Game Club Beyond Good & Evil: The First Assignment

Alright, as promised today we're kicking off the rejuvenated Game Club with a group play through of fan favorite of Beyond Good & Evil. If you're interested in playing through a game along side a group of friends and then discussing the deeper meaning of the game and its plot, don't forget to hop in.

We will be meeting weekly, on Monday's at 9:30 p.m. Eastern, though this month with the holiday and E3, is going to have an odd schedule. I'm pretty sure it will be easy to get through the game in four meetings. So let's plan on our first meeting to start on July 7 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Just come to the site and look for the Game Club Beyond Good & Evil Discussion post.

In this first assignment for Beyond Good & Evil you'll need to complete the the Black Isle Mines section of the game. Make sure you don't play past that point because I'd like us all to be on the same page, so to speak. After playing through the chunk, try to think up some interesting questions and discussion topics. I will have a list of my own, but I'm hoping we can all ask each other interesting things to discuss.

The game is available for the Xbox (not backwards compatible) PS2, Gamecube and the PC via Steam and Gametap.

Hit the jump for the Game Club rules.

You may recall that earlier in May, Nintendo was pinched to the tune of $21 million in a patent infringement suit brought by Texas-based Anascape. Upon further review, the play stands — a U.S. District Court judge denied Ninty's pretty-please to cut that $21 mil to a less lottoriffic number. So unless they want to take this up the ladder to a U.S. federal appeals court, they'll be cutting a check for that number.

Anascape sued back in 2006 and went for the kitchen sink, claiming Nintendo and Microsoft both infringed on controller designs they had patented. Microsoft settled with Anascape. The original suit against Nintendo covered everything from the Gamecube forward — the Wavebird and the Classic, plus the Wiimote and Nunchuk. The case decided in May found infringements only on the former two not the motion-sensing controls in the Wii. Still, $21 million is not pocket change.

Nintendo's Appeal on Reduced $21M Verdict Denied [QJ.net]

Nintendo Responds To Song Swiping Lawsuit

Earlier this month, Nintendo of America was on the receiving end of a lawsuit from Hollywood production company Morgan Creek Productions, which alleged copyright infringement over the use of music from the movie True Romance in a TV spot for GameCube game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

The suit was quickly withdrawn by Morgan Creek... mysteriously!

It's really not that mysterious. According to a statement from Nintendo, the whole thing has been settled, with ad agency Leo Burnett reminding Morgan Creek that it had already entered into a music licensing agreement with the production company. Looks like all that was required was a "Sorry 'bout that!" The full statement follows.

London Boy Has Copy Of Donkey Konga Signed By Amy Winehouse For Some Reason

Look, I don't get what's going on here either—and, yes, this is clearly not news—but apparently singer and controlled substance enthusiast Amy Winehouse will autograph whatever is handed to her when someone visits her London residence. A perfect example is that someone, a boy named Laurence we're told, knocked on Ms. Winehouse's door, offered up a copy of Donkey Konga for the Gamecube and a set of bongo controllers, upon which she scrawled something. I assume she then went off to pick fresh scabs while googly-eyed.

It's notable for being one of the few good uses for Donkey Konga bongo controllers and perfect as a response to confusing internet situations. You're welcome to make a copy with text that reads "I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a picture of Amy Winehouse with bongo controllers."

Image via Bauer-Griffin.

There's A "Strong Chance" Silicon Knights Will Return To Eternal Darkness

There is a chance; we love all the games we work on. We don't want to be pigeon-holed [into a genre], we want to be known for strong content...There's a strong chance we'll return to it, but there's no announcements yet.

Resident Evil Zero Dated For Japan (And Only Japan)

Why The Nintendo Hate

Nintendo Hate [Games Radar Thanks, Roxeraz!]

Capcom Porting Another GameCube Resident Evil to BC Wii

Don't Forget, You Can Play GameCube Games on the Wii

Nintendo's recent financial reports didn't contain much in the way of surprise game announcements, as leaks are not the company's style. Documents did re-confirm, however, that the former GameCube platformer known simply as Kirby is still on track for a 2008 release in Japan. Shown at E3 2005, the game's continued development had doubt cast upon it by the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine, but it appears that HAL Laboratory is still hard at work on the next console Kirby.

Kirby enthusiasts will also take comfort in that the third Nintendo DS game, Hoshi no Kirby: Ultra Super Deluxe, is similarly tentatively scheduled for a 2008 release. The remake of the SNES classic Kirby Super Star will hopefully make it before the end of the year.

