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GDC 10: Is this PlayStation Move's answer to Wii Bowling?
posted on 2010-03-11 13:05:44

GDC 10: Is this PlayStation Move's answer to Wii Bowling? screenshot

Considering that there are some people that bought a Wii just to play the bowling game bundled with Wii Sports, it's simply out of the question for Sony to launch PlayStation Move without its own take on the sport. While Sony doesn't have anything prepped as far as we know, developer FarSight Studios has its own game, Brunswick Bowling, in the works.

Unsurprisingly, the game is exactly what you'd expect, with the basic mechanics not dissimilar from "Wii Bowling." A notable difference is that the Move lacks any sort of direction pad, unlike the Wii Remote. Because of this, shifting your bowler left and right, as well as changing the angle of your shot, is all done with basic controller tilts. Point the controller upwards while holding the Move's middle button, and tilt left and right to shift placement of your bowler; point downwards and do the same to change the angle.

Once you're set to bowl, pulling the trigger (called the "T" button) preps the bowler. Next, you simply pull back on the controller and swing forward, releasing the trigger to send the ball down the lane. In the build FarSight was showing off, the moving of the bowler on the screen and your movements wasn't one to one; instead, you had to match the movements of the on-screen bowler, which was a bit awkward. FarSight says that when the game launches, this one-to-one movement will be in place, however. On the plus side, I found it easy to put spin on the ball with a slight flick of my wrist; it definitely felt as much (if not more) responsive than the bowling in Wii Sports Resort.

Brunswick Bowling may not be the "Wii Bowling" killer some would want it to be, especially due to the fact that it's a full retail title, and not a pack-in with the controller itself. Its realistic, HD visuals also don't seem to have the same charm as those of Wii Sports, either. Still, with a little polish, the game could be a solid experience for PS3 owners with "Wii Bowling Envy."

Brunswick Bowling is set to ship this fall alongside the release of PlayStation Move.

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GDC 10: Magicka in moving pictures
posted on 2010-03-11 10:05:44

It’s not hard to describe what Arrow Head Games downloadable magic-spewing action title Magicka is all about: it’s an isometric hack-and-slash fest minus the swords and the RPG elements. Giving you the perfect picture of what the chaotic game looks like in motion, on the other hand, is something altogether different. I thought this embedded debut trailer might help in that respect.

My understanding is that Sweden-based Arrow Head has taken Magicka on several European press rounds, so the above might be “ancient” by Internet standards. Please excuse us and make doubly sure to scream “OLD!” in the comments because people simply must know just how much time you put into the Internet each afternoon.

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GDC 10: Green Day: Rock Band details, release date
posted on 2010-03-11 10:05:43

GDC 10: Green Day: Rock Band details, release date screenshot

Harmonix and MTV Games have taken the week of GDC to premiere and drop some of the final details on the upcoming Green Day: Rock Band, which is set to his shelves on June 8.

From the looks of things, Green Day is getting a similar treatment to The Beatles, with a game that includes many of the same features. Three part harmonies have made the cut, and players can unlock 100 collectibles images and 40 minutes of rare video and performances as they work through Green Day's 20-plus-year career.

The game will ship with 47 tracks (fully exportable for Xbox 360 and PS3 for a small fee). At a party last night where the game itself was premiered, five of game's songs were revealed: "Brain Stew/Jaded," "Hitchin' A Ride," "American Idiot," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." I'll admit that I'd be more excited about Naked City's Torture Garden: Rock Band, but it was surprising how many of these songs I knew note for note. It didn't take much to get an entire room full of people tapping and singing along, which is a good indicator that the songs are a great fit for this style of game.

Green Day: Rock Band will be available in a few flavors. Standalone disc games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii were a given. But a Green Day: Rock Band Plus will also be made available for Xbox 360 and PS3, and includes special packaging (shown in our gallery), free of charge song export, and six Green Day tracks via DLC.

June should be a good month for Green Day fans; everyone else can continue to whine about how Green Day is getting a game, and patiently wait for more news on Rock Band 3.