Playstation 2
Temco have confirmed that they are developing a new Top Gear game for the Playstation 2. The game, which is called Top Gear Dare Devil will be released in America in November.
Dreamcast
A Japanese web site, previously known as Amusement Graffiti are reporting that a sequel to Yu Suzuki's Ferarri F355 Challenge is headed back to the arcades, as a sequel. Apparently the game will include 9 courses and customizable cars and may be released before the original hits the Dreamcast in August/September. The game is currently beta testing in some Japanese arcades.
While System Shock 2 was announced last week in America there is even better news. The game will include online gameplay which is another boost for Sega's online gameplay dreams.
Namco of Japan have denied the recent rumours that they are developing a Naomi arcade racing game.
Dolphin
Namco have denied that Ridge Racer V is in development for the Nintendo Dolphin. Only time will tell however.
Playstation 2
It looks like another huge sequel is headed to the Playstation 2. Apparentl Konami are currently developing a sequel to Silent Hill for the system. More information is expected to be released at ECTS later this year.
With Namco already releasing Tekken Tag Tournament and Ridge Racer V on the Playstation 2 the big question is what will be next. Well that has now been answered with Motogp being announced as their newest title. The game will be released in Japan this October and should be close behind in Europe and America due to minimal translation requirements.
Dreamcast
Sega of America have announced several release dates. Some of the major release dates are as follows;
Dolphin
Metro3D, the developers of Armada have signed on as developers for the Dolphin. In fact the company has 2 games in development already including an Internet puzzle game, and an adventure game. Expect more news closer to the systems launch.
Playstation 2
Infogrames have announced that they are working on a game based on Mission Impossible 2 (which was released in cinemas yesterday in America and next Thursday here in Australia. The game is expected to be released in Q'3. The game will be released on Playstation 2.
Jaleco has announced that they will be releasing three games on the Playstation 2. The first is Carrier which will be upgraded from the Dreamcast version. The improvements include more weapons, better maps, better character animations. The game will be a side story tot he Dreamcast version. The other two game in development are Navy Seals and Fantasy which is a Gauntlet style fantasy adventure.
While Sony may be taking their time getting the Playstation 2 onto the internet another company, SN Systems, have developed a TCP/IP stack for the system which could be used with a cheap USB modem on the system. No word yet what, if any, games will make use of the online option.
Sierra and Massive Entertainment have announced plans to port their popular PC action game Ground Control to the Playstation 2. The game is promised to include enhanced graphics and gameplay over the PC version on the Sony system.
Dreamcast
Times are changing at Sega of Japan. After the resignation of the president yesterday the company has now renamed their gaming divisions and set them up as seperate financially independent developers who will report to parent company CSK. What are the names you cry? Well here is the list;
Super Runabout has been reviewed in Japan with Famitsu giving the game 31/40 (77.5%) while the Dreamcast Magazine gave the game 22/30 (73.3%). The other interesting game reviewed by Dreamcast magazine is Rent A Hero #1 which scored 23/30 (76.7%).
I'm Sorry!
I really must say sorry to the regular readers of Future Games. I haven't been able to update for a week now due to several reasons. I have been working about 60+ hours a week between 3 jobs at the moment with about 8 hours travel a week as well. Also I have spent a bit of time fine tuning my new computer which has given me a few hassles which I have gladly sorted out (It's a beast and I'm considering the GeForce 256 GTS video card now). Anyway the updates should become more regular again within a few days. I have Stocktake at BIG W early next week and then work should slack off again. Once again, sorry.
Playstation 2
Square have confirmed that their Playstation 2 movie/action game The Bouncer will be released in the US late this year with the Japanese version to appear after the US release.
Sony have confirmed that they are working on a USB Microphone for use with the Playstation 2. No doubt the success of Seaman on the Dreamcast had something to do with it.
Dreamcast
President of Sega Japan Shoichiro Irimajiri will resign from his position to make way fo the chairman of CSK (Sega's parent company) Isao Okawa. This is due to the poor performance of the Dreamcast in Japan. Expect more details soon.
Grandia II has got an unofficial release date in Japan on August 3rd. This highly anticipated title looks like being released in between the Playstation releases of Dragon Quest 7 and Final Fantasy IX.
One of the biggest announcements at E3 was that Codemasters first Dreamcast title would be none other then Colin McRae Rally 2. Better still is the news that the game will include online gameplay and while there is no specific release date yet the end of 2000 looks likely.
Game developers Vatical have announced several new title for the Dreamcast. The biggest of these is most definately System Shock 2 which will be a port of the PC smash hit of last year. No word yet on enhancements or alterations to the title. The second title is actually an online version of tetris called The Next Tetris. The final title is called Sea-Doo HydroCross which is an online racing game.
