Friday 21st November/…Eidos Interactive Ltd., creator of some of the world’s leading videogame properties, announces that Tomb Raider: Underworld™ has been released across Europe today. Available on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™.

Tomb Raider: Underworld™ is an epic adventure that delivers advanced exploration-based gameplay that gives players a new level of challenge and choice as they solve mysteries from exotic locations around the world.

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EA: Unlike Miyamoto, who had a firm idea of what he wanted to make based on his experiences developing 3d games in the past, I was working on a 3d game for the first time. Since there weren’t any similar games to emulate, I groped around in the dark for quite some time. In the end, when I heard the testers’ response, I heaved a sigh of relief.

Since there was nothing to copy, we were forced to be original. I believe that is why we were able to create a game that inspired a fresh sense of wonder in its players….

Mr. Aonuma also lets us in the the secret of how Epona came to be…

EA: If I said we included Epona because Miyamoto likes horses, that would be oversimplifying it, but that was actually the biggest factor. He wanted Ocarina to be unique, and realized that there weren’t any other games that involved riding a horse….

Finally, for those of you that think Aonuma should be busy making the next Zelda game instead of doing interviews, this should make you happy.

Anouma took a break from crafting his next Zelda adventure (still top secret) to look back at the game that shaped his career.

Thanks to Daniel for the heads up!

Link

This is one of the fun parts of my job, when we get to unveil our TV commercials and give you, our loyal fans, a preview of our spots before they hit the airwaves. This year’s campaign is dubbed “Entertainment Unleashed” and for good reason.

The campaign actually began quietly a few weeks back with three fifteen second “tease” executions. Hopefully, you’ve seen these by now. These initial ads depicted various people catching glimpses and reflections of beautiful PS3 game footage magically appearing on building facades across a city.

This weekend, we’re excited to reveal what triggered the excitement. The spot begins with a guy creating a LittleBigPlanet level on a building wall and from there, the PS3 takes on a momentum all its own, spreading amazing entertainment content uncontrollably from building to building throughout the city. The ad prominently features not just LittleBigPlanet but also two other PLAYSTATION 3 exclusive titles — Resistance 2 and MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. And we’ve also highlighted PS3’s Blu-ray capability by featuring Blu-ray movies like The Dark Knight, showcasing PS3’s unrivaled leadership as both a gaming and multimedia entertainment experience.

PLAYSTATION 3 offers unrivaled game content, with not just one platform-defining game, but an array of groundbreaking games across virtually every genre throughout the year that are pushing the envelope of creativity and sheer gameplay.

And at the end of the spot, you’ll see that all this great exclusive content has literally been unleashed on the city and its residents. I know our fans will appreciate spotting some of your favorite games across the cityscape.

This week marks an important milestone for the PS3. And one of the things we’re most excited about as we head into year three is the tremendous adoption and excitement found on PlayStation Network. This year alone, we’ve added great new features you guys have been asking for like a service to deliver High Def movies and TV shows that you can rent or buy and store directly on the PS3’s hard drive; a robust trophy system that lets you compare your gaming prowess with others as well as help you discover everything about the great PS3 games you’re playing; and of course, the groundbreaking Home service, which is just around the corner for all. All of this and a lot more has resulted in more than 14 million active PlayStation Network accounts – a very rapid expansion of a service that we have equally aggressive plans for in the future.

So with its tremendous growth and adoption, we thought it was time to give the PlayStation Network its own moment in the sun with a TV spot that sings its praises. This PlayStation Network ad will also make its debut this weekend. The ad is a metaphor and itself depicts the relentless spread of the PlayStation message from user to user. We’ve featured various ways you can “Download/Play/Connect.” Great downloadable games like Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, PAIN, Wipeout HD and Echochrome. Free online gaming and downloadable levels with games like LittleBigPlanet. Human connection and community via Home. And downloading great movies like Hancock directly to your PS3 and then sharing it with your PSP.

When we launched the PS3 two years ago, we said we would deliver on the most advanced next generation console that would offer ten years of entertainment value. We are committed to that promise and remain confident that we’re now just scratching the surface on PS3’s potential.

We hope you like these new ads and look forward to your feedback and continued support for PlayStation.

Enjoy!

Peter

PS: Killzone 2 is real and it’s spectacular…

Although Need for Speed III and IV, subtitled Hot Pursuit and High Stakes, came with various new things, the big step - and the apex reached by the Need for Speed franchise was Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, released almost a decade ago, in 2000. Since this is not today’s topic, I will only say this: I loved it from first second, I love it, and I will always love that game!

