Kotaku: God Of War

God Of War III To Feature Online Play?

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:20:00 MDT

Eagle-eyed reader Byron has pointed us towards a job listing on SCEA's website, for an "Online Gameplay Programmer", who will "join the team behind the critically acclaimed AAA titles "God of War" and "God of War II." Interesting, interesting. That doesn't say online programmer, it says online gameplay programmer. If this is indeed for GoWIII, and not some other project, anyone for a Kratos v Kratos battle for loin-cloth supremacy? Or perhaps a Kratos & Kratos co-op skip-along?

UAE State Enforces God Of War Ban

Mike Fahey — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:30:00 MDT

The Sharjah Municipality of the United Arab Emirates is having trouble keeping copies of God of War off the streets. The Sony game was banned for containing language and scenes that go against Islamic beliefs, notably the killing of gods, which I can understand, given the circumstance. Despite the bans, the game is still apparently easy to get hold of.

A UAE national said he was one of the people who was shocked to discover that the game was distributed in commercial areas, including the Central Souq, Al Rolla and sports shops in Nuammiya. "I knew that it was banned, but many of my friends were able to buy pirated copies from Dh5 to Dh10. I was shocked to see how much it contradicted Islamic values," said Khalid Bin Deemas, adding that it was dangerous as the video game was popular among children.

All concerned government departments are instructed to prohibit the sale of God of War and games like it, confiscating copies when they are found.

It's interesting to see how games are received in other countries. In the United States, the killing of ancient Greek gods is hardly a reason to try and get a game, though I am surprised the topless women and sex scenes didn't have people picketing in droves.

It's also refreshing to see that the mainstream media is the same no matter what beat they cover, as evidenced by the way the article was closed.

Have you noticed increased bad behaviour in a child that could be attributed to violent video games? Tell us about it. Are there enough regulations to check the sale of video games to minors?

Mmmm, so very familiar.

Crackdown against banned videogame [Gulfnews]

A Second Look At The God Of War/PSP Bundle

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Nothing new to report on the state of the God of War PSP bundle since we first saw it, but you may as well familiarise yourself with the deal's box art, should you be struck mute between now and its release and need to rely on furious finger-pointing to get your point across to your local GameStop employee.

Texas Shooting 'Game Related'?

mgreene — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:00:31 MDT

You have to love how vague this stuff is; to me, leaving off the 'And they were playing a video game' part wouldn't diminish the story at all.

A 15-year-old boy from Marble Falls is at Austin's Brackenridge Hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the head. [...] The boy was playing a video game with a friend when that friend loaded a gun and shot him in the head.
Police said the 13-year-old shooter is being held at the juvenile detention center in Belton and is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The newspaper said the boys were playing a video game called "God of War".

Hopefully this won't lead to a media frenzy - news is sparse right now, but we'll see how it continues to develop.

13-year-old shoots friend in the head [News 8 Austin]

Ready At Dawn Moving On To "Other Consoles"

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:20:17 MST

If you want to play God of War: Chains of Olympus, you're going to have to do it on a PSP, because a PlayStation 2 port ain't happenin'. That's what Ready At Dawn says, smashing rumors that it would follow the PSP-to-PS2 precedent set by games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Silent Hill Origins. Seriously, get a PSP already!

The RAD team also says that after a short, post game launching break, they'll be working on new projects that aren't for the PSP, with Chains of Olympus being their "last PSP game." What's next? "Other projects and other ideas on other consoles" is all they'll say. Who wants to make some guesses?

Two Rumors, One Stone [Ready At Dawn]

God of War Shirts, Heavenly Sword Boxers, Others On Their Way

Brian Crecente — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:40:19 MST

Sony today revealed that they have granted licensing agreements for some of their top games with four apparel companies. The result will be a slew of t-shirts, hats, boxers, even something called "loungewear" featuring the artistic stylings from such Playstation greats as God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance Fall of Man, Heavenly Sword and Little Big Planet.

I can't friggin wait to lay about in my house wearing nothing more than a pair of LittleBigPlanet whitey-tighties under my silk God of War smoking jacket while I sip cognac and pass judgment on the gaming world.

IV Gear already has their list of games up, but no product pics yet.

So excited. List of companies and silly quotes on the jump.

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LAUNCHES NEW LICENSED APPAREL PROGRAM
Companies Work Together to Showcase Top PlayStation® franchise titles

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) today announces four new industry leaders in apparel and accessory licenses for the PlayStation® brand and various game franchises, including God of War®, Ratchet & Clank®, Resistance Fall of Man®, Heavenly Sword™ and Little Big Planet™. IV Gear Inc. will develop an extensive line of t-shirts, headwear and other apparel for the specialty and mid-tier market. Fortune Fashions will also focus on the mid-tier market as well as mass retail channels for t-shirts and hoodies. Bioworld will produce headwear, bags and accessories. MJC will round out the program with boys and young men's boxers and loungewear.

"PlayStation is an extremely strong and well-known brand" said Shelly Gayner, Director of Licensing, SCEA. "We feel that this is a great opportunity for us to satiate our core fans and extend and capitalize on PlayStation name recognition by creating a new line of apparel in connection with the PlayStation brands and our top franchise titles."

John Leonhardt, President of Dimensional Branding Group, who is leading the DBG PlayStation licensing team, adds, "With the addition of this diverse roster of creative and passionate apparel partners this marks the initiation of PlayStation as one of the most innovative and cutting edge licensing programs."

Sony Says God Of War "Coming Soon" To PlayStation 3

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:40:00 MST

When SCEA released God of War II last year, the game's instruction manual teased the soon to be released PSP entry, God of War: Chains of Olympus. Now it's the PSP's turn to toy with your emotions, as the manual for the on-the-go Kratos quest fires back with a tease of the PlayStation 3 chapter. IGN has photographic evidence of the PS3 sequel teaser ad which opts not to put a release window on the thing, merely announcing that it's "coming soon."

Considering rumors are pointing to a 2009 ship date for God of War III and Sony has a habit of showing these games a year (or more) in advance, we'd say that if you want a Kratos fix in 2008, it's probably going to be on UMD.

God of War III Ad [IGN]

David Jaffe Re-Invisions Mario, Is Going Bald

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:00:18 MST

Kotaku guest editor and Game Trailers faceman Geoff Keighley talks to David Jaffe about important things like overestimating the audience for small games, the possibility of Twisted Metal for the PS3 and hair loss. There's also a hundred dollar bet whether Ken Kutaragi knows who David Jaffe is. So exciting! Hit the jump for part 2, where Jaffe talks about how he'd do a Mario game. (Hint: DRUGS.) David Jaffe Goes Bald? [VH1]

First Look At God Of War Special Edition PSP

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:00:00 MST

That hasty Photoshop job of the God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP? Not official. But this one is and it looks far more gorgeous than the "Deep Red" PSP that Japanese gamers got. As we said earlier, the God of War Entertainment Pack comes with a bloody good PSP color swap, a copy of Chains of Olympus, a UMD with Judd Apatow's comedy blockbuster Superbad and a voucher to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops from the PlayStation Store, free. Not a bad deal (and one that may make me bite, as I'm in the market for everything offered).

The bundle ships, as we said earlier, in June for $199.99. For a look at the reverse side, with a lovely Kratos silkscreen, keep on clickin'.

Oh, I'm absolutely bringing this thing to my next threesome. (Just kidding, honey!)

Red PSP Comes Stateside With God Of War Summer Bundle

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:00:00 MST

In addition to Metal Gear Solid 4, Sony will bundle another hit with one of its platforms, offering a special red God of War themed PlayStation Portable package in June. The special edition edition PSP will follow in the tradition of last year's Star Wars Battlefront bundle and feature a rendering of Kratos emblazoned on the back side of the device.

The God of War package will come bundled with God of War: Chains of Olympus, a UMD version of the hit comedy Superbad as well as a gift certificate for a PlayStation Store downloadable game. Pricing is said to be set at $199.

Note: The image shown was one we created and does not depict the final color of the PSP.
Note 2: Turns out we were pretty damn close, here's the first look at the new PSP.

God of War PSP Sex Scene Trailer Skips To The Good Part

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:20:05 MST

Here's something you should've seen coming a mile away—a nipple-filled threesome mini-game in Ready At Dawn's PSP title God of War: Chains of Olympus. Outside of a polygonal pair of boobs, don't expect much more than a suggestive candle-as-phallus bobbing about on a crate, occasionally ejaculating hot wax. Suffice it to say, it's not safe for work, if only for the banging and moaning sounds, but mostly for the digital ta-tas.

New God of War: Chains Of Olympus Screens

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:40:00 MST

The arrival of Sony Computer Entertainment's God of War franchise on the PSP this coming March will finally give fans of the handheld an opportunity to experience sex mini-games and excessive amounts of gore on the go. To keep hype going through the holidays, SCEA has handed out a new batch of screens of God of War: Chains of Olympus, all of which are in our gallery below. They may not have the polished allure of the original set of screens release many moons ago, but developer Ready At Dawn look to do portable justice to Kratos and whomever he'll be slicing from skull to crotch.

Cory Barlog's Cryptic Blog Entry

geoff — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:21:24 MST

We know Cory Barlog is leaving Sony Santa Monica, but what is he doing next? About an hour ago he posted two cryptic images on his blog. One is a screen shot of the failed Atari E.T. game, and the second one is a picture of the cast of the Facts of Life. What is he trying to say? It's the facts of life that movie games have sucked? Or do these images not tell us anything about where the God of War II director is headed next? What do you think? My sources tell me we will be hearing a lot more about Cory's plans in the near future.

[Cory Barlog's Blog]

Downloadable Games Haven't Had Blair Witch Moment

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:00:33 MDT

Downloadable games get no respect. Ask God of War creator David Jaffe. He's currently shifted his focus from huge titles like GoW to smaller games like Calling All Cars. And there's a difference between those big games and small games. And that difference is... Let's let Jaffe explain:

You know, these smaller games are interesting. They sort of merit an appreciative nod at worst and like you said, a grassroots fan base at best. But there hasn't been a game on either system yet that I think has really been able to compete with the noise of big games like say Grand Turismo or Heavenly Sword or God of War or whatever. And so I think until that happens, until we as the makers and creators of smaller games are able to find a way to bust through the noise of the bigger games, then that will continue to happen. Looking at the movies, you rarely hear about an independent film over the roar of the big summer movies. But every now and then an indie film is so good and so compelling and so interesting that it does become what people are talking about, and that is the thing that gets the push and the cover of Entertainment Weekly, when "Blair Witch" gets on there or something like that.

Jaffe's totally right. There have been some smaller games that have raised interest like Geometry Wars, but we're still waiting for that Blair Witch moment. You know, where they dominate the sales charts and capture the public imagination. Jaffe Part III [Level Up]

Wants Honesty, Your Love

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 22:00:07 MDT

Love him or hate him, God of War creator David Jaffe speaks his mind — something that often gets him into trouble. Not only that, but as he's shown in the past, Jaffe is not afraid to take his critics head on, fighting their venom with his own. But those insults probably don't bother Jaffe, right? He's a tough guy, huh? Those insults do apparently sting as Jaffe says:

Sure, I care what people think. I'd love it if I could find a way to be honest and truthful and not give people the PR spin and at the same time be as liked as Miyamoto and CliffyB. I'd love that. That would be awesome to have people who don't take swipes at me every five fucking sentences I say. But I'd rather be honest than give you a bunch of PR bullshit because that stuff makes me physically ill.

The perfect balance? Make amazing games and speak your mind.
Jaffe Interview [Level Up]

Kratos' Armor Makes Guest Appearance in Heavenly Sword

fdemarco — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:00:00 MDT

Comparisons between Heavenly Sword and God of War are inevitable considering the similar control scheme, but apparently the creators of HS haven't shied away from giving props (literally) to their obvious inspiration. PlayStation Underground forum poster KiNGoFClubs discovered this little homage to Kratos buried with in the game. During one of Kai's missions, Kratos' GOW2 armor and Blades of Chaos can be spotted hanging on a gate in a castle courtyard. You got to hand it to the designers, if you're going to take inspiration from another game, at least be cool enough to own up to it. You can check out more screen caps here on the PlayStation forums.

[Thanks, Ray]

God of War: Chains Of Olympus Having A Ball In March '08

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:20:36 MDT

Gamespot writes today that Ready At Dawn's original Kratos adventure for the PlayStation Portable, in which it's expected he'll stab thousands of things and hopefully engage in a portable threesome, along with some plot-driving something-or-other, is still quite some time off. March 4, 2008 will finally bring about the next chapter in the God of War series with God of War: Chains of Olympus. Despite not having an official date set in stone, it was largely assumed to hit before the end of the year. Seems many asses were made based on that.

PSP owners will have to make do with the UMD demo shipping later this month. More details on that tasty little bonus are available at Gamespot.

Chains of Olympus breaking March 4 [Gamespot]

Sega Reveals Viking: Battle of Asgard

Mike Fahey — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:00:22 MDT

The mystery Sega viking game bespoken of by McWhertor is no longer a mystery! The company has officially announced VIKING: Battle for Asgard for the PS3 and Xbox 360 for early 2008. Developed by The Creative Assembly, it follows the story of 'new iconic gaming hero' Skarin, who must stop the banished Goddess Hel from using her undead army to bring about Ragnarok, because no one can think of anything else that happened in Norse mythology other than freaking Ragnarok.

"Skarin is a cutting edge hero in a fantastic re-imagining of Norse Mythology. Skarin is obviously a very dangerous man." said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe. "Add in his inner conflict, a confused heritage and a growing distrust of the Gods and you have the makings of gaming's next great hero."

No, you have the makings of Kratos, who has already been made. Look for more on Viking God of War when Sega shows it off at Leipzig later this week.

VIKING: Battle For Asgard
Immerse yourself in Norse mythology as Skarin, a fearsome Viking warrior fated to defend mankind and discover the secrets of his past...

