Gamertell

I know that everyone and their dog seems to write a blog post about Zero Punctuation every week, but this is different. Yahtzee, the motor-mouthed misanthrope who hilariously reviews games every week on the escapist; has turned his sights to webcomics. In the video, he brutally dissects the tropes of the gaming webcomic (and the entire culture of game humor, really) while maintaining a sort of ironic stance.

Click through to watch the video…

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News broke this week that Resident Evil writer/director/producer extraordinaire Paul W.S. Anderson wouldn’t be opposed to making a fourth chapter in the film series. According to MTV’s Multiplayer blog, he’s been in talks with Sony about the possibility of making zombie magic happen yet again.

From the post:

“Right now, the hold up for Anderson is coming up with the right story. If that falls into place, another “Resident Evil” movie may be on the table.”

Just in case the film does get made, I have a few suggestions for the filmmakers…

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RPG fans rejoice - Square Enix has officially confirmed previously reported rumors that Chrono Trigger will be coming to the DS. Kotaku is reporting that game will arrive this holiday season and will make use of the touch screen controls. Additionally, there will be a brand new dungeon and wi-fi multiplayer battles.

From the press release:

“Originally released in 1995 on Super NES and shipping more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, CHRONO TRIGGER has been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time by critics and fans alike. With a unique and multifaceted storyline, the game revolutionized the world of RPGs with never-before-seen features, including an unprecedented soundtrack and multiple endings determined by side quests and the player’s actions.”

Not that anyone’s watching, but I’m doing a Robo-style victory dance right now. This just officially became the first game on my Christmas wish list. Who’s with me?

Read [Kotaku]

Earlier today, Kotaku posted a blurb about the possibility of beloved SNES RPG Chrono Trigger making its way to the DS. Now, both Joystiq and Kotaku are reporting on an official site from Square Enix that appears to be teasing the game. With the url square-enix.co.jp/ctds and the telling clock logo from the game, it’s looking good for CT fans.

Who’s excited to play one of the best role-playing games of all time on the go? It may be a wee bit early to celebrate (we’re still pending official confirmation), but I think we’ll be able to visit the millennial fair on road trips in the not-too-distant future.

Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Kotaku]

Just in time for the 4th of July holiday, Activision has announced that Guitar Hero 3 players can download the Top Gun Anthem song for free. No, it’s not Danger Zone, and it’s not Berlin’s epic Take My Breath Away, but it’s memorable, 80’s flavored and patriotic all the same. The free part certainly doesn’t hurt either.

From the press release:

“The instrumental, guitar-heavy theme was immortalized in the hit film that inspired a generation of young men to awkwardly serenade women at bars, perform perfectly-timed “flipside” high fives and threaten to “buzz the tower.”

Ah, Top Gun, a true bastion of nostalgia. The song can be downloaded via Xbox Live or the PlayStation network beginning July 3, 2008.

Read [Kotaku]

Remember the Klobb? You know, the crappiest, least accurate gun in GoldenEye 007? Well, it’s coming back in Too Human. According to a post at GameLife, the Klobb will be one of the hundreds of weapons and items in the game.

The original GoldenEye gun was named after Nintendo’s Ken Lobb, who’s now Creative Director of Microsoft Game Studios (and working alongside developer Silicone Knights on the current title), so it looks as if the dubious honor has carried over. Let’s hope that they beef up the Klobb’s stats for the new game - remember how hilariously awful it was on the N64? I have so many fond memories of Klobb-infested multiplayer matches from back in the day.

Read [GameLife]

It looks like Sony’s finally turned the tables on it’s shaky launch. According to a recent article at adage.com, the PlayStation 3 has topped unit sales of the Xbox 360 in January, February and May, and shows no signs of slowing down. Adage attributes the console’s health with the success of the Blu-Ray format and good buzz among consumers. From the post:

“Since the beginning of the year, PS3 has been riding a wave of good news,—including the triumph of its Blu-ray DVD technology, a critical mass of consumers, and a spate of upgraded reviews. But lately Sony itself has gotten more aggressive in helping the system gain traction with new services and features from across its vast electronics and content empire.”

Of course, the Wii has astronomical sales figures and the Xbox 360 had a year head start on Sony’s machine, so the console certainly has a hefty challenge to meet. Still, things have been looking good for Sony fans - and last month’s release of Metal Gear Solid 4 only sweetens the deal.

Read [adage]

Shocking no one - and exciting a few people - was today’s announcement that Rock Band 2 is on it’s way - and coming quite soon. Harmonix announced that the new game will arrive on the Xbox 360 this September (and other platforms later in the year), and will include a plethora of new songs, new online modes, and full compatibility with all previously downloaded Rock Band tracks.

The press release outlines some of the new features:

“Backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content. All previously purchased tracks will immediately load into your Rock Band 2 song list. No need to re-purchase or re-download.
The biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock’s most prolific acts, comprised entirely of master recordings.
Major new and dynamic online modes that will connect the entire Rock Band community in more ways than ever before both locally and globally.
More variety of instrument choices than ever before with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and innovative new designs - all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.”

I’m thrilled that they’re keeping the fans happy by making all the previous dlc compatible, but what about the basic Rock Band setlist - is that included as well? Either way, it’s cool that this is coming so soon - for the 360 at least. I’m willing to bet the other versions (perhaps even a Wii version?) will be available for the Christmas season madness.

Read [IGN]

DFC Intelligence, analysts who make predictions about the health of various markets, has predicted that next year, the gaming market could hit $57 billion in sales across consoles and PC’s. Joystiq reports that DFC has named the Wii the “driving force” of the growth, and predicts that the PS3 and Wii will be on par in terms of annual game sales by 2012 (the previous estimate had the PS3 in the lead).

From the post:

“Still, with the lion’s share of top selling titles for the Wii coming from Nintendo itself, fellow analyst Jeremy Miller adds that “for many third party publishers this means they will have much greater success on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, even if Wii sales continue to be strong.”

Wow - $57 billion - in the current economy? Prediction or not, it looks like this is the industry to be in, on all fronts. I continue to marvel at what was once literally a few guys tinkering in their garages, and now has the power to surpass the movie business.

Read [Joystiq]

We have two new games and some additional dlc for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as King this week on Nintendo’s downloadable services. On the WiiWare front, we have Magnetica Twist, a presumably addictive Zuma clone, and Neo-Geo classic Fatal Fury 2. All titles are available on the Wii Shop channel, with a fresh batch arriving every Monday at 9 AM Pacific time. Wii points can be purchased at a rate of $1 for 100 points. On the VC count, the new game brings the North American total to 233.

Nintendo’s descriptions:

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