Late Night Consoling

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News time! Well, not time for lots of news, but time for some news.
  • PS3 Before E3

    [ps3]

    Well, a little before E3. Sony announced today that it will hold its pre-E3 press briefing on Monday, May 8. Specific details on what kind of information will be discussed was not revealed, but it's fairly safe to assume there will be some major PS3 information. Microsoft and Nintendo are both holding their press conferences the following day.

  • 47 Hits 360

    [xbox360]

    Eidos announced today that Io Interactive's Hitman: Blood Money is in development for Xbox 360 as well as the previously announced PS2, Xbox, and PC. It will be released concurrently with those platforms some time this spring. "The development team at IO have engineered and developed the game to harness and exploit the latest in graphics and game technology so Xbox 360 is the ideal platform to demonstrate this work in HD," said executive producer Neil Donnell. "Gamers will be in for a real treat when they get their hands on this game and are able to fulfill their wildest Hitman fantasies.

  • Xbox 360 Exists

    [xbox360]

    This past weekend saw a strong influx of Xbox 360 units on to store shelves, no doubt good news for prospective system buyers who have still been unable to get their hands on a console. Reports suggest that Microsoft, along with stepping up production capacity, has been instructing retailers to save up units in recent weeks for a small re-launch. Most large stores were expected to have thirty or more units for sale.

  • Croft Cubed

    [gamecube]

    Eidos has announced that Tomb Raider: Legend, to be released next week for PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC, will also be heading to GameCube later this year. Developed by Crystal Dynamics rather than longtime Tomb Raider developer Core Design, Legend is Eidos' attempt at reinvigorating the flailing franchise. Series creator Toby Gard was also on board for the first time since the original game. A PSP port is in the works by Buzz Monkey for release in May.

    The GameCube version of the game marks the first time a Tomb Raider title has hit a Nintendo home console. Oddly enough, Eidos' plan is almost identical to what happened with last year's LEGO Star Wars (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PC) by Traveller's Tales. The game did not initially ship on Nintendo's home console, but Eidos saw a heavy demand for a GameCube version; the game saw very strong sales when it was released several months later. Still, it's a bit tougher to imagine Tomb Raider: Legend ending up in the same boat. With a projected fall release, it will be hitting shelves dangerously close to Revolution, expected in November.

  • Pre-Tuned by Bethesda's Engineers

    [xbox360]

    Before the release of Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (X360, PC), Bethesda's Pete Hines promised that the first downloadable content for the game would be horse armor. Well, it's here. Owners of the Xbox 360 version of the game can download a horse armor pack for 200 Marketplace points (approx. $2.50). Xbox Live's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb notes that the content is available only in US, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.

  • Misc. Q&As/Features

    Got a spare NES cartridge? Need an enclosure for a 2.5" hard drive? You are in serious luck.

Misc. Media/Previews

PS2

IGN checks out Tecmo's Gallop Racer 2006 (PS2). Game Informer has some last minute impressions and movies of Polyphony Digital's Tourist Trophy (PS2).

Xbox/X360

Eurogamer previews Rockstar San Diego's Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (X360). IGN takes a look at Taito's Over G Fighters (X360). 1UP checks out Red Entertainment's Tengai Makyou Ziria (X360).

Portable

IGN checks out Arc System Works' Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers (DS). GameSpy previews Taito's LostMagic (DS).

Screenshots: Puyo Pop Fever (DS, PSP).

Multi

Screenshots: Bad Day L.A. (Xbox, PC).

Movies: Tomb Raider: Legend (PS2, Xbox, GCN, X360, PSP, PC).

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Monster Party for the NES. "You are a boy with a baseball bat in a world of monsters. And you can turn into a monster. And you can hump the ground. Genius." (submitted by tigen)

From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 3, 2006 8:14 PM

    As cool as the horse armor is, it already reeks of nickel and diming :(

    • reply
      April 3, 2006 8:16 PM

      While clearly nobody is forcing anybody to buy anything, I agree, I'm not a big fan of this business model.

      • reply
        April 3, 2006 8:20 PM

        Especially since it's adding ONE thing for 2.50$?

        I'd enjoy a new dungeon to explode for 2.50, not dressing up my horse so I can go to the ball. No thank you. =(

        • reply
          April 3, 2006 8:24 PM

          agreed. Extra content like maps, vehicles, tracks, quests and things like that which actually add to the gameplay and longevity of a game are totally fine with me. In fact I like that idea because it helps developers make money opposite of big retail projects while enhancing games at a cheap price which is healthy for the industry but this horse armor pack... bah

      • reply
        April 3, 2006 8:21 PM

        [deleted]

    • reply
      April 3, 2006 8:31 PM

      $40 controllers and $20 plastic bezels were hints enough to me that this is how things were going.

    • reply
      April 3, 2006 8:45 PM

      I'm quite disappointed by this. While I'm sure some fans will appreciate it, I'd much rather seem them work on a patch for both versions of the game instead of them selling little things like this. It's entirely possible it was something that was scrapped from the full game, which is why they got it out before a patch, but really, shouldn't half-complete features intended for the retail copy go out for free when completed? I really don't like the idea of developers deciding not to release something about with the game because they could delay it by a week and sell it seperately.

    • reply
      April 3, 2006 9:18 PM

      Jesus guys, after they charged for a "holiday" Kameo outfits you really expected this to be free? Yiesh. Of course they are, a lot of money went into making Oblivion and I'm sure they're going to try and make as much money off of it as possible. It's business plain and simple.

      • reply
        April 3, 2006 9:20 PM

        I got drunk and bought the kameo x-mas pack, and it was fucking awesome!

      • reply
        April 3, 2006 9:23 PM

        Nobody's denying it's to make money. However, I really can't imagine this being a substantial source of revenue for development compared to the $60-$70 retail price of the game, and the fact that in all likelihood a vast minority of the people who bought the game will actually buy this upgrade. I mean simply saying "They're going to try and make as much money as possible" is kind of weak, because you could say that for literally any content in any game ever. It's their choice to do whatever they want, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't voice concerns or complains.

    • reply
      April 3, 2006 10:29 PM

      I just can't understand why they're trying to sell horse armor, instead of something..more appealing? I mean, when I think of what I'm looking forward to in the expansion, horse armor isn't even in the top 100! You'd think they'd give stuff like this away for free, and then charge $2.50 for something everyone likes, like new quests or dungeons? It's like that blind guy except he's handing out $.10 rubber bracelets and asking $2.50 for them to help feed himself. You'd only do it if you wanted to give to charity..

    • reply
      April 4, 2006 12:27 AM

      and it seems like the ps3 is going to be the same. maybe worse because of the whole free thing.

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