Demon’s Souls web site launches

Atlus U.S.A. has launched the full official web site for Demon’s Souls, the company’s upcoming action RPG experience for the PS3. The new site offers new content and game information, with updates planned from now until the game launches. Atlus promises that, over time, new details will be revealed about the various characters and demons players will encounter and weapons and spells at their disposal, as well as tips on character growth to aid players in quests.

Atlus also promises in-depth explanations on the groundbreaking online gameplay system, content from the official Demon’s Souls blog and Wiki pages, up-to-date news and coverage, and much more. Fans can also use a special banner code to let them “Drop a Soul Sign” on social networking sites they frequent, like Facebook.

Find the site at http://www.demons-souls.com. the game is set for launch on Oct. 6, 2009.

Peter Moore on Tiburon’s MMA title

Perhaps Peter Moore is in denial, maybe he just doesn’t know, or it could simply be that he doesn’t want to talk about it, but the recent tirade by Dana White seems to have had absolutely no effect on the current head of EA Sports.

In a recent blog post Moore talks about EA;s mixed martial arts fighting game and even mentions his support of the old UFC games developed by Crave for the DreamCast..  but he doesn’t acknowledge the comments from UFC president Dana White who says that he is going to war with EA over signing his fighters to its game.

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The Word: Some Thoughts on EGM

Electronic Gaming Monthly is the latest casualty in an industry that is learning how to reposition itself to be more valuable in an environment where ad revenues are shifting online (television is facing a similar challenge in that arena) and the rate of information is exchanged at faster than light speeds. The days of wide eyed gamers getting their information on the latest events like the Tokyo Game Show and E3 from print magazines have been killed by sites like Kotaku, Joystiq, and yes — even Crispy Gamer and 1up.com.

While these challenges seem impossible to overcome, print magazines can and will survive. Better management, a more refined focus on content that cannot be found on the internet, interesting personalities and credibility are all important keys to future success. So yeah, it’s a real downer to see EGM go away, just like it was when TheGlobe.com put the knife in the back of Computer Games Magazine and Ziff Davis killed the excellent Computer Gaming World.

I could lament about this to infinity, but a better way to celebrate the magazine and to analyze the state of the print magazine business would be to ask some people that have actually written for print magazines. For such sage advice we turn to former EGM veteran Dan Hsu, freelancer Troy S. Goodfellow (a regular in the pages of Computer Games Magazine), Dave Long (also a CGM contributor) and Crispy Gamer’s Scott Jones (a contributor to countless magazines and newspapers prior to joining CG).

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E3 Blog - Uncle Crispy: The Live from L.A. Edition

We’re here. Well, I’m here. And Gus is here. Fudge? He’s out. Came down with a mysterious virus that makes people bear an uncanny resemblance to Don “They massacred my boy” Corleone.

Keefer? As of Sunday at 3, he’s still in the wind, stuck in the Atlanta airport in some kind of airline hell. Hopefully there’s an Au Bon Pain within six feet of him that will help to ease his pain.

The hotel still feels deserted. But no doubt that will change within a matter of hours. (The front desk clerked said that they’re sold out through the week.) My room, per E3/GDC tradition, smells like there’s a poop hidden somewhere in it. I’ve looked around the place. Even under the bed.

No poop.

You know, you get to a certain age and you feel like you deserve to stay in the kind of hotel where you don’t have to play the “Find The Poop Game.” It’s really not funny anymore.

Gus and I walked over to the Convention Center, picked up our badges, and ran into Michael McWertor from Kotaku (thanked him for their love last week on our 10 People piece) and Abbie Heppe of X-Play. I asked her if she’d ever made the mistake of referring to Morgan Webb as Morgan Freeman. Abbie said: “No. But I will now.”

So far the Convention Center seems pretty sedate. The familiar E3 logo is plastered everywhere… But remember the old days when we had fifty-foot giant-assed Spider-mans crawling on the outside of the building? E3, with its noise, and giant banners, and overexcited journalists running around, honestly, scared the shit out of me my first year here. The trademark circus atmosphere is gone now. It’s like that one fun uncle you have, who would always play with you, and tickle you practically to the edge of insanity, but who’s now no longer fun since he entered AA.

E3 hasn’t even started yet, and already it feels upstaged by the set up that’s going on for the ESPY Awards across the street. Hell, it feels upstaged by the ramshackle street fair/banana stand /flea market operation that’s going on in a nearby parking lot.

Call it…Wee3.

Posted Sunday 3:30 P.M.