Kotaku: Lost

The Expert Bias: Reviewing for a New Culture

Maggie Greene — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:30:00 MDT

Danc at Lost Garden has another take on the utility (or lack thereof) of game reviews in today's gaming landscape, this one looking at the 'expertise bias.' He points out the disparity between reviewers and players when it comes to looking at new games — especially ones that have a gentle difficulty curve. His basic operating premise is that because game reviewers have plowed through so many titles and mechanics, they're looking at 'difficulty' in an entirely different light than vast portions of the audience. What will the future look like? He posits observation of other players is going to become increasingly important to developers, and if reviews can't keep up with that, they will really fall by the wayside:

If you are serious about providing objective insight into a game, either a title you are building or one your are reviewing, your expertise is not enough. In fact, your vast mastery of game related skills is mostly likely causing a giant bias in your judgments. You need to fight this bias by observing other players over and over again. They will do things with the game that are a source of wondrous insight. Your expertise becomes a tool for making great changes based off these insights, not one for predicting a priori exactly how all users will react to the game.

As for the current review industry, it is built on the unstable foundation of expert opinion in the absence of actual player observation. As games evolve and become ever more about first time learning experiences, the traditional game review will become increasingly irrelevant. It is arguable that they've already stopped informing most buying decisions and now serve as little more than entertainment for the hardcore niche. As the value proposition of reviews falter, the vast, churning, capitalist forces of creative destruction will replace them with a much richer set of game criticism that offers real value to its readers.

We've heard a lot about why the reviewing structure is broken, but this is an especially thoughtful take on the problem. I'm not sure it's one that can really be gotten around (critics — of the game, film, food, or book variety — tend to get those positions by being 'experts'), but it makes for interesting reading to be sure.

Soul Bubbles: A classic game ill treated by expert reviewers [Lost Garden]

Lost Planet Movie Confirmed

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:30:00 MDT

MGS actor and Hollywood writer David Hayter said, a few weeks back, that a deal to bring Lost Planet to the big screen was "not entirely confirmed yet". Is now! Variety are reporting that the project's a done deal, with Warner Bros. to distribute, former Marvel pictures boss Avi Arad to produce and Hayter to write. Capcom will be contributing at least some, if not all of the money for the movie, though there's no word on a release window. Expect more info at Capcom's E3 event tomorrow.

Capcom making Lost Planet movie [Variety]

Lost Planet The Movie By Solid Snake Is Just Shy Of Confirmed

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:40:41 MDT

The voice of Solid Snake says that the film adaptation of Capcom's Lost Planet is this close — you can't see, but my fingers are but a hair's-breadth apart — to being confirmed, pending a deal with Warner Bros. That deal, David Hayter says, is "just closing" but "not entirely confirmed yet" according to a report from IGN.

It's good news for Lost Planet fans — and not just because of Hayter's screenwriting nerd cred based on his X-Men and Watchmen scripts — because the man cares deeply about the source material.

"There is gap in Hollywood between people who write good movies and those who appreciate good video games," Hayter said. The man with the trademark voice says he tries "to make an effort to take the essence of the game, keep as much of that as possible, and still put it into a proper film structure." Yes, yes, but will it feature bug shooting? 'Cause bug shooting is key.

AX08: Solid Snake Discusses Lost Planet [IGN]

There's One More Unannounced Blizzard Game

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:20:00 MDT

Sure, they've laid Starcraft II and Diablo III out on the table in recent months, but is that all Blizzard got? No, it is not all they got. Speaking at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational, Rob Pardo has told OnlineWelten that "there is still one unknown project" under development at Blizzard, being worked on by "another development team". Ooohh, whatever could it be? Your guess is as good as mine (and may well centre around an MMO), though it's probably not as good as my dream, which can best be summed up as Lost Vikings vs Capcom.

Interview with Rob Pardo [OnlineWelten, via Shacknews]

Prototyping Challenge: Shade

Maggie Greene — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:30:00 MDT

I do love Lost Garden's prototyping challenge, though I will never in my life prototype any game, even simple and super cute ones. However, I always love seeing what other people come up with — it's an interesting exercise in observing the design process with playable prototypes. The latest is a cute idea that takes advantage of 3D engines and real-time shade. The basic idea is that you play a farmer who has to save his haul from the scorching sun:

You play the part of a rugged mushroom rancher who must collect adorable sentient mushrooms living in the shade. All you need to do is run up to a planted mushroom and touch it. It will pop out of the ground and start following you around. Lead it back to the start location and you'll be awarded multiple point based off its size.

