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7 One hundred and fifty years from now, human society as you know it is gonê. р Nature has smothered the relics of civilization in a blanket of vegetation. last few survivors live іп a perpetual fear, fleeing from the deadly war machines“ of wars long forgotten.

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strength and primal instincts. She survives through ingenuity and technology 35

She needs you as her guardian, her strength so she enslaves you with an а explosive headband. Take her His ana she'll set you free. That is the deal you

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FINAL FANTASY. XIV

Some Games Should Never Die

за connoisseur of games, one of the

En an t3 Др i Пе el E ELLE ea ara iata Gare iste ng 4 nud а oes j uo Ee A y METEO todays technology so God of War could con- Infinite. Capturing the spirit of The ee Eo 9 aly. een So М E ees e ЕА

amdyGgameifomercom ment of The Sly Collection, which releases. later this year. Same modus operandi = keep the classic gameplay but update the graphics ‘Read my column or ап throw in some new bells and whistles for comment on tis etter at 9009 measure. Kudos to Sony for its historically _gameintormecconvinag or savvy vision of the future. alow 661 AndyMc Wile playing StarCraft 2, the desire to relive the glory days of the orginal hit me Ike a ton of bricks. However, to my disappointment, the ‘game is trapped in old resolutions and even has some minor issues working with modern дау operating systems. Obviously, this isnt the game's fault (and yes, it's “playable”, but its a crime that so many great games are headed ‘down a path of extinction. Iit barely works now, what wil it pay ike in 12 more years when StarCraft 3 comes out? Updating past lores, or in this case releasing a special edition or collection with improvements, not only gives the old guard the ‘opportunity to replay а classic, it gives new gamers a chance to experience some of inter- active entertainments greatest triumphs. Му mind reels with possiblities: Warcraft IIl, Deus Ex, System Shock, Grand Theft Auto lll, Ico, Mortal Kombat, and even the orginal Halo. 1 could go on and on. I want these games to. ое! a loving makeover by their creators and be ‘introduced to the gaming public, These cias- ics and hundreds of others - deserve to live оп forever outside of emulators, dusty old con- ‘oles, and low-resolution 4x3 aspect ratios. It's been done before, and it wll be done адап, but | would love to see these collections. become the standard operating procedure for the hits and cult classics that have defined video gaming for all these years. Cheers,

former on Twitter

latest and greatest, and follow Ogam

nated. With a daring new setting and а fresh cast of characters, BioShock Infinite will change everything you think you know about the franchise.

visit gameinformeccom daily for th

by Joe Juba.

Readers attempt to con vince us that it's okay to cry over announcement trailers,

and that AO titles aren't just for lonely perverts. We shoot down their sad delusions.

18 Connect We provide Gamescom coverage imported straight from Germany, build the ulti- mate game controller, review the PlayStation Move, and much more.

10 Previews Explore the opening sequence of Fallout: Now. Vegas. Go zero gravity in Dead Space 2. Learn about Diablo И new crafting system,

84 Reviews Halo: Reach wows with a massive new campaign and the biggest multiplayer expe- rience yet, NHL 11 skates to Victory, and Майа Il whacks the competition

100 Game Ow Kevin Butler loves bacon, This and more fun facts about Sony's hilarious pitch man and VP of awesome await in this month's Game Over

by Ben Reeves.

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Feedback we discuss the future of 3D televi- sions and motion con- trols, try not to laugh at some hardcore Star Wars nerd logic, give advice to an irritated girl gamer, and reaffirm that there's no crying in video game journalism

Sel [| 65

Question of the Month:

Of the games still to

be released in 2010,

which are you most excited for?

Email your x feedback@gameinformer.com

sponse to

Contact Us

Г

12

Scott Shiveley Columbus, OH

Congratulations, Scott. We had several nerds take issue with Reiner's question, but your explanation was by far the nerdiest. You may rest well knowing that order has been restored to the galaxy. If we ever mess up a bit of Star Wars trivia in the future, feel free to use your Vulcan nerve pinch on us. P;

“Jango Fett.”

