MOVED TO: InsiderGamersLoop.com

It’s official, we’ve moved over to http://www.insidergamersloop.com and you can find all of our current, past, and future content there.

The site design is spiffy, and we’ll be rolling out all new content over there, so check it out.

Video of 20 Minute Farcry 2 Demo

[Dreamhack Media]

Ubisoft’s Farcry 2 is set to release this October and anticipation is high for the upcoming first-person shooter.

While this demo does feature one not so impressive moment, for the most part it does a good job of showing come core gameplay and gives us a look at some of the dynamic systems in the game, including enemy A.I. The graphics are hard to appreciate on the cam quality video (particularly on Youtube), but rest assured the game will look great.

Enjoy.

Leaked K-Mart Flyer Shows 360 Price Cut

[Team Xbox]

A “leaked” flyer from K-Mart has recently surfaced online that shows the Xbox 360 for a “new low price” of $299.99 USD. There is no indication on the flyer that said price is part of any sale or special bundle. And in fact, “new low price” would seem to suggest this to be a permanent price cut. As Team Xbox points out, the inclusive of Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution and Don King Presents Prizefighter seem to confirm this is a new ad. It should also be noted, however, that while this flyer is reportedly from K-Mart there is no distinguishing feature or logo that indicates any specific retailer.

Speculation on a price drop for the Premium Xbox 360 has been high over the past few months, with consumers wary of the high price tag on the 360 Elite, and less enthusiastic about the Arcade version of the system which doesn’t feature a harddrive out of the box. Now we’re left to wonder whether or not a price drop on the Premium configuration also signals price drops for the other two versions of the system. Could we possibly see a drop on the Arcade to $249, matching the Wii’s retail price tag? Or even the Elite going down to $399 matching the PS3 40GB model? Moreover, does Microsoft really need to drop the price and would it give them the advantage over Sony and Nintendo in overall bang-for-buck value?

We should find out whether or not these rumors are true and how they work out for Microsoft some time soon. Stay tuned.

DRM Plagues Mass Effect For the PC. EA Nearly Refuses to Admit It.

[The Consumerist]

Mass Effect was one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed games of 2007 when it released on the Xbox 360, and quickly ascended to the top of the list as one of the greatest RPGs of all-time. But as those who are familiar with the evils of over protective rights management systems (particularly in the US), DRM can ruin even the best of things.

The DRM (Digital Rights Management) on Mass Effect was heavily scrutinized by fans even before the game’s release on PC, as it was rumored to require an online re-authentication every ten days. While it’s not uncommon for a PC game to require an authentication to verify it is a legally purchased version of the game, such a frequent check-in system was immediately labeled as an inconvenience for users and an accusatory practice aimed at legitimate consumers. EA ended up eliminating the re-authentication process before the game’s launch.

Nevertheless, it’s now become apparent that Mass Effect will still be plagued by cumbersome DRM restrictions. As users learned through first hand experience and through persistent questioning on the Mass Effect message boards, a user can only install the game three times before one runs out of official activations. At first glance this may not seem like such a heavy restriction, but as anyone who is familiar with PC gaming can attest to, it’s an absurd restriction that can nearly cripple someone’s experience. First and foremost, the average user will almost always have to reinstall at least once for a myriad of reasons (configuration issues, hardware complications, etc), counting the initial install one would already be down to just one install left. What if you purchase a new computer and want to install Mass Effect on that new machine? Go for it, but that third install will be your last, leaving you with almost no options after the fact. What if users need to reinstall the operating system for an unrelated reason? A lot of people do reinstalls regularly as a part of PC maintenance. I could go on, but suffice to say there are a whole host of reasons why one would need to install a copy of the game they purchased more than three times.

Many users thought the DRM on Mass Effect would at least mirror that of the DRM on Bioshock for the PC, allowing users to gain an activation after uninstalling the game, but that isn’t the case. So even if you were to uninstall the game (clearly an antithesis to anything resembling an unfair or illegal use of the product you purchased), you would still be left out in the cold after three installs.

