Lucid Gaming – September
Written by Adam A. Donaldson
Thursday, 03 September 2009 17:00
In the News
Disney will honour Marvel contracts... but for how long?
Disney announced Monday that they were buying Marvel Comics for the not-so low price of $4 billion USD, but the big question is what will become of all of Marvel’s licensing deals in the wake of being bought by the all-inclusive House of Mouse? Well, nothing for the time being it seems, but that could change as contracts come up for renewal says the Disney top boss. "On the video games front, they have what we see as smart licensing agreements with some of the best video game manufacturers in the business and while we have been steadily moving in a vertically integrated direction, we don't rule out a blend of licensed games as well as self-produced and self-distributed (games)," said Bob Iger, president and CEO of Disney during a conference call. Sounds good for the guys currently holding Marvel contracts right? Not so fast, adds Iger. "What's nice about this is that as some of these deals near expiration we have the luxury of at that time considering what's best for the company. Both from a financial perspective, a quality perspective and an exposure perspective." Currently the majority of Marvel's games licenses are held by Activision, which has Ultimate Alliance 2 coming up and Sega with the gaming rights for Iron Man 2 as well as potential games for future Captain America, Thor and The Hulk movies.
French hobo game has its detractors
An online video game has created controversy in France. In Clodogame, which means "Trampgame," online gamers can go from being a penniless homeless person on the streets of Paris to becoming "king of the streets" as “the most talented tramp in Paris" and eventually move in to the Palace of Versailles. But before you get to live large in the house Louis built, players have to “‘attack other homeless people,’ become a ‘peerless pickpocket,’ steal from sweet machines, public toilets and laundrettes. They need to learn to play an instrument, choose a pet liable to increase their begging skills, and keep control of their alcohol intake,” according to an article in the UK paper the Telegraph. But while the game was gathered over 5,000 registered users so far, homelessness advocates say that the game presents those living on the street in an extremely negative light. "It's a disgrace, it's degrading, it's humiliating to make the homeless the butt of derision," Jean-François Riffaud, a spokesman for the Red Cross, told Le Parisien. "The image portrayed is exactly the one against which we've been trying to fight." Meanwhile, Farbflut, the German company that makes the game, says that their game raises awareness of the plight of homelessness. "They are becoming more conscious of the problem. Some of them have even asked where they can send their donations," said a spokesman.
Charts
The good news is that sales seem to be heading in the right direction, but the bad news is that sales still aren’t on par with where they were a year before. Last August, the 2009 edition of Madden sold nearly a million copies, or just less than a quarter of a million more copies than Madden NFL 10. Sales of systems were still down over last year, although the sale of Sony systems is up over July. With predictions saying that the recession is over, is this stabilization an indication that things are looking up for the video game industry?
Top 20 Games – August
1. Madden NFL 10 (X360/EA Sports) - 727,991/727,991
2. Wii Sports Resort (Wii/Nintendo) - 605,866/1,158,356
3. Madden NFL 10 (PS3/EA Sports) - 480,272/480,272
4. Wii Sports (Wii/Nintendo) - 263,186/24,373,498
5. Madden NFL 10 (PS2/EA Sports) - 185,048/185,048
6. Madden NFL 10 (Wii/EA Sports) - 138,195/138,195
7. Wii Fit (Wii/Nintendo) - 130,794/9,114,537
8. Mario Kart Wii (Wii/Nintendo) - 104,152/7,341,551
9. NCAA Football 10 (PS3/Electronic Arts) - 80,309/321,194
10. EA Sports Active (Wii/EA Sports) - 79,374/995,694
11. Madden NFL 10 (PSP/EA Sports) - 78,741/78,741
12. Wolfenstein (X360/Activision) - 76,935/76,935
13. NCAA Football 10 (X360/Electronic Arts) - 75,360/473,699
14. Halo 3 (X360/Microsoft) - 70,095/7,290,466
15. Mario Kart DS (DS/Nintendo) - 68,592/5,913,815
16. Street Fighter IV (X360/Capcom) - 63,102/779,337
17. New Super Mario Bros. (DS/Nintendo) - 60,199/7,096,251
18. Pokémon Platinum Version (DS/Nintendo) - 59,725/2,038,985
19. Bioshock (X360/2K Games) - 47,880/1,344,997
20. Wii Play (Wii/Nintendo) - 47,603/12,375,691
Hardware
Nintendo DS: 414,299/37,330,925
Nintendo Wii: 263,186/24,373,498
Microsoft X-Box 360: 170,956/18,104,123