No More Motion Controls Whie reading your articles on E3, I noticed how the biggest news from both Sony and Microsoft involved motion controls. This kinda bums mo. Out, as ko my games as they are now. Im afraid (and lm sure l'm not the only one) that soon the controler-based console wil е out and video games wil be controled sole motion (or a hybrid, Ike Wi/ Move), Brandon Siegel Orlando, Florida

Based on the number of concerned responses we've received regarding motion controls, it's clear that a lot of gamers still prefer playing games the old-fashioned way - and developers know that. While a lot of companies may continue to exert more effort courting casual gamers, it won't be at the expense of the thriving franchises that are bringing in millions of dollars from. hardcore gamers. And who knows? We may enjoy some great gaming experiences, thanks to the new technology.

To 3D or not 3D?

Based on Sony's curent trend toward 3D.

gaming, would it be safe to say that their next.

"Console willbe 100-percent 3D? Would it bo.

ıa wise decision for me to go out and buy а ЗО

television so l'm prepared for the upcoming 3D.

дате invasion? Or is 3D gaming simply а fad? ‘Tony Нина.

Via email

Its stil far too early to tell what role 3D. games wil play in the future of the industry, but we highly doubt Sony would ever risk alienating customers by releasing a 3D-only ‘console. Furthermore, you should never feel. pressured into purchasing something you don't want- not by video game companies, or reviewers for that matter. It's your money; spend it on the products you know you'll enjoy. Like роде!

Modern Woe-fare Ifyou couldnt tel by my name, let me сату: | am a gi, I love video games, and yes, Im actually pretty good at them. One of my favorite games is Cal of Duty: Modem Warfare 2, and | love to play online, What | don't love is taking to ‘other gamers through the microphone. As soon as tho guys figure out l'm a gi stats Insulis, пате caling, and general loud mouthing, and it els worse when I have more kils than anyone inthe game. Obviously video games and gamers have become more mainstream, but how long unti t becomes ok to be a gri gamer? Jessica Lyndhurst, NJ

It doesn't matter which sex you are И you're finishing at the top of the leader- board in MW 2 matches, you're going to be insulted. In that sense the online gaming ‘crowd is surprisingly equal opportunity; regardless of sex, race, or creed, you can always expect to have a boatload of bigotry апа vulgarities hurled at you. Until develop- ers figure out a way to filter out the rifl-raff, ме suggest doing what we do: Play with your friends, and mute everyone else... ‘especially people who bookend their screen. names with a bunch of Xs.

Dry Your Tears A comment in your newest issue caught me Several ой guard. In the Top 10 Embarassing ES moments, the very last hing you Ist, “Grown Men Су for Zelda. realy struck a nerve with me and left me in awe. [wasnt at the show, but also cried when | watched ths for ho frst ime. 1 mean, have you guys never had something that you are that passionate about? Realy? fe Ik you just caled anyone who cres over video ‘games losers, nerds, geeks, dos. ће Ist goes оп Do i need to be slapped because | fesl an {emotional conection to a vdeo game? Do 1? Rick Via email

In a word, Rick, yes. If a player feels а strong emotional connection to the ‘storyline of a game and the ending leaves them teary-eyed, that's great. We've had moments like that. But you're not talking about the culmination of countless hours of ‘gameplay or a deep and engrossing story. You're talking about blubbering over a

%0-second announcement trailer. That's not ‘emotional investment; it's the blind fanati- cism of an undiscerning Twilight fan, and that's pathetic - especially when it's coming from journalists.