As if restricting their buyers’ experience and treating them as criminals was not bad enough, EA has had the nerve to give the fans the PR run around, almost seemingly unable to answer a simple question in regards to the amount of activation keys a user has. In a thread on the Mass Effect forums, one user outlines his attempts at getting a straight answer out of EA customer service reps, which often only resulted in inane answers devoid of any real substance that didn’t even come close to answering the actual question.

After several attempts and a persistent line of questioning, ‘Ares Draxus’ of the Mass Effect forums finally got his answer from EA, quote, “Unfortunately, you will not gain an activation by uninstalling the game.”

Meaning quite simply, three strikes and you’re out.

We will note that there should be some way to call EA support and rectify the situation, and gain some more activation keys, but that presumably comes after a long drawn out call on their hotline and jumping through at least four flaming hoops.

You can visit the link at the top of this post to read more about this story on The Consumerist website, or click here to read the original post on the Mass Effect forums for yourself.

Wii ‘Lightsaber Game’ Finally Revealed by LucasArts

[Newsarama]

After being one of the initial areas of speculation following the reveal of the Wii remote all the back in 2005, and after being rumored significantly for roughly a year now, LucasArts has finally officially announced Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels, a game that will be more appropriately known as ‘the Wii Lightsaber game’.

The game will naturally feature players holding their Wiimotes like the hilt of a lightsaber and wildly flailing around their living rooms in some attempt to capture the elegant and fierce rhythm of lightsaber battles found in the Star Wars movies. Naturally, fanboys everywhere are rejoicing.

Should the game mechanics be pulled off just right we could be rewarded with a satisfying realization of all the Wii’s potential. The game is being developed by Krome Studios, the same developer who is crafting the Wii, PS2, and PSP versions of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed .

The game will be set in the Clone Wars era, specifically based on the Clone Wars animated series and feature characters exclusively from the series and time period (meaning no Vader). You can find a trailer for Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels (out this holiday season) below.

Halo: The Cole Protocol

[Bungie.net]

Bungie has announced the next chapter in the Halo universe, a new novel entitled Halo: The Cole Protocol. The next Halo novel is to be penned by up and coming science fiction writer Tobias S. Buckell (Crystal Rain, Ragamuffin).

The only details we have right now are that the novel will center around the fate of Spartan Gray Team, once thought lost. For those of you who are legitimate hardcore fans of the Halo universe in its entirety (no, not just the games, but all of it) you will undoubtedly have your interest piqued at the mention of “Gray Team”. To refresh your memory, and to brief the uninitiated, of all the Spartan IIs trained alongside Master Chief, all but three are accounted for in some way (Missing in Action, retired due to injury suffered during training, or Killed in Action), with the exception of three that were designated “Gray Team”. These were the Spartans famously described in Eric Nylund’s Halo: Fall of Reach as being “in fields of battle too distant to be recalled” a phrase that seems built to setup something interesting.

While it is somewhat disappointing that Eric Nylund (author of Fall of Reach, Halo: First Strike, and Halo: Ghosts of Onyx) won’t be resuming his role as novelist of the Halo universe, it seems Buckell is a promising author with plenty of potential, and great opportunity to expand on some tantalizing content.

Click the link above to read more about the author on Bungie.net.

Playstation Network Possibly Seeing Some Updates

[Joystiq]

Joystiq is reporting on two leaked images supposedly showing a new feature to be added to the PS3 and Playstation Network in the highly anticipated 2.40 firmware update. The image to your right shows what appears to be different levels of trophies and a user avatar. The idea (in theory anyway) is to ascend to higher tiers through accumulation of “trophy points” gained by winning “trophies” presumably through in-game feats, mirroring the popular Achievements feature of Xbox Live. However, as you reach higher levels of trophy status, the number of points required to reach the next level will increase. So essentially, instead of bragging about your high Gamer Score (as one would on XBL), you would boast of your high trophy level.

Another tip later received by Joystiq claimed that players would now have a profile page, that resembles a “gamer card” of sorts (see below), that would display their trophies and level. Additionally, it would seem that these features will be accessible in-game through the use of a slightly updated PS button functionality. Pressing the PS button once will now apparently bring up the XMB menu in-game, allowing access to these new features (and presumably a lot more) while holding down the PS button will bring up the menu we’re all currently used to.

