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girl gamers
Girl Gamers: There are More of Them
You might need to head to Australia to find them (Brian? Luke?). Or at least, that's where the sure bet is. A story in the Sydney Morning Herald last weekend cites figures showing 41 percent of gamers in Australia are women, and also 38 percent in the United States, both figures representing growth. The Herald also says that if the trend continues, it will be 1:1 guys/girls gaming by 2014.
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castle crashers
Castle Crashers for XBLA "Completely Completed"
The cartoony multiplayer side-scrolling brawler, promising one of the deepest gameplay experiences of any Xbox Live Arcade game, is finished. So says developer The Behemoth on its official dev blog. No release date as of yet — it will take "a couple months at the very least" to finish QA, certification XBLA bureaucracy, etc. etc.
Behemoth posted some new screenshots, and says the devblog will update with more character profiles even though the game's finished. Any guess what the points cost for this thing will be?
Castle Crashers is Completely Completed[Castle Crashers Development Blog, big thanks to GeorgeLiquor and Spade0013]
softwhere
UCSD's SoftWhere 2008
If you're going to be in San Diego and free next Wednesday afternoon, UCSD is hosting a public portion of their "SoftWhere 2008" at the UCSD campus Lots of people are involved (including names like Ian Bogost), and the public portion will be a rapid-fire format of quick presentations. A reception will be held afterwards. The full release is after the jump — I'll be taking the afternoon off to check it out: More »
delay
Disaster Strikes Disaster: Day of Crisis
Quickjump reports that, according to a Nintendo news release, Disaster: Day of Crisis, being developed by Monolith Soft for the Wii won't make its July 2008 release date in Japan and has been delayed indefinitely.
Reason for the delay: lengthen the development process to improve the quality of the product. That has back-to-the-drawing-board written all over it, IMHO. The game involves surviving/coping with repeated natural disaster strikes while taking down a rogue military unit that's seized a nuclear weapon — 24 meets The Day After Tomorrow meets The Core meets ... So it will need big visuals and super realistic physics to be a winner. Maybe that's the problem, who knows.
Disaster: Day of Crisis Delayed Indefinitely [Quickjump Network, thanks El Cernex]
kotaku originals
Kotaku Originals: Grab Your Meat Shields
We were back to the usual forty-elebemteen-million Originals posts this week, and not all of it was Crecente mining EA Games Spring Break 08 or the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase, either. LucasArts and the ESA are splitsville. Sony announced its PS3 lineup through early '09. EA announced some numbers and said it's no longer providing quarterly guidance which, snark aside, I'd like to see more public companies do.
But of course no news sells like sex, and Leigh's interview with Playboy Cyber Girl of the Year Jo Garcia on her gaming habits trafficked some amazing readership. The week in Kotaku original reportage, below:
ESA Confirms LucasArts Exit
CBS Snags GameSpot In $1.8 Billion CNET Acquisition
Sony Announces 2008 and Early 2009 PS3 Line-up
EA Makes Three-Year Growth Plan, Quits Quarterly Guidance
Interview: Playboy Cyber Girl of the Year Is A True Player
singstar
SingStore Update Dies In My Arms Tonight
I've had many issues with SingStar's DLC before, but let me make this clear: none of them are issues with the game's technical delivery. They're all to do with the tracklist, which is so half-assed it doesn't even qualify as an ass anymore. It's just a lump of flesh sitting awkwardly above a leg, just under the back. It throws pop songs at you, but they're not popular songs. It throws rock songs at you, but they don't really rock. But once in a while, they get things right. Like this week's inclusion of Cutting Crew's (I Just) Died In Your Arms, showing that once in a while, London Studio remembers that SingStar's at its best when played drunk, by friends, and you're not singing rubbish pop songs, you're singing the awful/brilliant/cheesy classics of yesteryear. More »
rock band
Rock Band Update Brings Parity With The Old World
Rock Band makes its expensive, long-overdue debut in Europe next week, and brings with it a bunch of Euro-specific tracks. Tracks that aren't that Euro-specific, however, since next week they'll be making up the American content update as well. There's a nice mix of British, German and French songs on offer, which to be honest is probably headlined by Die Toten Hosen's "Hier Kommt Alex", since the British offerings don't quite rock as hard as one would have hoped. More »
bungie
It's just been announced that Bungie's Frankie O'Connor will be leaving the company and heading for greener pastures. Which makes today a sad day for Bungie fans and Bungie employees alike. But not Halo fans! In his parting letter to the company's fanbase, O'Connor writes that he's "off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise", which can only be good news for everybody involved. Best of luck at Microsoft, Frankie. The letter's in full after the jump if you're interested.
