Video Game News and Miscellany

[AshburnerX]

http://www.1up.com/features/catching-castlevania-composer-michiru-yamane

In this interview, Jeremy Parish talks with Castlevania (and many other Konami games) composer Michiru Yamane. One of the things he brings up is the cancelled sequel to Symphony of the Night, instead Konami focusing on more Lords of Shadow trash.

Good lord Konami sucks balls.

Lords of Shadow, as a concept, isn't bad. A 3D action game inspired by the likes of Devil May Cry and God of War? What's not to like? The problem is that it had a pants on head retarded story and it cribbed too closely from some games, not to mention it tried to "reboot" the canon for some fucking reason. Hey Konami? One of the BEST parts of the series is the concept of the eternal struggle of one family (and it's allies) against the evil they helped create generations ago. Getting rid of that was stupid.

Also, EVERY METROIDVANIA GAME after Symphony of the Night is a sequel. Fuck, Symphony of the Night is a sequel.

 

[Frank]

Yeah but this was the planned direct sequel to SOTN. Alucard style.

 

[AshburnerX]

Yeah but this was the planned direct sequel to SOTN. Alucard style.

I honestly don't think he should have been playable in more games. Symphony of the Night was HIS story, like Castlevania 3 is Trevor's story despite Alucard showing up in it. It's bad enough you can play as him in one of the DS ones...

Castlevania is about separate people fighting as a united cause over the generations to contain and eventually defeat the evil that plagued them all. It's about the timeless, everlasting power of evil and the few who can and do stand against it in a world that would rather hide in it's house and pray it passes them over. Having a single character do more than a few games would kind of devalue the sacrifices that others made in pursuit of that cause.

Honestly, I'd rather they just make the Belmonts function differently from game to game.

 

[Azurephoenix]

Technically, since minecraft is entirely voxel-based, you could build those pieces.

True, but I want a playground where I can build lego vehicles, cities, minifigures and send them to war against eachother lol.

Lego Digital Designer?

Last time I tried that it had a really poor selection of legacy pieces. I still want to be able to play with my creations in a simulated world too

 

[Gilgamesh]

Well you could have but the Lego MMO failed and shut down within a year.

 

[GasBandit]

Well you could have but the Lego MMO failed and shut down within a year.

It failed because it was way more MMO than Lego, from what I heard.

 

[AshburnerX]

It failed because it was way more MMO than Lego, from what I heard.

Basically. When I hear the words "Lego" and "Video Game" together, I had best be putting pieces onto something somewhere along the line. Lego Racers is STILL the best game in this regard: You could design the car however you liked along it's frame plate.

Though seriously... the best LEGO game? Gummiship mini-game in Kingdom Hearts 2. Gives you a shitload of pieces to build your gummiship in a rather sizable grid cube. Done so many cool concepts in that.

 

[CynicismKills]

They should have kept making Castlevania games like the Advance/DS titles. Those are quality and a ton of fun, plus they're hard as balls. The only one I didn't care for was the sequel with Soma Cruz, as having to draw those symbols to seal a boss were fucking stupid (you barely had time to get the stylus ready and it didn't respond well to just using your finger).

 

[Frank]

They've abandoned those as well.

The 3DS game is a pseudo 3D Lords of Shadow game too.

 

[AshburnerX]

They've abandoned those as well.

The 3DS game is a pseudo 3D Lords of Shadow game too.

I think it's a little premature to say they abandoned them. Harmony of Dissonance was basically a quick, repeatable, multiplayer Metriodvania game. Since them, all we've gotten is Lords of Shadow... and the 3DS one is going to be more like the classic games at points. That crowd hasn't exactly had a decent entry in years.

Basically, we haven't had enough entries to say WHAT they are doing right now.

 

[Jay]

It's amazing how much people suck at Mann vs Machine.

 

[CynicismKills]

I want it. I want it so bad.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I want it. I want it so bad.

 

[Jay]

 

[Ravenpoe]

I want it. I want it so bad.

Woah woah woah woah... a game... collaborated on by Studio Ghibli?

These are the magic times we're living in.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Originally it was going to be a DS game, but things escalated and it wouldn't fit on a cartridge anymore.

 

[AshburnerX]

Originally it was going to be a DS game, but things escalated and it wouldn't fit on a cartridge anymore.

