“We wanted to do something really different with The House of the Dead: OVERKILL.  With SEGA we’ve been able to create a fresh look for the franchise. I think you’ll agree it’s like nothing you’ve seen before on Wii.”Bradley Crooks, Studio Head at Headstrong Game

The trailer emulates the style of a 70’s b-grade horror flick (think Grindhouse) looks like a great addition to Sega’s House of the Dead franchise.  Look for this to be released on Nintendo Wii next year.

“Paying homage to the pulp horror comics and films that inspired generations of gore fans, The House of the Dead: OVERKILL will expose gamers to a brand-new fleshy rollercoaster ride of revolting dismemberment. This is the hardcore Wii title you’ve been waiting for.”
Gary Knight, European Marketing Director at SEGA Europe

I recently picked up a copy of Alone in the Dark and to my surprise I have found it quite entertaining. Before the games release in June I actually had anticipated it’s release for two reason - survival horror is one of my favorite genres (the original 1992 release invented the genre) and I really enjoyed Eden Games last release (Test Drive: Unlimited). Of course my expectations diminished greatly after reading the mostly mediocre and negative reviews that rolled in. If you were like me you may have missed out on a great game.

Atari released Alone in the Dark on multiple platforms - Wii, 360 and PC (with a PS3 version due later this year) so please keep in mind the following are my impressions of the Xbox 360 version.

The game has a medium learning curve and except for a few times early in the game while I was getting the hang of it, I actually found the controls for each mode of play to be intuitive and well thought out for the most part. You might consider them quirky since some of the actions are unique to this title. I recall the classic Alone in the Dark forced you to use the keyboard and I remember that I preferred to use a joystick or gamepad for control, but once I familiarized myself with the controls they actually worked surprisingly well.

I found the variety of gameplay elements to be well done - I like the realistic physics and detailed character interactions. Eden introduces a unique inventory system that allows you to access your inventory without pausing the game. Thankfully you can combine items in logical ways and having to manage the limited space inside your jacket does make it more realistic. Keeping Edward from bleeding to death by spraying medicine to areas injured and having to apply bandages made certain parts of the game quite intense. Action sequences played well and I liked how the camera switches to over the shoulder Resident Evil 4 style when you fire your gun.

The driving in the game was a bit of a disappointment. The instruments on the dashboard surprisingly didn’t function while driving and the segments themselves were quite linear.

The characters voice acting quality varies widely, but for a video game is adequate. I also found the story to be pretty good - not nearly as good as the originals Lovecraftian goodness but certainly comparable to the typical Silent Hill and Resident Evil fare. I also noticed that those who observed me playing the game appreciated the recap of key events and liked how when I finished an episode it was like it they were watching a show on TV.

I didn’t skip any sections via the DVD style index that turns each level into a episodes split into evenly spaced sections although I was very tempted to during a couple of the segments. Having this option available makes the game even more accessible and should help lower frustration levels for most and is a welcome feature.

Nintendo, hey Nintendo! It’s me. GlossGreen. Remember me? We used to play together as kids. Remember the time we used to play Zelda? No? How about Metroid? You don’t remember that either? I know, it was a long time ago, but you seem different these days. It seems like you’re trying to be someone else these days. What happened to you? I remember first meeting you way back in grade school. You were there to pick up the pieces after the whole Atari thing. Damn E.T., why did it have to be that bad? Luckily, you were there to swoop in and pick up the pieces. Seeing you in the store for the first time, I think it was a Sears, I remember being excited (as only a grade schooler could). I used to spend hours looking at the box art of games, heck, I even thought R.O.B. looked cool. I know, I was young and didn’t know better. Playing the games were great, I could actually tell the difference between my character and a rock. That was a huge improvement over the other guys stuff. We spent hours and hours having fun, and then things got better.

A few years later, you got a slight bit more mature and grew a tad bit bigger. You got smarter and became able to do some pretty cool things. Zelda looked better, Mario could do more things, and Samus had more toys. Those were the good old days, some say the best. I have many good memories playing through those years, but changes were on the wind. A new media for games was on the horizon and you tried to join in. CDs were going to be the next big thing for games. They were cheaper, had more storage, and hell, people just thought they were cool. Too bad you made the wrong choice.