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Frankie Leaves Bungie
It's just been announced that Bungie's Frankie O'Connor will be leaving the company and heading for greener pastures. Which makes today a sad day for Bungie fans and Bungie employees alike. But not Halo fans! In his parting letter to the company's fanbase, O'Connor writes that he's "off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise", which can only be good news for everybody involved. Best of luck at Microsoft, Frankie. The letter's in full after the jump if you're interested.
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e3 award debate
ESA, Game Critics' Awards Debate "Best Of E3" Eligibility
A heated debate has erupted between the Entertainment Software Association and the Game Critics' Awards over the eligibility of games in this year's E3 Media and Business Summit. The dispute was prompted by Activision and Vivendi's recent departure from the ESA and, simultaneously, from the show.
The association assumed that the departed companies' games would no longer be eligible for any of the annual "Best of E3" awards, given out by an independent group of Game Critics' Awards judges at each year's show.
But Geoff Keighley, GameTrailers executive producer and co-chairman of the Awards, said that decision hasn't been made yet. The critics' group, of which Kotaku managing editor Brian Crecente is also a member, still needs to meet to discuss the issue and decide how exactly to define which games are and are not eligible.
"The fact that Activision is not a registered exhibitor for E3 has brought to light the issue of how to determine the eligibility of games," Keighley said.
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SCEA Pre-E3 Judge's day
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SOCOM Confrontation Screens, Art & More
Sony's Pre-E3 Judge's Day is in full swing, and while Brian and McWhertor will be updating throughout the afternoon with hands-on, eyes-on, and whatever other body parts they can get onto the games featured at the event, we'll be here at home base gathering up the information, screens, and movies for your viewing and reading pleasure.
First up is SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, due out in September for the PlayStation 3. We've got screens, concept art, and a giant fact sheet after the jump that contains all you really need to know about that latest game in the SOCOM series. Enjoy!
lucasarts out of esa
Breaking: ESA Confirms LucasArts Exit
LucasArts is no longer a member of the Entertainment Software Association, the ESA officially confirmed with Kotaku today. Speculation about LucasArts' status within the Associaton followed the recently-announced departure of Activision and Vivendi from both the Association and its E3 Media And Business Summit, amid possible discontent with both.
"Today, we can confirm that one of our members, LucasArts, has decided not to renew its membership. We value each member of our association, but respect the unique factors that led to LucasArts' decision," Rich Taylor, senior vice president of communications and research at the ESA, told Kotaku.
Margaret Grohne, director of Public Relations for LucasArts, confirmed to Kotaku that the publisher will still be participating in E3:
beta watch
Requiem: Bloodymare Enters Open Beta
Didn't get into the Age of Conan early start event? Well here's something for you to mess about with over the weekend instead. Gravity Interactive's horror-MMO Requiem: Bloodymare couldn't have picked a better time to go into open beta. Right now you can head over to the website, register an account, download the client, and there you are, fighting evil in a rather unique little setting.
I've played the game a bit myself, and while there are points where it feels a bit like your standard Korean MMO given a fresh coat of paint, the game mechanics are actually rather entertaining. The only real problem I have with it is that it is hard to maintain an atmosphere of horror after you've killed the same monster 20 times, but it definitely has a few moments. Hit up the link below to get things started!
