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It would seem that Cryptic Studios and Marvel Comics have crossed sort of tension they had between them after the whole City of Heroes copyright infringement lawsuits. A strange twist indeed after you consider the speculations of people that the only reason Marvel was doing such a thing was to make City of Heroes look bad, before they launched their very own MMORPG.

It seems fairly evident that the game is still more of an idea than that of something definitive, it has been tentatively titled "Marvel Universe Online" and they hope the game will achieve more than the City of Heroes games could. The main focus of CoH being that the game is fun to play, the companies seem to be contemplating some sort of economy reminiscent to that of World of Warcraf for MUOt.

Slated for launch on the Xbox 360 and PC only, one has to wonder though, how different will this game be from the Heroes universe? Since the game IS going to be set in the Marvel universe, there will be more boundaries to their creativity, but at the same time there will be far more ideas to access from. But I suppose that means no generic, mindless Spider-man and Wolverine clones everywhere, since its likely the two will be NPCs. Or will that still have absolutely no bearing on anything at all? Nothing is set in stone at this point I believe, but personally I hope that if the game does go through, you can choose from the very start whether you want to be good or evil, or even better yet you have to somehow earn the title of good evil. Something along the lines of everyone starts off neutral, and then different reactions to events can help dictate your characters alignment.

Basically what i'm saying is something to the extent of, little old lady is in the street, semi truck is fast enclosing on her, if you don't do something she'll be hit. Push her down ++++++ evil, ignore +evil, help her +good.

Source: 1up

Through chat and the process of shoddily translating moonspeak, we've discovered some things about the game, and the rest we can leave ourselves to speculate about.

New confirmed espers: Gilgamesh and Leviathan.

Extra dungeon: Supposedly you'll navigate it with a three party setup similar to Kefka's tower.

Bestiary and Music player: Confirmed, but who didn't see that coming?

Enchanced Graphics: Confirmed, but again, who didn't see that coming.

Now this is just speculation, but, we think they've also indicated there will be a new element, but there's no actual statement of what it is. It's probable that the element is Water, to go with Leviathan, and it seems likely to me that Bismark will gain Water, Maduin will gain Water 2 or Watera, and Leviathan with teach Water, Water 2, and Water 3. As for Gilgamesh, I really can't even guess. There also seem to be indications of a Monster or Boss Rush mode.

So let's make like schoolgirls and gush and gush and gush about our favorite game.

Source: Jap Site

Lately Namco has been digging far into its latest Tales game, the very first handheld edition (of a nonspinoff) slated for a Nintendo DS launch, and has successfully managed to uncover some new "dirt" - details, that is. Granted there have been only two or three relevant blurbs in regards to new information since Namco's original announcement of the title back in December, but with its October 26th launch date inching toward Japan ever closer, and in a hurry, any news is good news.

The formerly divulged story of Tales of the Tempest begins with fifteen-year-old Caius and his childhood pal Rudia (previously known as "Lupia") setting out together on a perilous quest to locate Caius' biological parents after narrowly escaping a murderous attack on their hometown. The culprit, a monster with the unfortunate name of Spot, ravages the village of Alleula one day while in seach of a mysterious crystal. When the startling truth involving Caius' adoptive father - a respected man who's discovered to be a highly-feared werewolf - gets thrown into the mix, a chain of disasterous events unfolds.

Just like in past entries to Namco's flagship RPG, the battles in Tempest will be based upon a real-time system that relies on quick, action-packed single and unlockable combo attacks executed via a number of unique button combinations. Although the game's combat aspects are said to be greatly influenced by those of the GameCube's Tales of Symphonia, the enemy encounters in Tempest, like in the former Tales sagas, will remain entirely random.

No word has been given on whether or not Tempest will utilize the DS's Wi-Fi Connection for Internet play, but Namco has reported that the system's Wireless Play mode will present multiplayer missions for either two or up to four players to take on. In this mode, each player will gain experience, items and money as they level up, battle and destroy the many vicious creatures lying in wait. Money and items collected therein will then be graciously carried over to the main game.

