PS3 Fanboy

A new month means a new issue of EGM, which means a whole new batch of rumors in their infamous Quartermann column. This edition features two things of note for PS3 fans.

First is a rumor about Cliff Bleszinski's new game. Having just finished Gears 2, many are wondering: what's next? Well, his next game may be a survival horror game, which promises to mix the visceral feel of Gears with psychological terror. Even more exciting: the next game may be a multiplatform title, allowing PS3 fans a chance to finally play one of his games.

In addition, EGM is also continuing the rumors about a possible Disney partnership for LittleBigPlanet. The rumor mill suggests a Disney DLC pack will arrive in 2009, and it will include a playable version of the classic Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie (pictured above).

EGM subscribers are going to have quite a surprise waiting for them at the end of this week. The cover story for this August's issue is none other than the PS3 exclusive FPS, Killzone 2. It's a project shrouded in mystery, and we're glad that (in spite of its 2009 release), we're going to learn more about this hotly anticipated game.

1UP, EGM's online counterpart, will have a few teasers online. SCEA's Mike Graham also promises that "as we get closer to E3," we'll start seeing more of the game. Can't wait! We're proud to say that once this issue comes out, we're heading straight to the bathroom and making a killzone of our own. (That pun didn't work as well as this, did it?)

While we're hearing lots of praise from critics about the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4, it appears that early critics are being forced to censor certain details from their reviews. It was rumored that details about the length of cutscenes, install time, and a number of other quirks must be omitted from early print reviews. Looks like those rumors were true. EGM has decided against reviewing the hotly anticipated title in its upcoming issue, instead opting to print a five-page roundtable discussion about the game. No scores, due to "the limitations Konami wanted to impose on our comments."

Dealing with publishers involves delicate balance, and it's encouraging to see a major editorial outlet refusing to succumb to increasing demands to censor opinion pieces in games journalism. Reading a roundtable should do more than enough justice to the game -- more so, in fact, than an all-encompassing number score.

We're not ones to pounce on rumors as readily as the tiger pounces on the lone platypus separated from its herd on their journey to the potato tree, but EGM has a pretty good track record at tossing a few hints into the fray. Their latest mag, hitting subscribers any day now, gives PS3 fans a few things to look forward to in the coming months.

First off, they claim they've caught wind that Capcom is developing Dead Rising 2 right now. Not big news in itself, sure, but they claim the title is being developed for multiple consoles. Their strategy for releasing games on all systems might actually begin to hold water.

The other interesting tidbit comes in the form of Sony's Team ICO. Their new project will be unveiled soon. We smell something at GDC. If not, well, it'll just be announced at random. It's up to you guys to make your own judgment calls here, though.

According to EGM editor-in-chief Dan Hsu, Sony's sports game division along with Midway and Ubisoft have banned the magazine from further coverage of their products. Why? They apparently haven't agreed with the way their titles have been treated by the magazine. We can't forget about all that Gamespot hubbub over Kane & Lynch and can't help but draw some kind of parallel between the issues. If Sony's sports division is so afraid of a bad or mediocre review, they ought to focus on the problem -- the games -- and not on refusing to let game journalists try them and review them. Just a thought.

[via Digg]

EGM's sometimes-right rumor mongerer, Quartermann, is now claiming that Sony has signed an agreement with a major third party Japanese publisher to create remakes for the PSN. 1UP further fuels the fanboy fire with a rather unhelpful (but exciting) tease that'll get our imaginations rolling:

"As for which publisher this is, the magazine doesn't reveal. Could it be Konami? A remake of Contra or Castlevania could be pretty sweet. Or Capcom? Ghosts & Goblins or Strider please. Or maybe even Square Enix? Chrono Trigger = OMG."

We're pretty certain the EGM team knows exactly what's going on -- but must keep their mouths shut on the specifics. Regardless, things are going to get pretty interesting later this year.

[Thanks, Joe! Image Credit]

From the vault of rumours that won't die (no, not that one - that one is hopefully dead forever) comes, once again, the rumour of Bioshock coming to the PS3 sometime in 2008. While this was buried a few months ago the latest issue of EGM - and, in it, the newest Quartermann rumour predictions - has dug it back up and plans to rehabilitate it into mainstream debate.

We're not biting, however. There's no new evidence other than Mr. Quartermann's statement. We'd be happy to see it, but until we see some sort of proof we're firmly labeling this as the rumour it is.

The latest issue of EGM details the return of this fan-favorite horror title. Since Silent Hill 5 involves a military veteran recovering from his wounds at a hospital, it's clear this game shares a lot more with the franchise's inspiration film, Jacob's Ladder. The grain filter will make its return in this entry to the series, which a lot of fans are very happy about. However, that's not the interesting part.

The Havok engine is being used for real-time physics within most environments. Bumping into chairs, desks, weak floor boards, with produce noises that alert enemies to your presence. We're sure domino effects are likely too: knocking a chair into a table could knock a lamp down and break it (where there is, of course, a hidden key). Much like the film, Silent Hill 5 is going to employ real-time world deterioration. The transition between the normal world and the world of ... well, the messed-up world, will be visible in real-time and you can move the camera to check it out in great detail. That's some exciting stuff.

A final note is on the revival of boss battles. Bosses have been fairly tame in the Silent Hill games outside of the first and third, which featured large, monstrous bosses. The Collective, the game's developers, want to bring epic boss battles back into the game, relating the experiences to Zelda-like encounters. We're interested to see how that works. We'll keep you up to date as more info gets released.

In the latest issue of EGM, Ninja Gaiden creator Itagaki Tomonobu spoke out against the upcoming Heavenly Sword, deeming the sequences where you press certain buttons to perform certain actions (known as "hero sequences") a poor design choice and "half-assed".

Itagaki-san was quoted as saying: "I've never played a good game where the developers put a big icon of the button you're supposed to press onscreen ... I look at Heavenly Sword and it seems really half-assed, because it's asking you to do all these button-timing sequences but you are not getting much payoff from it." We have to disagree with Itagaki-san. For some of the actions you perform, there wouldn't be a really good substitute outside of timed button sequences. It's mostly for style and we enjoy watching them. With that in mind, we think there's a lot of potential for payoff.

Kyle Shubel, producer at Ninja Theory, responded to Itagaki's statement. It's a battle of words! "My response to Mr. Itagaki would be that the intent of the Hero sequences is to empower the player to experience events that would be nearly impossible to play in a natural platforming state ... for example, making the player run down ropes, leaping from rope to rope as they're being cut from underneath you, all while dodging other objects - that would be a frustrating experience to 99 percent of our users if we were to force them to do that manually." We agree, and we'll leave it at that.

[via N4G]

Editor's Note: The following reflects the personal opinion of Nick, and does not necessarily reflect the views of PS3 Fanboy staff. PS3 Fanboy does factor price into consideration when reviewing games.

In a complete wrong move on EGM's part, 1UP reports that the reviewers over at the magazine have had little notes posted onto their Warhawk reviews stating, in some form or another, that the review "score should be dropped a whole point if the price was announced above $30." Sure, Sony hasn't officially announced a Warhawk price for the downloadable version and that's a little odd, but I've got problem with this bit of news.

An unannounced price shouldn't affect a game's review score by such a significant margin. It's tough to grasp what the point of dropping a review score is because of a game possibly being priced above the rumored price created by the media. Does it make you enjoy it less? Does it make the graphics worse? Does it hinder the framerate? It might dissuade people from buying the downloadable version if it were, say, $50, but if that's the case, the retail version is a great deal. If the downloadable version is $30, that's a budget title and a great deal.

It's a bit difficult to explain, which is exactly why the EGM staff are concerned about how to review the game. I'd like your take on the situation, in that case! Is there a difference between buying a game due to price and buying a game due to quality? Price does affect many people's willingness to buy, but should it necessarily affect the score given to a game by reviewers getting the game for little or no cost?

EGM's superspy extraordinaire, Quatermann, has revealed some interesting nuggets of information in the latest issue of the magazine. They all center around the PS3 and they're all exciting. Don't forget though, they are still rumours. Doesn't stop us hoping though.

It seems that our own Nick Doerr is a bit of a Nostradamus. Just this morning, he predicted an unannounced non-mobile phone sequel to the Parasite Eve series. Well if Quatermann is to be believed, the next proper Parasite Eve is already in development. He also insists that Sony and Epic Games are in talks and are working together to optimise the Unreal Engine 3 for use on the PS3. Oh, and there's a potential PS3 exclusive coming out of it.

Despite Metal Gear Solid 4 being pegged for a fiscal 2007 release, there's a chance that Hideo Kojima may also be working on another title right now. Quatermann insists that it is not Zone of the Enders 3. Finally, Sony are due to release a wiimote style remote before Christmas. Not a bad selection of rumours. We'd definitely be happy if Parasite Eve and an Epic Games exclusive come to pass. We'll keep our eyes out for any developments.

Don't worry, these aren't just surfacing from the intarweb or malicious websites. Coming from Electronic Gaming Monthly, there's a bit more credibility to them. However, a rumor is a rumor, so don't take anything to heart!

According to the publication, gamers could be seeing a PS3 installment of Ninja Gaiden Black. Should this prove true, it wouldn't be practical to hold out for a November release. However anything next-gen of the dangerous assassin would be well-received (but doubly so with an original title).

Another rumor surfacing talks about the possibility of seeing a massively multiplayer version of Burnout. Talk about some design mechanics! This would have a lot of potential with a big fan base backing it. So there you have it: rumors for the taking. If we get any followups, you'll know where to find them.

"Free" offers on the internet often come with annoying trials and lengthy cancellation procedures, but this one here's legit -- it's actually running from the subscription web site of the publisher of EGM, Ziff Davis Media.

You may have seen this offer for 12 free issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly on Joystiq or other game sites out there. Basically, what's happening is the Ziff Davis Game Group is running a subscription drive for the mag, sponsored by the World Cyber Games. Free subs are only on offer through today, however, so get a move on if you want a piece of the printed action.

Of course, EGM may be no OPM, but it's helpful for even the healthiest fanboy to get a balanced diet of multiplatform news and information on a regular basis. Also, please note that you're under no obligation to sign up for the World Cyber Games page which follows the EGM subscription one, so you can absolutely get your free mag without registering with the WCG.

[Via Joystiq]

According to 1UP, the May issue of EGM contains a rumor that Final Fantasy XIII will be showing up at next month's E3 for "a brief teaser video and confirmation from [Square Enix] that the RPG will be a PS3 exclusive." RPG fans, rejoice!

What's a little shocking is that FFXIII would be unveiled before FFXII is even released outside Japan, but "rumblings" have apparently also been picked up that "Final Fantasy XIII is practically close to being finished" already. With all the delays to XII, it's certainly more than possible that a second team working on XIII's already got something to show by now.

It wasn't exactly surprising that FFXIII would show up as a PS3 exclusive--despite certain misquotes to the contrary--but you know that a new Final Fantasy is just what the next PlayStation needs (judging by how previews of FFX elevated the PS2's platform profile). Hopefully this little tidbit isn't EGM's way of stretching its April Fools' coverage to another issue (and another month).

[Thanks, Spatlase Disexia]