| Hands-on: Red Steel 2
June 9, 2009 at 6:20 pm
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|  After the awkward and misguided mess that was Ubisoft's Red Steel, it must sound like damning praise to say, "Well, the sequel's much better." After all, Nintendo's newfangled MotionPlus attachment has come to save the day, introducing one-to-one movement and finally delivering the sword fighting extravaganza that all those energetic Wii players have been enjoying in the commercials.  With its forgiving gameplay, Ubisoft was clearly trying to make the new Prince of Persia appeal to more casual or mainstream audience. So, IndustryGamers asked producer Ben Mattes...  Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art.  5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life.  Ubisoft's Red Steel sequel was playable at E3 09, and we wasted no time jumping on the game at the company's booth. Red Steel 2 is a an interesting proposition--it's the sequel to a game that was poorly received upon release...  UbiSoft presented the first gameplay demonstration of this Wii MotionPlus enhanced sequel. Today UbiSoft's Jason Vandenberg demonstrated Red Steel 2 during their press conference...
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| Interview: Tim Schafer and the art of selling out
June 9, 2009 at 6:18 pm
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|  My name is Tim ... S-C-H-A-F-E-R. [points to my notepad] That's correct. Do people get that wrong a lot? They never get it right. Does it annoy you? No, I just like to fight for my particular spelling. For no reason it's completely arbitrary but for some reason it's enjoyable to fight for the specific spelling that I randomly have.  According to the most recent data, Call of Duty 4 has sold nearly 3 hojillion units since its 2007 release, and Activision says that a fifth of Call of Duty: World at War players were new to the franchise.  With a presentation given by Tim Schafer himself at last week's E3, the anticipation for his heavy metal opus Brutal Legend is greater than ever. Yet, in a sad turn of events...  E3 2009: Publisher taking developer Double Fine to court over EA Partners game it passed on after Vivendi Games merger; Tim Schafer offers lyrical response. LOS ANGELES--This...  Activision has filed suit against Brutal Legend developer Double Fine Productions. The publisher isn't happy about the game going to rival EA, claiming the developer didn't provide Activision with a game after a $15 million investment.
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| Gran Turismo Creator Explains PSP Delays, Controls & Online Play
June 9, 2009 at 5:40 pm
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|   Prior to E3 2009, Gran Turismo for the PSP was largely considered vaporware, a driving simulation that felt like little more than a five-year-old announcement. But Gran Turismo is real—and it's coming to the PlayStation Portable this October. Why the long wait? Kazunori Yamauchi, president of developer Polyphony Digital, says it was just a matter of priorities. Following the Spring 2004 announcement of the game once known as Gran Turismo 4 Mobile,  At E3 it was revealed that Resident Evil Portable for the PSP was Capcom's mystery title #2, yet much to the surprise of those who thought it would be another "remake" or "tie-in"...  Tecmo might have created an entirely new genre with their PSP title Undead Knight - the zombie tosser. Announced during E3, I got my first look at Undead Knight early on during the show...  Announced in April during Capcom's Captivate 09 in Monte Carlo, here's a look at Europe's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite PSP bundle, which includes a Mystic Silver PSP and a little bit of swag. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life.
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| EA Considered Doing Its Own Natal, Backs Sensible Motion Gaming
June 9, 2009 at 5:20 pm
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|  In an interview with Kotaku, the head of EA disclosed some of his company's experience and ideas involving Microsoft and Sony's motion tech, predicting that half of the market will eventually go to motion-control games. On the final morning of E3, I sat at a closed bar with EA CEO John Riccitiello and learned that the renowned publisher of Madden, Rock Band and dozens of other hits had a shot at being the creator of Microsoft's Project Natal controller-free motion-gaming system.  Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata isn't afraid to make hard decisions, having recently scuttled a new piece of Nintendo hardware that might never see the light of day, never to put smiles on faces.  Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively.  In a week full of startling gaming news, from Microsoft's virtual controller to Nintendo's biometric add-on, Sony's launch of a digital-download only gaming system has the greatest potential to be a game changer for the industry.  Kudo "Bam" Tsunoda talks about the possibilities of Project Natal in this video. It is, Tsunoda says, the first step toward true "holodeck" gaming. Check out our full coverage of Microsoft's Project Natal here.  This E3 was packed with explosive news and announcements, from confirmation of the PSP Go and Sony's motion controls to the whispers of a new Metroid and Zelda. But one of the most startling may have been Microsoft's Project Natal.
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| Activision: Modern Warfare 2 set to eclipse previous Call of Duty games
June 9, 2009 at 5:17 pm
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| According to the most recent data, Call of Duty 4 has sold nearly 3 hojillion units since its 2007 release, and Activision says that a fifth of Call of Duty: World at War players were new to the franchise. By its math, that means Modern Warfare 2 is poised to become the biggest-selling Call of Duty game ever. My name is Tim ... S-C-H-A-F-E-R. [points to my notepad] That's correct. Do people get that wrong a lot? They never get it right. Does it annoy you? No, I just like to fight for my particular spelling.  Modern Warfare 2 is a game loaded with detail. After watching the game play for Modern Warfare 2 during Microsoft's press conference, I had a chance to watch the same section played through again at Activision's booth.  Oh good. I'm not crazy. I could have sworn I saw this trailer at Activision's E3 booth, but since it never showed up online for download/embed, figured my jetlag was playing tricks on me.  While this year's E3 was chock-full of major announcements, none of them had to do with price drops. Two major gaming CEOs are not happy about that. IGN is passing along...
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| Crackdown 2 Getting 4-Player Co-Op, 16 Multiplayer
June 9, 2009 at 5:14 pm
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|  If you had fun protecting and/or terrorizing Pacific City with a buddy in Crackdown, just imagine how much better it'll be with two extra people along for the ride. VG247 picked up on a listing for Crackdown 2 on Xbox.com, which states the recently revealed sequel to the open world supercop action game will feature co-op for up to four players, as well as a new multiplayer option for as many as 16 people.  CRACKDOWN 2: Juicy details surface on the anticipated open-world, criminal crushing action game Crackdown 2. ALSO READ: The 7 Best Upcoming Xbox 360 Exclusives (Featuring...  Before you roll your eyes at yet another game infused with an innovative morality system, consider the arresting E3 2009 debut of Army of Two's co-op morality. Fist-bumps and standing back-to-back while shooting machine guns.  / What's new in Left 4 Dead 2? This collection of direct feed gameplay snippets from Valve's quick sequel shows of the highlights: melee weapons, incendiary bullets, new Special Infected, zombie killin' action set during day time and.  Sega America's official blog noted that sales of Valkyria Chronicles skyrockted 400 percent from March to April. The site states the game is now in "tens of thousands" of brand new homes. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life.
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| New Cryptic Title May Be Neverwinter Nights MMO
June 9, 2009 at 4:43 pm
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|  When we reported on the acquisition of Cryptic by Atari back in December, we said that the developer was working on Champions Online, Star Trek Online and a third, unannounced game. That third title remains a mystery, but new rumors suggest that it may be a new Neverwinter Nights massively multiplayer RPG.According to a report by the Variety CutScene, Atari acquired Cryptic primarily so that the studio could work on the rumored project. Further information is scarce, but it seems that the publisher is hoping for a 2011 release. Prior to E3 2009, Gran Turismo for the PSP was largely considered vaporware, a driving simulation that felt like little more than a five-year-old announcement. But Gran Turismo is real—and it's coming to the PlayStation Portable this October.  Have a massive thirst? Consider it slayed, as Mountain Dew (aka Mtn Dew) and Blizzard have officially made the soda based on World of Warcraft available, in either citrus-cherry-flavored Horde Red or wild fruit-flavored Alliance Blue. Before you roll your eyes at yet another game infused with an innovative morality system, consider the arresting E3 2009 debut of Army of Two's co-op morality. Fist-bumps and standing back-to-back while shooting machine guns.  What game doesn't get better with a bit of customization? Gamers love infusing a little bit of their own personality into their games; whether it's changing your character's appearance in Mass Effect...
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| Five Bloody Minutes Of Left 4 Dead 2 Gameplay
June 9, 2009 at 4:40 pm
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| / What's new in Left 4 Dead 2? This collection of direct feed gameplay snippets from Valve's quick sequel shows of the highlights: melee weapons, incendiary bullets, new Special Infected, zombie killin' action set during day time and... tractors!Yes, this is the South, so you'll come across a John Deere or two in your journey from Savannah to New Orleans, whacking scores of infected with frying pans and axes. Left 4 Dead 2 looks to retain most of the gameplay established in the original, adding new infected like the Charger and four all new Survivors. Also new: fiddles.  Sometimes cosplay is a good thing. Sometimes it's a bad thing — especially when it gets you arrested. That's "Jay", and he was cosplaying as special commando HUNK from Capcom's Resident Evil franchise.  Sources tell Kotaku that British game company Kuju Entertainment has shuttered Chemistry, its Sheffield, UK studio. Chemistry was founded in 2002 as "Kuju Sheffield". Kuju...  A zombie outbreak has struck the Deep South in this expanded sequel to Valve's co-op shooter. This week's announcement of a Left 4 Dead sequel is something that easily falls in the "surprise" category.  Since its announcement at E3 in 2005, Alan Wake has been a gaming Sasquatch. But we had a sighting this week, grabbed a controller and played it. Alan Wake has been touted as a more grown-up suspense game...  Microsoft just showed off a bunch of trailers. Some for all-new games! Like Crackdown 2 and Left 4 Dead 2. Crackdown 2 seems to take a different approach than the first...
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| Impressions: ModNation Racers
June 9, 2009 at 4:22 pm
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| What game doesn't get better with a bit of customization? Gamers love infusing a little bit of their own personality into their games; whether it's changing your character's appearance in Mass Effect, making your own adventures in Neverwinter Nights or just editing all the names in the latest Final Fantasy to swear words. LittleBigPlanet's entire business model is based on selling customizable costumes which don't affect gameplay -- and it works. ModNation Racers -- Sony's newest entry to their Play, Create, Share genre -- looks to take the idea even further.  Over three years after its initial release, Turbine's Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is adopting a free-to-play business model. Upon the release of this summer's free... When we reported on the acquisition of Cryptic by Atari back in December, we said that the developer was working on Champions Online, Star Trek Online and a third, unannounced game.  After he finished delivering medical advice, Gas Powered Games founder and CEO Chris Taylor showed me a little of what Supreme Commander 2 was bringing to the real-time strategy title. Tecmo might have created an entirely new genre with their PSP title Undead Knight - the zombie tosser. Announced during E3, I got my first look at Undead Knight early on during the show...
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| Supreme Commander 2 Impressions: Less Is More
June 9, 2009 at 4:20 pm
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| After he finished delivering medical advice, Gas Powered Games founder and CEO Chris Taylor showed me a little of what Supreme Commander 2 was bringing to the real-time strategy title. It was a bit odd, seeing the next title in the Supreme Commander series behind closed doors in the Square Enix booth, but with the Japanese publisher taking a greater interest in publishing Western titles, I suppose it is something we'll have to get used to. What game doesn't get better with a bit of customization? Gamers love infusing a little bit of their own personality into their games; whether it's changing your character's appearance in Mass Effect... Tecmo might have created an entirely new genre with their PSP title Undead Knight - the zombie tosser. Announced during E3, I got my first look at Undead Knight early on during the show...  There are a lot of things I can say about Rebellion's return to the beloved Aliens vs. Predator franchise, most of them good, but know this first: You can pull the head off of humans and, spine still attached, stroke their faces.  Showcasing his team's upcoming RTS, Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor sat down with us at E3 2009 to discuss Supreme Commander 2, console RTS releases and the concepts that didn't work in the original title.
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| Dungeons & Dragons Online Goes Free-to-Play
June 9, 2009 at 4:15 pm
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| Over three years after its initial release, Turbine's Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is adopting a free-to-play business model. Upon the release of this summer's free, downloadable Eberron Unlimited expansion, players new and old alike will be able to experience the world of Dungeons & Dragons Online completely free of charge.Unlike many free-to-play games, those who download D&D Online: Eberron Unlimited will have the ability to level all the way to the game's newly-raised level cap of 20. Rather than charging all players for the right to play their game, What game doesn't get better with a bit of customization? Gamers love infusing a little bit of their own personality into their games; whether it's changing your character's appearance in Mass Effect...  Better known as Resident Evil: The Shaky Cam, Can't Shoot Shhh... Chronicles. I need to see more of Capcom's upcoming Nintendo Wii exclusive Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.  The Eberron Unlimited upgrade for Dungeons and Dragons Online is coming this summer, bringing new quests, a new class, a cash store, and a higher level cap, all while introducing a new free-to-play business model.  This is a time for heroes...for champions...for men with deep voices and British accents to herald the coming of NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution.Don't you wish you could just play a game trailer instead of the actual game? I mean...
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| Interview: Sucker Punch's Nate Fox on inFamous and inSpiration
June 9, 2009 at 4:07 pm
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|  If you've been spending a lot of time enjoying the electro-shockery featured in inFamous, you've got the guy pictured above -- and the other 50-odd members of Sucker Punch Productions -- to thank. His name is Nate Fox, game director for inFamous and a writer/designer who has a decade of tenure with the studio. We had a chance to sit down with Nate at E3 to get a post-mortem look at the high voltage superhero sim, and to finally inquire what lies within protagonist Cole's mysterious backpack.  The Conduit developer High Voltage is bringing the original arena sport to the Wii with Gladiator A.D., part fighting game, part roleplaying game. At first glance, Gladiator A.  After hearing about Mass Effect for the iPhone, my first thought was, "Could they put Fallout on there, too?" Apparently Bethesda had the same idea at some point. Speaking to Joystiq at E3...  The second title that High Voltage showed off behind closed doors at this year's E3 was none other than Gladiator A.D., its aptly titled gladiatorial combat game. We were able to witness several battles take place across two different stages.
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| Army of Two: The 40th Day's Smartest Feature Guarantees Arguments
June 9, 2009 at 4:00 pm
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| Before you roll your eyes at yet another game infused with an innovative morality system, consider the arresting E3 2009 debut of Army of Two's co-op morality. Fist-bumps and standing back-to-back while shooting machine guns...those were some of the signature elements of co-operative, two-player gaming in EA's original 2008 shooter Army of Two.  With all the complex new methods of interactivity and storytelling we saw out on the show floor, we desperately longed for something a bit less groundbreaking -- a palette cleanser, if you will.  Last month a former Arizona State quarterback sued the NCAA and Electronic Arts for the uncompensated use of his likeness in EA's NCAA football franchise. Another ex-QB says most have no problem with it.  He'll fight for freedom wherever there's trouble, and the E3 show floor is no exception. We went hand-to-hand with EA's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra for the Xbox 360. What Is It? G.
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| Atomic Games Discusses Status Of Six Days In Fallujah
June 9, 2009 at 3:57 pm
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| Still feeling frustrated that Konami decided to drop Six Days In Fallujah? Don't worry, it's still around. It's just waiting to find a proper home."We have a lot of people who are interested in the project," Atomic Games president Peter Tamte told Newsweek. "But I'll feel better when we sign something and the checks start coming."  Six Days in Fallujah, which aims to tell the story of the recent battle in Iraq, was too hot a political potato for one-time publishers Konami, who facing intense pressure dumped the game.  Surprise, surprise. Of nine "games that went too far" named on a network news website, which is the only one gamers have actually, you know, played? Hint: It rhymes with "Schmand Schmeft Schmauto IV.  Sid rips into this nutty third-person action shooter and finds potential. Dead to Rights Retribution is a simple game with simple goals. You control Jack Slate, a hardass cop who beats and blasts criminals like he's serving up parking tickets.  Electronic Arts told the LA Times during an interview this week that the Godfather franchise is done at the publisher. EA Games label president Frank Gibeau told the paper, "We're not going to do another one.
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| Game Night Wii MotionPlus Roundup with Tiger Woods and Grand Slam Tennis Coming Soon
June 9, 2009 at 3:52 pm
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| Time: Tuesday, June 9 2009, 5 p.m. PST Location: Watch the embedded video player here in this story! Questions: Ask your question(s) in our Game Night thread.After a very hectic week covering E3 2009, we're back at the 1UP office studio preparing for the next Game Night. On this week's show, we're having a Wii MotionPlus roundup, featuring EA's Grand Slam Tennis and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. Let's see how Tina Sanchez, Sam Kennedy, and Mike Nelson perform under intense pressure with the enhanced motion controls. With its forgiving gameplay, Ubisoft was clearly trying to make the new Prince of Persia appeal to more casual or mainstream audience. So, IndustryGamers asked producer Ben Mattes... Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life.  Did you know that May is over? We did. Know why? Because we have calendars. Do you have a calendar? Famitsu does, and it has complied sales data for the period beginning April 27 and ending on March 31.
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| World Of Warcraft Flavored Mountain Dew Now Quenching Epic Thirsts
June 9, 2009 at 3:40 pm
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| Have a massive thirst? Consider it slayed, as Mountain Dew (aka Mtn Dew) and Blizzard have officially made the soda based on World of Warcraft available, in either citrus-cherry-flavored Horde Red or wild fruit-flavored Alliance Blue. The previously announced sugary concoction should be raiding store shelves near you, according to word from PepsiCo, offering players a chance at an in-game pet, known as a "battle-bot." It, like WoW players jacked up on Mountain Dew's caffeine, is fueled by Dew.  Don't make any plans for a day of Xbox Live fun and happiness next Tuesday. Major Nelson has posted on his blog that Microsoft will be taking Xbox Live down for maintenance on June 16 at 12:01AM PST for "up to 24 hours...  Pepsico announced that its World of WarCraft-branded Game Fuel beverages are available this month, and will be in stores "through the summer." So if you're in the US and... With all the complex new methods of interactivity and storytelling we saw out on the show floor, we desperately longed for something a bit less groundbreaking -- a palette cleanser, if you will. This is a time for heroes...for champions...for men with deep voices and British accents to herald the coming of NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution.Don't you wish you could just play a game trailer instead of the actual game? I mean...  Kitties! Blizzard is adding new textures for cat and bear forms in the next major WoW content patch. The Horde and Alliance will both get five different designs. "Night...
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| Turbine Enters Free-to-Play Market
June 9, 2009 at 3:22 pm
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|  Turbine, Inc., the premier creatorand operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful socialgaming communities, today unveiled Dungeons & Dragons Online®: EberronUnlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), a free digital upgrade that makes DDO Unlimited theworld’s first free-to-play massively multiplayer online game (MMO) to offer thequality graphics and robust features previously only available in premiumsubscription based-games. Over three years after its initial release, Turbine's Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is adopting a free-to-play business model. Upon the release of this summer's free... The Eberron Unlimited upgrade for Dungeons and Dragons Online is coming this summer, bringing new quests, a new class, a cash store, and a higher level cap, all while introducing a new free-to-play business model.  The Unreal Engine 3-based game will be losing its cross-platform functionality and switching out a subscription pay system for one based on microtransactions. If you're at all familiar with Huxley: The Dystopia...  Speaking with ijji.com earlier today, just before we got a hands-on with upcoming MMOFPS Huxley: The Dystopia, the company confirmed to us that the game is going with the microtransaction model.  Hey, you there. Want a copy of Vogster's upcoming MMO CrimeCraft? You'd best get in line at Best Buy then, as Big Download reports that Vogster has made a deal with THQ to distribute the game exclusively to the big box retailer.
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| Jason Sudeikis Pitches First Full-Penetration Game to Schafer
June 9, 2009 at 3:20 pm
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| Focus Effect 4 isn't just a game, it's a seed in Jason Sudeikis' fevered mind. Jimmy Fallon sent Sudeikis to E3 this year to cover the conference and, apparently, pitch his idea for a new game which is one part every game every made and one part full-penetration sex. Brutal Legend dev Tim Schafer seems pleased, calling the game not an investment but money in the bank. Though he does question the coincidental appearance of a roadie in the theoretical game. My name is Tim ... S-C-H-A-F-E-R. [points to my notepad] That's correct. Do people get that wrong a lot? They never get it right. Does it annoy you? No, I just like to fight for my particular spelling.  Apple's newest iPhone 3GS will be the most powerful yet with more robust graphics and a faster network connection when it hits on June 19 for $200 to $300, the company announced today during their annual World Wide Developers Conference.  During Kevin and Bean's Breakfast with Green Day this morning on KROQ 106.7 FM, Green Day confirmed that they'll be doing When an audience member asked them when their songs would be appearing in Rock Band...  Apple's World Wide Developer Keynote kicks off in just minutes. Gizmodo is on hand to liveblog the hell out of it, bringing you a constant stream of images, news and opinion as it happens.
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| Interview: Alexandre Parizeau talks Splinter Cell: Conviction, evolving characters and stealth
June 9, 2009 at 3:18 pm
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|  It was no shock to anyone when Splinter Cell: Conviction made an appearance at E3 2009, but the new look and presentation for Sam Fisher's latest action adventure took us all by surprise. Gone is the sulky and in hiding Sam Fisher shown years ago -- replaced by an offensive powerhouse ex-soldier, searching for revenge. Adding elements with appropriate buzzword phrases like projected objectives and dynamic stealth, Ubisoft Montreal hopes to push Sam beyond traditional stealth action titles.  We took some time out at E3 2009 to further investigate Dexter, the iPhone title from Marc Ecko Entertainment based on the hit television series about a cop by day, serial killer by night.  When it was first released in 2002, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell focused on the military operations of the fictitious government organization, Third Echelon. Since 2006's Splinter Cell: Double Agent...  E3 2009: Konami and Kojima's original stealth actioner heads to Sony's online platform later this month for $10. LOS ANGELES--Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII and EA's...  If anything is clear about the new look of Splinter Cell: Conviction, it's that Sam Fisher is a changed man. After losing his daughter in what was believed to be an accident, Sam learns the tragedy was planned as a personal attack.
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| Interview: EJ Moreland, lead designer of APB
June 9, 2009 at 3:17 pm
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|  APB was probably one of the most impressive games we didn't actually see played at E3 -- while Realtime Worlds didn't have any actual gameplay to show off, they did have a nice demo session (in a booth guarded by these two tattooed ladies -- don't worry, EJ's wife, we asked him to pose for this one) where they talked about how their persistent MMO shooter will combine emergent cops-and-robbers gameplay with an extremely impressive level of customization. Before you roll your eyes at yet another game infused with an innovative morality system, consider the arresting E3 2009 debut of Army of Two's co-op morality. Fist-bumps and standing back-to-back while shooting machine guns. With its forgiving gameplay, Ubisoft was clearly trying to make the new Prince of Persia appeal to more casual or mainstream audience. So, IndustryGamers asked producer Ben Mattes...  If you haven't played Chilean-developed first person brawler/shooter Zeno Clash, then you can't sound totally snooty at parties by telling your friends just a few decibels...  Quirky PC brawler/shooter Zeno Clash did pretty good business on PC. So good, in fact, that the game looks set to make an appearance on Xbox Live Arcade. Chatting with Eurogamer...
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| Hands-on: Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter
June 9, 2009 at 11:20 am
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| 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life. Planet Moon's (different) Wii version of Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter was also on display, but we were unable to spend any time with it. Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art.  Microsoft and Sony are positioning their new controllers as "Wii killers," but Nintendo has been busy readying their own next step, which finally hit stores today. We had a chance to speak with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto at E3...  I called Just Cause 2 the best thing I saw at E3. That's a big call for a sequel to a so-so game. So, just in case you think I've gone mad, watch this. It's the same developer demo I sat through behind closed doors at E3.
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| Judge says Madden monopoly suit can move forward
June 9, 2009 at 11:16 am
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|  We feel like we're in some kind of topsy-turvy bizarro dimension this morning. Not only did a couple of guys sue EA for having a monopoly on football games, but a U.S. District Court Judge in San Francisco has said the case can move forward, denying the company's request to dismiss it. In the process, the judge recognized that "interactive video football software" is a distinct enough market for antitrust consideration. Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life.  Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet...  We can finally keep up with our brain age on our iPhones, thanks to Namco Bandai Networks Europe's Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima, available now at an iTunes App Store near you.
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| Interview: Vanillaware's Jouji Kamitani on Muramasa
June 9, 2009 at 11:00 am
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| Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art. We were able to pull him away briefly from his busy day of signing Muramasa posters at Ignition's E3 booth to speak about action games on the Wii, selling a very Japanese game in America, and why we won't see the quirky DS title Kumatanchi in North America anytime soon. As a bonus, we were treated to an enthusiastic live demonstration of Kamitani's dream Wii minigame. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life. Microsoft and Sony are positioning their new controllers as "Wii killers," but Nintendo has been busy readying their own next step, which finally hit stores today. We had a chance to speak with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto at E3...  We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about...  Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth.  Last September, XSEED Games announced its intent to publish Vanillaware's Wii side-scroller Muramasa: The Demon Blade in North America, to the delight of hardcore action gamers and people who like to see pretty things.
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| Activision's Prototype Video Game Shape-Shifts To Retail
June 9, 2009 at 10:45 am
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| Activision Publishing, Inc.announced today that Radical Entertainment’s highly anticipated video gamePROTOTYPE has shipped to North American retail outlets, and additionally will beavailable at European retailers on Friday, June 12. With early critical acclaim,including a 9/10 review from PSW Magazine, the genetically mutated Alex Merceris set to deliver a powerful, action-packed gaming experience as players beginto unravel his dark, conspiracy-ridden past and become the ultimateshape-shifting weapon!  Sega's first game to cash in on the Aliens license is Aliens Vs. Predator, which, if I can count correctly, is the ninth video game* to chronicle the epic battle between Aliens and Predators.  NEW ZELDA Wii GAME: Take a look at the first image for the upcoming next video game in The Legend of Zelda series, which is headed to the Nintendo Wii in 2010. ALSO READ:...  We made plenty of new video game friends during E3, but, we still care about our old friends for, as the Girl Scouts remind us, one is silver and the other is gold. Why...
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| Freesky Online: Mini Client under Development
June 9, 2009 at 10:43 am
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| As more and more players rush tojoin Freesky Online, the FO team has been working nonstop to improve gameplay.One of their most recent improvements is the development of a mini game client.With a mini client players will spend less time downloading and installing thegame, and more time getting started in game. With the latest version, downloadwill be reduced to only a few minutes.  (click to DS Phat-size) If there was one thing completely different about E3 for us this year, it was the mass of people now occupying the Los Angeles Convention Center's West and South halls.  The original Mafia won critics and gamers over with its deep storytelling an intriguing new gameplay conventions -- but for some reason, it never seemed to become a mainstream hit as much as the industry's other huge...  Ubisoft Montreal producer Alexandre Parizeau told Joystiq that gamers should not fear Splinter Cell: Conviction's new 'Mark and Execute' feature. Since first showing off the feature during Microsoft's Pre-E3 media briefing... Surprise, surprise. Of nine "games that went too far" named on a network news website, which is the only one gamers have actually, you know, played? Hint: It rhymes with "Schmand Schmeft Schmauto IV.  The release of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Gyakuten Kenji has done wonderful things for Nintendo DSi sales in Japan, almost doubling them week-to-week. In fact, improvements were almost across the board.