For the time being, there continues to be no word on a domestic Tales of the Tempest release for North America or Europe.

Opening and gameplay screens demonstrating Wireless Play mode

Tales of the Tempest official Japanese site

The title pretty much explains it. Square-Enix announced a December 21st, 2006 release date for Seiken Densetsu 4: Dawn of Mana for the PS2 at the recent Tokyo Game Show. Dawn of Mana and its recent DS companion Children of Mana mark the first new entries to this legendary series since Legend of Mana for the PS1, released in 2000 (this is not counting Sword of Mana, which is a recent a remake of the first game in the series).

Of course, we don't know when Dawn of Mana will see an NTSC or European release. Final Fantasy XII is being released in the US seven months after its Japanese counterpart, but it took Square-Enix close to a year to release the English version Dragon Quest VIII after its Japanese predecessor. We can only wait and pray.

Source: RPGFan

It's true. According to CNN, Sony reduced the MSRP of the 20-gig PS3 (that's the lower-quality version) by 12,200 yen, or around $105. Sony is going to allow retailers to price the 60-gig version of the system themselves, using the MSRP of the 20-gig version as sort of a starting point.

However, as far as we know, this price drop applies only to Japan, whose original price of the 20-gig PS3 was approximately $515 (now it's closer to $410). There is no word on any price drops anywhere else in the world as of yet, however, and we can only hope that Sony will also make a similar announcement applying to the North American and European releases of the PS3.

By way of our lovely Scotsman, Del S (and not by way of his less lovely brother), enjoy a new collection of fanfics!

Today, we have a fanfiction update. And it's a rather large update when you look at it really... Ten fics from six people in three sections.

In Final Fantasy V, comes MogMaster's first of two offerings, "Battle on The Big Bridge." Following Galuf as he clashes with Gilgamesh, MG captures the personalities of both characters rather well: Gilgamesh is a complete moron.

In Final Fantasy VI, comes the vast majority of the update: Another from MogMaster, this time the grainy piece "The Roses of Death," following Siegfried and expanding his backstory as he fights through endless battles, on the field and in the mind. And if a serious and gritty long fic such as that isn't enough for you, Sherick's 23-part, 45000-word epic "Afterstorm: A Story of Honor," is the next offering. Set some time after the end of the game, the party reunites in the face of a new threat to the stability of the world. Both fics contain some violence, so be well warned if you're eating.

If, perhaps, all that might be a wee bit too hard hitting, there are two fairly light hearted and entertaining pieces from Bezdomny. The first, "Leisure," sees the party have some fun and games before getting on with saving the world. The second, "Words of Wisdom from Married Men," explores what it truly means to make one of the greatest commitments of all through the thoughts of the cast.

For a little look back into the in-game past comes L. Cully's latest offering. Of the usual high standard, "The Good Neighbours" follows a girl who should be familiar by the end as her life goes through continuing changes.

Next in the FF6 section comes onelowerlight's story, "The Final Battle," an intresting story capturing Kefka in all his arrogance and the party in all their courage. And last, but not least, comes Lothar Goldfist's first offering, "Reflections," a fic that explores ground dozens have dared to tread, but from which few find true success, and is in no way reliant upon that, providing an extremly stable and well written plot.

In Final Fantasy VII, comes a first for CoN: A crossover. Lothar Goldfist gives us another fic that knows where the landmines are, stepping around the booby traps of not explaining how it happens very well, or relying solely upon the crossover to move the plot forth, this fic uses the crossover as a foundation rather than an entire package to create an excellent piece of fiction.

And finally, an action packed fic, "A Warrior's Redemption" by Artlies. Following a legendary soldier of the Shinra army as he is given a questionable order too far, he refuses to follow the command, and makes his way home, leaving a trail of blood and carnage in his wake.

Read them, enjoy them, and comment here (or in the original threads!). And if you feel inspired, why not write and submit your own fanfiction work at the site submissions section of the forums?