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (August 21st 2007) - SEGA® Europe Ltd and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced VIKING: Battle For Asgard™, the latest console title from the award winning and critically acclaimed development studio, The Creative Assembly. As Skarin, a new iconic gaming hero, experience the violent yet spectacular world of the Vikings and their Gods on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Sony PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, early in 2008.

A fierce struggle is taking place within the realm of the Norse Gods. The Goddess Hel has been banished for defying Odin, Lord of Asgard. Angry at her fate, Hel has raised an army of undead warriors to enslave the mortal realm of Midgard, and then provoke Ragnarok - the apocalyptic battle that that will destroy Asgard and the Gods themselves. The task of stopping Hel and defending the future of mankind falls to Skarin, a promising but deeply flawed young warrior, ignorant of the true reason for his favour with the Gods...

Leave a bloody trail of dismembered foes as you master an involving and addictive combat style with destructive mythical powers and abilities. Explore vast and visually stunning open-world environments whilst slaying your enemies with a huge array of devastating and brutal combat moves. Tame mighty dragons and unleash their rain of fire, laying waste to the enemy hordes that stand in your way. Free enslaved warriors to wage war on Hel's legion and lead them into huge, epic battles featuring colossal giants, powerful shaman, deadly assassins and Hel's own champions. Here players can use Skarin's emerging skills to help turn the tide of conflict with a timely murder or through the brutality of a visceral wave of slaughter.

"Skarin is a cutting edge hero in a fantastic re-imagining of Norse Mythology. Skarin is obviously a very dangerous man." said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director SEGA Europe. "Add in his inner conflict, a confused heritage and a growing distrust of the Gods and you have the makings of gaming's next great hero."

VIKING: Battle For Asgard™ is due for release on Xbox 360™ and PlayStation® 3 early in 2008.

Ready At Dawn Buys GOW-Modded PSP

Brian Crecente — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:09:22 MDT

Remember that kick-ass God of War-themed Playstation Portable we wrote about last month? The one with the crushed velvet case, the chains, the copper-leafing? Well it finally sold at the end of the month for a whopping $1,725, but that's no surprise, something that beautiful deserves a high asking price.

What is surprising, and more than a bit neat, is that the buyers were none other than Ready at Dawn, the studio currently working on God of War Chains of Olympus for the PSP. How very appropriate. Not only did the RAD folks give a chunk of cash to Child's Play (15 percent of the proceeds went to the charity), but they also decided to fly the PSP-modder out to Southern California to hand deliver the thing and meet the team. While there they let him get a little hands-on time with the upcoming PSP game.

We're passionate people and we like passionate people so we were all super jazzed to meet the guy behind this one-of-a-kind handheld. Of course, getting to see the game in action before anyone else wasn't bad for him either

Now that's what I like to hear from a developer.

PSP Mod Creator Visits RAD [RAD]

Jaffe Shot His Sony Load with God of War

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:00:26 MDT

With God of War, David Jaffe created a big time franchise for Sony. And he knows it. Where do you go from there?

For me, once God of War finished, I felt I had sort of done all I could do as a Sony employee. I felt like there was nowhere else really for me to go in terms of advancement — not just career advancement — but sort of personal, spiritual, soulful advancement.

Makes sense. Instead of continuing at Sony Computer Entertainment, Jaffe co-founded a studio in Utah. Utah? That's doesn't make so much sense! Jaffe hates Utah, continuing to reside in San Diego and iChat with his colleagues in Salt Lake City. "I don't want to live in Utah," Jaffe said. "I grew up in Birmingham, Ala. Utah very much reminds me of Birmingham, Ala... I'm a very liberal person. I would have a real hard time raising my kids in an environment that is as conservative as Birmingham or Utah." So! Not only does he dislike Utah, he also isn't so fond of Birmingham. He also maxed out as a Sony employee with GoW. Got that?
He's a liberal dude [Salt Lake Tribune]

Game Head: David Jaffe Meets Uwe Boll

fdemarco — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:00:00 MDT

During Game Head's coverage of Comic Con, they got a chance to talk briefly with David Jaffe about his move from Sony and what games he will be working on in the future. But the real magic in this clip comes at about the three minute mark where Jaffe is introduced to director (and I use the term very lightly) Uwe Boll. Cringe in horror as the two discuss their respective internet woes and how to best handle them. The run screaming from the room as the interviewer tries to set up a meeting of the minds and actually dares to suggest that Boll should direct the God of War movie.

And the rivers ran red with blood.

Jaffe Promises "Big" Announcement For Friday

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 15:20:21 MDT

Current Sony Computer Entertainment America employee David Jaffe is going to spill an unspecified amount of beans on us this coming Friday, exactly at 9 AM PDT, on his latest... something. The Calling All Cars and God of War producer has been dropping hints about his next project for the past few weeks, posting photos of deserted offices and hinting at the signing of contracts that require large amounts of THC to properly celebrate.

If Jaffe hadn't specifically written that "the game a lot of you guys seems to think we are working on, we are not"—probably in reference to God of War 3 or Twisted Metal rumors—I'd have guessed he has something he and his crew had something up their sleeves to satisfy our car combat sweet tooth. But since David is only promising to talk about one of the games with which he's involved, I expect many disappointed fanboys.

However, Jaffe says the announcement represents a "very, very big change in my work life" which I can only assume to mean one thing. He's pregnant.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING FRIDAY [Jaffe's Game Design]

Amazing God of War PSP

Brian Crecente — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:00:12 MDT

Jeremy sends word of this amazing God of War-themed Playstation Portable mod created by Morpheon Mods, the guys behind the Zelda-themed Wii and DS mods. The PSP has been airbrushed metallic bronze and then tarnished to give it a worn look. It comes with hand-sculpted symbols that have been copper-leafed onto the handheld ad real chains edge the system. Even the buttons were removed and replaced with copper versions. Finally the shoulder buttons have been replaced with crystal red buttons that house tiny red LEDs.

The whole shebang comes in a custom made case and sports a spare "Kratos tattoos" faceplate. The best part, this eBay auction is donating 15 percent of the proceeds to Child's Play. Hit the link for the full run down of the mods tweaks.

ony PSP ONE OF A KIND God of War MOD - Morpheon Mods [eBay, thanks Jeremy]

Clip: Rise of the Argonauts

Mike Fahey — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:20:44 MDT

"After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts..." The story of Jason and the Argonauts is one of my very favorite Greek myths, and it is about damn time he got his video game due, especially considering the last time we saw him was he being eaten by Cerberus in God of War II. Liquid Entertainment and Codemasters are bringing Jason back to life in Rise of the Argonauts for the PC and next-gen consoles in 2008, a game that in no way seeks to capitalize on GoW's success.

Okay, so maybe there's a little capitalization going on, but other than some similar themes and characters, it is a completely different game. You can earn the favor of the gods and gain special powers, which is kind of like GoW only this game uses a god faction system, where what pleases one god displeases others, and there is nothing more fun that a pissed off god. I wonder if Ares factors in? Michael Fahey

Updated: Jaffe Not Going Indie, Not Out Of SCEA

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:20:13 MDT

1UP is reporting that God of War and Calling All Cars producer David Jaffe has left the corporate confines of Sony Computer Entertainment America to set up his own independent development studio alongside long-time collaborator Scott Campbell of Incognito Entertainment.

As speculated here last week, Jaffe seems to have made good on his intention to set up an independent studio, one that may focus on the kind of games he's been specializing in since his departure from overseeing the God of War franchise.

According to 1UP's report, the unnamed Jaffe and Campbell studio will be based in Utah, presumably not too far from the Warhawk developer's location in Salt Lake City. If true, it will be interesting to finally hear the unbridled thoughts of Mr. Jaffe. Michael McWhertor

Jaffe Forming Studio with Head of Incognito [1UP]

UPDATE: David Jaffe himself wrote on message board NeoGAF: "I can promise you guys I am still part of SCEA...I just got a paycheck from them! I am still 100% a Sony employee and unless I got fired today and they didn't tell me, I'm still working for them. Also, I love working with the guys at Incog and hope to work with them for a long, long time but I sure as shit ain't moving to Utah...nice as it is, I don't think I could live there long term and I don't think the good people of Utah would want me to."

Jaffe's Cryptic Coming Soon

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:20:48 MDT

David Jaffe's currently on blogging hiatus, following a highly publicized vent over last minute changes and a lashing out at an unnamed lame ass web site. Today, however, the God of War and Calling All Cars producer hints at something coming soon with two low res camera phone shots on his personal site.

Unless David Jaffe's God of Commercial Retail Estate Development shows up as an SCEA trademark, I'm going to assume that he's making good on his intention to "explore" building an independent studio as he told Geoff Keighley on Bonus Round earlier this year. Of course, that's just speculation, but based on his response to questions about pursuing development outside the official walls of Sony, it's certainly a possibility.

I guess we'll be watching this space to see what Jaffe's post CAC plans are. Michael McWhertor

Coming Soon [Jaffe's Blog]

God of War Chains of Olympus PSP Demo Dated

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:00:10 MDT

The demo for PSP title God of War Chains of Olympus will be hitting the PSP in September this year. For people without calendars, that's a little more than three months! This was announced in an email sent out today and included this message from Ru Weerasuriya (Ready at Dawn studio co-founder, Daxter art director, fan of open collars):

Hi I'm Ru Weerasuriya, the Game Director for God of War® Chains of Olympus. Thanks for signing up for the demo: Stay tuned to hear more from me and from the rest of the theam over the next few months on the development of the game.

