*UPDATE* E307 is still on. It’s Just no Longer a Mega show.

The internet stood shocked and silent today. Could it be? Has E3 gone the way of Frame City Killer? I don’t see pigs flying, and Oblivion still has the whole fire and brimstone thing going on. Here’s what happened.

Today NextGeneration.biz posted a story stating that E3 has been cancelled for 07 and beyond. It can be read here:

E3 is Dead
(UPDATE!): Read here:

E3 is Dead, Long live E3Expo

E3Expo? The “Electronic Entertainment Expo Expo?” E4?
KLind

Interview: Eric Nylund

In the beginning of July I posted that I would be interviewing Eric Nylund (author of the Halo books, among other novels), and I asked you all to come up with some questions you wanted me to include. I got 24 emails, most of which were either “j00 5ee H4L0 3?”, or were so very technical that I didn’t include them. I want to thank everyone who sent questions in though.

Thanks: Greg Mathewson, PT2401, Ericpate, Angus Cook, Drew Casale, Nfannin1, Marcus Freeman, Daven, Graham Kotalik, Thomas Lachowsky, Wade Small, Billh23, Brian, Lance Unrau, Plasmoe, AdatsB05, Bryce Scott-Jones, Matthew Schindler, Opog, Tad Bozdech, Zloty5, and Corey O. for all your questions!

Now, to the interview.
KLind : What do you think of the Halo Graphic Novel? Especially since they changed some of the scenes that you wrote about (such as Johnson). (Question from Nick)

Eric Nylund: Are scenes really changed? When he’s rescued in FIRST STRIKE, Johnson told to The Master Chief that the Flood didn’t like the taste of him…. He didn’t say they didn’t try to mangle, blast, and otherwise end his life. Given all the very close contact Johnson had with the Flood in the HGN, the plot point about him having some immunity to Flood infection is still valid. Of course, Bunige is the final arbiter on Johnson’s unique medical condition – this is only my biased opinion.

KL: How have the events of Halo 2 affected your perspective on the portion of the universe you created? (Question from Marcus Freeman)

EN: I think the small portion I have created is part of a much larger picture; several galactic-wide events are crossing, converging, and all coming to a boil. Just wait and see….

KL: Do you think that the Halo Novels should be considered part of the story arc, even though there are minor differences (such as the fact your Spartans never made it into the game)? (Question from Tad Bozdech)

EN: They’re not part of the story arc? First I’ve heard of this. Bungie DOES consider the books to be canon and part of their universe. In my opinion, everything fits. Bungie did take elements from FALL OF REACH (orbital gun platforms for example) and integrate it into the game so they are aware and appreciate the content in the novels…but given the narrow slice of story they can tell in a video game, they rightly kept the focus on the Master Chief and the events immediately surrounding him. As for the fate of the other Spartans…you’ll have to wait and see.

KL: When writing novels based in a world that is already so complex with all of the different plots, and characters, how much freedom does Bungie give you to work outside of the games? Do you have to stick rigidly to the “truth” of the Halo Bible, or do simply use aspects of the Halo Bible and carve your own story within the universe? (Question from Corey O.)

EN: Yes, I stick to the established story bible, but I’ve never been told I couldn’t come up with my own ideas (and there are plenty in the latest novel!). Bungie gives me a lot of freedom. The biggest constraint I had was the increasingly complicated, convoluted and accelerating timeline. So much is happening so fast, in so many places, and with so many characters–writing this last novel has been like trying to thread a needle using a sledge hammer. Fortunately Frank O’Connor, Joe Staten, Rob McLees, and Brian Jarrard were always there with help, answers, and suggestions.

KL: What can you tell us about the next Halo Novel? It had been rumored to be called “Ghosts of Coral”, but does this still stand? And will it lead up to Halo 3?(Sorry I have to try!)
EN: The title is “Black-hole Bananas” and Frank O’Connor is providing line art for every chapter. The story is about a humble janitor on a rebel cargo ship hauling bananas to relieve the famine of Janus-12. There’s a cute android kid and his robotic dog, a lovable cantankerous rum-swilling captain…and a deadly rouge black hole. Come on. I’m bound by several NDAs. Title, content, release date – that’s all up to Bungie and TOR to announce.

(This is a joke, btw, for those of you thinking otherwise)

KL: To shift “Gears” a bit (sorry for the pun), from what we know about Gears of War it seems to be a very cinematic game. What are some of the challenges that faced you when writing for a game, compared to writing a novel?

EN: There’s this chicken-and-egg problem in a story-driven game: which comes first, story development or level design? If it’s story first, then level design has to adapt and the moment-to-moment gameplay might suffer. If the level design comes first, then the story has to adapt, and your narrative ends up less than perfectly compelling.

Epic has really made Herculean efforts to do _both_ story and level design well. There has been a lot of back and forth between these two design parameters to make both great.

KL: How were you approached about writing for Gears of War, and how early in the process did that take place?

EN: I work at Microsoft Game Studios as a writer, and started working with Epic’s lead Designer, Cliff Bleszinski, about two years ago shaping his ideas into a compelling game narrative.

KL: You mention a new game coming from Microsoft that will take ‘all the best parts of our favorite games, and smash them together at light speed with our favorite movies and books.’. That’s a big claim, and many gaming blogs have posted it, creating a frenzy of speculation. Can you confirm that it is heading to the Xbox 360, and possibly Vista? And will it support interaction with Xbox Live?

EN: Hmmm. Frenzy of Speculation. One thinks of sharks and their mindless meat-tearing ferocity.

All I said was that I’m working on something really cool. I stand by that statement–but it’s about as revealing as saying (hushed whisper) that Microsoft is developing –shhhh…software.

And I stand by that lack of any potentially job-terminating leak of information, too.

To stop rampant speculation, however, my comment was NOT HALO/Bungie related. I do not work with Bungie on any video games. Anything I say about what I am working on has no relation with them or any possible games they are working on now or in the future.

KL: Is it easier writing in a pre-existing universe compared to creating your own? And what are some of the benefits from both angles?

EN: Working in the Halo universe is like coming back to visit old friends. Writing about the UNSC’s galaxy-spanning conflict–it’s all set up for me, like slipping into custom-fit battle armor. The challenge comes in creating new content, because it has to mesh with everything else Bungie has done/is doing/and plans to do with the IP. Writing my own original works I obviously don’t have this problem, but I do have to spend months or years dreaming up interesting people, places, and things in that novel’s universe. Both are hard work. Both are fun.

KL:We have heard many Microsoft spokespeople talk about how much the company supports Nintendo’s new console, the Wii. I was just wondering what you, an actual employee, has to say on the matter. Also do you think that the unique controller will be able to provide a more immersive way to tell stories?

EN: My schedule didn’t allow me to get to e3 this year, so I actually haven’t got my hands on the Wii controller yet. Until I experience it for myself, I’d like to refrain from comment.

KL: Finally, do you plan on writing a new novel (not dealing with Video Games) anytime soon?

EN:Yes, a new original Nylund novel, MORTAL COILS, is in the works and under contract.

Thank’s very much to Eric Nylund for the interview! And if your question didn’t get asked, you should swing by www.ericnylund.net , where you can contact him for yourself. Actually you should go there regardless!
KLind

Nintendo Fusion Tour Press Release

July 28, 2006

The Nintendo Fusion Tour promises to be one of the hottest tickets of the year. The cross-country tour, produced by Live Nation, will be headlined by Hawthorne Heights and will include up-and-comers like Relient K, Emery, Plain White T’s and The Sleeping. In addition, each location will showcase the best new and upcoming Nintendo games, including a sneak peek at Nintendo’s amazing Wii console.

The tour schedule is below. Information is subject to change. For the most up-to-date information about the Nintendo Fusion Tour, log onto nintendofusiontour.com.

Sept. 27 Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 28 Indianapolis
Sept. 29 Detroit
Sept. 30 Cleveland
Oct. 1 Covington, Ky.
Oct. 4 Philadelphia
Oct. 5 Worcester, Mass.
Oct. 7 Pittsburgh
Oct. 8 New York
Oct. 9 Norfolk, Va.
Oct. 10 Winston-Salem, N.C.
Oct. 11 Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Oct. 12 Orlando, Fla.
Oct. 13 Atlanta
Oct. 14 Jacksonville, Fla.
Oct. 15 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Oct. 17 Jonesboro, Ark.
Oct. 18 New Orleans
Oct. 19 Houston
Oct. 20 Dallas
Oct. 22 Phoenix
Oct. 24 Anaheim, Calif.
Oct. 25 Los Angeles
Oct. 26 San Francisco
Oct. 27 San Diego
Oct. 28 Las Vegas
Nov. 2 Spokane, Wash.
Nov. 4 Denver
Nov. 5 Kansas City, Mo.
Nov. 6 St. Paul, Minn.
Nov. 7 St. Louis
Nov. 8 Milwaukee
Nov. 9 Des Moines, Iowa
Nov. 10 Champaign, Ill.
Nov. 11 Chicago

News of the Day! Fusion Frenzy 2, Gears of War Viral Marketing, and Tales from the FUTURE!!1

A truck load of interesting news showed up on the good ol’ internets today. I am here to grant your wish, and post it all for you to see! Long live Jambi.

Announced: Fusion Frenzy 2! Joystiq say: “Microsoft has officially announced the holiday arrival of Fuzion Frenzy 2 for the Xbox 360. Interestingly enough, this one’s actually being developed by Hudson, a subsidiary of Konami (the first game was done by Blitz). Aside from oh-so-creatively shifting the 40 mini-games into space and across multiple planets, the new developer has seen fit to add full online functionality, allowing players to create custom tournaments and build up a rank that gives them some authority in picking which mini-games to play next. It isn’t specifically mentioned, but you can probably count on purchasing and downloading extra activities months after you’ve grown tired of the original selection.”

I know my friends love this game, but have never played it. My friends don’t like me enough to let me. It’s that good.

Viral’d or Spam Whak’d?: For all you guys with 360’s and a Live Gold account,an Xbox Live user named MFenix (Marcus Fenix is the main character in Gears) is messaging users with the following:

We need your help. Can’t talk now. Don’t know who to trust. Will send more tomorrow.

Then followed up with:

Thank you for your help. Don’t trust messages from anyone but myself and Dom. He’s using the covert name of LocustHordeH8r. They are everywhere, and even classified information sent here could be compromised. We’re working on a code. More tomorrow.

Is this viral marketing, or spam? I dunno, but it’s not as rude as other spam I’ve gotten. I once had an Irish man rap about how I should feel when getting married. Classy.

In the year 2000! Someone has a time machine, and used it to punk Nintendo Power. Just check this out (from GoNintendo):

Eerie…He should get a free Wii
That’s all for today. Read the Steve Downes interview below!

KLind

Interview: Master Chief! (Steve Downes)

It probably wasn’t the Halo related interview you were expecting(the Eric Nylund interview should be posted next week), but anyway, I asked Steve Downes (voice of Master Chief) some questions and am here to give you the answers! Thank’s Mr. Downes for the interview!

1) How were you first approached about doing voice work for Halo?
I had done some voice work for Marty O”Donell prior to HALO & he liked my work and asked if I’d be interested in voicing The Chief.

2) Do you keep up with the universe of Halo? Have you read the novels?
I check in with the universe, from time to time, but I have not read the HALO novels.

3) Do you think after Halo 3, you will continue to provide your voice to different games? Or would you rather take a break?
Voicing for video games is like no other voice work. It’s very intense for a short period of time, and then there’s long stretches where you’re not involved with the character at all. It’s good that way. When it comes time for HALO 3, I’ll be chompin at the bit to bring the Chief back to life.

4) Do you play video games in your free time? Not necessarily Halo.
Not really.

5) Have you seen the Halo 3 script? And do you know when you’ll record your dialogue?
I have not seen any script yet, and usuallly don’t until it’s almost time to record.

Not much in the way of new info, but I thought you guys would like to see it!

KLind

By Grapthar’s Hammer…What a Savings.

Circuit City has been having this sale where certain games were priced down to 8.99! I happened to have a 25 dollar gift card to Circuit City, and I decided to raid the leftovers of the sale. I saw some GBA games (crap), and some Xbox, and PS2 games (more crap). But then an employee noticed that I was sifting through the crap, and offered that they had a few more that were this price. What he showed me suprised me. Here’s what I collected from my journey:

(PS2) Sony Jampack Volume 14: 5 bucks (because of the Okami Demo)

(PS2) SSX On Tour: 9 bucks (It was either that or Driver Parallel Lines)

(PS2) Eyetoy: Play(includes Eyetoy!!!!!!): 9 Bucks!

I call that a successful raid. It was worthy of a Galaxy Quest quote.

Now to play some games on my NEW TV!! Another fine Friday!

KLind

News from Comic Con

Comic Con 06 is upon us, and we’re getting some gaming news from the show.

1) Capcom Hoardes Phoenix Wright. This is the story that had me pounding on my keyboard at 12 last night. A guy that got to go to the preview night had this to say: “The only other thing worth of Nintendo News is Capcom had Pheonix Wright with the Free Phoenix Wright Stylus with Purchase thing going on. The game is retailed at the Comic Con for $30.”

Huh? What is that? Capcom magically has tons of copies of a game I had to track down to Hawaii to get? Hm. Wait…OBJECTION! I accuse thee of hoarding! What? You don’t care? Oh. Okay!

2) Check out the voice actors for the new Spyro Game:

I’ll update this as more happens. But until then, here’s the new Nintendo Power cover:

KLind

Nintendo does Rock and Roll. KLind play’s Wii!

Nintendo makes plenty of games that feature elves, plumbers, and little pink balls that suck things. But once a year they drop the happy colors, and smiles to do something uncalled for. Something musical. Something I never can get tickets to.

The Nintendo Fusion Tour is known for fusing Music and Gaming together to make a concert everyone will like. It is infamous for having hot games from E3 playable before they ship. Last year they had Zelda Twilight Princess for the Cube. The year before they had RE4. This year we have Wii!!

My friend Everly went to the show last year (with artists like Motion City Soundtrack and Fall Out Boy ) but because I waited 1 day to get tickets, they were sold out. Everyone in Ohio went just so they could see Fall Out Boy, not to play games. Everly only played Pac Man on a GBA. This year the artist list was just announced and it looks like everyone should get tickets early.

Some artists include: Relient K (I’ve seen them, hm…7 times.), Emery, Hawthorne Heights, and Plain White T’s. I can miss the Relient Ks preformance, same goes for HH, and Plain White T’s. Emery I want to see 1 song. That gives me the whole time to play Wii!

It’s not known what games will be playable, or when it will happen, but i’ll keep you posted.

KLind

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Justice For All 1up.com Interview

I like that long title. Anyway here’s the interview:

1UP: Looking back on the first game, did you notice any differences between how U.S. players responded to the game and how Japanese players responded to it?

MM: Enthusiastic fans are really enjoying the game in Japan and the USA alike. There have been many people who play the game and tell their friends how fun it is. This sort of word-of-mouth buzz is the same in Japan and America.

1UP: What were the most common reaction comments you heard from U.S. players?

MM: The feedback we received the most was that they want to play more Phoenix Wright and see what happens to the characters. I really appreciate all the comments. That’s one of the main reasons we started work on “Justice For All.”

1UP: Is there anything you are doing as a result of U.S. player reactions to the first game to shape Justice For All?MM: We are creating a touch panel system so that players can enjoy the new Psycho Lock gameplay system. We also got great feedback about the quality of the English localization, so we are working to maintain that quality and make it even better this time around.

1UP: Feature-wise, how will Justice For All (U.S. version) compare with Gyakuten Saiban 2 (Japanese version)? The first Phoenix Wright featured a bonus chapter that wasn’t in the original Japanese version; are there plans for similar bonus content in Justice For All?

MM: We are working to complete this game as soon as possible for those fans that can’t wait to get their hands on the next installment. There is no added content, but it has about the same amount of gameplay volume as the first installment, not to mention all the plot twists and surprises fans have come to expect.

