MTV Multiplayer - Part 890

Our Comics Colleagues Approve Of 'Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe'

Posted 11/17/08 3:30 pm EST by Patrick Klepek in comics, mortal kombat, Mortal Kombat Vs DC

If there's any group more critical and passionate than video game fans, it's comic book fans.

We recently passed on a copy of the world-colliding fighter "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" to our colleagues at MTV Splash Page, who've put the game under the microscope.

Splash Page has taken a look at the game from the comic fans perspective. Are the legendary match-ups satisfying? Does the multi-dimensional storyline make sense? And which characters are they upset didn't make the roster cut?

"While there are some aspects of the game that fall a bit short of expectations," said Splash Page writer Rick Marshall, criticizing the voice acting, "[but] there’s a lot for comics fans to like about 'Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.'"

For a far more specific blow-by-blow analysis, head over to Splash Page.

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'Watchmen' Trailer Inspired By 'Grand Theft Auto' Trailer?

Posted 11/17/08 3:00 pm EST by Stephen Totilo in grand theft auto, Grand Theft Auto IV, Watchmen

Hey gamers, have you noticed anything familiar about the new "Watchmen" movie trailer?

Listen to this:

Then, listen to the music in this: Read More...

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Source: 'Guitar Hero Arcade' Coming Next Year From 'Big Buck Safari' Developer

Posted 11/17/08 2:00 pm EST by Patrick Klepek in Arcade, guitar hero, Music Games

Rumors have suggested lately that Activision Blizzard is about to help "Guitar Hero" enter the arcade business.

The rumors are right. A source close to the project anonymously told MTV Multiplayer over the weekend that "Guitar Hero Arcade" is coming next year.

"Guitar Hero Arcade" is currently in development at Raw Thrills, said our source. They're the same Illinois developer founded by "Defender" creator Eugene Jarvis that was responsible for the popular "Big Buck Safari" games and the infamous "Target: Terror" game released on Wii earlier this year.

Re-affirming details surfaced elsewhere, our source relayed that "Guitar Hero Arcade" will feature "10 speakers, over 500 LED's, a 32" monitor, and online cash tournaments." More on the game should be revealed soon.

There's no word on what tracks we might expect in this version, what kind of guitar it will use or if it's even a guitar-only affair. When contacted, Activision Blizzard had no comment.

We'll keep digging for more information. In the meantime, you excited for "Guitar Hero Arcade"?

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Blizzard Talks The Business of 'World of Warcraft,' Subscription Rate Not Changing

Posted 11/17/08 1:30 pm EST by Tracey John in activision, Big Business, blizzard, iPhone / iPad, Mac, PC, world of warcraft

Mike Morhaime at the NYC Lich King Launch

Is there any stopping the behemoth that is "World of Warcraft"?

Despite the success of competitors like EA's "Warhammer Online," the MMORPG doesn't seem to be slowing down. The game recently reached 11 million subscribers worldwide and opened up servers in Russia and Latin America.

Last week, during the midnight launch of the "World of Warcraft" expansion "Wrath of the Lich King," I spoke with Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. We talked about the business model of Blizzard and "World of Warcraft," and what we can expect next. Read More...

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How The Mad Catz 'Rock Band' Cymbals Change MTV's Game

Posted 11/17/08 12:00 pm EST by Patrick Klepek in Music Games, rock band

"Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" are now on even ground in terms of drums.

Mad Catz have released cymbal packs that add much-lusted-after cymbals to the "Rock Band 2" kit. If you have the original "Rock Band" drum set, however, it won't do anything. There's nowhere to plug it in.

But for gamers who've graduated to "Rock Band 2" drums, this adds an extra dimension to the experience. Is it worth paying $29.99 for?

We tested it. Read More...

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Factor 5 President Addresses 'Superman' Game Rumors, Health Of Studio

Posted 11/17/08 11:00 am EST by Stephen Totilo in Factor 5, superman, Wii

Not much has been heard of from development studio Factor 5 since last year's poorly received PlayStation 3 dragon epic "Lair."