It's Still Gross А couple issues back someone questioned why АО games weren't avalable to purchase. Gl sad a sexually expict game would be "gross." | fnd it highly offensive to think that you would take such ıa very immature stance on this. Sex is beautiful ‘and pleasurable and banned from shelves, but Kicking a man into the ar and shot-gunring him inthe testicles is on pre-order | feel you ought to ђе ashamed for taking such a stance. Often men have no abity to have adult relationships with women. If a developer can create a vilain who murders people with a surgical scalpel, | should Бе able to create a tense sexual situation with a beautiful woman (or man), and have it be consid- ered just as "maturo."

Anonymous

Via email

Don't fool yourself. Video games don't receive AO ratings for beautiful and mature depictions of love-making; they receive the. rating when they are treated like pornog- raphy. Video games are at their best when. they use intriguing stories and challenging. gameplay to deliver an experience that is intellectually stimulating and entertaining. Sex-driven titles are something that not only hinder your “ability to have adult rela- ‘tionships with women," but also reinforce the old stigma that gamers are a bunch of asocial and awkward losers. Games

Mass Effect and Heavy Rain can continue to incorporate sexuality into their portrayal о! complex characters, but when it comes to sexual gratification, turn off your system and look elsewhere for a good time.

Are there any good елдо games hat adults would enjoy”

Nope.

Do you prefer D Pepper or Root Beer

Dr. Popper. Why did you negect o cover

fcr gano ttie here) nte Ei” We are biased against

the things that you love the most.

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af heir own in an efft to get Dan to stap into a fancy restau- rant (Right) Ben and Dead Space 25 Steve Papoutsis meet up at Gamescom. Ben's best efforts to look tough were thwarted thanks to that purse. hescanying

feedback 13

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very into gar

nes. In fact, they ridicule me for king them so much, and I'm staring to feel a bit alone out here, I know I'm not the only person who cares about storyines so much, but Id just ike Josh Moncriet Via email

[Onone MIRA sosh, your tenas are ios. Lucky tor

you, in а few years you'll have a bunch more ЕН story-driven games to play, which might still be inappropriate for your age now. We sug- TIL gest using the time until then to find a less dim-witted crowd to hang out with

t Please Them All ding Ted P n issue 208, Е = ind would just like to say that | for or

more previews than reviews, Honesty do

subscribe to Gl to see : games that | most

thanks to yo

keep the Matt в. Pittsburgh, PA

We received quite a few responses to Ted's insistence that we focus more on reviews. Danny Rui than previews, both supporting and argu- V il ing against his stance. Since no one can

seem to agree on the issue, we're just going

to keep doing whatever the hell we want.

‘Thanks for the feedback, guys! 7

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DESTINY IS NEVER LEFT TO CHANCE. Play as Terra, Ventus, and Aqua - three friends with a common dream who find themselves in the middle of a crisis affecting worlds far beyond their own. Their destinies will unfold across memorable Disney worlds in three intertwining stories, Secrets will be unraveled and friendships will be tested. The KINGDOM HEARTS saga starts here.

IT «> http://na.square-enix.com/khbbs SQUARE ENIX.

Enemy of the state

The Supreme Court is hearing a case legislating the sale of video games to minors. Why should you care?

This fall is an important season for the video game industry. Blockbuster titles like Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will arrive. Sony and Microsoft will introduce new motion-controlled peripherals. But another major event is also on the docket: the industry's day at the biggest court in the land. For the first time, video game legislation restricting the sale of video games to minors is going before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Entertainment Software Association has successfully contested the California law as unconstitutional on first amendment free speech grounds twice already. We've seen these types of laws proposed and defeated for years, so why is this one any different? We went to

both sides of the argument to find the answer.

What's the law say?

“The Сайопта bil demands that violent video games be marked with a two-inch square label on the front of the box. Retailers that sell those games to minors would be lable for up to $1,000 per violation. Take a big game on its release date and a bad sales clerk, and that ‘could add up toa hefty chunk of change.