I still stuck by you…for a while. I didn’t care that you still used cartridges while the other systems started using CDs. You still had some great games. All the usual suspects were there, and some new ones too. I spent many, many hours playing Rogue Squadron, my favorite Star Wars game to date. Unfortunately, all was not well. At the time, I was starting a family and had a job that didn’t pay so well, and there in lies the rub. New games for you ended up costing nearly $70. I couldn’t believe it. Why the heck were you so expensive? I know things weren’t going well for you against your former partner, but did you really have to cost so damn much? Were you trying to alienate all your friends? Let me tell you, price gauging is not cool. After that things got worse.

I didn’t even recognize you the next time you hit the spotlight. You went from a cherished family friend to…a toy. That’s what I thought. Sure, Resident Evil looked pretty good, but a cube shape? With a handle? Let’s get one thing straight, you were not a portable system. The handle was just stupid. What really got me was the fact that you didn’t learn your lesson from the last time. Hello, remember the CD fiasco? Anyone? Why the miniature discs? That’s just like a racehorse on the track with a broken leg. You can get some mileage out of it, but it won’t go far. I an not ashamed to admit that I turned my back on you then. I thought you’d be done for sure.

Revolution. Now that was a cool name and it showed that you were going to try something new. I was interested, even though I’d sworn you off the last time. You had some big plans and ideas that really impressed me. But you let me down again. What did you choose instead? Wii. What the hell were you thinking? Underwhelming hardware with a stupid name. Looking back at it now, I’d say you were in it for the money. Go cheap with the hardware and take advantage of everyone with garbage software. Even with the occassional Mario, Zelda, or Metroid game you have still lost me. I know you are making money hand over fist these days, but let’s be honest. How long do you think this can possibly last? I can see it now, death by shovelware. With games like Gingerbread Man, who needs enemies?

Things aren’t over yet, I know you are only half way into your second year and there is still plenty of time to fix things. First, get quality back. Remember the Nintendo Seal of Quality? I took heart knowing that you actually looked at the games that developers were trying to get on your system. Sure, the occassional bad game made it through, but nothing like the old 2600 days. Nothing like an E.T. to be seen. Second, get some games that people like me would actually play. Wii Sports? No. Cooking Mama? Hell no. Ging…Stop right there. You see my point? Remember the old days. Strive for excellent, fun games. Don’t just do it because you can. I know Nintendo could slap the Wii name on a rock and sell millions of them, but it doesn’t mean they should.

With Sony recently adding Warhawk to their Greatest Hits line there are many new players heading online for the first time.

Since the game has been available almost a year new players will inevitably find themselves competing with opponents that have been perfecting their skills since last Halloween. To help aid the frustration that may incur, Brady Games has made the following training video available.

If you are new to Warhawk you really should watch this video it’s got tons of great tips that make your online play much more enjoyable.

Creative Director Jens Andersen shares a preview of DC Universe Online out at Comic Con earlier today. This is the same walkthrough of SOE’s MMO that you would get if you attended the event.

Here are the latest screenshots:

Hey guys,

Lots of confusion thanks to the Qore announcement.

Here’s the deal. We are running a Public Beta, and you will have many ways to get in. The best way which will give you the earliest access to the beta will involve a pre-order program that should be announced soon, (for those of you who don’t know what pre-ordering is, you essentially reserve your copy with five dollars down, and that five dollars will go towards the price of the game when it releases).

For all of you folks outside of North America are up in arms because Qore is NA only, please don’t worry. This is one of many ways to get in, and we plan to make the beta available in all territories, as we need to test all servers and worldwide play.

Further details on how to get into the beta will be forthcoming.

I apologize for any confusion that has happened given the various offers beta codes. Rest assured, we understand how excited you all are to play Resistance 2, and we’re going to do our best to make sure the beta program runs as smoothly as possible.

If you have questions, post below. I’ll try to answer over the course of today.James Stevenson, Insomniac Games

In the meantime watch Resistance 2 footage from E3 hosted by Ted Price of Insomniac Games sharing details of the game for European fans.

[source]

Gamersyde was able to finish the level of MegaMan 9 that Capcom had available for play at this years E3.

If you want to try this yourself you will have to wait to wait to play MegaMan 9 at home, it’s becomes available for download via WiiWare this September for your Nintendo Wii.

You can watch the 2:45 of MegaMan 9 as captured by Gamersyde at E3 2008 below.

Here is compilation of XNA community created games that are featured this year at the XNA Gamefest that is being held in right now in Seattle, Washington.  The XNA Gamefest will also be held this year in London, England August 7th and Tokyo, Japan September 4th and 5th.

