Whilst the rest of the industry gets itself into a flap over E3, I'll be holding the fort over here in London. Once again it falls on me to ask the bigger questions and ponder the deeper riddles facing the gaming community today. Like, is there going to be an Ico 2? Rumors have been circulating and I have to say my interest has been piqued. Word on the street (well, okay, the forums, so not quite street, more like bedrooms, but they're on streets right!?) is that movements in Japan could signal the development of Ico 2. It all … Continue reading Holding The Fort→
My original plan was to carry out this preview next week (right before E3), but my commentary schedule requires me to write it now. Over the last few weeks I have been trying to think up some shocking events that might turn out at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. However, it appears that some of the predictions I have made have already come true. As everyone may recall, I was the one who mentioned the possibility of a GameCube remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, thanks to a very credible source (thanks, Snake!). Earlier this week, Konami has come … Continue reading E3 Preview 2003→
It's the pre-E3 lull. That dreaded time when nothing happens because everyone in the industry is too busy perfecting their poker faces and keeping their cards close to their chests. And us poor old journos are left twiddling our thumbs, apart from the preliminary E3 line-up press releases. However, one gaming giant is keeping the rumour mills turning. I am of course talking about our old friend Sega. The home of Sonic has currently got more merger offers on the table than you can shake a proverbial stick at. Sammy, Namco, EA and Microsoft have all been mentioned and this … Continue reading The E3 Lull→
When Xbox Live debuted last November, I wrote a commentary about my disdain for the local high speed internet providers and their lazy, "we'll install it when we feel like it" attitude. I was sick of tired of being stuck with a slow dial-up connection, which made Xbox Live, and its broadband-only setup, impossible for me. My biggest complaint was toward my town's cable provider, Adelphia. Night after night I had to deal with that stupid ad saying their PowerLink service is "coming soon to Leesburg." This was broadcast for over a year, and I gave Adelphia my ultimatum of … Continue reading Cable, Just Kiss It!→
March 28th came and a small silver box arrived on my desk"boy was that a good day! I opened my box and brandished my brand spanking new GBA SP aloft, Zelda style. I didn't get a cool "brrring" noise like Link does though. People in the office gasped and cooed at the tiny, gaming wonder. "It's so smaaaaall," they whispered in awe-struck amazement. Admittedly my office consists of a bunch of PR girls who's worlds revolve around ER and Friends, so handheld gaming is not top of their agenda, or gaming in any form for that matter {sigh}. But, that … Continue reading GBA Heaven!→
The last two weeks have been difficult for me. As many of you know I have renounced my old name of General Hardcore out of respect for the brave men and women who are fighting in Iraq. I am still in support of our troops, and am very proud of what they have done so far. Just a few days ago Special Forces troops rescued one of our POWs, and to them I send a special commendation. These people should be praised for bringing one of ours back from captivity, and I wish that the peaceniks protesting all over the … Continue reading The Hardcore’s Rebirth→
This week Playmates I am going to try and bring you some good news – instead of my usual grumbling. ELSPA, the European trade body for the games industry has called for the industry to pull together in the face of negative media coverage. And who are we to argue? And ELSPA spaketh unto the gaming community: Thou must resist the temptation to bad-mouth the industry at every turn. Thou wilst not keep good news to thyself, but spread the word and the glory of gaming to all. Development trade body, TIGA, spoke out from the crowd: Bah! Developers have … Continue reading All Together Now→
Earlier this week, I wanted to do a commentary providing my take on our Game of the Year voting. But there were some matters that I wanted to get out of the way first. Several external circumstances cause me to change my plans for the week. As many of you know (unless you were in a coma or hiding under a rock for the last 48 hours), our military forces have taken action against Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq. Earlier this afternoon (evening in Baghdad) the ground war began. As I was returning from my bi-weekly trip back home, I … Continue reading General Down! General Down!→
I go on holiday for a couple of weeks and the world of gaming goes flip upside down. It's all gone topsy-turvy I tells ya. For months now, the games industry has been torn between juvenile anticipation and a curtailing sense of maturity. Nobody was fooled by the UK publications that chose to condemn a certain game for its blatant exploitation of the female form. I am of course talking about DOA Extreme Beach Volleyball. Where those journos got their new-found integrity remains a mystery to this day. Of course they've lost it down the back of the sofa again, … Continue reading Topsy-turvy With Chella→
The last few weeks have been pretty slow for me as far as new releases are concerned. It seems that once the whole Christmas rush is spent, there really isn't much for me to look forward to. I've already gone through the best games this past holiday had to offer (Metroid Prime, Splinter Cell, and Vice City to name a few) and until E3 there isn't really much to look forward to. I do know of one title that I will be keeping a close eye out in the next month when it is released, and that is the Legend … Continue reading GameCube Make Or Break Time→