Sega has announced that their "r11" Dreamcast operating system, which is due out in June, will inlcude support for 8 channel Dolby Surround Sound. This will further enhance the Dreamcasts awesome sound capabilities.
Sega Europe have announced that they will be giving away Chu Chu Rocket! for free from June 9 to people who have registered with the Dreamarena service. Chu Chu Rocket! is one of the most addictive games in recent years and is scheduled to become the first online game in Australia.
Dolphin
According to online reports Ridge Racer V is not only headed to Dolphin but will be improved over the Playstataion 2 version and could (read: will) be a launch title for the system, whenever that is.
Xbox
Capcom have announced that they will be developing titles on the Xbox. No titles have been confirmed yet although Resident Evil and Dino Crisis have been rumoured.
Playstation 2
UbiSoft have announced that they are porting the wonderful Rayman 2 to the Playstation 2. In fact UbiSoft had a playable demo of the game at E3 which, by all accounts, was on par with the Dreamcast version. The game is still early in development and new levels will be added as well as less linear gameplay. No word yet on a release date.
Electronic Arts has announced that while Madden NFL 2001 on teh Playstation 2 won't have any online component, it's sequel likely will. However because the sequel isn't even in the planning stages there is no word on what the online component will entail.
One of the major shocks at the E3 show was Tecmo's acknowledgement of strained relations with Sony. Apparently the situation is so bad between the companies that Dead or Alive 2 may not be brought over to America. Following on from that the company are considering porting the game to Microsoft's Xbox. Other titles in doubt for Sony's system include Ninja Gaiden and Tecmo Bowl. Both these latter titles are still in the planning stages with platforms to be determined.
Dreamcast
Yet more details have been revealed about BleemCast!, the Playstation emulator on PC. As previously mentioned there will be 4 different packs which will retail for $US19.99, with the first pack due out on June 15. But there is more. Apparently the company are also planning on two extra packs, which will only be available online, which will support 100 of the most popular Japanese games, and another which supports 100 of the most popular PAL games. If your wondering about the controller there is another bonus. Bleem are going to ship two new products. The first, called Bleempad is a controller similar in design to the Dual Shock which plugs into the Dreamcast while the other peripheral, called the bleempod is a controller adapter with PSX memory card support. One interesting thing to note is that Bleem now has no copy protection as Sony's lawsuit in America stated that copying the security was an infringement on copyright. I see Kodak Gold CD's becoming very rare soon.
Playstation 2
Sony has released details regarding the US launch of the Playstation 2. The system will be released on October 26th, a little later then expected but will carry the $US299 price tag as has been rumoured for some time now. Dual Shock 2 Controllers, 8 MB memory cards and Multi Taps will also be available at launch for $US34 ($AU55).
There has been several modifications from the Japanese Playstation 2 to the American version. The most notable change is that the DVD drivers are no longer stored in the memory card, but are now inside the unit in a flash ROM. It will still be possible to upgrade the drivers through upgrades on demo disc's on through the internet etc. This was done for two reasons. The first was so that Americans can't use the cracked memory cards from Japan which can play movies from any region and the second is to make the system more consumer friendly without having to have the memory card in the system to watch a movie. One drawback of this for the consumer is that the 8MB memory card won't sell with the system as there is no need for it for the drivers.
The US Playstation 2 has also had its PCMCIA connection removed in favour of an empty slot to be used for upgrades such as the hard drive or network adaptor.
SCE have announced some details regarding the hard drive planned for the Playstation 2. The device will have a surprizingly large capacity of between 20-30GB and will be a Sony specific peripheral. No release date or price has been announced yet.
Sony has shown off several games which are due at, or very soon after launch (with the exception of GT2000 and Dark Cloud which will probably be 2001 releases). The games shown are;
ICO (Sony - action adventure from SCEJ), Armored Core 2 (From Software - Mech Combat), Onimusha (Capcom), Ready 2 Rumble 2 (Midway), Gran Turismo (Sony/Polyphony), Dark Cloud (Sony - Working Title), Fantavision (Sony - Fireworks game), Dynasty Warriors 2 (Koei), Summoner (THQ), Top Gear Dare Devil (Temco), John Madden 2001 (EA), FIFA 2001 MSL (EA), Big SSX (EA), Ridge Racer V (Namco), Tekken Tag Tournament (Namco).
Dreamcast
The Dreamcast has received a price drop in America and Canada. Between the 4th June and 31st August anyone who purchases the system will received a $US50 rebate in America which takes teh system to $US149 ($AU250) while the $CDN100 rebate takes the Canadian price to $CDN199 ($AU220). There has been no word yet on a price drop for Europe or Australia.