Next, came along the beginning of the end - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2, saved by the presence of a BMW in the car list(I loved that car). After that, the tuning madness started with Need for Speed: Underground, and old fans started to wait. The wait for a real Need for Speed game, and we’re still waiting now, in 2008, after 12 games in the series, including Need for Speed: Undercover…

..but let’s leave the past where it belongs now, and move on to what you’ve been waiting for, the one and only PlayerzBlog…

Need for Speed: Undercover PC Review

Just look at this - Need for Speed: Undercover is available for an amazing range of platforms, probably more than the cars available in the first Need for Speed game: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, iPod Touch, iPhone, N-Gage 2.0! Anyway, that doesn’t necessarily make it better, it only gives it better chances to be purchased and played by more people, and that’s all. These being said, let’s check the plot, graphics, gameplay, and the amazing things I discovered in the time I spent with this game…

Need for Speed: Undercover - The Plot

Some people enjoyed ProStreet simply because that game didn’t have any silly plot, but this time things have changed - you’re UNDERCOVER! Yeah, right, just think about this - you’re a cop, and you have to infiltrate the street racing gangs in Tri-City, but once you’re inside the first gang…you have to “take out” your team mates, because “you don’t have to raise suspicions.” I don’t know exactly where did they see this, but I missed that movie where the cop infiltrates a gang and starts killing all members, just to avoid being uncovered!

OK, “The Transporter” is one thing, but what about “Gone in Sixty Seconds?” Yeah, I know, the blonde Angelina Jolie is totally smokin’ in there, but think about the plot of that movie, and the part of the game here where you have to steal “six cars within 48 hours.” Expensive exotics, of course. Nothing in common, right? Suuuuure…

Need for Speed: Undercover - The Graphics

“Look, mom, I discovered a new Pixel Shader function, it’s called Blurrrrr!,” said the little programmer, and its poor drawings, once animated, started to look better… that’s exactly what happens in Need for Speed: Undercover.

Need for Speed: Undercover - The Gameplay

In Undercover, you start off with a highway chase, and once you evade the cops, a boring introductory cutscene tries to tell you more about what’s going to happen. In fact, it tells nothing, because you’ll basically play around a lot of races in the different game modes available, and sometimes receive “special missions,” most of them without any introductory cutscene.

Need for Speed: Undercover - The Incredible Stories

I could have named this section “bugs,” “lamest parts of a silly game,” or something similar, but let’s leave it this way. If I could rename this game, I would call it Need for Speed: Unreal, and here’s why…

Needless to say, damage is as “realistic” as usual - after losing my wing, the car still remains in control at over 300 km/h, and once you see your Porsche taking 90 degrees turns at 250 km/h, there’s only one thing remaining for you to do, but I’ll keep that on hold for now.

Need for Speed: Undercover - The Conclusion

I guess someone will be glad to receive my copy of the game as a gift. Unfortunately, my hamster can’t use a computer. Hmmm…and I think he would also find his wheel more interesting than EA’s disaster… ehem, “game.”

If I had to award some scores, here’s what I would gladly award to Need for Speed: Undercover these -

Story: 0/10
Graphics: 2/10
Sound: 4/10
Gameplay: 2/10
Originality: 0/10
Tilt Factor: 5/10
Overall: 2/10

The soundtrack, pretty good, as usual, the wide range of cars and parts, as well as those BMWs I really enjoyed seeing included can’t save Need for Speed: Undercover from being nothing more than an abysmal title. I am sure that its name will help it sell too many copies once again, when compared to the fun provided for your money, but let’s hope this will happen for the last time.

Not even Jesus can save Need for Speed: Undercover, and the only thing remaining to be done I mentioned a bit earlier is this - go to Control Panel, enter Add/Remove Programs, and uninstall it. Take the DVD carefully, order some gift packaging, and send it to your worst enemy… but don’t forget to drop a comment below and share with the rest of us your opinion about this so-called “game.”

At first, because they haven t experienced any of the new things in the game, they played it in the same way they played Street Fighter II and even had some complaints about how it s more of the same. That s important to me, though, because we always wanted it to feel familiar, especially for those who haven t touched Street Fighter for a decade.

The important thing about Street Fighter IV is, if you haven't learned anything about fighting games and how they've changed since Street Fighter II, you can still play Street Fighter IV with your friends and have those same bouts, albeit in the most gorgeous fashion Street Fighter has ever known. If you're still a a hardcore player, though, there's also plenty to learn.

• Warm up those fists: Street Fighter IV release date confirmed
• Street Fighter IV poster boy and girl: Ryu and Chun-Li grace box art
  

One of Nintendo’s major reasons for not supporting HD and keeping the Wii’s specifications conservative was to make it a viable platform for original IPs. The argument was that developing games on machines with multi-core processors and complex architectures was increasing development costs to such a degree, that the appetite for risk was rapidly diminishing within the industry resulting in endless sequels and me-too titles. Two years have passed since the Wii was released and it has since gained many original IPs that allow us to see if Nintendo’s decision has borne fruit, or whether it was just an excuse to limit R&D expenses.

Red Steel

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:1,006,000

As of April ‘07, Ubisoft reported that Red Steel had sold 950,000 copies, and VGChartz has current sales of the game at just over a million; likely well short of the true number. The success of Red Steel cannot be in doubt - a game that was hyped to be sure, but one that also ended as being a pretty mediocre shooter made enjoyable because of the Wii Remote. The question of why Ubisoft has not tried to replicate its success with other Wii FPS games can be explained with other successful Ubisoft games from the Petz/Imagine series. The latter required smaller teams and shorter development cycles, so that even minor sales resulted in strong profits. Nintendo’s own strategy seems to have backfired in this case, as Ubisoft has since become reluctant to release anything other than mini-game compilations, albeit quality ones in the form of Rayman Raving Rabbids, and expanded audience games on the Wii. Motion Plus seems to have provided Ubisoft the impetus to make the sequel that so many expected this year: Red Steel 2 should see a release in the ‘09 holiday season.

Boom Blox

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:560,000

Initially deemed a failure at retail, Boom Blox sold a paltry 60,000 copies in its first week. Many worried that gamers would simply see a glorified version of Jenga and balk at the $50 price tag. Though, like many Wii games, despite not having the front loaded sales so typical of games on the 360, it’s shown real legs due to a solid advertising campaign and strong word-of-mouth buzz. EA stated that the game had sold 450,000 copies in their first fiscal quarter, so VGChartz current estimate of 560,000 copies sold is likely well short of the actual number. It’s tough to determine just how much cash EA plowed into Boom Blox; Steven Spielberg’s influence and the superb level design can’t have come cheap, but ultimately it didn’t feature the lavish visuals and presentation that are known to really elevate development costs. If its sales approach 750,000 worldwide, it will surely represent a very good return for EA who are also strongly rumored to be preparing a sequel.

Zack & Wiki

VGChartz estimated worldwide sales:450,000

Capcom clearly lavished a lot of time and money on Zack & Wiki - the game’s art direction, level design and sheer length show that the company also invested a lot of its top talent on the project. In February ‘08, 4 months after its release, Capcom announced that it had sold 300,000 copies of the game in the U.S and Japan. A surprising figure as it had sold a mere 35,000 in its first week on sale in the U.S. VGChartz has current sales for the game at 450,000, but once again this seems a conservative estimate, and shows the site’s general inability to properly track sales figures for games that fall out of the top 20 yet still maintain consistent sales. Despite this, Capcom has not seemed eager to announce a sequel. The success of both Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles seems to be at the heart of this. Both games have sold over a million copies each despite one being a direct port and the other reusing art assets from earlier games. This is further proven by Capcom’s decision to port the 360 title Dead Rising to the console. Compared to Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition’s sales and development cost/time, Zack & Wiki appears to be an apparent failure. Judged on its own however; with its niche point and click adventure gameplay, high difficulty and kid friendly sound and visuals, its sales begin to look a lot more impressive.

And a few that didn’t make it

Perhaps the best game to have completely flopped on the Wii is We Love Golf. Capcom acknowledged in a press release that its performance was ’sluggish’ and VGChartz has its current sales at 40,000, though this does not include Europe. Quite why it sold so badly is a bit of a mystery - Camelot, the game’s developer, has been responsible for numerous golf games that have been successful for both Nintendo and Sony in the past. Konami’s overly cute Dewy’s Adventure and Leftfield’s poorly designed Nitrobike are other notable failures of original IPs.

In part 2 of TVGB’s look at how original IPs perform on the Wii; De Blob and Okami will be covered, as well as a look at whether the high sales of ports and spin-offs could be shaping developers’ release lists a little too strongly.

