Ben Heckendorn has emerged from his twisted workshop with a new toy - the one-handed Access controller, featuring a modular design that allows you customize the placement of the buttons, thumb sticks and d-pad. Ben says that the controller is going to be mass produced by eDimensional, first for the PS2/3 and eventually for the Xbox 360.
via Engadget
Neversoft’s latest installment of their Tony Hawk franchise is out. Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground has been promised to be the most customizable Tony Hawk game ever. The game will allow players to progress the story and their style based on the choices they make and where they choose to skate. Another touted feature is the games fully in-built video editor that allows players to make their own skate videos. Joel Jewett, Neversoft’s president, had this to say about the game:
“With Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, we are giving gamers the chance to express their personal style like never before. They can do everything from skating the way they want, and producing their own classic videos, all the way to pulling-off the newest Nail the Trick maneuvers and tricking out their skate lounge to hang-out with friends.”
The game is set in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. and will allow players to skate form single player mode into multiplayer mode. In addition to the usual major band soundtrack the 360’s version of the game will include a 5 song, Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock demo on the disc.
Prices are USD$59.99 for Xbox 360 and PS3, $49.99 for the Wii, $39.99 for the PS2 and $29.99 for DS.
via Press Release
SNK Playmore is set to release two more games for the Playstation 2 this month, Neo Geo Battle Coliseum and The King of Fighters XI.
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a tag team based fighter with what seems to be one of the most bizarre tongue-in-cheek plots ever. The player must battle it out in typical ladder style glory to fight the leader of an organization called “The Warez Conglomerate,” a man hell bent on putting an end to all of Neo Geo’s “most powerful warriors.” Players are offered the choice of characters from one of the many Neo Geo franchise such as Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, King of the Monsters to name a few.
The King of Fighters XI is the expected fare with a few new features and content thrown in for good measure. The new features come in the form of new character switches called Quick Shift and Saving Shift.
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is set to be released on the 28th of October, with The King of Fighters XI due on the 4th of October.
via Destructoid
Now here’s an HD remake I can really get excited about.
Originally released in 2001 on the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2, Rez quickly achieved cult status - if you can find a copy available these days, don’t be shocked to see it priced well above the original MSRP.
Of course, when collectors are shelling out USD $90 for second hand copies of a six year old game, it can’t be too long before the creators wise up, and get cracking on a HD port for the Xbox Live generation. Which has finally happened with Rez…and we’re getting a 5.1 surround sound remix of the music thrown in for good measure.
No pricing or release date have been announced, but even the most expensive Xbox Live Arcade title is likely to be a much better deal than the exorbitant prices eBay dealers are asking for the game.
For the uninitiated, Rez is essentially synaesthesia in virtual form - the brainchild of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, best known for his more recent work on music game Lumines, and realized by a dev team consisting of several members of the team who built another cult classic Panzer Dragoon. Although, gameplay videos speak far louder than words…so click through for gameplay video from the Dreamcast version.
If you’re willing to pre-order Guitar Hero III straight from RedOctane, and pay an extra ten bucks, you’ll get a whole heap of schwag as part of the deal. The deal has been dubbed the Elite Bundle, and you’ll not only get your wireless guitar and copy of the game, but all of the following - apparently worth another $70.
The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Elite Bundles will set you back US $109.99, with the potentially crippled Wii version at $99.99. All three bundles feature free shipping as part of the deal.
via RedOctane
Ever thought Guitar Hero needed a little more…MacGyver? You’re clearly not the first. One particularly crafty chap has gutted two old PlayStation controllers, nicked out to the back shed, and returned triumphantly with this bad boy - a fully-functioning Guitar Hero controller for his PlayStation 2, built from scratch. Video and instructions after the jump.
The latest GfK sales charts are out, and for the second week running, there’s not a single PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 title in the top ten. Here’s a hint publishers, if you want your games to sell, try pricing them a little closer to their US counterparts. It’s pretty clearly working for Nintendo! Gamers in the US would have a conniption fit if games cost US$88-97 - and that’s standard affair for new Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 titles in Australia.
via GoNintendo
The BBC is reporting one of the strangest eBay stories you’ll ever hear, regarding a 16-year-old boy from Norfolk who recently bought a PlayStation 2 from the online auction site.
When it arrived without two of the games mentioned in the auction, he was a little disappointed…until he noticed the fat wad of notes in the box, totalling 65,400 Euros (US$90,120). No doubt creating a scene that would make the Nintendo 64 Kid look sensible, the parents cottoned on and have contacted authorities who are now looking after the loot. There is a chance the money could be reclaimed should the matter remain unsolved.
