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July 28th, 2006, 15:26 Posted By: wraggster
Gamespot has the news that Square has banned some 2000 accounts from FFXI, and Eurogamer reports that Blizzard has banned 59,000 accounts from World of Warcraft. The bans come as game publishers continue to attempt to crack down on Real Money Traders in their titles. From the FFXI article:
"The news follows Square Enix's crackdown of 250 accounts in June over money-farming and real-money trading, which is the practice of selling in-game currency for cash in the real world. Concerns over real-money trading prompted the Japanese government--particularly worried about large-scale money-mining operations in video games--to launch its own investigation last week.
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July 28th, 2006, 15:24 Posted By: wraggster
The Escapist's news feed reports that 2 Million characters have been made in Puzzle Pirates since the launch of the game. From the article:
"Three Rings' CEO Daniel James sees 2 million users as confirmation of the micro-currency model. 'We believe that this model represents the future for online entertainment. Our inspiration continues to be the Korean market, where 'free to play, pay for item' is the ubiquitous business model for online games. As the US market matures to meet Korea, we intend to keep leading the way.' In addition, the company recently released the beta version of a new game, Bang! Howdy, a multiplayer online tactical strategy game for the PC, which uses the same payment structure and online distribution model."
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July 28th, 2006, 14:29 Posted By: wraggster
Fresh details and a bunch o' screens for EA's The Rise of the Witch-king expansion
Do you prefer pulling the wings off flies to giving them a little kiss on the head? Then, well done! You're the perfect candidate for EA's forthcoming Battle for Middle-earth II expansion, The Rise of the Witch-king, which promises to let players explore their dark side in the world of Tolkien.
Set to gallop toward PC this October, the expansion offers a completely new faction - the Angmar, playable in skirmish, multiplayer and War of the Ring modes - as well as tossing in additional units for the existing six playable factions. On top of that, there's a new single-player campaign, providing the chance to revel in the evil side of Battle for Middle-earth II as players follow the story of "the evil Witch-king's rise to power, domination of Angmar and invasion of the great kingdom of Arnor, home to Aragorn's ancestors".
Plans are also afoot for Battle for Middle-earth II's War of the Ring and Create-A-Hero modes, offering new additions and weapons for the former unique Troll class, while War of the Ring is set to offer "upgraded army persistence, a new siege dynamic on the Living World Map, and unified territories that serve as major control points".
According to Mike Verdu, executive producer at EA LA, "The Lord of Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king" will transport players to a new time and place in Middle-earth while adding strategic depth to the innovative gameplay gamers loved in The Lord of Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II. Fans will love exploring the evil side of Middle-earth as described in Tolkien's fiction and brought to life in the visual style of the New Line Cinema films. This game is set to deliver the ultimate RTS Middle-earth experience."
Once again, Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king is set for release this winter - in the meantime, we've a couple of new shots ready for the fiery glare of your retinal probe.
Screens Here
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July 28th, 2006, 10:56 Posted By: shadowprophet
So you think you've seen it all? Well I thought that too until I saw this on the net.
Yeah your not hallucinating, what your looking at is literally a final fantasy potion!
And you can get them in two different verities, A normal version Which I assume will be a collectors item some day, all on its own, Or the premium version, Which comes complete in a very spiffy container that looks like a potion right out of a final fantasy game, with its own trading card to boot!
Here is a snippet of an article I found about these little bad boys, So do read on!
TOKYO--Quaffing potions in role-playing games that boost stamina are nothing new. But why should in-game characters have all the fun? In December, Square Enix and Japanese beverage maker Suntory announced plans to release a new drink inspired by magical mixings from the Final Fantasy series. Suntory today revealed that the drink will be named Final Fantasy XII Potion, and will flow into Japanese stores on March 7, nine days before Square Enix's release of the anticipated RPG. The drink will be available for a limited time.
Suntory says that Final Fantasy XII Potion has been developed to deliver a "mythical" taste that captures the essence of the game. To create the distinct flavor, the drink uses ten herbs, including Elder flower, Chamomile, Rosemary, and Lemon Balm. It also includes Royal Jelly and Propolis to give the drinker a boost of energy, to keep a spring in the step of cosplayers everywhere.
Collector's will also be able to get their hands on a limited edition of Final Fantasy XII Potion, which will come in a special bottle and include a FFXII trading card. There are six different designs for the special bottle, and 27 varieties for the trading card.
And if that isn't enough to get you excited, I went to the trouble of finding an online retailer that is selling these drinks which is right here.
You can bet ill be ordering mine soon!!
