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Kombo's Comprehensive E3 2009 Index Page Every single E3 2009 related update and article posted on Kombo... conveniently organized in one location. Just for you. 
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Heavy Rain Hands-On Is it a game or a new kind of cinematic experience? Whatever it is, it's looks freaking amazing. 
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Assassin's Creed 2 Impressions The sequel to the breakout IP of this generation. Put your faith in the Creed. |
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PS3
MSNBC Blogger: Not Sure PS3 "Will Survive Another Year"
by Jeff Grubb | 07/02/09 | 5:30 PM PST
MSNBC Blogger: Not Sure PS3 "Will Survive Another Year"
by Jeff Grubb | 07/02/09 | 5:30 PM PST
The Sony Playstation 3 is starting to look shaky in an otherwise brilliant video game market. I'm not sure the console will survive another year.
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GEN
Jaded Since Jade; Has Ubi Gone Soft?
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 5:10 PM PST
There was a time when I looked up to Ubisoft as a beacon of light in what I saw as an otherwise dark and misguided industry. 2003 was a year in which I had the time to play a lot of video games, and managed to play most of the year's major releases. I was, at the time something of a Nintendo fanboy, though I did own a PS2 and Xbox as well. Nintendo were for me, a company that refused to comply with the industry's growing stagnation, yet the GameCube was struggling to economically perform.
Cast your minds back to 2003: EA ruled the roost, with the Need For Speed and sports franchises dominating the charts. The Sims had spawned countless amounts of uninspired expansion packs, the woeful Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and Enter The Matrix were selling well and copycat behavior was abound with lackluster games being marketed into success, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, True Crime: Streets of LA, Burnout 2 and Angel of Darkness. Even Nintendo's new Gameboy Advance SP model reeked of a "cash-in" and all signs of innovation were crumbling commercially, from Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage to the apparent collapse of the much-hyped Capcom Five, following the poor reception of P.N.03 and the cancellation of Dead Phoenix. Aside from a couple of notable exceptions in the shape of Soul Calibur II and Knights of the Old Republic, 2003 represented an industry heading in the direction of Hollywood, a realm where innovation and artistic quality is considered commercially unviable and low-risk, high yield strategies are abundant and substance is sacrificed for style.
Jaded Since Jade; Has Ubi Gone Soft?
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 5:10 PM PST
There was a time when I looked up to Ubisoft as a beacon of light in what I saw as an otherwise dark and misguided industry. 2003 was a year in which I had the time to play a lot of video games, and managed to play most of the year's major releases. I was, at the time something of a Nintendo fanboy, though I did own a PS2 and Xbox as well. Nintendo were for me, a company that refused to comply with the industry's growing stagnation, yet the GameCube was struggling to economically perform.
Cast your minds back to 2003: EA ruled the roost, with the Need For Speed and sports franchises dominating the charts. The Sims had spawned countless amounts of uninspired expansion packs, the woeful Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and Enter The Matrix were selling well and copycat behavior was abound with lackluster games being marketed into success, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, True Crime: Streets of LA, Burnout 2 and Angel of Darkness. Even Nintendo's new Gameboy Advance SP model reeked of a "cash-in" and all signs of innovation were crumbling commercially, from Nokia's ill-fated N-Gage to the apparent collapse of the much-hyped Capcom Five, following the poor reception of P.N.03 and the cancellation of Dead Phoenix. Aside from a couple of notable exceptions in the shape of Soul Calibur II and Knights of the Old Republic, 2003 represented an industry heading in the direction of Hollywood, a realm where innovation and artistic quality is considered commercially unviable and low-risk, high yield strategies are abundant and substance is sacrificed for style.
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GEN
The Role of Female Characters in Video Games Part 2 - Samus Aran
by Joey Davidson | 07/02/09 | 5:00 PM PST
I started this series of articles just a few months ago. I have already told you that my intention here is to investigate the role of female characters in gaming. I am not necessarily trying to provide a solution, but I am definitely looking to further unearth the inherent problem. Female characters in gaming cast a negative shadow over the medium and gender perception as a whole.
