Interscription

I’m going to start off by grabbing a few snippets of text that I’ve run into on the Internet over the past couple of days, and hopefully pull it together into an editorial of sorts.

The thesis of this editorial is probably best written by this commenter from a recent article on Ars Technica regarding the new Microsoft-authored deal with Warner Music to distribute premium (read: you want me to pay for this?) music videos over Xbox Live Marketplace. His name is Aedile, and this is what he had to say in response:

• Read more: YOU’VE GOT TO PULL IT TOGETHER MAN!

Hello all. Criterion Games has announced that their again delayed 360-flavored Burnout update (this one’s named Cagney) is FINALLY hitting Xbox Live on Monday, August 4th (no trouble getting that PS3 patch out, huh guys…):

Cagney Pack Dated

We’re delighted to be able to finally announce a date for the Xbox 360 release of our long-awaited software update - codenamed Cagney.

The update will be available on Monday 4th August.

• Read more: Bleeding Blu

So, Khidr and I just finished completing the single player campaign in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 cooperatively.  We’ve touched on it before in previous posts, but co-op is an extremely important part of why I love multiplayer gaming, and weighs in fairly heavily when considering whether a game should be rented, bought, or passed-over completely.  (Too Human broke our heart by not following Ozymandias’ Co-op Bil of Rights‘ first tenant: All co-op games should allow players to play cooperatively through the rich, single-player experience. Doing so through suspension of disbelief (ie, when cinematics refer to only a single player) is ok, though not ideal.  Jerks.)

• Read more: Rainbow Six Vegas 2 Review (Freeform)

I remember my stepbrother and I pooling our money and buying a Dreamcast (before the appearance and eventual dominance of the PS2).  For us, it was a great purchase, since we were dropping $5 each a couple of times a week on Soul Calibur in the arcade.  The other title we picked up with the system was the Sonic Adventure launch title.  I distinctly remember the opening level, especially the pier-smashing killer whale and insane THREE-DEE loop-the-loops!  Since that time, no other Sonic game has really captured that sense of whimsy and fun that the original had.  It would seem, though, that the new Sonic Unleashed title is a return to form.  Judge for yourself:

• Read more: A return to fun, it would seem…

Ozymandias wrote an interesting article awhile back regarding co-op and how it should (and should not) be implemented in this age of connected experiences.  Recently, 1UP interviewed him and explored this idea further.  Check out the interview for a more rounded explaination.

As my friends and family will tell you, I was HUGELY excited for Gearbox’s Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway.  I consistently wore them out with a particularly cool video, which showcased some incredible physics and camerawork (it is the first of a series of three below).  As you will see in the three videos below (arranged in saddening chronologically developer-released order), there’s less and less reason to be excited about this one.

• Read more: So…uh…what happened?

One of the reasons I support Microsoft’s efforts in the gaming space is because of some really bold steps they took over five years ago in regards to Xbox Live.  This podcast (featuring one of my favorite Microsoft folks Scott Henson) throws around a really well-placed term: “heavy lifting”.  Essentially, Microsoft decided a long time ago to take things like matchmaking, friends lists, and voice communication off the hands of developers and integrate them into the development platform (now known as XNA).  This means that those items (and any that are folded in over time) will work consistently across different titles.  The flipside of this is that those features need to have flexibility at the API level or creativity will be stifled (there hasn’t been much report of this happening, as many developers have commented on Microsoft’s willingness to adapt the Live platform over time, but it is certainly worth mentioning).

• Read more: So viral it hurts!

Well, it might have (and hopefully will have) taken them four years to get it together, but this…looks…wonderful…

• Read more: PS3 in February?

…but a snobby developer that pays attention to the quality of their product can’t be ignored in this day and age of waiting for a Mass Effect title update that probably won’t come.

For those of you that aren’t aware, Criterion pushed out their Bogart update this past Friday (at about 4PM EST).  As you’ll see below, they aren’t in the business of letting their game be anything less than a quality experience…

• Read more: I wanted to hate Burnout…

The news is popping all of the internet, the redesigned Playstation store launches April 15th!  W00t, ladies and gentlemen.  This has been a long time coming, and has some great features such as integrated preview screenshots/videos of content, and in-line icons that show already-purchased and soon-to-be-purchased items.  And best of all, it looks FAST!  *fingers crossed*

• Read more: Playstation Store Redesign, April 15th!