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  Rare “Restructuring”, Job Losses A Possibility

  In January, Microsoft started “reviewing” a few things. Cut some jobs, that sort of stuff. That “review” now shines its light on Rare, where belts are to be tightened, and jobs might be lost. In comments released to the British press today, the company stated a number of aims going forward that seemed a tad…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  Check Out More Valkyria Chronicles Anime Parts

  In April, a Valkyria Chronicles anime is hitting Japanese television. We’ve previously taken a look at the character art. It was so good, let’s take another. That’s superhuman Selvaria Bles in anime form above. She’s a loyal servant of prince Maximilian (below). Last, but not least, Isara Gunther — little sister of the game’s hero,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  Hooray For SEGA Bobsledding

  Four words: High. Speed. Bobsled. Racing. This March, SEGA’s Joypolis amusement theme park are getting just that. Dubbed Storm-G, this super deluxe cabinet set-up hurls riders at speeds reaching 300km/hr (185mph). Each sled is two-per-person and outfitted with twin joysticks. Pressing the buttons on the sticks causes the sled to rotate 360 degrees and increase…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  This Might Be Why We Don’t We Have EarthBound On Virtual Console Yet

  A rumour popped up today on Starmen.net claiming that Earthbound would never, ever be released on Nintendo’s Virtual Console. Made vague mention of potential lawsuits. But lawsuits from whom? Let’s take a look. Earthbound Central last week threw up a post outlining how many of the game’s tunes are catchy little homages to actual, real-world…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  Dragon Quest IX Delay Impacts Japanese Game Publishing

  It wasn’t only Square Enix‘s stock prices that took a hit when Dragon Quest IX was delayed from March 28 to July 11. Game magazine Famitsu also took a hit. The day following the announcement, Famitsu released an emergency discount promotion for advertising in their magazines. Most likely, Square Enix was planning a slew of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  Let’s All Look At BioShock Running On A Mobile Phone

  Been almost a year to the day since we first heard BioShock was making the jump to mobile phones. And we haven’t heard squat from it since. So let’s catch up with some footage. This was taken from the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, and shows what the 3D version of the game will…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  GTAIV: The Lost And The Damned Is Out

  Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And The Damned is up, ready for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. And it’s brought a flaccid penis with it. The 1.78GB download is available via “Featured Downloads”, “All Downloads” and then “Title.” It doesn’t seem to be available in all regions just yet — so sit tight. Thanks…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  Mario: The Board Game

  Ever wondered what Mario would have looked like had Nintendo stuck to their background in making games out of paper and cardboard instead of going all electronic? Wonder. No. More. This is “Mushroom Kingdom”, by Ashley Buerkett. And no, it’s not really a game. It’s just an incredibly delicate, wonderful piece of papercraft. So you…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  These Guys Have Sold Two Million Atari Cartridges From A Cave

  In 1990, Atari (the original Atari) were in bad shape. So they sold off their inventory of old cartridges. O’Shea Ltd bought them. All 3 million of them. They bought them so they could sell them on to you, the public. And where do they keep these millions of Atari cartridges? Why, in a 20,000-square…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  The 100 Best Selling Games In Japan Last Year

  Enterbrain, publisher of game mag Famitsu, has complied its game software sales data for last year in Japan. Which game was the biggest seller? Which games bombed? All that, and more. (By “more,” we mean those in-between games that did okay. Hooray for them!) Here’s the crunched numbers: 1. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G Sales:…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  F.E.A.R. 2 Contest Gets Sweeter

  We’re giving away a copy of multi-plat horror shooter FEAR 2: Project Origin. Here’s the contest: Masks are scary, so make a mask. You can make it out mask out of anything – but the key is that you must make it and not buy it. Take a picture of yourself and send it to…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete Getting English Version

  An English language trailer of upcoming Blu-ray movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete has popped up online. The English language version of FFVIIACC is dated for an April 16 “Limited Worldwide” release. The English version features a new theme song: a reworking of techno tune “Leave” by German artist Fruehbel. Watch the trailer in…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  What’s The Difference Between Kristin Kreuk & Chun-Li?

  Kristin Kreuk is playing Chun-Li in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. With the movie nearing release, she’s stuck on promotional press junkets. Today, she speaks with Famitsu about the difference between her and Chun-Li. “I think the most obvious differences lie in the physical appearance of the character”, she says in a video interview (link…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2009
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  Ridiculously Tanned Game Designer On… Tanning

  GAH! That’s Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of upcoming PS3 exclusive Ryu Ga Gotoku 3, explaining why he enjoys toasting his leathery tanned skin. That’s Nagoshi sitting in a tanning bed in Japan’s Tanning Studio SOLE — which appears in-game. He’s not only promoting his game, but tanning and promoting. The brown game designer was introduced to…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 17, 2009
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  Stupid PR Stunt Wants You To Name Real Kids After Rubbish Game

  Stupid PR stunts are nothing new to this industry. We’ve had goats blood, we’ve had free, but troublesome gas. And now, we have a misguided attempt to have people name kids after a “game” character. Codemasters, under the impression that “Jason” is the name of a video game character and not, you know, the name…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2009
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  Watch The All-Female Phoenix Wright Musical

  This month, all-female-musical troupe Takarazuka Revue will debut its stage version of Phoenix Wright. Here’s a sneak peak. Takarazuka has decided to go with the game’s English language character name, Phoenix Wright, instead of the character’s original Japanese name, Ryuichi Naruhodo. The ace attorney is being played by actress Ranju Tomu. The Revue’s musicals range…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 16, 2009
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  Toy Fair 2009: Sgt. Johnson, WoW & LittleBigPlanet

  Open up! Time for more game-related goodies from the showroom floor of the US Toy Fair. We’ve already seen a bunch of stuff, but tonight, we’re going to see a bunch more. HALO – We’re up to series six of McFarlane’s Halo figure range, and for series six, we get a number of new figures.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 16, 2009
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  Bid For Michael Jackson’s Arcade Games [Update]

  Back before Michael Jackson was accused of molesting children, before he started losing money and before his face started melting off, the King of Pop enjoyed the simpler things in life. Things like owning a SEGA R360 arcade cabinet. The R360 is an early 1990s air combat sim that rotates 360 degrees. The deluxe cabinet…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 16, 2009
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  Sega’s Biggest Arcade Games Get The Tiniest Treatment

  Japan’s toy manufacturers are on a mission: take every real world object, recreate it in plastic, but smaller, then sell it to Japanese consumers. Next to be plasticized and shrunk: deluxe Sega arcade cabinets. Classic, deluxe Sega arcade cabinets, that is; the kind one blew extra quarters on for that realistic, sit-down experience. Toy maker…

  By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2009
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  Mass Effect 2 Carries Over Your Original Mass Effect Character?

  Mass Effect’s two-disc Platinum Hits edition includes a nifty video documentary called “The Future of Mass Effect,” which talks about downloadable content and what we can expect from the sequel. The new DLC pack in development will add combat-oriented areas that the devs are comparing to “Fight Club” and Arena. More interestingly, though, the documentary…

  By AJ Glasser Published February 16, 2009