<![CDATA[Kotaku: Clover]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Clover]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/clover http://kotaku.com/tag/clover <![CDATA[When Your First Game Design Is Destroyed By Dad]]> Atsushi Inaba's credits are impressive. He's produced titles like Okami, Viewtiful Joe and, most recently, Vanquish. When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a game creator. Then his dad found out. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5763012&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The First Test Run Of Okami Was "Incredibly Boring"]]> Hideki Kamiya, designer of Bayonetta, created Okami back when he worked at Capcom's Clover. In the recent issue of Famitsu (translated by 1Up), Kamiya looks back at making Okami. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5397498&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Binary Tweed Launches Politically-Charged Clover]]> Binary Tweed Launches Politically-Charged Clover Independent developer Binary Tweed has finally released the politically-pointed watercolor platforming adventure Clover via the Xbox Live Community Games Program. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5249132&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom Based Business On Movie Studios, Not Game Studios]]> Few years back, Capcom underwent some pretty radical changes, and ended up restructuring as a company. But when time came to make the changes, they didn't model the new Capcom on an existing model. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5163942&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Okami Creator Says Western Developers Are Superior]]> Capcom's Jun Takeuchi spoke today about the "rise" of Western gaming. But former Capcom man Atsushi Inaba, well, he goes a little further, saying that, overall, "Western developers are superior to those in Japan". More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5156993&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Binary Tweed's Political Puzzle Platformer Clover Looks Delightful]]> If you think this screenshot from Clover, a "political platform puzzler" coming soon to Xbox Live Community Games from independent developer Binary Tweed, is lovely, you should see their managing director's mustache. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5129321&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Third Time Lucky For Okami?]]> Despite being one of the best damn games we've ever played, Okami bombed (at the register, relative to its quality) on the PS2. Bombed on the Wii, too. So maybe, uh, third time's a charm? Let's hope so (because this isn't official confirmation)! A listing for a Greatest Hits version of the game - on PS2 - has turned up on retailer Play-Asia, with a ship date of later this month. Who knows, maybe a cheap, cheap price will look great to the 3-4 people who somehow missed it first time around. And don't own a Wii. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5034617&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[After 11 Months, My Okami Art Book Arrives]]> In July 2007, fresh from beating the game, I ordered the Japanese-language edition of the Okami art book. Weeks went by. Then months. No art book. I totally forgot about the thing. Then today, June 24, 2008...success! The book finally turns up (albeit the English-language edition). Was it worth the wait? Was it ever. This is a proper art book. Full of concept art, level design sketches, character reference models and even some mangas detailing both the game's boss battles and "god release" cutscenes. Best part? It even gives you soundtrack advice: ie, if you're reading this, play track 7 on disc 3 of the soundtrack. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5019040&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Difficulty of (Games') Difficulty]]> Kieron Gillen has a nice meditation on difficulty and games over at the Escapist: where do you find it these days? Gillen opines that real difficulty, something "balanced expertly on the precipice between hard and unfair" (like his example of God Hand), is increasingly pushed towards the edges. As the rules of the economic game have changed, many titles are forced to balance challenge with "completability," with the balance being skewed towards easy (or 'easier): More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=389321&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom Fuck Clover's Sad Panda Corpse [Updated]]]> How does Okami director Hideki Kamiya feel about the Wii port? He's pretty bummed out! The Wii version has cut the staff end credits from the game, which was released in North America earlier this month. The original game was developed by now dissolved Capcom subsidiary Clover and ported by Daxter developer Ready at Dawn. According to Kamiya: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=386008&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Okami On Wii Controls Well, Only "Quasi-16:9" [UPDATE]]]> Last week, Capcom stated on their company store that Okami on Wii would be running at 16:9. Why is this important? Because the PS2 version did not, and if the Wii version did, it'd be a very valid reason for many to go out and buy the same game twice. Turns out that the game doesn't really run at 16:9, however. IGN sat down with it the other day and found it actually sports:
...a quasi-16:9 widescreen mode — we call it "quasi" because it's not full resolution; thin black bars remain on each side of the screen.
Ah well. On the bright side, they report that the use of the Wii Remote for celestial brushwork is like "night and day" compared to the PS2 version, with brushwork becoming faster, more accurate and easier to pull off. And in case you weren't already aware, the port's best feature is related neither to aspect ratio nor gameplay: you can now skip the game's cutscenes, which should make a second playthrough all the more enticing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357445&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Seeds Gets Craptastic New Name]]> Clover Studios was Capcom's boutique team behind game innovative games like Okami and God Hand. What's more, Clover is a pretty nice name! When things soured with Capcom, the studio was shuttered and producer Atsushi Inaba, Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya formed SEEDS. It was Clover reborn, and likewise it also had a cool name. The emphasis here is had. Over on the SEEDS official website, there is a notice that Seeds is apparently merging with IT company ODD Solutions ODD Corporation to form, brace yourself, Platinum Games. Yes, PLATINUM GAMES. The website says something like: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=304227&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Okami Creator Itching for Sequel]]> Wii port or not, before I start, know: At the moment, Capcom has no concrete plans to make Okami 2, and nothing has been greenlit. However! Insiders tell us that Devil May Cry creator and Okami designer Hideki Kamiya really would like to make Okami 2. The Union Jack lovin' game creator is very interested in doing a sequel and has voiced this desire. Unfortunately, since the game is a Capcom/Clover title, it's not his decision to make. It's just something that he'd really like to do. What's more, Kamiya tells our insider that the dissolution of Clover had nothing to do with poor Okami sales. Rather, producer Atsushi Inaba had an argument with Capcom management. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=282133&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[SEEDS Studio]]> CLOVER studio, who have in the past been responsible for Okami and Viewtiful Joe, is now SEEDS studio (I guess they are going backwards?). Designers Kamiya and Mikami are apparently working on a few big titles for (assumably) the PS3 and the Xbox 360 as they will no longer be supporting the PS2 any longer. What they're working on is still kept tightly under wraps, but I'm sure these talented fellas will be able to churn out something we all like. Kim Phu More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=268393&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA['Vision Doesn't Sell Games']]> From this week's Escapist, a rather sobering look at the 'demise of Clover Studios.' Everyone claims they want new, different, innovative games, but somehow a studio like Clover that produced Viewtiful Joe 2, God Hand and Okami can't stay afloat. The author points out that for a "scrappy independent developer," selling hundreds of thousands of copies would be quite the achievement, but for a division of Capcom it was a "stinging disappointment." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=260016&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom Clears Up Clover Closing]]> When darling developer Clover was shut down by Capcom corporate, following a string of gorgeous and fun to play games that failed to perform at retail, it smacked of giant corporate entity unjustly squashing its arthouse underdog. In the Gamasutra interview published today, Capcom's Charles Bellfield helps to add clarity to the situation, giving a helpful peek at the structure of the Japanese company that published Viewtiful Joe and Okami. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=237935&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[From Clover To Seeds: Okami Creator's New Gig]]> In a heart-wrenching move to many, Clover Studios was shuttered late last year. Fronted by Atsushi Inaba, the studio brought us titles like Okami and GODHAND. We had heard rumblings that Inaba had created another Osaka-based studio. What's more, it apparently had big financial backing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=236810&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Blind Item: What Clover Is Doing Now (And With Whom)]]> Eds Note: "Blind Items" will appear occasionally for gossip and rumors. Hit up the comments section for conjecture and speculation. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=233865&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Rumor: Clover Studios v2.0]]>
When Capcom shuttered Clover, the arm behind Okami and Godhand, grown men cried. Producer Atsushi Inaba fled the company, while his partner-in-crime Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil) kept contractual ties with Capcom. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=224969&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Rumor Smash: Capcom Doesn't Love The 360 THAT Much]]> Two Capcom-Xbox 360 rumors have been crawling around the internet for the past couple (slow news) days, so before we get too many more tips about these non-stories, let's smash 'em! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=224644&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[GOD HAND Smacks Cheap In Japan [Update]]]>
