Posted Sep 9th 2008 11:15AM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
Midway, being the first to offer constructive criticism (or just plain old criticism), expressed some concerns regarding Microsoft's Xbox 360 performance in Europe, saying that the feel the console is "lagging behind" its competitors.
In an interview during the Leipzig Games Convention, Midway Vice President Martin Spiess talked with GamesIndustry.biz about Midway's performance in Europe and attributes some of their slow growth due to Microsoft's sluggish performance. "Sony has become very strong, Nintendo has become very strong, but the Microsoft market in certain territories is concerning" Spiess admitted, saying that "Microsoft is lagging behind." Ouch! Someone better revoke Spiess' Xbox 360 Cool Kids Club membership ASAP. The first rule of Xbox 360 Cool Kids Club is that we don't blame our company's problems on the 360. Shame!
Posted Jul 25th 2008 4:45PM by Dustin Burg
Filed under: News
In other game delay news, Midway just announced that Wheelman, a game based on the Vin Diesel movie by the same name, will not make its originally planned Fall release and will instead be pushed back into the first quarter of 2009. Still plenty of time for the 2009 release of the flick and still plenty of time to make the game fun and enjoyable. Oh yeah, we went there ...
We haven't been too kind to Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe in the past, but we did our best to reserve final judgment, hoping that the gameplay would redeem the premise, the art design and the series background. Well, the gameplay is here and it doesn't do the job we were quite hoping for. It's true that there are some interesting ideas, but there seems to be a certain level of ... disconnection that we can't put our finger on. Maybe it's the animation, the hit detection and a particular by-the-numbers flavor that the game seems to posses. Could just be us though.
When the game was first announced, fanboys on both sides were worried that Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe wouldn't be able to do justice to either property. While the main of that question is still up in the air, one small part of it has now been answered (for those few who really care). See, the very first episode of the MKast went up recently and promised again to its followers that the game would in fact feature the series' signature Fatalities.
Bu- bu- bu- but Batman doesn't kill! Indeed. To rectify this, the DC characters will have what are known as Brutalities instead. Just like a Fatality, except, y'know, not fatal. As you can tell, we're absolutely ecstatic about this news. Wee.
Heading into an unfamiliar gaming genre (sports game, oh my!), today we bring you the debut trailer for the Madden 09 "competitor", Blitz: The League II. There's a lot of attitude, a lot of rain, a lot of mud and face-masking (see, we do know some sports lingo), all giving it that signature Blitz feel. Good or bad. But our biggest gripe with this debut trailer is the fact that there's absolutely zero in-game footage. Nada none. Enjoy watching it though.
Well it's been a strange project from day one, and while we were hoping that MK VS DCU wouldn't be market-tested and exploited to death, it looks like that simply won't be helped. A recent issue of the UK-based magazine X360 seems to confirm that the Flash, Robin (really?), Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Hawkman & Powergirl will all make appearances in the game. Also, the article does mention a possible two game deal, as well as DLC for the first game, hinting that they'd like you to buy even more content for this nuttiness.
Additionally, and perhaps not so surprisingly in retrospect, there was the news that the game will have a tie-in comic to go along with it. Apparently the storyline for it has been completed and contains some sort of gigantic, life changing twist. Comic fans we may be, but color us underwhelmed.
Hot off the heels of announcing a new podcast related to the development of the upcoming fighter, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, a potential list of special edition extras was teased today. Gamers on Midway's mailing list for more info on MK vs. DC were treated with a survey earlier today that asked which extra they would be interested in if a "Kollector's Edition" was made available.
Possible extras include:
Comic Book
Art Book
Soundtrack
T-shirt
Animation Cell
Exclusive DC video
Making of MK vs DC video
To be honest we'd like something a bit cooler that deserves the extra few dollars. Not that an art book isn't nice, but how about a statue of Batman punching the lights out of Sub-Zero? Or you know, Kryptonite. In case Superman loses it and someone needs to take him out. Think we'd still prefer the statue, actually.
Well, the Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe project (and indeed the series as a whole) has had a distinct tongue-in-cheek cheek feeling to it the entire time. And now, the developers appear to be embracing that mystique by starting up a podcast focused on the game. Scheduled to hit the tubes in a few weeks, the first episode is going to feature questions from message board posters, and we think we're going to give it a listen just for pure irony's sake.
We don't at all intend to insult the game or the developers, it's just that ... unless the show isn't very regular, we can't imagine that there's going to be a whole lot to discuss, it's a fighting game. The story isn't very deep, the character selection is supposed to be a bit of a secret, and the mechanics can't be too complicated so as to appeal to a wide audience. Basically, we hope it can pleasantly surprise us by actually being great.
When Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was announced we assumed that the game's violence level would be downgraded to accommodate the new partnership, apparently we were only slightly correct.
In an interview with GameTap, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon notes the team at Midway has never mentioned the loss of fatalities in the latest installment of the franchise. "We did acknowledge that we won't be able to do the same kinds of outrageous moves, like tearing someone's [sic] head off and the spine being attached to it," he says, adding, "My response is that, no, we're modifying fatalities. But I have every intention to keep finishers."
With that said, we're forced to wait for new video and screens of the game to understand what Boon's definition of "finishers" really is. Is Mortal Kombat really only about violent end-match animations or is that statement akin to claiming Grand Theft Auto is only about killing people? We suspect we'll find out soon when more information on Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe becomes available.
We're going to have to come clean and say we know virtually nothing about NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Since November of last year, we've had an announcement, some screens, and that's about it. It hasn't made a splash on Metacritic just yet with the only review thus far coming from GamePro (the magazine gives it 60% according to Metacritic). Still, previous entries in the series have done fairly well, so here's hoping Chosen One can keep up. Whether basketball is your thing or not, you should know that it's your only choice this week. Maybe something more interesting will show up next week.
Well, the official reveal of Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe is out of the way, and with the reactions only just beginning, GamesRadar posted their promised exclusive video. The forty-seven second trailer shows more than expected, including a few gameplay snippets with Batman and Sub-Zero, as well as some of the possible environmental interactions (breaking through walls). From what is seen though, it looks very much like Deadly Alliance and Deception, only there isn't any of the trademark blood or gore that was rumored to be absent. While this whole thing may be a ridiculous idea, does it really matter if the gameplay can be pulled off in a fun way? Regardless, we'll likely learn more at the end of the day when the embargo finally ends.
[Update: Added Gamespot's interview video after the break]
Well we were right, the next Mortal Kombat title will indeed feature DC comics characters. Officially titled Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe the game was confirmed at Midway's Las Vegas event, and included a single piece of teaser art featuring a certain dark winter's knight and a more traditional MK frozen fighter. Not much is known at this time, but now that it's officially official, let the nerdy character speculation begin!
With this being the year fightinggames make their glorious return, it shouldn't be too surprising that Mortal Kombat is going to be getting a sequel (the eighth in the series, can you believe it?). While it is confirmed that there will be another game in the series, the specifics are tightly under wraps for the moment, and Midway plans to release them relatively soon. Some of the outlets that have gotten (or will get) access to the info already have teasers up for the thing, and those in and of themselves may have been more of a giveaway than intended.
GamesRadar posted a teaser image with promise of an exclusive video tomorrow, but they should have looked much more closely at the filename. The image is named "MKDC blog--article_image" which basically gives away the big secret. Not to mention the blatantly obvious Superman silhouette in the picture itself. It looks as though Midway might have an answer of their own to Marvel VS Capcom and X-Men VS Street Fighter. Too bad they're about 10 years too late.
[Note: Since this post's original writing, the picture has been removed from GamesRadar's post, so interpret what that means for yourself. We, however, think "confirmed"]
Today Midway released the first screens of the upcoming street-ball title, NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Where is EA Sport's NBA Street you ask? Well, for the last few years the NBA has restricted Midway and EA to release their respective street ball franchises every other year. So, NBA Ballers hits in '08 and in 2009 EA will release another itteration of NBA Street. We don't want to go on an opinion tirade but this system is the way every sports league should promote their brand (*cough* Sup, NFL *cough*). Oh and by the way, NBA Ballers: Chosen One also looks pretty nice too.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has pushed itself to the limelight for wrestling fans and a suitable contender for title-belt raising WWE crowd. Midway, agreeing with TNA's ladder-climbing popularity, have scooped up the franchise and is set to release TNA iMPACT! in order to compete with THQ's WWE series later this year.
Today we bring your six fresh screens of the upcoming Xbox 360 and PS3 release, complete with body slamming action. While we can't say for sure which franchise looks like the true number one contender, we wouldn't mind watching these two go at it in a winner-takes-all cage match.
Note: Bonus points for anyone who can name all of my horrible wrestling references in this story.
