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  “Final Fantasy XIII Development Going Favorably For 2009 Launch”

  The Japanese version of upcoming Blu-ray movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete is bundled with a demo for Final Fantasy XIII. Those wondering about the demo’s length and the game’s release, read on. The latest issue of Famitsu reveals more information about the demo. According to an interview with FFXIII director and writer Motomu…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  What If Game Characters Were More “Real”?

  Game characters are, by their very nature, unrealistic. But what if they were more real? Like, if Lara Croft was less athletic vixen, more, well, archaeologist? Let’s find out. Artist Tom Rhodes has come up with a series of paintings showing his own, personal take on many of the bigger names in gaming. We’ve got…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 25, 2009
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  Xbox Game Promoted With Colorful Fizzy Soda

  This month visual novel Chaos;Head is getting an Xbox 360 port caled Chaos;Head Noah. Slated for a February 26 release, the sci-fi thriller is getting a special Akibahara promotion, complete with soda pop. Maid cafe Curemaid Cafe is offering Chaos;Head themed drinks and food. Above are two drinks named after the game’s characters. Left is…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  Capcom Want People Outside Japan To Love Monster Hunter, Too

  You may know/love Capcom for Street Fighter & Resident Evil, but in Japan, their #1 source of income is Monster Hunter. Being big in Japan, then, Capcom would like to see it big elsewhere. Addressing questions from analysts following their most recent financial earnings report, a company spokesperson said of the game: …we plan to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 25, 2009
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  Japan Is Getting Three New DSi Colors

  Nintendo has just announced three new colors for its new Nintendo DSi handheld: Pink, Lime Green and Metallic Blue. All three colors will go on sale in Japan on March 20. They are each priced at ¥18,900 (US$195). The Nintendo DSi originally went on sale in Japan on November 1, 2008 and was available in…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  PSN Accounts Exceed 20 Million Worldwide

  There are two million PSN accounts in Japan, and there are over 20 million PSN accounts worldwide. Today, Sony announced this milestone, which comes 2 years and 3 years since the free-to-access PlayStation Network was first launched on November 11, 2006. PSN offers online features such as its Home service, which launched in December 2008…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  Dante’s Inferno Screenshots, Artwork

  We dove head-first into Hell with EA yesterday with that Dante’s Inferno trailer, so today, we’ll restrict ourselves to a quick visit, as we check out some accompanying screenshots and bits of concept art. Sure, the screens look rough – very rough – but we appreciate that. Game’s got a whiles to go, and we’d…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 25, 2009
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  Last Year, World Of Warcraft Guild Leader Also Won Oscar

  This year a World of Warcraft guild leader won an Oscar. Last year? Ditto. Last year, Bill Westenhofer (pictured), visual special effects supervisor at effects house Rhythm & Hues, won an Academy Award for The Golden Compass in 2008. “I have an 80 mage on Kil’Jadeen,” Westenhofer told Kotaku. “Been playing since the original alpha…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  Lord Of The Rings: Conquest Gets New DLC, But Is It Too Late?

  Lord of the Rings: Conquest should have been a hit. It’s an official LotR product, it’s easy to play, it’s modelled after the hugely-successful Battlefront series…but in the end, it all just kinda…fell apart. So upon seeing the rather substantial downloadable content pack announced today – which adds a number of the biggest/baddest heroes and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 25, 2009
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  Rose McGowan Joins Terminator Salvation Game

  Just because Actress Rose McGowan (Planet Terror) is not in the Terminator Salvation movie, that doesn’t mean she can’t be in the Terminator Salvation game. Playing a character exclusive to the game, McGowan is former elementary school teacher Angie Salter who must adjust to the horrors of the war against fictional computer system Skynet. The…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 25, 2009
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  Ah, So This Is (Probably) Why So Many Companies Left The ESA

  Last year, you couldn’t switch on a computer without hearing about some publisher or another leaving the Entertainment Software Association, organisers of the industry’s biggest expo, E3. Turns out they had a good reason. A few weeks ago, the ESA submitted its annual accounts to the IRS. And buried within those reports is some interesting…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 24, 2009
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  Is Lost Planet 2 Only On Xbox 360?

  Earlier this week, Lost Planet 2 was announced on Xbox LIVE. The upcoming issue of Japanese game magazine lists the game as only “Xbox 360.” Guess that means it’s on the Xbox 360. But how does that fit into Capcom’s multi-platform strategy? Famitsu reports that the game’s development is 40 percent done, has online player…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2009
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  Resident Evil 5 Creator Discusses The Complexities Of Designing A Hot Sidekick

  The protagonists of Resident Evil 5 are fairly easy on the eye. For the ladies, Chris Redfield has been hitting the weights, while for the fellas, Sheva Alomar is, well, beautiful. But getting her to that stage wasn’t easy. Indeed, it sounds like it was a torturous affair, with Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 24, 2009
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  Get Blue Dragon Anime Episode For Free

  The first episode of the Blue Dragon anime can be yours for nothing. It’s available on Apple’s iTunes Store until March 10 free of charge. The show’s first 13 episodes are also up on iTunes for sale. The Blue Dragon anime is based on the Xbox 360 game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2009
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  Virtual On For Xbox 360? It’s On!

  It’s true. Sega is bringing Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, its hardcore arcade mech fighting game, to Xbox Live Arcade. The re-release has been officially announced in the latest issue of Japan’s Famitsu Weekly. The Xbox 360 release will be Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram version 5.66, the final release for Sega’s NAOMI arcade platform,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published February 24, 2009
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  Jack Thompson Still Has A Career (Apparently)

  The Business and Labor Committee of the Utah House of Representatives passed a law authored by ex-Miami-attorney, Jack Thompson. I guess you can still have a career after being disbarred. The bill, H.B. 353, changes Utah’s existing Truth in Advertising law to impose fines of up to $2,000 on retailers and movie theaters that violate…

  By AJ Glasser Published February 24, 2009
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  Square Enix Settles Lawsuit With Sword Pirates

  Cast your minds back to early 2008, and you’ll remember Square Enix taking a few manufacturers of replica swords to court. Those entrepreneurial blacksmiths were, you see, unlawfully ripping off Square Enix’s designs. Which made Square Enix, not exactly renowned for their sense of good humour about such things, mad. At the time, Square’s general…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 24, 2009
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  How Live Is Quake Live? So, So Live

  Chomping at the bit to play the Quake Live beta? Well, chomp no more, as “the most exciting and energetic multiplayer game on the internet” has gone public, giving Quake aficionados free beta access. The browser-based Quake Live is now accepting fans of fragging delighted at the sight of free gibs, just as id Software…

  By Michael McWhertor Published February 24, 2009
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  How To Unlock Akuma And Gouken

  Who needs GameFAQs when Capcom is kind enough to blog exactly how to unlock the toughest characters in Street Fighter IV? Akuma sounds easy enough — you just have to be “perfect” — but Gouken is anything but straightforward. First you have to unlock him, which requires two lengthy steps; then you actually have to…

  By AJ Glasser Published February 24, 2009
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  id May Be Developing For The Wii After All

  Cell phone, Wii and iPhone development aren’t normally the sorts of things that gamers associate with id Software, but the company has a history of creating outside the scope of top-tier PC gaming. That’s why it’s not too surprising to read that John Carmack, id co-founder, says the company is looking at Wii development alongside…

  By Michael McWhertor Published February 24, 2009