Dead Rising (working title) Media Index for Xbox 360 at GameSpot

This one slipped past my radar, but over at Gamespot, there are the editor’s choice awards of different E3 sights. And this one was #2 in the trailer secion. And the gameplay footage 1 link shows some amuzing gameplay, and downright MASSES of zombies.

Looks nice. Now.. how to pay for a 360…

Star Wars: Empire at War Media Index for PC at GameSpot

Visit the gamespot link above to see the E3 Live Stage Demo of Empire at War. I have to admit, the visuals are amazing. It so FEELS like starwars.

They have this wonderful “battle mode” camera. Where you can hit the spacebar, and zoom in on the action in a very cinematic way. It serioulsy feels like the starwars game we’ve always wanted.

PC: ER

From the team that brought you Law and Order, comes a game based on the TV show ER.

Sounds interesting.

You create an intern, choosing appearance and gender; you spend points in intelligence, dexterity, constitution, and charm; you determine your skill level in neurosurgery, toxicology, pediatrics, orthopedics, cardiology, and general surgery. Then you jump into the first of six episodes.

The episodes take place entirely in the emergency room, each spanning a 48-hour shift. There are randomly generated patients based on how well you’re doing, as well as story arc patients and unique challenges. In one episode, there’s a fire at a superhero convention, so you’re treating costumed heroes and villains. If you leave them alone together, a fight might break out. In another episode, an errant wrecking ball crashes through the wall, knocking out the power.

What is E3, if its not video games? Why booth babes of course!

Why not go see what you’ve been missin.

(Should be safe for work.. but make your own call).

Wired News: Games Migrate to Mobile Phones

Wired has some coverage of mobile phone games that are actually more than arcade ports.

Of note: Age of Empires 2 Mobile.. WHAAA???!?!

1Up has a nice Quake 4 preview.. and they warn that spoilers abound in other publications.. so beware!
Quake 4 PC Preview from 1UP.COM

Less than halfway into Quake 4, a game altering event happens. It’s one of those gaming moments that will be remembered and talked about for a long time. When it does you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen, even though that little voice inside will be screaming “no, don’t watch!” We couldn’t resist, and as powerful as it was for us in a controlled demonstration, we can only imagine its impact in context while playing the game.

Yes, Quake 4 is shaping up to be that good. Good enough we felt we had to warn you about this. Not because we plan to spoil it (we don’t), but because it’s going to be out there in plenty of places and you may want to be careful what you read (and if you do want to know about it a sidebar in our sister magazine CGW’s June edition with Quake 4 on the cover spills the beans). But don’t do anything brash yet. We’ve got all the spoiler-free info you could want to whet your appetite. After that, well you’re on your own.

This news was sprung a while ago but I think it’s worth mentioning. For a while Microsoft was a bit standoffish regarding 360’s backwards compatibility. On Tuesday we heard news that only a portion of the Xbox library will work on the 360, but we weren’t given a list. We assumed that most of the Microsoft published games would work.

The process doesn’t seem so straight forward. The 360 uses a different cpu and gpu chipset, so not even pa Microsoft knows which Xbox games will work on the 360. At least not until they go back to the old source and recompile games with their new development tools. That means we shouldn’t expect a comprehensive list any time soon.

Infomatics.co.uk has the story. There is some good news out of this, though - it seems the 360 will have at least 20, and maybe as many as 40 launch titles! The N64 had.. what..? 5 titles?

Will Wright’s “Spore” was introduced to the gaming industry earlier this year at GDC. The game allows you to sculpt a creature out of virtual clay and maintain the species’ social lifespan from primordial ooze to planetary and galatic conquest. Each stage of the game is a different piece of the species development. The primordial ooze plays like an arcade game, while the game shifts to city management and then RTS as you try to become the dominant species on your planet. The game is huge in scope, and if anyone can pull it together into an entertaining experience (and not a micromanagement nightmare) then it’s the creator of Sim City and the Sims.

Although the E3 presentation doesn’t shed any new light on the various gameplay elements (it’s the same presentation as at the GDC), now we can at least get a glimpse of at some of the games visuals. Gamespy seems to have the largest collection of screenshots. There’s an article, too, which describes a bit on how you mold not only creatures, but also vehicles out of clay. There’s also information on the the client will ciculate your creations over the Interweb to others who also play the game. As an extension of this, you’ll receive reports and stats on your creature’s contributions to the metaverse and the general stance (attack, food, etc) that the other gamers’ took as they met your creatures.

Hopefully later in the show some game sites will get a personal tour by Will Wright — but perhaps the game is simply too early in development. Reports from the GDC has us believe the game was nearing completion and I was secretly hoping the game would come out this Christmas… but oh well. Xbox360!!

StarCraft: Ghost (Xbox) Movies

Some sweet Starcraft:Ghost trailer movies up on Gamespy. Man.. this looks like a splinter cell set in the Starcraft world.. and it warms my heart

Midway shoots three on the PSP - PSP News at GameSpot

Does the PSP news stop?!?!?! Keep it coming! *joy*