Yup, that settles it. "Ru Weerasuriya" must be the greatest name for any game director. Hit the jump for the promotional image included in the email, courtesy of Kotakuite bluerei. Brian Ashcraft

God of War Team Hiring

Brian Crecente — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:02:15 MDT

The SCEA Santa Monica development team that worked on God of War is hiring.

Unfortunately the two job listings, one for senior technical artist and the other for senior designer combat, don't shed much light on what game or games the new hires would be working on besides something that features combat and, um, art.

I'm not even sure it's actually a God of War game sense that team will likely work on other games at some point. So, yes, not a lot of grist there. Brian Crecente

Join the God of War Team [Sony Protection Group]

Jaffe Wanted X-Rated Calling All Cars

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:20:16 MDT

With David Jaffe in stealth mode, we're going to have survive on scraps from weeks old interviews if we want our foul-mouthed developer fix. Fortunately, Sony marketing outlet ThreeSpeech has posted the result of a brief EyeToy based chat (nice plug, guys!) with the God of War developer.

He reveals one interesting tidbit about his new PlayStation Network title, Calling All Cars. In response to a question about whether Wacky Races, the 60s-era Hanna-Barbera cartoon, was an influence on the game, Jaffe says:

No. R Crumb was an influence - the cartoon artist who did a lot of comics back in the 60s and 70s. Originally, it was not going to be so much of a G-rated family game - it was going to be more of an X-rated, kind of cartoony Ralph [Bakshi, director of the animated Fritz the Cat] kind of thing, and for a number of reasons we ended up moving away from that. One was a gameplay reason, one was an issue with guys on the team, where guys didn't know whether we wanted to take it that far. Wacky Races is more benign than where this actually started out, which was much more X-rated.

X-rated, eh? David, I'm sure there are plenty of Japanese developers looking for their next Hentai game hit who would love to chat with you. Michael McWhertor

ThreeSpeech Interviews David Jaffe [Three Speech]

God of War PSP Previewed On 1Up

fdemarco — Sat, 12 May 2007 16:00:00 MDT

1Up is currently featuring a huge six page preview of the new God of War game for the PSP, God of War: Chains of Olympus. They got a chance to have a nice sit down with creative director Cory Barlog who talked a bit about the new game's storyline.

A lot of what we're telling with the later stories is Kratos when he's just really realized he's a puppet of the Gods, really realizing that he's getting screwed over, and [the PSP game will] flesh out when he did have maybe a little bit of faith and when that faith started to crumble a little bit — when he started to see some cracks in the stories they were telling him.

Barlog remains coy about giving away too much about the plot and enemies and says that the details of this project will be much more guarded than God of War II. The new title promises to be every bit as epic as it's PS2 predecessors and the newly released screenshots that accompany the article look really sweet. I can't wait to start seeing some gameplay footage so we can see exactly what we're in for.

For the full article and a bunch of exclusive screens, head on over to 1Up and check it out!

Previews: God of War PSP

PETA Talks Goatgate

Kim Phu — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:40:00 MDT

Yesterday PETA posted some thoughts on the infamous guest Sony had at it's God of War release party and let's just say they were not all that ecstatic about it (I believe there was a string of alphabet letters better known as, "OMFGWTF", made it into a sentence). Obviously, being PETA, they were alarmed at to what lengths a company would go to in order to promote a game:

I've always sided with the video game industry against the Jack Thompsons of this world who are out to make a name for themselves by blaming gamers for all of society's problems, but when a company of Sony's stature goes out of its way to commit an act of senseless violence for a promotion, you have to start questioning whether they have any concern at all about the message they're sending to fans.

I have to applaud PETA's statement for not clumping all gamers into a category that enjoys senseless violence both inside and outside video games. Some of us love fluffy little goats too and like seeing them on an old hillside every once and awhile (alive, mind you). Kim Phu

Sony's Goat-Slaughter Debacle [PETA via Joystiq]

Jaffe Going Dark, Hopes Kotaku Kicks Ass

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 01 May 2007 23:00:39 MDT

All the drama! Earlier, jiggly game developer David Jaffe whined about Calling All Cars' review scores. Then, there was chatter and hints from Jaffe himself that the game was being pushed back for retooling. And, now Jaffe is just gonna shuddup. He blogs:

But for the time being, I'm going to go dark. My stylings have upset some folks within the biz I care very much about and that I can not live with. For me, it's always been silly, stupid fun...you know, giving what I get, talking like alot of folks on geeky message boards do, trash talking,etc. But I guess some folks have taken it to heart and that's not cool for me. End of the day, even the folks who spew much venom my way, I probably would like very much in real life. As I've said before, we're all geeks and if you can't get along with a fellow geek, then what's the point.
Anyway, so CAC is coming out...soon? I dunno. It's done, so I'm just waiting now for the official word. I'm sure you'll see the press release when Sony lets it out. But I will be playing online for sure, so hope to see you guys in the game!

The bit about us all being geeks is rather touching, actually! But, Jaffe being Jaffe, he's not one to relax and pussy out before going dark. He doesn't mince words, and he gets in few jabs at a mysterious, unnamed website. Hit the jump for the fireworks.

TO THE LAME ASS WEBSITE THAT SHALL GO UNNAMED- Fuck you, guys. Go fuck yourselves. What other developer makes a fucking change to a game when a review (IGN's in this case) has a good, valid point and is willing to open the fucking code up at the risk of more bugs to make the game better? Amazing.But hey, you guys are great, you guys rock. I hope Kotaku fucking puts your ass out of business, wanna be fucktards. And if you were actual journalists you would have read the motherfucking quote I posted on NEOGAF where I said because of the two bugs we needed to fix (not because I was afraid of the bargin bin) we had a window of opp. to fix the magnet problem. Assholes...total fucking assholes.

That Jaffe, he's tangy! Brian Ashcraft

Jaffe Going Dark [JAFFE'S GAME DESIGN, Thanks Chris!]

What's Wrong With Action Games?

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:40:41 MDT

Action. I love it! God of War, Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, Otogi... nothing beats a button-mashing, blister-forming beat 'em up. Throw in some smart platforming and basic puzzle-solving and you're golden. Too bad all action games suck.

Why do they suck? According to Ernest Adams' recent Gamasutra column, they're too hard for anyone but hardcore gamers and suffer from the action genre's arcade heritage. That heritage, Adams contends, unnecessarily forces players deaths and leads to frustrating gameplay.

Adams says that action games need to be accessible, not just to new players, but to disabled gamers as well. Certain design decisions can broaden the audience for the action genre, many of which he outlines in his Gamasutra article. Anyone with a passing interest in the genre and accessible gaming should take five and give it a read. Michael McWhertor

Why Action Games Suck (And What To Do About It) [Gamasutra]

Sony Decapitates Goat, Raises Ire

mgreene — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 08:46:10 MDT

Oh, Sony, when will you learn? The UK's Daily Mail is reporting that Sony has created an uproar with a photo from their official magazine, showing a burly man wearing fur, a topless girl wearing body paint and no pasties, and a mostly decapitated goat. It's the goat that's got everyone's ... goat. During a release party for God of War II in Athens, attendees were invited to reach into the head-hanging-on-by-a-thread goat and eat still-warm intestines (as it turns out, the offal was procured elsewhere and stuffed inside of the goat). Yum!

Sony has apologized and is recalling the 80,000 issues of the magazine.

The Sony spokesman said the animal had not been slaughtered for the event but had been bought from a local butcher by the Greek company hired to stage the event.
What purported to be warm intestines was actually warm offal.

He said Sony's UK office had been shocked to see the report in the official PlayStation magazine, which the company licenses to publishing house Future. Sony is this weekend recalling the entire 80,000 print run of the magazine.

Maggie Greene

Slaughter: Horror at Sony's depraved promotion stunt with decapitated goat [via the Daily Mail]

New God of War Game Named?

Brian Crecente — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:02:28 MDT

It's close to midnight and I had to slip back on to the computer to point out that the goofy Isle of Rhodes double secret God of War site seems to have spelled out nearly the entire title of the new mysterious God of War game, despite the fact that there's still three days left for the count down to hit zero.

A thoughtful reader (who apparently also enjoys the occasional bit of breakdance video) sent us this screen showing what appears to be God of War: Chains of Olympus.

My money is it being the upcoming, yet to be named, PSP game since there doesn't appear to be room for the Roman Numeral three to fit after the word War in the title pictured.

And since we still have three days to go, I'm hoping the countdown provides more than just the letters I and A and one big-ass R. Brian Crecente [Thanks Daniel]

Jaffe "I Would've Taken The Blu-ray Out" To Make PS3 Cheaper

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:20:48 MDT

In part two of GameTrailers' Bonus Round interview with the God of War designer, David Jaffe talks more about his decision to make Calling All Cars and his current game design philosophy that's more arcade than console epic. But, in the preview for part three, as spotted by GameDaily.biz, Jaffe plays hypothetical PLAYSTATION 3 hardware designer, saying that he "would've taken the Blu-ray [drive] out, sold it for less money." Sure, it's a little out of context, but an interesting opinion from a Sony Computer Entertainment employee.

Jaffe also talks about his potential for building or joining an independent studio, outside of the Sony family, similar to Insomniac Studios. Oh, don't worry, PlayStation fans, he says he's committed to the Sony brand.