Here are the details:
Release date: November 25, 2008 (I know, finally, right?)
Price: You’ve heard it here first! Only $14.99!
Trophies: Not at launch
Online Play: Of course
Graphics: 1080p baby
Gameplay: Two types – Original and Rebalanced

Here are some videos that will get you hyped for the game and will make you say, “Put him in a body bag!”

But wait, there’s more! Exclusive to the PlayStation Network, fans will have the opportunity to download the Street Fighter Underground Remix Soundtrack for free! I was able to get a few of my favorite hip hop artists to create original songs inspired by the series. Here’s the line up: Redman, Hieroglyphics, DJ Qbert, DJ Toure, Zion I, Mistah F.A.B. and Oh No.

Oh yeah, we also have a “little” Street Fighter surprise coming later this holiday season. Let the speculation begin. Talk to you next week!

Hadouken!

EA Sports chief Peter Moore is no doubt proud of his team’s “Madden” and “Tiger Woods” games this year.

But when I asked him what the highlights and lowlights were for EA Sports this year during a quick sit-down interview in New York last week, the first positive thing that came to his mind was … a Korean version of “FIFA.”

Why?

“You hate to point to certain franchises, but I can’t overstate the importance of ‘FIFA,’” he told me while his PR handler was getting him a coffee. “Not only because, of course, we can sell ‘FIFA’ in just about any country in the world — particularly here in North America we’re selling very, very well. But the opportunities to iterate off our ‘FIFA’ franchise into a mid-session game [like] we gave you an example of with Asia [are] important.”

Moore was referring to a presentation he gave earlier in the day at the BMO Capital Markets Conference, during which he said that the “FIFA Online 2” game in South Korea has been a rousing success. The game is free to play on PC but, like many Asian multiplayer online PC games, offers players a bevy of cosmetic and gameplay items for small fees. Moore said that most people don’t buy any items, but those who do have bought an average of $28 of goods since the game’s launch.

It wasn’t just the Korean version of “FIFA” that has pleased Moore. It’s also the success EA has had in challenging Konami for soccer/football game dominance: “FIFA” vs. long-time global leader “Pro Evolution.”

“Three years ago, we were the second-place guy,” Moore said. “You may recall we took a big risk of jumping right in and spending on a new engine before Konami did…It’s one of those examples where we simply swallowed hard and said we have to go to a new engine. All of the grief, it costs you. And sometimes you don’t get it right the first time… I’m very proud of “FIFA.”

Thriving because of spirited competition? Some might see irony there, given that EA notoriously faces no formidable challengers in the making of American football games.

How could he say fitness games are the new music games?

However, EA will be facing tough competition next year in fitness games. The morning of Moore’s presentation in New York was also the morning EA announced “EA Sports Active,” a Wii-exclusive workout game designed to be used with specially packaged leg bands that can hold the Wii remote or nunchuk.

Moore maintains that the game is “complementary” to, rather than competitive with, Nintendo’s runaway hit “Wii Fit,” primarily because he characterizes “Wii Fit” as espousing a more balance-oriented fitness routine compared to EA’s emphasis on heart-pumping physicality. What was most striking in his presentation was Moore’s declaration that fitness games are the next big market, the new hot genre following the rise of the music game category exploding with “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.”

How could he say fitness games are the new music games? Moore feels it in his resume. He was a physical education teacher 30 years ago and then worked for nearly two decades at Reebok. Fitness, he said, is what people want.

“There are a huge number of people that need to work out, that want to work out, that recognize that they have some health challenges but are not comfortable, don’t like running, don’t want to go outside, are perhaps not comfortable in the gym and perhaps most importantly, don’t have time,” he said. “We looked at some stats: 61 percent of the U.S. population is overweight; 89 percent of all women in surveys say they need to lose weight. Whether they need to or not, their perception is they need to lose weight. We’re also looking at time compression. We’re looking at the cost of working out. Gym memberships and things of that nature. And then when you look at how many Wiis are embedded in homes around the world, and you do the correlation, it’s a strong business opportunity.”

But really, are these the new “Guitar Hero”s? “I’m bullish,” he said. “Do I have any basis for knowing what this market is? I really don’t. My only basis is having been involved with this market for 30 years in one way or the other. Seeing the innovation. We have driven this hard for the past 12 months.”

In our survey of highlights and trends, Moore also said he was proud of his division’s attempts to try new intellectual property this year, despite what he called “mixed results in some cases.”

So EA Sports sounds like a different division than the “Madden” factory some casual observers might take it to be. Is it a division headed in the right direction? Moore’s highlights, if nothing else, shows the track they’re running on.

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