I was lucky enough to be invited by EA Sports to interview Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons tight end, about NFL Training Camp, a game that uses motion sensing technology to put players through real pro NFL training camp drills like dropping back and passing, or cutting from side to side while sprinting.
I shot video of the whole interview, but there’s a lot of background noise and it simply isn’t that exciting of a video. It’s just Tony and I sitting on a couch talking. Once in a while we laugh. Not the most thrilling video in the world. I recorded audio and I’m not going to transcribe it word for word.
We talked about a bunch of stuff and I really enjoyed meeting him. He’s a nice guy, very personable and friendly. I started the interview by telling him that I remember playing as him when my friend Mike and I played a season of Madden 99 as the Kansas City Chiefs. He laughed and said that was over a decade ago and then asked if we won (which we did) and then he high fived me and said it was great that we had a better season.
We talked about the NFL Training Camp game from EA Sports Active. It uses a heart rate monitor and wireless motion tracking to provide a workout designed by NFL strength and conditioning coaches. He said that he’s played around with it and thinks it’s a good thing. It got his heart rate up and he could see how it would improve timing, agility, and other skills like training camp.
I shot some video of someone playing at the event. It looked to me like this guy was working hard and afterwards the game reported he burned 400 calories or so.
I had fun talking to Tony. At one point I said that I thought he is the best TE to ever play the game. He said that was a bit much, like he wouldn’t agree to being the best. So I said, you have the most TD’s, most receptions, and most yards of any TE in the history of the league, surely you must agree to top 10. He agreed then thought a moment and then said, “That puts me in some good company.”
We talked about how he likes to play TE because he likes to be involved in more aspects of the game than just catching. If he wanted to run and catch he would have been a WR. He likes to block and feels it’s an under appreciated skill. I appreciate a good block and I mentioned that I did and he said that even with all the TD catches he’s had it is still most exhilarating when he blocks a linebacker and sets up the run. That’s pretty cool.
He recently wrote a book about nutrition so we chatted about that for a while. He’s into eating lean and high-quality protein and vegetables. I believe it’s based on some vegan principles. He looks like he’s in great shape but that probably goes without saying. He is a professional athlete. We laughed for a bit because I pointed out that what we eat becomes more important as we get older and the body can’t bounce back as quickly from something like a burger and fries.
Tony had some advice for young football players. Eat right, train, and build for the future. Learn everything you can about the game and improve your body and skills. Sounds pretty solid to me. Practice and improvement are two good things.
EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp seems like it can help improve football related skills. It’s in development for PS3, Kinect for Xbox 360, Wii, and iPod touch by EA Canada in Vancouver. You can find more info at EA Sports Active.
Zumba Fitness for Connect
Excersize program, the fitness party, latin and international rhythms. Grew in Miami, all about the party, have fun and move, 60,000 locations, 7.5 million people take a Zumba class every week. They’ve sold millions of DVDS and this is the next thing. Men, women, kids, parents all play together.
The demo – This is a combination of dance and excersize so everyone has fun with 30 tracks and routines. There’s new interactive Zumba content running with Connect. Connect tracks 6 points on Samantha’s body and will critique her motions.
There can be up to 4 players in a turn based competition. For the Wii there is a belt to track your hips where all your movement originates. You can learn the steps training, set a workout calendar, intermediate and hard also. Genuine motion capture “a little bit like a dancing iPod commercial” in color and look and feel.
There’s a party meter and more stuff begins to happen when you build the party meter. I see more stuff on the screen but it doesn’t lok like it really affects game play. Working closely with Microsoft and are excited to be a launch title for Connect in November.
Lots of hip rolling. Merengue to reggae to calypso, a lot of rich styles and it’s not my thing with all the dancing. I bet Tina would love this. Sarah would probably not be amused. The music is fun. I think that someone who has taken a Zumba class would be pretty pleased to dance along with this. I’d prefer splattering enemy brains out the side of their heads from the bushes 500m away, but for a Zumba fan this would be fun.
There’s a strong connection here for Backayard.