But recent reports have the studio best known for a stream of highly regarded "Star Wars: Rogue Squadron" flight-combat games back in the news , this time for supposedly having been making a "Superman" game for collapsing game publisher Brash.

Multiplayer reached out to Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht to find out what the story is with "Superman" and what fans of the company should know about the studio's status. He provided the following not terribly cryptic statement: Read More...

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Nintendo: We Will Have Games In 2009 For The 'Halo' Crowd

Posted 11/17/08 10:00 am EST by Stephen Totilo in halo, madworld, Top Entries, Wii

Nintendo has moms and Mario/Zelda fans locked up.

But, since the Wii launched in 2006, the company has had a hard time attracting the hardcore gamers who enjoy things like "Halo," "BioShock" or "Call of Duty."

Nintendo itself, former publisher of "GoldenEye," hasn't even made a game for that crowd since, arguably, the summer of 2007 when "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" was released.

Is Nintendo not seeking that "Halo"-loving customer?

Nintendo executive vice president of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway told me last week that the company can get those gamers and has software coming in 2009 that will do the trick: Read More...

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'Guitar Hero' Wii Not Getting Jimi Hendrix DLC Due To Wii Limitations

Posted 11/17/08 9:00 am EST by Patrick Klepek in DLC, guitar hero, Music Games, Wii

It wasn't a typo after all.

Wii owners will not be receiving additional Jimi Hendrix tracks for "Guitar Hero: World Tour," an Activision Blizzard representative has confirmed to MTV Multiplayer.

"Due to technical or licensing restrictions, the DLC offerings will not be the same for every console platform," explained the representative. "For example, certain artists prefer to keep the integrity of the track pack rather than releasing singles and the Wii’s infrastructure only allows us the ability to release single songs as DLC."

We learned about this technical limitation a few weeks back from Harmonix. The Wii version of "Rock Band 2" will not feature price-reduced bundle packs because Nintendo does not allow "duplicate" content on the Wii Store.

In this case, licensing restrictions from Jimi Hendrix's people mean Activision Blizzard must offer the music as a "track pack" and not singles. The restriction, combined with Nintendo's rules, mean Wii players won't see the music.

This isn't a new trend. It's just new to music games. Similar licensing restrictions have stopped some artists from joining iTunes.

"The development team is committed to offering Wii fans worldwide as much variety of DLC as possible on a regular basis," continued the spokesperson.

This could be a problem for "Rock Band 2," too. We'll keep watching.

[Photo Credit: Andy Henderson]

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Game Diary - November 17, 2008: It's Not 'Resistance 2''s Fault

Posted 11/17/08 8:00 am EST by Stephen Totilo in Totilo Game Diary

I finished "Mirror's Edge" this weekend and played most of the single-player campaign of "Resistance 2."

The former was a breath of fresh air. It is as much a success as "flOw" in training players to control a game in a smooth meditative move-chaining state. It just ended a bit abruptly.

The latter game, "Resistance 2," is much more fun than I expected, given the thrashing I heard its campaign receive a couple of 1upyours podcasts ago. I was expecting the campaign to be disappointing. It's not. While it's not sparkling with new ideas, it is, like many games from development studio Insomniac, a triumph of artwork and engineering. Visually, it's a stunner and it plays smoothly, a first-person shooter with an unending horde of impressive enemies through which to shoot and crunch.

There is plenty that Insomniac can do better with a third game, but I was struck when starting "Resistance 2" this weekend by how much they, like most development studios, are victims to comparisons they cannot control. New games must suffer from the fact that they are released alongside other new games. This issue afflicts "Resistance 2." Read More...

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The Week In Multiplayer -- 'WoW' And 'Gears 2' Launch, Guest Blogger, Greatest Animal And More

Posted 11/15/08 8:00 am EST by Patrick Klepek in The Week in Multiplayer

It's been an awfully busy week for the video game industry and here at MTV Multiplayer. As the weekend kicks into gear, here's what the last week brought: