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heavenly sword

Ninja Theory Working on Multi-Plat Game, Life's Not Brutal

Being an independent developer is brutal. Just ask independent developer and Heavenly Sword dev Ninja Theory, and it'll tell you that being an independent developer is brutal. Says co-founder and chief developer Nina Kristensen:

It's a brutal environment out there for an independent, particularly considering the size of the games that we're developing... But we've now signed up the new game and the future looks pretty rosy for us... our new game is going to be PS3 and Xbox 360.

Lesson learned: Being an independent developer is brutal for every independent developer except for Ninja Theory.
Ninja Theory Hard At Work [GamesIndustry]

6:00 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
1,522 views, 31 comments

Latest by zanzibarlegend: after this multiplatform title, NT should deliver a proper sequel to HS, a more complete experience. more »

giant gore face

Gore Verbinski Pontificates About "Zero Narrative"

Pirates of Caribbean director Gore Verbinski is excited. Not so much about movies, but games. Just like at DICE, he's very peppy and very clueless. That's okay! So, what interests Verbinski about games? More »

9:00 PM on Mon Mar 10 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
4,700 views, 123 comments

Latest by Kojiro: @Kid_Kitten: or IV, or VI, or VIII, or IX, or X, or XII. more »

giant cuthbert face

Nintendo Taught Me To Be 'Anal'

For Nintendo, "okay" won't cut it. Its games have a spit-shine sheen, and everything is just so. You know, perfect. So when Dylan Cuthbert, honcho at Pixel Junk dev Q-Games, worked at Nintendo on the Star Fox series in the 90's, what did he learn? Cuthbert says:

The main thing I learned at Nintendo was that being "anal" is the most important asset a game creator needs to have. Mr. Miyamoto has the uncanny ability to spot the most minute detail in any game; just the odd pixel out of place and he will strike upon it like an eagle. So, although we are nowhere near that level yet, I am trying to guide everyone at Q to get good at "the details".

The other thing I learned from Nintendo, is learning to look at your game from a distance towards the end of development and decide what really needs to be done to make the game into a sell-able product. This is almost totally separate from the creative "game-making" process and most companies let their marketing departments do it which, in my opinion, is totally wrong.

Valuable lessons, indeed! If only more developers cut their teeth at Nintendo. If only...
Q-Games Dylan Cuthbert [Destructoid] [Pic]

4:00 AM on Wed Mar 5 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
3,007 views, 39 comments

Latest by Aegis: Gentleman mercenary for hire...: Whoa! I used to work with that dude! Argonaut Software rocked back then :^D more »

littlebigplanet

LittleBigPlanet Might Just Be Sony's Biggest Game Of 2008

Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, whatever. They're sideshows. Distractions. No, for Sony, the year's biggest game on the PS3 might just be LittleBigPlanet, with an SCEE rep saying it's "potentially our biggest Blu-ray release of 2008". That announcement was partly to let us know Sony are just psyched about the game, but also to say they're a lot more psyched about it than they were about those good-for-nothing PSN games. "This isn't a Warhawk or a Tekken: Dark Resurrection. This is a triple-A Blu-ray title". There there, Warhawk. I'm sure he didn't mean to be so...mean.
LittleBigPlanet: Sony's "Biggest" 08 Game [Eurogamer]

11:30 PM on Mon Feb 25 2008
By Luke Plunkett
5,960 views, 149 comments

Latest by MichaelR: I want this game so much! This is the number one reason I got a PS3, the 360 may have the best FPS games, games that I LOVE, but the PS3 has little big planet! more »

shane kim

Shane Kim On The Future Of The 360

Wired's Chris Kohler got the chance to interview Microsoft's Shane Kim while at DICE, and did not keep things brief. Good news for us, since Kim decides to talk about all kinds of things, from the challenges facing the 360 in Europe ("we're going to ramp up the focus") to the 360's pre-eminence among developers ("Xbox 360 is the lead development platform for 80% of the titles, maybe more now, being developed in the industry") to how they're going to trump the PS3 with the launch of GTA IV ("We already own it, I believe, from a content standpoint, because we have the exclusive episodes"). All interesting stuff! But my favourite comes when discussing Crackdown, where Kim says that despite Real Time Worlds moving onto something else, Microsoft "still love Crackdown", and are very aware that "customers would like to see more in that space". You're damn right we would. Hit the link for the full interview, it's a good read.
Interview: Shane Kim Talks Xbox In 2008 [Game|Life]

10:30 PM on Thu Feb 7 2008
By Luke Plunkett
2,443 views, 79 comments

Latest by krunkjuice: @okenny :): Actually I'd say MS is, at this point anyways, lacking in stuff to bring to the 360 this year. When the hell has MS ever been shy about shouting and touting what they have to the heavens? Never. more »

nintendo

Iwata Surprised, Sad, Bored, Positive, Not Funny

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata runs the entire spectrum of emotions in an interview he gave with Japanese site Yukan Fuji. He discusses his surprise at the Wii and DS's success, while mentioning his sadness about critics claiming that Nintendo forces product shortages as part of its strategy. That's not all! Iwata also talks about people growing tired of games as entertainment, mentions his personal positive outlook and cracks what must be the unfunniest joke of 2008. All that, after the jump:

More »

12:00 AM on Mon Jan 21 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
12,042 views, 73 comments

Latest by crakhed: it wasnt that bad. i mean, it sucked pretty hard but c'mon, give em a break. it was a simple joke between a man and his interviewer. one of lifes simpler pleasures, like peeing or sneezing. more »

giant face

NiGHTS PS2 Remake "Japan Only"

If you enjoyed the original NiGHTS, the next couple of months will be grand. Team Sonic USA head and original NiGHTS designer Takashi Iizuka spearheaded NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, which is out later this month in North America and Japan. Next year will see the original NiGHTS into Dreams... getting a PS2 remake for Japanese release. What are the chances of that getting an international release? Or what about a Wii port? Iizuka says:

There are currently no plans for the PS2 version to be released outside of Japan, and no plans for a Wii version either. It is being released in Japan, due to the high demand for the game. So there are no plans for a worldwide release... so far.

So those who really want to play NiGHTS into Dreams... either import or dust off your Saturns!
Iizuka Interview [Sega Nerds] [Image]

4:00 AM on Mon Dec 3 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
3,542 views, 63 comments

Latest by Soldier_CLE: @n8n8baby: I second that notion! [Whistles the NiGHTS "Hang onto your World" theme] more »

sony computer entertainment of korea

Wii's Popularity Is "Short Term"

Sony Computer Entertainment of Korea is going head-to-head with Nintendo and Microsoft. After years of ignoring South Korea, companies have wised up and moved in for a piece of the country's gaming pie. How is SCEK attempting to separate itself? With services MegaTV (above) available on the PS3. The Video On Demand system kicks off this month in South Korea. Users can download movies and TV programs 24 hours after the original broadcast for a fee each month. It's possible to keep those shows on the PS3 for three days, after which they will be erased in accordance with Korean law. That might help separate the PS3 from the Xbox 360. But what about the Wii? SCEK mouthpiece Kang Hee-Won says: More »

3:00 AM on Wed Nov 14 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
6,783 views, 139 comments

Latest by L_K_M: leeallens wrote: "I think we should start a thread where we all share our favorite games, that we played without the hype and tell why we liked them." Good idea. We should get kotaku to start such a thread :-) I have more »

giant julien face

This Christmas Critical for Wii Third Party Support

Third parties are important. Very, very important. So if the Wii is going to have legs and continue to be successful, the console is going to need strong third party support. Eidos' Julien Merceron (pictured) thinks this Christmas could be make or break for Wii third party support. His thoughts:

Either third party developers and publishers will make money on the Wii platform, or they won't — and if most of them don't I think we'll see a big drop in support for the Wii next year, which could have some consequences for Nintendo, and very positive ones for Microsoft and Sony... So I think that the success of the Wii from the different publishers is going to be the determining point this Christmas...if you can't make money at Christmas on the best platform out there, then you have no chance all year long.

