Kotaku – “Rockstar’s leaders have told employees that they hope to mitigate crunch on the next big project by improving their technology pipelines and planning out more of the game’s beats in advance…One plan that management has laid out for the next game, a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, is to start out with a moderately sized release (which, by Rockstar’s standards, would still be a large game) that is then expanded with regular updates over time, which may help mitigate stress and crunch.
But there’s a catch: Rockstar’s next big project is still early in development.“
As we all look for anything to distract us from the endless days and nights spent at home, a new Grand Theft Auto game wouldn’t hurt. Especially when you consider the last one came out in 2013 as the PS4 was just hitting shelves. The above Kotaku article is a great look into the dysfunction that was rampant at Rockstar including mental hours for everyone working on these games. So the company underwent a huge cultural change, including lightening up the workload for employees. Good for them, not so much for us man boys. Apparently the next Grand Theft Auto is only in the “early stages of development.” Even worse, Rockstar is allegedly considering first coming out with “a moderately sized release” for GTA VI and then adding to it over time. Well I hope they are selling the game for a “moderately sized price” too then. Theres nothing worse in video games than micro transactions and for better or worse Rockstar has written the goddamn book on them with GTA Online. So this doesn’t sound all that farfetched unfortunately.
I’ve read about the horror stories of crunch to get these massive games done and the burnout from developers, but Grand Theft Auto V *alone* has sold over 120 million copies, become the “most profitable entertainment product of all time,” and has generated over six BILLION dollars in revenue. So I don’t want to hear about the workload of the developers. Hire more employees you cheap fucks.
I’m sorry for snapping at you Rockstar, but we’re in the middle of a quarantine so this is not the type of news I needed to hear right now. It’s already been seven years since GTA V came out. Thats bananas. Granted these games have grown exponentially in size and scope, but that wait time is unheard of. There was 1 year between GTA 3 and Vice City, 2 years between Vice City and San Andreas, 4 years between San Andreas and GTA IV, and 5 years between GTA IV and GTA V. So obviously the wait times have increased as the games have become monstrous creations, but we’re already 2 years behind schedule and the game’s not even close to being done.
But if you’re really craving any type of GTA content to avoid working, here’s an hour long movie on the history of the franchise.
Polygon – The film was first announced back in August; it began as an unsuccessful Indiegogo campaign in 2017. Mic reported on Wednesday that Pretending I’m a Superman ended up getting independent financing. Mic said the film “tracks how the broader skateboarding industry was in a perilous place in the early 90s,” and that the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games were a big part of mainstreaming the sport and lifestyle.
Sign. Me. Up.
For anyone around my age, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was a momentous video game when it first came out in 1999. Sports games were always fun, but oftentimes were more like managing a fantasy team than actually playing the sport. THPS made a game that was FUN to play and introduced an entire generation of kids, myself included, to skateboarding. Think about that for a second. A fringe sport that was traditionally a California burnout beach bum activity went mainstream because Tony Hawk tapped into something no one saw coming.
THPS came out in ’99, which is so long ago that I had it on my Dreamcast. I honestly doubt most of my younger coworkers would even know what a Dreamcast is if I mentioned it. This game should probably also be credited with getting an entire era of kids into punk rock and ska with an absolute banger of a soundtrack. It’s the first game I can remember playing that you actually looked forward to the music. In a way it created the blueprint for music in a game that the likes of NBA2K have adopted and still follow today. With tracks from The Dead Kennedys, The Vandals, and of course Goldfinger’s Superman, this game slapped.
THPS 2 doubled down on the soundtrack too with the addition of bands like Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, Papa Roach, Anthrax, and Powerman 5000, which I still have stuck in my head 20 years later.
This whole blog also just reminded me of the store-brand version of THPS; Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. Am I the only one that played that game? Just doing double back flips on a bike while listening to Sublime and Peaches. Those were the days.
As much as we blog about the Bruins, and the Patriots, and grown men beating the hell out of each other in the octagon; at the end of the day I am an unabashed nerd. You may have picked up on that from the 20+ Marvel movie reviews we did this year or the 2,500 word dissertations on each Game of Thrones episode. Well, the highlight of every nerd’s year was this week with the annual E3 Convention showcasing all the latest and greatest in the world of video games. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is something on my bucket list as I’ll need to make the mecca to Cali for this event one year. Without further ado, here’s everything you may have missed from the conference.
Halo Infinite
I’ve had an on again off again relationship with Halo over the years due to its platform exclusivity. Back in the days of the original Halo I was a PS2 guy so I would play in my buddy’s dark basement with the chunk black controller. Then I got an Xbox360 and played Halo 1/2 remastered and Halo 4 (3 got lost in the shuffle). Then I moved onto PS4 out of spite after I got the red ring of death so I have not played a Halo game in a minute. So needless to say I don’t know what the hell is going on here, BUT if this game continues to look as awesome as it does already, I could be tempted to pick up the Xbox 5 or whatever the hell Project Scarlett name they ultimately call it.
Platform: Xbox One, Project Scarlett
Release Date: Holiday 2020
Final Fantasy VII Remake
I didn’t get into Final Fantasy until FFX, but obviously FFVII is one of the most popular games of all time. This remake is something they have been talking about for YEARS with it first being announced back in 2015. So while I’m not particularly hyped for it, it looks beautiful and is a great opportunity for people like me to play a classic updated.
Platform: PS4
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Marvel’s Avengers
This is a game that I’ve been very cautiously optimistic about because its a perfect concept for a video game, but there have been so so many bad superhero video games over the years. I know Spider-Man was a massive hit last year and the recent Batman games have been well reviewed, but I still cringe just thinking about the old N64 Superman game or anything that has to do with the Hulk. Theres been next to no information available about this game, but we got our first trailer at E3 this week and I like what I’m seeing. Sure it looks a little wonky because the studio didn’t want to pay the licensing rights to use the actual actors, but other than that it looks pretty awesome so far. What’s most exciting about this game is that we’ll have an ever expanding roster of Marvel characters allegedly. I don’t believe the Marvel movie rights of who they could and couldn’t use applies to video games, but even if they did, don’t forget that Marvel just re-acquired the X-Men. Plus they don’t have to worry about the overarching movie storylines so we could get characters like the Punisher, Daredevil and maybe Deadpool dropping in? But that might be something they tackle in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 instead…
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC.
Release Date: May 15, 2020
Pokemon Sword and Shield
Everything you thought you knew about the world of Pokémon is about to change…in a big way.
Here’s the latest on the exciting new adventure that awaits in #PokemonSwordShield!
This is something I am stoked for as I haven’t bought a Pokemon game in years, but have been quietly watching from the sidelines. I basically got to a point where I refused to buy another iteration of the Game Boy (because I’m an adult damnit) so I have been waiting, and waiting, for Pokemon to finally enter the world of 3D open world platform gaming. That has arrived with the introduction of Sword and Shield. Not to mention they’ve got a gigantic direwolf looking dog with a sword in its mouth? Just take my money right now.
BEND THE KNEE TO YOUR ONE TRUE KING, KEANU REEVES. I have to say I’m a bit of a Keanu hipster since I’ve been pumping his tires since I first saw The Matrix in 1999. The Matrix, Point Break, and John Wick are some of my favorite movies. It seems like out of nowhere Keanu has become the most beloved man in America and I totally get it (especially with all the stories of his generosity), but it is weird to see a guy I’ve been stanning for years all of a sudden become a mega celeb. Anyways, Cyberpunk looks pretty sweet. Its important to note that this footage shows exactly *zero* gameplay so lets not get too excited. We’ve all fallen for that too many times with Fallout 76, Destiny, Anthem, and No Mans Sky that show incredible hype footage only to release a subpar game.
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release Date: April 16, 2020
Fallout 76 (again)
Speaking of the most panned game of the year, Bethesda is doubling down on the half-assed cash grab they put out last year. For a franchise as beloved as Fallout that relies on single player experiences, open world exploration, character development, and in depth storylines to release a multi-player online only skeleton of a game was heresy to most fans. Well Bethesda said how about we add a battle royale Fortnite mode! Guys lets just accept the L and start working on Fallout 5.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: Coming soon…
Dragonball Z: Kakarot
I’m 30 years old and I still love Dragonball Z. Hell I’ve even debated getting a DBZ tattoo, so needless to say I will be picking up this little gem. Dragonball games have been pretty hit or miss over the years and Dragonball Fighter Z looked pretty slick, but I couldn’t see myself playing a side scrolling fighting game for that long. So for an RPG that looks awesome though and focuses on the storylines that we all (read: I) remember so fondly? Swipe. Swipe.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One
Release Date: Early 2020
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [unnamed sequel]
LETS GOOO. Breath of the Wild is truly one of the greatest games of all-time. It created a massive open world that you could literally do anything and everything. Infuriatingly frustrating at times, but fun as all hell once you figured out what you were doing. So to hear about a direct sequel to the first open world Zelda game has me sweating. I had heard rumors that Nintendo was going to re-use the Breath of the Wild engine so they could pump out a sequel quicker, which I am more than ok with. Use the exact same mechanics, reskin the game to create some new maps and environments, and give us some new storylines and we are in business. Unfortunately there was no release date given whatsoever so this game could be a ways off…
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Currently “in development”
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
I missed a lot of the earlier Zelda games as I was a bigger Sonic, Mortal Kombat, and Pokemon guy before getting baptized by fire with Majora’s Mask. So games like Link’s Awakening were never really on my radar, which was originally a Game Boy title. The graphics of this updated version are gorgeous and the gameplay is clever as hell where it gives you the same Game Boy birds eye view with an updated flair. Very excited to check this one out.
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: September 20, 2019
Luigi’s Mansion 3
This is another franchise I missed entirely since I never had Game Cube or Wii. I’m still shocked that Nintendo hasn’t opened up an e-shop to download, or at the very least rent, some of their former classics. I know they did it on Wii and as Papa G says, Nintendo basically just tricks people into buying the same game 4 times. While I did miss the first two Luigi Mansions, I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out. Either way this looks like another entertaining Nintendo romp and gives Luigi some much deserved shine.
I texted Giorgio about it and he didn’t have a much warmer reaction: “Thats an IP killer. We may never get another Sonic game again.”
I was always a big SEGA guy growing up, more so than the original Playstation (released in 1994) or even Nintendo (1985). The SEGA Genesis came out in 1989 and my next favorite system N64 didn’t come out until 1996. I was even one of the 9 people that owned a SEGA CD system!
So there were some real solid years in there as a young kid with classics like Mortal Kombat 2, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Vector Man. And that doesn’t include the downright impossible to beat games like Echo the Dolphin (fuck that game) and The Lion King.
All of those obviously pale in comparison to the GOAT SEGA game franchise of course; Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 were all great games. Sonic & Knuckles was awesome because it was basically the first DLC expansion pack I’ve ever seen, introducing Knuckles and the power of flight into those old Sonic games. Sonic CD also had some AWESOME moments like the Metal Sonic boss that mimics all your moves, which was quite the mind fuck for a 7 year old.
So long story short I am a Sonic stan. I most recently relapsed into Sonic fandom with Sonic Mania for Nintendo Switch. SEGA has been run so incompetently they haven’t been able to make a successful game with their most popular IP since Sonic Adventures on Dreamcast.
That was 1998. It’s been 20 years guys. SEGA basically sunk their hardware company because of this and are now forced to lease out their IP as they’ve essentially transitioned into a software company that only develops games.
The story around Sonic Mania is actually one of my favorites because it shows just how bad it had gotten for SEGA. There was this one guy Christian Whitehead AKA Taxman who was porting Sonic games and tweaking the levels on his own and then releasing them online for people to play for free. Via his Wikipedia page:
In 2009, Whitehead produced a “proof-of-concept” video of Sonic CD running on an iPhone using his own custom engine, the “Retro Engine”…Whitehead proclaims that he spent “about a year or so” convincing Sega to let him work on the Sonic CD port. In 2009, a video regarding Sonic CD from Whitehead was taken down, leading Eurogamer to report that Whitehead possibly faced a cease and desist letter from Sega, which Whitehead claimed was false. The port was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, iPhone and Android in 2011. His port was so successful that he was later commissioned to port Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to mobile devices…In 2017, Whitehead, in collaboration with Headcannon and PagodaWest Games, developed and released their own original title in the Sonic series, titled Sonic Mania.
Now I have to give SEGA some credit here because rather than sue his balls off they ended up just hiring the guy and letting him lead the production of the game that ultimately became Sonic Mania. The game itself is excellent too because just when you get comfortable and start to remember the level structure it completely changes and your thrown into something you’ve never seen, so its way more than a port. Its like playing Sonic on acid.
So for all my love of Sonic it breaks my heart to say this movie looks like the first and probably last Sonic movie we’ll ever see. When I first heard about the idea I said theres no way a live action Sonic movie could ever work, but then I saw the trailers for the live action Pokemon movie and it changed my mind completely. The problem is the CGI in the Pokemon movie is incredible whereas the CGI in the Sonic movie is garbage.
Sonic is legitimately haunting.
How did they get that out of this?
I will say Jim Carrey is probably one of the best choices to play a wacky video game villain (doesn’t mean it’ll be good), but I can’t have skinny Dr. Robotnik, can’t have it.
It looks terrible, but because nostalgia is the most powerful drug not named heroin, I probably will go out for a few beers and wind up seeing it out of morbid curiosity. If you’re a sick person like me, Sonic the Hedgehog comes out on November 8th.
Sony is jumping on the cash grab bandwagon that is the mini “classic” console re-release. It really is nothing more than a shameless cash grab, but hey don’t hate the player. I have yet to pick any of these up because like a hoarder I still own half of these systems and can bust them out anytime I have a 6 pack of IPAs down in my parents basement over the holidays.
Nintendo has led the charge on this trend with the NES Classic Edition
and the Super Nintendo Classic Edition
And people went fucking BANANAS for these things. Legit sold out for months. Something about the nostalgia of video games you grew up playing coupled with the fact that they’re miniature drove people wild.
Meanwhile, SEGA is in the corner like “What the hell? We’ve been selling the same goddamn thing in Urban Outfitters for YEARS!”
Anyways, Sony is jumping into the fray with their own mini system, the Playstation Classic, and I have some questions.
There will be 20 games playable on the PS1 classic and as of right now only a handful have been announced.
“It’ll be out on December 3 in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia, and includes games like Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms. There’ll be 20 bundled titles in total, but those five are the only ones announced at the moment.”
$100 bucks for Final Fantasy VII? Pass. Hard pass. Throw in Metal Gear Solid 1, Crash Bandicoot, Tomb Raider, maybe Spyro and then we can talk.
What else should we throw in there? Full disclosure I never owned the PS1. After N64 I went over to the Dreamcast because I’m a goddamn contrarian before coming back to the mainstream with the PS2.
So what other games does this mini system need to have for you to buy it?
Even though it looks like the biggest piece of shit ever created, I am still dying to play the 1997 release, Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout.
Give me all the gloriously bad games and I will somehow wind up giving you $100. But with the garbage thats been announced so far? Can’t do it guys. I gotta save those crisp bills for the N64 classic, which you just know is coming sooner than later.
I mean I’m currently balls deep in Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Switch so its not like I need any more video games, but this is the only “classic” miniature system I’ve ever really been hyped for. Sure I have TWO N64 consoles in my apartment currently, but what I don’t have is a miniature version of it.
As it turns out, I have zero brand loyalty when it comes to gaming consoles. I might be the only guy you know that had a Dreamcast. What systems did you have?
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Techspot – According to new rumors, we’re going to be waiting a few more years for GTA 6, which will be set in Vice City and feature a female protagonist. Citing an “inside source,” YouTube channel The Know says the next GTA will be released within the next three to four years. The game is being called ‘Project Americas’ internally by Rockstar and will be set in either Florida or GTA’s version of the sunshine state–Vice City. It will also see players fly to South America for some missions, suggesting a drug smuggling link. These few details bring to mind 2002’s GTA Vice City, and GTA 6 may even see the action return to 1980s. As with GTA V, the sequel is said to feature multiple protagonists, including the first female character.
So you’re telling me that one of the best video games of my generation may be making a comeback in the form of Grand Theft Auto 6?
Similar to the 2007 Red Sox, GTA Vice City proved that GTA 3 (i.e. 2004 Sox) was not a fluke and that GTA was an absolute powerhouse franchise that was here to stay.
Despite the sheer scope of GTA V and the humorous characters of GTA: San Andreas, the best Grand Theft Auto is hands down Vice City. If you think otherwise, you’re wrong. It had the best setting with 1980s Miami, the best storyline, and the best characters. In case people forget, Vice City featured a voice acting Hall of Fame cast that we had never seen in a video game before: Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzman, William Fichtner, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Gary Busey, Jenna Jameson, Lawrence Taylor, AND Lee Majors.
In the course of looking these names up on IMDB my mind was just blown when I realized that Lance Vance:
was actually voiced by Philip Michael Thomas, who as we all know originally played Detective Rico Tubbs from Miami Vice.
Its little nods to pop culture like this that always made Grand Theft Auto games feel so ingrained with society. It felt like you were reliving a classic movie while exploring a wide open sandbox style video game world for the first time.
Also, apparently Cam Neely voiced a thug in the game as he gets an acting credit too. Seabass, guy just never takes a day off, god love him.
Released back in 2002 (holy shit) Vice City was given an average rating of 95 by Metacritic at the time. Not to mention the soundtrack was A+ and to this day remains the only video game soundtrack I have used my hard earned Schrute Bucks to physically purchase.
PS – I saw this going around the interwebs yesterday and its just not okay.
But, this dude flipping the fuck out reminded me of the GOAT Madden meltdown I witnessed in college. I was playing my roommate and I was feeling myself so I picked a shittier team, knowing it would drive this kid up a wall if I took it to him with the 2008 Raiders.
You know the unbeatable 2008 Raiders that went 4-12 behind stud No. 1 overall pick, and my boy, JaMarcus Russell. If there ever was a guy built for a fucking video game it was this dude. Absolutely awful in real life, but in a video game he had an absolute cannon and he could run his balls off. Thats all I need boys.
So in case you forget just how truly shitty this team really was back in 08, here was the starting skill position players:
QB: JaMarcus Russell
RB: Darren “Run DMC” McFadden
WR: Javon Walker, Chaz Schilens, Ashley Lelie, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Ronald Curry
TE: Zach Miller
Not exactlyyy Murderers Row, but the Raiders did also have Nnamdi Asomugha before he fell off a cliff and DeAngelo Hall patrolling the secondary. (Thats called foreshadowing guys)
So anyways, I am scoring *at will* on QB scrambles out of the shotgun, HB screens, and 70 yard bombs in the air. If JaMarcus Russell saw how much better he was in Madden than in real life I think he might actually kill himself. But to top it all off the Oakland defense is smothering my roommate with interception after interception after interception. My roommate is fucking BOILING and I’m not a huge trash talker so I’m just waiting for the straw to break the camel’s back.
Well that would come in the form of my SEVENTH interception of the day, which also happened to be a pick-six that put me at 70+ points on the afternoon…in the 3rd quarter.
“FUCK THIS GAME!”
Roommate stands up and absolutely Gronk spikes the $50 PS2 clicker into the fucking floor. Let me tell you, I have never seen a piece of hardware fly into so many pieces as that Playstation clicker did. We had to have a closed casket funeral for that PS2 clicker.
And that my friends is why you don’t stream yourself playing a game of Madden because we are all one bullshit play away from rifling a clicker through the goddamn window.
I don’t think I’ve ever needed something as badly as I need these video game sneakers. So FreakerSneaks makes all these custom Jordans and they are so choice. They got all the classics like NBA Jam, Super Mario, Duck Hunt, and Sonic. There’s stunting on people and then there’s stunting on people in totally custom NBA Jam Jordans. $1,200? Swipe swipe. So slap these on my Christmas list today mom and dad. Just look at the details though, they even have the championship screen shot on the tongue.
But lets not forget some of the other beauties like the Jordan Sonic: Marble Zone 1. If these kicks don’t take you right back to the glory days of playing Sega in the basement then I don’t even want to know you.
And of course you can’t forget the true classics, the godfather of modern video games, the plumber himself; Super Mario.
On to the best of the rest:
Somebody get me a goddamn sneaker deal!
PS – If I were to design my own pair of these I would 100% have to call them the Jordan Super Nintendo Chalmers 1.
And we’re off. It was officially announced that there will be 17 teams participating in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K esports League in 2018. Good looks by 2K on the official sponsorship, my sources are telling me they narrowly edged out the NBA Jam franchise.
To be honest, I’m surprised the NBA got this many teams to participate, but I for one am all about this. God forbid MLB tried this, it would take a decade of old guys debating how this would sully the history of the game. As a guy who plays far too many video games, breaking only to watch sports, this is a win-win.
I would watch the shit out a YouTube show documenting how the Celtics go about building their team, scouting, recruiting, training and competing.
Might have to call up Wyc and pitch that idea myself. Franchise that shit out as a vlog for every team…
We’ve all heard how big esports are becoming (hell even colleges are offering esports scholarships now), but it was mainly for games like League of Legends, which I’ve never even contemplated playing. But when you catch something a little more accessible like a Call of Duty tournament on G4, its just nuts how good the guys are. In the same way its nuts watching professional sports. The NBA knows a cash cow when they see it coming down the road, like ya know god damn La Liga patches on jerseys.
So a lot of people will say this is for nerds and nerds alone, but in the same sense its hard to appreciate just how good LeBron James is if you’ve never played competitive basketball. I am 5’8″ and didn’t make it past youth basketball so watching what that manchild can do resonates with me. I have a frame of reference as an average white guy with just how absurd LeBron is at basketball.
Here are the 17 teams that will be a part of the inaugural NBA eSports league.
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
The NBA 2K esports league announced today that 17 #NBA teams will participate in its inaugural season, set to debut in 2018! pic.twitter.com/OWZtnuLwuz
What I’m curious about is how the hell you can get 5 guys playing together on one NBA 2K team. Have you ever tried playing with a buddy on one team? Fucking impossible. You basically just end up playing iso ball and looking for running screens chucking up 3’s falling out of bounds because its impossible to try and run any semblance of a real play.
So yes, I will watch the shit out of this. Will I pay to watch this? Probably not, but I’ve bought dumber things. So, probably, yes.
The 300s 