The law eschews Ihe ESRB rating system, ‘and demands a separate set of descriptors be applied. И describes a violent game as ‘one in which “tha range of options available 10 a player includes kiling, maiming, етет. bering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human being.” The bil also details what it ‘means by each of those words and extends

its description to include characters with "sub-

stantially human characteristics," ‘According to the bil, а game fal under the law fa reasonable person, considering the game as a whole, would fd it appeals to а deviant or morbid interest of minors..tis patently offensive to prevailing standards in the ‘community as to what is suitable for minors.,

‘ot causes the game, as a whole, to lack seri- ous literary, artistic, political, or scientifc value for minors.”

If some red flags are popping up as you read those descriptions, you're not the only one, The ESA has some problems as well.

What's at stake?

Game informer asked ESA spokesman Fich “Taylor about the challenges the bill presents.

10 the gaming dus “Do you want the gov- оттеп even beginning to get into the area. ‘of deciding what can and can't be sold and marketed, ond ultimate, what can and cant be created” Tor asked. "As someone who enjoys video games, do you believe that fom of ‘rete entrtanmant deserves to same con- ‘моли protections aforded to books, fms, and musc, and other forms of popular enter tainment? Why should this incredibly dynamic industry be treated differently?"

To many gamers, he law sounds redundant. After all, the ESRB already labels M-rated eres, and reales regulary enforce them, This

law would compícate the relationship between Publishers, retailers, and gamers, "If you're a retailer, you want to be able to sell the products that come to your store without fear of poten- {ily being on the wrong side of the law.” Taylor Sumises. "The easier course might be to not сапу that game at al. And when retalors make that decision, it means there aro fewer places. to sel that game for those that create them." ‘Connecting the dots gels easy from there on ‘out, Game publishers and developers need o. ‘make money to produce new games and turn аркой. I retailers won't sella game for fear of legal penalties, the ikethood of those games being made decreases.

Moreover, the ESA has concerns about the precedent set by the law, both in terms of future video game legislation, as wel as imitations set оп other forms of media. "rs a law that would treat creative works in a way that's inhospitable 10 the frst amendment,” Taylor continues. “That's а very dangerous place for our country to be considering heading,”

connect 19

20

The Other Side

But are all those arguments legitimate? The California law isn't concerned with other ‘mediums – only video games. And from the perspective of the state, f the readers can't ssuccesstuly enforce their own sales imitations, how wilit ever learn without a penalty? That's the point of view espoused by the office of Calfornia State Senator Leland Yee, the bills original author. We spoke with Yee's chief of staf, Adam Keigwin, for some clarification. "Whats at stake is whether states have the right to pass laws that may restrict what is harmful to kids,” Keigwin says, “In the past, the courts have ruled in favor of protecting chidren оп so many issues. There's certainly a heck of a lot less evidence that pornography has any harm to kids, and yet they have ruled that we сап limit their access to pornography. They vê. ruled time and again that we can fmi children's access to several things: drivers Icenses, firearms, the death penalty, ife without parole sentences in certain cases, tobacco, alcohol.” Citing studies that draw connections between real Ие violence and the playing of violent video ‘games, California hopes the Suprema Court wil lean on the side of child protection.

But why is a law necessary? The ESA claims to have one of the strongest entertainment ratings organizations in any medium, “We

take great pride in the Entertainment Software Ratings Board,” Taylor says. "The Federal Trade ‘Commission looks at movie ratings, music label ing. and video game ratings every two years or so. Consistent, and increasingly so, t says that the ones that are doing the best job in educat: ing and being clear at the real level is the video game industry”

Citing the same organization, Keigwin high- lights some very diferent findings. “At tha time thal they passed this law, a federal trade com- mission study showed that well over half the kids 14-16 years old were able to purchase ultra- Violent video games,” he claims, “That number has improved, and Il give the industry credit for that, Wih that said, its stil nearly 30 percent of young kids that are able to purchase ulra-violent Video games."