Requiem: Bloodymare Official Site [Gravity Interactive = Thanks Andthenjaredsaid!]
game announce
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Gingerbread Mixes Terrorism With Aztecs In The Protector
As a long-time proponent for Aztecs as video game villains, Polish developer Gingerbread Studios' newly announced first/third person shooter The Protector couldn't help but pique my interest, even if it only features Aztec mythology being used by terrorists. The game, under development for the PC and Xbox 360, is really two games in one. You have British mercenary Jonathan Kane going in guns blazing to protect lithe American archaeologist Jennifer Guile, who uses stealth tactics to avoid the forces of Scarlet Vengeance, a terrorist organization that needs her to unlock the secrets of an ancient Aztec weapon.
Right now The Protector is at an early stage, so we'll have to wait and see whether or not it delivers on the standard shooter promise of intelligent AI, but the chance of fighting "mythical Aztec creatures" is enough to keep my watching. What can I say? I have an Aztec fetish.
warhammer online
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Australia And Friends Added To Warhammer Online Launch
The worldwide launch for EA Mythic's Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning just got a bit more worldwide. Recognizing the legion of Warhammer fans in Australia and New Zealand, the two countries along with Southeast Asia will bet getting the game the same time those of us in Europe and North America do, complete with their own servers so they don't have to mingle with dirty Americans. EA Mythic VP Mark Jacobs breaks out 'down under' so I don't have to.
"Warhammer is a world-wide franchise with a strong following in Australia and New Zealand. By placing our own server down under and running customer service out of EA Mythic, we can ensure that when we launch WAR, Oceanic players will experience the same quality of game play and customer service as North American players"While players in the region will still have the option of connecting to North American servers, I'm hoping they stay on their own side to keep them from propagating their drop bear propaganda. I made a special spiky hat, you lying bastards!
celebrity endorsements
Metallic Rose DS Gets Superstar Launch
As is always the case, mere weeks after I pick up a new DS, Nintendo goes and releases a new color. The metallic rose DS, originally sold as part of a holiday Nintendogs bundle, will be hitting stores later this month in stand-alone form, and Nintendo has recruited Ugly Betty star America Ferrera and American Idol-born country singer Carrie Underwood to appear in ads promoting the new shade. The commercials will begin airing on Monday, May 19th. Along with those two, Liv Tyler will also be appearing in commercials hawking the crimson and black variant.
Strong female role-models America and Carrie will surely inspire many young women to pick up one of Nintendo's handhelds, while the Liv Tyler ad will have men who are subconsciously attracted to Steven Tyler to the stores in droves.
sega's games day
Golden Axe: Beast Rider First Look
Golden Axe: Beast Rider is meant to be a re-examination of the world of Golden Axe, the game's developers told the press at Sega's Gamers Day earlier this week.
Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be a look into the world minus the trio of characters that made the game so great. Instead, gamers will be forced to play as amazon warrior Tyris Flare. Neither the barbarian nor the dwarf will be playable in the single-player only game, though both will appear as non-playable characters as the story unfolds.
It looks like the development team went to great pains to try and turn the once side-scrolling, button-masher into a 3D action title without losing the feel of the original title. A lot of the same creatures, bad guys and feel of the game seems to be present. The art style is a bit generic, but no more so than the original Golden Axe was.
game development
Georgia Pretties Itself Up For Game Developers
It's no secret that Georgia wants game developers and it wants them bad. While the state is already home to a large handful of smaller game studios, they are seeking to make Georgia an entertainment mecca. To that effect Governor Sonny Purdue signed into law the 2008 Entertainment Industry Investment Act this past Monday, granting entertainment companies, game developers included, huge tax credits for creating their art in The Peach State.
Qualifying productions spending at least $500,000 in the state will qualify for a 20% tax credit, with an additional 10% granted if said productions included an animated Georgia logo in the finished product.
As a member of the gaming press residing just minutes away from beautiful downtown Atlanta, I welcome any and all game developers to our lovely state. If you need crash space, give me a call.
Hit the jump for the full press release.
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