god-of-war posts (Subscribe to this feed)

God of War website teases 'Spartans Stand Tall'

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 18th 2010 at 5:15PM }

Earning a Platinum Trophy in God of War III will give you an elusive reward: a link to a secret page, hidden on the God of War website. The "Spartans Stand Tall" website doesn't feature much right now, other than falling rain and a shield with an upside-down V, possibly a Lambda sign -- wait, does this mean we're finally getting the Half-Life/God of War crossover we've been waiting for?

This could simply be a placeholder website for upcoming God of War DLC. Or, this could be hinting at a new Ready at Dawn-developed PSP game we've heard murmurs about. In fact, Chains of Olympus was revealed in exactly the same way, via a website hidden in God of War II on PS2. Considering the franchise's penchant for announcing new installments alongside the latest releases, we wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being a brand new game in the God of War universe. Stay tuned.

[Thanks, Bryan!]

Get a 1,000 hit combo in God of War 3 the easy way

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 17th 2010 at 8:45PM }

Are you working your way to a Platinum in God of War III? You may want to check out this video, which helps you net Hit Man, one of the more challenging Trophies in the game. To get the award, you must perform a 1000 hit combo. Should your fighting skills not be up to snuff, there are two easy (but time consuming) ways of getting the achievement. It can take upwards of 20 minutes of mindless button mashing, but it's a sure-fire way of making sure you get the Bronze Trophy.

Check out the (rather cheap) strategies after the break.

[Via N4G]

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Peruse the God of War copyright infringement judgment

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 17th 2010 at 8:30PM }

The Hollywood Reporter has uploaded the 27-page judgment [PDF link] in the God of War copyright infringement case. The case was already revealed as dismissed last week, but the full document bestows all the gritty details upon us mortals.

In her summary, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel notes, "An examination of articulable similarities between the plot, themes, dialogue, mood, settings, pace, characters and sequence of events of God of War and plaintiffs' works reveals far less similarity than would be required to overcome summary judgment, even if plaintiffs had proven access. Plaintiffs have pointed to no persuasive similarity in dialogue or narration that would suggest actual copying."

Reading the entire decision reveals that Sony was on the money with its original assertion that alleged similarities were "inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted and/or misleading."

God of War III launch trailer reveals violent tendencies of the PS3

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 16th 2010 at 12:55PM }

There are a lot of totally awesome things in the God of War III launch trailer above: skydiving demigods, mountain-sized Titans, giant blue scorpions, and, of course, everyone's favorite chained antihero, Kratos -- to name a few. However, we'd like to specifically highlight the bit of PS3 marketing that ends all commercials for Sony-published games. This time around, it brags that the console only does "vengeance," "rage" and "everything," in that order.

We're imagining a scenario in which a Best Buy shopper asks a friendly sales clerk which gaming system would be the most appropriate for his kids ... and which one would be capable of "doing vengeance" on his in-laws.

Kratos offers some 'Sex Therapy' in X-Play music video

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 15th 2010 at 10:00PM }

Real or not, this God of War music video is absolutely hilarious. Set to Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy," the music video made its premiere on X-Play tonight. We've learned two things from watching this clip: 1) Kratos' character design looks ridiculous outside of the game's context and 2) Kratos should never, ever show his "softer" side.

Too bad this video isn't going to be used by Sony for promotional purposes. As revealed by this behind-the-scenes video, it's a rather elaborate experiment conducted by G4. It is quite possibly the greatest thing the network has ever done, and deserves a look after the break.

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God of War copyright suit dismissed, Jaffe reveals document

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 10th 2010 at 1:45PM }

Game developer David Jaffe has posted on his personal blog what appears to be a dismissal notice of a 2008 lawsuit against him and Sony over God of War. There is no further explanation given, so unless Jaffe is starting some obtuse alternate reality game, we'll take the document at face value.

The lawsuit was an alleged copyright infringement claim, filed by a pair of plaintiffs who had submitted a screenplay entitled Olympiad to Sony Pictures in 2002. At the time, they claimed there were several similarities between their work and God of War. Sony called the alleged similarities "inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted and/or misleading." Apparently a judge in the northern district court of California agreed.

[Via Kotaku]

God of War 3 'right within budget' -- a $44 million budget

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 9th 2010 at 11:06AM }

Anger management simulator God of War III cost $44 million to create, according to director of production development John Hight, which is "right within budget." Speaking with Giant Bomb, Hight revealed that the team of 132 staff required to finish the third installment was more than double the crew (of about 60) on hand to wrap up God of War II, with the biggest growth occurring in the graphics and art departments.