Keigwin also isn't satisfied wth the way games are classified in the frst place. The rat ings system itso is flawed. They have an AO rating - they don't use it even though the AO description says hat its for extreme violence. They've never rated а game AO based upon

violence, So why have t? it sends the wrong message to parents who look at an М game and say: ‘Oh, well fit was so bad it would have gotten an AO rating. A parent doesn't know that a game has never been rated AO. Thats the problem. "Mature" is a very ambiguous tem." The ESA takes issue with this ine of reason ing, citing the detaled descriptions that accom: pany each rating, and proposes another solution that avoids treading into legislation. "We think ‘government efforts should be focused on joining vith us to ensure greater understanding and use of our system, because its the parents - not the ‘government, and not the gaming industry - that should make decisions about what games are ‘suitable for their chidren,” Taylor declares.

Unanswered Questions

Regardless of how the Court rules, a plethora of unresolved issues remain cloudy, Specifically, how wil California enforce this new law?

"The law ваї presents many unanswered ‘questions and many dangerous precedents in ts construction,” Taylor tels us. "I think that's the reason that the courts that have looked at it unt now have said with no equivocation that this is an unconstitutional taw. | would say to rect that back to Mr. Yee and those in support of the law, including the governor of Calfomia, who appealed this up to the court”

We took his advice, and Yee's chit of staff offered a simple answer. "If they rule in our favor, the law just gets to go into effect," Keigand says. “I don't see the video game industry strug- ging over this, although you would think they may, because they are fighting this so hard. So you think they must be making alot of money off ot sales to kids”

The seemingly straightforward implementation. of the law is where things get асу Calfomia is fundamental opposed to the ESRB approach, so that system won't be used to determine. "Which games aro deemed violent or not. Instead, each indvidual publsher would need to make those decisions based on the wording of the law and hope that they're not in violation. Would a Trated miitary shooter be considered inap- propriate because it includes depictions of kiling another human? How about the Кто of aliens - are the Covenant sufficiently humanike to be protected under the law? Does killing zom- bies count considering they re already dead? lts tempting to be fippant, but that's exactly the point. These off-hand examples ilustrate the dilemma that would face game makers if the law were upheld

There's also the issue of downloadable gaming. Calforia’s law specifcaly addresses retail releases. However, services Ike Xbox Live alow purchasers to buy M-rated games, leav: ing it up to parents to set parental controls if they want to imit the games their chidren can purchase. ist fair to hold downloadable games. to a diferent standard, when sometimes the ‘games avaiable online are identical to those sold

in stores?

Then there's the potential avalanche of similar laws in other states and the undue stress that ‘would place on game creators, Eleven states formally support Calfornia's case - Connecticut, Florida, Hawaî, Ninos, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia. Ifthe law passes, other similar laws could be passed in those and other states. ‘Would each state have its own definition of game violence? Would each require a diferent

sticker on the box? Would publishers be respon эбе for keeping track of each set of statutes in ‘order to legally sel ther games?

Regardless of tha courts ruling, one overriding question behind the disagreement remains - are

violent video games а negative infuence on chi dren? Сайта has numerous studies they've Submitted that claim they do, and the game industry has evidence to the contrary. “The Violent crime rate among youth has descended almost as fast as our industry has grown,” Taylor says. "Now meda is often greeted skepticaly and hostlely by some, and we're no diferent.”

Make Your Voice Heard

No matter how you feel about the law in ‘question, gamers owe it to themselves to get involved. f he presence of this law before the ‘Suprema Court isn't a wake-up cal, ts hard to row what wil be.

