Ratchet Booty coming to Blu-ray [Eurogamer]

If you can cast your minds alllll the way back to March, you'll remember a leaked SCEE release schedule alerted us to the existence of a new Ratchet & Clank game, Ratchet: Quest for Booty, which would most likely be made available on the PlayStation Network. The game - still yet to be announced by Sony, mind - is now a step closer to release after being rated by the USK, Germany's ratings and classification board. Now that we know the Germans see it as a game fit for twelve year-olds, all we need to know is...well, everything else, really.

Booty found, another Ratchet game for the PS3 [Siliconera]

Secret Agent Clank bonus: pre-order figurine [PlayStation.Blog]

As you can see, according to the list, April is a big month. These releases may be bundled together to help promote the PlayStation Store revamp, also rumored to hit on April 15. So what is all this stuff?

The Lair pack(s) shown in the leaked list may what finally brings analog stick control to the PlayStation 3 game. When we inquired with Sony about the patch on hand at GDC, we were met with silence.

Ratchet Quest For Booty is most likely either Insomniac's downloadable content for Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction or a PlayStation Network release. Considering the Space Pirate presence in Tools of Destruction, it would certainly makes sense as DLC. When we asked Insomniac about their plans for PSN game, they simply (and wryly) responded "We're very busy."

The Last Guy, we know almost nothing about, other than that Sony Computer Entertainment Japan filed for the that trademark last year.

Take this all as rumor for now, but keep an eye on the PlayStation Store updates to see if this pans out to be true.

[Image Credit]

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters PS2 Multiplayer Details [PlayStation Blog]

So a new IP is coming from Insomniac in the semi far to far future? Sounds good to us.

Insomniac's Ted Price Talks 'Ratchet' Sales Surprises, New IPs [MTVmultiplayer]

And, between my heavy pants of hyperventilation at meeting the brains behind the PSP's best game to date, I was able to sputter out a few questions regarding the direction of the franchise and what sweet features we could expect in the new game.

"Why Clank?" I asked. When Ratchet has been the star of so many successful games before, what's the motive behind firing the star?

Fan demand, she answered, without a pause. "People love the character...beyond that, Ratchet has stuff on PS3..." And it supports what appears to be a new strategy for Insomniac/High Impact Games. Ratchet will push the technical boundaries through big explosions and epic landscapes on the PS3, while Clank will represent the PSP platform with a few less gallons of napalm and a touch more stealth. (Whether or not this platform distinction will continue beyond this title is uncertain. Though, we're guessing if Clank is successful in his solo career, he ain't rejoining the boy band.)

The new PSP style is a tough balance to find, as the last thing developers ever wanted is for Clank to "feel like secondary version of Ratchet." And at the same time, Clank's trademark puzzle-oriented levels could wear on the player over an entire campaign. Spy gadgets are the compromise here between bazookas and bowie knives—boomerang bow ties, for instance—and "Clank Phu" melee compliment Clank's mini bots.

What's this new protagonist mean for porting your old guns from Size Matters to Secret Agent Clank? Not happening, it appears, though small playable Ratchet levels will feature some of your favorite guns of old.

Then again, many of you aren't reading this article to hear about stinky old gun ports anyway. You want to sync your PSPs with your PS3s, unlock new content, be treated as "special" for spending so much money as a company-loyal consumer. But if these cross-platform features exist, Mathieson is playing coy. All she'd offer was the code most of us have heard about from Tools of Destruction that will unlock goodies for PSP owners.

So as for exploiting hot possibilities like the PSP's Wi-Fi connection for a little bow tie boomerang backup on the PS3...it appears to be just another sticky dream for the time being.

UPDATE: A special thanks to Stephen Totilo for tactfully pointing out the game's real title...that I'd incorrectly pasted no less than four times.

Level Up Blog: Make or Break

It's been great to have a network that can facilitate the map-pack downloads, demos and trailers for both Resistance: Fall of Man and Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction. The number of users on PSN has been rising steadily and we absolutely plan to support them with more new content coming soon.

D+Pad Nov 2007 [via maxconsole]

We'll be honest; the overblown, semi-pretentious nature of Lionhead's Fable 2 production diaries endear their clips a bit closer to our hearts than Insomniac's more straightforward Ratchet & Clank chronicles. But we do love this story about a typically ludicrous game bug that developers had to iron out in Future. Specifically, if you threw the wrench and then jumped, Ratchet's head would spin in 360 degrees, gaining momentum with subsequent wrench/jumps until it created a wagon-wheel effect. Hit the clip about a minute in to hear the story.

