Yuri Lowenthal: MCM Expo 2010 interview (part two)

“Don’t look for me in a cameo in the Prince of Persia movie, because that was something I fought tooth and nail for, and could not get in.” He says it very good naturedly, and gets a sympathy laugh. “But I did see the movie and it’s exciting, and fun. There’s a list as long as my arm of projects I’d love to be involved in. It’s a tough call when you say ‘I wish I’d played that’ because on the one hand yes, but on the other hand if you’re a fan of that then I love the way it was done, and I wouldn’t want to change it in any way. So it’s hard to say ‘I wish I had played L in Death Note’ or whatever because, you know, it was good and I liked it.

No More Heroes: 5 minutes with Rising Star Games

Now, PR types and industry professionals are always careful to appear happy and friendly to the press – but Yen Hau is the most irrepressibly cheerful man I have ever met in my life. He has the most genuine smile you can imagine, which did not leave his face for a single second. More unexpectedly still, I immediately knew that this was not being faked. I wanted to carry Yen home and keep him on my sofa, so he could cheer me up after a hard day at work.

Yuri Lowenthal: MCM Expo 2010 interview (part one)

If Kyle Hebert instantly feels like your coolest best friend – and he does – then Yuri Lowenthal instantly feels like your most famous best friend. He wields a professionally polished charm that would sit comfortably on a Hollywood A – list celebrity; a charm that says ‘I am an extremely busy man, and I only just managed to fit you into my schedule; but now that I’ve met you, I’m glad that I did’. That said, Tom Cruise never had the cajones to wear a t shirt with the word ‘geek’ emblazoned across it.

Fist Of The North Star at MCM 2010

“The game has already sold over 600,000 in Japan.” Product Manager Masa Hayashi tells me, with obvious pride. And why not? That’s an impressive figure in anybody’s book. The game launched there at the end of March, and Tecmo Koei is obviously hoping for similar success with the Western release. Masa watches people’s reactions to the playable demo carefully, including mine. He is surely aware that releasing the game outside of Japan is a gamble, and one that he hopes will pay off. As we all know, a game that shifts an impressive number of units is not necessarily a good one. How does it actually play?

MCM Expo: Quantum Theory – Hands On

Quantum Theory, coming from Tecmo Koei isn’t – as one might reasonably assume from its title – a science based text adventure, nor does it attempt to revolutionise gaming using Bohrs idea that the motion in an atomic system is quantized, or discrete. No, this is a game about guns and hard-cases, perhaps a safer move in terms of gaming audiences.

Yuri Lowenthal “would love to” play Nightwing in Batman: Arkham Asylum 2

“I have not done any work on Arkham Asylum 2.” he said; though he did admit that this would be his standard response were he under NDA. He went on to say: “I hope somebody calls me and asks me to work on it! […] I’d usually give you a wink or a nod or something, but I can say honestly that I’d love to do it, because I’m a fan, I’m a big Batman fan. I would love to be working on that, but I have not been contacted about that. […] I would love to spread that rumour though! For anybody who’s in casting out there, I would love to work on Arkham Asylum 2!”

MCM Expo: DS party world record smashed

Critical Gamer were present on Saturday at the MCM Expo as an attempt was made on the world record for the largest Nintendo DS party.

Kyle Hebert: MCM Expo 2010 interview

“I used to get really excited whenever I saw a performance on TV, or saw it on DVD, and I think that happens with anybody. ‘Ooh, I’m on TV!’. Dragonball Z back in its heyday, was aired daily on Cartoon Network in America, and got huge ratings. Eventually I got to the point where I was used to that, and nowadays I get more of a thrill playing as my own character in a game.”

London MCM Expo: Games a-go-go!

London’s MCM Expo is just around the corner – tomorrow (Saturday May 29th) and Sunday. Though it’s crammed full of people, purchases, events and excitement for comic/cartoon/sci – fi enthusiasts, there’s also plenty for the videogame fan.

MCM Expo – London’s answer to the San Diego Comic-Con?

This years MCM Expo is due to take place next month, with event hoping to be the British equivalent of the San Diego Comic-Con. Critical Gamer will be attending and reporting back to those of you who can’t make it yourself.