My routine was much more like dancing than working out. But it was fun and I did start sweating within 2 minutes.
There will be DLC – use Live to connect to Zumba.com and Facebook to build community. Zumba is the dancing so it could be fun with someone else- Zumba Attack with something like a dance battle and there is a turn based mode where up to four people can play against each other.
Paintball – Greg Hastings
$39 on 9/14
Can play with him, all about furthering paintball, the gameisbuilt on authenticity, 360, PS3, Wii. All the gear, all the guns, 100 pros, 62 fields based on 12 real locations. Rated E10+, not that many E10+ FPS out there. It’s a violent tournament, just with paint not bullets. Up to 20 player multi-player on 360 and –s3, up to 8 player on Wii.
Lots of running and diving into bunker, then change stance so you can pop up and down, then change stance so you can pop left and right. You can switch hands with the gun so you can get a better angle.
There are also team aspects to game play. You can command your guys or leave them alone.
Three types of paintball – speed ball with inflatable bunkers that people hide behind in arenas. Woods ball is a massive outdoor field. Rec ball is a mix of the two played on any course. This is the first game with wood and rec play modes.
Will be DLC.
Babysitting mama
No blood but there is diaper changing without poo or urine. This brings baby sitting to a whole new level. Uses a plush doll that you jam the wiimote into it’s back. Basically you can hold the doll and do stuff with it and the wiimote sense it.
The baby laughs or cries through the Wiimote. This is Cooking Mama for baby sitters. There are 6 different babies and about 60 different activities. Some are baby care, some are baby mini games. Fun, not a baby simulator because there are some silly things. It’s apparently a lot of fun for six to nine year olds. Little girls will be happy they got a new doll and a new game.
Ten story arcs, November release data scheduled.
It was sort of fun, kind of like holding a real baby but not because it isn’t fragile.
Swords
Wii motion plus support $29.99 T rated for families
Brutal action scenes without gore. It is, you guessed it, a sword fighting game. One to one sword fighting movements, seven different angles of attack with 8 different fighters. Unlock swords and get new powers. Plus four mini games that are basically like mini games. One includes hordes of zombies coming at you over and over again. Multiplayer so there is 2 player split screen.
Monster Tale for DS,
estimated March 2011 ship
Puzzle game play on the bottom screen, exploration on the top. The bottom screen is a pet raising Tamogotchi game and the top is a platformer. You wake up in a monster world that has been taken over by bad kids. Elie meets Chomp and they need to save the monster world from the bad kids. Explore and earn new abilities. Definitely kid safe. Would appeal to those who want to explore, learn, solve puzzles, and use new things. Also involves training Chomp – give him cookies and he becomes one thing, give him apples and he becomes something else. Interaction between the “two screens” and the evolution of Chomp creates depth in the game.
Title: Heavy Rain
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Format: PS3 BluRay Disc
HD Format: 720p
ESRB Rating: M
Players: 1
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
In a city somewhere on the US east coast (at times it reminds me of NYC, other times of Boston), young boys are kidnapped, only to be found three days later, drowned in rain water, with an origami figure on their chests. Such shenanigans have been going on for over a year. Twelve boys have been taken. Creepy clowns and kooky carousels abound. What can a father do to keep his son safe? Or as the mysterious killer says, “How far would you go to save your son?”
Such is the premise of Quantic Dream’s newest PS3 title, Heavy Rain. There is some history here as this is the krackerjack developer that brought us Indigo Prophecy roughly five years ago. So we’re talking about a development house with a strong reputation for high production values and compelling story lines. In those respects, Heavy Rain does not disappoint. Playing this game is like stepping into a movie where you can pick what happens. It’s sort of like a choose your own adventure for PS3.
The story is complex and it sucked me in. It was like I started to play and thought it was boring and then all of a sudden it was four hours later and time for bed. The emotion of the game comes along and sweeps you away. Which is a good thing, but it’s important to understand that this game is not for everyone. If you’re looking for a thrill-a-minute romp then look elsewhere. If you are looking for a deep dark emotional and frightening story, then this is it.
This is a psychological crime thriller that has its moments where it is simply beautiful and purely gripping. You play as four separate characters: Ethan Mars, an architect whose sone has been kidnapped; Scott Shelby, a private investigator; Jayden Norman, and FBI Agent, and some really hot chick who ends up being more important than you think she’ll be named Madison Paige. The only thing you’ll remember about this last woman is that when playing as her you get to soap up your breasts in the shower, take a tinkle in the toidy, and strip for a pimp. These are mature themes that will definitely grab your attention. The four story-lines intertwine and play off of each other which is very cool.
The game starts in a sort of happy and almost mundane level. You’re Ethan Mars and you work from home. The fun includes getting dressed, brushing your teeth, and walking down stairs. It’s really a tutorial level just to learn how to control the game. The highlight of the first level is setting the table. I’m not kidding. And, for some odd reason, you are using your mother-in-law’s china to set the table for your 8 year old’s birthday party. Who in their right mind would do that? So these plates are being used at a kiddie party but if you set the table too fast your wife freaks out.
Then next level involves the family going to the mall. This is where I have to be critical of the game, very critical. In order to keep the story on track, you are forced to navigate through a finite set of choices in a heavily scripted sequence. And bang, your son gets hit by a car and dies.
The screen fades to black. The world is bleak, sad, miserable. You, Ethan, are miserable. The world is gray. It’s two years later and no one wants to talk to you, especially your son Shaun. Your wife left you. Apparently you are too stupid to take care of yourself or anyone. And frustration creeps in when you realize that the character is a moron. One son has died and this guy can’t even watch his other son when he plays. And then I realized that this is not an open world. This is not freedom of choice. This is very far from something like Grand Theft Auto. The game is on rails with the illusion of being open. It seems to me that forcing me to do some things and giving me 2 choices for something mundane is not an “interactive story”. This is very much like a graphical Zork, an old-style text game that presented you with some choices and was written as a bunch of if-then statements. Same thing but with more graphics. I also want to know why everyone has called this game beautiful when it is a paltry 720p. What is the point of the PS3 being 1080p if first party titles can’t even be high def?
As you play through the game it gets better. It gets better in terms of controls and choices along with the story roping you in emotionally and psychologically. Choices start to matter. During a liquor store robbery I tried to sneak up behind the felon but I couldn’t so I had to reason with him. Some things in this game outright pissed me off. For example, while you are playing the FBI agent, a suspect pulls a gun on the local cop who is your partner. You have the suspect dead to rights. I warned him three times to drop the weapon and then I shot him. That is how I would handle the situation. If I had to repeat the level 100 times I would do that 100 times. No way I would warn someone to put his gun down and then let him continue to point it at my partner. And then Heavy Rain tells me I’ve done it wrong. Very frustrating.
Yet I kept getting sucked back in. The story is that good. I have to hand it to writer, director, and studio head David Cage at Quantic Dream. Frustrated as I was, I needed to find out who the origami killer was. I really did. I kept playing until the end and I enjoyed it.
Heavy Rain is a solid game of this genre. It is an emotional roller coaster, not a thrill a minute romp.
ROCK BAND ADDS TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS SIX PACK
KELLY CLARKSON MAKES ROCK BAND DEBUT IN “GIRLS WHO ROCK” DLC FEATURED IN LEGO® ROCK BAND
Cambridge, Mass. – Nov. 20, 2009 – Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a six pack of live tracks from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, as well as singles from Kelly Clarkson, P!nk and the Go-Go’s will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.
Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Rock Band is delivering more tracks from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with a six pack of live tracks that coincide with the group’s latest album release, The Live Anthology. All six songs featured in “Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01” are featured on The Live Anthology, a box set featuring 48 live recorded tracks on four discs that will be released Nov. 24, the same day these tracks come to Rock Band. The album spans 30 years of concerts from legendary U.S. rockers Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, who have been performing together since 1976. A special boxed set edition of The Live Anthology will also be available Nov. 22, exclusively at Best Buy.
