RipTen Videogame Blog » Sports

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD will Cost $15, Robomodo Developing

Jon Christensen — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:10:23 +0000

During the Video Game Awards show on Saturday, Activision unveiled a trailer for Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD. The company promises it will include levels from the award-winning first two installments of the franchise. A little while after the show, we got word that the remastered version will only be available as a download only.

Today, we get even more news for the extreme sports title. The publisher has confirmed we should expect the title to cost “about $15,” when it’s released virtually in the early part of next year. Sadly, Activision has yet to confirm which platforms we should expect to see on, but they hinted it will be coded on ‘leading consoles.’ So it’s safe to say it’ll be available on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, and possibly the Wii U, whenever that thing is released.

Robomodo, the team behind the dreadful Tony Hawk: Ride and Shred installments are helming the project. Though, I wouldn’t be too worried with that particular news because they’re just updating an older game, and probably don’t have a lot of creative control over the title … at least I hope so.

Madden NFL ’12 Kicks Off With 1.4 Million Sales in Week One

Catherine Cai — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 21:00:44 +0000

Unsurprisingly, Madden NFL ’12 has done well in its kickoff, because nothing sells like hotcakes in Amurica like guns and ‘murican football. As the title suggests, Madden NFL ’12 has sold over 1.4 million copies in its opening week, which is 10 percent higher than Madden NFL ’11.

In just a week’s time, Madden ’12 already boasts some awesome stats. Players have already played over 5.4 million connected games and has peaked in the top 10 charts for most downloaded apps for both the iTunes store and the Android market, proving that once again that people would much rather shout and stare at a TV screen than actually go out and play football themselves.

AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!

Majesco Announces “Hulk Hogan’s Main Event” for Kinect

Matthew Sims — Sat, 28 May 2011 11:00:18 +0000

I wish I could say I was joking on this one, but alas, I am not. Majesco announced yesterday that they are, in fact, developing a game for Microsoft’s Kinect device that will feature Hulk Hogan. Wondering how wrestling will work on a Kinect? Yeah, me too. I’m eagerly awaiting the first batch of assets so we can all have a good heartily laugh at the downward spiral of this icon’s career.

The premise of the title is that you, or rather your created wrestling avatar, get to train and learn the ropes from the Hulkster himself. The game is being marketed as being performance based and will factor in things like showmanship and wrestling moves. How the game will actually gauge these attributes is still unknown.

“Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game,” said Hulk Hogan. “Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!”

It seems like an interesting concept, but be aware that the Hulkster is no longer with the WWE so that means that you won’t see any famous wrestlers in the game other the Hulk himself. As a longtime wrestling fan I can’t say whether or not I’m intrigued or disgusted. I am looking forward to the commercials of pantomimed atomic leg drops though.

Fight Night Champion to be EA Sports’ First Mature Rated Title

Matthew Sims — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:22:37 +0000

The ESRB has released a rating summary for the next installment in the Fight Night franchise. The game got slapped with a Mature rating, making it the first title in the EA Sports catalog to receive a rating higher than teen. The game was described with the following tags: Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes and Violence. None of these are particularly novel, except for the Strong Language tag, because it is a boxing game. It is definitely clear that EA is heading in a more realistic direction with the franchise on every level. The full rating summary is below.

This is a boxing simulation game in which players can fight boxers from the past and present in regulation-style matches. Players follow the standard rules of boxing as they hit opponents with a series of head and upper-body shots. Knockout punches are replayed in slow motion, with crunching sounds and skin-rippling effects; repeated punches can draw splashes of blood on players’ face, chest and shorts. During one cutscene, a brawl breaks out in which large amounts of blood are splattered across a character’s body and the floor. Ring card girls are depicted in tight clothing or bikinis, and the camera occasionally lingers on their chest or buttocks; players can also choose tattoos for their character—a handful depict women in revealing outfits. The words “f**k,” “a*s,” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.

Fight Night Champion is slated for release March 1^st for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

PlayStation Fans “See It, Hear It, Play It & Share it Here First” at Alli Dew Tour

Dylan Duarte — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:48:31 +0000

SCEA announced its sixth consecutive year teaming up with the Alliance of Action Sports for this summer’s Dew Tour Skate Open and ISF Skateboarding World Championships.

The five-city tour starts today and tomorrow in Boston, Massachussetts and concludes on October 17th in Las Vegas, Nevada. If watching skateboarders thrash it up for the Dew Cup doesn’t excite you, you can head over to the Sony “Innov8″ Park where you can “see it, hear it, play it and share it here first.”

Here are the 2010 tour stops:

Nike 6.0 BMX Open
Chicago, IL
July 23-25, 2010

Wendy’s Invitational
Portland, OR
August 12-15, 2010

Toyota Challenge
Salt Lake City, UT
September 16-19, 2010

Dew Tour Championships
Las Vegas, NV
October 14-17, 2010

I’m assuming the “it” is videogames.

Also I hope the winner of the tournament drinks a bunch of Mountain Dew out of the Dew Cup.

The full press release with more detail on the tour itself is pasted below.

PlayStation Fans “See It, Hear It, Play It & Share it Here First” at Alli Dew Tour

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced its sixth consecutive year of aligning with the Alli Dew Tour for this summer’s Dew Tour Skate Open & ISF Skateboarding World Championships. The five-city tour kicks off today and tomorrow in Boston, MA and will conclude at the Dew Tour Championships in Las Vegas, NV on October 17. In addition to watching the hottest names in skating compete for the Dew Cup, attendees at each stop will also be able to head over to the Sony® Innov8® Park where fans can “See It, Hear It, Play It & Share it Here First”.

PlayStation fans will be able to “Play it Here First” at the redesigned PlayStation® Patrol Truck, getting their hands on the new PlayStation Move™ motion controller and a handful of yet-to-be released titles for the first time. Next door at the Wendy’s® Sony 3D Shop, fans will have the chance to “See it Here First” with Sony’s new 3D technology and select PlayStation exclusive 3D game titles. Throughout the tour Innov8® Park select stops will feature exclusive gameplay to games prior to their launch including PlayStation 3 exclusives like Gran Turismo® 5 and ModNation™ Racers as well as PlayStation Move titles including The Shoot™, Sports Champions™ and SingStar® Dance.

Attendees will also have the chance to “Share it Here First” with the Sony Bloggie™ HD mini camcorder before heading over to “Hear it Here First™” with Trik® docking stations that the Dew Tour’s top Vert and Park skaters have custom designed. Furthermore, attendees can listen to their playlists on a pair of Piiq® headphones. Qualified fans also get a chance to compete in the PlayStation “Play the Pros” competition, where they will face off against select pro athletes on PlayStation games to win cool PlayStation prizes.

To top it all off, some of the world’s top athletes will be making appearances at the Sony Innov8 Park including rising skate star Chaz Ortiz, BMX superstars Daniel Dhers and Ryan Decenzo and well known pro skaters Adam Taylor, Tyler Hendley, Austin Seaholm and more.

Additional 2010 tour stops include:

Nike 6.0 BMX Open
Chicago, IL
July 23-25, 2010

Wendy’s Invitational
Portland, OR
August 12-15, 2010

Toyota Challenge
Salt Lake City, UT
September 16-19, 2010

Dew Tour Championships
Las Vegas, NV
October 14-17, 2010

Kevin Durant Named the Cover Athlete of NBA ELITE 11

Demi Adejuyigbe — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:54:20 +0000

Look, I’m not going to try and convince you that I’m a sports junkie by any means. I only occasionally watch basketball when they go into the finals, and even then, I don’t follow every game. That’s not to say I don’t get or understand basketball, though- just that I’m not exactly an expert or enthusiast. So, when you tell me that Kevin Durant is going to be the cover athlete for NBA ELITE 11, I’ll give you a half-sarcastic “Neat-o.” and go back to eating my ice cream sandwich. Did I mention that in this scenario, I’m eating an ice cream sandwich?

Apparently, Kevin Durant, small forward for Oklahoma City Thunder (or so the press release tells me) is going to grace the cover of the PS3/360 game when it hits later this year. Durant is the only person to grace both the cover of an NCAA and an NBA game, so I bet this guy is a big deal in the sports world. Anything I say from this point on will just sound forced and sarcastic, so I’ll just let you read the press release. Congratulations, Kevin Durant. Keep hitting that ball into the outfield. (My bad, that’s hockey.)

Redwood City, Calif. – Tuesday, June 22, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Oklahoma City Thunder small forward, Kevin Durant, will be the cover athlete for NBA ELITE 11. A 2010 NBA All-Star, Durant became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring this past season, and he helped lead the Thunder to an impressive 50 win season and an NBA Playoffs berth. NBA ELITE 11 is currently in development under the EA SPORTS™ brand by EA Canada in Vancouver, B.C. and will be available worldwide this October.

NBA ELITE 11 introduces significant gameplay changes that promise to revolutionize the basketball videogame experience. Hands-On Control is an innovative new control scheme that allows for one-to-one responsiveness of a player’s movement and actions on the court, as opposed to predetermined animations from the past that require users to wait while a scenario played out before making the next move. Hands-On Control is unique to NBA ELITE 11 and it is used to manage everything within a player’s offensive and defensive arsenal, including: dribble moves, dunks, drives to the basket, fadeaways, mid-air adjustments, blocks, steals and more.

“I’ve always been a fan of EA SPORTS,” said Durant. “This has been an exciting year for me and the team, and capping it off with being on the cover of NBA ELITE 11 is cool.”

“Durant is a game changer,” said Jordan Edelstein, VP Marketing, EA SPORTS. “There has never been a player his size with his skill set, and there has never before been a basketball videogame likeNBA ELITE. Just like we see Durant as the future of the NBA, NBA ELITE 11 represents the future of basketball videogames by providing a gameplay experience you simply won’t find anywhere else on the market.”

Picked second overall in the 2007 NBA Entry Draft, Durant has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments in his short professional career, including being named the 2008 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year. Additionally, he will be representing the USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championships this summer in Turkey.

Durant is only the third player in EA SPORTS history to be featured both on the pack of an NCAA and an NBA licensed product. Durant was featured on the cover of NCAA March Madness 08.

NBA ELITE 11 will be available for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information, log onto http://nbaelite.easports.com

Natural Motion’s Backbreaker Football Goes Gold, Sequel In Production

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 19 May 2010 21:30:25 +0000

We here at Ripten have been following Natural Motion’s Backbreaker both directly and indirectly since we started the site in 2007. At first we assumed that the quirky blue test animations were linked to the then yet to be released All Pro Football game by 2K Sports.

Of course those tests were later confirmed to be associated with the soon to be released Backbreaker title which just went gold last, and with NaturalMotion’s Torsten Reil tweeting that “most of the team [has] already rolled onto BB2″, it clearly shows that their internal confidence in the game is very high.

Will the Spring 2010 release (June 1st in the US) offer up some serious Madden competition? Probably nothing substantial, but that doesn’t mean that fans of American football shouldn’t give it a go. It’s got a unique enough twist and some serious non-canned animation technology behind it.

I’ll certainly be giving the game a few chucks down field; a few runs up the gut; one or two screen plays to the … you get the idea. Share your thoughts on the game in the comments section below.

Wii MotionPlus Priced and Dated

Patrick Steen — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:12:39 +0000

Nintendo has dated and priced the Wii’s new motion-sensing accessory, Wii MotionPlus, for this June.

The new add-on is said to take the Wii’s motion-sensing to another level, with some developers claiming that moving from the traditional Wii controller to MotionPlus is like jumping straight from VHS to Blu-ray.

Wii MotionPlus will release in the US on June 8th at a price of $19.99, with Europe getting the contraption four days later (prices have yet to be announced outside of the US.)

The Nintendo developed game Wii Sports Resort will be hoping to make the most out of the accessory, coming to the US on July 26th and Europe on July 24th. The game will include a single MotionPlus add-on bundled in for a total price of $49.99

“Everyone who has played the Wii can remember the moment they first discovered its intuitive controls and realised that this was an incredible new way of experiencing video games,” said Nintendo of Europe PR executive, Laurent Fischer.

“Wii MotionPlus will create that feeling again, taking gameplay to a new level of realism. And with Wii Sports Resort, people will get the chance to immerse themselves in a hugely fun set of games that are designed to make the very best of this exciting new technology.”

CliffyB Breaks Mark Rein’s Face

Dan Landis — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:45:25 +0000

After being nominated as some of the people in videogaming that need to “shut the fuck up“, Cliff Bleszinski and Mark Rein take it to the ring to decide which of the two of them wins the right to shut up more. Using the photo upload tools in EA’s new game Facebreaker, I was able to poorly reconstruct these two mammoths of mutilating machismo and let them do their thing. Video follows.

Mark came out swinging and really had Cliffy on the ropes, but the Blaznats is no bitch and came back with a vengeance. Too bad there’s a time limit — we’ll have to wait until the game releases in September to see what would happen if they weren’t confined to mere 90-second slap fights.

P.S. Does anyone else get the overwhelming urge to barf all over the place whenever they are subjected to EA Trax, or is that just me?

EA to Destroy Videogaming Starting August 21st

Dan Landis — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:54:46 +0000

Industry giant and evil overlord Electronic Arts reported this morning that it had finished its wheeling and dealing with the Federal Trade Commission concerning the takeover of Take Two Interactive.

In its regulatory filing, EA said it would not go through with the previously offered $2 billion deal (because Take Two rejected it), and would instead return to the table, presumably with hired goons, no sooner than August 21 of this year. The news apparently convinced some people that this deal will happen, as stock prices rose for both companies. We have just experienced the beginning of the end.

The average gamer knows this to be true. It was a sad day when EA acquired BioWare, and that’s just one developer. Take Two represents one of the four legs (along with EA, Ubisoft, and ActiBlizzion) that holds up the bed of videogames that we all sleep in. Combining two of those legs into one will certainly make the bed unstable, and we will most likely not have as much fun in it any more for fear that it will break and splinters will pierce our fun-parts.

The EA Sports games are a perfect example of what a lack of competition does to the quality of their products. EA just doesn’t give a shit. They know that if you want NFL-branded football, you will buy their game, so they have no motivation to make it anything other than passable. If EA acquires Take Two, all sports games will begin to suck harder.

I know the reality of a Take Two buyout is probably not as doom and gloom as I think it is. I still have faith that BioWare will continue to make great games despite being under the EA banner of douchebaggery. The point I’m trying to make is that competition breeds innovation. The more competition EA disposes of through either acquisitions or exclusive licensing, the lower their need to focus on quality, and the shittier the average game will end up being. Just look at the history of AT&T for a perfect example.

Hopefully, if EA continues its trend of gobbling up every other company, it will actually end up like AT&T — broke into a thousand pieces that end up giving us better choices and service. If not, I’ll just go back to boring things like spending time with my family.

Source: Reuters via Yahoo News

XBLA Review: Sensible Soccer

Adam Montgomery — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:34:32 +0000

It’s the elegant, immediate control system of Sensible Soccer that makes it so enduring and influential. To play soccer, you need to kick, so give them a “kick” button. Oh, and we should let them run too. Finished.

Simple, and yet so effective, it makes you question the supposed “evolution” seen in gaming over the past 15 years. It makes you question shiny graphics, dynamic audio, cinematic sequences, and voice acting. It makes you wonder why so much has been added.

Everything you have seen in every football game since Sensible World of Soccer, the series’ pinnacle, is found within that classic’s code. It is possible within its game-space and a testament to the design genius of Sensible Software.

Aftertouch, that hallowed gameplay element most recently seen in Heavenly Sword, allows you to direct the ball onto the most fantastic flight-paths – up, down, and around the opposition with the minimum of intuitive input.

New players will be taken aback by the game’s pace, but will quickly overcome their initial troubles and grasp the game’s tactical underlay. Know your team (who’s talented enough to run with the ball and who kicks like a horse) and you can dart the ball to those able to make a difference.

Before matches, you can bring in, push out, and swap players. Your decisions’ clear impact on play is hugely satisfying when it’s successful, although rather heartbreaking when not. The football league’s structure, in whichever country you elect to play in, is perfect for videogames – the mix of immediate and long-term reward found in the points and ranking promotes a prolonged relationship between you and the game.

A faithfully styled graphical update is the great success of what’s otherwise a rather lazy port. Online play is functional but disappointing, often featuring lag and vulnerable to those quit-early undesirables of online gaming. The ranking system also favours those with the most time to play, ahead of those most talented.

The port’s the problem, though – it’s impossible to harshly criticise what’s a true gaming classic. Even if Kuju Entertainment struggles to pay homage, Sensible Software’s work remains design genius.

It’s my belief that Sensible World of Soccer is one of the most important games of all time. Playing it again today demonstrates that it’s one of the finest, too.

Playstation Emulator Now on iPhone (With Video Demonstration)

Patrick Steen — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 01:35:12 +0000

After reporting the revelation that Playstation 1 games could now be played on PSP’s via remote play, they can now be played on Apple’s iPhone, though the touch-screen controls could take some time getting used to.

The emulator is unofficial, but after being under an intensive beta it is now fit for the public on both the iPhone and the iPod Touch. At version 1, psx4iphone already sports impressive controls, a good compatibility rate and save states.

The software is on Installer.app (unofficial website for iPhone software) and can also be downloaded for manual installation here.

For more information please visit the creators of the emulator at ZodTTD and watch this following video demonstration:
[youtube width="425" height="335"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp5U4N_tJ9g[/youtube]