(WARNING: the above video may not be suitable for under 18s)
House of the Dead: Overkill is almost with us, and ahead of its launch next month, Sega has released a story trailer showing some more action from the grindhouse-themed rail shooter. For my money, it’s looking great, although it’s clear not everyone thinks so.
While previews have offered up some very favourable first impressions, the game’s first review isn’t entirely happy - Swedish magazine Level awarding Overkill a paltry 3/10. And particularly in an issue where the awful Lord of the Rings: Conquest gets 6/10, that’s not good news. Of course, it may be that Level aren’t fans of the lightgun shooter in general, or perhaps the game is a little short (but then aren’t all games in this genre?)
Either way, I’m still looking forward to Overkill, although perhaps a little more cautiously than I was. It’s due out on Friday 13th February in Europe, and the slightly less spooky date of the 10th in North America.
According to GI.biz, the BBFC is happy to see a bit of the old ultraviolence on Wii, as Platinum Games’ brutal monochromatic brawler MadWorld has been passed without cuts.
The game will come with a big old circular 18 sticker on the box, though. The Sega-published title was awarded that certificate for its “very strong, stylised, bloody violence”.
Details on the BBFC site suggest that the game’s cutscenes run to a total of forty-nine minutes, so while MadWorld will have some kind of story, it’s evidently not going to interrupt the bloodletting for too long.
MadWorld will be released this March in the US and PAL territories, and looks a bit tasty, though I’ve heard doubts expressed over its depth. Expect more news nearer to the release date, and I’ll bring you the official WiiWii.tv verdict as soon as I get my hands on a copy.
KVue.com has a piece up about a new federal law from 10th February which will make it illegal to re-sell “any used children’s products, including toys and clothing”. This could potentially have serious ramifications for preowned games.
It might not seem too significant at first glance, but it’s being reported here that the ban could include “videos, computer and electronics products”.
The law is being brought into force after the US Consumer Protection & Safety Commission reported that dozens of toys had been recalled in 2008 because of concerns about lead poisoning. This means that “toys, clothing and other items used by children under 12 will be subjected to
lead testing and will have to have labels on them to prove that they have passed inspection”, says KVue.com.
It’s not yet clear whether this act is all-encompassing, but certain major US stores rely so heavily on second-hand sales that it seems likely prices will be forced upwards, or shops will go out of business. And eBay is likely to be seriously hit, too - as someone who has imported toys in the past for my son, it seems I won’t get the opportunity to buy used goods for much longer.
I’m sure we’ll hear more about this nearer the time the law comes into force - it could be that videogames won’t be affected, but if they are, expect this news to snowball over the next few weeks…
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