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Defense Grid Powers Up On Xbox Live Arcade
I loved Plants vs Zombies, but it’s not my favourite tower defence game. Nope. That honour goes to Defense Grid, which I’m happy to hear will soon be making an appearance on Xbox Live Arcade. It’s due on September 2, and will be sold for the entirely reasonable price of 800 MSP ($10), especially when…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Ad: “Japanese Women Are Frightening”
Developer Tecmo has tongue planted firmly in cheek for this Ninja Gaiden Σ 2 spot that is a send off of a Japanese shampoo ad. Tecmo uses the tag line "The women of Japan are frightening" (日本の女性は、恐ろしい。) as it shows the lovely ladies of Σ: 2 slicing up bad dudes. The phrasing is a parody…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Inside Dubai’s Sega Fun Park
Sega’s massive new Middle Eastern fun park opened its doors earlier this month, and already, die-hard Sega fans have popped in, cameras in hand, to see what it’s like. And it’s…well, it’s less of a fun park, more an over-sized arcade, as aside from a few large rides the focus appears to be squarely on…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Square Enix Doesn’t See PS3 Price Cut Impact This Year
……but the company sees a big impact next year. When does Final Fantasy XIII come out again? Oh right, this winter. According to Square Enix honcho Yoichi Wada, the cheaper US$299 PS3 will spur game sales, but not enough for the company to revise this year’s financial forecast. “In terms of the impact (the PS3…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Stream Hulu, Netflix To Your Wii
MediaMall’s PlayOn service (already on 360 & PS3) is about to enter “open” beta for the Wii, which is good news for owners looking to expand their machine’s usefulness. Why? Because it streams both Netflix and Hulu, that’s why. It does this by acting as a bridge-building web interface, so you’re basically just using both…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Is Capcom Working On A New Okami?
In 2006, former Capcom subsidiary Clover Studios released the critically acclaimed PS2 title Okami, or 大神 in Japanese. The game’s title, Okami, is a Japanese pun: Written as 大神 in Japanese kanji, okami means “god”, but “okami” written as 狼 means “wolf”. The main character of the game is a manifestation of the god Amaterasu…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Square Enix Answer Final Fantasy VII Remake Question
Square Enix has remade numerous games in its back catalogue. One title that it hasn’t remade just yet is Final Fantasy VII. At the Gamescom convention in Germany, website VG247 asked Square Enix producers Yoshi Kitase and Motomu Toriyama about the possibility of a FFVII remake. The translator replied: There’s not official project that’s up…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 Bar Hostess Voting Has Ended
One more audition to go! SEGA has been running an online poll for upcoming PS3 exclusive Ryu Ga Gotoku 4, allowing folks to vote for their favorite candidate. There have been over 30,000 votes cast. The front runner has been adult video actress Rio. The 22 year-old thespian is known for her work in blue…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
EGM Might Be Back By December
It’s been a rollercoaster few months for readers of former flagship gaming mag EGM. First it died, then we heard it’d be coming back…differently, and now owner Steve Harris has announced a tentative return date. “Plans put in motion today for EGM to return on December 1…”, he posted on his Twitter account earlier today.…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Japanese Store No Longer Buying Old Xbox 360 Consoles
This sign was spotted in front of a Japanese game shop and states that the store will no longer be buying back used Xbox 360s that went on sale before August 2007. The poster tells customers how they can check the serial number on their machine’s date. The store will buy Xbox 360s will the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Gears Of War 2: Game Of The Year Edition
GameStop have announced today that, starting next month, you’ll be able to buy a “bundled” version of Gears of War 2, called the “Game of the Year” edition. It includes the main game along with all post-release DLC, which comes to 19 maps and the bonus singleplayer level Road to Ruin. Well…”include” is such a…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
BlazBlue, iDOLM@STER Voice Actress Moonlights As Pin-Up Model
In Japan, voice actresses aren’t just voice actresses. They’re voice actress idols. Take Chiaki Takahashi — she’s in a candy-coated pop band and poses for pin-up pics. For many Japanese fans, it is important that voice actresses are as cute as the characters they portray. Takahashi has done loads of anime voice work as well…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Venezuelan Politicians Trying To Ban Violent Video Games
There’s a bill currently snaking its way through Venezuela’s parliament that, if passed into law, will result in a total ban in the sale of violent video games in the country. The Bill for the Prohibition of Video Games and Toy Weapons was presented to the National Assembly yesterday, and was swiftly approved after its…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Bungie Won’t Say If Halo: Reach Is The Studio’s Last Halo
Last month, Bungie senior designer Lars Bakken said that Halo: Reach would be the studio’s last Halo title. “In terms of Bungie-produced Halo games,” the designer stated, “ODST and then Reach is probably all you’re going to get.” Microsoft subsidiary 343 Industries is poised to take over the series after the release of first-person-shooter Halo:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
PC Sales Charts: Apologies Are In Order
Aion: I’m sorry. I’ve been ignoring you just like I ignore practically every MMO, but despite your silly name and bland art you are proving surprisingly popular. So, from here on in, I’ll try and ignore you…less. That little spiel was prompted by Aion’s continuing strong performance near the top of both PC digital charts,…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Did Final Fantasy Artist Draw 2ch Bear Character?
There were four 2ch Japanese-style ASCII art characters that folks voted on. The most popular selection was drawn by Final Fantasy and Vampire Hunter D artist Yoshitaka Amano. The winning character? ASCII art character Yaruo. Below is Amano’s take on Yaruo. An exhibition of Amano’s art is being held in Tokyo’s Omotesando Hills until August…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Evony Devs Sound A Bit Iffy
Evony needs little introduction. If you’re on the internet, at all, you’ve seen its intrusive banner ads pretty much everywhere. But just who are the people behind this “game”? Well, surprisingly, it turns out they’re incredibly shady. Bruce Everiss, who works in video game marketing, has written up an excellent piece on the shady side…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
This Is What A Gundam Wedding Looks Like
Heres comes the bride. And the giant mecha. Earlier this week, Japanese wedding planner T&G planned wedding ceremony for one lucky couple, selected from 548 entries last month. The two were married previously and stated that the Gundam series had been a tremendous influence in their lives. They even named they’re new baby girl after…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Mass Effect Dress-Ups For Your 360 Avatar
I’m so torn on these premium avatar clothes! Part of me loves the idea of dressing the little guys up in official, in-game gear. A much bigger part of me abhors the fact Microsoft charge you for it. Charging money to make your avatar a walking advertisement? Sigh. Anyway, just in case that doesn’t bother…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Comparing Gran Turismo 5 Locations With Real Locations
Realism is a keystone of the Gran Turismo franchise. Those in-game cars are so close to the actual machines that GT is more driving simulator, less driving game. But how do the real life locations stack up? The lighting and perspective don’t always stack up in the comparison screens, but the in-game shoots look accurate.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 25, 2009