So hit the jump for our Frankenreview; this week we did something special and only included reviewers that had "game" or some amalgamation of such in the title. That's for you, Insomniac. Live it up.

GameZone
The new Ratchet & Clank title, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, is every bit as compelling visually as the high-end Hollywood animated features. Take anything from Dreamworks or Pixar, and compare them and you will find that ToD is a visual feast that rivals them. The major difference is, of course, that when you watch one of those films, that is all you are doing ...you are an integral part of the event.
GameDaily
The voice work is up to Insomniac's usual standards, filled with personality and hardly any dead spots...The dialogue is still hilarious, even with the random chatter that plays in the background. On top of this, the music works on a rhythm all its own. The tempo changes constantly depending on what's happening on-screen. What sounds easygoing at first soon bursts with romping energy. It's a terrific soundtrack, one with great unpredictability.
GamingAge
Whether it is a (optionally) motion control-enabled tornado launcher, a kick ass electric whip, or viscous little plasma beast capsules, nearly all the weapons are fun to use and required to be utilized throughout the game.... This is by far Insomniac's best selection of weapons and gadgets yet, although I have to say they are probably a little too good. By spending a few extra minutes exploring the stages and collecting raritanium and bolts, weapons can be upgraded to ridiculously powerful levels, even early on in the game.

GamerNode
Just about every minigame utilizes the Sixaxis controls (unless you count Clank's couple of solo runs). I know what you're thinking: "Sixaxis controls! Oh no!" but in all honesty, they're done well in this game. Nothing really takes you out of the flow; you do things such as control Ratchet as you halo jump from a ship or glide through the air, slide a ball around a circuit to hack electronics a la Bioshock, and cut holes in walls, and all in the midst of gameplay.

GameAlmighty
Whereas earlier installments of the Ratchet and Clank series offered a range of single player and online multiplayer modes, Tools of Destruction hones in on its solo experience with just a story-driven campaign. Dropping multiplayer negatively impacts the game's long-term value; however, focusing purely on the campaign has resulted in a level of quality that easily surpasses any previous iteration.
Yes everyone, it looks like Ratchet & Clank Future is every bit as good as we'd hoped.

One of the strongest aspects of Ratchet and Clank, has to be the quality of the visuals, and we wanted to showcase this in the TV ad, meaning it'll be made up entirely of actual gameplay footage.

So will R&C Tools capture the hearts of the consumer public? I'm not sure. But it's most certainly one of the most beautiful games I've ever laid eyes on, with a graphical style and platforming experience that has no parallel in the "next gen" marketplace today. Here's hoping it moves a few units, because people should be playing it. Seriously, for their own good.

Sony pumps £1m into Ratchet TV campaign [mcv]

Officially, it's still October 30. But I'm expecting a very happy birthday to me next Tuesday. Woo!

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Coming Soon(er) [PlayStation.blog]

The game was rumored to be in development at High Impact Games—creator of Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters for the PSP—earlier this year. While we don't have any official screens of the game yet, we expect it will be on the TGS show floor and hope to get some hands-on time with it.

See you in the future!

Ratchet & Clank PSN Demo on October 4 [IGN]

Based on my single visit to Insomniac Games, I can confirm that it is indeed an awesome place to work, solely judged on the high availability of delicious snacks. That's why I'm awarding them the first annual Kotaku award "Best Company At Which To Snack In America." Congratulations, Insomniac. Michael McWhertor

Insomniac Games among Top 10 for 3rd Straight Year in 50 "Best Companies to Work for in America" rankings.

"Once Again, Ratchet & Clank® and Resistance: Fall of Man Creators Remain First & Only Videogames Company Honored"

BURBANK, Calif. (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE): Independent console videogames developer Insomniac Games has once again distinguished itself as being among the best studios to work for in the games industry. For the third straight year, Insomniac retained its unique distinction of being the first and only videogames company named to the "50 Best Small & Medium Sized Companies to Work for in America" list.