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July 28th, 2006, 10:11 Posted By: shadowprophet
Via ign
We test drive the latest from Silicon Knights.
by Charles Onyett
We got another chance to sit down with Denis Dyack and Silicon Knights to see their latest labor, Too Human . This time, we actually got to go hands-on with the title, getting a sense for how the frantic combat system plays out. Though initially the battle system felt a little awkward, we quickly got used to the viewpoints the game presented the battles from, and were killing robotic trolls and goblins with little trouble. The reason it's initially disorienting is there's no camera control. The perspective of battle is dictated entirely by the game and adjusts depending on who you happen to be targeting. From the bits we played, the game was good at determining workable yet dramatic angles.
In place of one of the analog sticks controlling the camera, players will control Baldur's direction of movement and, strangely enough, attacks. By pressing forward, back, and to the sides on the right analog stick, different attacks can be performed that correspond to the direction. It was simple enough to control, but quickly became more complicated as Silicon Knights explained some of the combination maneuvers. For instance, double-tapping in a direction launches enemies into the air, combining attack directions with movement directions performs a wide variety of moves, and you can combine jumping and shooting your firearms into the mix. Your dual pistols can either be aimed at a single target, or splayed out to simultaneously hit multiple surrounding targets. While airborne after a jump, you'll remain airborne as long as you're making contact with an enemy. With longer range weapons like the staff, which was used in the crystalline Ice Forest stage, it's possible to remain airborne for extremely long periods of time. According to Denis Dyack, some testers for the game can even get through entire levels without hitting the ground. You'll also get plenty of upgraded weapons and armor beyond what we've mentioned, including mass driver guns, sticks, akimbo swords, maces, and shields.
 This would be more manageable with the numbers of enemies planned to be onscreen at once in the final version of the game. Currently at around 50 percent complete, Too Human had around eight enemies at most onscreen at once. When the game ships for the holiday 2006 season, Dyack said there's supposed to be between 50 and 100 foes swarming around Baldur on a regular basis. Though it wasn't present in the demo , enemies are also supposed to attack with squad tactics and strategic formations to further complicate issues. Depending on which type of enemy you're fighting, you'll find each has different resistances and weaknesses. To help dispatch foes more quickly, super attacks become available after you've downed enough foes. When these moves become available, your weapon will glow a distinct color, either red, yellow, or blue, which corresponds to the Y, B, and X button colors. This feeds into Too Human's goal of letting gamers play without the interference of a HUD.
To keep the game's single player campaign interesting, we were shown how every play through involves different circumstances. For instance, walking into an expansive metallic corridor pulsing with electric light yielded two different results on two different occasions. The first time through we simply battled a number of robotic foes, whereas the second time a cutscene occurred where large fragments of the environment broke off of the ceiling and crashed into a wall below. To keep things as engaging as possible, Baldur is controllable in every in-game custscene. If the camera shifts to highlight the appearance of a new enemy, a hulking troll for instance, you can still move around offscreen, and even target and fire at the enemy. Though load times were fairly lengthy in the build being shown, the final game is planned to have no load times whatsoever.
 Near the end of the Hall of Heroes level we were able to access the Cyberspace realm, which is a stark contrast to the mechanically infected landscapes of most environments. In Cyberspace, Baldur can run around pastoral environments, full of lush greenery, grass, and trees. This realm of natural elements acts as a sort of library for the game's universe, containing information vital to the histories of futures of Too Human's mechanical worlds. The most impressive environment was definitely the Ice Forest level, which features towering spires of ice ringed with crackling purple electrical vines amidst a vast, seemingly subterranean cavern. The fusion of natural and technological elements was no more obvious than the electrical roots that permeated the Hall of Heroes. They cut across the generally straight edged metallic environment for an interesting visual effect.
The game still needs some work. Framerates weren't very stable, and the combat and hit detection felt imprecise at points. Still, the elements to be included in the final version sound very promising. In combination with the already impressive environments, the added swarms of enemies and unique combat options could make Too Human one of the better titles. We'll have more as soon as we can.