Prices will be set at 200 MS points for games 50MB and under, with larger games priced at 400 or 800 MS points. Creators will receive 70% of the revenue generated mailed to them via check on a quarterly basis, though Microsoft will be randomly promoting XNA games, for which they will take an extra 10-20% based on traffic generated.

[source]

Console: PlayStation 2
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: Still going…
Sold based on the strengths of the original PlayStation, backwards-compatibility and built-in DVD player, the PS2 has pushed more than 127 million units worldwide as of last year - making it the highest-selling console of all time. As the most popular console of the last generation, the PS2 secured exclusive rights to giant franchise sequels, including: Final Fantasy X, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2, SOCOM and Gran Turismo 3. Not without faults, Sony made a weak effort to take gaming online. Still, the PS2 surpassed the Dreamcast and was one of the major players to drive a stake through Sega’s heart.

Console: PSone
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: 2006
This newer, slimmer PS1 was released a few months before the PS2 hit shelves and still managed to outsell all other consoles that year, including its big brother. The only differences were the size (duh), the slightly different interface and the extra protection against modding the console. Also, it was easier to run the games, so we didn’t have to play the PSone upside down anymore.

Console: Xbox
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Discontinued: 2007
Microsoft’s first entry in the console market was met with equal parts doubt and cautious optimism. Many worried the Xbox would play nothing but PC ports and were scared that it was a glorified Windows console. After many delays, the Xbox released against Nintendo’s GameCube and not only improved upon online play (sorry Dreamcast), but came with a built-in hard drive. This eliminated the need for memory cards and let gamers to rip music and play custom soundtracks. The list of console exclusives was small, but included gems like Knights of the Old Republic and Ninja Gaiden. Oh, and if you’ve ever heard of Halo or Halo 2, then you’ll understand how the term ‘multiplayer’ is synonymous with Xbox.

Console: GameCube
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Released against the Xbox, the GameCube was Nintendo’s attempt to recapture the market lost by their last console, the N64. Sadly, it didn’t work. Nintendo trailed in third during last generation’s console war in terms of sales. This was partly attributed to Nintendo’s focus on family-friendly games, poor online support (their eventual modem didn’t do much) and very little third-party support. Even with spectacular first-party releases like Super Mario Sunshine, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Metroid Prime, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Smash Bros. Melee and third-party (then exclusive) Resident Evil 4, the GC was not the major contender everyone wished it could be.

Console: GameBoy Advance
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Described as a portable SNES (but with better hardware), the GBA was insanely popular and technologically superior to the GameBoy Color in everything from battery life to color palette. Since its release, the GBA (and GBA SP) have sold just over 81 million copies and proved that sprite-based games could still stand against the 3D powerhouse consoles available at the time. Was also popular due to the amount of old school love including the Super Mario Advance series, Metroid Fusion, Castlevania and many Mega Mans.

Console: Swan Crystal - Japan
Manufacturer: Bandai
Discontinued: Shortly thereafter
The Swan Crystal was practically the same as its predecessor, the WonderSwan Color. The major difference was that the LCD used in the Crystal is the same type found in many flat-paneled TVs and therefore provided sharper contrast ratios. In plain speak, the screen was more vibrant and looked better. It was backwards compatible with the previous two Swans and could be played for 15 hours on one AA battery. The GBA’s dominance would scare it into submission.

Console: GameBoy Advance SP
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: 2007
Slightly more than half the size of the original GBA, this version folded in half like earlier Game & Watch units or - as we’ll see later - the DS. Interestingly, Nintendo opted to omit a headphone jack. So you either had to buy specific headphones or a special jack. Two years after its release, a newer model of the SP featured a backlit screen - perfect for nighttime playing. Also, the latest iterations of Pokemon - Ruby and Sapphire - hit Japan one month after the SP went on sale, bolstering sales.

Console: N-Gage
Manufacturer: Nokia
Discontinued: The phone service continues
Although Nokia is immensely successful as a network communications brand (its the 5th most valuable global brand according to BusinessWeek), their venture into the gaming market has proved disastrous. Ugly for both a phone and a handheld, the N-Gage cost twice as much as the GBA SP and was three times as much of a joke. The most basic function of inserting a game was a chore: you had to pop off the phone’s plastic cover and the battery compartment just to slide the game card in. Somehow it managed to nab known franchises like Sonic, Tomb Raider and Tony Hawk. It still sucked, though.

