Thank you for checking the site out and supprting me in this journey.

Sincerely,
Kevin Larrabee

Last night I was a rock star, albeit only on the “medium” difficulty. I took the stage with game journalists and other lucky people who received tickets for a special E3 Rock band 2 party. We proceeded to jam to songs from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Police, and other legendary rock bands. The pre-show jitters were put to rest as the colored notes began to race down the plasmas screens towards our feet. We were just the opening act for a (somewhat well know) band called, “The Who.”

Two Rock Band 2 “mini-stages” were setup with stage lights, three plasmas and an on looking crowd of 20-30 people watching us rock-out. Some even sang along. The setup made this the ultimate Rock Band experience for everyone involved. In all I played four songs: Blondie “One Way or Another,” Red Hot Chili Pepeprs “Give it Away,” The Police “Message in a Bottle,” and Cheap Trick “Hello There” (I think that was the last one, I could be mistaken due to the fact that there was an open bar).

The venue was the Orpheum in downtown Los Angeles. EA and Harmonix (the developers of Rock Band 2) were the hosts. The E3 event was put together to promote Rock Band 2, allow the media to get their hands on the sequel and to treat the attendees to a private concert from one of the greatest rock bands in history. The Who was an obvious choice due to their involvement in Rock Band 2. Their performance was very personal thanks to the small venue and a crowd of 400-500 people. It was a real treat to see the rock legends perform.

For the last song my “band” played we had a six-year-old drummer. He had the time of his life even though he hit less than half of the notes. If we were playing Rock Band 1 the band would have failed the song, making the song end prematurely. A new “No Fail Mode” is featured in Rock Band 2. This mode does exactly what it says; no one can fail. Now Rock Band is even less intimidating to the newcomers. Last night was a perfect example of why this option is important and makes the game better. The most important perk of this feature is that the six-year-old drummer didn’t make the whole band fail the song, which could have embarrassed him. This will be a welcomed addition for all who own Rock Band 2 and want to play with their grandparents or young children.

A diverse and high-quality track list is what convinced me to buy the original Rock Band nine-months ago. After Rock Band 2’s setlist was released last week I am even more excited for this iteration because all of the songs are master tracks (not covers) and quite simply, the setlist itself is outstanding. You will find the likes of The Who, Journey, Devo, Modest Mouse, and many other bands that have made they mark in rock music history at one time or another. Personally I can not wait to play Beck “E-Pro,” Presidents of the USA “Lump,” and Rage Against the Machine “Testify.” Thanks to the fact that the songs are from the early 70’s to the present, there really is something for everyone on this track list.

Rock Band now sits with other elite franchises such as Halo, Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto. Harmonix has made sure to improve an already great game without making drastic gameplay changes. Rock Band 2 has the best setlist ever assembled for a video game, more gameplay options and a slicker interface. Plan on pre-ordering as Rock Band 2 will be even harder to find than its predecessor.

• Pictures are from Joystiq.com and the MTV Multiplayer Blog

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RZG News

• Remakes Video/Article

What we have been playing

• GTA IV
• Battlefield Bad Company
• Grid
• NCAA 08

NEWS

• PS3 Firmware 2.41 Released
• Patapon 2 coming this summer
• Mega Man 9 is coming to XBLA and PSN
• New Fallout 3 trailer
• Xbox 360 Price Cut is Official
  • Elite now $399?
    

E3 Rumors

• Geometry Wars 2 Coming Monday?
• Duke Nukem 3D coming next week?
• Wolfenstein at E3?

Last E3 Discussion

Suppose that you have access to a time traveling DeLorean. What would you have answered when asked what your favorite video game is? It is a good possibility that the answer that is given change throughout the course of your life. Sequels come out that introduce better gameplay and graphics, your tastes may change as you get older, and new types of games may be created (3D platformers, First-Person Shooters). After ten or twenty years, you find yourself going back to those classics less frequently. But what if that game was remade with updated graphics, new features and online functionality?

Remakes have been a big focus for publishers trying to revive classic, bankable franchises. This trend makes sense to publishers since it is much easier to sell a game with a mascot that gamers recognize. There are two kinds of remakes, those that have redone graphics and additional features and those that have completely redone gameplay (going from 2D side-scrolling to 3D). The current generation of consoles offers a great outlet for these games thanks to their online marketplaces (XBLA, PSN, Wii Ware). Games such as Contra, Pac-Man Championship Edition and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix have done a great job taking advantage of the online marketplace. Some of these remakes are even appearing on store shelves as full budget retail games (Bionic Commando on 360 and PS3). With all of these remakes from franchises that were dead (or at least in hibernation), there are some fan-favorite titles that deserve the remake treatment.

After pondering the subject for the last couple months and from listening to what the gamers want through various message boards, I have concluded that there are some titles that need to be remade. This editorial will also address why the remakes have not been developed and why they should be.

Final Fantasy VII

The second-best selling PlayStation One game of all time is considered by many as the best Final Fantasy game ever. At E3 2005, Square Enix showed off a tech demo to display what FF VII would look like with the power of the PS3. As expected, fans of the series simultaneously began to drool and type furiously on message boards to discuss the possibility of a remake.

The characters from FF VII are so popular that two spinoff games have been created in the form of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for the PSP and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII for the PS2. There was also a Full Motion Video movie made titled: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Used copies of the original still sell for over $50 on eBay. Sony would also be ecstatic because after announcing that they have lost $3 billion due to the launch of the PS3, they need to sell games and hardware to begin recouping their losses.

Remaking FF VII would not be an easy task. Square Enix would need to assign a large team (50-100 people) to redo the visuals and the cut scenes. The gameplay elements are already in place, as well as the story. Carrying over the voice work and soundtrack from the original PlayStation One title would help ease the difficulty of production as well.

It has been three years since the tech demo and there still has been no announcement nor plans (that have been made public) to develop a FF VII remake. This may be because Square Enix is focused on finishing FF XIII right now, which looks like it won’t be done until late 2009 at the earliest. Instead of working on a FF VII remake Square Enix has a team working on FF XIII Versus, a spinoff title for a game (FF XIII) that isn’t even out yet. Most developers would suggest finishing FF XIII before working on a spinoff that would come years after the first game in the series.

GoldenEye 007

Back in 1997 everyone who owned an N64 (or knew someone with an N64) and a copy of GoldenEye 007 was playing 4-player split-screen deathmatch. GoldenEye was the shooter that gave developers and gamers hope that first-person shooters on a console could be great. The graphics were “realistic” and the controls were precise and easy to learn.

Now in 2008, if you hook up that N64 and pop in GoldenEye, you will find out that the game is incredibly dated. The first question you will ask yourself is, “Where is the second thumbstick?” Back in the days of the Nintendo 64 there was only one thumbstick, making auto aim a requirement. The second question will be in regards to the graphics and framerate. GoldenEye’s framerate would drop the instant there was more than two enemies on the screen or when something was blowing up. In the day of Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3, GoldenEye is unplayable.

GoldenEye 007 needs to be remade. The recipe is simple and but the execution will be difficult and time consuming. The textures and environments would need to be re-done in HD. Also re-done character models would be nice so people on screen don’t look like they were made out of cardboard boxes. Since multiplayer was such an important feature in the original, online multiplayer would be a must. Finally, map the controls to two thumbsticks so anyone that is familiar with Halo and Call of Duty will know how to control the game. If you do all of that and throw on a $15 price tag you have yourself a million seller.

OK, perhaps it isn’t that simple. It has leaked out that Rare (now owned by Microsoft), the original developer, has begun work on a remade version of GoldenEye. The only thing holding back its release were stalled negotiations between Microsoft, Nintendo (the original publisher) and Activision (the current James Bond rights holder). Apparently, it was proposed that the original GoldenEye 007 would be released on Nintendo’s Virtual Console and an HD version with other online enhancements would be released on XBLA. The possibility remains. But the decision makers need to iron out the details so everyone wins. Nintendo would have to settle for having the original GoldenEye 007 rom. Perhaps some monetary details can be arranged so Nintendo is satisfied.

Battletoads

We last saw Battletoads on the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis consoles in Battletoads & Double Dragon. The Rare developed side-scrolling beat-em-up was a hit back in the 90s when it began on the NES. But, we haven’t had a new iteration in 15 years. Battletoads was kind of odd, as it went for an ascetic that would appeal to a younger male audience. Basically, the idea revolved around young gamers liking things that are considered, “gross.” For example, the heroes of the game were named after skin irritations in the form of Rash and Zit.

Variety was what made Battletoads such a breath of fresh air. It seemed that every level presented new gameplay mechanics. You could find yourself side scrolling in one level, then scrolling vertically in the next, then in a jet ski-like vehicle dodging barriers in the next. Repetition was not the issue with this game, the only thing gamers found to complain about was the difficulty.

For the remake all Battletoads really needs is HD graphics, online co-op and some options for difficulty. The remake would have to stay true to the side-scrolling 2D mechanics.

Rare currently holds the rights to the Battletoads intellectual property, so if Battletoads did get remade it would probably be a 360 exclusive. This begs to ask the question why Microsoft hasn’t drafted Rare to develop the title. At this point Rare is only worth the value of its IPs (Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie, ect.) since they have failed at creating new IPs that sell (Viva Piñata). There are no barriers keeping a Battletoads remake from being developed. Microsoft and Rare must simply decided if the project is economically feasible.

Metal Gear 1 and 2 (MSX2)

Metal Gear Solid 4 has sold over 2 million copies in its first three weeks of release. Many gamers who picked up a copy of MGS4 were introduced to the series on the PS1 with Metal Gear Solid. Some have played the NES version of Metal Gear, but it only sold 1 million copies. Metal Gear creator, Hideo Kojima publicly denounced the NES port because of its inferior graphics and revisions to the levels that he did not approve.  Most American’s never played Metal Gear 2 which was on the MSX2. Instead Americas received Solid Snake, a sequel to Metal Gear on the NES which was not made by Kojima.

Everyone knows that Konami (the Metal Gear Series Publisher) and Sony (creators of the PlayStation 3) want another Metal Gear game. But as of late Kojima has stated that he wants to move on from the series. In a recent IGN.com article the president of Konami mentioned that Kojima is working on a concept for a new game outside of Metal Gear. There may be a way so both parties win. Remake the MSX2 versions of Metal Gear 1 and 2 in 3D with visuals like MGS4. Add in cut scenes, voice acting from the MGS4 cast, and you have yourself a multi-million seller. Gamers will be able to relive the story of MG1 and MG2 and those who are new to the series might actually get the chance to understand the full story. Some will argue that Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation One was the remake, but this would be a much more faithful remake. For example, the buildings and environments would be exactly the same (but in 3D) and items would be in the same place as the MSX2 versions.

Everyone has that special game that they wish to see remade. Thanks to the positive sales of XBLA, PSN, and Wii Ware/Virtual Console titles and rereleases in the form of full retail games (FF IV, V, VI on the DS) the possibility of seeing these games get remade is looking better and better everyday. Make your voice heard by posting on popular video game forums and by e-mailing community figures like Major Nelson (Microsoft Xbox). If enough fans state that they want these remakes someone with the power to do so will hear them

]]> http://redzonegamer.com/2008/07/09/remakes-gamers-want-to-see-remade/feed/ http://redzonegamer.com/2008/07/06/rzg-podcast-episode-10-a-new-face/ http://redzonegamer.com/2008/07/06/rzg-podcast-episode-10-a-new-face/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:48:56 +0000 Kevin Larrabee http://redzonegamer.com/?p=92

Download Episode 10 here: RedZoneGamerPodcast010.mp3 (Right Click and Save-As)

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Kevin Larrabee, Chris Picard, and James Anderson

What We have been playing

• Resistance (PS3)
• Okami
  
• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
• Super Paper Mario
• Blacksite Area 51
• Metal Gear Solid 4
  

NEWS

• XBOX 360 getting a price drop at E3
• Mega Man 9
  
• PS3 Firmware 2.40 released (In-Game XMB)
  • Trophies
    • Games like Burnout receiving retroactive trophies
      
• Chrono Trigger coming to DS
  
• New Halo 3 Map (Cold Storage) is coming 7/7
• First Gameplay footage of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Pre-E3 Predictions

I put together most of the questions for this interview. It was my first real piece of video game journalism. Check it out below and let me know what you think.

Despite what many gamers and game journalists have said, Treyarch makes good games. Anytime that Call of Duty 3, or the upcoming Call of Duty 5 are mentioned the negative comments begin to pour in. There is very little basis for these comments, here is why the naysayers are all wrong.

Treyarch’s last COD game didn’t live up to Infinity Ward’s, but it wasn’t a bad game. In fact, it was pretty good. Don’t believe me? Just look at COD3’s metacritic score of 82. That’s only seven points lower than COD2, yet gamers act like Treyarch peed in their cornflakes and made fun of their mom whenever COD3, or COD: World at War are mentioned.

I didn’t love the single player in COD3, but the multiplayer was easily the most enjoyable WWII experience I have had online. That includes COD1 and COD2. The introduction of vehicles, including tanks, vehicles with machine gun attachments and motorcycles, added another dynamic to the game that allowed for players of all skill levels to play on an equal battlefield. You know how you can call in air strikes in COD4? Guess where that feature was first used? Yep, COD3. And, in terms of graphics, COD3 was a few notches above COD2.

People are still playing COD3 online. More and more gamers are joining the fight thanks to the fact that COD3 is now a Platinum Hits title. Currently the game can be found (as of June 24) on Amazon.com for $11.02. You will be hard pressed to find a better game for less than $12 on Amazon.com.

If you still are not convinced that Treyarch makes quality games, just review some of their previous titles. Here is a quick list for you.

• Call of Duty 3 (360, PS3)
• Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (PS2, XBOX)
• Ultimate Spider-Man (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
• Spider-Man 2 (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
• NHL 2K3 (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
• Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2x (XBOX)
• Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast)
• Tony Hawk Pro Skater (Dreamcast)

Not a bad list. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 received 9.8 and 9.9, respectively, from IGN, the two highest scores given to Dreamcast games by IGN. Although they are ports, they were fantastic ports. Spider-Man 2 also received very positive reviews (9.0 from IGN) from the media and gamers because it was the first game to really make you feel like Spider-Man.

There are some bad games in their portfolio, like Minority Report, and some Triple Play ports, but nothing to warrant a perceived legacy for making bad games from the gaming media and gamers themselves. In the case of Minority Report, Treyarch had to do without Tom Cruise’s likeness or voice acting and was too ambitious with the game. For the development time that was allotted, Treyarch did not have the time to polish a fighting system, a unique story, and interesting environments. In Hilary Goldstein’s review from IGN he stated that,

Perhaps the first mistake was trying to find a balance between the movie and doing something new. Treyarch should probably have decided to either do a near-direct translation of the movie or done a wholly different story, one that borrowed the context of the world but not many of the plot elements of the movie. Instead, they did a bit of this and that and the result is a weak story and overall mediocre level design.

It is very possible that Treyarch was pressured by Activision to finish the game to coincide with the DVD release of the feature film. Even great movie makers like Stephen Spielberg have had a flop or two (A.I., The Lost World) especially when being over ambitious.

All of these gamers on forums, and even the game journalists who haven’t played COD: World at War, are already expecting the worst. Many took shots and made sarcastic comments simply at the announcement that Treyarch was making another COD game. The drag on COD3’s development was that Treyarch only had one year of development, while Infinity Ward had two for COD4.

This time around Tryearch will have those two years of development for COD: World at War. What’s even more encouraging is that the COD:WaW team has had two years to refine the Modern Combat engine that was used in COD4. Gametrailers.com had the exclusive for the first trailer of the game. Take a look for yourself and make up you own mind.

Treyarch recently announced that COD: World at War will feature up to 4-player co-op through the campaign (up to 2 on one system). This is the first time in the COD franchise that co-op will be featured. Also the return of vehicles to multiplayer is a welcomed announcement.

Many gamers will not be hyped up for Treyarch’s latest tour of duty, they will be pleasantly surprised. When COD: World at War is released this fall, gamers and gaming media will have to check themselves before they make comments about Treyarch’s games in the future.

For the first time since the release of Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, I am looking forward to a Sonic game. I know this is only a trailer but it looks like Sonic Team has finally listened to the critics, and more importantly the fans about what has been wrong with Sonic for the last 9 years.

Things that make me excited:

• The game is lightning fast and Sonic never stops moving.
• No sign of Sonic’s lame ass friends (although we should expect to at least see Tales)
• Great Music
• 360 degree loops
• SIDE SCROLLING!!!
• And it is FAST! (This must be reiterated)

Remember that article about games I want to see on XBLA/PSN/Wii Ware? I called for a side scrolling Sonic game with 3D environments, Sonic Unleashed seems to fit that description quite well. Thank you Sega.

]]> http://redzonegamer.com/2008/06/20/blog-sonic-unleashed-video-makes-my-dreams-come-true/feed/ http://redzonegamer.com/2008/06/19/sony-drops-the-ball-once-again/ http://redzonegamer.com/2008/06/19/sony-drops-the-ball-once-again/#comments Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:28:49 +0000 Kevin Larrabee http://redzonegamer.com/?p=75 By: Kevin Larrabee

I am amazed at how many times Sony has screwed themselves over with seemingly simple decisions in regards to the PlayStation 3 platform. Sony discontinued the sale and production of all backwards-compatible, albeit via software and 85% of the PS2 library PlayStation 3s in the beginning of the year, leaving the $399 40GB version as the only available option. Soon after this decision, the price of used and new backwards-compatible PlayStation 3s skyrocketed on eBay with buyers paying a premium just for that feature. Then leading up to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Sony appears to have had learned their lesson as a 80GB PlayStation 3 with Metal Gear Solid 4, and software backwards-compatibility was announced. Nope.