Sony Playstation 3: 104,421/9,088,399
Sony Playstation Portable: 97,431/17,293,457
Sony Playstation 2: 87,484/50,825,047
Previews
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey – Eurogamer.net
So the physics may be up to simulation standard, but there's no getting around the fact that unless you invest in a console-friendly stick you're going to be playing with an arcade controller. These rickety kites were hardly the most complex flying machines, but even with a proper flight stick anyone hoping for the full simulation experience will be ill-served as the core control system was, by necessity, designed around the limited inputs of a gamepad. Plane functions beyond basic control and attack amount to little more than pressing a button to lower and raise the landing gear, and even that's rarely used since most missions start in mid-air and only require you to fly out of the combat area for completion.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey goes on sale September 15th
Astroboy – GamePro.com
“The game revolves around the small boy wonder, Astro, trying to stop the wicked President Stone and his robotic minions from taking over Astro's stomping ground. To assist him in smiting evil, Astro Boy comes equipped with all sorts of fun gadgets and gizmos. He even packs heat in his butt; no really, his butt is compromised of machine guns. In addition to the rear-end guns, he has Finger Lasers and an Arm Cannon, just to name a few. The style holds close to games like Ikaruga and Mega Man. The backgrounds are mostly de-saturated which helps the power-ups and colorful emitters stand out that much more. Enemies drop orbs that draw to you like a magnet so the screen is almost always full of jazzy eye candy. Flying levels are slightly different as far as controls go. Astro can use all his supers but he can't bring the pain with his fists like he can on foot, the option is left out.
“There are a total of three modes available to you, the avid fan. There is the of course the easy setting for the casual gamer, the normal middle-ranged difficulty, and last but certainly not least the hero mode, for the adept. Each level grants you a cap on the amount of super powers you can fire off. For example, on the hero setting you are only granted three chances at making butt machine magic. The key to hero mode lies in mastering the "air dash," which doesn't count as a super therefore is infinitely available to you.”
The Astroboy video game goes on sale this October.
Madden NFL – X-Box 360/PS3
“Madden's presentation in general lacks a degree of polish. At the most basic level, the voice work still has that unnatural "computer ad-libbing" stiffness from stitching together different team names and other variables. Also, the in-game commentary suffers from both repetition and the occasional completely incorrect call (such as describing a broken tackle in the backfield leading to a punishing run on a touchdown scored by the receiver catching a fade). Even more bizarre is the new halftime show: Introduced by NFL Network TV personalities Fran Charles and Alex Flanagan on a virtual set, it turns into a surreal football-themed silent movie with game highlights set only to the sound of classic music from NFL Films -- there's no commentary or game description at all. Following that, the highlights from around the league aren't even highlights. Instead, you get a screen that looks like the output from a spreadsheet filled with stats from a few top performers followed by a simple listing of scores. Compared to the familiar shows seen during a regular Sunday broadcast, the developers would have been better served leaving the whole thing out in this state.” – 1Up.com
“The problem is that even if you do know the rules of the real sport, Madden doesn’t tell you how to play the video game version. Play calling, snapping the ball, running, passing, catching, and, even more difficult to get to grips with, defence – tackling, intercepting, and again, play calling – the buttons you need to press to make it all work aren’t explained. If it weren’t for a hazy memory of playing the game to death while at university, Madden would have proved an impenetrable fortress of astronomical proportions. There’s a practice mode, which doesn’t help. The Virtual Trainer mode is useful, but not useful enough. If you fancy dipping your toe into the virtual world of NFL, then, be prepared to read the manual and do a bit of research first.” – VideoGamer.com
Batman: Arkham Asylum – X-Box 360/PS3
