Harvey Birdman grounded until 2008

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law needs some room to soar. That's the basic reasoning Capcom gave this weekend for delaying the release of Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and Wii until next year.
Capcom's senior director of strategic planning and research Christian Svensson responded to a message board post on Saturday asking why online retailers were listing the game with a 2008 launch date.
"The game is and has been finished, submitted and approved," Svensson wrote, "however we felt releasing the game on the same day 112 other SKUs released was not ideal for its chances. Retail buyers agreed."
"As such, we've opted to move the title out into a slightly cleaner release window. This will allow us to get on more shelves, do a bit more outreach to the media and hopefully get the fans in on the action a bit more."
Some of the competition Capcom hoped to get away from is actually going to be joining Harvey Birdman in 2008, as Electronic Arts today delayed Army of Two until next year as well. Both games had previously been scheduled for release on November 13.
A Capcom representative has narrowed the new release window for Harvey Birdman, telling GameSpot that the title is now expected to ship in January.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot

Manhunt 2 Producer Q&A

The Wii Remote should really come into its own with Manhunt 2. The Wii Remote should really come into its own with Manhunt 2.

Manhunt 2. The road to retail has been anything but smooth for Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2, but next week fans of the first game and attention-seeking suits alike will be able to get their hands on the game. Fascinated by both Manhunt 2 and by all of the work that has gone into earning it an M as opposed to its original AO rating, we caught up with producer Jeronimo Barrera and made with the questions.
GameSpot: So before we get started, can you fill us in on who you are and how long you've been with the company?
Jeronimo Barrera: Since the beginning. I help oversee game production.
GS: Take us back to when the game was being discussed? Why another Manhunt?
JB: Obviously we're very proud of the original Manhunt and we didn't hesitate to start working on another Manhunt when the opportunity presented itself. A big motivation was the fans. We've had games that have sold more copies, but Manhunt did well and gained a very loyal following. That, coupled with the fact we love the horror genre, made it a no-brainer for us.

GS: Why did you guys take the all-new character approach? Where did you look to for inspiration?
JB: Manhunt 2 is not a true sequel to the original story. It expands on the theme of the original. The approach was to put the player in a similar situation of having to make very hard choices about survival, but where in the original the overall goal was very clear, in Manhunt 2 we introduce a heavy psychology that makes the choices to the player much more difficult. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but let's say that Manhunt 2 offers many twists and turns to keep the player on the edge of their seat.
We didn't really draw from any one source for inspiration. We're all very proud of the original game and we were in a unique situation to draw inspiration from our own work. With making sequels to games, sometimes we continue the stories of previous games, but often we feel the story itself is more or less complete and instead we want to expand on the narrative themes and gameplay mechanics and style, which leads to sequels that are related, but not necessarily narrative sequels. We've done this with GTA--where the games are related but not but not sequels--and we will continue to use this approach.
GS: Can you give us an idea of how the game came together? Was there a set plan, or was it more organic and collaborative? How long was development?
JB: There's always a plan and it always ends up getting changed massively as the game takes shape and it's always a collaborative effort. We had the story in place early, and then it was a matter of fleshing out the game using the story as the core and building upon it. From the start we knew we had to really surpass the first game's narrative, so there was an emphasis on having the story in place before we started building the game. One thing that isn't mentioned often is that Manhunt 2 is a very story-driven game. The writers needed to work very closely with the designers to ensure that the game mechanics fit within the world we were creating and that the actions onscreen were being complemented with strong dialogue and audio. Things tend to get more organic once you have all the pieces in place, and then you have to really start critiquing your work, and sometimes that means going back to the drawing board.
GS: There have been a number of survival horror games and quite a few successful stealth action games in the last couple of years. But the original Manhunt really presented something unique in terms of combining the best of both stealth and horror gameplay. What was the motivation to continue in this vein, and what were you looking to improve on with this second installment of Manhunt?
JB: First, the original Manhunt has a very loyal fan base, and when we decided to start working on Manhunt 2 it was immediately decided that we had to stick to certain themes and mechanics to keep the original fans happy--but we also wanted to expand and surpass what the original accomplished so well. That was very difficult, but in the end we created a piece of horror fiction that is not only terrifying at times but incredibly thought-provoking in the themes that we explore.
GS: The first Manhunt went to extraordinary lengths to craft unforgettably creepy--and sometimes very funny--dialogue. The audio experience of Manhunt was quiet memorable. Care to discuss what you have going on this time regarding the audio in Manhunt 2? What have you done to surpass expectations?

