Interviews | Call of Duty World At War

David Suarez Talks COD World At War And Why Dead Nazis Are Good For Sales

Ach du lieber! If it seems like you can’t point a virtual MG42 without sparking off an invasion of Poland or accidentally winging some poor Kraut in the wiener schnitzel these days, blame game designers. They still haven’t tired of defecating on Hitler’s grave. And who can blame them? Shooting at Hitler (and his minions) equals game sales. The last year alone has brought such gems as Turning Point, Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway and Sudden Strike 3 just to name a few, not including My SAT Coach, which actually boasts the tagline, and we quote, “Train tomorrow’s master race!”*

Thankfully for holiday shoppers determined to hang a few Nazi ears from the family tree, Activision will offer an express ticket back to the front when Call of Duty: World at War (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) ships November 11. A chronological step back for the franchise, which made the jump from 1940s-era engagements to contemporary battles in its last iteration to the tune of countless awards and 10 million copies sold, kind of made me wonder “why mess with a good thing?” New additions like Pacific theater setting, four-man online co-op, vehicle-based multiplayer and flamethrower-fueled orgies of destruction aside, how many times can players re-take Iwo Jima before spewing their K-rations? Executive producer Daniel Suarez weighs in to plead the game’s case, and talk drugs, deviant sex, Kraftwerk and more…
* Disclaimer: Not true, but that’s probably what they were thinking.
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Interviews

You Don’t Know Crap About FIFA

As far as headlines go, the above might be a little broad. But trying to fit, “FIFA producer David Rutter’s soccer sim knowledge pisses on your soccer sim knowledge from a great height” into a header was just too ambitious if not more precise. PlanetXbox360 caught up with Rutter, who has produced 12 other soccer sims in his career, to talk about FIFA 09 specifically the massive 10 v 10 online play. And just so you know, the mongloid above (reproduced with striking detail) is Wayne Rooney. Read the rest of this entry »

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Interviews

Cliff Bleszinski On Gears 2, Re-Enacting The Miller Lite Catfight With Ted Price

Gears of War 2 is finished and ready for its November 7th debut on Xbox 360. To help fuel the ramp up Microsoft hosted an exclusive San Francisco event for journalists to play through every portion of the game, including the new campaign. Cliff Bleszinski, lead game designer at Epic Games, walked around the Sheraton Fisherman’s Wharf ballroom as 30-plus HD TVs broadcast his latest creation. In between watching game journalists blast their way through (and underneath) Sera, he took some time to talk about Gears of War 2, why some gamers expect him to go nipple to nipple with Ted Price in a fountain, and his thoughts on David Jaffe. As usual, Bleszinski had plenty to say. Check out the full interview after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Cliff Bleszinski, Cliffy B, David Jaffe, Epic, Gears of War 2, interview, Ted Price | No Comments »

Interviews | Blitz The League II

Midway’s Jacob Beucler On The Harsh Reality Of Blitz The League II

It will be a shame if Blitz: The League II doesn’t get the respect it deserves. The late hits, ménage a trois cut scenes and mini games that revolve around injecting players with painkillers could blind gamers and critics to the fact that Blitz is as fair a representation of the NFL as Madden. The shock of watching virtual vertebrae explode following a three-man collision could very well make gamers overlook the level of work and detail that went in to making those bones look so real as they splinter. But anyone who calls the violence in Blitz over the top needs to watch Arizona Cardinal Anquan Boldin get his sinuses caved in courtesy of Jets defensive backs Eric Smith and Kerry Rhodes.

Everything from the violence to the off-field depravity never strays too far from the truth. “This is hardcore football,” says senior associate producer Jacob Beucler, “We don’t feel like it’s lowest common denominator. We’re bringing it back. We’re showing this is how shit can roll when you’re playing with the big boys.” On top of it all, the game looks fun as hell to play. Hit the jump and let Beucler shed some light on everything from Midway execs clamoring to keep in references to the Dirty Sanchez to the level of effort that went into to making the clavicles shatter like it’s Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »

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Interviews

The Regginator Discusses The Logic Behind Denying American Gamers The DSi

X-Play correspondent Dan Hsu got a chance to grill Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime on the lag time between the announcement of the new DSi and its arrival sometime after April 2009. Fils-Aime does his best to defuse the situation saying that Nintendo has to appease its Japanese market first before turning Mario’s mustache to the west. According to the Regginator, Chrono Trigger and Pokemon will be more than enough to appease American DS fans for the next eight or nine months. Apparently Nintendo is also counting on DS owners to give away their old DS Lites once the DSi finally arrives. To bask in the full wisdom of the Regginator, hit the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

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Interviews

Mila Kunis On Her New Role In Max Payne, Madden, And WoW Nubs Who eBay

When it comes to gaming, there are actresses who show up to the occasional Los Angeles game launch event for photo ops, and then there’s Mila Kunis. The star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, lives and breathes video games. She’s already acted in a game, voicing Tanya in the original Saints Row. She and her boyfriend Macaulay Culkin own every current console and log serious hours playing Wii, PlayStation 3 and World of Warcraft at their homes in LA and New York City. So it seems fitting that Kunis is appearing in Max Payne, the latest video game adaptation flick, hitting screens October 17. Kunis took some time out to talk about her new movie and her genuine love for video games, and having a bone to pick with a few denizens of Azeroth. Hit the jump to read the full interview. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: interview, Max Payne, Mila Kunis, movie | No Comments »