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| Playlogic Entertainment Announces iPhone AND iPod Touch Development Plans
June 9, 2009 at 10:43 am
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| Playlogic Entertainment, Inc., anindependent publisher of entertainment software, announced today that it hassecured worldwide rights to publish for the Apple® iPhone™ and iPod® touch. Thisnews follows the hiring of several staff to the Playlogic management team aswell as the announcement of key partnerships with videogame veteran agenciesReverb Communications and U & I Entertainment. We can finally keep up with our brain age on our iPhones, thanks to Namco Bandai Networks Europe's Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima, available now at an iTunes App Store near you.  When Ensemble Studios closed its doors earlier this year many of its staff landed behind a desk at either Robot Entertainment or Bonfire Studios, a pair of outfits that rose up from the Age of Empires and Halo Wars dev's splintered remains.  Some sobering words this morning from iPhone developer Rick Strom, who has two applications on the AppStore's Top 100 paid list. He mentioned that an app sitting at the #35 slot (which one of his is) is bringing in (on average) around $20 per day.  BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design.
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| A Little Dr. Kawashima For Your iPhone
June 9, 2009 at 10:20 am
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| We can finally keep up with our brain age on our iPhones, thanks to Namco Bandai Networks Europe's Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima, available now at an iTunes App Store near you. It really comes as no surprise that Dr. Kawashima's brain exercises are now available on the iPhone, with a range of new activities, built-in Sudoku (yay), and the ability to challenge up to three friends on the same iPhone or iPod Touch. The surprise lies in the fact that it took them so long to do it, a sentiment that Namco Bandai Networks Europe President Barry O'Neil echoes. When Ensemble Studios closed its doors earlier this year many of its staff landed behind a desk at either Robot Entertainment or Bonfire Studios, a pair of outfits that rose up from the Age of Empires and Halo Wars dev's splintered remains. Some sobering words this morning from iPhone developer Rick Strom, who has two applications on the AppStore's Top 100 paid list. He mentioned that an app sitting at the #35 slot (which one of his is) is bringing in (on average) around $20 per day.  Allstate Insurance and Posit Science, a San Francisco start-up, are looking into brain-training video games as a way to give drivers a discount on auto insurance. SF Gate... BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design.
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| Halo 3: ODST Firefight Preview: OUHave12
June 9, 2009 at 10:00 am
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| Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet, ODST's new multiplayer mode, Firefight, was at E3 for some heavy play testing. What Is It? The enigmatically renamed Halo 3: Recon puts you in the shoes of a UNSC Orbital Drop Shock Trooper during the events leading up to Halo 3. The first-person shooter takes place in New Mombasa. At the beginning of the game the player gets separated from the rest team during a drop.  First-person-shooter meets role-playing-game Borderlands may not be cel-shaded, but it may have a release date. According to game site Shacknews, that release date is this October. (click to DS Phat-size) If there was one thing completely different about E3 for us this year, it was the mass of people now occupying the Los Angeles Convention Center's West and South halls.  Rare's Nintendo 64 first-person shooter Perfect Dark is coming to Xbox Live Arcade later this year. Winter, says Microsoft. This is what it looks like. In a word, Perfect Dark looks sharper...  Spanish horror film REC 2, the sequel to 2007's excellent REC, is another exercise in claustrophobic horror. While the prequel was heavy on the hand-held camera, REC 2 employs camera mounted on the soldiers' helmets.
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| Impressions of Halo 3: ODST campaign -- Life in a sandbox
June 9, 2009 at 10:00 am
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| Call us foolish, but walking into the Bungie demonstration of Halo 3: ODST at E3 last week, we had no idea that the main campaign mode consisted of, more or less, a sandbox environment. Truth be told, we knew of stealth bits and that, as per the title of the game, there was something to do with Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in the story, but not much else. Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet... First-person-shooter meets role-playing-game Borderlands may not be cel-shaded, but it may have a release date. According to game site Shacknews, that release date is this October. (click to DS Phat-size) If there was one thing completely different about E3 for us this year, it was the mass of people now occupying the Los Angeles Convention Center's West and South halls.  While conducting some tests for SCEI, a researcher at Sony's HQ in Japan realized that the PSP Go!Cam could see a visual spectrum far beyond human vision. Scattered throughout the world is a mystical energy that only the PSP camera could detect.
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| Green Day coming to Rock Band in some capacity
June 9, 2009 at 9:53 am
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|  Green Day will have something Rock Band-related out this year, according to statements made by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong during a KROQ appearance. An audience member asked the band if they were planning on putting songs out for the game, and Armstrong revealed that something was in the works. "Yeah, we're doing a whole Green Day Rock Band, uh ..." Armstrong responded, unable to finish his sentence due to a swell of applause. Green Day Rock Band what? Game? Downloadable track pack? Expansion disc? Guitar decal line? Instructional video? Whatever it is,  With no real change to Rock Band Weekly since the Iron Maiden announcement a couple weeks ago, we gave the long-running feature a break last week during the E3 madness. During Kevin and Bean's Breakfast with Green Day this morning on KROQ 106.7 FM, Green Day confirmed that they'll be doing When an audience member asked them when their songs would be appearing in Rock Band...  It's hard if not impossible for Team Joystiq to decide on a place to eat dinner, so choosing the coolest thing we saw at E3 was all but unthinkable. Instead, we asked each member of the team to pick the best thing they saw at the show...  The Beatles: Rock Band has been playable at E3 this week. So, being fans of both The Beatles and Rock Band, we figured we'd go check it out. Thing is, while "we" may be fans of The Beatles, "I" am not.
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| Wearing Coke Bottles
June 9, 2009 at 9:30 am
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| To: Crecente From: Bashcraft So................ My two-week contracts aren't working out so well! I didn't it but a few hours before I had to take 'em out. Tried to type with my laptop a few inches from my nose, but that was a blur — leading to creative spellings like "Dong Kong" instead of "Donkey Kong".  What new digital treasure await the Wii Point and DSi Point bearing Nintendo fan this week? Perhaps most noteworthy is arrival of Mario vs Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, announced last week for the Nintendo DSi and available right now.  It's starting to feel like summer, with a robust lineup of more than 40 releases led by Prototype, whose protagonist is sorta like Altair meets Plastic Man. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again...  Just when you think Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima couldn't have any more surprises up his well-tailored sleeves, he elicits more "!" from you. That's what he's done to us by revealing Metal Gear Arcade, which, as it sounds, is .
