Life, the Universe and Everything: Spore Walks a Tightrope Between Creationism and Evolution
Will Wright makes God games—simulations that give players the power to create the world in their own... read more
Army of Two film on the way
It's a bit of a surprise to hear of a new game adaptation being announced so soon after Max Payne flopped both critically and commercially. On the other hand, game-to-film adaptations are becoming so numerous these days it's becoming almost noteworthy when a gaming company tries to maintain its integrity and not attempt a transition to the big screen. Latest on the slate is Electronic Arts' Army of Two, which, by all reports, isn't all that great in the first place. However, the game has sold more than two million copies.... read more
Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)
Developer: Epic GamesPublisher: Microsoft Game StudiosPlatform: Xbox 360Attention-deficit narrative shows marvelous attention to detailThe action in Gears of War 2 isn’t all that different from the violent cartoon doodles of a nine-year-old boy—all toothsome monsters, tanks jumping ramps and lots and lots of explosions. The game treads unabashedly in the pyrotechnic realm of Michael Bay. But where the Transformers director cheats his way through set pieces with choppy editing, Gears 2 keeps its focus on the details clear-eyed and razor sharp. The game’s stop-and-pop, cover-based combat remains near flawless, providing a dollop of strategy and reserve to the balls-out action.... read more
Takehiro Ando Gives Music a Fighting Chance
If you need advice on how to get paid for obsessing over the things you love most in the world, you might start by consulting with Japanese video-game designer Takehiro Ando... read more
LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
Developer: Media MoleculePublisher: Sony Computer Entertainment EuropePlatform: PlayStation 3Arts-and-crafts time meets Super Mario BrothersMost games are made out of action figures and explosions. LittleBigPlanet is made out of Popsicle sticks and Elmer’s glue. Taking its cues from craft fairs and the DIY maker movement, this endearing descendant of Super Mario Bros. creates a world out of knitted fabrics and rubber bands, construction paper and tape. You (and up to three friends) explore this planet via adorable, personalized sock puppets, hopping around handmade dioramas full of makeshift obstacles and cardboard-cutout dangers. This homespun look telegraphs the game’s greatest strength, a set... read more
Universal wins rights to adapt film from unreleased game
The video game hasn’t even been announced yet, but several Hollywood studios have already burned through a bidding war for rights to make a movie from a new EA project with the working title Dante’s Inferno. Universal Pictures snapped up rights, beating out major bids from Paramount, MGM and others. ... read more
MTV snags Beatles for new, non-Rock Band music game
Just days after Activision officially announced Guitar Hero: Metallica, MTV Games announced an even bigger coup of its own: its Rock Band developer Harmonix is working on a title built around The Beatles' entire music catalogue, and it's slated to hit in time for next Christmas.... read more
Guitar Hero: Metallica officially announced
Guitar Hero: Metallica has been a pretty poorly kept secret, ever since an earnings report from Activision revealed that the company was planning a title akin to Guitar Hero: Aerosmith for the thrash wizards. Waiting is the hardest part though, so Guitar Hero junkies got a quick fix with the opportunity to shred some Death Magnetic while they waited for the big score.... read more
Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)
Developer: Bethesda Game StudiosPublisher: Bethesda SoftworksPlatforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PCSURVIVE THISA rallying cry from the Ignited States of America“I have never advocated war, except as a means of peace.” This fireside chat crackling across the airwaves in 2277 isn’t terribly reassuring, despite the sonorous, Keillor-esque voice of Enclave President John Henry Eden. You’re listening to his radio address broadcasting through the front grill of a slow-roaming, airborne Enclave propaganda robot puttering around the radioactive wasteland of Washington D.C. At this bleak stage of human history, you’ve seen enough to realize that the word “peace” only makes sense now as a... read more
BioWare reveals Star Wars: The Old Republic
Having just completed the fairly well-reviewed Sonic Chronicles RPG for the Nintendo DS, BioWare has finally pulled back the curtain on its next project: Star Wars: The Old Republic.... read more
Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Xbox 360)