It would certainly be interesting to see what Jaffe has to say when not in the direct employ of Sony. He'll run his mouth something fierce. Michael McWhertor

GOW Countdown Ends

Brian Crecente — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:00:53 MDT

That mysterious God of War countdown page, the City of Rhodes one, it's hitting zero today. Well technically it will be midnight, but it will still be today in California.

All we know for sure is that the site isn't about the PSP game, according to the SCEA folks. So that seems to leave an empty marketing gimmick for a game that's already out or a PS3 game. I suppose it could just be more details on the PS2 game or some contest or some such, but my money is on my two guesses.

What do you think it could all mean? Brian Crecente

City of Rhodes

PSP, Success Or Failure?

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:20:33 MDT

Gamasutra's latest Analyze This column asks videogame analysts about their current impressions of Sony's PlayStation Portable and how the PSP can be improved.

So is the PSP a failure, as many overly critical of Sony say? Ed Barton from Screen Digest says "The only way in which the PSP can be perceived as anything other than a success is by comparison with the Nintendo DS." Well, that and maybe Sony's expectations that the device would be the Walkman of the 21st century, maybe.

There are some excellent insights here, with potentially surprising sales data to back up the PSP's "success". It also appears that Phil Harrison's GDC speech on Game 3.0 has analysts thinking about the PSP's potential in the user created content space.

I think the PSP could potentially have its best year yet, with PS3 interactivity, more unique software, better PSone support and a potential form factor redesign. Oh, and God of War PSP. Let's not forget that. Michael McWhertor

Analyze This: Is There Anything Wrong with the Sony PSP? [Gamasutra]

Sony Targets Teens For PSP's Future

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:20:36 MDT

Game|Life's Chris Kohler spoke with PlayStation Portable senior product manager John Koller who detailed Sony's upcoming plans to focus on the 13-17 year old teenager market to boost PSP sales.

Including Sony's recent price drop of the PSP Core Pack, a number of new initiatives, including the "Dude, Get Your Own" campaign, will attempt to reach young teens. That means more UMD movies aimed at kids as well as videogame content that focuses more on the younger market. That doesn't mean we won't get titles like God of War or SOCOM, of course, but don't be surprised if software like Konami's Brooktown High find a wider audience.

More details from Koller at Kohler's blog, including an interesting hint at how God of War PSP will play. Michael McWhertor

For PSP, a New Focus On Teen Market [Game|Life]

Daxter, Syphon and PSP Get Price Drop

Brian Crecente — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:00:59 MDT

As we reported yesterday, Sony has officially dropped the price of the Playstation Pportable Core Pack today.

The PSP will now sell for $169.99. And in a very smart move, SCEA also dropped the price of two of the better PSP games, adding both Daxter and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror to the PSP Greatest Hits collection, making them both about $20 each. That, is three good reasons to buy a PSP.

"We have always been passionate about making great entertainment accessible to everyone, and the new price for PSP, as well as the continued growth of the 'Greatest Hits' library, reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting and expanding the PSP community," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We are pleased that we are able to engineer savings for the consumer at this stage of PSP's lifecycle, allowing more individuals to experience PSP for the first time. In particular, we have recently seen a steady rise in the number of teens adopting PSP as their primary handheld entertainment system, and we expect the new price will accelerate that trend."

The press release goes on to say that gamers should expect new titles from the God of War, Ratchet & Clank, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs and Syphon Filter franchises.

"Ready At Dawn couldn't be more pleased with our success bringing Daxter to the PSP platform last year, and now we have another opportunity to blow away expectations of what a developer can accomplish on a portable when Kratos hits the 'small screen' in God of War," said Didier Malenfant, co-founder and president, Ready At Dawn Studios. "PSP is an ideal platform for us to work on because we have a high level of freedom to be creative, and we can deliver gameplay experiences that rival ones you'd get from a computer entertainment system."

The press release goes on to point out that SWAT, Monster Hunter Freedom 2, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles and Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology are all headed to the PSP this year.

It all sounds good... until they hit my sore subject: Media.

"SCEA also continues to evaluate expanding PSP's entertainment options as more and more PSP owners use their system for watching movies, playing music, and viewing photos. SCEA remains committed to driving the development and distribution of entertainment content for PSP.

OMG, how can they still be evaluating a major function of their handheld more than two years after it launched? How! HOW! I actually sort of went off on the PSP development guy that was at the Sony Blogger Congress at GDC this year when he said something like this.

I can't remember exactly what I said, but it was something like: You guys keep saying the same thing, when the hell is it going to actually happen?

No answer, really.

The other big question is when is the PSP 2.0 coming out. Come on Sony, there's nothing wrong with releasing improved models shortly after you release the original. Just look at Nintendo, they screwed all of those DS fat owners over and no one seemed to care. Brian Crecente