He does have a point. Most people who buy Nintendo consoles buy it to play Nintendo games. So while Nintendo could have a bang-up holiday season, third party developers could be left out in the cold. And no, we didn't add the red glowing eyes to this pic.
Third Party Sales Important [GamesIndustry] [Image]

5:00 AM on Thu Nov 8 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
2,612 views, 80 comments

Latest by PlaidNinja: @necrozen: I think you missed the point, specifically were I said "I don't need blood and guts and f bombs to enjoy a game, but I don't want to play something that feels like I'm watching a badly dubbed version more »

breaking

God of War II Director Leaving SCEA, GOW III Mentioned [Update]

According to game site 1Up, Sony Computer Entertainment of America Santa Monica game director Cory Barlog is leaving the studio. Barlog achieved fame as director of God of War II, which was a critical and commercial smash. Word is that Barlog is departing to follow other opportunities. According to a SCEA mouthpiece:

We can confirm that Cory Barlog, Game Director for God of War II, is leaving the SCEA SM Studio and we are grateful for his work and creative vision for the critically acclaimed God of War franchise... Moving forward, we are confident in the God of War team, as they are an extremely talented group of people that are passionate about the franchise and dedicated to creating even more epic content with God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP and God of War III for PS3.
More »

6:00 PM on Tue Nov 6 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
5,876 views, 82 comments

Latest by Soldrak: Man I really hated Nariko because Heavenly Sword was so obviously a grotesque rip-off of GoW and adding nothing significant to the hack and slash genre. I think companies should from now on stick to the trilogy limit. It worked more »

business

Tetris Creator IS Getting Paid

Here's how the story goes: Dude creates Tetris, dude gets no royalties. Poor, poor dude. WRONG! Creator Alexey Pajitnov tells GameSpot:

...first of all, it's not true, because originally I granted my rights to Tetris to my Computer Center, to my organization, for 10 years. And when those 10 years expired, I got my rights back. And since 1996, I've been receiving some royalties for it. And I'm pretty happy with what I'm getting now. And I never complain about those 10 years, either... In order to fight for my rights for the rest of my life, I decided to give it up for a while and make it happen. This decision should be done before people realize what we've given them.

So, Alexey has been rolling in royalties since '96? Don't feel so bad for him. Elsewhere in the Q&A, he talks about how he's not a great Tetris player and being "really angry" at the Bejeweled creators. All that and more in the link below.
Tetris Interview [GameSport]
Alexey Pajitnov [flickr]

1:00 AM on Wed Oct 31 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
2,610 views, 42 comments

Latest by WordMan: WTF was up with that game Hatris? remember that shit? surely there were better ways to go with a sequel than that. more »

giant gooch face

Two New Mistwalker RPGs Bound for DS

A man's got to eat. And that man is Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. His studio Mistwalker is releasing two RPGs for the DS next year. First up is AWAY ~Tsuresarareta Hitobito~ out January 21, 2008. Sakaguchi is responsible for the scenario, while famed composer Nobuo Uematsu will be supplying the music. The game is developed by Artoon. Characters are created by Naoto Oshima, who recently did Vampire Rain. March 2008 will see Blue Dragon DS (temporary title), which we previously covered. It's developed by FeelPlus+ and is akin to the Xbox 360 version. Both games are being published by AQ Interactive and price at ¥5,980 (US $51) each. Gooch DS gaming doesn't come cheap, kiddos!
New Mistwalker Games [NeoGAF]

2:00 AM on Tue Oct 2 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,145 views, 22 comments

Latest by RadiantSilvergun: @Polyh3dron: Which is why they aren't developing BD DS. I do agree with you though. They haven't really done a world of good, just a world of mediocrity. Sure, YI DS was awesome, but you can't eff more »

giant kaz face

Talks Original PS3 Price ("Right"), Kutaragi (B.F.F.)

Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai is a man of no regrets. High PS3 pricetag? No problem! PlayStation creator getting the boot? Whatever! Kaz sounds off on that initial price shocker, saying:

I think the original price-point was the right price-point, evidenced by the issues we had at launch when we couldn't supply enough units to consumers in the Japanese market and the North American market, and it was a huge challenge to try and meet that demand because of all the production issues we had. It wasn't a pricing issue, it was a supply issue.

