wallpaper collection). Tera isn’t expected to usurp the popular World of Warcraft, but with it, Jae-Heon Yang is aiming to gain a strong foothold in the Western market.

[Source: Gamasutra]

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