Considering the ultimate Kratos adventure will likely go on to become a phenomenal sales hit, the $44 million budget isn't as ridiculous as it might seem. Consider that Gran Turismo 5's budget, at last count, had reportedly ballooned to around the $60 million mark. On the other hand, Ken Levine previously put the first BioShock's budget at about $15 million. With such variation in current-gen development costs, in the end, the price is just a number -- and in the case of God of War III, it was certainly worth the dough.

Gallery: God of War III

[Via Edge]

Review: God of War III

by Justin McElroy { Mar 8th 2010 at 12:00PM }

You know how Kratos' battle against the gods of Olympus is known for its massive, insane action sequences spread throughout? Well, some genius (or likely several geniuses) at Sony's Santa Monica Studio had the brilliant idea of making a whole game just out of those incredible moments. It was rare that I went 15 minutes without my jaw dropping at the immense size, stunning beauty or sheer creativity of the set piece I was now scaling or destroying.

I'm willing to agree that God of War III is just "God of War HD," provided that "HD" stands for "Holy Shit."

Gallery: God of War III

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Download an MP3 from the official God of War III soundtrack

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 5th 2010 at 2:15PM }

Like good, sane people, our friends at AOL Radio are huge fans of God of War. They've not only managed to add the entire God of War III original soundtrack to the Video Games Score station, but they're also giving away a free downloadable MP3 from the upcoming PS3 game. "Brothers of Blood," composed by Cris Velasco, has everything you'd expect from a God of War instrumental track: a brass-heavy orchestral score with dramatic choral singing.

Should you want your morning commute to get a little more vengeance-y, head over to the AOL Radio blog to download the MP3 onto your favorite MP3 player.

Kratos talks fashion in GameStop God of War 3 video

by Justin McElroy { Mar 4th 2010 at 12:00PM }

You've got to hand it to those PlayStation and GameStop marketing people: They know how to speak our language. Take note, wannabees: If you've got an exclusive God of War III outfit to show off, you could show Kratos flipping out and killing people in it. But why do that when you could show him having a polite conversation with a mythological beast about his ensemble choice? Why indeed.

Fun fact: Kratos has more dialog in this trailer than in God of War I and II combined. It's true!

God of War: Blood and Metal for $1.99

by David Hinkle { Mar 3rd 2010 at 3:42PM }

$2 isn't much to ask for when delivering something one can really bang his (or her!) head to -- and you can nab God of War: Blood and Metal for that price right now. Featuring six different previously detailed artists, this particular mixture of metal madness celebrates God of War III and will be included in the Ultimate Edition box set.

Of course, you probably already knew that, considering you already built a shrine around your pre-order receipt. We really like the crimson candles, by the way. Nice touch.

[Via VG247]

Kratos' Blade of Chaos up for sale, some strings attached

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 3rd 2010 at 12:30PM }

We know that there are a few cutlery enthusiasts out there who read that headline and immediately clicked the source link to purchase Kratos' Blade of Chaos from retailer BUDK. Before you do so, you should take into account a few facts:

Kratos' weapons are being sold piecemeal on the site, so that $123.99 price tag only represents the cost of a single Blade. What's the point of having a single Blade of Chaos? Unless you're ironically cosplaying as Amputee Kratos, you're going to need two, so you should mentally jack that price up to $247.98.
Replica swords are dangerous.
Replica swords that you attach to your wrists with chains and then swing around like a madman are extremely dangerous.

'Revenge Starts Here' in European God of War III TV ad

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 1st 2010 at 5:15PM }

Although it commanded a large presence at E3, Sony has been otherwise quiet about God of War III. With the game's release only weeks away, Sony has opened the floodgates, revealing new footage, highlighting new levels, and most importantly, advertising the game on TV. The European markets are treated to an ad which simply states "Revenge Starts Here." The ad doesn't need a gimmick: it simply relies on real-time footage of the game.

Check it out after the break.

[Via TheSixthAxis]

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Interview: John Hight, God of War III director of product development

by Kevin Kelly { Mar 1st 2010 at 1:55PM }

John Hight runs Sony's Santa Monica studio and oversees the entire God of War 3 team. He makes sure that everyone is happy, that the game is going to ship on time, and that it's going to be something you'll want to play. Read on to learn more from him about the the future of the franchise, the possibility of multiplayer, the God of War movie and why he hasn't played Dante's Inferno (yet).

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Interview: Adam Puhl, God of War III's combat designer

by Kevin Kelly { Mar 1st 2010 at 12:57PM }

As lead combat designer of God of War III, Adam Puhl has the enviable position of creating an arsenal of weapons and abilities fit to take down the gods. I recently spoke with Adam about the design process for such a titanic task and the pressures of surpassing the first two God of War games. Additionally, Adam offered his gameplay reactions to Dante's Inferno and Darksiders, two recent action-adventures that owe a lot to the God of War series.

Read on after the break for the full interview.