Unfortunately, it is a scorchingly hot day. You can meander about the landscape of giant grassy blocks with impunity due to your meglo-awesome wide brimmed hat, but the mushrooms wilt quickly in sunlight. To lead them back successfully, you'll need to keep to the shadows and plot the optimal path home.

There's a lot more in terms of what the game needs to include, and unlike a lot of previous prototyping challenges, Danc is not providing art assets, though he does make some suggestions on what sorts of options people could employ. So, if you're sitting around this month and are itching for a challenge, wander over and check it out.

Shade: A game prototyping challenge [Lost Garden]

Blizzard Splashwatch Day Four - Lost Edition

Mike Fahey — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Great, now you folks have me wide awake at 3 in the morning my time, hunting for clues like an over-the-hill Encyclopedia Brown. The Blizzard splash page has updated once again, revealing what certainly look like a pair of glowing eyes peering through the broken ice. Is it Diablo? Arthas? Or is it Hurley? The reason I ask is because the latest secret image has appeared in the CSS of the page, bearing the number 16. That makes the sequence so far 4, 15, 23, 16. Fans of the television show Lost know those numbers, along with the numbers 8 and 42, as the numbers that keep popping up throughout the show on lottery tickets, prescription bottles, etc. Will the next two numbers follow suit, or is Blizzard throwing us another curve? If it is the Lost numbers, what does it mean?

And where did those Vikings get off to? I cannot seem to find them anywhere?

Then there is the question of the latest rune, which I cannot seem to place. It looks like a solar system, doesn't it? I've been pouring over Blizzard stuffs but cannot for the life of me place it. I checked out various Diablo-fan forums to see if anyone had a clue before the sheer number of people fooling themselves into seeing things that weren't there made me too frustrated to continue. When you want something so badly you start deluding yourself you just need to take a step back and relax a little before people start looking at you funny.

Finally, here is the secret picture as it stands now, with four images in place. It's quite obvious to me now that we're dealing with an eggplant with tiny feet, a tail, and a mohawk.

Two more days and we'll know for sure, and then I can finally get some sleep. Damn you Blizzard. Damn you to hell.

Blizzard Splashwatch - Day Three

Mike Fahey — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:20:00 MDT

Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun SPLASH! *boom* Ah-ah! He'll save every one of us! It's day three of staring at Blizzard's slowly evolving splash page and fighting over whether or not they're going to announce Diablo III, and while it certainly could still be the return of old shard-head, several popular theories have now been blown out of the ice water. The new rune there on the bottom? That's the Protosss symbol from StarCraft, leading me to believe that they are going a similiar route to last year's showcasing of the various properties over the years before revealing the new one, which would mean all the speculation based on the symbols means absolutely nothing now.

They've also uploaded another portion of the puzzle-piece picture, this time numbered 23. With 'W' being the 23rd letter of the alphabet, the popular theory that the picture numbers would end up spelling out Diablo 3 is also shot, unless they've got Barbara Walters announcing it. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with Diobwo 3!”

Here's what the hidden picture is looking like so far: If it's Barbara Walters in a purple fur hoodie the Diablo theorists are still on track to win this one!

Limbo Of The Lost Devs Protest Innocence

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:40:00 MDT

So Limbo of the Lost is a game built upon the bones of other, better games. We've all had a laugh at their expense. But are developers Majestic guilty as charged? They'd like to think that, no, they are not. Not as a whole, anyways. They've today issued a statement claiming they knew nothing of the game's thievery, despite being. You know. The developers of the game.

In response to the shocking notification that some alleged unauthorized copyrighted materials submitted by sources external to the development team have been found within the PC game Limbo of the Lost, we (the development team) have given our consent and full cooperation to both publishers who are recalling all units from all territories immediately.

Please be assured that we do not condone in anyway the use of unauthorized copyrighted materials and if we had been made aware earlier, we would of course have ceased development of the product and rectified the issue prior to the publication process.

Having had a week to pick over the wording, it's certainly a well-prepared statement, one which basically boils down to "blame the art guys!". Though they seem to be forgetting that, like an elephant, the internet never forgets. Tipster John points us towards this forum post from 2004, in which the game's creator - Majestic's Steve Bovis - takes credit for the creation of the game's background art. Oops.