If you're displeased with the way the ESRB rates and retailers sell video games, contact the organizations and let them know how they should improve. Alternately, if you sympathize with the ESA and believe video games deserve 10 be protected speech Ike any other form of art or entertainment, then you may want to look into the video game voters network (vid 'eogameuoters.org)

“There are over 200,000 registered voters who are game enthusiasts, who are keeping track of pokey as it relates to computer and video games,” Taylor says. "I someone comes up with a misguided, unconstitutional, hostie pro- posal, the network contacts them. That speaks louder to а policy maker or a pofician: to hear {rom constituents that say ‘| disagree on your stance on that. If that 200,000 number were to become a milion or more, it would be the kind of number and voice that would make clear to leg- islators at the local, state, and federal level that gamers are engaged. Gamers are paying atten- tion, and they're going to register their satisfac- tion ог cissatistacton at the balot box.”

One milion gamers is about one quarter of the people who read this magazine every month. Its about an eighth of the players who bought the last Сай of Duty game in the frst week of its release, It's less than a tenth of people who currently hold Word of Warcraft ‘accounts. I's not an unattainable number, зо И gamers want to prove they re more than disconnected stereotypes that never come out of their mothers’ basements, then its time to step up and be counted.

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amescom 2010

А weeklong celebration of gaming in Germany

Europe puts on a gaming confe: groundbreaking

of Cologne in western Germany in late August to celebrate their shared pas

се every year that dwarfs

E3 – in size and attendanc

е, if not in

news and announcements. Over a quarter million gamers descended upon the city

sion for gaming, dem-

onstrating an enthusiasm that rivals any region in the world. Join us for a tour through Gamescom

2010's highlights.

he halcyon days of E3 never approached Ins scale, as Gamescom is as much of a festival and celebra. tion for the fans as tis an industry event for publishers, their business ‚Partners, and the press. Tho Kölnmesse, an enormous mult-bulding meeting complex that Sprawis across the eastern bank of the Rhine rive, s saturated with milions of dolars worth ої electronics, scantiy clad booth babes, suited businessfok, and swag-toting, wide-eyed ‘gamers. In contrast to ES's 18-and-over admit tance policy, Gamescom alows anyone over 12 into the show - though anyone without a press ог exhibitor badge has to wear a wristband that ‘gates their access to content that Germany's USK ratings board puts into the 16+ or 18+ ‘categories. Much of Gamescoms fan popula- tion falls into the sub-18 age bracket, and their boundless fervor lends the show a particular ‘energy. All of the developers we spoke to about

the issue enthusiastically welcomed the chance To connect with their younger fans, even at the price of having to send ай of their show floor emo material through the notorious strict USK rating process,

While ЕЗ is swallowed whole by the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles even in years when the Lakers aren't fishing out a dramatic МВА Finals against the Celtics, Gamescom seemingly takes over half of Europe. From the customs official in Amsterdam who guessed ош destination as soon as he laid eyes on us to nearly every clerk, waiter, driver, and concierge in Cologne, the бик of the native Europeans we met were at least aware of the show. Cologne itself sported more signage for Gamescom than for its football cub, which was opening its Bundesliga (the top-level German soccer league) schedule. The massive train station that sits in the shadow of the Gothic cathedral in the city's heart was full to bursting with Gamescom

attendees, 15 dozen-plus platforms over crowded for the hours surrounding the shows ‘opening and closing every day.

Outside the Kólnmesse's north entrance, bungee jumping and something called BossaBall - think volleyball played on an enor- ‘mous air mattress - contributed to the carnival atmosphere. Skaters and ВМХ riders drew ‘crowds with aerial antics. Inside the conven- tion center sell, everything from hair salons to reck-cimbing walls entertained attendees whose eardrums needed a break from the ‘overpowering cacophony of the show floor ог whose noses could no longer handle the miasma of a few hundred thousand sweaty bodes packed together. Gamescom 2010 s a neon counterpoint to the outmoded notion that video games are the sole province of pizza- faced basement dwellers,

connect 23

A look at the future

Gamescomis close proximity to the a-important holiday season means that many companies. ‘choose to announce new products at E3 instead, but there was significant news at the show on many fronts nonetheless.

