PC News

So I made a couple of jokes at the expense of the new Sonic trailer this week and I started to feel bad about it. For one, presuming the trailer’s for an actual game (rumored to be called “Sonic Generations”) then it’s a noble effort by Sega to address ridiculous fan outcry so there's no sense in stirring up the trolls.

More importantly, Sonic just so happens to star in one of the FINEST GAME CINEMAS EVER MADE! Of course I’m referring to the Sonic Adventure Intro, which I struggled to recreate using spankin' new footage from Infamous 2, L.A. Noire, Duke Nukem Forever, Red Faction: Armageddon, and tons of others. See all the trailers showcased in their entirety after the jump...

L.A. Noire studio Team Bondi will soon be at the center of its own investigation, as the International Game Developers Association has confirmed it will be looking into allegations that the studio enforced “absolutely unacceptable” working conditions upon L.A. Noire staffers in order to push the sandbox detective game out the door.

(Psst - a word of advice to Team Bondi's founder Brian McNamara: avoid looking to the left during questioning)...

It takes more than bad press and negative reviews to keep the good Duke down. The video game number crunchers at NPD revealed Duke Nukem Forever was the second best-selling game of June, outgunned only by L.A Noire, which celebrated its second month at the top of the sales heap...

By now, most of you are well aware of the impressive facial technology in LA Noire. Painstaking motion capture, a zillion points of articulation… all that. But as breathtaking as they are to see in action, those hyper-accurate expressions leave the characters in LA Noire susceptible to the same awkwardness that’s been ruining family photo albums since the inception of the camera.

Since the release of LA Noire news has been spreading about its development process, and it sounds like the game was a difficult birth to say the least. Not long after the game’s launch reports started to swirl about poor working conditions during the seven years of development. Until today those stories mostly only involved former developers angry at Team Bondi studio head Brendan McNamara, but according to an unnamed source, McNamara has other enemies to worry about: his former bosses at Rockstar...

Rockstar Games announced today that LA Noire is coming to PC this fall, complete with 3D support, increased fidelity and graphical enhancements. So if non-console gamers will now be able to put on their detective hats as Cole Phelps, why can't they put on their cowboy hats with a Red Dead Redemption PC port as well? 

While in Barcelona to accept a Lifetime Achievement award, Kojima had some words to say, including commenting on recent release LA Noire. Despite not having played it yet, Kojima heaped praise on the title’s revolutionary face-capturing technology. Still, no matter how much he thinks the tech has changed gaming, don’t expect to see the process used in the next Kojima Productions game...

Our song inspiration comes from a trailer that just barely made in time for consideration. Oh, you haven't seen the Call of Duty Escalation DLC trailer?! Well, obviously we love that Rolling Stones jam, but to distinguish ourselves we chose this remix by DJ Earworm which mashes up “Gimme Shelter” with Moguai & Tocadisco “Freaks.” We think you’ll find it mixes damn well with choice cuts of L.A. Noire, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Call of Juarez: The Cartel and the newly unveiled Need For Speed: The Run. See all the trailers in their entirety after the jump...

So how exactly do you follow a massive global success like L.A. Noire? Just how does one build upon such widespread critical kudos and commercial accomplishment? Well if rumours are to be believed, you find you've pissed everyone off to the point where no-one will work with you any more, then jack it all in to join a team that makes cartoons about dancing penguins.

Seems a sound business proposal to me, and surely exactly the sort of plan that Team Bondi drafted up when going to the bank for that initial start-up loan all those years ago. Click on, and I'll explain this tumbling ball of madness yet further.