If you are looking to understand my full intentions throughout this series, I would like to offer you a chance to read my first article. I spend a lot of time in the early goings trying to explain my position. Well, I have done that already. So I decided that here, and with future editions of this editorial, I will begin more quickly than before.
When I finished the first piece, I immediately started to get a slew of reactions from colleagues, friends and readers. Not all of them were positive, of course, but they did spark the types of discussions for which I was looking. And a lot of people started to offer Samus Aran as a solution for the model of strong females in games. She immediately became my next target.
The Role of Female Characters in Video Games Part 2 - Samus Aran
by Joey Davidson | 07/02/09 | 5:00 PM PST
I started this series of articles just a few months ago. I have already told you that my intention here is to investigate the role of female characters in gaming. I am not necessarily trying to provide a solution, but I am definitely looking to further unearth the inherent problem. Female characters in gaming cast a negative shadow over the medium and gender perception as a whole.
If you are looking to understand my full intentions throughout this series, I would like to offer you a chance to read my first article. I spend a lot of time in the early goings trying to explain my position. Well, I have done that already. So I decided that here, and with future editions of this editorial, I will begin more quickly than before.
When I finished the first piece, I immediately started to get a slew of reactions from colleagues, friends and readers. Not all of them were positive, of course, but they did spark the types of discussions for which I was looking. And a lot of people started to offer Samus Aran as a solution for the model of strong females in games. She immediately became my next target.
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PS3
Tekken 6 Director: Unlockable Characters are Outdated
by Kombo Staff | 07/02/09 | 4:56 PM PST
Once upon a time, discovering a hidden character (or, more likely, reading a magazine and showing off your "skillz" to all your friends) offered great excitement in the fighting game arena. And once it caught on, it caught on big; odds are, if you were playing a fighting game, there was at least one guy hidden away somewhere.
But then, for many, it began to get tiresome; to hone your skills at a friend's house or at the arcade, mastering a certain character, only to find yourself forced to use other, lesser entities in order to reclaim your former glory... or to just use that one guy who you thought looked really, really cool.
It is a tradition which carries on, even today, much to the chagrin of gamers everywhere. Many a complaint has been lobbied against the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Street Fighter IV for hiding away characters such as Luigi, Cammy, Sakura, and Captain Falcon under lock and key, preventing players from getting the most out of their experience when they open the box.
But, at long last, one fighting game director is ready to stand against such practices.
Tekken 6 Director: Unlockable Characters are Outdated
by Kombo Staff | 07/02/09 | 4:56 PM PST
Once upon a time, discovering a hidden character (or, more likely, reading a magazine and showing off your "skillz" to all your friends) offered great excitement in the fighting game arena. And once it caught on, it caught on big; odds are, if you were playing a fighting game, there was at least one guy hidden away somewhere.
But then, for many, it began to get tiresome; to hone your skills at a friend's house or at the arcade, mastering a certain character, only to find yourself forced to use other, lesser entities in order to reclaim your former glory... or to just use that one guy who you thought looked really, really cool.
It is a tradition which carries on, even today, much to the chagrin of gamers everywhere. Many a complaint has been lobbied against the likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Street Fighter IV for hiding away characters such as Luigi, Cammy, Sakura, and Captain Falcon under lock and key, preventing players from getting the most out of their experience when they open the box.
But, at long last, one fighting game director is ready to stand against such practices.
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GEN
Are the Games of the Past Harder Then the Games of Today?
by Nick McCavitt | 07/02/09 | 4:56 PM PST
It takes a lot for someone to be a hardcore gamer these days; in the early days of gaming it was a simpler process, like who could play the longest or the quickest. Now though, it's who can kill the most in a row or find the most hidden extras to prove you're a cut above the average gamer. In this highly energized atmosphere, it should be an easy prospect for us to take on the games of the past practically in our sleep.
At least, that's what I thought.