At this point, however, we should caution that this is merely rumor at the moment, and none of it has been confirmed officially by Sony or any concrete source. These advances in functionality seem logical enough to be true, but then good things don’t always happen.

The 2.40 firmware update for PS3s was originally dated for a June 10th release, but has since slipped into mid-June without making an appearance. Whenever we do see the new update from Sony, we’ll see if these new features make their way to PS3 owners or fall into the dusty closet of false rumors.

Kojima-san, the Metal Gear Solid Movie, and the Legacy of the Metal Gear Series

Push play.

Hideo Kojima has crafted not only one of the finest video game franchises ever, but over the last twenty years given us one of the very best stories ever told.

From the birth of Metal Gear, to the revolution of Metal Gear Solid, to the epic conclusion in Guns of the Patriots, Kojima-san has delivered a moving, intricate, and intense narrative that has challenged conventional methods in the video game industry, and in the realm of story telling as whole.

Captured in a sense of awe as I watched the opening sequence of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, I was mystified by the subtly of this legend that is Metal Gear; the careful cinematography, the isolated cords striking throughout a haunting score, the game’s thesis statement delivered by the aging protagonist – it was as elegant as it was striking and captivating.

Through such powerful delivery Hideo Kojima has given us more than simply innovative gameplay, and intriguing plot, he’s proven his ability to communicate in the most subtle of ways, through sight and sound, and even the unseen or unheard – his distinct style, the fingerprint saturated into every inch of what he does, is a testiment to his prowess as a story teller.

With that in mind, one has to wonder if it’s right to let anyone other than Kojima helm a Metal Gear experience, in the realm of video games or otherwise. Specifically in regards to the confirmed, but not yet dated, Metal Gear Solid movie, I can’t help but be baffled when debates break out over who should direct such a film; it’s as if asking, during the life-time of Michelangelo, under whose brush should the Sistine Chapel be repainted – it’s almost insulting to consider anyone else.

Although Kojima has already stated he won’t work on another Metal Gear game, he is working as an Executive Producer (and presumably screenwriter) on the upcoming film. The thought of another director/designer working on a Metal Gear game is different issue entirely, one which I won’t get into now. Whether or not he wants to develop another Metal Gear game is entirely up to him, but as for a movie, Kojima must direct, it simply isn’t a legitimate Metal Gear experience otherwise.

Since the announcement of a Metal Gear Solid movie we’ve heard the nonstop buzz of the rumor mill spilling over whispers of potential directors to guide the film. Kurt Wimmer (Ultraviolet, Equilibrium) was one such name that sent a shiver through the collective spine of the Metal Gear fan base. Thankfully Collider.com dispelled that rumor in an interview with Mike De Luca, one of the producers on the film. Although De Luca did state that, “Kurt is like one of many people we’re talking to about pitching us back a take on adapting the franchise.” And went on to say that Sony and Kojima were hearing the ideas of many different writers about ways to adapt the series to film.

While it’s encouraging to see that Kojima will keep a close oversight on who will shape this movie, as I explained earlier, what has made Solid Snake, Liquid, Big Boss, and the Metal Gear series so captivating is not merely the action sequences or the plot – it’s the immeasurable something that Hideo Kojima brings to the experience. Hideo Kojima is a genius, and this series the child of his genius. If the Metal Gear Solid movie is to be the quintessence of everything that is Metal Gear, it requires the secret ingredient that only comes from his mind, in the most direct way possible.

Of course, we know he will fill the role of Executive Producer, and in many ways will shape this movie, but a director has more control over a film than any other one person. And while it’s not always the case, the Executive Producer role as often been called the “do nothing producer” in jest, as it’s often seen as a far away overseeing role, with little direct involvement. As for how much or little Kojima decides to influence this film, that’s yet to be seen. What’s for certain is that the more he gets his hands on this movie, the better it will be.

