Greetings humans, Monki here with a long overdue wrap-up for all of you video game fans out there.
Things have been shaking like crazy in the treehouse as of late. I stowed away in an aeroplane and caught the "I Am 8 Bit" art show out in L.A., we brought on a few new people to the AICN Games team and on a personal note I bought a house and a Mortal Kombat II arcade machine. (For what it's worth, I'm more excited about MK2.)
We've seen a few releases come and go over the last few weeks including the newest Spider-Man title that I got a chance to check out early. I have yet to play a gold copy of the game yet and I'm still looking forward to checking out the entire game on my 360 and Wii. Some of the reviews I've read though scare me a bit. Alas, I hope to enjoy my webslinger...especially after the disappointment of the movie itself. Hey Spidey, does Batman ever cry? No!!
Jack Thompson showed his true colors after the tragedy at Virginia Tech...chasing those ambulances and grabbing onto whatever screen time he could find. After claiming video games were responsible for the massacre within mere hours of the event (before anything was disclosed about the murderer) and then subsequently finding out the truth that the killer wasn't a gamer at all...well...Jack kinda broke. He went on a rampage which included suing gaming-blog Kotaku and generally practicing the art of douchebaggery. Kotaku was eventually dropped from the suit and Jack has his pen and legal paper aimed towards another suspect, Wendy's. Wow.
And now a kid here in Texas is in huge trouble because he made a map of his high school in Counter-Strike. The kid got expelled for making a freaking map. I'll be honest one of my best maps I designed for Doom 2 when I was a kid was my middle-school. That's right. I used a printed map that I took off the wall at school and re-created it using some WAD maker. Arrest me!
Is everyone missing the fact that when you are learning something new you often take things around you and attempt to recreate them? If I learned a new CAD program I'd probably try to recreate my house. If I was designing levels for a game, I'd probably recreate my office, when I was a kid, it was my school. Enough is enough, time for this fear of gaming to be relaxed.
Sorry for the early rant, on to releases!
Press Releases of the Week!
Guitar Hero has been a huge hit and is gaining even more steam with the recent release on the 360. Rock Band, the next big thing, is gaining momentum and gaining support from the music industry.
CAMBRIDGE, MA - May 8, 2007 - Harmonix, developer of the blockbuster Guitar Hero franchise, MTV: Music Television, a division of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, and Electronic Arts today announced that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation will have their instruments exclusively featured in the upcoming videogame Rock Band, an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to experience and connect with music. In addition, Roland Corporation and BOSS have agreed to have their brands featured within Rock Band.
To deliver the ultimate interactive music experience in Rock Band, Harmonix and MTV have secured an agreement with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, the world's most respected manufacturer of electric guitars and amplifiers, that will allow the Rock Band game controller peripheral to be modeled after the legendary Fender Stratocaster, one of the most enduring and iconic models of electric guitar in the world. In addition, Fender guitars, basses and amps will be exclusively featured in the game.
"Fender is pleased to be part of Rock Band and the exciting opportunity it offers passionate music fans and gamers," said Bill Mendello, CEO of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. "Our friends at Harmonix have done an amazing job of capturing the power and style of legendary Fender products within the virtual gaming experience and delivering it all in the spirit of rock 'n' roll."
To further raise the level of Rock Band's authenticity, Roland Corporation, the world's leading innovator in electronic instruments, and BOSS, recognized for its line of guitar effects pedals, have agreed to have their brands featured in Rock Band in-game and via co-marketing.
"Part of Roland's mission is to bring people closer to the music they love. Rock Band certainly fulfills that goal by bringing a deeply interactive music experience to the world, and having Roland featured in the game is a great honor," stated Dennis Houlihan, President and CEO of Roland Corporation U.S.
"Like the Fender Stratocaster, BOSS effects pedals have a long distinguished history," states BOSS U.S. President Paul Youngblood. "We've worked with Fender on many projects in the past and we're honored to be sharing this experience with them. Having the Strat in Rock Band is going to take the virtual world by storm and when it does, we'll be proud to have the BOSS name and pedals right there with it."
"The Stratocaster has been the weapon of choice for many of the world's legendary guitarists. Giving players the opportunity to rock out using a guitar peripheral modeled after the Strat really adds to the authenticity of the experience," said Alex Rigopulos, president and co-founder of Harmonix. "Many of the staff here at Harmonix play Fender and Roland instruments and use BOSS effects pedals in their own bands, so we are thrilled to be able to work with these companies."