JB: The real star of the game is the audio. Not only does it play an important part of the gameplay, it sets the tone and mood for every single experience we throw at the player. We learned so much from the original Manhunt and knew going into writing the dialogue what works well in the game. The emphasis [is] on making the interactions (especially of the Hunters) seem real but so twisted that we blur the lines and it truly comes off sounding psychotic and at times very funny. We hope we have surpassed expectations by maintaining the production quality all Rockstar games have and at the same time increasing the variety of situations people speak in, which aligned to improvements in the AI that should lead to a game world that feels more "alive."
But the PS2 version still has headset functionality! This really helps to enhance the experience. You'll hear Leo, and you can use the mic to make sounds that attract the Hunters. On the Wii, we use the speaker on the Wii-Mote in interesting ways too.
GS: As it was taking shape did the violence stand out at all? Did it raise any flags for anyone?
JB: Since we started out making a horror game, we knew this would be a pretty violent game. The vision for the game was very clear to everybody that was working on it. We wanted a game that created the same feelings as watching a horror movie, similar to the original game but with a greater focus on psychological horror.

GS: How violent is too violent for a game like that?
JB: Of course, that's a matter of opinion, but we always knew the game needed a truly mature storyline that wraps the whole package together and makes the player recognize what's going on. Games are all about choices regardless of content. In Manhunt 2, the question is: What decisions are your characters going to make, given a particularly dire situation, not to mention your inability to trust anyone, including yourself? We are very much of the opinion that games should be judged by the same criteria as movies as they are part of the same culture, and in terms of the horror genre the game does not strike us as particularly violent.
GS: As things were coming together how did the Wii come into the equation?
JB: The Wii version was decided on quite early on. We are excited about the Wii in general, and it's a cool way of making new experiences, although there are still a lack of story-driven games that really work well on it. We hope Manhunt 2 will help to change that.

GS: Were there any concerns on how Nintendo would react?
JB: We're a licensed Nintendo developer. They knew what we were doing. We (Rockstar) are known for our award-winning, cutting-edge adult content. I'm pretty sure Nintendo knew what to expect when they announced that we would be making games for their system.
GS: How was it working on controls for it?
JB: Incredibly fun. It wasn't an afterthought; we were developing it simultaneously to the PS2 and PSP. We couldn't be happier with the results.
GS: To dwell on the executions for a moment, can you elaborate on the new weapons and environmental executions--how does that work?
JB: The player is presented with more options than in the original. Not just by variety of weapons but also how to best use the environment. There are what we call "environmental executions"; these can be very useful when you don't have access to a weapon. For example, you only have a tin can and you can see an open manhole just off in the distance. You can throw the tin can near the manhole. The noise from the tin can will cause the Hunter to go and investigate. You can then sneak up on the Hunter and...well, I'm not going to tell you what happens next but you get the picture.
Truly shocked. I know that sounds strange since the media has played this up as the most violent piece of media ever! We still believe that the original submission was well within the bounds of an M rating.
GS: Did you ever think it would go where it did?
JB: Not at all. We made a horror game, the contents of which are more interesting than any contemporary piece of horror fiction available on any medium. We're very proud of that. If this was a book, graphic novel, or a movie we wouldn't have this conversation.
GS: How do you all feel about the focus on the game? Is it good to get the word out or are you all cautious?
JB: I'd love to have us just focus on the gameplay. It's an amazing game. In a genre were few people get it right I think we've got something really special. I think the game now is going to be an unjust target. Who knows what people's expectations are going to be now that so many strange things have transpired? But we're very proud of it. We made a compelling horror game for a mature audience. The fact people still want to pick on video games is a strange and unfortunate reality.
GS: Tell us about what the mood was when the word came it was going to be AO?
JB: We were floored. We really couldn't believe it. There seemed to be no logic behind it, given other ratings decisions they have taken recently, and given the kind of content in other contemporary media.
GS: About the changes, was there talk of simply scrapping the game? How difficult was it to agree to edits? How did you end up cutting it without affecting storytelling and pacing? How much extra work did that process entail?
JB: It never crossed our minds to scrap this. Never. The challenge became how we were going to get the game out with the vision and story intact. And I think the team did an amazing job in the end.

The problem was that we didn't really get any direction. You don't get a list from the ESRB. We stuck to our vision, and we are happy with the outcome. All the levels stayed intact. And we originally came up with the effect for the executions to show how Danny's psychosis would affect his vision during violent moments.
GS: At any point, did you all see this coming?
JB: Not at all. I knew there would be one or two out there that would be offended by this game, but we aren't making this for everybody. This is a mature title and was designed as such.