The rankings were announced before an estimated audience of 15,000 at the Society for Human Resource Management's (SHRM) 59th Annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. Despite a 20-plus percent increase in applicants since last year — and a combined 50 percent increase since 2005 — Insomniac ranked 8th in the small companies category. Insomniac Games is the only company in the history of the small business category to earn a Top 10 ranking for three-straight years, remains the first and only videogames developer included on the list, and is the only company in the "TV, Film and Video" category to be recognized this year. In addition, Insomniac is Southern California's lone representative to the small business list.

"Last year was among the most challenging in Insomniac's history as we prepared to release Resistance: Fall of Man™ worldwide with the launch of PLAYSTATION®3," said Ted Price, Insomniac Games' founder and CEO. "Yet we delivered a top-rated and top-selling game — on time — while retaining our Top 10 ranking as one of the best small companies to work for in America. Therefore, it's especially gratifying to demonstrate again that it's possible in the games industry to achieve excellent results while maintaining a collaborative and stimulating workplace culture."

SHRM, the world's largest human resources management organization, recognizes the top 25 small and top 25 medium companies in America that have used smart people management strategies to develop successful organizations with highly productive and satisfied workforces. The results were primarily based on a randomly distributed employee opinion survey that measures several categories such as workplace environment, management's responsiveness to employee feedback, and adherence to company philosophy. In addition, further assessments of company programs, practices and workplace culture were factored into judging.

Insomniac Games remains the only North American videogames developer to be honored in any ranking compiled by the Great Places to Work Institute ® (GPTW). The organization is perhaps best known for producing Fortune magazine's annual "100 Best Companies to Work for®" list, which ranks companies with more than 1,000 employees. Two videogames publishers have made GPTW's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" list since it was first published in 1984.

Insomniac Games is best known for creating the multi-million unit selling Ratchet & Clank® and Spyro the Dragon® franchises for the PlayStation® game console and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The company is responsible for the top-selling Resistance: Fall of Man, exclusively for PLAYSTATION®3 and is currently developing Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction™ for exclusive release on PLAYSTATION 3 this fall. Insomniac, with 150 employees, continues to seek new employees in a variety of production-related positions.

About Insomniac Games Insomniac Games is a wholly independent console videogames developer that has released award-winning hits for the PlayStation® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 for 13 years. The company created the first three Spyro the Dragon® games, the Ratchet & Clank® franchise and Resistance: Fall of Man™, which have combined to sell more than 25 million units worldwide. Insomniac Games is currently developing Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction™, which will release this fall, exclusively for PLAYSTATION 3.

In addition to making blockbuster videogames, Insomniac is known for ranking among the top four "Best Small Companies to Work for in America" in 2005 and 2006 and among the Top 10 for 2007, according to the Great Places to Work Institute and Society for Human Resources Management. More information can be found at http://www.insomniacgames.com/ or by listening to Insomniac's "Full Moon Show" podcast, available on iTunes and the studio's website.

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

Wow, this looks friggin amazing, let's hope it lives up to what are now astronomical expectations, but has R&C ever failed to deliver? And seriously, is there a disco ball weapon in the game? That would kick so much ass. Brian Crecente

The lovable Ewok-like Luke Smith reports that the next Ratchet & Clank Title will send Ratchet to the future. The title: Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. Get it? Tools?

"The name Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction works on many levels. It signals a new era for the franchise, ties into the game's story, and includes one of our signature subtitle double entendres." — Brian Allgeier, design director, Insomniac Games.

The upcoming EGM will offer insight into what the tools will be up to. Brian Crecente

Next Ratchet & Clank Gets Name [1up]

But how does the experience translate to the PSP in Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters? (And doesn't the title imply it sucks?) Hit the jump for the Frankenreview: the review that sums up all the reviews, along with our 3D bar graph so you can save your reading energy for cock and fanboy jokes.

1up
"...why doesn't it feel like a Ratchet game?...Perhaps it's for technical reasons: the camera, for instance, which seems to have the hardest time doing its...Or maybe it's the awkward controls, which alter their configuration — sometimes strafing, sometimes turning... Maybe it's the level design, which fails to take either of these technical issues into...Or it could be the fairly uninspired weapon and gadget design...