Downloadable content featured for LEGO® Rock Band kicks off with three songs featured in both the Rock Band Music Store and the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store with “Girls Who Rock!” Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling recording artist Kelly Clarkson will make her Rock Band debut next week with “Miss Independent,” the Grammy-nominated single from her 2004 album, Thankful. The 80s anthem, “Our Lips Are Sealed,” from The Go-Go’s and P!nk’s “Who Knew” will also be available in the Rock Band Music Store and the LEGO Rock Band Music Store next week.
Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 24) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 26):
- Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed” +
- Kelly Clarkson – “Miss Independent” +
- P!nk – “Who Knew” +
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “A Thing About You (live)” +
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “American Girl (live)”
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Even the Losers (live)”
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Here Comes My Girl (live)” +
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Mary Jane’s Last Dance (live)”
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Refugee (live)” +
(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as “Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks on Wii. Tracks marked with a “+” are also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.
Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 01”
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track
Rock Band DLC Additions for Wii in Europe
Rock Band 2 for the Wii was released Oct. 9 in Europe. Featuring over 100 songs (The Rock Band 2 game disc features 84 tracks. In addition, players have access to an additional 20 free DLC tracks. Online connection required.), Rock Band 2 showcases an extensive music catalogue with an eclectic blend of classic and new artists. The Rock Band library for Wii in Europe is being updated regularly with back-catalog tracks. For a complete list of tracks available now, visit http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3247220#post3247220.
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **
Website Links:
For more information, please visit:
Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.
Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.
There are now 1,000 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 60 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.
Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.
For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.comv.
Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.
LEGO Rock Band video game (excluding LEGO assets) © 2009 Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and the Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2009 The LEGO Group. Rock Band is a trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Last week I got the chance to head up to midtown and play Tony Hawk Ride with no other than the man himself, Tony Hawk. It was fantastic and I really enjoyed meeting him. Unfortunately the only camera I had was the crappy one on my Blackberry.
The game itself is focused on establishing a fully interactive and immersive world. The most important thing is the new skateboard controller which was way cool. It is a solid deck made of rubberized plastic with two accelerometers and four infrared sensors. This way it knows which way you are leaning and how fast, plus whether you are reaching for any grabs or not. You don’t actually have to touch the board to get a grab, just wave your hand through the infrared beam.
The game starts easy where it really just teaches you how to ride. Then you learn tricks and build speed. This is much more like the earlier versions of Tony Hawk. Not story based and really a series of new courses and tricks to be done. Each bit of game play is relatively short. The game was designed to be played in a group of friends and just like when you’re skating, it’s like “hey, check this out” then each person takes a turn.
July 3, 2009 – The summer is in full swing, and what better way to celebrate Independence Day than Madden NFL 10 team previews, featuring the NFC East. What teams will lead the pack? Which players are prepped for a breakout season? Will your team be a contender or pretender? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.
We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC East division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Wii versions of Madden NFL 10.
Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.
To view the overall team ratings for the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Cowboys, as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:
· Madden NFL 10 Season Preview
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PC
MSRP: $59.99 for PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, $49.99 for PC
ESRB: M
http://www.prototypegame.com
PROTOTYPE is the story of Alex Mercer, the survivor of an evil military experiment that has left him genetically mutated, without memory, and hunted. And, with shape-shifting abilities that allow him to use some pretty sick weapons and disguises, also the hunter. This free-roaming romp through a diseased NYC can be both extremely fun and frustrating at times.
This is a big open world game and as a New Yorker I really enjoy playing open world games that take place in something resembling NYC. Yes, Radical did a great job capturing the gritty look and feel of NYC. There are buildings with scaffolds and gridlocked intersections. There are the popular landmarks such as Madison Square Garden, Washington Square Park, Central Park, and Times Square. Yet in all the accurate look and feel, the map and the actual buildings are merely representative and not accurate. My apartment, a floor in a West Village townhouse, is somehow a massive skyscraper. So they win some points here and it is cool to think about going on a rampage in NYC, but it ain’t NYC.
The story is very deep and told through a series of different mechanisms such as flashbacks and flashforwards. One aspect of Alex’s powers is the ability to consume a person – including their memory, clothes, and weapons. As you consume each person you get a video flashback sequence which backfills the story from their point of view. It’s a very interesting mechanism, yet it is extremely disruptive to be in the middle of a massive battle that gets interrupted by a flashback and then you are shoved right back into the action. Yes, you can skip the video, but it is still disruptive.
My major gripe with the game, which overall I have really enjoyed, is that for the first hour or so it is pretty damn boring. Honestly, I almost gave up but am glad I stuck with it. In fact, my first reaction was “OK, Activision blended Spiderman with Wolverine. Great. Been there. Done that. Next.” But for some reason the next day I went back to it. In starting you off slow, Radical runs the risk of losing your interest. After a few hours though, you can upgrade your characters weapons, powers, and movement and really start to kick some ass which is where it gets fun.
I got to play the game for Xbox 360 this morning and I loved it. My history with the Wolfenstein franchise goes all the way back to when I was 14 and hoping that my parents wouldn’t be awakened by the cries of “Halt, Commenzie” emanating from my Apple IIe. The game has changed a lot over the years, but it’s still every bit as fun. This version draws heavily on the 1992 Wolfenstein 3D for look and feel.
Basically, it’s the old stop the evil Nazis story. You know, everyone loves killing Nazis. You play the same character as usual, BJ TK. These evil Nazis have harnessed some negative energy known as the Veil from another dimension and are using it to further their nefarious plans. In addition to the “normal” Nazis, there are supernatural ones like the assassin (hard to kill, comes right at you), the scribe (reincarnates the fallen Nazis), the shifter, and the altered (a big ugly dope).
The big twist involves Veil powers. These are sort of like supernatural powers. You access them using the D-pad. Down turns on Sight which allows you to see enemies in the dark and see hidden pathways, like where to smash through a wall. Pushing the d-pad to the left enters “Mire” which slows down time for everyone around you. Pushing up turns on your “shield”, a barrier around you that protects you from damage. You can Veil energy through a variety of means, mostly when you suction it from objects in the environment.
There’s an upgrade system that revolves around finding treasure like hidden bags of gold. They you can use the gold to upgrade your powers and/or weapons. There are the usual MP-40, MP-43 type WWII era weapons and then there are some kick-ass futuristic weapons like the TK which I used to blow enemies to bits. BTW, in case I haven’t made this clear, this is a violent, gory game that lives up to what you’d expect from our friends at iD.
The combination of the super weapons and Veil powers make it pretty interesting. I was able to do things like kick open a door, chuck a grenade at the first wave of attackers, turn on my shield, watch them get shredded, then drop my shield, turn on mire, and shoot the survivors dead. All of that took place in about 15 frenetic seconds.
There was talk of an online deathmatch mode, but nothing definite was said. There will be no co-op story mode.
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: May 2009
Platforms:and MSRP:
$59.99 (PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360)
$49.99 (Wii)
$39.99 (Games for Windows PC, PSP, PLAYSTATION 2)
$29.99 (NDS)
ESRB Ratings: “M” for Mature for intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
I have to admit that most of the time I feel that as a rule movie games are uninspired. Face it, the emphasis is more on generating a supporting upsell for a successful movie. But every once in a while, someone actually tries to make a good movie game. X-Men Origins Wolverine is one of those games.
It is downright fun to play. The battles are lightning fast and more than frenetic. I found myself lunging, diving, blocking, countering with ease once I got the hang of the controls. You fall into a rhythm of targeting, evading, and attacking in a natural pattern. So it feels good to slice foes heads off, throw them off bridges or cliffs where they plummet to their deaths, or my personal favorite which was to dive towards an enemy, grab him, and throw him onto some sharp part of the environment. It is very cool that your kill stats are saved in your profile. I always love seeing a chronicle of my killing.
The game is inspired by the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine that came out in May 2009. The story is written by the same Marvel Wolverine comic book writer, Mark Guggenheim, who has told the tale of Wolverine for years. The games is the story of Logan’s transformation from human to Wolverine. There are almost two intertwining stories, like a flash forward and a flash backward, that you play through.
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