“Batman: Arkham Asylum is the greatest comic book videogame of all time. This is an adult Dark Knight story that is well-told, packs some truly fun gameplay elements, has topnotch voice talent, and feel like it's part of Batman canon. If I have to nitpick, I wish the cutscenes looked better as they can distract from the tale and that the AI was a bit more responsive, but those are tiny flaws that shouldn't distract from the big picture. Rocksteady nailed what Batman is supposed to feel like. Fans, rejoice.” – IGN.com
“There are two important mitigating factors that keep Batman: Arkham Asylum's flaws from crippling the entertainment value of the whole. The first is a truly fantastic collection of cinematic sequences that depict Scarecrow's attempts to break Batman's psyche over his knee. The actual gameplay involved in these brilliant interludes is a shade minimalistic, but the spectacle nevertheless inspires the sort of wide-eyed wonder that rarely survives the journey from comic book to video game. The other saving grace is the collection of unlockable challenge maps. Stalking the island for the remaining riddles when no danger remains quickly becomes tiresome, but you'll persevere just so you can sink your teeth into all sixteen increasingly tough tests of your skill. Brawling in this context suddenly feels like a performance worth practicing for the sake of leaderboard bragging rights, and stealthy set pieces reward you most for taking out goons in ever more challenging and elaborately stylish ways.” – GamePro.com
New Releases
September 1st
Guitar Hero 5 (Puzzle/Activision) – Wii, X360, PS2, PS3
Cruise Ship Vacation Games (Puzzle/Activision) - Wii
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny (Action/Namco Bandai) - PSP
September 2nd
Yo-Ho Kablammo (Action/Microsoft) – X360
Defense Grid: The Awakening (Action/Hidden Path) – X360
September 3rd
Fate/Unlimited Codes (Action/Capcom) - PSP
Reckless Disregard for Gravity (Action/Dejobaan Games) - PC
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Role-Playing/Ignition Entertainment) - Wii
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine (Sports/2K Games) - PS3
September 4th
Section 8 (Action/SouthPeak Games) - PC
Champions Online (Role-Playing/Atari) - PC
September 7th
War Leaders: Clash of Nations (Strategy/Dreamcatcher) - PC
ColorZ (Action/Exkee) - Wii
September 8th
Black College Football Experience - The Doug Williams Edition (Sports/Aspyr) – X360
Platinum Hits Triple Pack (Action/Capcom) – X360
Trine (Action/Nobilis) – PS3
Mini Ninjas (Adventure/Eidos Interactive) – Wii, DS, X360, PS3, PC
Dirt 2 (Driving/Codemasters) – Wii, DS, X360, PS3, PSP, PC
Raiden IV (Action/UFO Interactive) – X360
Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Track (Adventure/Dreamcatcher) - DS
Imagine Detective (Strategy/Ubisoft) - DS
Obscure 2 (Action/Playlogic) - PSP
Qubed (Puzzle/Atari) – X360
Ant Nation (Action/Konami) - DS
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (Simulation/505 Games) – X360, PS3
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (Strategy/NIS America) - PSP
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga (Role-Playing/Xseed Games) - Wii
Heroes Over Europe (Simulation/Ubisoft) - PC
LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition (Action/SCEA) – PS3
Time of Shadows (Role-Playing/Kalypso) - PC
Darkest of Days (Action/Phantom EFX, Inc.) – X360, PC
Fallen Earth (Role-Playing/Icarus Games) - PC
September 9th
My Virtual Tutor: Reading First to Second Grade (Puzzle/Mentor Interactive) - DS
My Virtual Tutor: Reading Kindergarten to First (Puzzle/Mentor Interactive) - DS
My Virtual Tutor: Reading Pre-K to Kindergarten (Puzzle/Mentor Interactive) - DS
The Beatles: Rock Band (Puzzle/MTV Games) – Wii, PS3, X360
Women's Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (Adventure/I-Play) - PC
September 14th
My Boyfriend (Adventure/THQ) - DS
Princess in Love (Adventure/THQ) - DS
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (Role-Playing/Nintendo) - DS
September 15th
Age of Empires III: Complete Collection (Puzzle/Microsoft) - PC
Runes of Magic Chapter II: The Elven Prophecy (Role-Playing/Frogster) - PC
Tornado Outbreak (Action/Konami) – Wii, X360, PS3
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (Role-Playing/Activision) – Wii, DS, X360, PS2, PS3, PSP
Dreamer: Top Model (Action/Dreamcatcher) - DS
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Action/Eidos Interactive) - PC
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (Simulation/505 Games) – DS, PSP
NHL 2K10 (Sports/Take-Two) – Wii, X360, PS3, PS2
Learn Geography (Puzzle/DreamCatcher Interactive) - DS
Chicken Blaster (Action/Zoo Games) – Wii, DS