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July 28th, 2006, 08:28 Posted By: shadowprophet
Screen protectors.,lets face it everybody needs them, I was sick of looking at my dslite with its bubble filled screen protectors that looked so ugly. there where so many bubbles in fact it was un enjoyable playing a game on my new hand held. So i removed them, and perplexed about getting a new set, after calling my local store waiting on the phone for ten minuets before they told me they where out of stock, I was understandably disappointed, I don't like touching my hand helds unless they have screen protection, I like to take care of my investments, being half creative and half pissed off is a good motivation for me to sift through old electronics looking for anything in my ancient box of forgotten goodies that might work as a screen protector, Then i got struck by inspiration, Dvd boxes,
that's right Dvd boxes, they have that same kind of plastic over them that they use to make screen protectors, So within minuets I was finding an old dvd box to sacrifice, now the trick was to apply them,
I recalled when i was a kid we used to take soapy water, plastic cutouts and stick them to windows around the house, much to the dismay of my mom who hated it with a passion,lol
But the thing is ,it works, And such is the same principal with this idea for cheap, yet high quality screen protectors of any size needed for any portable console. Just remember the water must be warm and very soapy, (the soap is what makes it want to stick) and also make sure the home made screen protector isn't dripping when you put it on, It doesn't need to be dripping, just a little wet, (you don't want to get water in your console,) After they are applied take something like a baseball or playing card to sweep any air bubbles out (you will find this incredibly easy to do) and when you have them perfectly set- with all the air bubble out, just let em dry. (remember to be very careful though, again, you don't need water in your console, When everything is done you will be well please with the results, Just a thought from someone who didn't have access to high quality screen protectors and really needed a set for his ds lite, Give it a try sometime when your feeling brave , Peace out peeps,
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July 28th, 2006, 01:29 Posted By: Zumii
Hi, first post here....
Has anyone tried getting Elder Scrolls Arena to run on their PSP?
Would really like to get this to run, I dont know if Daggerfall would be easier....would be Awesome to get that to run....
See you around!
:~}
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July 27th, 2006, 22:34 Posted By: Kaiser
IGN had an exclusive interview today with Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king Producer Amir Rahimi. He doesn't waste much time either and delves right into the new campagin, faction and units.
Here is a little portion of what Mr. Rahimi told the world.
After 1000 years of peace that followed the Battle of the Last Alliance, evil once more began to spread across Middle-earth. Leading the charge was the Witch-king, who established a kingdom in the land of Angmar and waged a 500-year war against the Arnor, the ancestors of Aragorn and one of the greatest kingdoms of men. In The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-king players will have the opportunity to command the rise of evil in Middle-earth.
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July 27th, 2006, 22:21 Posted By: Kaiser
Developer Bruce Shelley has updated his blog on Ensemble Studio's official website. It includes some inetersting tidbits of challenges and new things they've been tuning for the game's release in a few months.
You can see the full blog here.
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July 27th, 2006, 22:17 Posted By: Kaiser
ZH mod Red Twilight is having technical problems with posting updates on their main website, so for the time being they'll be using their forums to keep ya'll abreast of the progress of their mod. This week they announced a new member has joined the mod team. John117 did some work for SSPs Halogen a while back, and now he's doing some voice acting for them. The team also posted a new render of the A-6F "Super Intruder". You can see the picture and get more info HERE.
Via C&C Den
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July 27th, 2006, 21:39 Posted By: shadowprophet
Just a wonderment, Who of all the characters In any Final fantsy is your favorite?
Make Nominations, And we'll Hold a Vote on the The Four finalists soon!!
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July 27th, 2006, 21:18 Posted By: shadowprophet
First there was,The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, For the Game Cube, Then of course. Nintendo announced that it would release two different versions of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -- one for Game Cube, and one for Nintendo Wii. But that has left us with many questions Like. Does the Zelda formula work with Wii's new controllers? Or will long-time fans be disappointed with the changes?
All Sings point to a great game!
Like others when I first heard The Big N Was going to add Wii controller support, The first thing that came to mind was a train wreck of what Could have been a great game,And who could blame me, Zelda isn't about points and clicking , It's about fighting and puzzle solving! And lets face it , Who hasn't had there reservations about swinging a wii controller around like a rabid star wars geek for sword play?
But since E3 the popular vote is in, Reports of praise and innovation abound this bold new move from nintendo, The developer smartly integrated Wii pointer and nunchuck control to deliver something that not only works, but feels fresh.
Remember playing Majora's Mask back on the N64? Despite the novel three-day setup, some players found that it felt a bit too similar to The Ocarina of Time and thus simply wasn't as exciting and fresh.
And Twilight Princess may have turned out the same way. It's a gorgeous game filled with great puzzles and characters -- and apparently it's a longer and more involved quest than any Zelda game before it -- but it's firmly rooted in the TOoT-style of gameplay. Well, not anymore. The changes the control setup in the Wii version adds to the game profoundly impact the game's feel. Fishing will feel new. Blocking? that will feel new too!. Shooting arrows?.. new!!. Even the spin attack has a new twist to it. So even though you may encounter a familiar looking puzzle, the new control dynamics give everything a fresh coat of paint. Yes, you can get excited now.
