Kotaku

No, Famitsu Does Not Hate Too Human

Adding to our Too Human Frankenreview, Famitsu has given the game a score of 7, 7, 7 and 7 — 28 out of 40. Not amazing, but not terrible. The publication liked the game's online and co-op play features. One Famitsu editor even slated the game as a "Pick of the Week". Stay tuned for our review later in the week.

[2chan]

See Your Sexy New Red Alert 3 Cast

Thanks, Jelmer for the tip!

Cinematic Trailer [EA]

Do We Really Need Credits On A Game Box?

Well, do we? The question's come up a bit recently, prompted by comments from guys like EA boss John Riccitellio and David Jaffe. While exploring the idea, MTV have posted a few pics of what they think game boxes could look like with developer credits on them. The results are...crude, which they admit, but also a little off the mark. The idea of putting credits on a game box obviously stems from movies, where DVDs have credits. Thing is, DVD credits are on the back of the box, where they don't clutter up the cover art. Shift those credits to the back of a game box - you can remove bullshit bullet points to make room - and we might just be on the right track.

If Video Game Boxes Gave Credit, They’d Look Like This… [MTV]

If you're not interested in Far Cry 2 yet, you may well be after this. Ignore the Irish chap and his corny sales pitch and just focus on trying to remember the last FPS you played on a console (this is the 360 version) that let you build complex, detailed maps as though you were playing Advance Wars.

Laser Eye Beam FIGHT

Developer Spike is back with another bosozoku adventure. That's right, Kenka Bancho 3 is coming to the PSP. The game, which features a high school gang leader who has a laser eye beam, looks like the PS2 titles that proceeded it. Man, I wish i had a laser eye beam in high school — heck, now even. The game features 2 player ad-hoc play and will be out this November in Japan. So there ya go.

싸움짱 3(Kenka Bancho 3)스크린샷 [VideogamerX via PSPHyper]

Freshly released to commemorate the beginning of the Leipzig Games Convention, here's a bunch of new screenshots for Mortal Kombat vs DC. Which show that the Joker loves nothing more than a good punch in the face. And that Green Lantern's looking look like our first choice character when we get our hands on the game.

EA Sports Adds Tennis To '09 Line Up, Snags Wimbledon Rights

Peter Moore announced that EA Sports would be adding tennis to its line-up of games in 2009, with rights for the Wimbledon tennis tournament exclusively going to EA. Although Moore didn't provide a name for the EA created tennis game — unless it's simply EA Sports Tennis — he did say that development on the EA Sports addition would be leading on the Wii, with the game supporting the Wii MotionPlus peripheral.

EA Reps also namedropped professionals like Chris Everett, Pete Sampras and Boris Becker, hinting but not confirming that Grand Slammers throughout the years would be featured.

Troubled Tecmo President Resigns!

Today, Tecmo Co. Ltd. announced that Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda will resign. The Board of Directors accepted Yasuda's resignation — which was for "personal reasons". Starting September 1st, Chairman of the Board Yasuharu Kakihara will assume the position of Tecmo's president.

Yasuda has been at the center of the Itagaki vs. Tecmo legal suit. Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki is suing for unpaid DoA 4 wages. These were "special incentive" wages that Itagaki claims were agreed to by the former Tecmo president and the board of directors, but the current president is claiming these "special incentive" wages were made single-handedly by the former president and not approved by the Tecmo board.

Meet Your Sexy New Red Alert 3 Cast

EA announced at its Leipzig Games Convention press conference today additional details on the cast of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, including the casting of Jenny McCarthy, pictured, as Tanya, the staple special ops unit. But that's not all. The leaders of the three factions — Allies, Empire of the Rising Sun and the Soviet Union — will be played by JK Simmons, George Takei and Tim Curry, respectively. In the trailer we were shown, Takei's lines appear to be dubbed with his own voice, dialogue intentionally out of synch with his lip movements.

Also announced was the appearance of Kelly Hu, who will join Gina Carano and Gemma Atkinson as the Empire of the Rising Sun's obligatory sexpot. EA's definitely going straight for the groin with this one.

Finally, in the cinematic trailer shown at Leipzig, it appears that Peter Stormare will play a part in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Oh snap!

Here we are, the first trailer for the latest version of EA's footballing juggernaut, FIFA 09. Hope it's not based off the in-game models and engine, because if the ball moves around in the air like that while you're playing, you'll get a better game of football playing NHL 09.

Captain Rainbow Says, "Please Turn Over"

Wow, just wow. You are looking at the box art for Japanese Wii title Captain Rainbow from developer Skip. The game follows Nick, Captain Rainbow's alter-ego, who's no longer popular as he used to be and goes to Minmin Island in hopes of becoming popular again. There his path crosses with other characters from Nintendo games like Punch Out's Little Mac who wants to become a great fighter again and Super Mario Bros. 2's Birdo who wants to pick up dudes. Oh, so the side of the box, it reads: "This is not a cool hero game!" Next to that: "Calmly read in detail the explanation on the back!" Under the game's logo, it says "Please Turn Over" in a phallic speech bubble. Rather polite.

自分と他人の幸せ、究極の選択を迫られるアクショベンチャー! [Game Watch]

During EA's press conference in Leipzig earlier this morning, it was announced that the game destined to sell a gagillion copies - The Sims 3 - has a firm release date. And that date's February 20, 2009. That's a global, simultaneous release as well, mind you, just in case you're in Europe and were going to bug us about that in the comments section.

GC08: Live blogging the EA press conference [VG247]

Sony To Debut EyeToy Play 2 At Leipzig

According to VG247, part of Sony's Leipzig press conference (at least, one of the parts we don't already know about) is to be devoted to an unveiling of the "next generation of EyeToy". Seeing as the successor to the EyeToy peripheral - the PlayStation Eye - is already out, we'll presume they're talking about a next-gen sequel to EyeToy Play, the game that came bundled with the original PS2 camera. We'll also presume it'll be taking advantage of all those neat features we've been shown over the past few months. And be subsequently excited. But remember, until David Reeves takes to that stage later today, chalk this one up as a rumour.

GC08: “Next gen” EyeToy game to be revealed in Sony presser today [VG247]

Fighting The Japanese, Call of Duty Style

According to retired Army lieutenant colonel Hank Keirsey, the Japanese enemy U.S. Marines faced in the Pacific Theater were no longer "enslaved" by the Bushido and had switched from offense to "intricate defense". From game site Multiplayer:

Keirsey described a foe that was not running at the Marines but rather set up in bunkers, “burrowed into the coral,” aiming their guns across the beach to pierce a row of their enemy in a single fusillade. He suggested that the Japanese would barricade behind a steel door, hunkered in, prepared “to make every inch very costly to the Marines.”

Against these tactics, he said, the Marines’ counter was the flamethrower, six to a battalion, each essentially a 70-pound bomb strapped to a man’s back... The battle I played felt ferocious. Setting trees, grass and eventually men on fire in the thick of a Pacific-theater battle of Marines and Japanese soldiers is as impressive a feat of video game engineering as it is a reminder of the heat and punch of real war. Is it one-sided or accurate in its portrayal of both sides? That I don’t know.

While the in-game flamethrower does not run out of fuel, it can explode, causing player to be blown to bits. Note: Japanese WWII veterans were not consulted for Call of Duty: World At War. Rather, Keirsey studied the war and has interviewed U.S. vets.

How The Japanese Enemies In ‘Call of Duty: World At War’ Fight [Multiplayer]

Japanese Retailer Teases Xbox 360 Final Fantasy XIII

Yes, yes, we know. Square Enix has confirmed Final Fantasy XIII on the PS3 for Japan only. While it's multi-platform in North America and Europe, there's been no official announcement of the Xbox 360 getting that title there. That doesn't stop this Japanese retailer from teasing the possibility of an Xbox 360 version of the game being released. A prophecy of things to come or merely wishful thinking? YOU DECIDE.

No, wait. SQUARE ENIX DECIDES. Hit the jump for a close-up of the store made box art.

NPD's PC Sales Charts August 3-9

Microsoft Compares Too Human To Star Wars And Lord of The Rings

Once again that Microsoft has "Never Say Die!" tattooed in neon green across its corporate chest, the company has announced it is sticking by Denis Dyack and Too Human. While the reviews have been mixed at best, Microsoft states:

Microsoft Game Studios and Silicon Knights are committed to finishing the first instalment, but Too Human is an overarching epic with a rich and vast game universe that cannot be told in one instalment.

This game will begin the saga of the god Baldur in the narrative tradition of classic trilogies, such as Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings. We will talk about the full trilogy and we are very excited about its potential.

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Too Human? All in the same Microsoft breath.

Too Human trilogy ‘very exciting’, says Microsoft [MCVUK]

Fresh from the Games Convention in Leipzig, which hasn't yet kicked off, but from which trailers are already spilling forth. This one - for Killzone 2 - is very easy on the eye (always great to see "real" action from a game so far off), but is also remarkable for its pioneering achievement: it's the first trailer we can remember to go beyond the usual simulated in-game footage and use simulated in-game multiplayer chatter.