Granted, this is at one store, but here it is: GOD HAND marked down to 2,600 yen (US $22). The game was originally priced at 7,140 yen ($61). Can't help but think closing Clover was sadly a financial decision, not a creative control one. Regardless, McWhertor points out that the original price was far too high anyway. Agreed. Brian Ashcraft More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=214244&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Best Okami Tattoo We've Seen]]>
Nevermind that it's the only Okami tattoo we've seen... More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=210873&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Before We Knew the Sad Truth, Inaba Explained Clover]]>
Sick of hearing about how Capcom smothered Clover Studios with a giant throw pillow and left the arty studio for dead in a dumpster out by the airport? Me neither! Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield has an insightful interview with Atsushi Inaba from way back at TGS, way back when there was still a Clover Studios. While the word has always been that Clover was a word play on "creativity lover," Inaba points out: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=209647&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom Exec Talks Clover, Badmouths Sega]]>
Former Sega marketer and current Capcom VP, Charles Bellfield pulls no punches in a recent GameDaily interview. With Clover Studios (God Hand, Okami) recent closing, Bellfield talks about what that means for Capcom and what exactly the subsidiary was. He points out that it was "physically a floor in our sixteen-story R&D building in Osaka in Japan. It was identical to the other fifteen floors that were in the same building..." Moreover, the majority of the team has been transitioning from Clover to Capcom for months. Continuing, Bellfield adds: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=208626&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Last Of The Clover Interviews]]>
I know you're just as sad and/or angry as I am about the closing of Clover Studios, creators of Viewtiful Joe, Okami and God Hand. My emotions lean closer to "anger" as I realized I was the only one at my local EB to secure a God Hand pre-order. Shame on you, game buying public! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=207653&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Capcom On Clover Closing]]>
Capcom has supplied game site Next Generation with a Q&A which hopefully clear up some of the confusion (and heartbreak) regarding Clover Studio's shuttering. Capcom states that the subsidiary was liquidated because it would be better to have all the R&D resources in a single company. The fifteen staff members still working in Clover Studio will be transfered to Capcom R&D. Moreover, all the Clover copyrights will revert to Capcom. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=207287&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Rumor: Clover to Break From Capcom]]> This morning we reported that Clover Studio was being "absorbed" by parent company Capcom. Now comes news, via Wired, that the studio might not be going so quietly into that night. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=207177&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Breaking: Clover Studio is Dead]]>
As of today, the studio behind Viewtiful Joe, Okami and God Hand is no more. Clover Studio was shuttered by main shareholder Capcom. At a Board of Directors' meeting was held, and it was decided that Clover should dissolved. The reason? According to the Capcom IR release: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=207026&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[TGS06: I Hope This Okami Plush Isn't For Humping]]>
Unlike E3, rest its soul, you can actually buy cool stuff from video game publishers at Tokyo Game Show. One of the halls is dedicated to selling t-shirts, mouse pads (with breasts to rest your weary wrist upon, of course), love pillows, statues, towels, and toys. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=202813&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Clover's God Hand = Total Insanity + Total Hilarity]]> Leather clad dominatrix power spanking? Check. Rapid fire mantis-style testicle stabbing? Check. Hard Gay-esque prancing bad boys on the receiving end of an ethereal baseball bat? Err. I guess. Proof that Shinji Mikami and team Clover are three sake carafes deep at each and every post-lunch design meeting? Check!! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=185975&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Okami Game Play Footage Is Beyond Stunning]]> Game site Siliconera uploaded a short Okami game footage clip that shows a tree coming back to life and Amaterasu fighting some badies. Even on YouTube, the game looks ungodly beautiful. Now that is amazing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=169909&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Reach Out and Touch the Hand of God]]> It seems that God Hand, the upcoming "god action fighter" from Clover that we just heard about a few days ago, is so far along its production schedule that it will be playable at E3. Hopefully that will answer some of our questions, like "God action fighter?" IGN has the news, along with other games hitting the E3 floor. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=168652&view=rss&microfeed=true