GS: Now that this is all done and the game's shipping, can you tell us about the aspects of the game you all don't want overshadowed by all the controversy?
JB: There are so many things that need to get mentioned. We've elevated every aspect of the original and added so many new cool things. The interactions between Danny and Leo. The story of these two is the stuff of nightmares! The stealth gameplay is as great as ever. The environments are very dynamic. It doesn't look or feel repetitive. The animations are top-notch. Manhunt evolved out of a weakness we felt in stealth games--that people were hiding, but they weren't afraid of the people they were hiding from. For us, the most compelling reason to hide from someone is because you are frightened of them. This was the inspiration for the original Manhunt and it remains true for the sequel--to make the player feel like they are cowering in the shadows.
GS: Given the hassle on this title do you think this might mean the end of the Manhunt series?
JB: We enjoy making them, and if you enjoy playing them there is a good chance we'll see more in the series, but only time will tell. If we feel like we can make another compelling stealth game, we will.
GS: Thanks for your time.

By Staff, GameSpot

Medal of Honor Heroes 2

Heroes 2 supports a whopping 32 players in online multiplayer matches.

The EA Nation login should help simplify getting up and running online.

Medal of Honor Heroes 2. The online-shooter category may be dominated these days by the Xbox 360 and, to a lesser extent, the PlayStation 3. But that hasn't stopped Electronic Arts' studio in Vancouver from bringing frantic, large-scale action to the Wii and PSP with the forthcoming Medal of Honor Heroes 2, which is due to hit both platforms in the second week of November. The game supports 32 players in-game across six maps, which are set across a number of World War II-esque strongholds and crater-pocked battlefields. We went a few rounds online with both versions to see how things are shaping up.

On the Wii, the game has a pretty robust control model that seems as if it will afford you precise shooting when you get past its learning curve. You move with the analog stick and aim with the remote, as per most Wii shooters. You can also go to a view that zooms in through your weapon's sights, and when you're in this view you can twist the Nunchuk left and right to subtly lean in those directions, which will naturally come in handy for firing around corners. In the single-player campaign, you'll have a powerful melee attack that requires you to thrust both controllers forward simultaneously. That attack is still available in the online mode, but as you'd imagine, it can be hard to pull off while you're engaged in a firefight. So the designers have also added a weaker one-button melee attack that won't kill in one hit but is much easier to execute.
You'll get an exceptionally large crosshair in the multiplayer game, which sometimes makes it tough to gauge where exactly you're shooting at when facing an opponent. At first, it felt as if we were emptying entire clips at our opponents and hitting only air, but after a few minutes we were able to figure out where we ought to be aiming to score effective hits. However, even a headshot won't necessarily guarantee you a kill. Often when you get a headshot, you'll see your enemy's helmet go flying, accompanied by a satisfying metal clang sound. Once your opponent is bare-headed, your shots will certainly kill, but that helmet can sometimes make the difference between life and death when the action is moving quickly.
New to the Wii game's single-player campaign is a number of gesture-based control mechanics intended to enhance the realism of the combat experience. For instance, when you want to use the bazooka, you'll have to actually hoist the Wii Remote over your shoulder before you fire, as you would the real weapon. (The Wii will look for the remote to be upside down to verify you're doing it right.) There's also a pump-action shotgun that you actually need to pump to reload after each shot--by making a pumping motion with the remote, naturally.
These gestures have made their way into the multiplayer, but in a modified form. In a multiplayer match, you're permitted to fire the bazooka from the hip for a quick response time, but you'll lose some accuracy. On the other hand, you'll have full aiming precision if you hold it up over your shoulder. You can similarly disable the shotgun-pump requirement via a menu option if that seems too laborious for you during a fast-paced multiplayer match (as it did to us). There's also a motion-based grenade-toss mechanic that has you arm the grenade, then hit the fire button to designate a rough target, and finally make a throwing motion with the remote itself. The strength of your motion here will ultimately determine the grenade's trajectory.

There will be three modes--deathmatch, team deathmatch, and capture the flag--that will occur on the game's maps, and all of them play out exactly as you'd expect. Luckily, getting into a match will be much easier than with most online Nintendo-based games. No friend codes to be seen here--instead, you'll use EA's "EA Nation" Web portal to set up an account and then log in through the game's front end itself. The EA Nation login will let you browse for running games online, and you'll be able to jump into or out of games that are running at any time, rather than being required to join a game's lobby before it starts. The PSP version's matchmaking works the same way, though it's inherently less noteworthy there because Sony's online multiplayer strictures are less severe than Nintendo's.
It looks as if EA Canada has made a real effort to get solid multiplayer into Heroes 2, especially given that the game is on two platforms that don't typically excel at online multiplayer. We'll bring you the final verdict for both the multiplayer and the game's story-driven single-player campaign when it ships in mid-November.

By Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot