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Twitter Taking Japan By Storm As Game Companies Tweet

May 27th, 2010 | Comments Off | Posted in News

One of the biggest ways that gamers are starting to connect these days is via the social networking site with the 140 character limit, Twitter. Gamers in the United States and the United Kingdom have been using Twitter regularly, especially since 2008, to tweet about everything from their in game activities if they are hooked up to the Xbox Live system through a special app, or to discuss reviews. Trending topics which make up so much of what Twitter is about are also often of the gamer variety. However, until recently Japan had not gotten into the swing of things. Now, the Pacific island nation has joined in the fray and, as many things tend to do in Japan, Twitter as reached tsunami levels of popularity with not only Japanese gamers, but also a number of Japan based video game developers and service providers. Industry big wigs from Japan have been tweeting about what they have in mind for new projects and getting a feel for how the Japanese and global audiences feel about various concepts they intend to work with.

Among the big names on Twitter from the Japanese gaming industry there is Kojima of the Metal Gear Solid series fame who has revealed he has a secret project in the works. Pararsite Eve and Final Fantasy XIII Agito have both gotten updates tweeted about them from Square Enix. Even individual Japanese game designers such as Bayonetta’s Hideki Kamiya and No More Heroes’ Suda 51 have gotten in on the act, offering their own tastes and dreams when it comes to game design.

PS3 to Have 3D Gaming Features Soon

May 20th, 2010 | Comments Off | Posted in News

Given the vast popularity of the latest big smash movie from Hollywood, James Cameron’s epic digitally animated film Avatar, the world of 3D has opened up in all new ways that go beyond what has previously been acceptable in this field of the visual arts. This upping the ante for both visual design and technology has begun to reach down into the video game industry with some news from Sony that they will be offering 3D support for their games through the Playstation 3 gaming console. The PS3 console will receive a system upgrade that is going to be offered to help out with the support of the 3D features that are coming towards gaming at a rapid pace. The expected arrival of the 3D upgrade will be first preceded by a Version 3.30 system update that lays the ground work for future upgrades. This update will give players a Trophy support feature that allows them to arrange their trophies the way they see fit on their control panel.

The new 3D features for the PS3 will include, among many other features now being kept under wraps by Sony, stereoscopic gaming in full 3D. These will be especially easy to use with the new 3D Bravia TV sets that Sony is launching in just a few more weeks. These updates should be able to bring in a great deal of gamers looking for a more cutting edge experience. Popular titles to be released on the new and improved system will include Pain, Wipe Out Fury, Super Stardust HD and Motor Storm: Pacific Rift.

Silent Hill 6 May Be First Person Shooter

May 17th, 2010 | Comments Off | Posted in News

When it comes to survival horror, Vatra Games has managed to build itself a huge fan base for its franchise Silent Hill. Not only has the title been released across multiple console systems during its first 5 releases, it has also scored a major Hollywood motion picture, as well. The fans have been hungry for a new Silent Hill and looks as if Vatra games is prepared to answer the call, but if the recent announcement is any indication of where the series is headed, many fans may be quite shocked to learn about the changes in the upcoming title, Silent Hill 6. It turns out that Vatra may be turning the game more towards a FPS (first person shooter) rather than its traditional style of adventure game for which it has become so well known. If this shift in style does end up in the finished product, gamers may be divided over their opinions of the title simply due to its 5 title run as a wholly different style of game, say analysts.

The new title will be arriving towards the beginning part of 2011 and will be released for Microsoft’s XBox 360, Sony’s Playstation 3 and the PC. While this early report comes at far too early of a time to be 100 per cent certain about the upcoming title, gamers have already begun to divide into camps of supporting and dissenting factions. A major stylistic change such as this is not common in the gaming industry which tends towards a very formulaic type of design and release approach similar to Hollywood, but it is also not unheard of. In the past, other companies have made successful style leaps from side scroller to 3D or fighting game to adventure style, so Vatra may be able to pull this one off.

Halo Reach to Be Offered in 3 Varieties

May 2nd, 2010 | Comments Off | Posted in News

Out of the 2000’s most impressive and wildly popular franchises in video gaming, it just might be Halo that takes the crown. Every time a title is released there has been fan mayhem as gamers scramble to be first in line to pick up the latest Halo release. According to developer Bungie, there may well be some extra sweet incentives added for gamers with the latest release, Halo: Reach. The upcoming game will be a push past Halo 3 which garnered not only a huge amount of critical acclaim, but a rabid and massive fan base of gamers who have been faithful devotees of the series since its inception. The new game will likely come in 3 boxed versions that will include a standard edition, limited edition and something that is being called Legendary Edition. The first version will have only the game at a price of $59.99 but those gamers who are willing to pay twenty dollars more can expect to get the ONI black box case and a bag of artifacts that will have various documents and stories of lore from the game along with an exclusive set of Covenant Elite armor they can use during multiplayer matches.

However, for the fans that want the highest possible experience the price will be $149.99 for the Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach with gifts that include everything from the limited edition as well as 10 inch sculptures of Noble Team created by MacFarlane Toys and armor effects for Spartans. This will be in packaging sporting a UNSC theme.