Games News: May 29th

Modern Warfare 3 Gameplay Trailer Released - The first gameplay trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released this week, showing battles taking place in New York, Paris and London. The game’s release has been set as November 8th, in time for the holiday season, and will likely be shown off more at next month’s E3. Some organisations have slammed the trailer, which features in one part a tube train being attacked by a pickup truck in a subway, as being insensitive with regards to the 7/7 attacks. Considering, however, that this trailer depicts a London not just under attack from terrorists, but an invading force (presumably Russian, given Modern Warfare’s track record), the concerns seem to be not quite founded in reality. Regardless of any controversy (perhaps you remember the infamous “No Russian” airport level from Modern Warfare 2), the game will doubtless break sales records and be considered Game of the Year by many.

Activists unhappy with Nintendo's 3DS Legalese - Anti-DRM (Digital Rights Management) campaign group Defective By Design is sending Nintendo of America's offices 200 cardboard bricks in protest of the company's legal policy towards the 3DS. The End User Licence Agreement for the 3DS (which you can read here) has a clause where Nintendo is free to access, alter and redistribute any user content made using a 3DS (including Miis created, pictures taken, etc.). While not inherently detrimental, it's a clear example of the level of control and ownership a company has over its products, and anything made using them. Defective By Design's fault with this policy isn't unique to just Nintendo, similar language is used in Agreements for LittleBigPlanet and Halo: Reach. While it doesn't automatically mean game companies are using your content as they please, awareness of where your rights lie is definitely a good thing.

Shinobi makes a stealth appearance on 3DS - The Shinobi series games have been jewels in the Arcade and Sega Mega Drive crowns, and I feel bad that I didn't include its protagonist in last week's 10 Favourite Ninjas selection. The Shinobi series has been consistent in its action-platforming, liberal use of throwing knives, silly Ninja Magic, and incredible music. Shinobi 3DS is a return to the classic form after the less traditional XBox/PS2 reboot. The speedy, reaction-challenging gameplay returns, and the graphics, while undemanding, look suitably stylised and should work well with the 3D. Here's hoping the music is also on par with the originals.

Ace Attorney Movie in Production - The Ace Attorney series is set to get its first movie, after it was revealed this week that director Takashi Miike, apparently famous for the particularly violent Ichi the Killer, was working on the project. The film is set to be a “light comedy”, something which rather suits the games, though they can at times dip into rather darker territory. It’s going to happen really, when it’s a game about murder. Photographs so far revealed seem to suggest that the movie will be based on the first game in the series, showing a lake, as well as some promotional images of fictional superhero The Steel Samurai. The film is scheduled for a “spring 2012” release in Japan, with no word on a subtitled/dubbed version for the west, though the likelihood of that is in doubt, given CAPCOM’s current decision not to localise the latest instalment in the game franchise.

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