via Computer and Video Games


Halo hero Master Chief would be demoted to supporting cast in the movie based on the FPS series, should the flick ever see the light of day.

"I think what it boiled down to with the film was really a question of 'Who is the main character of the movie?' Is it the Master Chief or is it somebody else? And over time I think everybody around the table agreed that the Master Chief is best left as the most important supporting cast member," Bungie writing director Joseph Staten has revealed.

Staten explained that the faceless nature of Master Chief and his emoting through physical movement only would have been hard to carry as a main character for an entire film.

"But", he added, "you can certainly surround him with people who don't have helmets on and you can see their faces. They're normal actors doing their thing."

Staten went on to say about the movie script that Bungie worked on the whole Master Chief's anonymity breeding mystery angle.


The Halo movie's been off and on - seemingly doomed after Hollywood heavyweights Fox and Universal backed away from the project - and Staten speaks as though the plug has been pulled. However, the last we heard was that prep work on the Halo film continues. ...

via Joystiq


Though all the pretty colors and No One Lives Forever-esque art direction is enough to keep commoners like us entertained by Team Fortress 2, it's what's going on under the hood that's really important to the hardcore legion of fans. In an email to one member of that community, Valve's Robin Walker reveals a few changes incoming for the pyro and soldiers classes, part of the "large scale modification to the core of the game" Walker talked about earlier this month.

For the pyros, they're going to be receiving points for every enemy they ignite, making mass burnings not just fun, but profitable. Walker's a little more vague about soldiers, saying the team wants them to be "a little more careful firing their rockets at point blank targets." As TF2 newbs we have no idea what she means, but we imagine some of you commenters will have a few ideas. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Capcom is reviving the NES original version of Bionic Commando as a downloadable game in the modern era.

The new version of the game will be made available as a downloadable title through both PSN on PS3 and XBLA for 360.

That's extent of the details Capcom was willing to share with Famitsu (via Gamefront) but we expect it'll pack shiny new graphics, the usual achievements for the 360 version, and possibly even some new XBL-related features.

It's probably no coincidence that a new Bionic Commando game is also due for release later this year on PS3, 360 and PC, and you can read our hands-on review of that now. Go on, it's looking pretty good. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Sheik, Zelda's alter ego in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, has been confirmed as a playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

For those who can't remember (like me - Zeldapedia is lifesaver sometimes) Zelda passed herself off as a male Sheikah in the N64 classic.

Sheik joins an already eclectic cast of characters from a game that earned a perfect score from Japanese gaming bible Famitsu, making it just the 7th game to earn such an accolade in the history of the mag.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zelda can transform in Sheik by triggering her down move. With Needle Storm, Chain and Vanish powers, she sounds like she can hold her own, although we have no idea what any of them do.

Whether Sheik is just Zelda in disguise or in fact the transformation of Zelda into a man is debated in fan circles.

The screenshots of the Smash Bros version imply Sheik is all woman, but apparently Smash Bros isn't canon in the Zelda universe, so the debate shall continue alongside other important matters like how tall Bowser is and whether Luigi is gay.


Screenshots ...

via Kotaku




The last Monster Hunter PSP portable pack was so successful that Capcom decided, heck, let's do it again! On March 27th, the ¥25,800 (US $243) bundle goes on sale. It includes a strap, pouch, Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G software and a MH PSP. Looks pretty nice, we guess, and it should sell truck loads in Japan. The front isn't so exciting, however. That's okay. Anwyay, take a look for yourself after the jump.

...

via Computer and Video Games


Nothing good can come of this. Not content with plaguing the PSP and PS2, Jackass the Game is on its way to the Nintendo DS sometime this year.

Jackass is a free roaming adventure title that attempts to mimic the TV shows banal stupidity and nauseating stunts like a fifteen old delinquent whose only life goal is to appear as a human fireball on YouTube.

In a gross misjudgement of the appeal of the franchise, we're told you can customise your character with a "near limitless combination of customizable items and outfits." Clearly there's the appeal for the DS audience right there.

You can also raise your characters attributes like a RPG levelling system and battle your friends in a multiplayer mode. If you have any, that is. Which you won't obviously, if this is the sort of thing you waste your money on.

If that doesn't paint you a mental picture, then check out the screenshots that show off the quality of writing in the game. Our favourite is a tie between the farmer guy who asks you to eat crap and the chap in the helmet who appears frozen in mid sentence, presumably because he's too stupid to remember what he was trying to say.

"Everyone's favorite group of 'asses' are back," reads the official release. They're right about one part of it, anyway.


Screenshots ...

via Computer and Video Games


Nothing good can come of this. Not content with plaguing the PSP and PS2, Jackass the Game is on its way to the Nintendo DS sometime this year.

Jackass is a free roaming adventure title that attempts to mimic the TV shows banal stupidity and nauseating stunts like a fifteen old delinquent whose only life goal is to appear as a human fireball on YouTube.

In a gross misjudgement of the appeal of the franchise, we're told you can customise your character with a "near limitless combination of customizable items and outfits." Clearly there's the appeal for the DS audience right there.

You can also raise your characters attributes like a RPG levelling system and battle your friends in a multiplayer mode. If you have any, that is. Which you won't obviously, if this is the sort of thing you waste your money on.

If that doesn't paint you a mental picture, then check out the screenshots that show off the quality of writing in the game. Our favourite is a tie between the farmer guy who asks you to eat crap and the chap in the helmet who appears frozen in mid sentence, presumably because he's too stupid to remember what he was trying to say.

"Everyone's favorite group of 'asses' are back," reads the official release. They're right about one part of it, anyway.


Screenshots ...

via Computer and Video Games


The PS3 is one of the cheapest Blu-ray playing machines on the market, yet ironically it's also one of few players that can be upgraded to support new features to be introduced in future Blu-ray films.

The PS3's regular firmware updates and internal hard drive give it the potential to support features to be introduced in new 'Profile 2.0' Blu-ray films releasing later this year. These will allow you to access downloadable content such as trailers, feature films and ringtones.

But, as silly as it sounds, most of the current, pricier dedicated players won't support Profile 2.0 features simply because they lack internet access support.

Why has this happened? Due to a lack of a standards agreement prior to Blu-ray's release, it was decided that these different 'profiles' would be used to identify the new features as they are added the media format.

This means that early adopters of dedicated players will be left with machines incapable of future features, which Philips spokesperson and European chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association, Frank Simonis, admits is "not an ideal situation".

But he reasons: "Whether you have a profile 1.0, or profile 1.1 machine, the playback is not disturbed. It's the high definition playback that consumers are seeking," reports the BBC.

So, the tip of the day: buy a bloody PS3 to play Blu-rays, people. It'll save you money in the long run. ...

via Eurogamer


Square Enix has finally given Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII a European release date of "spring".

For those unsure, this is the action RPG that caused PSP sales to multiply six times over in Japan last September.

Set before the renowned Final Fantasy VII, you play as Zack who works for SOLDIER, a military group run by an electric company busy at work on building a metropolis.

The game begins when you, Angeal and Sephiroth are sent to investigate the whereabouts of some missing SOLDIER members. Complications ensue.

Crisis Core was among the first games announced for PSP, and its lengthy development means gorgeous visuals and cutscenes to put others to shame.

But its big selling point, the real-time and fast-paced battle system, is yet to be proven. Perhaps we needed more time with it, but when we saw it last May it felt fiddly and unconvincing.

Could be wrong though - Japanese magazine Famitsu gave it a score of 35/40. ...