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  Factor 5 Officially Shuttered

  There were layoffs and rumors of studio closings, but now it’s finally confirmed. According to the company website, the San Rafael-based Factor 5 studio has officially closed its doors. Rumors of the Lair developers closure surfaced in December of last year, following rumors that half of the staff had been let go. The rumors pointed…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 14, 2009
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  NCsoft Shifts NC West Leadership to Korea

  Korea-based MMO developer NCsoft has appointed their chief financial officer, Jaeho Lee, as the new CEO of NCsoft West, the company’s recently formed European and North American subsidiary. NCsoft West was formed last September, unifying NC Interactive, NC Europe, NC Austin and ArenaNet under one group based in Seattle. Lee is replacing Chris Chung, who…

  By Brian Crecente Published May 14, 2009
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  Another day, another TAY, as they said in ancient times. It may be NPD day, but feel free to use words as well as numbers to express any gaming thoughts you have, in comments below. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.

  By Stephen Totilo Published May 14, 2009
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  How Much Do Your Surroundings Matter?

  To: Crecente From: Ashcraft RE: Carpet Versus Dogs: FIGHT! It’s been a few weeks that we’ve been out of the city, and I can already notice some changes. For example, when we lived in the city, Mini-Bash did not like bugs. He said he liked them, but usually would run away when he saw them.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Street Fighter IV Gashapons Totally Nail Chun Li’s Vitals

  These Street Fighter gashapon figures (small, collectible figures) will be out in Japan next month. Chun Li fans may want to look into purchasing some. Why? Look at those thighs! Perfect. Bravo, figure makers. Bravo. The rest of the figures are pretty good as well, especially the Ryu one, which gets his dramatic, pouty Street…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  Sony Europe Studio Boss Takes His Final Bow

  Jamie MacDonald may not be a household name, but as boss of Sony’s London Studio for eight years, he’s overseen some of the most successful game series of all time. But no more. MacDonald has announced his departure from the company, and his last day will be May 29. Over those eight years, London Studio…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  Devil Kings… The Rice

  Sengoku Basara, known as Devil Kings in the West, has already been made into a stage play and canned beverages. What’s next? Bags of rice, apparently! The Sengoku Basara rice is grain from Miyagi Prefecture, best known in Japan for its agriculture and scenic views. Going on sale May 22, the Devil Kings rice is…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Nine Minutes Of BioShock 2 Gameplay

  While BioShock 2 is being worked on by a different studio, that doesn’t mean it’s being worked on by different people. Here, a BioShock 1 veteran takes us through nine minutes of BioShock 2. Now, if you’re precious about this kind of thing, there might be spoilers within. Might. We don’t know! If we don’t…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  DIY Patapon Cosplay

  Unless you find their particular brand of chirpy percussion grating, the Patapon are a lovable bunch. Lovable enough to dress up as, perhaps? Sure, why not. The PlayStation.Blog team have, as part of a contest they’re running, posted five charming little Patapon masks for you to print out, cut out and use to play with…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  Atari Brand Leaving Continental Europe

  Atari is drastically decreasing its visibility in Europe. The company’s sales and marketing staff will be transferred to the newly-formed business Distribution Partners, reports industry site MCV. Hoping to beefed up its business resume, Distribution Partners is handling all Namco Bandai releases in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Last March, Namco Bandai picked up…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Your Last Hope For Star Ocean 4 Toys

  This month, Square Enix is releasing a pair of Star Ocean 4 posable toys from famed figure maker Kotobukiya. Check out hero Edge Maverick and heroine Reimi Saionji. The childhood friends are both around 8 inches tall and come in window box — each with their own weapons*. Those interested in picking them up can…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Tony Hawk iPhone Is (Sort Of) Real

  That suspicious-looking video of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 on iPhone from the other day has been confirmed as being real. Sort of. In a roundabout way. Let me explain. The game is running on an iPhone. The developers, LTI Gray Matter, have confirmed this. And they should know, they made the thing. But the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  There Is A New Monster Hunter 3/Tri Clip to Watch

  With Monster Hunter 3 (-tri) coming out this August, Capcom has released a new trailer for the game to get folks excited about hacking and slashing with their Wii Remote. Monster Hunter crazy Japan is also getting a Limited Edition bundle for the game.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Lord Of The Rings Online On 360? Maybe

  Talk of Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online making the jump from PC to console has been swirling for a while now, but the buzz has picked up considerably following a recent marketing survey. The survey, centring around a 360 version of the game, seems to take the tone that the game’s already been announced,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  Are These The First Pics Of The PS3 Slim?

  While rumors have been swirling that Sony will be announcing a PS3 Slim, the company has stated earlier that it “currently has no plans” for a redesign. That was then, this is now. Today, pictures of what appears to be a redesigned PS3 have appeared on Chinese message boards. The picture seem to come from…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  PS3 Software Sales Spiked Almost 80 Percent

  Sony’s PS3 hardware sales experienced a bump during the 2008 financial year. How about game sales? Last year wasn’t a pretty good year for PS3 game sales worldwide. It was a damn good year. The company released its 2008 financial report with software sales data for all three of its gaming platforms: PS2, PSP and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  In 2008, Sony’s Total Hardware Sales Were Down

  Sony have just released their 2008 end of fiscal year report. Within, information on things like money intake, operating incomes, blah blah…oh, and some promising PlayStation division hardware sales for the past 12 months. So how’d the company do? For the 12 months until March 31, 2009, Sony’s games group reported an overall decline in…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  Which Red Is The Best Red? Your Vote Matters

  Our Red Faction red contest has drawn to a close. We’ve selected the best of the best of the best — the finalists. Let’s pick ourselves a winner. No, let’s have you pick a winner. Here’s how it works: In the comments section below, write the name of the image you are voting for (the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009
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  Japan Will Surely Enjoy This Limited Edition Monster Hunter Bundle

  Monster Hunter 3/Tri will be out soon in Japan. It’ll come in both standard and limited edition flavours. The standard edition, it’ll have the game and a manual, but the limited edition has more. Available only from Capcom’s Japanese online store, it’ll come with a DVD, that includes both a live orchestral performance of Monster…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2009
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  EA: Making Successful Wii Games Is Not Rocket Science

  Nintendo games do well on Nintendo platforms. Third party developers who don’t release games with Mario (see SEGA’s Sonic and Mario) have a harder time. No complaining though! EA Sports president Peter Moore says its up to the developers to figure out how to make titles that do well on the Wii. “I think the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2009