While the majority of Shigeru Miyamoto's works enjoy huge success in Japan, there is one franchise that has been steadily declining in popularity. Miyamoto spoke to Multiplayer about the sad decline of the Star Fox series.

I'm a big fan of the 'Star Fox' games. Every time we make a 'Star Fox' game I'm hoping people will enjoy it as much as I do. Of course the goal every time is to try and make it more and more fun but, at least in Japan, the people that purchase the 'Star Fox' games has decreased over the years. But we still try to make them more fun and hopefully people will see the appeal in those games.

Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that there hasn't been a full-on flying Star Fox console title since 1997's Star Fox 64? Star Fox Adventures for the Gamecube was a rather huge deviation from the winning formula, and while Star Fox: Assault did have ship combat, it was watered down with sloppy on-foot missions. Give Japan an all-flying, all-shooting Star Fox title for the Wii and the fans will come.

Mario Creator Talks Disappointment With 'Star Fox' [MTV Multiplayer]

Who needs Shenmue 3 when you can get the total Shenmue experience playing as Ryo Hazuki in Sega All-Star Racing? Ryo puts the kitten-feeding and gashapon collecting to rest in order to make sure Sonic, Tails, and that damn monkey from Samba De Amigo don't prove themselves faster than his motorcycle. If that fails, Ryo can also get behind the wheel of a forklift to truly fork with the opposition.

With the inclusion of Ryo as a Sega superstar, could Shenmue 3 be far behind? Probably.

Update: Sega has posted a video of Ryo in action:

Ryo Hazuki Returns [IGN]

Gamasutra got their hands on the NPD numbers for the title, which represent U.S. retail sales between May 19th and May 30th. To put things in perspective, Terminator Salvation, also developed by Sweden's Grin studio, sold 43,000 units in the same length of time. The contrast between sales of the two titles really says a great deal about how recognizable properties tend to blind consumers to game reviews. Bionic Commander garnered a Metacritic average of 70, while Terminator scored a measly 45 percent, yet the latter outsold the former by a good 16,000 copies.

Perhaps the low sales for Bionic Commando are simply a result of another month of declining video game sales, as the low numbers certainly aren't limited to Grin-developed titles. Another game released on May 19th, Ea's Boom Blox Bash Party for the Wii, only sold 23,000 units during the same period, though of course that title was a console exclusive and Bionic Commando appeared on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

While no information was available as to how the consoles split those 27,000 copies, sources tell us that the Xbox 360 demo, as dismal as it may have been, did manage to boost sales on Microsoft's console significantly.

Slow sales can't possibly be good for Grin of course, already the subject of rumored layoffs late last month. Despite the rumors and poor performance, I ran into a couple of Grin folks at E3 earlier this month who seemed completely upbeat, and when I asked "Aren't you guys supposed to be fired?" they simply laughed and handed me a pair of Grin-embroidered socks. I suppose that could mean something in Sweden.

According to Marshall County Sheriff Kenny Dickerson, "The younger brother allegedly got mad because he got beat at some video games and got the gun." The father was outside mowing the lawn at the time.

The older brother, De-Andre Finley, admitted the weapon automatically went off when the two tussled over it. The story coincides with police investigations which have stated the weapon was too long and too heavy for the young boy to fire. "That version we can live with because it's consistent with the evidence," the police added.

It is unlikely that De-Andre will be charged, stated police. He is under 13-years-old, and the entire incident "appeared to be an accident anyway".

Boy, 9, Shot Dead In Video Game Row [Sky News Thanks, A!]

This is part of a longer interview conducted by Kotaku with Miyamoto, the lead creative director for Nintendo, at E3 last week.

Fans who attended BlizzCon last year or watched the Kerrigan reveal trailer on YouTube were overjoyed when Campbell's voice purred from the shadows towards the end of the clip, assuming that it signaled a return of the character's original voice. Sadly, this isn't so. According to Campbell, the voice work done in that trailer was considered an audition for the role, and Blizzard has decided to go in another direction.

Glynnis has now confirmed with StarCraft Legacy that Blizzard has red-lighted her reappearance as Sarah Kerrigan.

Well, it just figures, doesn't it? Blizzard just gave me my Dear John phone call. Basically, it was "We can still be friends—we just don't want to see you anymore." Ha ha! Ah well...that's showbiz. Anyway, thank you for a wonderful and touching article—it's a great going away present, and I'll cherish it.

Along with this sad news, it also seems that the original voice of Jim Raynor, Robert Clotworthy, will not be reprising his role in the sequel either, though Raynor's increased age and newly acquired drinking problem might have played a part in the new casting.

While I might not be the world's biggest StarCraft fan, I can certainly relate. When Michael Bay didn't cast original Megatron voice Frank Welker to the movie, I was crushed. Then I heard Hugo Weaving growing, "I smell you, boy", and suddenly I got the feeling that Welker actually dodged a bullet. What I am trying to say here, is that sometimes it's better to leave good things behind, before some hot-shot director decides the production needs more boy sniffing.

The Voices of StarCraft II [StarCraft Legacy via StarCraft Wire]

There you go, Dead Rising: Chop 'Til You Drop Isabella. Now, there's nothing wrong with having four (or five chins). Orson Welles had multiple chins. There is something wrong with Isabella having four (or five) chins as we don't remember her having that many the last time we saw her.

We are actually curious who is picking these Dead Rising Wii screens. They're not doing much to help our impression of the game! It's like Capcom is trying to sabotage the game or something — or maybe Capcom is just releasing junky screens to see if people still buy the game. We hope so. That would be funny.

Update: Capcom contacted to let us know that the animations in both games are the same captures, just like for Resident Evil 4. According to Capcom, these were not redone for the Wii version as it would be costly. So that ugly Wii image above also exists in the Xbox 360 — it's a bad capture. You can watch it here. Why this particular image was selected for the Wii version, however, still baffles.

カプコン、Wii「デッドライジング ゾンビのいけにえ」物語の中核となるサンタ・カベザを知る2人を公開 [Game Watch Impress] [Pic]

[via NeoGAF]

I've been following UK:Resistance since the late 90's, and while I can't say I've always agreed with the way they chose to cover Sonic and friends (with various, NSFW bodily fluids usually), I have to say I respect how long they've stood by him in the face of sub-par game after sub-par game. Well now they've finally had enough. They want fans to design them a new logo, and the guidelines are pretty simple:

You can be serious. It doesn't have to be Blaze Fielding sucking Ryo Hazuki's cock, although that would probably get linked to by Kotaku so if you have the art skills and time...

There's no probably about it, Commander. Hit up the link below to see how the love has died.

The Now-Official Design UKR A New Logo Competition [UK:Resistance - Thanks hahnchen!]
Image

I know this fall is littered with amazing, blockbuster releases we've been waiting years to play, but this was the one I was really looking forward to playing. If I were a panda right now, I would not be a very happy one.

Rise of the Argonauts Pre-Order Page [GameStop - Thanks James]

Lastly, some folks have been asking about the status of the previously discussed Jukebox Mode. This mode was removed from Rock Band 2 in the final stages of development. We have no immediate plans to bring this feature back to the platform in the future.

I am majorly bummed. Jukebox mode was going to be the background noise and images to months and months of news post writing, and now I am lost like a ship without one of those ship-steering dealies. I guess it's back to hooking my MP3 player to the Xbox. Oh well. At least I've still got 20 free DLC songs coming my way eventually.

20 Free DLC Tracks Note/Jukebox Mode Clarification [Rock Band Forums]

So, shortly after hanging up the phone, I sent him a follow-up. There was one MGS4 idea that we hadn't discussed that I thought was deserving of an NYT spotlight: How sad the game is. And how rare it is that we get a chance to play a sad game.

In my letter, I wrote:

MGS4 is the rare effort of video game blues and tragedy. Gamers are used to being asked to save the day and be the hero. Metal Gear Solid 4 is so unusual in that it's the rare game that asks them to be interested in something else: a march toward defeat, an interactive tragedy.

I've printed my full e-mail below. No spoilers beyond what was in the game's trailers.

Anyone else want more video game tragedies? (cue mention of Conker's Bad Fur Day)

David,

One other thing that we should have talked about: the novelty of a video game tragedy.

The video game medium has largely been one of triumphal fiction. One could argue that that's because of the nature of games. Designers need to keep their players entertained, which, in character-driven games as far back as Pac-Man, involves giving the player obstacles and enemies to overcome. And many modern video games keep the player engaged by rewarding the player with an expanding arsenal of abilities. Get this far in a game or conquer this challenge in a game and your character will now be able to jump further or replace her pistol with a shotgun or finally be able to swing not just a sword but now a sword engulfed in magic flame. Players are compelled, so often, by a sense of progress. And that's why, I think, so many games' stories are necessarily ones of triumph, of Horatio Alger status climbing or Joseph Campbell heroic feat.

So it was a bit strange when the first major MGS4 trailer premiered a few years ago and culminated with Old Snake finding a quiet spot of the battlefield away from the gunfire an placing the barrel of a pistol in his mouth. That's what feels so unusual about MGS4 even compared to the other MGS games. This is a sad story, one that feels destined to end in defeat. Snake is aging and dying. He's literally become toxic to the people around him. And his back hurts. (Which you'll see him clutch in pain if you let him crouch too long). MGS4 is the rare effort of video game blues and tragedy. Gamers are used to being asked to save the day and be the hero. Metal Gear Solid 4 is so unusual in that it's the rare game that asks them to be interested in something else: a march toward defeat, an interactive tragedy. That's what feels novel. And, like I said, it's still a challenge to parse the value of novelty from any sense of how the work will hold up in the long term.

Hope that helps!

-Stephen

Well, now The Wiicast has gotten on the phone with Adam Spencer of Nibris partner Fog Studios to mess with our heads some more, saying that things are still underway:

Obviously there’s only so much I can say. I can tell you for sure that the project is real, they’re actively developing it. There’s no publisher for the game yet and as such it’s impossible for us to say when the game is going to be released. Basically, that’s the official statement.

Spencer says he's even seen the game in action, but they haven't found a "fit" yet in a publisher.

Breaking News! Sadness is Real! [The Wiicast]

Unfortunately I'm lying.

No, the manager at the Blockbuster Video...someone I had known for years...wouldn't let me return the game. All I could do was trade-in the game for store credit - $35 - which I then put towards the Xbox 360 version of Iron Man. All in all, I wound up spending about $90 for a copy of Sega's Iron Man, but with the game I received a bit of knowledge that I will carry with me from here on out. Don't buy games from Blockbuster.

I understand that it isn't their fault my PS3 decided to crap out on me, and I understand they have store policies to adhere to, but unfortunately for many Blockbuster employees that is the limit of their understanding. Without a basic knowledge of how the game systems work, they simply don't understand this sort of situation. Hell, when I first brought the game back the elderly day shift manager looked absolutely terrified, running to the back room to get the store manager to handle the return.

I know for certain that had I done this at my local GameStop store, the employees there would have swapped out the version without blinking an eye, especially considering I was back within the hour. Of course I have built a rapport with them over the years, but as I said, I have known the Blockbuster Manager for years (she knows my mother) and she still couldn't do anything to help.

Incidentally, Iron Man? Not worth $90.

"Without a doubt, Gamebryo is the most powerful engine available for the Wii. After getting familiar with the engine several months ago we made the decision to choose Gamebryo. Since then, our team has been working on Sadness and we are quite impressed," said Tomasz Wisniowski, Project Manager of Nibris. "We will have quite a few graphical effects in our game, which some believe are impossible to attain on the Wii. Gamebryo helped make it possible. We are firmly convinced we made the right choice."

Gamebryo Breathes Life Into Wii's First Black-And-White Horror Title

Highly-Anticipated Wii Game, Sadness, Chooses Emergent's Gamebryo

CALABASAS, Calif. (April XX, 2008) -Emergent Game Technologies announced today that the highly-anticipated psychological thriller Sadness for Wii™ is being built on the Gamebryo game development platform. The first Wii title to be presented entirely in black-and-white is in development by Poland-based game studio Nibris. Taking place prior to World War I, Sadness is a crime noir thriller with richly detailed characters and an engaging storyline.

"Without a doubt, Gamebryo is the most powerful engine available for the Wii. After getting familiar with the engine several months ago we made the decision to choose Gamebryo. Since then, our team has been working on Sadness and we are quite impressed," said Tomasz Wisniowski, Project Manager of Nibris. "We will have quite a few graphical effects in our game, which some believe are impossible to attain on the Wii. Gamebryo helped make it possible. We are firmly convinced we made the right choice."

"From the early stages of pre-production with Sadness, Nibris realized that they would need development technology that allowed for an extreme amount of flexibility in the creative process, which is a cornerstone of the Gamebryo framework," said Geoffrey Selzer, CEO of Emergent. "Sadness is designed to push the bounds of Wii technically and creatively. We are thrilled to be a part of Nibris' ground-breaking product. We're really looking forward to playing Sadness on Wii."

Gamebryo gives Nibris' developers a considerable head start by implementing numerous Wii development features that do not typically come with standard SDKs. Loaded with rendering and animation tools, a Wii-specific viewer, extensive libraries and APIs to simplify pipeline integration, Gamebryo provides Wii teams everything they need to optimize and deliver visually stunning games on time and on budget.

Sadness is a horror adventure game aimed at adults with strong nerves. Players will need to confront their greatest fears and protect themselves in hopes of not getting trapped inside the main character's nightmare. The game has eight different extreme endings each with their own premise, which are assigned to a player based on specific factors during the game. To compliment the intense gameplay, the Wii-mote and Wii Nunchuk control the main character's hands so players feel as though they are in the psychological thriller.

When we first entered into the development and agreement of the development of 'Marvel Universe Online,' we thought we would create another subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there's basically one that's successful and everything else wouldn't meet our level or definition of commercial success.

Microsoft's Shane Kim On 'Fable 2,' Why Marvel MMO Was Canceled And More [MTV Multiplayer]

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player price drop (now US $129.99) [Xbox Live's Major Nelson - Thanks Scott!]

We will then have some bad news to follow (unless a miracle occurs), but there will be a very positive end to the week.

"We're very happy being a platform agnostic company and have moved up the ranks the past three years from #11, to #9, and now stand at #6 in terms of our market share by units among third-party publishers. We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth."

SSBB won't be out in Europe till after June 2008 [Videogamer.com]