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| Hands-on: Brutal Legend
June 9, 2009 at 9:00 am
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| This is going to be the easiest preview ever. Though Tim Schafer calls Brütal Legend the most personal game he's ever done, it's possibly the most widely, inescapably appealing project he's been involved with. I don't need to champion the amazing band of kids at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp or Manny and the delightful denizens of the underworld this time. We're talking about a hilarious, open-ended heavy metal epic starring Jack Black. Do you really need me to tell you it's awesome? With a presentation given by Tim Schafer himself at last week's E3, the anticipation for his heavy metal opus Brutal Legend is greater than ever. Yet, in a sad turn of events... E3 2009: Publisher taking developer Double Fine to court over EA Partners game it passed on after Vivendi Games merger; Tim Schafer offers lyrical response. LOS ANGELES--This... Activision has filed suit against Brutal Legend developer Double Fine Productions. The publisher isn't happy about the game going to rival EA, claiming the developer didn't provide Activision with a game after a $15 million investment.  Publisher Activision has filed suit against Brütal Legend developer Double Fine Productions to prevent the release of the heavy metal game starring Jack Black, putting the title's Rocktober release in jeopardy.
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| Fallujah Game Still Alive, Being Shopped To Publishers
June 9, 2009 at 9:00 am
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| Six Days in Fallujah, which aims to tell the story of the recent battle in Iraq, was too hot a political potato for one-time publishers Konami, who facing intense pressure dumped the game. But that doesn't mean the project is dead. Developers Atomic Games still see promise in the project, and are still shopping the game around to prospective publishers, boss Peter Tamte telling Newsweek ""We have a lot of people who are interested in the project...But I'll feel better when we sign something and the checks start coming."  Development of the modern, 3D Ninja Gaiden games has always been overseen by one man: former Team Ninja boss/ Dark Lord Tomonobu Itagaki. But what happens now he can no longer work on the series? Well, someone else has to work on the series. Surprise, surprise. Of nine "games that went too far" named on a network news website, which is the only one gamers have actually, you know, played? Hint: It rhymes with "Schmand Schmeft Schmauto IV.  I briefly sat down with Alex Peters, Propaganda's game director for Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, who stressed the importance of choice in Disney's upcoming action role-playing game.  It. Just. Doesn't. End. We had another day of E3. Day one, two, three, actually! Lots of new, lots of coverage, lots of posts. We've gathered them up and put them in one place.
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| Former Halo Wars dev bites into Apple
June 9, 2009 at 8:48 am
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| When Ensemble Studios closed its doors earlier this year many of its staff landed behind a desk at either Robot Entertainment or Bonfire Studios, a pair of outfits that rose up from the Age of Empires and Halo Wars dev's splintered remains. Not Graeme Devine, however -- he's far too trendy for that business. We can finally keep up with our brain age on our iPhones, thanks to Namco Bandai Networks Europe's Brain Training with Dr. Kawashima, available now at an iTunes App Store near you. Some sobering words this morning from iPhone developer Rick Strom, who has two applications on the AppStore's Top 100 paid list. He mentioned that an app sitting at the #35 slot (which one of his is) is bringing in (on average) around $20 per day. BioWare is currently developing a Mass Effect spinoff for the iPhone. And if Bethesda has its way, another popular RPG franchise may eventually be making the jump. The developer just needs to settle on the right design.  Star Defense is Ngmoco's take on tower defense games. Yes, that means yet another tower defense game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Even with its impressive track record of top-notch titles...
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| Zeno Clash (Probably) Coming To Xbox 360
June 9, 2009 at 8:30 am
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| Quirky PC brawler/shooter Zeno Clash did pretty good business on PC. So good, in fact, that the game looks set to make an appearance on Xbox Live Arcade. Chatting with Eurogamer, Carlos Bordeu - co-founder of Zeno Clash devs ACE Team - says that they are "currently talking with a publisher" for a potential XBLA release of the game. And that's not all. He also says that, should it happen, this console version would ship with extra content not seen in the PC edition of the game.  The Big Surf Island expansion for Burnout Paradise is coming this Thursday to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. How much does Criterion's biggest add-on yet cost? It's not cheap...  Gearbox has confirmed its casual E3 mention to Joystiq that it plans to release Borderlands this October. A company representative told us today that it's looking forward...  News of a deal that brings Last.fm to the Xbox 360 was kind of lost in the flood of information coming out of Microsoft's E3 press conference last week. So let's go back to it.  Think Shadow of the Colossus meets Halo for this nutso sci-fi shooter. More Lost Planet 2 Coverage I'll keep this short and sweet: Lost Planet 2 is roughly one thousand times more interesting than the original game...
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| Interview: Chris Taylor on Supreme Commander 2, publisher Square Enix and RTS on consoles
June 9, 2009 at 8:00 am
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| Showcasing his team's upcoming RTS, Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor sat down with us at E3 2009 to discuss Supreme Commander 2, console RTS releases and the concepts that didn't work in the original title. Prior to our lengthy chat, Taylor demoed the planned 2010 RTS on hardware we were told was a two year old PC with a new video card.  The Nintendo DS is used to play games, communicate with friends and, in Japan, take tests. Yay? The Kyoto-based game maker has teamed up with Sharp System Products to produce Nintendo DS Classroom. With no real change to Rock Band Weekly since the Iron Maiden announcement a couple weeks ago, we gave the long-running feature a break last week during the E3 madness.  Microsoft – the manufacturer of the RRoD-prone Xbox 360 – has confirmed to Joystiq that it's discontinued its policy of providing a prepaid box with shipping label, more commonly referred to as the "coffin," for all Xbox 360 repairs.  The partial facial paralysis I suffered on the Friday before E3 is a bit better today, thanks in no small part to the advice of Gas Powered Games founder and CEO, Chris Taylor.
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| A Little Mario Music For Your Morning
June 9, 2009 at 8:00 am
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|  Good morning, people on Kotaku Time! To get you off the proper foot today, we offer this music, morning music, if you will. And if you don't like the Super Mario Land them, then you can always admire the headwear and shirts and pile of dirty clothes in the back. Remember, violins are awesome. Violinists with awesome t-shirts are awesomer. Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life. We feel like we're in some kind of topsy-turvy bizarro dimension this morning. Not only did a couple of guys sue EA for having a monopoly on football games, but a U.S. Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet... Green Day will have something Rock Band-related out this year, according to statements made by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong during a KROQ appearance. An audience member asked the band if they were planning on putting songs out for the game...