Game Vortex
The analog nub moves while the face buttons are your primary actions like attack, gadget control and jumping...If the PSP has shown anything, it is that trying to work a two-analog stick system into a one-stick system is a difficult task. Size Matters manages to pull off the conversion...though some actions, like doing a super-jump, are a little too complicated and never seem to work all the time.
PSP Fanboy
Size Matters goes above and beyond by delivering even more gameplay variety. You'll play a small segment of the game as Clank, Ratchet's lovable robot companion...These segments can include squad-based gameplay, or...for example, you'll end up in a Battlebots-inspired arena where you'll have to destroy opposing ...Or, you'll be flying in space as Giant Clank in one of PSP's most impressive sequences. These Star Fox-esque space segments are absolutely mind-numbing...they're almost worth the price of admission alone.

]]> Thu, 15 Feb 2007 10:30:45 MST Mark Wilson http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=236838&view=rss&microfeed=true

One of the most consistent game franchises around would have to be Insomniac's Ratchet & Clank series. Each progressive title has managed to add new elements while maintaining an excellent balance of humor and solid gameplay that define the series. Many fans were a bit disappointed that Ratchet: Deadlocked focused on shooting without platforming and puzzle elements, but I'm happy to say after spending quite a bit of time with a preview build that the series has returned to its roots with the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters for the PSP.

Ratchet and his robot buddy are taking a much needed vacation, having saved the universe now on multiple occasions. They meet a cute little girl named Luna who is writing a report on heroes and wants to see them in action. It isn't long before Luna is kidnapped, a legendary race of inventors gets involved, and once more R&C are pulled into a dangerous plot that sends them on a universe spanning adventure that the two of them really should come to expect right now. These guys get sent on universe spanning adventures if they stop by a convenience store for a slushie.

Aside from the PSP controls and slightly lower-quality graphics, the game looks and plays almost exactly like its PS2 siblings. Developer High Impact Games has done a great job of capturing the distinctive R&C feel, which isn't really a surprise considering High Impact was spawned from Insomniac. All of the familiar elements are in place here. Upgradeable weapons and gadgets, exciting mini-games, and novelty levels to mix things up a bit. My favorite so far would have to be the space shooter featuring Giant Clank, blasting his way through swarms of enemies to rescue his fuzzy lombax friend.

New to the series is customizeable armor. As you play through the game you'll come across armor pieces. Once you collect a whole set you not only look amazingly cool, you also get to use a special power. Collect the Wildfire set and your wrench attacks set enemies on fire, for instance. While I only managed to collect pieces from three sets and complete one, there sure were a lot of empty armor set slots waiting to be filled. Can't wait to see what they all do!

While some of the levels in the game tread on familiar ground, I've run across a couple that were quite new and different, including one I won't go into too much detail on that completely blew my mind. Flying chainsaws FTW!

The controls are actually pretty tight for a PSP platformer. I miss the second analog stick for camera control, but the shoulder buttons do the job adequately, and there's always a first-person view you can swap to if you want to look around or do some precision shooting. The small screen keeps pretty close to Ratchet as he fights, leading to being shot at off-screen quite a few times, but with the PSP you really are limited with how far away the camera can be in third-person before you start crossing into isometric territory.

Sadly I didn't get to try out the multiplayer options, but honestly I've always enjoyed the series more for the story and the characters than for online skirmishes.

All in all I am pretty excited about Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters. It's shaping up to be one of those titles I can point to in order to justify my purchase of a PSP in the first place. Like Ready at Dawn's Daxter before it, this game looks to bring one of Sony's best franchises to the PSP in a big way. Michael Fahey

]]> Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:50:18 MST Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=231832&view=rss&microfeed=true

Now that Resistance: Fall of Man is in the bag, what's up for Insomniac Games? A little vacation, probably some press events, maybe they'll finish weather treating that patio. Oh, right, and the next Ratchet & Clank for the PlayStation 3!

From the Insomniac newsletter:

Those of you who are waiting for some Ratchet & Clank news, here's a quick update. We are in full production on our R&C PlayStation 3 game. That's all we can share at this time, but you'll be hearing and seeing more from us in the not-so-distant future.

The game's existance should clearly come as no surprise, as Sony gave us a glimpse of the next-gen shooter-platformer at E3, but at least it's now official. We'll have more furry bat-thing and robot-guy fun to look forward to soon. Michael McWhertor

]]> Wed, 01 Nov 2006 20:40:09 MST Michael McWhertor http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=211799&view=rss&microfeed=true