Console: Zodiac
Manufacturer: Tapwave
Discontinued: 2005
Designed to run off an updated version of the Palm OS, the Zodiac received all kinds of awards from tech magazines for merging PDAs with gaming. However, due to pressure from its direct competitor, the DS, Tapwave decided to stop developing for it.

Console: PSP (PlayStation Portable) - Japan
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: Still going strong
With Nintendo eating up the handheld market, it made sense for Sony to try and take back territory. It had the console market by the balls, so why shouldn’t it have a handheld? Enter the PSP - complete with wide widescreen, analog nubbin for 3D gameplay and multimedia capabilities never before seen on a handheld (stuff like internet, cross media bar, mp3 player, connectivity with other Sony products). The PSP also had the distinction of playing an optical disc - the UMD - which played not only games, but movies.

But even with stellar hits like Metal Gear Portable Ops, God of War: Chains of Olympus, Daxter, Crisis Core and a hell of a lot more, the PSP trails the Nintendo DS in sales even now. As of December 2007, it’s behind by about 34 million.

Console: PStwo
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: Not yet
Released just before the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the redesigned slimline PS2 was just that: smaller, thinner and quieter than the comparatively gargantuan original design. However, due to its new size, the PStwo lacks the expansion bay and thus, doesn’t support the internal hard drive used to play specific games like Final Fantasy XI. Also, there was no internal power source, hence the AC power brick that comes with the system. But even so, it was still way more attractive to display in homes. And in 2007, an even slimmer PS2 slim was released with a smaller motherboard.

Console: DS (Dual Screen - get it?)
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: Probably never
Originally announced as the third pillar of Nintendo’s console line (has since replaced the GameBoy), the DS looks amazingly similar to the original Game & Watch’s. With two screens - the bottom of which is a touch pad that utilizes a stylus - the DS competes with the PSP in terms of innovation, not hardware. Since its release, the DS has been marketed to a broader audience - which is one reason why it’s sold over 70 million units (including the DS Lite). The DS is also compatible with GBA games, contains Wi-Fi service and is even known to have a large homebrew audience by playing SD cards that house emulated games.

Console: N-gage QD
Manufacturer: Nokia
Discontinued: Service still exists
Nokia’s second attempt at conquering the portable market corrected design flaws of the original, including the cartridge slot and earpiece issues. It’s still a joke.

Console: Xbox 360
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Discontinued: No way, Jose
As the first console and forerunner of the “next-generation” of hardware, the 360 launched with a much-improved Xbox Live online service and high-definition support (although games are encoded on regular DVDs). The 360 is also known for launching with different retail options - Elite, Core, Premium and Arcade - and some of the highest failure rates we’ve ever seen in a console. Microsoft’s “red ring of death” problem was so bad that the company took a pretax charge of $1 billion to up everyone’s warranty to three years.

Even with all those returns and refurbishes, the 360 is amazingly popular and coupled with some of the best games on the market today, including Halo 3, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Ninja Gaiden II and Project Gotham Racing 4.

Console: GameBoy Micro
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: Still out there
As the GBA’s second redesign, the GBM was released for people who loved extremely small things. The Micro omitted compatibility with the original GameBoy and GB Color, but added the headphone jack back in the design. Since release, it’s sold about 2 1/2 million copies, but failed to meet expectations when going up against the newer, more powerful DS.

Console: Gizmondo
Manufacturer: Tiger Telematics
Discontinued: Might get a new release
This shitty handheld game came with GPS, mp3 player, prepaid text messages and in-system ads (booooo!). However, Gizmondo’s most interesting story deals with greed, the mafia and car wrecks. Apparently a number of Gizmondo employees, including noted criminal Stefan Eriksson, were dealing with the Swedish mob while extorting cash from the company. It’s a convoluted story, but we’ll let Next Gen finish this sordid tale…

“In February 2006 Stefan Eriksson, former executive at Gizmondo, taught his Ferrari Enzo how to fly on a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, slicing the million-dollar car neatly in half, and creating the world’s first performance art re-enactment of the rise and fall of a videogame company.

Of course, it wasn’t really Eriksson’s fault. As he told it, a mysterious German named Dietrich was driving the doomed sportscar when it crashed. Eriksson was just innocently sitting in the passenger seat of a flying Ferrari when it collided with a pole and blood flew off his lip and onto the driver-side airbag.”