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| Pencil Borderlands In For October
June 9, 2009 at 7:30 am
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| First-person-shooter meets role-playing-game Borderlands may not be cel-shaded, but it may have a release date. According to game site Shacknews, that release date is this October. The game was originally slated for last year, but then delayed. And if everything goes well that delay should end when the game is out this fall. Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet...  The head of marketing for the PlayStation brand told us at E3 that Sony's new PlayStation 3 motion-control tech could be the thing to get hardcore players into "motion gaming.  Heavy Rain is not your typical game -- the experience promises to change and morph throughout the different scenes. While the Taxidermist and Mad Jack scenes are reasonably similar...  E3 week delivered a deluge of stories, previews, impressions, hands-on, live blogs and well, just coverage, but that doesn't mean the flood stops here. Let's recap a mammoth news week - more than 250 posts on E3...
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| Microsoft's Create-A-Game Game Out This Month
June 9, 2009 at 6:30 am
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|  Despite it's simple appearance, it's clear Microsoft are dipping their toes in the LittleBigPlanet sea with Kodu. While the game was a no-show at E3, it'll be a show-show on 360s later this month. The development team's official blog has announced that the title/service/thing will be out at the end of June, with final content passes currently under way at Microsoft. Jouji "George" Kamitani is the person most responsible for Vanillaware's signature look. Not only is he the company's president and director of its games, he's also in charge of the art. 5TH Cell received a lot of attention at E3 for its DS platform adventure Scribblenauts, but that wasn't the only DS game 5TH Cell brought to the show. THQ had a demo station set up running the DS sequel to the company's first DS hit, Drawn to Life. Halo: ODST returns players to the universe of Halo without its central character. Can Halo be fun without the Master Chief? While I haven't had a chance to play any of the campaign yet... Showcasing his team's upcoming RTS, Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor sat down with us at E3 2009 to discuss Supreme Commander 2, console RTS releases and the concepts that didn't work in the original title. First-person-shooter meets role-playing-game Borderlands may not be cel-shaded, but it may have a release date. According to game site Shacknews, that release date is this October.
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| Nintendo DS Software Allows For Classroom Test Taking
June 9, 2009 at 6:00 am
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| The Nintendo DS is used to play games, communicate with friends and, in Japan, take tests. Yay? The Kyoto-based game maker has teamed up with Sharp System Products to produce Nintendo DS Classroom. The game software enables students to use DS consoles in case to do multiple choice exercises and take tests. A room full of students with Nintendo DS Classroom carts in their DS consoles can connect to a local network created by the teacher's PC. We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about...  Japanese gamers snapped up a ton of new titles in Japan this past week as the new Kingdom Hearts game for the Nintendo DS topped charts. The top ten was full of new, including Gyakuten Kenji and.  We check out life on the farm in Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands. Harvest Moon is no stranger to handheld platforms, and Sunshine Island represents the latest step for the series on the Nintendo DS.  Nintendo's Glory of Heracles feels like the company's attempt at RPG Training, a My First Role-Playing Game for the crowd fearful of stats-heavy, turn-based conventions.
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| Empire's remaining stockpile to be sold off this week
June 9, 2009 at 4:00 am
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|  Zoo Publishing may already own the rights to Empire Interactive's IP (having bought the fallen company's catalog last month), but it doesn't own any of the company's current physical stock. This means there's a warehouse somewhere in Birmingham, England filled with the defunct company's retail software (212,000 boxes, to be exact) just sitting idly, collecting dust. KPMG is looking to liquidate these former Empire assets, hoping to sell everything altogether for a 15% premium this week and finally let Empire fade into history.  Amazing what a week off can do for the PC sales charts. Not only does it allow them to all catch up and be on the same week, but Steam's charts are vastly improved. Yes...  If there is one fault we'd have to say most chairs possess nowadays, it's that they're just too darn stationary. Well, they used to be, anyway, as some ingenious gentlemen...  Yep, Evangelion's Misato is reading the news in a very, very mechanical voice. The news program runs on software that collects news from real-life news (politics, the economy, sports and, yes, the anime industry). Pepsico announced that its World of WarCraft-branded Game Fuel beverages are available this month, and will be in stores "through the summer." So if you're in the US and...
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| The Lost Planet 2 Launch Window Is...
June 9, 2009 at 4:00 am
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|  Looking for a rough release window for Capcom's Lost Planet 2? Look no further than the game's Japanese site. The Xbox 360 version will be hitting The Land of the Rising Sun this winter. That's what the LP2 website says. Don't forget that "this winter" is also February 2010 — that, and the game, like most Capcom games, is probably multi-platform. So there you go. Think Shadow of the Colossus meets Halo for this nutso sci-fi shooter. More Lost Planet 2 Coverage I'll keep this short and sweet: Lost Planet 2 is roughly one thousand times more interesting than the original game... Speaking with ijji.com earlier today, just before we got a hands-on with upcoming MMOFPS Huxley: The Dystopia, the company confirmed to us that the game is going with the microtransaction model.  The Gametrak Freedom is doomed. Some clarification: I'm don't think the Freedom is a bad product. In fact, there's a very marketable product to be found in both the controller and its bundled game, Squeeballs.  Sony boss Jack Tretton may have spoken a bit too soon when he said that Final Fantasy XIV would be exclusively on PS3. At today's Square Enix press conference, senior...
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| Sony: Wii Owners Will Become PS3 Owners (Eventually)
June 9, 2009 at 3:30 am
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|  Andrew House is the new boss of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, a position with a long, storied history of corporate tit-for-tat. And it's a position he seems to be taking a real shine to. In his first real public interview since assuming the role following David Reeve's departure in April, House tells Edge Online: If there is one fault we'd have to say most chairs possess nowadays, it's that they're just too darn stationary. Well, they used to be, anyway, as some ingenious gentlemen... Microsoft and Sony are positioning their new controllers as "Wii killers," but Nintendo has been busy readying their own next step, which finally hit stores today. We had a chance to speak with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto at E3...  The Wii Vitality Sensor tracks a players pulse while playing. A novel Nintendo idea — or is it? Nintendo has never been afraid of mining its own past for new product...
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| PC Sales Charts: Where Parity Is Achieved
June 9, 2009 at 3:00 am
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| Amazing what a week off can do for the PC sales charts. Not only does it allow them to all catch up and be on the same week, but Steam's charts are vastly improved. Yes, amidst all the excitement of E3 came a different kind of excitement, the kind that will kick a tyre and light a fire under sales charts enthusiasts: Valve have finally decided to release proper weekly sales charts.  The announcement of Left 4 Dead 2 following so closely after the first game has certainly had people talking. Steam members quickly started a boycott group, which already has over 17,000 members promising not to buy the game.  Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it.  E3 2009: ESA declares trade show's return to large-scale format a success, will be back at the Los Angeles Convention Center June 15-17 next year. E3 to LACC: "I'll be back.  Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has taken the reins of the Castlevania series from fellow Konami designer Koji Igarashi for the series' latest title Lords of Shadow. The...