The demo and footage Shown at E3 offers two areas to explore: dungeon and Hena's Fishing Hole. Where's the traditional boss battle demo Nintendo usually includes in E3 demos? Don't worry, the boss battle is actually at the end of the dungeon stage. Let's tackle the dungeon first.
Dungeon Demo
If you've Seen the E3 Video, you've already seen most of the area. The shadowy figure Midna acts as a guide, while Navi -- your trusted fairy -- actually acts as a target for the pointer functionality at times. You get to try out your sword on a scarecrow (lock on with a shoulder button on the nunchuck, then hit the B button underneath the pointer to strike), navigate a series of wooden walkways above a waterlogged area, and shoot arrows at enemies. You control Link as always via the left analog stick and you can quick-center the camera with the same button used for lock-on. The trigger button on the nunchuck lets you kick the game into a first-person camera view. And it's here that players experience the freelook function of the pointer for the first time. The experience with the aiming control is easily likened to using an analog thumb stick for the first time. Some players will struggle with the sensitivity of the on-screen target that shows what you're looking or aiming at. Other players only took a moment to adjust the controls.
The combination of the controller rumble, the audio feedback from the built-in controller speaker and the motion controls create something really special here. Nintendo's shown without doubt that the control setup enhances many of the actions performed in Link's world, but thankfully also exercised restraint and didn't overthrow everything we've become accustomed to over the years just for the sake of showing off the controller, There are some small hitches, however. For one, the action of throwing crates by shaking the nunchuck didn't always work. this is most likely a bug that Nintendo will easily be able to fix as the spin attack worked like a charm every time. The second issue came up when trying to aim at a nasty little guy far away on a platform. The freehand controller had somehow gotten calibrated off-center, making quick aiming extremely difficult. It's unclear whether this was a bug with the game code or a problem with the freehand-aim control setup that Nintendo has yet to solve across all its titles.
Here are some of the things discovered and tried out during the dungeon demo By a few players at E3:
# Item Selection
As mentioned above, Navi acts as a quasi mouse-arrow while you're exploring. It's easy to ignore the little fairy whirring around while you're controlling Link with the analog stick, but there are times when you have to direct your eyes towards her position. For example, selecting your item sub-menu is done by aiming Navi at the item cross in the upper right and pressing a button. This will access the menu. You can then simply point at the item you want to equip and press the button you want to assign it to.
# Crates and Pots
You can pick up crates, throw them with the nunchuck or put them down. You can smash them with your sword and, as enemies demonstrated with some fire arrows, they can also be burned. Crates and pots contain the usual assortment of heart power-ups, rupees, and weapon refills (arrows, for example).
# The Sword and Shield
All your favorite moves are here, including slashing, the forward slice, spin attacks, and the rolls, sidesteps and backflips. The sword fighting is controlled via the pointer's buttons (not by waving it in the air like in Red Steel, for example). However, if you lock on and jerk the Wii-mote forward, Link parries. An attacking enemy is instantly stunned by this maneuver. As shown in the press conference demonstration, Link can also perform a downward thrust finishing move on enemies who are on the ground. Currently, it can be performed at the press of a button or by moving the nunchuck downward -- the latter feels much better, of course.
# Spin Attack
To perform Link's classic tornado attack, you perform a circular motion with the nunchuck.
# Bow and Arrow
The freehand-style pointer reinvents the bow controls. It really feels fresh -- and most importantly, challenging. Shooting arrows in real life is not an easy task. You not only have to have a steady hand while aiming, you have to do so while pulling back on the bow string. Nintendo emulates this by letting you aim manually with the pointer and then making you press the direction on the digital pad you have equipped the bow to to nock the arrow. Though this doesn't duplicate the two-handed control of a real bow, it adds the challenge of having to press a button with the same hand you're using to aim. You really have to steady your hand to take out a faraway opponent. The demo had some strategically placed Bokoblin-like imps for players to snipe. You could either directly shoot them or shoot an explosive barrel nearby for a money shot.
# The Claw Hookshot
The new hookshot looks like a mixture between Wind Waker's claw-endowed grapple and the classic chain hookshot. You fire it like the bow and arrow, but you actually have to hold down the button while aiming. Let go and it fires and pulls you up or forward, just like in previous Zelda games. In the dungeon demo, the hookshot was the only way to get to an area with a treasure box. The reward: a yellow rupee.