‘Sony used its leadership postion in Europe = the PlayStation 3 is surpassing ог at least оп equal footing with the 360 and Wi there, depending on which sot of numbers you look at- to throw a hell of a press conference. The ‘company announced ambitious plans for ñs Eurape-specifc video streaming service, PlayTV, plus a new movie streaming app called Миы. It gamered awards for Gran Turismo 5, expanded its catalog with Mass Effect 2 coming to PS3, debuted Insomniac's new Ratchet & Clank:

Al 4 One, teased the developer's upcoming Resistance 3, and blew out the Move launch even more with a playable demo of Heroes on. the Move (see page 32 for our reviews of the Мое launch тешр).

‘Anecdotally, the Sony booth always seemed packed (even by Gamescom standards) and the level of fan enthusiasm for the PS3 seemed а step beyond typical Amarican reactions. For Americans used to seeing Sony forced into. damage control ever since Kaz Hals disas- "ous "Five hundred and ninety-nine US. dol lars!" proclamation, the company's confident Gamescom presence could be jarring.

Microsoft showed bits af new content for Fable Пала Halo: Reach, but the company's Clear priority was Kinect (soa page 64 for an extensive hands-on report on the device). Клос! Gamescom showing was head and shoulders above its uneven ES presence, and the fans seemed to be into it — we saw a large crowd gathered around alive Dance Central demo in the middle of Cologne's shopping ds trict. Similarly to Sony, though, it was strange то see Microsoft in such a different role than it swaggering ЕЗ demeanor,

Nintendo won awards for Kirby's Epic Yarn апа plenty more praise for new Epic Mickey content shown at its booth, but that was the extent of the company's impact on Gamescom. ‘The highly anticipated DS wasn't playable on. the show floor, oniy in private meeting rooms. The Wi and DS are both hugely successful in Europe, just as they aro in the U.S, and Japan, but Nintendo didn't come out swinging with any- thing terrbly now and exciting in Cologne, BioShock Infnite's coming-out party (seo this ‘months cover story on page 48 for much, much. more) cored everyone lucky enough to see i but beyond that there wasn't much in terms. ‘of announcements. Third-party publishers and developers more than made up for the lack of new product in the form of meaty updates to previously shown tiles, though, Buletslorm, Ciiizaton V, Dead Space 2, Sire Fighter X Tekken, Dragon Age 2, Guild Wars 2, Crysis 2, Knight's Contract, and much more al debuted significant new chunks of content to the delght (of the European attendees.

Cultural differences power innovation

Seeing what companies focus on а! Gamescom, and how the fans react to various tiles, is a fas- ‘cating commentary on the differences between European and American interests. EA capping its press conference with an in-depth look at FIFA 11 or Konami focusing on its Pro Evolution ‘Soccer franchise в hardy unexpected. Likewise, the prevalence of PC gaming - an entire exhibit hal was dedicated to MMOs, and broadcast

TV airs advertisements for free-to-play onine games - is no surprise. A bizarre tractor simula- tion commanding as much floor space as Super ‘Scrbblenauts, on the other hand, is baffing to US, sensbiities.

The European gaming community's love of PC games and strategy tiles is well-documented, but seeing it in action drives the point home. The Witcher 2 was received well enough by critics ЕЗ, but the Gamescom response was at the level we Americans reserve for a Resistance or a Dragon Age. байа Wars 2 may not have eclipsed ‘Star Wars: The Old Republi, but it was a ot Closer than you would've thought. The Blizzard. ‘booth was jammed with muti-hour wait times {rom the doors opening on day one tothe secu: rity guards shoving everyone out at tho very end ‘of the show. Ovilzation V may as well have been God of War judging by the fan response.

"The dilrences between European and. American tastes aren't as drastic (and occa ‘Sonaly hilarious) as the gui between us and the Japanese, but the divergence is no less important, Tho fact that Europeans go nuts for a werd PC-only Russian-developed King's Bounty remake means that we got King’s Bounty Armored Princess, one of Game Informer top. 50 games of 2008. ArenaNet has a hugely long leash and massive budget for making Guld Wars 2 the best ММО they can because of the frst game's strong European support - Guid Wars sold roughly as much in Europe as in the U.S, Gamers around the world benefit hom a breadth of interest that allows a wide variety of games.

