In an industry populated by a swamp of sequels, remakes, annualization, and all manner of money-raking tactics from game publishers, an analyst states classics are hard to get by. Unless developers are treated as artists, he states, true innovation will be a long shot at best.

This is a message conveyed by Pacific Crest Securities analyst Evan Wilson in an email interview with MTV Multiplayer. He states that today’s gaming scene is so restrictive to creativity that it takes a Will Wright or Hideo Kojima pedigree most of the time to really get what you want done.

Case in point, he states, is this analogy: Ken Levine can drop out of the BioShock team and the series would go on. Publishers think of developers as parts to a greater whole which can be interchanged. It’s not the same as in the movie industry wherein if George Lucas died today, the Star Wars series will probably see an end as well.

There are very few people in this world who know how to create hits,” he stated. “Not create a hit, but create multiple hits.

The key for long-term success, Wilson says, is enriching talent with time and investment. If publishers realize that game makers are the stars of this business, they wouldn’t have to be pressured to come up with flat sequels and expansions on an annual basis.

Wilson didn’t miss the chance to take a swipe at Electronic Arts, known for its sequel-churning ways to generate fast returns to its investments. “I ve been critical of EA for the last few years and it is common knowledge among gamers that their brand has been tarnished due to deteriorating quality, he comments.

Name a groundbreaking new piece of software that has emerged from one of the large U.S. video game publishers in the last few years,” he concludes. Spore could be a rare example. Any surprise it took a Will Wright to create it?

source pc.qj.net

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You guys might want to know that the developers behind the upcoming title Bionic Commando (Computer, Xbox 360, PS3) have started to stir things up a bit. Over at the game’s official website, they have made it known that something is coming this way.

Apparently, a large piece of news is going to be released sometime in the future. Capcom recently invited some members of the press for an event, though they were decidedly cryptic regarding the whole thing. What they did mention was that it was “the first step to announcing another huge piece of news in the Bionic Commando world.”

In the meantime, producer Ben Judd said that there will be some exclusive videos which are going to be posted in the very near future when the “3 Days of the Commando” kicks off.

That’s just about it for now for this update. Anticipate us to provide you with the big news when it hits the internet. In the meantime, you may want to read up on the game, just in case.

Pre-Order: [Bionic Commando (PS3)]
Pre-Order: [Bionic Commando (Xbox 360)]

source pc.qj.net

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If you guys want to know more about the things that can be found in Electronic Arts‘ upcoming soccer game UEFA Euro 2008 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, Personal computer), then you definitely came to the right place.

We got information on the subtle features found in the game. One of the most interesting things in the game is the addition of Negative Tactics, wherein it balances the advantages between top teams and weak teams.

It surely will introduce something new to the gameplay. There’s also the creation of star players in matches. The game will be recording stats according to every match played. The system ranks players through a gold, silver, and bronze star system.

There’s a possibility that you might be on top now, but if you play poorly, you might just end up being one of the worst out there. Furthermore, details on the face are now noticeable in the create your own player mode under Captain Your Country.

Facial snapshot that are taken will show up in the menu screens during the game mode. Now it’s something that adds more visual depth to the game. As for the whistling, when players play away games a certain type of whistling occurs.

When the away team has the ball, this kind of whistling will make you feel uncomfortable, enough to make you think that they don’t like you. If you do manage to prove your worth, the away crowd will stop intimidating you.

How’s this for reality? It’s really something that can affect the way you play. Aside from these, there are a few more subtle features in the game. These are the Closing Comment, Commentary Names, and Score Updates.

You can check them out via the source link down below. Don’t forget to come back to QJ.NET for more updates on this game.

Buy: [UEFA Euro 08 (PS3)]
Buy: [UEFA Euro 08 (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [UEFA Euro 08 (PSP)]

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In an interview with Games Industry, Relentless Software’s co-founder David Amor shared some of his thoughts regarding the state of video games.

He said that during at this time, video games won’t be able to crossover from gaming consoles to a broader entertainment device. Amor stated that, as of the moment, the video games are still “miles away” from reaching the mass market.

But as time passes by, Amor believes that with each generation that comes along, the stigma on video games will become decreasingly apparent. Amor added that some games that have been able to help reshape the way people view video games.

Even if this happens to be the case, video games still have a long road ahead before they can reach the mass market. Amor said:

So the stigma’s gone away, people are realizing that it can appeal to a wider set of people, mothers and fathers are playing Brain Training, Buzz!, SingStar, so it’s certainly going in the right direction, but we’re a long way off real mass market.

If you only appeal to a certain section of people, you can’t get the hardware sales beyond a certain point.

If you guys want to know about that David Amor had to say in the interview, you can read the full log by visiting the source link below. Don’t forget to check up on our site for more news.

source pc.qj.net

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We got rumored information on the developments circulating around the event of Sega closing down their UK Racing Studio. It seems that Codemasters might be able to save all the company’s employees, if not at least some.

There have been reports from the people inside the studio that Sega was apparently trying to sell the racing studio to another company. In addition to this, some sources from inside the studio have cited that Codemasters is one of the primary suitors. It could only be speculated that the company is nearing the event of signing a deal.

Regarding this matter, Codemasters have refused to give out a comment on the rumored information. So far, nothing official has been set or released, so we’re keeping our eyes peeled for more info. Stay tuned.

source pc.qj.net

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Megawhat.tv get a first look at LG’s Latest offering to its Black Label Range, the Secret.

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Ever since the first screenshots of Dead Space, Electronic Arts‘ sci-fi, horror shooter currently in the works for the PlayStation 3, Windows, and the Xbox 360, introduced its leading protagonist in another suit, there have been some chit-chats revolving around how it looked.

Some have noted that it seemed the alien-bashing Isaac Clarke donned a functional suit for mechanical space maintenance, and as art director Ian Milham explained, it was meant to look that way:

Isaac’s look came about through a lot of thinking and designs. The key idea is that Isaac is an Engineer, not a Space Marine. His outfit had to look functional and utilitarian, basically like a space welder. He’s very specifically not designed to be shot at, and he doesn’t have macho armor plates all over him.

But the overall conception of the suit – coupled with an integral add-on referred to as the RIG – boiled down to what Isaac was in the game’s plot. So that suit he was snugly fit into didn’t stop bullets or cushion from high-velocity, high-force impacts. As Milham explained:

Isaac’s suit and RIG are functional mining equipment designed to help him survive and augment his strength for lifting and cutting, not fight aliens. The idea is kind of like taking the loader from the end of Aliens and evolving it 400 years or so.

Though the art design of Dead Space was inspired from a collection of the most memorable alien-horror films and survival-horror games in existence, Milham wasn’t about to tread on every path traveled before.

To give the color and set the mood of the survival-horror shooter, Milham decided that it was ideal to determine what hues would suit the unlikely and woefully equipped hero, his dilemma, and his hazardous adventure. In the end, EA Redwood Shores, the studio behind the game, selected the tried-and-tested “warm and decayed” feel and theme. He also said:

So Isaac’s suit was warm colored, instead of the super slick chrome/black suits you might see in Crysis or another Sci-Fi shooter. But we also wanted him to be relatable, not a superman. So underneath that metal, his suit has familiar textures. Leather, cloth, and stuff like that.

More updates on Dead Space as we get them.

Buy: [ Dead Space (PlayStation 3), (Xbox 360) ]

source pc.qj.net

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