# The Lantern
Yes, it's back. We've carried burning sticks in 3D Zelda titles before, but the lantern is a welcome addition to Twilight Princess. Not only does it light up the dark, you can also wave it by moving the controller. One can only imagine the fire-related puzzles it will be used for. The lantern requires petroleum, which can be kept in bottles.
# Bottles
It's not a Zelda game without the ability to store items in bottles. The bottles Link had on him in the demo were filled with lantern fluid and a fairy.
# Boots
Yes, you can walk underwater when using these trusted heavy boots -- even when on a fishing trip. Yes, Link can only walk slowly when they're equipped. Yes, they make him really heavy and able to push down rusted pressure plates. Yes, they are used to anchor you to the ground in "sticky" situations, such as a giant magnet used in the demo to transport Link from one walkway to another; and effectively turns his world upside down. But there are no doubt more secrets slumbering in these "electrified" upgrades of the classic item. Expect to see plenty of underwater and upside down action in the future.
# The Gale Boomerang
Looks like some of Wind Waker's wind-based puzzles are back. In the demo dungeon, players have to figure out a simple boomerang puzzle. There are four pillars with spinners on top. Players are asked to lock on to the tops of the pillars (you can also lock on to the pillars themselves, but that won't help you here) one by one and then send the boomerang flying at the targets. Aiming is done with the pointer, locking on with the B button underneath the Wii-mote. The trick in this particular puzzle is that players have to pay attention to a pattern on the ground that shows you in which order to hit the little windmills. The boomerang can of course also be used to retrieve items or knock out enemies. You can move around slowly while aiming, by the way.
# The Map
The staple map display returns. Naturally, you can easily turn on or off the small map overlay, complete with entrance locator and Link's current position marker -- but there's also a bigger map available. We took a little peek and saw tempting hints at other locations, including a Goron Mine.
There are no doubt many more things to uncover in the demo, but Vidoes Only reveal so so much.
behind The final door to the dungeon demo is the Balrog-like fire giant shown in screenshots and earlier trailers. When Link walks in, the statue-like giant looks shadowy and black and sits motionless in the middle of an arena. As Link approaches, a jewel on the creature's forehead begins to glow and the giant comes to life. He shakes the oversized iron chains attached to his arms and bursts into flames. If you don't want to know how to defeat him, skip to the next paragraph now. It's a no-brainer, actually: using your bow and arrow, you have to target the jewel and fire off an arrow. This will blind the creature, giving you a chance to run up to one of its chains, grab and hold it with the B button and pull on it. But pull as you might, the giant is simply too strong and will drag you along. The solution? Heavy Boots, you guessed it. With the boots attached, you can slowly drag the chains backwards and make the fire giant fall down. Then it's the tried-and-true Gohma-maneuver that does it in. Hit the eye and you emerge victoriously. An impressive death sequence shows the creature rear up in agony as the flames extinguish and it fades to a dark black and shrinks down to a smaller size. The demo ends. The Videos alone leave me wanting more.
The Look
What's to Be said But impressive, With all the setbacks on this title they have had ample time to polish this title into a wondrous Gem, A masterpiece even!
The Verdict So Far
It looks like Twilight Princess was worth the wait. Twilight Princess looks like a clear winner and has secured itself a permanent spot at the top of my most-wanted list until its release!!
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July 27th, 2006, 20:05 Posted By: shadowprophet
Rumor or not, You can place your pre orders now,
Gamers have been glued to there television sets since Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released earlier this year, and most of us are just now starting to venture back out into the sun . So far this obsession has only graced the Xbox 360 and PCs, but other consoles may soon feel its wraith. Rumors that the game will reach the PlayStation 3 and PSP have been circulating for a while now -- a release schedule apparently leaked from Bethesda earlier this spring showed the versions as coming out this year. Now mysterious listings on online retail sites Are making believers out of many.
Still far from confirmation, both EB Games and Gamestop list Bethesda's epic RPG scheduled for release on the PSP March 15, 2007, for $49.99, and for the PS3 on November 17, 2006 for $59.99. In the past, these sorts of listings have predicted game announcements with some success.
No official comments could be gathered about this, so for now,all we can do is assume that this november this will be a very Nice month for Rpg fans indeed !
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July 27th, 2006, 18:24 Posted By: wraggster
Developer Blizzard has joined forces with gaming matchmaking software Xfire to launch a "Summer Movie Contest" focused around Blizzard's jaw-droppingly popular massively multiplayer title, World of Warcraft.