No, it has a DS version. It came out in Japan. We just never got it because they'd have to translate and reprint the book that comes with it, which only works with that specific copy of the game. You need the book to play.

 

[CynicismKills]

So how does Square fix a horrible, broken MMO?

They summon a meteor that turns into a dragon and blows up the world.



Basically, the servers blacked out yesterday, and will be back up early next year while Square finishes the new version of the game. It's already in Alpha, but only in Japan. People are hoping the new game doesn't suck, but this is current-gen FF, so it'll be mediocre at best.

 

[Jay]

LOL

Still a better ending than FF 7

 

[Frank]

In massive surprising, ultra shocking news, Valve (Gabe Newell hissself) confirms "Ricochet 2" and Source 2 Engine.

 

[bhamv3]

I was all like "Ricochet 2? I don't care about that, gimme news about..."

And then I watched the video.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Apparent downfall of Silicon Knights

Well, that kills any chance of a sequel to Eternal Darkness.

 

[Yoshimickster]

So, who's looking forward to seeing what hilarious shorts are in the next GTA game? Cos if we get more of this: Its aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall good.

 

[CynicismKills]

Apparent downfall of Silicon Knights

Well, that kills any chance of a sequel to Eternal Darkness.

Too Human is easily the worst game I spent money on. Norse mythology in a futuristic setting? RPG elements with third person action? Sounded good on paper, but I may as well have shit in my XBox instead.

 

[AshburnerX]

Who gets the company assets when Silicon Knights is dissolved? Or do they go up for auction?

In ether case, there is a decent chance Eternal Darkness will ether get a virtual console release or a sequel from the new company. It's basically the only IP they have that is worth a shit.

 

[CynicismKills]

Who gets the company assets when Silicon Knights is dissolved? Or do they go up for auction?

In ether case, there is a decent chance Eternal Darkness will ether get a virtual console release or a sequel from the new company. It's basically the only IP they have that is worth a shit.

There might not be any assets worth taking, save the actual IP rights. They're being forced to destroy large amounts of code/work as part of the loss.

 

[Frank]

I'm pretty sure Nintendo owns Eternal Darkness.

Silicon Knights was a fucking mess after Nintendo cut ties. It seems like the only thing keeping them on track as a decent developer was being under Nintendo's yoke.

 

[Cheesy1]

Steve Wozniak, Danny Trejo to appear in 8-bit video game

 

[Frank]

So, THQ is all but dead at this point. Swirling the toilet of debt. Where do you want it's IPs to land in the inevitable piranha frenzy of selling that's about to happen?

There's:

Saint's Row
Darksiders
Company of Heroes
Homeworld
Metro
Homefront
Red Faction

and they currently have the licenses to WWE and Warhammer 40K

Honestly, I hope Square Enix buys them as they've been the only big publisher to actually do right by their acquisitions. Eidos is more healthy than ever under Square. I'd hope Relic would fare the same, able to continue their work. Activision would assembly line them on CoD related shit, as they do with all their developers not called Toys for Bob. EA and Ubisoft would saddle them with Origin and Uplay and whatever other dumb shit they could come up with.

It's a bleak future.

I want more Company of Heroes.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Give Warhammer 40k to Blizzard please?

I realize that would never happen but man... that'd be amazing.

 

[Frank]

I don't think that's going to happen. Apparently Games Workshop still holds a grudge over the Warcraft and Starcraft games.

 

[Gilgamesh]

I don't think that's going to happen. Apparently Games Workshop still holds a grudge over the Warcraft and Starcraft games.

Yep

Or give it to the RIFT folks, they did a great job on their game (if only for lack of storyline interest). Their gameplay is fantastic.

 

[CynicismKills]

I agree, I'd love to see Square take over. They seem to be one of the few publishers out there that still give their devs some freedom. Plus they don't mind having stuff up on Steam.

 

[Gared]

Man, I would (almost) kill for a good Warhammer MMO; either a return to the timeline for Warhammer Online, or a good 40k MMO. I miss Warhammer Online more than I usually care to admit.

 

[Frank]

I'm way more into 40K.

I would actually appreciate a game that simulates the turn based rules of the tabletop game. And unlike the recent games, I would also appreciate some love for the Necrons, Tau and Daemons.