Console: Wii
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: Are you kidding?
Originally codenamed “Revolution,” the Wii is known for the Wii Remote - that remote-control looking doohickey that you swing around to play games. The sleek white console (possibly taking a cue from Apple) is notorious for reaching people who don’t normally play games and is populated mostly by third-party “casual” releases. This may account for the console having sold close to 25 million units worldwide, but you wouldn’t know it considering you can’t find the damn thing anywhere. Even though online play is proving to be dismal when compared to the 360 and PS3, the Wii store enables gamers to download older games from systems like the Genesis, NES, SNES, N64 and Turbo-Grafx. Amazing first-party games like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Twilight Princess and Smash Bros. Brawl are among the finest in its library.

Console: DS Lite
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued: Yeah, right
The redesigned DS is slimmer, has a brighter screen and the stylus storage is on the side of the system. Also, the power button is now a slider and the battery holds a longer charge. It’s sold about 52 million units worldwide and when combined with the original, that adds up to about 70 million. You just might have one of these.

Console: PlayStation 3
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: Give it about ten more years
Announced at the ridiculous price point of $500/$600 before dropping to a much more affordable range, the PS3 was built to be essentially future-proof with its incredible graphical prowess and built-in Blu-ray player.

Even with all that muscle tech behind it, the PS3 lags in sales with an estimated 13 million units sold worldwide. This can be attributed to pompous marketing, a higher-than-competitive price point, lack of killer-apps (for now) and console ports that take longer to develop for. Not to mention a lawsuit that initially kept rumble from its controllers. Still, it’s one hell of a machine and seems to be hitting its stride with its Home service and hit games like Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank Future, Resistance and Metal Gear Solid 4.

Console: PSP Slim
Manufacturer: Sony
Discontinued: Nope
1/3 lighter and 19% slimmer, the new PSP accounted for a surge of sales. Even with a slimmer battery, a more efficient use keeps the runtime the same as the previous version. With a number of slight design and hardware changes, this newer model has met a fair bit of praise, including more tactile feedback in the buttons.

[source]

Console: Amstrad GX4000
Manufacturer: Amstrad
Discontinued in: ~1990
This epically unheard-of beasty came and went as quickly as you walk from your front door to the mailbox. It’s huge, played massive carts and kind of looks like it belongs in a hospital. Even with a version of RoboCop 2 in its library, kids happily ignored it in favor of the SNES and Genesis.

Console: NeoGeo AES
Manufacturer: SNK
Discontinued in: 2004
Think games are expensive now? Imagine shelling out $200 for games that are now readily available on Wii’s Virtual Console. The pricey carts kept it from mainstream success, but certain niches adored the system enough to warrant software support well into 2004. This makes NeoGeo one of the most long-lived systems of all time.

Console: TurboGrafx-CD
Manufacturer: NEC
Discontinued in: ~1999
The TG-16 and its many additions (like this CD) never took off in the US or Europe, but the Japanese market was much more attentive to NEC’s multimedia plight. There are so many revisions and changes to this basic idea - CD-ROM games - that it’s no wonder the console failed to find a large audience. The variants also make it tough to pinpoint exactly when this console went belly up.

Console: TurboExpress
Manufacturer: NEC
Discontinued in: ~1999
A handheld TG-16 that was also famous for its TV Tuner, a device that in 1990 was freaking amazing. Watch TV anywhere? What sort of mad sorcery is this?

Console: Game Gear
Manufacturer: Sega
Discontinued in: 1997
Essentially a portable Master System, Game Gear tried to fend off Game Boy but ultimately faded into nothingness. Partly to blame for its demise were the six AA batteries needed for power that it guzzled like a stretch Hummer with stadium lighting. Strangely enough, it saw a brief resurgence post-2000 through Majesco. The re-issued unit allegedly had a better screen and higher-quality speakers.

Console: Master System II
Manufacturer: Sega
Discontinued in: 1992
A small re-issue of the original Master System, with no card slot or, oddly enough, reset button. Apparently included Alex Kidd in Miracle World as a pack-in game already programmed into the console. It didn’t reignite interest in the Master System, so Sega wisely put its efforts behind the Genesis/Mega Drive.

Console: Super Famicom
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Discontinued in: 2000
Easily one of the most revered and popular systems of all time, the SFC/SNES proved Nintendo could lead the market into the next generation and had massively popular games that are still heavily traded on eBay and other markets. While technically slower than the Genesis, its many other advantages (color palette, superior audio, graphics capabilities) helped propel it to an eventual victory.