The objective of the contest is to select the best fan-made movies using World of Warcraft characters and locations - an increasingly popular area of amateur film-making known as machinima.
Contestants are invited to submit entries in four categories - short film, comedy, drama/action and dance/music video - with the criterion being that they must all be cut together from footage recorded in World of Warcraft.
Entries must be submitted by September 15th, and the winners will be decided by Blizzard, Xfire and a community vote - with 20 prizes being awarded, five in each major category.
For more details, visit the competition homepage.
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July 27th, 2006, 18:19 Posted By: wraggster
Ever forgiving Blizzard popped up earlier this week to absently mention that it's banned 59,000 World of Warcraft accounts during June.
Not content with that, it's stripped over 22 million gold from the total economy across all realms relating to the banned accounts.
"While we regret having to take such extreme action," Blizzard said regretfully, "these accounts were participating in activities that directly violated World of Warcraft's Terms of Use, including the use of third-party programs to farm gold and items."
"Such behavior not only negatively impacts the economy of a realm, it diminishes the achievements of those who play legitimately," it added.
Blizzard routinely bans huge numbers of accounts for cheating, but with millions of paying customers worldwide it isn't exactly sending them under.
Cheats never Prosper comes to Mind
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July 27th, 2006, 08:02 Posted By: Kaiser
The future contemplated in Command & Conquer 3 is a difficult one. The Earth has been permanently transformed by Tiberium as the strange alien mineral slowly consumes the planet. This crystalline substance turns anything it touches into more Tiberium, a process that gives off powerful energy that can be harnessed by a resource-starved human civilization. Tiberium is both a gift and a curse: It is the ultimate resource -- but it is also destroying the environment, it has been the focus of two world wars, and it will eventually obliterate all life on the planet.
This game looks better and better with each passing day. Check out the first designer diary at IGN.
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July 27th, 2006, 03:33 Posted By: shadowprophet
July Update adds Achievements, special steps are required.
Xbox 360 gamers hooked on Square-Enix's MMORPG Final Fantasy XI are now able to unlock Achievements. According to the release notes of FFXI's July Version Update, "After fulfilling certain requirements, players will be able to speak with title-changing NPCs to unlock Xbox 360 "achievements." In the case where players have no titles available to change, they will be unable to unlock any achievements." In addition to the Achievement upgrade, a black border has been added to the map screen, coordinates are more legible, and 1024x768 is now a compatible screen resolution.
In the FFXI profile on your gamercard you'll find 32 Achievements listed. As to precisely what they are is for gamers to find out.
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July 27th, 2006, 00:13 Posted By: Kaiser
Heroes of Annihilated Empires is GSC Game World's intriguing project described as "RTS vs. RPG", and reportedly incorporating both genres rather than just combining selected elements. Since it first came to our attention in the latter part of 2004, we have learned that the game is the first part of a planned trilogy set in the original fantasy world of Atlans, where the races stand on the brink of hostilities that could destroy them all. Accordingly, Elhant's inherent skill, his courage and marksmanship with his weapon of choice, the bow, will be sorely tested as he attempts to rally his kind to victory. The meaning of his disturbing vision remains veiled in mystery and shadows. However, we did secure the opportunity to find out about the current status of this interesting hybrid endeavor by questioning the Project Lead, Eugene Grygorovych.
Check out IGN's interview the project director Eugene Grygorovych about the details of this newly announced game here.
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July 26th, 2006, 23:43 Posted By: shadowprophet
Via IGN
July 25, 2006 - Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is the eagerly awaited prequel to 2000's Valkyrie Profile (as well as the recently released Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth for the PSP). Set a hundred years before the events of the first game, Valkyrie Profile 2 tells the story of Alicia, a young princess who's been possessed by the spirit of a Valkyrie named Silmeria. As she travels throughout the world, Alicia gains a number of companions and even discovers her relationship to Einherjar, the souls of fallen warriors, thanks to her connection with the battle maiden.
We recently had the opportunity to interview Yoshinori Yamagishi, the Producer of the Valkyrie Profile series, to find out some more details about Silmeria. What's the battle system like? How are Einherjar managed in the game? Will there be a Valkyrie Profile 3? All the answers to these questions are below.
IGN: Can you tell us a little bit about the story behind Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria?
Yoshinori Yamagishi: Well, Valkyrie Profile 2 is essentially set a hundred years before the original Valkyrie Profile. The first title was based around death, with Lenneth collecting the souls of the dead to fight alongside the gods right before Ragnarok - it was a much darker theme. Since Silmeria is set a hundred years before, it's a much lighter and brighter storyline. This basically resolves a lot of the mysteries left behind from the first Valkyrie Profile: it was a completed story, but there were a lot of things that would leave players wondering, "How did that happen?" Silmeria resolves a lot of those questions.
The background of the story is about Silmeria, who is a sister of Lenneth, but her soul and the soul of Alicia reside in one body, in Alicia's body. The plot revolves around them, and the battle maiden and the human form each take turns to appear, so it's the conflict that occurs from this situation that makes Silmeria so interesting. The opening scene essentially tells the story of Alicia: she had been locked away in a castle because people thought she was crazy and demonstrating multiple personalities when it was actually the possession by Silmeria that was the cause of the behavior. Hrist, the third sister goddess, comes after Silmeria/Alicia and they escape, which is how the story begins.
Meet Alicia, the princess of Dipan.
IGN: Excellent. While I know it's a little premature to ask this question, could we assume that there might be a third story that would center around Hrist, the third battle maiden?
Yoshinori: When Valkyrie Profile was made, there weren't any specific plans to make a sequel to it, or a prequel, in the first place. But, an idea came up, and was a good one, so we went through with it. So there really is no plan for Valkyrie Profile 3, but if there's a desire with the team, and there's a great idea that comes up, then obviously we won't look away from it either.
As an example, one of the ideas that came up was connected to the switching back and forth between Alicia and Silmeria. Because there are two souls living in one body, when Alicia and Silmeria switch, you can actually see physical changes on the character. You'll notice different facial expressions, a different stature and different movements: the changes are really obvious, but that was a lot of work involved to make sure that the two characters had different and subtle nuances. Alicia has a much softer demeanor, while Silmeria has a tougher, sterner personality.
IGN: It appears that Rufus, the first ally that Alicia comes across, was inspired by Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Was that intentional?
Yoshinori: We've gotten that a lot! It was never planned; it just happened. That comparison is probably because of how he's dressed - the beads in his hair, the ornaments. However, speaking of what he's wearing: all of the costumes are programmed to move naturally. They all have gravity. They'll move, they sway, they have weight to them. You'll notice with Alicia, for instance, that the direction that the grass sways in the wind is the same direction her dress will blow, so everything is accurate to what you'd find in real life. The same can be said about things like windmills turning or light wrapping around everything, which looks very natural.
Really, this isn't Jack Sparrow's latest adventure...
IGN: Very cool…So, considering that the game is set 100 years before the events of the original Valkyrie Profile and Silmeria isn't collecting souls to prepare for Ragnarok, are all of her party members still living, or will there be dead warriors that she will collect over the course of the adventure?
Yoshinori: All of the characters joining your party that are involved with the storyline are still living; however, the Einherjar do exist, and are sub-characters in this plot. Because Silmeria has been resurrected and joined with Alicia's soul, all of the Einherjar that she had with her previously have been resurrected within her. So it's really more of a story of releasing these Einherjar, but they do join your party and you do fight with them.
IGN: Would they be more akin to a Summon, like Ifrit or Shiva from the Final Fantasy series, or a different kind of magical character?
Yoshinori: It's slightly different than a Summon because you already have all of them with you; it's just a matter of finding their belongings in the maps that you encounter, and by touching these belongings, you are able to resurrect them outside of your body and have them join your party. So it's slightly different than a Summon, but it's definitely something that you have to actually bring out.
IGN: Okay, so once you've found their actual belongings, how do you exactly determine which Einherjar you have with you at that point in time? For example, is it based on the item you equip or the piece of armor you have?
Your Einherjar are now scattered in items around the world.
Yoshinori: When you do touch these items to resurrect these Einherjar, the resurrection is actually at random. So there's really no way to pick which one you're going to get. Each artifact that you'll find will have a different Einherjar, but sometimes there are four different ones that could possibly come up. Now if there's a certain one that you want, you'll need to reset the game and see if you can get that one when you reload the game. No one person will always have the same party, but the fun part about that is each Einherjar has its own specific traits. You'll have to work around each character's strengths and weaknesses to build a party around that.
IGN: How many Einherjar are in Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria?
Yoshinori: In Valkyrie Profile, there were 16 Einherjar. In Silmeria, it's around the low 40s, but because of the randomness of the resurrections, you won't get all of them. Now, to add to the overall balance of the game, it's ideal if you strengthen your characters, have them for a while and then you release them. If you want to hold onto them, it won't affect completing the game, but there are good things that come your way when you release them - perks if you will.
IGN: I noticed during an earlier fight sequence that battle is a little more active than the original title: depending on the zone you're in, enemies will or will not attack you. Is the battle sequence still turn based, or is it much more active based on the sight of the monsters that you fight?
Battles are more strategic this time around.
Yoshinori: The battle system was meant to be kept very similar to the first game: a character to each button setting, etc. Basically, we wanted to add mobility to the system, so you have the ability to move around the map, which adds strategy to the game. The battlefield is widened and is in 3D, and the attack range for the enemy is shown in red. If you stand in those areas, you will be attacked. The best strategy is to figure out how to move without being in those areas and still be within range to attack. Once you get into range of the enemy, just like the original Valkyrie Profile game, the button commands will show for those characters that it's assigned to, and then you will start your attack. Now, if you step into the red areas, it is turn based, but the monsters will attack you.
The amount of times you can attack is shown by AP. Every time you make a movement or an attack it decreases. For instance, if I dash, it will take up a certain amount of AP. Now, there's also a leader in each pack of enemies. If the leader is defeated first, the battle ends automatically. You'll also notice a gauge on the side of the screen, which is basically a timer. While there is no time limit, if you defeat the leader before that timer runs out, the remaining time turns into bonus points. Also, each body point on the enemy, whether it's an arm, tail, head, or a shield, has its own HP, and you can attack it by where you position yourself. It's like a fighting game: what you strike is what you damage. If limbs come off, certain items will appear as well.
IGN: So will Silmeria and her party still perform "Purify Weird Soul" attacks when their Hit gauge is full?
Yoshinori: When you fill the hit gauge, there will basically be a similar attack to the original game. A lot of the same movements will return, like the Nibelung Valesti. Earlier on, in the game, it's simply referred to as Purification. Just like in the original game, there are a number of combos that you can trigger based on the order of the buttons that you press.
Now, one of the new things in Silmeria is the ability to split your party: You can do two and two or three and one, but either way, you can use one group to distract an enemy and the other to sneak up and attack, or attack from the front and back at the same time. This gives you much more leeway in the manner you want to carry out your strategy.
IGN: Returning to the characters themselves: will there also be skills that you'll need to acquire for each character or character traits that you'll need to level up?
Yoshinori: The skill system is a little more complicated this time around, because you're actually creating your skills based on what's equipped. So the combinations of these items will start to create the skills that you can actually use and build on.
IGN: Will you still create items in Silmeria?
Yoshinori: You either purchase it or have a store create it, but you won't create the items yourself. Now when you fight monsters, you'll want to target their body parts so you can break limbs off to create weapons or armor with.
No more item creation -- Alicia's going shopping in town.
IGN: So when you take an Einherjar to a specific location, is there anything that winds up happening: do they recognize where their life used to be or that the particular place was where they died, for instance?
Square: It doesn't happen as an event when you visit towns, but once you release an Einherjar, they will be somewhere in the world. That's another part of the game, where you can actually find these people living a life in the real world.
IGN: Thanks for your time!
Also Be sure to check out this video I found with some nice in game footage which is Here!
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July 26th, 2006, 19:36 Posted By: shadowprophet
Final Fantasy XII took top honors at this year's PlayStation Awards ceremony, held in Tokyo on the 25th. The Square Enix blockbuster took home a double platinum prize, in recognition of its two million plus sales.
While FFXII was the only double platinum winner, a number of games walked home with platinum and gold awards. Platinum, recognizing sales of one million or more, was given to Winning Eleven 9, Winning Eleven 10 and Kingdom Hearts II. Gold, recognizing sales of 500,000 or more, was given to Resident Evil 4, Monster Hunter Portable, Monster Hunter 2, Sengoku Musou 2, Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 12, Dirge of Cerberus Final Fantasy VII, Dragon Ball Z Sparking!, Tales of the Abyss and Super Robot Taisen Alpha 3.
The PlayStation Awards is an annual awards show hosted by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. Now entering its sixth year, the show recognizes the top selling Japanese titles for the previous year. Developers of double platinum, platinum and gold titles walk home with cash prizes of, respectively, two million, one million, and 500,000 yen.
Following the awards ceremony, Sony held its annual PlayStation Party. The first such party took place on the eve of the PlayStation's launch at a small event space in Tokyo's Ebisu region. Now in its twelfth year, over 400 game makers were in attendance.
Sony typically holds a press conference prior to the start of the awards ceremony. This year, the company decided to skip out on the press conference. No reason was provided. Last year's press conference saw a wealth of announcements and debut footage, including first looks at Resident Evil 5 and Lair.
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