In the ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’ category, the New York Times reports today (free registration required) that ESPN has signed a 15-year deal with Electronic Arts giving EA exclusive rights to the ESPN brand in video games. Guess EA is looking at that NFL deal as an even smarter move now. So the big question is – will the new NFL flagship EA game have some Frankenstein-like title? I’m sorry, but ‘ESPN-Madden NFL2k6’ just doesn’t roll off the tongue.
Tag Archives: Gaming
Brothers in Arms Preview
Among the games I want to get my hands on this year, Brothers in Arms tops this list. Combining the best of the scripted action in Call of Duty with the type of ‘squad commander’ tactics seen in Full Spectrum Warrior, this game should be amazing. Your mission begins as you parachute behind enemy lines on D-Day and lead your team throughout the campaign.
Gamespot has a great preview of the multiplayer version of the game up today. The multiplayer scenarios sound great – not your usual ‘capture the flag’ abstract b.s., but more sensible missions. Nice.
I saw a preview of the game when it was being shown by Katscratch of the Frag Dolls at the Microsoft Digital Entertainment Everywhere event iin Los Angeles in October, and the early build she was playing looked every bit as good as this screenshot. Judicious use of soft light bloom lends a very nostalgic feel to this one, and surprising visual effects like dirt which splashes onto your character’s ‘glasses’ when you happen to be too close to explosions lend to the mood here. And from what I hear, anyone who might have seen these settings in real life under fire might have a flashback or two seeing this game – the dev team did extensive work on-site for accuracy.
Release is set for February 22nd.
Marathon is Dead, Long Live Marathon!
MacSlash reports on the public release (for free download, but not to the open-source community) of the seminal Marathon Trilogy by Bungie. You know them – makers of Pathways into Darkness, Myth, Oni — and a little game called Halo/Halo2?
Way back in the day, when we had a couple of bad-ass Quadra 900s and CX’s networked in our design office at The Augusta Chronicle, my buddies and I would stay after work until close to dawn chasing one another around with flamethrowers, shooting BOBs with dual pistols, and making myself motion sick. Ah, those were the days.
Now, with this release by Bungie.org we can experience these games on the latest and greatest hardware!
GTA Invading PSP
Damnit. Now I’ll have to buy a freaking Playstation Portable. Rockstar Games has announced a NEW Grand Theft Auto game based in Liberty City (home of the original GTA III) playable on the forthcoming PSP machine. Let me repeat – this is not a port of GTAIII to the PSP, it’s a stinkin’ new game. Bring it on!