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GDC Panel: Fulfilling the Massively-Single Player Promise – How’d We Do?
Forget Metacritic scores – the real test of Spore’s popularity is how many people show up to their talk when Suda 51 is on a panel across the hall at the same time. Doesn’t help that he has a new game coming out, while Spore launched last year. Still, the online community for the game…
By AJ Glasser Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Plans “Nintendo DSi Enhanced” Game Cards With DSi-Only Features, DSi-Only Games
Masato Kuwahara, project leader of the Nintendo DSi Hardware group, responsible for the development of the new Nintendo handheld, says that the company is planning “Nintendo DSi enhanced game cards,” offering DSi hardware-specific game features. That means games that play on both the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DSi, but have features that can’t be…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
All Aboard The Zelda: Spirit Tracks Trailer Train
Listen to the crowd roar as The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is revealed in trailer form at the 2009 Game Developers Conference Nintendo keynote. Fan reaction to the announcement might be a bit mixed, but industry professionals and the gaming press really seemed to get a kick out of this new entry in th…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Lunch With Luminaries: Wright, Perry, Fargo,Young and Spector Chat
A small group of journalists and developers were invited to sit in an informal lunch discussion with some of the biggest names in the gaming industry today. The luminaries this year are Will Wright, Brian Fargo, David Perry, Neil Young, Rob Pardo and Warren Spector. The talk will be chaired by Gary White. Follow along…
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Pitt Is Back In Business
After corrupted files ruined yesterday’s launch of Fallout 3‘s The Pitt DLC for Xbox 360 players, Bethesda saves face by quickly getting a non-broken version of the update uploaded to Xbox Live. The solution to the missing textures, incomplete geography, and freezing issues that plagued yesterday’s launch to The Pitt for the Xbox 360 is…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Team ICO’s Fumito Ueda Tries To Describe His New Game
At today’s Evolving Game Design panel, featuring Emil Pagliarulo of Bethesda Softworks, Goichi Suda of Grasshopper Manufacture and Fumito Ueda of Sony, the creative lead of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus discussed his future. It was actually Suda who asked the question on everybody’s mind “Can you tell us about the new games you’re…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Indie Game Fest Winners Get Special iPhone Treatment
The iPhone game winners and finalists for the 2009 Independent Games Festival recently popped up in Apple’s App Store in their own section. The IGF Room shows up in the App Store’s Featured section. A large box on the top of the New section sends iPhone owners directly to the room where they can purchase…
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Scenes From Nintendo’s 2009 GDC Keynote
You’ve read the liveblog, now peruse images from Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s mostly exciting keynote speech, direct from the 2009 Game Developers Conference. Witness people standing on a stage as slides go by! Feel the excitement of seeing the logo for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks! It’s almost as good as being there yourself.
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Downloadable Final Fantasy Abounds On The Wii
Final Fantasy fans will have plenty to download on their Nintendo Wii consoles this year, with two WiiWare titles and the appearance of the original games on the Virtual Console. Formally announced at Nintendo’s keynote at the 2009 Game Developers Conference, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord is the follow up…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
See Nintendo Demonstrate Rock N’ Roll Climber
Nintendo has officially announced Rock N’ Roll Climber, which uses the Wii Balance Board in conjunction with the Wii remote and nunchuck to simulate rock climbing and rocking out. Rock N’ Roll Climber is just what it sounds like: a rock climbing game with a heavy metal heart. Players use the Wii Balance board to…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Wii Virtual Console Goes To The Arcade
Having run out of game consoles, Nintendo today launched Virtual Console Arcade, with a variety of classic arcade titles already available for purchase from the Wii Shop Channel. As we speak, Gaplus, Star Force, The Tower of Druaga, Mappy and more with Space Harrier are all available to download and play on your Wii, priced…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Coming To The DS
Today’s Nintendo keynote at the Game Developers Conference ended up bearing Zelda fruit after all, with the announcement of the tentatively titled The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the Nintendo DS. The new game, which looks to play a bit like The Phantom Hourglass, features dungeon maps on the top screen, gameplay on the…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Hands On With Nintendo DSiWare
The American launch of the Nintendo DSi brings with it the introduction of the downloadable DSiWare service, Nintendo’s handheld foray into digital distribution for games and applications. We previewed four of the initial U.S.-bound offerings. The Japanese DSiWare service is already going strong in Japan, with a few dozen games and a handful of non-games…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Wii System Update Adds Play From SD Card Support
Hitting at the same time as Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s keynote speech at GDC, a new system update is available for the Nintendo Wi that adds an SD card menu option to the Wii menu. Clicking on the SD card icon brings up a message telling users that they can launch channels from an SD…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Wii Storage Solution, New Balance Board Game Revealed At GDC
Kotaku has confirmed that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata will announce the long-requested storage solution for the Wii during his keynote speech at the 2009 Game Developers Conference this morning. Along with the official announcement of Rock N’ Roll Climber, a rock climbing game that uses the Wii Balance Board previously leaked by the ESRB ratings…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata GDC Keynote Liveblog Party
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will get his keynote on at the 2009 Game Developers Conference today, waxing behind his LCD screen lectern about “Discovering New Development Opportunities.” Oh, yes, we’re excited too. According to the official description of the talk, Iwata will focus on Wii and Nintendo DS development, as well as “Nintendo’s role in…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Aeria Brings Hello Kitty Online To North America
In the most exciting news out of the Game Developers Conference so far this morning, Sanrio Digital and Aeria Games are partnering to officially bring Hello Kitty Online to North America. Aeria Games will manage the online publishing and day-to-day operation of Sanrio Digital’s Hello Kitty Online, a massively multiplayer online game with a built-in…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
505 Games Joins The ESA
Another small triumph for the Entertainment Software Association today, as the North American branch of 505 Games joins the game industry trade organization. 505 Games is the third new member of the ESA to join this year, together with Natsume and Southpeak bringing the organization’s roster up to 23 companies. The smaller North American offshoot…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Brutal Art of Brutal Legend
I can’t yet write about what we were shown at Double Fine’s San Francisco studio earlier this week, but I did get permission to post some of the pictures from our wait. What’ this, a wall full of Brutal Legend concept art? Don’t mind if I do!
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
id Considering Enemy Territory For Quake Live Treatment
Quake Live‘s open beta is blowing away id Software‘s expectations, so much so the developer is considering working on a free, web browser version of Quake Enemy Territories, said id’s Todd Hollenshead. “The participation in the open beta is 50 percent higher than what we expected,” Hollenshead said. The beta was perhaps too successful, at…
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2009