10 be proftable, and the cultural differences. between the L.S., Europe, and Japan are a huge part of that.

The story of Gamescom 2010 from an American perspective is one of cultural dif ferences and surprising priorities as much as a blast of gaming news. If there's one thing 10 bo learned from spending a week sur- rounded by developers, publishers, and fans. in Cologne, it's that gaming is developing into a universal language that binds people around the globe around a shared passion, And that's a beautiful thing. 6

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly N

Fable I might have some new # above), but its also losing the

‘game's online auction пох

created weapons won't be

final product, ike in the fully this is the only feature in being yanked, otherwise things

‘Stan Lee is one of the ‘most influential geeks of our time. As the father of

Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four the

Incredible Hulk, and numer-

aus others, Lee's work

has helped shape popular culture as we know it today. As the hardest working 87-year-old in the enter- tainment industry, he's not done shaping pop culture yet Lee has his hands in comic books, television, and movie production, plus he often aids the develop- ‘ment of Marvel Comics" video games, Activision. recently tapped Lee for Marvel Ultimate Aliance and Spider-Man: Shattered,

Dimensions (see our review

‘on page 87). What does. Stan Lee think of how

his characters have been portrayed п games? Does. he ever play them? We sat down with Lee to find out.

AN INTERVIEW WITH

When someone starts making a game based on one of your Marvel propertie how involved do you usually get?

I try to get involved in some way. | either narrata it or do voiceovers somewhere in the дате, or | ust talk to the developers about the characters and give them story sug- gestions when they're just getting started. I'm a real busybody.| like to poke my nose into everything; they can't get rid of me, Obviously, I'm here for Activision because they have this great new game with four Spider-Mans, and I'd forgotten I'd even. done it, but they told me that | narrated the game. [Laughs]

You created a lot of these characters nearly 50 years ago, and now they are featured in movies, TV shows, and video games. How does it feel watch- Ing your characters explode across popular culture?

Ili show you why I'm a lousy interviewee;

I'll answer that question. | feel great. [Stops and waits for next question] Actually, it's amazing. Years ago we never would have thought that some day I'd be interviewed. by journalists because | was involved in. Spider-Man, because in the early days it was ‘embarrassing to even tell people you wrote ‘comics: They were considered the bottom Tung of the literary world. Now everything has changed. Now | walk into a room and. ‘somebody sees me and they say, “excuse те President Obama, | think | have to talk to Stan Lee.” | think the movies and the video {games have helped so much in making these characters world famous. So every- body does the work and | take the credit.

Your likeness has been put into comics, films, and now video games. How did you like being put into а game?

You know, | was just annoyed that | didn't have the starring role. But honestly it was. great. | guess l'm a ham. | love being in the games, I love doing my cameos in the movies and television. | guess I'm a frustrated ham. Although these days I'm not so frustrated, because I'm getting the. cameos. [Laughs.]

Do you ever play any of the games fea- turing your characters?

You know something? | was hoping you wouldn't ask that. | have to tell you, | have never played a video game. Although actu- ally, years ago when they made the Hulk video game, | went to visit the studio, and

1 was sitting with the guy who made the Hulk game, and he said, "Come on, Stan, III show you how to play.” And | thought, "Well there's no way | can't do better than this kid." So | said, "fine," and he took the con- trol, and suddenly Hulk was on the screen. fighting people, and the developer was moving his arms around making the Hulk run up buildings and doing all these crazy things, but when | tried it the Hulk just sort of stumbled around and swatted at a few people. It was embarrassing. I've never had the time for games. | wish | could, because | enjoy looking at them, and I marvel at