Both dates are, of course, subject to change, as is that bad-ass attitude of the pink, shoe-wearing sphere.

Wii To Bypass Lifetime GameCube Sales Any Minute Now

Nintendo's financial results for the previous quarter, released earlier today, were nothing less than impressive. What's even potentially more impressive was how quickly it appears the Wii will overtake lifetime-to-date sales of its predecessor, the Nintendo GameCube. According to Nintendo's own numbers, the GameCube had sold 21.72 million units over the course of its six year-plus lifespan, as of December 31, 2007. The Wii, just 14 months on the market, has sold 20.13 million, putting the waggle-box a mere 1.59 million units behind the 'Cube.

In Wii terms, that ain't nothin'.

With Nintendo now manufacturing 1.8 million Wiis a month and seemingly selling every one of those consoles, it won't be long until the Wii overtakes the GameCube... if it hasn't already.

Circuit City Video Game Clearance Sale

In the post holiday dust settling, a lot of the stores are trying to get rid of there overstock by having some great sales and today its Circuit City's turn. They have a number of titles(40) across all systems on sale for a paltry $8.96 each and an additional 30 titles at $16.96. Here are some of the highlights:

PS3: Icon, NBA Street Homecourt, College Hoops 2007
PS2: Godhand, Lumines Plus, Onimusha Dawn of Dreams
PSP: Parappa the Rapper, Street Fighter 3 Alpha, Guity Gear Judgment
360: Condemned, Quake 4, Project Sylpheed, Meet The Robinsons,
Xbox: Jade Empire LE, Grand Theft Auto Double Pack
Wii: Avatar: The Last Airbender
GC: Hulk Ultimate Destruction
DS: Elite Beat Agents, Mario & Luigi Partners in Time, Children of Mana, Phoenix Wright 1
GBA: Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Wario Twisted

Of course, titles will vary by location so you might have to do some digging to turn up something really good, but then that's half the fun with sales like these. You should also be aware that there is a limit of three titles per customer, so bring a non-gamer friend with you if you plan on going on a spree. To get all the info on this and other sales happening this weekend, check out CheapAssGamer.

Best of the Sunday Ad Video Game Deals (1/6 - 1/12) [CheapAssGamer]
[via GayGamer]

Tales from the Road: Grimy Game Station Makes Me Cringe

At the Montreal Games Summit, Retro Studios prez Michael Kelbaugh and game director Mark Pacini waxed nostalgically on the development of the Metroid Prime series. While opinion on the decision to change the series' direction from 2D action adventure to 3D, first-person shooter may be divided, what I think we can agree on is that behind the scenes look at how it all came to be is certifiably neat-o. Hearing tales of Shigeru Miyamoto shooting down game design concepts, the months long struggle to make the game's morph ball work and the last-minute decision to include the scan visor are the kinds of things one rarely hears about from Nintendo published games.

From the original Metroid Prime to Echoes to Corruption, some great internal-only moments are revealed. That first hands-on with the Nintendo "Revolution"? I'd have been giddy, too.

Gamasutra has a fantastic write up of the session, which fans of Metroid shouldn't miss.

MIGS 2007: Retro Studios On The Journey Of Metroid Prime [Gamasutra]

Super Mario Galaxy vs. Super Mario Sunshine

I'll admit that it's sometimes hard to see the graphical differences between Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii and Super Mario Sunshine for the Gamecube, even in the HD version of the above clip. Obviously, there are bits in Galaxy that outshine it's predecessor in the visuals department, but it's hard not to look controlling FLUDD in Sunshine and not see a boiling red rage where gameplay is supposed to be. I suppose I'm more surprised that the Wii iteration wasn't as much of a graphical leap as I'd thought it was. Good thing graphics nitpickery loses out to gameplay every time.

Life, Death And Animal Crossing

There's little that can be added to this touching web comic, courtesy of del.icio.us, that tells the story of a mother and son's shared experiences in Animal Crossing, so we won't add much. It's something that simply must be read without "spoilers." Suffice it to say, it warrants reading in its original web comic form—seemingly translated from its Korean language origins—or viewing at its YTMND alternate home. We've mirrored the file below.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in.

Animal Crossing Is Tragic [YTMND]
18. Animal Crossing [Kotaku via Spoilerium]