As many of us are aware, Square-Enix last week announced a Final Fantasy XII-based spinoff aimed for the Nintendo DS; news of this separate side-story that's soon to be unleashed into the franchise of games that were once purely independant of one another has already left most fans either beaming with joyous anticipation or fliching in agony. With this weekend's Tokyo Game Show steadily approaching, Square-Enix has taken it as their cue to unload a bit more information regarding their latest duel screen RPG.

Known as Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, the game features a plot - one heavy on air pirates - that, according to developers, "does not tie with or take place before the stories of Final Fantasy XII..." The appearance of the characters Vaan and Penelo from the original title has already been confirmed; aside from being co-leads, the presentation and exploration of their relationship has been looked upon as an allegedly impossible aspect for inclusion in Final Fantasy XII, thereby warranting the exchange's involvement in an alternate game. If that wasn't enough, Japanese reports have implied that Revenant Wings is actually nothing more than just the beginning of the couples' adventure, indicating an even larger expansion to the so-called Final Fantasy XII series.

Much like the battle menus in the currently unreleased Final Fantasy III DS, Revenant Wings will make use of the handheld's touch screen capabilities by relying on the bottom screen for battle. Specifics on exactly what this entails have not been covered. With airship travel an obvious requirement, Square-Enix seems to have hatched a plan to stuff as many of the flying, boatlike vehicles as they possibly can into the tiny cartridges: Not only is any and every airship in Final Fantasy XII all but guaranteed to have its spot in Revenant Wings, but the game itself will feature its own personal throng of the crafts as well.

Motomu Toriyama, who's past (and present) work consists of Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy XIII, has taken the director's seat for Revenant Wings. The character designs, each of which possesses a slightly younger mien than those in Final Fantasy XII, are the creations of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance's Ryuma Itou, and the soundtrack will be constructed from music by composers Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics) and Kenichirou Fukui (Einhander and Front Mission 5). Finally, Revenant Wings is produced by Yasuhito Watanabe (Drakengard), Eisuke Yokoyama (Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King) and executive producer Akitoshi Kawazu (Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles).

Latest Scan

Sources:
Square Insider
GAF

What with the Tokyo Game Show only a few meager days away, it's no surprise that several new game titles, all ripe for media discussion, seem to be rolling out of the floodgates left and right as of late. Among them is yet another chapter in Square-Enix's long-running Mana series - having recently recovered from somewhat of a hiatus - for the Nintendo DS, entitled Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana.

Unlike the past installments of Kouichi Ishii's popular RPG franchise, Heroes of Mana is set to feature a battle system composed of the role-playing genre's traditional elements along with new real-time strategy. Placed in the shoes of a young Pedan Kingdom soldier named Roger, players will experience an implemented gameplay method similar to Square's own Bahamut Lagoon, including an airship that serves as a mobile base and monsters that can be summoned to assist the characters during battle.

No info concerning a launch date for Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana has come into sight, but this weekend's TGS may prove to provide us with many more in-depth details. Until then, North American gamers in particular can take solace in the fact that the October 30th release date for Children of Mana - and its more classical gameplay - is not too far off.

In the meantime, why not pop on over to GamesAreFun.com and check out some juicy new scans á la Seiken Densetsu 4: Dawn of Mana, the RPG Square-Enix has allegedly declared to be the developer's last major game for the PlayStation 2.

Source: EuroGamer

Nintendo has finally released a firm launch date and North American price for its upcoming console, the Wii. Those of us in the United States or Canada can look forward to doling out $249.99 (USD) on November 19 and walking away with quite a package.

The console will ship with one Wii remote, the nunchuck attachment to the remote, a console stand, and a sensor bar with stand, along with the necessary cords and cables. This package will also include a Wii Sports sampler to show off the usage of the new controller.

Information regarding the Virtual Console has also been released. 30 classic titles from other systems will be available for purchase by the end of the year, and games will cost between $5 and $10 each.

New Wii games published by Nintendo will retail at $49.99.

All in all, this sounds like a great package. Nintendo really seems set to take the market by storm.

Source: IGN via Elessar (maybe he should just be a newsposter)

A brand new display dubbed "Television Game Museum", courtesy of Tokyo Game Show producer CESA, has been designed for this year's event. The exhibition will outline all the major steps taken throughout the history of console gaming, beginning with Nintendo's Famicom (or the Nintendo Entertainment System, as it's known in the Western world) and leading up to the current generation of game systems.

Sadly, in a neglectful yet not too surprising manner, all pre-NES consoles - to name just a few, the Magnavox Odyessy, the revolutionary Atari 2600, and even Nintendo's very own obscure Color TV console series, all circa 1970's - appear to be completely left out.

This "museum" goes one more step further: Within each credited video game year will be a small assortment of notorious titles set alongside their corresponding console. Young gamers will be able to experience the fun via the "Retro Gaming Corner", an exhibit dedicated to educating the younger crowd about ye olde gaming days while also allowing the seasoned veterans an almost virtual trip back in time to bask in a more nostalgic era.

The "Television Game Museum" display is cosponsored by Nintendo, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment, and by Microsoft. The Tokyo Game Show will begin September 22nd and go on through the 24th.

Source: GameSpot

Play! A Video Game Symphony, the established, aptly named game-based concert series which made its live debut this past April, will continue its world tour as scheduled by stopping off in Toronto at the end of the month, marking the tour's first visit to Canada. The concert will be held at the Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, the 30th of September at 8:00 PM.

"The Canadian debut of the Play! concert series is highly anticipated in Toronto by video game fans and serious symphony-goers alike. The Hummingbird Centre, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, is the perfect venue to host this concert series which pulses to the beat of modern life," stated the show's producer, Jason Michael Paul, the head of JMP Productions. As the individual most accountable for conceiving the two American concert tours inspired by Final Fantasy, the Dear Friends and the extended More Friends series, he has certainly transfered into sight to fans of music and RPGs.

Play! A Video Game Symphony shall produce about two hours worth of musical pieces from a wide variety of today's (and some of yesterday's) most popular video game titles that span several genres: Anything from Super Mario Bros. to The Legend of Zelda; across Sonic the Hedgehog and beyond World of Warcraft; through Halo and back to Final Fantasy. As each performance trails on, detailed in-game scenes and other relevant visuals highlight the massive projection screens as the themes play on.

"Many of today's most thrilling musical scores are being produced by composers working in the video game genre," Arnie Roth, a highly acclaimed conductor, says. "This spectacular concert series speaks to the artistic sophistication of this form of entertainment. It sends a clear message that video game culture has crossed into the mainstream and is capable of attracting the attention - not only of gamers - but of aficionados of orchestral music."

Check out Ticketmaster for regular and VIP tickets; both are still available at the present moment. Although it's priced at a rather hefty sum, VIP access grants fans the fortuity to personally meet Jeremy Soule, Arnie Roth, Nobou Uematsu, and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.

Source: GameDaily

It's probably old news for a lot of you by now, but if you want a PS3 anytime soon you're probably in a world of hurt. And yes, that goes for everyone, everywhere reading this. If you're an American, you're going to be fighting everyone else for only four hundred thousand launch consoles on 17 November. If you're Japanese, then, MAWAII - but you're going to be diving into a pool that only has one hundred thousand on their 11 November launch.

If you're anywhere else, I am sincerely sorry. You're not getting anything at all until March 2007, and there's no word yet whether Sony will be able to catch up with their projected two million units shipped by that time. Obviously the odds aren't looking that great, but you never know.

Wonder why this is the case? You'll be shocked. Sony's having problems with Blu-Ray production! Factory production issues are slowing the production of working drives for the units, and it seems that shipping of the console can't really ramp up until the lone optical media device on the box actually works.

Microsoft, of course, finds this hilarious - Neil Thompson, head of the Xbox group in the UK, had this to say: "We know how challenging it is to pull off a global launch, so it's not surprising that Sony has backed away from their previously announced launch plan, due to the unproven technology they are trying to pack in to their console." Someone might want to let Neil know that it's not as if his parent company has ever launched anything but Xbox on time, though, don't you think?

Sources: HEXUS.gaming

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