Limbo of the Lost devs respond to plagiarism charges [GameSpot]
Re: LIMBO OF THE LOST PREVIEW & SCREENSHOTS [Wintermute, thanks John!]
[Image: Acker]

Blizzard Website Teasing Something Cold

Mike Fahey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:40:00 MDT

If the Blizzard web page were a real world location it would be completely surrounded by Kotaku readers, as evidenced by the fact that we've received a ton of tips pointing us to the new splash image at said site, seen above in all its pristine glory. It appeared over the weekend as if willed by magic (CSS), teasing visitors who found themselves staring into its icy depths.

So what the hell does it all mean? Ice with barely legible runes certainly sounds like Wrath of the Lich King, though outside of some hidden features or perhaps an official release date I can't imagine why they'd tease that. Many of you seem to think it's Diablo III: Diablo on Ice. Me? I'm going to go for those bearded bad boys who come from the land of the ice and snow, World of Lost Vikings. Hopefully we'll know by this weekend, when the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational does Paris. Until then, let the speculation fly!

Spoilers: Limbo of the Lost's Terrifying Ending

Maggie Greene — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 16:30:00 MDT

Ok, so don't hit play if you don't want to spoil the ending of Limbo of the Lost, the game accused of grand theft assets from a lot of different games. Reader Ryan M. tipped us off to the two videos, the one above and the one that implies that there could be more Limbo in store; over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Kieron Gillen notes that "The pianist is possibly the scariest thing I’ve seen in my life." I'm simply left speechless.

Limbo Of The Lost Creators Made It Themselves

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:00:00 MDT

Last week we posted a story about Limbo of the Lost, a PC game from Majestic Studios, who have been accused of lifting large portions of other games and placing them directly into their own. While comments from the developers themselves don't seem to be forthcoming, CVG managed to dig up this little gem from an interview in a local paper with the three person dev team from back in early May.

Mr Francis, a former landlord of The Pilot pub, Upper Stone Street, and now a mature student, said: "It is a sort of comedy come horror. A bit like Monty Python meets Evil Dead. "Between the three of us we researched, wrote, designed, animated, scripted and developed the whole game from home."

Seems like comedy come horror is amazingly appropriate for the situation they now find themselves in. Hit the link for a feel-good story that, in retrospect, doesn't feel quite as good.

Pub pals pin hopes on US game success [Kent Messenger via CVG]

So What Else Did Limbo Of The Lost Steal From?

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 MDT

To recap: PC adventure game Limbo of the Lost has been busted stealing art assets from nearly every PC game released in the past ten years. The list of games it stole from - and the way it used said stolen assets - is hilarious. Almost as hilarious as some of the entries in a competition held over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, to see who could come up with the best "mocked up screenshots for other levels that might have appeared in Limbo of the Lost". Who'd have thought Majestic would manage to steal something from Peggle. I've included a few of the entries here, but really, you should check out the full catalogue of entreies over at RPS. Good times.

Compo Of The Lost Gallery [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Somebody Wants To Make A Lost Planet Movie?

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:20:00 MDT

Yesterday's episode of Evil Avatar's podcast featured as a special guest David "Voice of Solid Snake" Hayter. They got chatty, they talked Metal Gear, but something else they talked about was Hayter's other line of work: as a Hollywood writer. Over the year's, Hayters worked on movies like X-Men 1 & 2 and the Scorpion King, and he's even at work on the upcoming Watchmen flick as well. Seems he's also in discussions with both Capcom and Warner Bros to write a screenplay for a Lost Planet movie. Interesting choice, Capcom. Can't say I enjoyed the game too much, but the setting could work as a flick, especially if it's pitched at the Chronicles of Riddick end of the budget/market.

Evil Avatar Radio Ep. Eleventy One - David Hayter [Evil Avatar]

Cheeky PC Adventure Game Accused Of Grand Theft Assets

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:00:00 MDT

To a certain extent, copying in this industry is inevitable. It's a creative industry, built on ideas, and ideas are mostly built on ideas you like that other people had. A nicer way to describe it is the "creative process". But straight-up stealing assets? To the point where almost your entire game - architecture, UI, the works - is built upon other people's work? Less accepted. PC adventure title Limbo Of The Lost, by Majestic Studios - a real, commercial title (hence the legal issues) stands accused of just this, with an original discovery that some locations in Limbo looked awfully familiar to those found in Oblivion leading to discoveries of other parts of the game lifted straight from Morrowind, Silent Hill and Thief, just to name a few. Needless to say, Bethesda's lawyers are now involved. Tri Synergy - the US publishers of the title - have also told us they've "discontinued distribution" of the game, didn't know about the similarities, and are "just as shocked as everyone else" following the revelations.