It turns out, however, that I was quite incorrect in that assumption. It all came to me when I saw that Castle Wolfenstein could be acquired for the iPod Touch and felt confident in my ability to crush those pixelated Nazis in a blink. I had done so many times the first time I played the game, and the foes and challenges I'd faced in other FPS games since were much greater. What was a pistol toting Nazi beside a group of Overwatch soldiers, or Bioshock's Big Daddies? Playing this game would be a walk in the park, I told myself.
It proved not to be so at all.
Are the Games of the Past Harder Then the Games of Today?
by Nick McCavitt | 07/02/09 | 4:56 PM PST
It takes a lot for someone to be a hardcore gamer these days; in the early days of gaming it was a simpler process, like who could play the longest or the quickest. Now though, it's who can kill the most in a row or find the most hidden extras to prove you're a cut above the average gamer. In this highly energized atmosphere, it should be an easy prospect for us to take on the games of the past practically in our sleep.
At least, that's what I thought.
It turns out, however, that I was quite incorrect in that assumption. It all came to me when I saw that Castle Wolfenstein could be acquired for the iPod Touch and felt confident in my ability to crush those pixelated Nazis in a blink. I had done so many times the first time I played the game, and the foes and challenges I'd faced in other FPS games since were much greater. What was a pistol toting Nazi beside a group of Overwatch soldiers, or Bioshock's Big Daddies? Playing this game would be a walk in the park, I told myself.
It proved not to be so at all.
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GEN
How to Survive a Zombie Invasion!
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 4:38 PM PST
Everywhere you look these days there are signs of an impending zombie apocalypse. The UK recently saw the release of Charlie Brooker's excellent Dead Set on DVD and this century has seen dozens of zombie-infested movies, a worrying rise that has also infected the world of video games. This generation has been swamped with zombies, from Dead Rising's limitless zombie horde to COD5's marching Nazi Zombies.
We all now have enough experience in dealing with the forthcoming undead doom, but just in case you need some advice in your preparation, here are some basic dos and don'ts in the imminent Armageddon.
DO
How to Survive a Zombie Invasion!
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 4:38 PM PST
Everywhere you look these days there are signs of an impending zombie apocalypse. The UK recently saw the release of Charlie Brooker's excellent Dead Set on DVD and this century has seen dozens of zombie-infested movies, a worrying rise that has also infected the world of video games. This generation has been swamped with zombies, from Dead Rising's limitless zombie horde to COD5's marching Nazi Zombies.
We all now have enough experience in dealing with the forthcoming undead doom, but just in case you need some advice in your preparation, here are some basic dos and don'ts in the imminent Armageddon.
DO
- Assemble a team of survivors. Make sure they are capable with a weapon and unflinching in decapitating undead loved-ones. A team of 2-4 generally works best and if possible, recruit a multicultural group as to not provoke accusations of racism as you splatter the brains of the ethnically diverse gaggle of zombies. The lightest shade of milky brown will apparently pass as black.
- Get to a high, secure location. Zombies generally have poor dexterity and route-planning skills and will struggle when presented with sharp gradients.
... IF you want to live, read on.
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PS3
Random Video of the Day: Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal, Rag Doll Kung Fu-Style
by David Oxford | 07/02/09 | 4:34 PM PST
Ah, machinima.
Kombo co-founder, PR Director, and man-of-a-million-links Sean O'Neill sent this my way earlier. Put quite simply, it is a performance of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," as performed by models from the Sony PlayStation 3 game Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic. Check it out:
No small wonder that the tributes to Michael would still keep coming at this stage, especially from video game fans, a number of which I imagine grew up listening to the King of Pop. Not to mention his helping lead one of the earlier crossovers between music and gaming.
Random Video of the Day: Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal, Rag Doll Kung Fu-Style
by David Oxford | 07/02/09 | 4:34 PM PST
Ah, machinima.
Kombo co-founder, PR Director, and man-of-a-million-links Sean O'Neill sent this my way earlier. Put quite simply, it is a performance of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," as performed by models from the Sony PlayStation 3 game Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic. Check it out:
No small wonder that the tributes to Michael would still keep coming at this stage, especially from video game fans, a number of which I imagine grew up listening to the King of Pop. Not to mention his helping lead one of the earlier crossovers between music and gaming.
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GEN
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 4:32 PM PST
I recently completed creating a flash-based game for a university project and during the design process took the opportunity to play a lot of games I had never played before. One of my favorite stories ever is a short one written by sci-fi legend Harlan Ellison called "I Have No Mouth, and I must Scream," which you can read here, and during my game research I stumbled across a 1995 PC game based on the story.
If you can't be bothered to read the story, it is about a supercomputer that has evolved and gained sentience in the wake of a global war and sets about destroying mankind: so far, so Hollywood. However, in this tale the computer (named AM) succeeds in laying waste to the entire planet and every living human, save for five sorry individuals. With its highly advanced intelligence and seemingly limitless hatred for mankind, AM manages to keep them perpetually alive despite the endless torture he performs upon them. The story takes place 109 years into the torture.
The game mechanic itself is anything but revolutionary, with the gameplay roughly mirroring what you would expect to find in a Myst game, but as with the book, the game totally blew me away.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
by Joel Windels | 07/02/09 | 4:32 PM PST
I recently completed creating a flash-based game for a university project and during the design process took the opportunity to play a lot of games I had never played before. One of my favorite stories ever is a short one written by sci-fi legend Harlan Ellison called "I Have No Mouth, and I must Scream," which you can read here, and during my game research I stumbled across a 1995 PC game based on the story.
If you can't be bothered to read the story, it is about a supercomputer that has evolved and gained sentience in the wake of a global war and sets about destroying mankind: so far, so Hollywood. However, in this tale the computer (named AM) succeeds in laying waste to the entire planet and every living human, save for five sorry individuals. With its highly advanced intelligence and seemingly limitless hatred for mankind, AM manages to keep them perpetually alive despite the endless torture he performs upon them. The story takes place 109 years into the torture.
The game mechanic itself is anything but revolutionary, with the gameplay roughly mirroring what you would expect to find in a Myst game, but as with the book, the game totally blew me away.
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GEN
BioShock 2 Plunging Back Into the Depths
by Nick McCavitt | 07/02/09 | 4:20 PM PST
When it comes to up and coming games, I always try to keep in mind the rule about never believing what you read, unless it comes from the creators. I tried to do this with Bioshock 2: The Sea of Dreams, which once again brings us to Rapture for more mind-bending undersea adventures. This time, however, there's a twist that doesn't involve a sudden plane crash. Instead of playing the mysterious Jack of the Will You Kindly, you play a rogue Big Daddy, wandering Rapture, and assisting Little Sisters.
I admit to feeling an uncharitable view of the game, as it just seems to be letting you do all the same things you did in Bioshock 1, just as a Big Daddy. It's not that Big Daddies aren't tragic figures, as they've had their very humanity stripped away to act as weapons in a war they didn't volunteer for, but it seemed to be difficult to build a game around such a thing. However, I admit that I may have jumped too conclusions too soon. This has to do with the new information I received about the Big Sister, who has been mentioned to be kidnapping little girls to make into new Big Sisters, which she then uses into making into her new empire under the sea. She's now the Queen of Rapture, and she seems determined to make it Girls Only.
BioShock 2 Plunging Back Into the Depths
by Nick McCavitt | 07/02/09 | 4:20 PM PST
When it comes to up and coming games, I always try to keep in mind the rule about never believing what you read, unless it comes from the creators. I tried to do this with Bioshock 2: The Sea of Dreams, which once again brings us to Rapture for more mind-bending undersea adventures. This time, however, there's a twist that doesn't involve a sudden plane crash. Instead of playing the mysterious Jack of the Will You Kindly, you play a rogue Big Daddy, wandering Rapture, and assisting Little Sisters.
I admit to feeling an uncharitable view of the game, as it just seems to be letting you do all the same things you did in Bioshock 1, just as a Big Daddy. It's not that Big Daddies aren't tragic figures, as they've had their very humanity stripped away to act as weapons in a war they didn't volunteer for, but it seemed to be difficult to build a game around such a thing. However, I admit that I may have jumped too conclusions too soon. This has to do with the new information I received about the Big Sister, who has been mentioned to be kidnapping little girls to make into new Big Sisters, which she then uses into making into her new empire under the sea. She's now the Queen of Rapture, and she seems determined to make it Girls Only.
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PS3
HANDS-ON: The Bigs 2
by Brad Hilderbrand | 07/02/09 | 3:55 PM PST
Most times, sports-themed video games strive for realism and accuracy. Pro football players have been known to obsess over their Madden attributes, and NBA players strive to improve their game on the actual court, but on the digital one as well. Baseball games typically strive for a similar level of accuracy, with franchises devoted months of development time to drill down into the most intricate of player stats in order to deliver the most realistic game possible. The Bigs 2 throws all that stuffiness out the window, instead opting for a streamlined, arcade-style game that's easy to pick up and play but nearly impossible to put down. We put the game through its paces recently and also caught up with Rob Nelson and Damon Perdue, producers on the title so we can bring you all the latest on this particular slugfest.
For those new to the franchise, The Bigs is all about taking baseball players you know and love and making them into larger-than-life caricatures, but in a good way.
While the steroid era may hang a pall over current seasons, The Bigs beefs up the players but strips them of pretension. These are supermen, with powers that no mere mortal could posses. Once you've got your head wrapped around the idea that you aren't supposed to take this game seriously you can really start to have fun with it.
HANDS-ON: The Bigs 2
by Brad Hilderbrand | 07/02/09 | 3:55 PM PST
Most times, sports-themed video games strive for realism and accuracy. Pro football players have been known to obsess over their Madden attributes, and NBA players strive to improve their game on the actual court, but on the digital one as well. Baseball games typically strive for a similar level of accuracy, with franchises devoted months of development time to drill down into the most intricate of player stats in order to deliver the most realistic game possible. The Bigs 2 throws all that stuffiness out the window, instead opting for a streamlined, arcade-style game that's easy to pick up and play but nearly impossible to put down. We put the game through its paces recently and also caught up with Rob Nelson and Damon Perdue, producers on the title so we can bring you all the latest on this particular slugfest.
For those new to the franchise, The Bigs is all about taking baseball players you know and love and making them into larger-than-life caricatures, but in a good way.
While the steroid era may hang a pall over current seasons, The Bigs beefs up the players but strips them of pretension. These are supermen, with powers that no mere mortal could posses. Once you've got your head wrapped around the idea that you aren't supposed to take this game seriously you can really start to have fun with it.
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PS3
Fallout 3: Point Lookout Impressions
by Eric Frederiksen | 07/02/09 | 3:37 PM PST
For being the guys famous for Horse Armor, the guys at Bethesda sure have come a long way. As one of the few companies able to pull off consistently released and high quality downloadable gaming, they also stand as part of a very small group along with Telltale Games (Sam and Max, Monkey Island).
Point Lookout is just the latest in the list of great downloads for Fallout 3, and the first following the cap-raising Broken Steel. All that said, this is easily my favorite expansion yet.
Fallout 3: Point Lookout Impressions
by Eric Frederiksen | 07/02/09 | 3:37 PM PST
For being the guys famous for Horse Armor, the guys at Bethesda sure have come a long way. As one of the few companies able to pull off consistently released and high quality downloadable gaming, they also stand as part of a very small group along with Telltale Games (Sam and Max, Monkey Island).
Point Lookout is just the latest in the list of great downloads for Fallout 3, and the first following the cap-raising Broken Steel. All that said, this is easily my favorite expansion yet.
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GEN
Update: Warner Bros. $33M Offer To Midway Approved
by Jeff Grubb | 07/02/09 | 2:44 PM PST
Warner Bros.' $33 million bid to buy Midway was approved today by the court overseeing the acquisition. This puts WB in control of Midway's biggest property, Mortal Kombat.
The deal will officially be closed in ten days, but Vin Diesel and Larry Kassanoff are two people who won't be happy to read this news. Both men filed objections to the sale, claiming that they had rights to different properties.
Update: Warner Bros. $33M Offer To Midway Approved
by Jeff Grubb | 07/02/09 | 2:44 PM PST
Warner Bros.' $33 million bid to buy Midway was approved today by the court overseeing the acquisition. This puts WB in control of Midway's biggest property, Mortal Kombat.
The deal will officially be closed in ten days, but Vin Diesel and Larry Kassanoff are two people who won't be happy to read this news. Both men filed objections to the sale, claiming that they had rights to different properties.
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PS3
PS1 Themed iPhone Case Stirs the Lust in Our Hearts
by Bob Crossen | 07/02/09 | 1:31 PM PST
If you are able to control your will to not buy one of these PS1 themed iPhone and iPod Touch cases, you deserve a medal. I don't even own either, and I still want to buy one for appearances.
I think conversation with a stranger on the bus would go a little like this:
Stranger on bus: "So, what do you think of the iPhone?"
Me: "Oh, I don't own one, but this case is rocking though, right?"
Stranger with children on bus: "Totally! I think I'll buy six for my kids for Christmas."
Let us know what you think of the craftsmanship in the comments, and check out the larger pictures after the break.
PS1 Themed iPhone Case Stirs the Lust in Our Hearts
by Bob Crossen | 07/02/09 | 1:31 PM PST
If you are able to control your will to not buy one of these PS1 themed iPhone and iPod Touch cases, you deserve a medal. I don't even own either, and I still want to buy one for appearances.
I think conversation with a stranger on the bus would go a little like this:
Stranger on bus: "So, what do you think of the iPhone?"
Me: "Oh, I don't own one, but this case is rocking though, right?"
Stranger with children on bus: "Totally! I think I'll buy six for my kids for Christmas."
Let us know what you think of the craftsmanship in the comments, and check out the larger pictures after the break.
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GEN
Confirmed: Resident Evil: Afterlife Hitting Theaters in September 2010
by Bob Crossen | 07/02/09 | 12:34 PM PST
Update:
At the time of this writing, Shock Till You Drop received confirmation from Sony that what was rumor is indeed true. Will you be seeing it a year from this September, or is that too much of a time commitment?
Original Post:
Rumor in the middle of the venn-diagram that is movies and video games today is that there will be a fourth movie in the Resident Evil series. Titled Resident Evil: Afterlife, we can likely expect to see the same zombie crushing action we all enjoy.
The rumor claims that a Sony Pictures internal memo concerning the movie gave it a September 17, 2010 release. Considering that this isn't the first time hearing rumor about its existence, we find this to be more credible than your average rumor.
Just to be safe, keep your skepticism hat on and tell us whether you think another Resident Evil movie is even necessary in the comments below.
Confirmed: Resident Evil: Afterlife Hitting Theaters in September 2010
by Bob Crossen | 07/02/09 | 12:34 PM PST
Update:
At the time of this writing, Shock Till You Drop received confirmation from Sony that what was rumor is indeed true. Will you be seeing it a year from this September, or is that too much of a time commitment?
Original Post:
Rumor in the middle of the venn-diagram that is movies and video games today is that there will be a fourth movie in the Resident Evil series. Titled Resident Evil: Afterlife, we can likely expect to see the same zombie crushing action we all enjoy.
The rumor claims that a Sony Pictures internal memo concerning the movie gave it a September 17, 2010 release. Considering that this isn't the first time hearing rumor about its existence, we find this to be more credible than your average rumor.
Just to be safe, keep your skepticism hat on and tell us whether you think another Resident Evil movie is even necessary in the comments below.
source: Via Joystiq
June 30, 2009