Throughout the Metal Gear series Kojima has pushed the boundaries of story telling in games, and continued to seamlessly blend cinematics with gameplay. He is a director. Anyone who has played through any of the Metal Gear Solid games can attest to the fine cinematic sequences that rival, and often surpass, those seen in Hollywood movies. While often times Hollywood will shun the creator of source material in an adaptation, Kojima is the one man with the vision and experience to cross over mediums. He’s proven since 1998 (and some would argue even before than) that he understands, and in fact has mastered, a cinematic experience.

Visions of Frank Miller’s Sin City emanate through my mind as I ponder this subject. Granted the stories and creators are as different as you can get, but the situations do warrant comparison. Frank Miller is Sin City, it’s his and he created it. And although he shares the director credit for the Sin City movie with Robert Rodriguez, everyone knows (even Rodriguez) that Sin City is Frank Miller’s, and if anyone should bring it to life in any medium, it’s the series’ creator.

I’m not saying a Metal Gear Solid movie can’t be good without Kojima directing, but understand that without a WRITTEN & DIRECTED credit attributed to Hideo Kojima, it simply won’t be complete.

In the Metal Gear universe there is one singular figure around which everything revolves, his existence, and the role he has played through the most pivotal of moments has shaped everything that we know. In a real world comparison it’s easy to see, Hideo Kojima is Big Boss. To Metal Gear he is the most important person there could ever be – he always has been, he always will be. No matter what.

Resident Evil 5 Only On 360?

With fans still waiting for the release date to hit for Resident Evil 5, and with the trailer hitting the E3 back in 2005 there are sources out there now that RE5 might just be an Xbox 360 exclusive. A GameStop listing shows that the title was to go on the 360 but having the PlayStation 3 in the dark. This is really hard to come by even try to believe because of the fact that RE5 was announced as a multi-platform title months and months ago. Come on, a least keep one side of the table clean. Capcom Senior Director of Communications Chris Kramer came back with this so called information that, “Resident Evil 5 is coming for PS3 and 360.” This story can also be found at www.kotaku.com Kotaku pointed out that online retailer Amazon had a similar hitch in the listing of the games, “the Xbox 360 version having a release date scheduled for October, but nothing for its PS3 counterpart.”We haven’t given either retailer any new information on the game, so it’s most likely hiccups in the system,” he said “The goal is for both products to ship simultaneously, as Devil May Cry 4 just did. It sounds a bit off the wall to us, but Microsoft has done an admirable job of securing exclusive content from Capcom in the past.”  Still I look back on this information and just smile as to the fact that sales of the Devil May Cry 4 on the PS3 in Japan sky rocket, it doesn’t seem to make much financial sense. Which even that the company has a main focus on multi-plat forming but still I’m going to keep my eyes on this story and see how it’s going to progress.

Sticks and Stones Nintendo!

Last weekend the director for the marketing for Nintendo’s European division, Laurent Fischer made concerns that the Wii’s memory space was to small, later on Fischer said that only “geeks and otaku” would want more memory space on their Wii. This story can also be found on www.mediapost.com. The term “otaku” in Japanese occasionally suggests a creepy, obsessive loner who rarely leaves the house. Way to go Mr. Fischer! Later Fischer made an apology saying, “I have huge respect for those who, like me, share a common passion for Nintendo and want to make it clear that I would never use and I didn’t use this terminology in such a context or way to cause offense,” he said. “I regret that this misunderstanding has created such offense and disappointment within the community.” With this comment, it open an interesting window into Nintendo’s position in the market. We all know that Nintendo is the oldest player in the current console war and that the Wii sales are up but still the Wii console is not for the hardcore audience. The Wii’s hardware hasn’t been fully utilized yet, said from the MediaPost. These purchasing habits of the famous Wii owners don’t seem to match the number of hardcore gamers out there. Numbers show that in the last quarter of 2008 that the Wii sales  figures has been leading the other two but only three Wii titles broke into the top 10 list of best-selling games. Many Wii gamers seem to be sticking with a small library of games consisting mostly of Wii Sports.

Now knowing that Nintendo is aiming to do without the “geeks and otaku” which makes up the fandom’s of the other two consoles.

 

Thank you

 

Jhard713