As of June 19th, 2008, you cannot find the 80GB MGS4 bundle anywhere. You may find one online, but you will be forced to buy a bundle with accessories that you may not want. I ordered through CircuitCity.com, and to secure my pre-order I had to buy a bundle with a Blu-ray remote (the dual shock 3 works just fine with Blu-rays). In the case of Amazon.com, they sold out in FIVE MINUTES, I had no chance to even add the bundle to my cart.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is the PS3’s biggest title to date, and many potential PS3 buyers were waiting for this game before dropping $400-500 on a piece of hardware with only a small handful of great games. How could Sony not know that there was going to be a huge demand for this bundle, if not just because of MGS4, but because it had the PS2 backwards-compatibility that a vast majority of gamers want? How could Sony not plan ahead and manufactured more of the 80GB PS3s leading up to the launch of MGS4? Why don’t they ask gamers these things? It boggles my mind; seriously, this was their chance.

Lets look at some data while we are on the subject of console sales. Even with the one-year head start, the PS3 still had 2/3 amount of time as the 360, but again, they have only sold half as many pieces of hardware. This was their chance to catch up.

(Consoles sold in America in Millions)

They could have sold close to 400,000 of those bundles as almost 209,000 consoles were sold in the month of May (NPD Group via Joystiq.com) and there were no MGS4 or 80GB bundles.

(MGS4 Units Sold by Territory)

Alexander Sliwinski from Joystiq.com did some investigative reporting on the issue. It turns out that Sony planned for this bundle to be a “limited-edition” and that they are, “working to ensure that additional shipments are provided to retailers” (Joystiq.com). Limited Edition? Is there someone in the upper ranks of Sony being paid by Microsoft to sabotage the PS3? No? Well it sure seems that way sometimes when shit like this happens. Gamers want this bundle, and are willing to wait if any of the discussions at popular sites such as NeoGaf.com and CheapAssGamer.com are to be considered.

This issue doesn’t just hurt gamers looking for the MGS4 bundle, but also all of the current PS3 owners. Sony needs to sell more consoles if they want more exclusive AAA titles from third-party publishers that are going to the 360 instead because of their install base. I wish Sony would simply have some common sense in the future. Holiday 08 is fast approaching; Sony must take advantage of MGS4, a backwards-compatible console and their upcoming exclusives (Resistance 2, Little Big Planet) to have a shot at beating Microsoft in America this generation.

Sources:

• http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/snaaake-we-ask-sony-about-limited-edition-mgs4-80gb-ps3-suppl/
• http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/12/may-npd-ps3-up-and-ps2-out-gta-iv-in-and-cod-4-out/
• http://VgChartz.com

Today at GameTrailers I spent most of my time decorating the new offices (the move takes place next week). The guys from “I Am 8-Bit” have been given the duty of decorating the new offices and already the place looks amazing. The best way I could put it is that it is clear that this office has to do with video games. I will post pictures after we move in two weeks from now.

I needed to give that back-story to setup the lesson that I learned today. Jeremy Hoffman (the produced of Game Trailers TV) brought some guests up to the office to show them around. When I saw the four people that accompanied Jeremy I instantly had a smile on my face. The four were Geoff Keighley of Game Trailers TV, N’Gai Croal of Newsweek, Brian Crecente of Kotaku, and Stephen Totlio of the MTV Multiplayer Blog. If you follow the video game industry at all, you know these people, because they are the ones who’s work provides said news. I honestly didn’t know what to do; these guys are celebrities to me. Since moving to Santa Monica I have seen Tim Medows of SNL, Junior Seau from the New England Patriots and the Rock, personally, none of them compare to this quartet I saw today.

As they walked around the floor and checked out the paintings on the wall I tried to decided if I should approach the group and say how it is an honor to meet them and how I was a huge fan of all of their work. After four or five minutes the group left floor two and exited the building, I never had the courage to approach them. I regretted that decision so much that I was compelled to write this blog post tonight. You never know when and where you will learn life lessons, you can even learn them at GameTrailers!

Lesson Learned
-Kevin Larrabee