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (Adventure/Ubisoft) – Wii, DS, X360, PS3, PSP, PC
Animal Planet: Pet Vet (Simulation/Activision) - Wii
Pacific Liberator (Action/Zoo Games) - Wii
Toy Story Mania (Puzzle/Disney Interactive) - Wii
NHL 10 (Sports/EA Sports) – X360, PS3
Resident Evil 5 (Action/Capcom) - PC
Scribblenauts (Puzzle /Warner Bros Interactive) - DS
Red Faction: Guerrilla (Action/THQ) - PC
Need for Speed: Shift (Driving/EA Games) – X360, PS3, PSP, PC
Wet (Action/Bethesda Softworks) – X360, PS3
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim (Strategy/Paradox) - PC
Heroes Over Europe (Simulation/Ubisoft) – X360, PS3
Race On (Driving/bitComposer) - PC
Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Destiny 2 (Action/Tomy) - DS
Bleach: The 3rd Phantom (Action/Sega) - DS
September 16th
Panzer General: Allied Assault (Strategy/Ubisoft) – X360
Pinball Hall of Fame - The Williams Collection (Puzzle/Crave) – X360, PS3
September 18th
Supreme Ruler 2020 GOLD (Strategy/Paradox Interactive) - PC
September 21st
Fabulous Finds (Puzzle/THQ) - DS
Aion: Tower of Eternity (Role-Playing/NCsoft) - PC
Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft (Adventure/Dreamcatcher) - Wii
September 22nd
Family Party 2 (Puzzle/D3) - Wii
The Price Is Right 2010 Edition (Puzzle/Ubisoft) – Wii, DS
Our House Party (Strategy/Majesco) – Wii, DS
Hidden Mysteries: Titanic (Adventure/Activision Value) – Wii, DS
My Hero: Astronaut (Action/Majesco) - DS
Wacky World of Sports (Sports/Sega) - Wii
Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition (Adventure/Natsume) - Wii
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up (Action/Ubisoft) - Wii
Afrika (Adventure/Natsume) – PS3
Spyborgs (Action/Capcom) - Wii
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (Role-Playing/Atlus) - PSP
Order of War (Strategy/Square Enix) - PC
Katamari Forever (Action/Bandai Namco Games) – PS3
Scooby-Doo! First Frights (Action/Warner Bros) – Wii, DS, PS2
Halo 3: ODST (Action/Microsoft) – X360
Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey (Adventure/Ubisoft) – Wii, DS, PC, MAC
Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion (Adventure/THQ) - DS
September 28th
Baseball Blast (Sports/2K Sports) - Wii
September 29th
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Role-Playing/Square Enix) - DS
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike (Sports/XS Games) – Wii, X360, PC
Shimano Xtreme Fishing (Sports/Mastiff) - Wii
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010 (Sports/Activision) – Wii, X360, PS3
Battle of Giants - Dragons (Adventure/Ubisoft) - DS
MySims Agents (Puzzle/Electronic Arts) – Wii, DS
Red War: Edem's Curse (Action/Uforia) - PC
Family Feud (Puzzle/Ubisoft) – Wii, DS, PC
Sudoku Ball Detective (Puzzle/Playlogic) - Wii
Imagine Salon Stylist (Simulation/Ubisoft) - DS
Obscure: The Aftermath (Adventure/Ignition Entertainment) - PSP
Cake Mania 3 (Puzzle/Majesco Games) - DS
Arcade Shooter: Illvelo (Action/UFO Interactive) - Wii
Rapala: We Fish (Sports/Activision) - Wii
Family Fun Football (Sports/Tecmo) - Wii
Deca Sports 2 Sports/Hudson) - Wii
Undead Knights (Action/Tecmo) - PSP
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 (Action/Tecmo) – PS3
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (Role-Playing/Xseed Games) - DS
Beaterator (Puzzle/Rockstar Games) - PSP
MotorStorm Arctic Edge (Driving/SCEA) - PSP
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up (Action/Ubisoft) – PS2
Dead Space Extraction (Action/Electronic Arts) - Wii
Hero's Saga Laevatein Tactics (Role-Playing/Aksys Games) - DS
September 30th
Party Crashers (Puzzle/Detn8) - Wii
The Mystery of Whiterock Castle (Puzzle/RTL Enterprises GmbH) – Wii, X360
Virtual Villagers: A New Home (Strategy/DTP Entertainment) - DS
Robocalypse: Beaver Defense (Strategy/No Company) - Wii
Rock Blast (Puzzle/UFO Interactive) - Wii
Deadly Rooms of Death: Suit Pursuit (Puzzle/Caravel Games) - PC
Driift (Driving/Konami) - Wii
Madballs in Babo: Invasion (Action/Playbrains) - PC
Prehistorik Man (Action/Interplay) - DS
Deadly Rooms of Death: Complex Complex (Puzzle/Caravel Games) - PC
Critter Crunch (Puzzle/Capybara Games) – PS3
Twin Sector (Action/Headup Games) - PC
Mercenary Wars (Action/Uforia) - PC
Hidden Dawn (Role-Playing/E-One Studio) - PC
Axel & Pixel (Adventure/2K Play) – X360
Summer Athletics 2009 (Sports/DTP Entertainment) – Wii, X360, PC
Theatre of War II: Centauro (Strategy/Battlefront.com) - PC
Elven Legacy: Ranger (Strategy/Paradox Interactive) - PC
.detuned (Puzzle/SCEA) – PS3
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