Sega has shown off Sonic Adventure 2 behind closed doors at the E3 show. The game is being overseen by Yuji Naka of Sonic Team which almost ensures it's quality. The preview clip contained gameplay segments that were much faster then the original Dreamcast game and had some more detail, although more work should see it improve even further. The only bummer, teh game won't be released in America and Australia until 2001.
Perhaps the most wanted game outside of Japan is Sega's Shenmue. Wellt eh game now has a release date for America of November 14. The game has been totally dubbed with no option for captions with the original speech from the Japanese version. No word yet on a PAL release but if we have to wait too long mod chip sales will go through the roof.
It looks like Eidos will be scaling back it's commitment to the Dreamcast. Eidos has commented that the Dreamcast is a "stop-gap" for tehir developments. Apparently top quality titles Commandos 2 and Codename Eden are no longer planned for the Dreamcast. This also put future titles such as Deus Ex and Anachronox very unlikely.
Ubisoft have confirmed that they have picked up the rights to publish Grandia II, not Eidos as previously reported. No release date is set yet.
Capcom has hinted that both Resident Evil 3 and Dino Crisis may be ported to the Dreamcast later this year. Both games have been massivce sellers on the Playstation and would be another boost to the Dreamcast which has suffered from lack of company support.
Sega has announced a list of games that will be playable online this year. The titles include Alien Front, Black & White, Chu Chu Rocket, DC Bomberman, Sierra Sports, Kiss Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child, Magic the Gathering, Sega Sports NBA 2K1, NFL 2K1, PBA Tour Bowling, POD 2, 4x4 Evolution, Phantasy Star Online, Quake III Arena, Railroad Tycoon II, Worms Armageddon.
Reports from the E3 show are that BleemCast teh Playstation emulator for the Dreamcast apparently makes the games look much better then when the Playstation 2 runs the Playstation games. BleemCast! will be released in several versions with each pack havibng support for about 100 Playstation games. Each pack will retail for $US19.99.
Xbox
In case you haven't heard (or noticed) Microsft's X-Box has undergone a name change. The official name for the system is now Xbox instead of X-Box.
In a dramatic move Microsoft has once again bumped up the power of their gaming beast. The system was to have a PIII-600Mhz but it has now been unveiled that the system will ship with a PIII-733Mhz. Thats and increase of almost 25% from the original specs. It will be interesting to see if the hard drive size is also bumped up from 8GB following Sony's shock announcement of a 20-30GB hard drive for the Playstation 2.
Hasbro has annoucned their support for the Xbox with several titles. The titles include Frogger, Monopoly, NASCAR, Centipede, Clue, Wheel Of Fortune and Grand Prix. While these games are hardly likely to even make the CPU think about working hard it's nice to see so many games from one developers.
Playstation 2
Activision has announced two new Playstation 2 titles. The first is called Gunslinger and is a third person action adventure set in the wild west. The game is currently due in Q'2 2001. The second game is called Street Lethal and is a futuristic racing game set in 10 European cities. This game is also due in Q'2 2001.
Konami have announced thier lineup for E3 and it looks as if Age of Empires II is headed to the Playstation 2 and Dreamcast. This is a strange move considering the title is a Microsft brand and they have their X-Box console to find products for in the next year.
EA Sports have revealed some details abou the Playstation 2 port of Nascar 2001. The game will include 33 cars and drivers deom the 2000 Nascar season as well as 18 tracks. The game will be released slightly after the Playstation 2 launch and is looking better then Sega's Nascar Rubbin Racing from the arcades.
Dreamcast
Want to play Final Fantasy 8, Gran Tourismo 2 or Tekken 3 on the Dreamcast? Well you will be able to very soon. No, the companies aren't porting the games to the system. Instead the company that makes bleem! are developing the system for use with the Dreamcast. Called BleemCast the emulator doesn't have a release date but will most likely be shown at the E3 show this week.
While Grandia II is still a way off in Japan it is nice to hear that the game has already been picked up for publishing in America, and probably Europe. Eidos have snapped up the right but have stated that the game probably won't be released until 2001 at the earliest.
Konami have confirmed that both The Mummy and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas are headed for the Dreamcast as well as the Playstation 2. Both games are due to be released late this year.
X-Box
Daily Radar has announced some amazing details regarding the X-Box's sound chip. Although the manufacturer hasn't been announced what is known is that the sound chip will share the 64MB unified DRAM which effectively means the system could use up to 64MB RAM for sound. However the mind shattering news is that the sound chip will support up to 256 stereo voices. Although unannounced it is possible that the system will support Dolby Digital and/or DTS sound.
Playstation 2
Electronic Arts have confirmed that they will be publishing 10 title for the Playstation 2 by teh end of the year. Sequels to all their popular sports franchises including FIFA, NFL and NHL are expected.