Good thing there are plenty of those PS3s to go around now. And regarding the departure of Kutaragi, Kaz assures that the Father of the PlayStation left to follow other rainbows. According to Kaz: More »

9:00 PM on Mon Oct 1 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
3,939 views, 61 comments

Latest by sing4england: Ferrari? what good is a ferrari if it is in the store and nobody buys it? it may look pretty behind the glass but it isn't being used.. the same for the PS3 while it may be a ferrari in more »

bah humbug

Nintendo's Reggie Totally Mehs Halo 3 Sales

Halo 3 sales? We're impressed、Nintendo of America honcho Reggie Fils-Aime, he's not. Like really, really not. According to Reggie:

Will they sell a lot of software? Certainly. Will it sell hardware? I think it's an open question... I think that the Halo 3 consumer already has the hardware, because they're playing BioShock and Crackdown and a variety of games that are, in the end, quite similar: first-person shooter experience, multiplayer capable online. Tell me what's new?

We guess mini-games and little online support?
Reggie Interview [Mercury News via CVG

12:00 AM on Mon Oct 1 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
7,825 views, 236 comments

Latest by Lethal_Dosage: @Lord_The_Night_Knight: No, being half the price of the competition put them on top, for now. If the 360 were the same price as a Wii, it would sell more consoles. more »

double nagoshi face

Yakuza 3 "Planned," Yakuza 2 "Thinking About"

Ryu Ga Gotoku arrived on Western shores as the dubbed Yakuza. PS2 title Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 didn't. Now with the third Ryu Ga Gotoku, a period game, is slated for PS3s next Spring, the question remains: Will North America and PAL territories see a release? Will it get a PS2 or PSP release? Says SEGA fashion plate-slash-game producer Toshihiro Nagoshi:

We're thinking of giving Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 an international release.

What form will that take (PSP or PS2), who knows? But a source close to SEGA said Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 is "planned," but "not confirmed."

12:00 AM on Thu Sep 20 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
2,993 views, 25 comments

Latest by hobob: @Furious_Liver: LOL, nice more »

proof

Giant Haruhi Face Is Freaky!

Ack!! That's popular anime character Haruhi Suzumiya. Bandai is bringing popular series to the PSP as an adventure title, and the game's official website shows off a 3D polygon model that actually responds to movement of your computer mouse. For example, move it right, and her eyes dart right. Move it up, and she looks up. For real fun fun, move it in circle and quickly. Proof that giant faces are way creepier when they move.
Play WIth Giant Haruhi Face Here [Bandai]

5:00 AM on Thu Sep 13 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
8,133 views, 44 comments

Latest by sent: Guys, it's not cel-shading and the technology is not Bandai's or even Namco's. It's done by a company called MotionPortrait. The source image is 2D and it uses some clever "photoshop" techniques in realtime to make the image look 3D. more »

giant kaz face says

The PS3 Is a Game Machine. Period.

Things the PLAYSTATION 3 has been called: A computer, a hub and a multi-media center. And that's just by Sony! Previous Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi himself called the PS3 a "super computer." New SCE honcho Kaz Hirai is here to set the record straight:

I'd like to clearly say, "The PS3 is a game machine." It's nothing more than that.

He also points out that the PS, the PS2 and the PSP are game machines as well. Oh. Okay.
Hirai Interview [Game Watch]

12:00 AM on Fri Sep 7 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
6,444 views, 108 comments

Latest by 360TOONE: They went overboard with the Playstation3. While the XBOX360 is a games machine first and foremost but also got lots of music features, online features, arcade and multimedia the PLAYSTATION 3 seems to be ALL multimedia, a BLU-RAY player that's more »

doing it

Iwata's Personal Theory on Human Reproduction

Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata doesn't just like to talk Nintendo games. He talks other stuff. Deep stuff. Stuff like reproduction and DNA and how this factors in why we compare out strengths and weaknesses. I'll let Iwata say it. It sounds better:

This is my personal theory, but all living creatures bear the task of passing down their DNA through reproduction. To reproduce, there's the necessity to show your superiority. The individuals who can do this well are the ones that were able to pass down their DNA... So I think it's natural for us to try to show that we're better than others. That's why we tend to compare our strengths with other people's weakness. This happens in any type of social organizations, such as in companies.

Way more interesting then hearing him drone on about old people playing Wii Sports!
Conversation with Iwata [Itoi's Site]

6:30 AM on Thu Sep 6 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
2,054 views, 43 comments

Latest by sethmad: When you're playing Smash Bros., you're not just playing for fun. You're playing to DETERMINE THE EVOLUTIONARY PATH OF YOUR ENTIRE SPECIES!!!! In a few generations, we're all going to look like this guy. more »