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| The Beancat: Nunchuk brings mobility to a bean bag chair
June 9, 2009 at 3:00 am
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| If there is one fault we'd have to say most chairs possess nowadays, it's that they're just too darn stationary. Well, they used to be, anyway, as some ingenious gentlemen have come up with a cool chair mod in what they have affectionately dubbed The Beancat, a labor of love that incorporates the Wii's Nunchuk controller into a device that not only controls Mario on-screen, but also keeps you from having to get up when you want to grab a drink from the fridge. Andrew House is the new boss of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, a position with a long, storied history of corporate tit-for-tat. And it's a position he seems to be taking a real shine to. Microsoft and Sony are positioning their new controllers as "Wii killers," but Nintendo has been busy readying their own next step, which finally hit stores today. We had a chance to speak with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto at E3... The Wii Vitality Sensor tracks a players pulse while playing. A novel Nintendo idea — or is it? Nintendo has never been afraid of mining its own past for new product...
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| What Does The News From Evangelion's Misato Sound Like?
June 9, 2009 at 2:00 am
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| Yep, Evangelion's Misato is reading the news in a very, very mechanical voice. The news program runs on software that collects news from real-life news (politics, the economy, sports and, yes, the anime industry). A Cellius voice synthesis engine is used to have Misato read said news in real time on this Nerv News 24 television program. Zoo Publishing may already own the rights to Empire Interactive's IP (having bought the fallen company's catalog last month), but it doesn't own any of the company's current physical stock. Amazing what a week off can do for the PC sales charts. Not only does it allow them to all catch up and be on the same week, but Steam's charts are vastly improved. Yes... If there is one fault we'd have to say most chairs possess nowadays, it's that they're just too darn stationary. Well, they used to be, anyway, as some ingenious gentlemen... Pepsico announced that its World of WarCraft-branded Game Fuel beverages are available this month, and will be in stores "through the summer." So if you're in the US and...
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| Massively refreshing: WoW Mountain Dew now available, with bonus in-game pet
June 9, 2009 at 2:00 am
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| Pepsico announced that its World of WarCraft-branded Game Fuel beverages are available this month, and will be in stores "through the summer." So if you're in the US and want to drink things that are packaged in a bottle with the logo of a game you like on them, head to your local grocery store. To celebrate the launch of WoW Game Fuel, Blizzard will open a site at www.warcraft.com/dew, where downloadable 14-day trials of the game can be found for new players,  There were a ton of big announcements at E3 this year, but one thing we didn't see -- from any of the big three -- were price cuts. For Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, that was a bummer.  This guy was the workhorse of E3. No matter the hour, no matter the day, there he was, selling Splinter Cell Conviction like it was only $19.99 after four easy, monthly instalments.  Joystiq doesn't just cover E3, it covers french fries as well. Seeking to add a taste of home to our exotic Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles fare, Joystiq's Kevin Kelly concocted this new condiment...
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| New Resident Evil Being Designed With PSP Go In Mind
June 9, 2009 at 1:11 am
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|  Now that the PSP Go is a reality, it's time to talk about the games. Specifically, the recently announced Resident Evil for the PSP, which Capcom's Chris Kramer briefly described in his blog over at Capcom Unity."The game is some ways off, so don't be expecting this one to come home with you when you upgrade to the PSP Go in the fall," he wrote.  Resident Evil 5 aside, it seems everywhere you look these days, there's a Resident Evil remake popping up. So when a PSP Resident Evil game was announced last week, few people seemed to care. While conducting some tests for SCEI, a researcher at Sony's HQ in Japan realized that the PSP Go!Cam could see a visual spectrum far beyond human vision. Scattered throughout the world is a mystical energy that only the PSP camera could detect.  Perhaps Sony and Media Molecule could have thought up a more clever title: LittleBigPlanet: Portable Sized Platforming ... or Pint-sized Super Playfield. Ignoring the fact that these are terrible title suggestions... It's starting to feel like summer, with a robust lineup of more than 40 releases led by Prototype, whose protagonist is sorta like Altair meets Plastic Man. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again...
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| Shigeru Miyamoto Discusses Wii MotionPlus, Competing Motion Controllers
June 9, 2009 at 1:10 am
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| Microsoft and Sony are positioning their new controllers as "Wii killers," but Nintendo has been busy readying their own next step, which finally hit stores today. We had a chance to speak with legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto at E3, where he shared his thoughts on the MotionPlus, the upcoming Wii Sports Resort, and Microsoft and Sony's new motion controllers.According to Miyamoto, The head of marketing for the PlayStation brand told us at E3 that Sony's new PlayStation 3 motion-control tech could be the thing to get hardcore players into "motion gaming. We've already gotten a peek at Nintendo of America's newly released, but still tentative, Wii release schedule, which shows 2010 will be very good year. But what about... Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. Sony and Microsoft both had something up their sleeves when it came to motion-based controls at this year's E3, revealing a new controller and Project Natal, respectively.
- Sony Explains Unnamed New PS3 Motion Controller A Little More
- Nintendo Lays Out DS, DSiWare Release Schedule At E3
- Sin And Punishment 2 Hands-On: Up, Down, Up, Down, Shoot, Shoot, Shoot
- Pachter: Project Natal and PlayStation Motion Controller won't topple Wii
- Miyamoto No Longer Sad, But Wants To Refute One Criticism
- Miyamoto flattered, not worried by Sony, Microsoft motion controllers
- Gran Turismo Makers Try Forza 3
- Insights on Nintendo's new games from the Miyamoto developer event
- Miyamoto Spotted at Microsoft's Project Natal Demo
- Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is ... mom-friendly?
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| Seen@E3: Huge lines!
June 9, 2009 at 1:00 am
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| (click to DS Phat-size) If there was one thing completely different about E3 for us this year, it was the mass of people now occupying the Los Angeles Convention Center's West and South halls. Compared with last year's ghost town feel, E3 2009 was brimming with gamers vying for hands-ons with the biggest games of the show (we're looking at you, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Halo 3: ODST), which made us feel that much worse when we were ushered to the head of a line to play this game or that (we repeatedly apologized!). Sega's first game to cash in on the Aliens license is Aliens Vs. Predator, which, if I can count correctly, is the ninth video game* to chronicle the epic battle between Aliens and Predators. Nintendo's best evidence that its E3 2009 showing was all "about the games" were the four kiosks dedicated to Sin And Punishment 2. Treasure's sequel to the Nintendo 64 shooter was given prominent attention at the front of Nintendo's booth. NEW ZELDA Wii GAME: Take a look at the first image for the upcoming next video game in The Legend of Zelda series, which is headed to the Nintendo Wii in 2010. ALSO READ:...
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