Limbo of the Lost stole from Oblivion, Morrowind, UT2K4, Diablo, Silent Hill, more? [Bobby1234SI @ NeoGAF]

Capcom To Announce "Or Something Like That" Soon?

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Bionic Commando Wii? Unannounced. Lost Planet Wii? Ditto. "Or Something Like This?" Will be announced soon. Via a Q&A with Capcom's Christian Svensson. Read on:

Question: Are we going to see Bionic Commando, Lost Planet or something like this on the Wii?

Svensson: Possible... the "or something like this" part we could talk about in a couple weeks perhaps.

We cannot wait to learn about "Or Something Like This." It sounds like a fantastic game.

Capcom To Announce New Wii Game [N-Europe via Infendo]

Lost Odyssey DLC Hits On Friday

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:30:00 MDT

Some Lost Odyssey DLC was released in Japan last month. For 400 MS Points, they got a new dungeon with one new boss and one new item. Nothing to really set your goodness gracious great balls on fire, then, but it's better than nothing. Good for them. So when do we get it? Yeah, the headline gave it away. It'll be available this Friday, May 23. Same stuff, same price.

Unleash Your Inner Akrid In Lost Planet Colonies

Mike Fahey — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:40:00 MDT

Here's a clip of the game mode that just might have me heading back to the icy reaches of Lost Planet all over again when Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition is released later this month. Akrid Hunt features a team of players going up against a player-controlled giant bug. Finally a chance to pay back those bastards for round after round of spawn-sniped in the head-repeat.

Not that I ever sniped myself mind you. I like to think of it as surprise, long-range, precision brain removal. Those other guys? Dirty, dirty snipers.

Bionic Commando, Lost Planet Comic Books Comin'

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:40:48 MDT

Capcom has partnered with Devil's Due Publishing—apparently I'm out of the comic book publisher loop—to introduce a series of comic book titles based on properties like Bionic Commando and Lost Planet. The video game publisher already has a line of comics based on the Street Fighter universe published by Udon, who in turn is providing artwork for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

The press release, via the official Capcom blog, hints that additional and unannounced Capcom books will be revealed at the San Diego Comic Con this July. It does not, however, indicate if we'll get backstory that explains why Bionic Commando has sausage-filled limbs. My own theory is that he was bitten by a radioactive hot dog while on a field trip, giving him the proportionate strength and speed of a frank that plumps when you cook it. That's totally speculative, though.

Press release follows.

DEVIL’S DUE PARTNERING WITH CAPCOM® ENTERTAINMENT ON NEW COMICS

New titles to include Bionic Commando® and Lost Planet™

Chicago, IL. (May 13, 2008) – This year, one of the biggest names in cutting-edge action comics will team with one of the most respected publishers and developers of video games, as Devil’s Due announces a new publishing deal with Capcom®. As part of an expansive package, Devil’s Due will launch four new titles based on Capcom game properties, including Bionic Commando® and Lost Planet™.

“DDP is very excited to be joining forces with Capcom,” said DDP President Josh Blaylock. “Not only are these awesome games, but they have great stories behind them ripe for comics, including a vintage classic with Bionic Commando that’s been revived along with the new sequel.”

Already a leader in comic books featuring prominent pop culture icons, Devil’s Due heads into Summer 2008 with a rapidly swelling library of new adapted and original titles.

“Devil’s Due is a very passionate and creative comic publisher,” said Germaine Gioia, senior vice president, licensing, Capcom Entertainment. “We are thrilled to be working with DDP to begin evolving some of our highest profile videogame properties in other media.”

More details about Devil’s Due’s plans for Bionic Commando, Lost Planet, and other new Capcom books will be announced at July’s San Diego Comic-Con.

BlizzCon 2008 Announced

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:20:00 MDT

The relatively annual celebration of all things Blizzard returns this year as the company announces BlizzCon 2008. Perhaps to help avoid the August event crush that occurred last year, which saw BlizzCon, SOE Fan Faire, and Quake Con all taking place over the same weekend, Blizzard has moved the convention back to October, which is when the 2005 original took place. The show will run from the 10th to the 11th at the Anaheim Convention center in California, where fans will be able to get hands-on time with upcoming releases, attend panels, play in tournaments, collect as-of-yet-unannounced spacial, limited edition merchandise, and see hideously inappropriate women dressed up as elves, both Blood and Night varieties. Joy!

Tickets will go on sale within the coming weeks for $100 a pop. Maybe this year I'll actually make it out there. I needs me some free murloc-themed goodness.

BlizzCon™ 2008 Announced Blizzard Entertainment® Gaming Convention Returns to Anaheim Convention Center October 10-11
IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its third BlizzCon™ gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on October 10 and 11. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®'s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises. In response to the demand to accommodate more attendees, this year's event has expanded from two convention halls to three.

"Whenever we've been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it's been a great experience for us," stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We're looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year's BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them."

BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities to help all attendees get the most out of the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:

Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment releases
Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
Areas and activities devoted to licensed products such as the World of Warcraft® Trading Card Game
Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes
Commemorative merchandise based on the Blizzard Entertainment franchises
A silent auction
More exciting activities to be announced
Tickets for BlizzCon will go on sale in the next few weeks at a price of $100 USD per person. As the event draws closer, further details will be announced on the official BlizzCon website: www.blizzcon.com.

How's Lost Planet Colonies Lookin'?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 MDT

Don't know why Capcom bothered with all these. There's 14 shots of Lost Planet: Colonies here, and they really only needed to send one, because when you show Frank West in naught but his Capcom-flavoured undies, we kinda get all distracted...

Sierra Online's XBLA Offerings

fdemarco — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Sierra had a few XBLA titles to show off as well at their Gamer's Day, so I have compiled them together into this one article for easy digestion.

Zombie Wranglers:
In Zombie Wranglers, you play one of four different neighborhood kids out on a mission to rid your neighborhood of zombies. This is done Luigi style by running about and sucking up the undead bastards with a vacuum cleaner type apparatus. Each of the four characters of course have different abilities that will help in the process. One such power was a blow gun that will turn any zombie it hits into a walking time bomb. Blow a dart, stand back and watch the fun.

There are five different chapters in the game with various tongue in cheek titles like "Desperate Housezombies" and each chapter is proceeded by a phone call that will give you your assignment for that level. The assignments range form taking out a certain number of zombies to taking out specific types of zombies like Emos, Comic Book collectors and Construction Workers. Chapters can be attempted alone or you can play with up to four other people online or locally and a vs mode will also be available.

The cel shaded style is cute and will probably appeal mostly to the kid market although certain adults will be sure to enjoy it as well.. Look for these cartoony zombies to infest your Xbox 360 sometime later this summer.

Gin Rummy: If you have ever played Gin Runny, then you already know what this game is all about. The rules are fairly straight forward and follow those of the traditional game. It had an interesting graphical art style that while nice, doesn't distract from the real focus of the game, which is playing cards. There are six different game types as well as special card sets, game skins and the ability to create your own rule set. Leaderboards will be available for this game as well as Vision support. Gin Rummy hits later this summer.

Lost Cities: Lost Cities is based on the German table top card game of the same name in the tradition of Carcassone and Settlers of Cattan. Basically, you are an explorer out to roam the world and find treasure. The various cards are used to do things like get funding, find treasure, etc. Two players compete to see who can finish their expeditions with the most total points at the end. You must be careful how you spend your money though, or you may find yourself with no fun ding and unable to complete your chosen missions. You can play one against one or on teams and leaderboards and Vision Support will be available. Lost Cities is available now for

Lost Odyssey Receives Tiny, Triple Bonus Pack DLC

Mark Wilson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:00:00 MDT

While English speakers are waiting for some of the better Lost Odyssey DLC to be localized, we will be getting a small offering to tide us over. The Triple Bonus Pack is available today for 200 points. It includes a new dream sequence called "The Shattered Beyond," a "memory lamp" to view dreams (we're assuming from anywhere on the map) and a Battle Ring for fighting magic weaponry.

Surprisingly, the multimedia book dream sequences may have been my favorite part of Lost Odyssey. Every time I discovered a new dream, I'd say, "Geeze! Not another one!" And then, I'd lock the doors, remove a carton of Ben & Jerry's from the freezer and weep in solitude, my face covered in salty, melted chocolate.

Lost Cities Finds Home On XBLA Wednesday

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:40:00 MDT

This week's contribution to Xbox Live Arcade comes courtesy of Sierra and the brain of Dr. Reiner Knizia who has a PhD in mathematics... and fun! That last part isn't true, but Knizia's fast paced card game Lost Cities is being digitized for your Microsoft Point-based consumption, bringing four person multi-player and plenty of grizzled or eternally winking adventurer artwork to Xbox 360s. Lost Cities will set you back 800 MSPs (or $10 USD) this Wednesday should you choose to engage your sick-of-Uno peers.

