What’s Your Camo Index?

June 27, 2008 on 5:56 am | In News | No Comments

Thanks to the convenient intersection of “Metal Gear Solid 4’s” release and a water gun assassination event/contest for foreigners here in Busan, I’ve spent the week peering around corners and hiding under cardboard boxes. Having finally played and completed Hideo Kojima’s epic, I at last feel free from the endless cycle of speculation/expectation that begun when the first string of next-gen blockbusters were announced. My relief is likely short-lived though; it’s summertime and that means big conventions and big announcements. Let the hype commence!

Item # 1: A Final Chapter for Snake, but not Metal Gear

If you’ve finished MGS4 (and managed to sit through the nearly 50-minute ending cutscene), you know that it’s clear Snake’s story is finished. The world of Metal Gear appears, however, far from complete as talk of a fifth installment has begun circulating, perhaps occurring somewhere in Metal Gear’s decades-long backstory. Though Kojima had previously indicated he was finished with the series, the new info suggests otherwise. From a creative standpoint, I’m a big fan of things having a definite end, but I can’t imagine Sony will let such an exclusive, cash-generating franchise just disappear. If Mario can keep rescuing the Princess ad infinitum, then surely secret agents can continue saving the world from walking nuclear arsenals.

Item #2: A Brave New World

Anyone who’s ever felt the frustration of ceaseless pre-order pressure can appreciate the idea of a one-stop digital distribution hub for games, both new and old. Valve’s Steam client is really the online reliable option at the moment for third-party distribution, but Stardock Games (“Sins of a Solar Empire,” “Galactic Civilizations II”) is looking to provide an alternative with their own service , dubbed Impulse.

Though they’ve long used a client to distribute their own games, the update released Wednesday has the support of some major third-party players, such as Epic, THQ, Gas Powered Games and AVG. For more info, check out this interview with Stardock CEO Brad Wardell.

Item #3: Atari v. Germany

As with all journalism, video game reviewers are dependent on a paycheck (indirectly) from the very companies they must sometimes criticize. Needless to say, the opportunity for conflicts of interest on either side of this equation is ripe. The latest edition of this age-old saga involves Atari, Germans and a few brave souls alone in the dark.

In essence, a German Web site 4Players used a pirated copy of upcoming Xbox 360 game “Alone in the Dark” to review the title prior to its release. Atari, publisher of said game, claims those dastardly Germans broke the law by using an illegal copy…or maybe they’re just mad about the wince-inducing 68 percent review score received by AitD. So, Atari pulled their advertising and threatened legal action.

As much as I would love to believe Atari is only concerned about pirated proliferation, theirs is substantial reason to think otherwise. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a thing (i.e. Gerstmann) and publishers regularly talk about the pressure they face from game companies for positive reviews (just ask Shoe). Further, as Kotaku notes, this game represents a significant investment for Atari and a string of poor scores could do the company some serious financial harm.