1UP: Recently the latest game, Gyakuten Saiban 4, was revealed in the Japanese press after a long period of teasing. Did Phoenix Wright’s surprise popularity in America affect how you approached the fourth game, perhaps in terms of cultural references or humor?

MM: We are trying to make a neutral and friendly game that is suitable and enjoyable all over the world, not just in Japan where the game was created. I think the humor in the game all depends on the skill of the translators. For example, right now our team is having fun trying to figure out what to call “Odoroki-kun” in English. Localization is a long process for a game like this, but I am confident it will be worth the wait.

1UP: On average, how many people work on a Phoenix Wright game? Has the staff increased or decreased for “Justice for All?”

MM: Our team has about 20 staff members, which is about the same as for the first game. Right now a large portion of the staff is working on the localization of the game. Everybody’s working extremely hard to make this a great game that even the most critical fans can enjoy.

1UP: The series plays like other similarly styled Japanese detective adventure games. What other games or media were the main influences for the Phoenix Wright series?

MM: Some of the team members like the Perry Mason series and Ellery Queen. Also, they like the character Father J. Brown so you can feel this reflected in the spirit of the games.

1UP: One of the charming things about the series is that while the “good guys” look a little funny (Phoenix’s hair or Maya’s traditional garb), the bad guys look even funnier. Is this an intentional approach?

MM: The characters were created during the passionate brainstorming creative process between the director and the initial illustrators we had. Although there are some distinctly Japanese traits about the characters, I am extremely happy the character design has been well accepted by Western audiences too.

1UP: Detective shows on TV run forever and always seem to have a new little twist on a story that’s otherwise unoriginal. Meanwhile, the stories in Phoenix Wright games are always different from the last. Can you describe how the team dreams up a story concept and reaches a final script?

MM: Whether it is script writing, directing the on-screen action, or producing the title, the director, Mr. Takumi, is a perfectionist that demands excellence in all aspects of the game, and I think it shows. His favorite genre is mystery and suspense, and he has gone through a painstaking trial-and-error process to get such a polished and seamless product. So you’d have to dissect his brain to see what really goes on [laughs]. But I think one key is the dialog tempo, as set by the director. The pacing of the game is very good.

1UP: Translation-wise, is there anything in particular you are focusing on with this version of the game?MM: The most important thing is having an understanding of the culture the game is being localized for. Every day I try my best to make sure I respect the other cultures as we work to fuse those cultural sensibilities with the world of Phoenix Wright.

1UP: If you were to remake the entire series from scratch specifically for a U.S. audience, what might you do differently?

[Matsukawa declined to answer this question.]

1UP: The Phoenix Wright series was clearly made to take advantage of handheld gaming with its stop-and-go save features and the fact it’s an adventure game. There was a PC port of the first game in Japan, but has the urge ever come up to do a “super” Phoenix Wright game for home consoles?

MM: I think you can enjoy this game because this is handheld. Being able to pick it up and play it anywhere is what makes the game what it is, rather than plopping down on a couch in front of the TV and playing.

1UP: Finally, do you think the series would be a good fit for an episodic game down the line, where new cases could be released individually as downloads?

MM: I am glad to hear your thoughts on the series. Our team is constantly in a trial-and-error process to make each game the best it can be. There is no plan for download play, but we will plan to put more effort in the release of the “Ace Attorney” series in the USA in the future. Stay tuned.

In other Phoenix Wright news: if you’re lucky enough to be attending Comic Con in San Diego, you can go hands on with Justice For All as well as be able to purchase the famous Phoenix Wright Finger stylus. Cool! Maybe we’ll learn more about the new features!

PWAAJFA is due out Q1 2007.

Interview conducted by Ray Barnholt, and Matt Leone.

KLind

Games get Dated

We have game release dates!
Hotel Dusk Room 215 has been dated for November 24…in Europe. But if it comes out there before the US, I’m importing.

The DS Web Browser will hit Europe on October 6. Again, if it hits there first, then we can import because of the language.

Now we have a bit of a Rumor, but a good one though. It was a placeholder date on XBOX.com! But either way, for a brief time, Gears of War was listed at October 2. Whether this proves to be false or not, it is interesting.

KLind