Lost Cities [Xbox.com]

Japan Scores More Lost Odyssey DLC

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:40:00 MDT

While many in the United States are just finishing their first play-through of Lost Odyssey, the third piece of DLC is now available in Japan. The new dungeon, Seeker of the Abyss, is available to those on the fourth disc. Battling in this underwater tunnel will eventually reward you with the Eternal Magic Engine, an accessory that allows immortals to cast unlimited amounts of spells at the price of exactly 0 MP.

It's a powerful accessory for sure, but is the timing a bit off in giving the player such a powerful item when they're done with the game anyway? I'm not so sure how wonderfully that typical, granular DLC meshes with deep, story-driven RPGs yet. I want more than a bonus mission with the promise of a neat item or two. But for 400 points, the price isn't necessarily all that unreasonable.

Lost Odyssey DLC [Xbox via Siliconera]

New Lost Odyssey DLC On April 10

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:30:00 MDT

So...Thursday, then. Oh, and sadly only in Japan, at least for now. For 400 points, on offer is a single (very familiar-looking) dungeon, which promises a single rare item and a single boss encounter, though you'd expect a fair bit of random-bad-guy-pop-ups to hassle you during your exploration as well. One more thing: the Famitsu report's a little unclear on where you need to be in the game to access this stuff, so keep that in mind if you're going to try and get around the region locks on XBL and pick this up.
『ロストオデッセイ』ダウンロードコンテンツ第3弾が2008年4月10日から配信[Famitsu]

Capcom Buys Tenchu Devs

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Capcom announced over the weekend that they've bought K2 Studios, best known for their work on the more recent, more rubbish Tenchu games, as well as Valhalla Knights . That's probably not the reason for the purchase, though: K2 also did some outsource work for Capcom on Lost Planet, and are also helping SNK with the latest Samurai Shodown. The move's aimed at making Capcom's "game development activities more efficient and speedy", while "Capcom also believes that pursuing a business strategy based on closer ties with K2 will help increase the value of the entire Capcom Group". And hey, who are we to argue.
K2 To Become Wholly Owned Subsidiary Through Simple Exchange of Stock [Capcom]

Sierra Mounts XBLA Lost Cities Expedition

Mike Fahey — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:40:42 MDT

Lost Cities is is a card game designed by prolific traditional game designer Reiner Knizia. Released in 1999, the simple 2-player game involves players mounting expeditions to various lost cities around the world. Using a simple, 60-card deck, the game's fast-paced action is perfectly suited for a video game, and Sierra Online agrees. They are bringing Lost Cities to Xbox Live Arcade this spring for the relatively standard price of 800 Microsoft points, and they've released a few lovely little screenshots to whet our appetites. Not the most exciting-looking game, but non-traditional card games are general more about compelling gameplay than looks. Radical concept, I know!

Lost Planet: Colonies Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:30:00 MDT

On the off chance you're still excited about this after learning it's just a spruced-up re-release of the budget line original, here's a trailer for Capcom's Lost Planet: Colonies. As you'd expect, both snow and battles against large monsters feature prominently.

Lost Planet Colonies Is Rehash With Bonus Material

fdemarco — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:00:00 MDT

Now the truth can be told about Lost Planet: Colonies. The title has been shrouded in mystery for a while causing wild speculation as to what it could be. Yesterday, Famitsu let some of the details fly on the Japanese version and now we have clearance to give you the details for the US version.

As you probably already know, Lost Planet: Colonies is going to be a "Platinum Hits" version of the original game but with tons of added content. For the redux of an old game being sold at a discount price ($29.95) they have really loaded it down with new features. There are three new single player modes, six new online multiplayer modes (including one where a random player gets chosen to play one of the big bugs while the other players try to take him down), four new multiplayer maps, four new player characters including two females and two robots, eight new weapons, new environments, cross platform play (PC and 360) and a the new ability to switch from first person view to an RE4 style over-the-shoulder view. Whew!

To read the details on all the fancy new features of Lost Planet: Colonies which hits May 28, make the jump!

New modes for single player campaign:
Score Attack - Each enemy and destructible object has points assigned to them, with the player being awarded different points depending on how they defeat the enemy.

Trial Battle Mode - Take on each of the game's Bosses, one after another

Off Limit Mode - Go wild with over-the-top, super-charged weapons with unlimited ammunition and increased speed of movement

New online modes
Akrid Hunter - Get the chance to finally play as an Akrid as your opponents attempt to take you down

VS Annihilator - Each team attempts to destroy its opponent's VS while defending its own

CounterGrab - The team with the longest data post activation time wins

Point Snatcher - Take down opponents and collect the most thermal energy points

Akrid Egg Battle - Steal Akrid eggs from the opponent's team and bring them safely back to your own base

Egg Bandit - steal your opponents' Akrid egg, with points awarded for longer capture times
Four new multiplayer maps

Crossfire City - the wide streets provide an excellent opportunity for VS battles, while buildings provide great cover for sharp-eyed snipers

Area 921- Two industrial compounds located in a vast desert and linked by an underground pipe

Lost Arena - The central arena is ideal for VS pilots to act as futuristic gladiators, while those on foot can use the surrounding grandstands as their battleground

Assault Space - Set onboard a space ship and its supply vessel, the blackness of space is sure to make for some interesting encounters

New playable characters
Two female and two robot characters are added to the roster of choices for online personas to choose from, bringing the total to 11

New weapons (human)
Hand Gun - weak in power, but very accurate and easy to use

Revolver - The expert's one-shot kill weapon of choice at close quarters

Flame Launcher - Uses thermal energy to lay down a wall of fire

Hand Cannon - A handgun-like rocket launcher that is very effective against VS suits

New weapons (VS)
Pile Bunker - A long spike fires out at immense speed

VS Rifle - VS-dedicated rifle which has the longest range and loses no power regardless of the distance

Rocket Pod - Shoot off a salvo of rockets to cause immense damage to a specific area

Laser Lance - Attack with a sweeping arc of devastation
New Environments

Snowstorms, arctic winds, towering mountains of ice are all stunningly realized, creating a truly immersive and cinematic event of epic proportions.

New perspectives
Switch to first person view or the over-the-shoulder view from Resident Evil™ 4 for even more intense action

Cross Platform Play
∑ XBOX 360 and PC users can now compete on the same battlefield

NOTE: Lost Planet COLONIES EDITION and the original Lost Planet: Extreme Condition are not compatible. Single-player saves and online rankings cannot be carried over and multiplayer games will be separate.

Gallery: Lost Planet Colonies

fdemarco — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:00:00 MDT

Get your heaping helping of giant bugs with this gallery of screens from Lost Planet: Colonies. Check them out to see some of the new locations and content.

Lost Planet Colonies Finally Announced

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Capcom (may) have, via leaked mag scans, had the wraps taken off Lost Planet Colonies, the successor to snowy bug-killing simulator Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. What's new? There's a new playable character (that girl in snow gear) and in online play you'll get the option of playing as the bugs against the humans. That online play will feature cross-platform play between PCs and 360s. There's more weapons and more monsters to fight (including their eggs), and it'll be out in Japan on May 29. Oh, and no word of a PS3 release as of yet. Bear in mind: all this info comes courtesy of a leaked magazine scan that's been...modified to include super-awesome Xbox Japan boss Takashi Sensui, so until we get some more concrete info, take it all with a grain of salt.
[via 2ch]

Capcom Focus Testing Secret Game

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:45:31 MDT

Over in San Francisco, Capcom is focus testing what appears to be a new Xbox 360 game. The Capcom Flickr set has images of the focus test with the TV screens blacked out. Those bastards!

Wonder what game it is... There is Lost Planet art on the wall. Hrm.
Focus Test [Flickr via Capcom Blog via Siliconera]

Irrational's 'The Lost' Gets the Bollywood Treatment

Maggie Greene — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:00:14 MDT

I love promotional music videos for games, since they're usually so wonderfully terrible they're fantastic. It's even better when there's a weird story attached: GameSetWatch turned up a NeoGAF post regarding the fate of Irrational's cancelled release, The Lost. The game has resurfaced (with reworked graphics, but with core mechanics and story relatively intact) as an Indian release for PCs under the title of Agni: Queen Of Darkness. As GSW neatly sums up, "... evidently this title went south, Irrational got bought by 2K and turned their attention to BioShock, and FXLabs managed to rejigger it for a Bollywood PC release." But that's not all! It even got its own music video featuring Bollywood star Malaika Arora. I'm entranced.

Irrational's 'The Lost' Turns Up... In Bollywood?! [GameSetWatch]

Lost Planet: Colonies Xbox 360 Achievements Sneak Out

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:30:00 MST

Capcom's announcement of Lost Planet: Colonies shouldn't be a surprise to anyone when it hits next week. The trademark was filed last Spring and the ESRB rating hit last month. Yesterday, the Achievements for the Xbox 360 expansion (sequel?) to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition were leaked, posted, then pulled by Xbox 360 Sync. They don't tell us too much about the game, other than that it would appear the game may have a serious multiplayer focus. We'll know soon enough.

