Banzaii - The blog of online games and games of Jorge Mediavilla

Apple meet expectations and filed in the U.S. today its new iPad, a sort of giant ipod that promises too much war in the world of video games.

Just as with the iPhone or iPod Touch, video games have a big role in this device, which has a next-generation chip, A4, developed at Apple that promises great graphics and superior battery life to 10 hours . It also includes speakers, accelerometers and microphone but no camera as had been speculated.

In presenting the games have been present with a version of Need for Speed ​​Shift (Electronic Arts) or Nova (Gameloft), a rather spectacular shooter.

More info: Gamememoney

Although it seemed that the crisis has come to video games. The Christmas season has been good and, despite having excellent qualifications, not what should be sold in the period's best-selling video games. This we know well at Electronic Arts (EA), which promised layoffs in the last presentation of results of the company and she has kept. It seems that it has completed the process and the nominees have to be out of the house of Big Brother John Riccitello (CEO of EA).

In the marketing department have "let go" two "historical", responsible for years of the success of franchises like The Sims and FIFA in our country. Both professionals are the cream of the department, so I do not think they have problems relocate despite the crisis. They both wish you well and encourage them to be optimistic. Every cloud has a silver lining, and sometimes it's worth a change.

As shown, Riccitello dismissing the Godfather ...

Gamesindustry also reports that there have been cuts in EA in the UK both in Marketing as PR (press). Want to reach the 1,000 layoffs worldwide and Spain finally collaborate in a process that is sold as a move that will make the company stronger , which they believe or not. Also in other departments has been low, not only marketing has been cut.

The cuts have occurred in a moment of excitement in AD, when presenting the product to journalists who have not yet been announced to users. Also just announced its new products for the Need for Speed ​​series , which was in neutral, and have even reported to have taken over the rights of Vivendi Games Bourne . Starbreeze, one of my studios fetish Riddick game , will be responsible for a project that promises.

New to Activision and SEGA

Activision also no movement after the merger announcement with Blizzard and Vivendi. After a few months you could not hear anything about it, are already being carried out restructuring, focusing on tasks and handing it to people in new challenges. From what little I know are not doing very well, but they will know ...

And we have new PR Manager SEGA is none other than Diana Radetski, former Ubisoft and Virgin. Best of luck to her.

Just the news with a catchy headline: " The video game market has grown overall in 2008 . " Well thank goodness that has grown ...

I say and I repeat: What has changed Electronic Arts (EA) scary! (Note that only philosophy I mean globally) I see gamesindustry.biz, who have decided to cancel the game because it did not reach Tiberium minimum level of quality ... The company that released "truños" as Harry Potter Quidditch, Catwoman and any other game whose name I do not remember now if not canceled games reach the lowest quality. Hold my crybaby excited about this display of power and commitment to quality of EA.

Riccitello has taken another air company Need for Speed ​​ProStreet (comparing game with a prostitute within the EA itself because it cost 70 euros per half hour of fun). This year FIFA 09 has improved exponentially, Rock Band until I cool the plastic that surrounds the game, NBA Live 09 is also good looking and dare to innovate with Mirror's Edge. Although this latest adventure may end up being a bit insulted by the opinions of reputable bloggers I read, is a commitment to innovation that I can not applaud.

Always elevate the person who is in favor of quality and innovation that has been very dark past. Even Darth Vader redeemed himself, right?

Without leaving the Guitar Hero, playing lately come new Burnout Paradise. I think the series has gained a lot with the new release, which now competes and crashes in an open world called Paradise City and I wonder what position to leave this good game Need for Speed, whose latest installment has not gotten good reviews .

The new Burnout is fun from the start. As always, the introduction and location of the game is great. Within seconds you are in Paradise City received instructions to play. The sense of speed and engine damage is very good and driving, totally arcade, very similar to Need for Speed. In every street in Paradise City have timed runs, others in which the goal is to takedowns, racing tricks that target, others in which you must escape persecution and always, at any time, you can activate the show and begin to collide with the aim of causing the most damage possible. This variety makes the game very enjoyable, but with every rise of fully licensed and have to repeat the tests, although with more difficulty. Jumps and hidden paths are also the best.

The game has gotten very good reviews and scores nine out of ten, while Need for Speed ​​has gone from seven. I also think the Criterion game is over, but the truth is that the tuning sells a lot more, even unfairly, relegating Burnout to January, the date on which hardly any quality game releases. Exit from this date means and to give up a number of holiday sales, but I guess the strategy has been to pull the next Need for Speed ​​and Burnout relegate. Games are not really that different. Throw in a Burnout tuning and have a game infinitely better than Need for Speed. Need for Speed ​​is definitely the enemy at home.

Of course, not everything is good in Burnout Paradise. For me the worst is the guidance system. When you start the race and hit the turbo is difficult to see properly and need to react very quickly. At the same time have to be attentive to the top of the screen to see if you have to twist or not. Although there are warning sounds, the truth is that if you take off the view of the car as normal is that shock and miss opportunities to win. I think this could have been solved with the classical system of arrows over the car, but you subtract realism.

Other things to improve is the ability to have real cars, the creation of the driver inside the car, the size of the city, who immediately falls short ...

Echo lot less of gameplay in which you have to get a certain number of points in pre-set clashes. It's about the only thing I played in previous editions. Something similar happened with the Need for Speed ​​Most Wanted, which I put aside the game to just have fun with the police persecuiciones.

- Special Burnout Paradise on Yahoo! Games.

If you live in Madrid and use the bus, sure you've seen shelters with advertising for Need for Speed: Pro Street. Well, some of them with a new system that allows them to make noise and throw smoke by emulating a car wheel.

The objective is to innovate and attract attention. Sure you get through the noise and smoke safe as used in the film that dismisses the marquee.

I leave the list of shelters that "smoke" and make noises:

Plaza de Callao, 25, Carranza street 2, Paseo de la Castellana, 189, Calle Goya 89, Plaza de la Moncloa, 47 Princess Street and Calle Raimundo Fernández Villaverde with Nuevos Ministries.

If you go through some of them tell me how it is made to the invention.

Update: The Need for Speed ​​campaign is giving a lot of talk. Someone in London has screwed up the background announcing the Need for Speed ​​with pictures of topless girls. These erotic models posing in a Ferrari and appeared in online erotic section of "The Sun". Finally they have realized that there is way to promote a game and have withdrawn the campaign.

- The news marquees A very real for a game: with smoke and noise in marketingnews.es.
- The news EA removes part of the publicity campaign for the new Need for Street .