Rock Band will allow players to play solo or recruit bandmates and jam side-by-side or virtually online, playing music from the greatest rock artists of all time. Built on unprecedented deals with the world's biggest record labels and music publishers, the music featured in Rock Band will span all genres of rock and include many master recordings.
The title is slated for release on PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in holiday 2007. For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockbandgame.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.
Roland you say... maybe we'll get an 808 peripheral and get to play some Beastie Boys in the next game? We're just three MCs and one deejay...
I just picked up this release, hot off the presses...a new Battlefront game from LucasArts is coming for the PSP. Sounds like it could be kind of cool.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - May 10, 2007 - Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, the next installment of the best-selling Star Wars Battlefront series of videogames, will hit store shelves everywhere in fall 2007, LucasArts announced today.
In development exclusively for the PSP system by U.K.-based Rebellion, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron continues the immensely successful Battlefront series, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide since its introduction in 2004.
The only original Star Wars Battlefront experience of 2007, Renegade Squadron delivers a new way for players to experience their favorite Star Wars battles any way - and anywhere - they want. The game presents new battles and missions found through a never-before-told story, as well as an unprecedented wealth of personalization and customization options. And for the first time on the PSP system, Star Wars Battlefront players can team up or compete online with friends all over the world.
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the previously untold story of a ragtag ensemble of battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels assembled by Han Solo. Gathered to execute some of the most secretive operations in the Rebel Alliance's war against the Galactic Empire, the Renegade Squadron participates in battles spanning the galaxy. From the Valley of the Sith on Korriban to a dogfight in space through the remains of Alderaan, Solo directs the team on missions of sabotage, rescue and retrieval.
In Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, robust customization options replace the class system seen in previous Star Wars Battlefront titles, allowing for millions of possible unique combatants. With weapons, equipment and abilities that players select themselves, no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same.
The game also boasts expanded multiplayer options for the PSP system. Up to 16 players will be able to compete against each other over the Internet and eight via the PSP system's ad-hoc wireless connection.
Sony is doing their damnedest to keep the PSP alive and this title sounds pretty sweet. Getting orders from Solo and playing with 16 friends online? I'll be watching this one.
Pretty Images of the Week!
Quint...this one is for you... hummina wowwee wow wow!
Holy crap I can't wait to get my hands on the multiplayer demo.
Timeshift was supposed to be a 'launch window' title for the 360 back in the day. It's gone under a bunch of major revisions and still looks pretty rad.
Wasn't that guy in Metal Gear Solid?
I'm going to finish up with the new Transformers trailer. I'm still not sure what to think on this one.
Honestly I think the models are pretty sweet. The transformation stuff looks to be pretty cool too. Imagine getting in a huge battle, needing to run for cover and just turning into your vehicle form to haul ass out of there.
I've got an interview lined up with the writer of the game so keep your eyes peeled for that one sometime soon.
Last weekend I hopped a plane out to sunny Los Angeles to take a peek at the I Am 8 Bit art show at Gallery 1988.
I found out about the show last year when Kevin, one of the editors of the book released last year, sent me a copy. I was blown away immediately.
It makes me so happy to see beautiful pieces of art being inspired by video games that I held dear to me as a child. I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of art before hearing of this show. Of course, I could appreciate a painting...but it took something I had prior knowledge of to really draw me in. I now own six different prints from I Am 8 Bit and they all hang gracefully in my new home. Art can be cool.
It's weird walking into a show and realizing that with each artist...on some level you connect with them. At some point in their lives they have sat down in front of a TV or an arcade game and made a connection with a video game. Their experience with Super Mario Brothers was just as important as yours.
Jon Gibson, the curator of the show, has fathered this collection over the past few years from a small idea in his head into what it is today. He promises next year's show will be even bigger and better and I'm going to do my damnedest to make it out to the opening next time.
You can find more shots from the gallery here or here or here. I'd like to give a thanks to Kevin for introducing me to the show, Jon for creating the show and Becky for selling me my prints! Until next year.
Arty Wrap-Up of the Week!
Alright, time to get back up on the horse. I apologize for the tardiness of this column, I'm doing my best to get it back up to an actual weekly deal, but you know how AICN writers and scheduled articles go.
On one last artsy note I want to share with you a pair of shoes I found at a buddy's skate shop. The hardcore Gears of War fan might want to seek these out.
These aren't "official" or anything, but they do strike a resemblance to the Gears of War COG logo. Kinda neat. They are Circa shoes and they are a couple years old...good luck finding them.
I leave you with a video of me practicing my Ms. Pac-Man skills for the tournament currently being run on XBox Live Arcade.