Lost Planet: Colonies Achievements! [Pulled] [Xbox360Sync]

My Wife's Review Of Lost Odyssey

Mark Wilson — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:40:55 MST

Sometimes the best judges are those sitting outside of the situation, looking on with an objective eye. Or, at least such would explain my wife's succinct review of Lost Odyssey (which she offered for no charge as I played last night).

Whenever you play this game, you say you're about to be done and then you play for an hour, and then you get mad because you die.

It's true. The only thing she missed was my persistent perspiration as I await another unavoidable disc read error—probably out of politeness.

Brits Get Paid Just For Pre-Ordering Lost Odyssey

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:30:00 MST

Sweet deal ahoy, Britain! Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey launches in the UK later this week. It's pretty good. In case you're not sold on its particular merits, however, high street retail giant HMV are offering 1000 Microsoft Points to anyone who preorders the game. You can buy Rez HD for that. With change. Get on it.
Pre-order Lost Odyssey and get MS Points [Eurogamer]

Week in Games: Patapon Edition

fdemarco — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:00:00 MST

Quite a few titles out this week but I only have eyes and ears for one game... Patapon. I'll also be checking out Lost Planet on my PS3 if I can manage to tear myself away from my little rhythmic friends. What's on your list this week?

Patapon (PSP)
Action plus rhythm plus great art style equals awesome.

Frontlines: Fuel of War (X360, PC)
Battle for control of the earth's depleted natural resources.

Lost: Via Domus (X360, PC, PS3)
Solve the mysteries of the island.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (X360, PC, PS3)
The Nazi's won WWII and boy are we in trouble.

Naruto: Ninja Destiny (DS)
A Naruto 3D fighter for your DS.

The Sims 2: FreeTime (PC)
Exactly what the Sims need. More free time. Bastards.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PS3)
The world of giant bugs comes to the PS3.

Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed (WII)
Aliens and penis jokes: a winning combination.

Mazes of Fate DS (DS)
Determine your fate in this RPG with mazes.

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (WII)
Live (or die) through Agatha Christie's greatest mystery.

ArmA: Gold Edition (PC)
ArmA: Armed Assault and ArmA: Queen's Gambit together again for the first time.

Heavenly Guardian (PS2)
Animated 2D shooter action.

Puzzle Guzzle (PSP)
Guzzle this puzzle!

Lost Planet 360 on the Cheap at Circuit City

fdemarco — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 11:00:00 MST

If you have been lagging on checking out the frozen landscapes and giant bugs of Lost Planet now is your chance to do it cheap! This week Circuit City is listing Capcom's Lost Planet (360 version) for the low, low price of $19.99. According to the pages I checked, the offer is only available through the website and not available for in-store pick up but you may want to check your local store just to make sure. I must admit I am way behind the tip on this game, but I just got a copy for the PS3 that I am anxious to try out. My skills with shooters have improved vastly since BioShock so perhaps I can get through this one without too much embarrassment.

Best of the Sunday Ad Video Game Deals (2/24 - 3/1) [CheapAssGamer]

Capcom, Please, Enough With The Mandatory Installs

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:30:00 MST

What do Devil May Cry 4, Hot Shots Golf and now Lost Planet on the PS3 all have in common? They all feature mandatory 5GB installs. And two of them are from Capcom. Seriously, Capcom, what's the deal? Devil May Cry 4 you could explain because it's new and it's shiny, but a 2006 port that ran just fine on the 360? Cop-outs aren't fun. Neither's not making this kind of thing optional.
Lost Planet Requires 5GB Installation [PS3Style]

Rock Band Bundle on Sale at Target

fdemarco — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:00:00 MST

Target's weekly ad has some pretty sweet deals this time around. The Rock Band Special Edition bundle for both PS3 and 360 is going for $149 (in store only) which is about $20 off the usual price. Also featured is a $40 gift card with the purchase of the 40GB PS3 and a $10 gift card with the purchase of one of eleven different games. Here's some of the highlights:

Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 360)
Heavenly Sword (PS3)
Assassin's Creed (PS3, 360)
Call of Duty 4 (PS3, 360)
Halo 3 (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Lost Odyssey (360)

If you're feeling like a shopping spree you could pick up a couple games and use those gift cards to put towards that Rock Band bundle bringing the price down to a comfortable $129.

Best of the Sunday Ad Video Game Deals (2/17 - 2/23) [CheapAssGamer]