Developer: Rockstar San DiegoPublisher: Rockstar GamesPlatforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3Flying on four wheels in the City of AngelsWhy bother visiting the car dealership when technology now lets you shop from the comfort of your own home? Last night I picked up a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. It cost me $175,000, which is roughly the same amount my wife and I spent on our house. Thirty-year payment plans are a hassle so I opted to pay in cash. Granted, I don’t usually have that kind of money lying around, but I’d just made the painfully tough decision to part with my... read more
Watch the Spider-Man: Web of Shadows trailer
Although there's little light being shed on the web of shadows surrounding Spider-Man 4, there is a new trailer out for new video game Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Released recently, the game is available on (if not sold out for) all platforms.... read more
Interview: Todd Howard (Fallout 3 Game Director)
With the October 28th release of Fallout 3 less than a week away, we spoke to Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios about the company's latest epic RPG. Our conversation touched on the game's post-apocalyptic setting, Bethesda's approach to tackling game projects of such monumental scope, and the challenge of creating a wasteland environment that's lonely enough to have emotional impact but doesn't grow boring to players.... read more
Fable II (Xbox 360)
Developer: Lionhead StudiosPublisher: Microsoft Game StudiosPlatform: Xbox 360Long-awaited RPG tests your glee thresholdA wise old bard once shut his eyes, entered a trance-like state and advised his audience in a cloud-piercing tenor, “Doooon’t stop…bee-lieeeevin’!” Though his words echo down to the present from tens upon tens of years ago, the message they carry is a timeless one. Early in Fable II, while your character is but a young street urchin in the mythical land of Albion, you and your sister encounter a traveling salesman hawking a magical music box he claims will grant a single wish when played. Though you... read more
Halo 3 spin-off announced for Fall 2009
Another Halo game for the Xbox 360 was a given; it is Microsoft's killer-app, mega-selling franchise, after all. So it certainly came as no surprise when Bungie, makers of all things Halo, announced a spin-off called Halo 3: Recon that will star a main character who isn't Master Chief. ... read more
Suda 51's No More Heroes Wii sequel confirmed
With a main character named Travis Touchdown, it was almost a given that prolific game director Suda 51's No More Heroes would see a sequel (despite its less-than-stellar sales). Sure enough, Suda and Marvelous Entertainment have announced No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle for the Wii at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Bad news first, though: It isn't due until Jan. 2010. ... read more
Brian Eno's "Bloom" sets the gold standard for iPhone apps
Musician/producer/genius Brian Eno has been working on something awesome. A sequel musical score to Dune? Better. Another foray into Frippertronics? Even better. How about one of the most unique and compelling apps to ever hit the iPhone store? (OK, that might not be better than Dune, but still.)... read more
Playing With Gunfire: A Report on the Military-Video-Game Complex
In Capcom’s 1985 coin-op smash, Commando, you fire white pellets at endless streams of generic enemies. When hit, they simply vanish, leaving no trace on the stylized tropical environments behind them. In real war... read more
Nintendo reveals DSi, slew of new games at fall conference
Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently said the iPod was the best portable device for gaming. Looks like Nintendo took offense to that. The typically tight-lipped company had a plethora of new announcements today at its simultaneous fall conferences in Japan and the U.S., not the least of which was the introduction of the Nintendo DSi, a remodled version of its DS handheld that features MP3 and camera playback.... read more
Rock Band 2 (Xbox 360)
Developer: Harmonix Music SystemsPublisher: MTV GamesPlatforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, WiiRock Band 2 is therapy for your inner rock snob—that sneering music cynic that resides in many of us. You know the one. The jerk who shivers every time an overplayed relic pops up in classic-rock radio rotation. Or the naysayer who loves telling people that their favorite band hasn't made a great record since the '90s. See, Rock Band 2, just like its predecessor, has a way of making players come to appreciate songs outside the taste boundaries they've erected over the years. ... read more
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