You see that frowny face SackBoy is making in the above picture? That's because he's sad that Sony and MediaMolecule have decided to launch LittleBigPlanet on October 21st despite the fact the online co-op mode is not ready. Wait..What?!?!
Open world games are a natural fit for Co-Op, and while games like Crackdown got it right, some other big name games sort of missed the boat. This why we are excited about Saint's Row 2 from Volition which features a game designed with 2 player co-op in mind from the get go. We got to ask James Tsai, Saints Row 2 Lead De...
Beyond Co-Op is where we talk about other news around the industry that isn’t necessarily tied to co-operative gaming. Each week will see the subjects of the column listed on the front page with more in-depth discussion after the break. If you have any suggestions, please contact us at tips@co-optimus.com with a subject related to “Beyond Co-Op”.
Bad news if you were planning on co-op-ing some Duke Nuke 3D on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday when it's released with your buddy over in Japan. According to George Broussard's Twitter the game has been given an Adults Only rating equivalent there and therefore will not be released via Xbox Live Arcade in the Japanese region.
Did you know developers are more popular than Hollywood celebrities? The paparazzi that follows these folks around are INSANE. Denis Dyack can't even poop without it being blogged about. Ok, so I made that all up. But developers are pretty cool dudes, and they are all gamers at heart. And even though Denis Dyack enjoys the luxury of a private bathroom, you did get to co-op Too Human with him last Friday night. What's that? You missed it? Well I've got good news then, there's another co-op title available to play this weekend with its developers, Grand Theft Auto IV.
The "PixelJunk" series of titles that have come out on the PlayStation Network have all been truly unique titles. From a slot car racer, to a different take on desktop tower defense, both Racers and Monsters were solid games; the latter even supporting co-op play.
So, you got Wii Fit. You played it regularly, didn't you? The Balance Board never collected dust in the closet, or behind the couch, at all. You're probably looking trim and slim even as you view this news item. What's that? You didn't stick with it? Dust bunnies the size of a small elephant are the only ones using the Board? Yeah, me too. It looks like that may change later this fall, perhaps. Shaun White Snowboarding is coming soon for the Wii, and pretty much all the other platforms, too. However, it's the Wii version that piqued my interest. First of all, the game will support the Wii Balance Board. That seems natural to me, since the skiing minigames were my favorite part of Wii Fit by far. Of greater importance to Co-Optimus readers is this quote from IGN's preview:
Well another Co-Op Night has come and gone, and this one was a total success. Rock Band 2 works incredibly well online, and it was a piece of cake to get 4 players in on the musical action. Our band, Billy and the Bots toured the country picking up a rickety old van, and hiring some staff including our mom and some creepy kid. A lot of the staff even got to play together including Loren, Marc and myself - and my wife even joined in on the action picking up the vocals. The ability to mix local playsers and online players seemlessly is a great feature, and Harmonix should be applauded for that!
It's another Week of the GameDaily HUD, and with everyone's favorite co-op rhythm game hitting store shelves, it was an obvious focus.
The crew at Left 4 Dead 411 have received a pretty epic (exclusive) video from Valve. The video is a 10 minute HD video about the making of Left 4 Dead. The video was originally only viewable at E3, but fortunately, Valve is deciding to let it loose upon the interwebs. The ten minute video is narrated by Gabe Newell and also features an extended version of the E3 trailer. For those of you looking for the highlights of the video, L4D 411 has kindly located them for you. Some of the more interesting ones are:
Remember Feeding Frenzy? That Xbox Live Arcade title demo that came preloaded on your HDD? (At least, it was preloaded on my Christmas 2007 Xbox 360 Pro...) If you tried it, you may have experienced a light-hearted and simple-to-play game that was worth a second or third Sunday afternoon spin, but probably not a full purchase.
This week, Co-Op Classics is all about our trip to the 1984 Arcade. Last week, we gave you a little preview, and now, the full report. Which games hold up the best after 20 or so years? Which are total clunkers? Could I keep up with four 14 year old boys hyped up on soda pop and cheesburgers? (The answer to that one: not really.) Read on to find out!