According to C&VG Magazine Electronic Arts will be publishing the surprise hit game Kessen in Europe. No official comment has been made from EA regarding the matter.
Dreamcast
Rumours are beginning to mount that Konami will resurrect Castlevania Resurrection at the E3 show in America. The title, which was officially dead a couple of months ago may be back in development, with fresh pictures popping up on Konami's web site. Expect more news during E3.
Sega of America has announced 2 massive release dates for America. Firstly one of the most impressive RPG's ever, Eternal Arcadia will be released in September. Meanwhile Sega GT has been announced for release in America in July. No word yet on PAL releases but they shouldn't be too far behind.
Konami has announced that they will be porting Silent Scope for the Dreamcast and Playstation 2 but that there won't be a special sniper gun controller for the game. No release date is available yet.
Staying with Konami apparently the company are considering porting Metal Gear Solid tot he Dreamcast. If development goes ahead the game should be released before the sequel hits the Playstation 2.
In case you haven't noticed I have done a review of Rayman 2 which can only be described as stunning. Check it out now.
Playstation 2
Electronics Arts has announced that Sim Theme Park will be making its way to the Playstation 2. The game will include high resolution graphics and several improvements due to the power of Sony's machine. The game should be released by the end of the year.
Acclaim has announced 2 new Playstation 2 titles which include a sequel to Shadow Man. Shadow Man: 2econd Coming once again follows Mike LeRoi (Shadowman) into Deadside to battle evil. Many characters from the first game will make an appearance in teh sequel. Acclaims second title is Big Wave Surfing which is being developed by Osiris Studios. No word yet on release dates for either title.
Konami's Metal Gear Solid 2 has been given an official name. The game will be called Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty and will include an option to sense both temperature and humidity. Just how this will be worked into the game remains to be seen. The game will also include more enemies with powers similar to Psycho Mantis in the original game.
Dreamcast
The long awaited Rainbow Six has finally shipped in America. Originally slated as a launch title for last September, Majesco has finally completed the title and shipped it to stores. No word yet on an Australian release for this title.
Although Rainbow Six has just been released in America Majesco have announced that they are developing the games sequel, Rogue Spear for the Dreamcast. No word yet on a release date but looking at the development period for Rainbow Six, Rogue Spear may be a way off still.
Crave have announced several new titles including Soldier Of Fortune for the Dreamcast. The game, which will be shown at E3, will include online gameplay. Other titles include AeroWings 2: Air Strike, Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm, MagForce Racing, Super Magnetic Neo, Sno-Cross Championship Racing, Starlancer, Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Ultimate Fighting Championship. Quite a lineup for E3 and great news for Dreamcast owners.
Yet another game announcement with Bethesda Softworks announcing PBA Tour Bowling 2001 for the Deramcast. While Ten Pin Bowling isn't likely to make it to Australia in vast quantities the sport is huge in America and should grab a lot of attention, especially due to the online gameplay. Expect to hit the lanes sometime in October this year.
Playstation 2
IGNPS2 has learned some information that should keep Star Wars Fans happy. Lucas Arts have not one, but two Star Wars based games heading to the Playstation 2. The first game is called Star Wars: Starfighter and is an arcade based flying game in space and above planets. It will be possible to pilot a Naboo fighter although the game is now specific to The Phantom Menace. The second game is Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing (which is also due on Dreamcast) and is (incorrectly!) labelled as a KART racing game.
3DO are headed to the Playstation 2. Well three of their games at least. Trip Hawkins has announced that they have 4 games in development for Sony's system which maty be out by the end of this year. By the end of next year it is possible that 3DO will have contributed 10 games to the PS2's lineup. The first two games are Army Men: Sarge's Heroes 2 and Army Men Air Attack 2 which is a sequel to the Playstation smash hit. The third game is based on the RPG Might and Magic with realtime fighting. The final game is a sequel to Battle Tanks called World Destruction League: Thunder Tanks.
Dreamcast
As mentioned above LucasArts have got Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing headed to the Dreamcast. No word yet on a release date.
Dolphin
Rayman 2 may have just hit the Dreamcast and a Playstation version is still some way off but apparently UbiSoft are looking to the future with Rayman 3 being prepared for development on the Dolphin.
THQ have announced that they will be developing titles for the Nintendo Dolphin, with development costs being one of the major reasons. Apparently developing a game on Dolphin is about half the cost of developing on the Playstation 2. No word yet on titles.
According to Raven Software they may be porting some of their hit games to the Playstation 2 and Dolphin. For those of you trying to recall what they have developed I suggest you take a look at Soldier Of Fortune and Elite Force on the PC, both excellent games. According to Amazon.com Half Life on the Dreamcast will be released on September 7, 2000. This still needs to be confirmed but would be welcome for FPS fans who have been starved on the Dreamcast.