PSN Thursday: Take Ratchet, Fat Princess, LocoRoco, Jak and Daxter for a test drive
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ 8 days ago } 
Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
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(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Spore Creature Creator builder creates iPhone game about destroying
by Randy Nelson { 8 days ago } 
Chaim Gingold spent the past few years creating ways to create things in Spore, most notably the game's Creature Creator. Now the former Maxis design lead has decided to take a different path, making an iPhone game that's all about destroying things ... as a creature. Titled Earth Dragon, Gingold's debut effort on the App Store puts players in control of a dragon with some very simple needs: Laying waste to castles and enemies, and abducting princesses. It relies on simple tilt and tap controls to fly, smash and breathe fire.
In an interview with Gamasutra, Gingold spoke of his philosophy on iPhone development, saying, "My mantra while developing Earth Dragon has been 'Make Donkey Kong, not Super Mario Bros.' Think small! If people like it, you still care, you can pile in the other million ideas you have later." As for what he'll do next, it seems that iPhone will again be his platform of choice. "I have a ton of ideas sitting in my personal prototype vault that I've never been able to figure out what to do with, but I think many of them would work nicely on the iPhone, which is exciting to me."
If you're keen on playing the game -- which, in Gingold's words, contains "the most intense level of cartoon violence Apple allows" -- hit this link to the iTunes App Store. Just want to see it in action? Check out the video after the break.
In an interview with Gamasutra, Gingold spoke of his philosophy on iPhone development, saying, "My mantra while developing Earth Dragon has been 'Make Donkey Kong, not Super Mario Bros.' Think small! If people like it, you still care, you can pile in the other million ideas you have later." As for what he'll do next, it seems that iPhone will again be his platform of choice. "I have a ton of ideas sitting in my personal prototype vault that I've never been able to figure out what to do with, but I think many of them would work nicely on the iPhone, which is exciting to me."
If you're keen on playing the game -- which, in Gingold's words, contains "the most intense level of cartoon violence Apple allows" -- hit this link to the iTunes App Store. Just want to see it in action? Check out the video after the break.
One million heroes fighting crime in Champions Online
by Griffin McElroy { 8 days ago } 
"Okay, guys, listen up. I know we were all excited about the promotion we were going to run when the one millionth hero was created within Champions Online. You know, we'd take the lucky crimefighter and base a short series of graphic novels on him or her, ultimately culminating in a three-picture deal with Paramount and keeping the hero's creator -- and as a bonus, our game -- in the pop cultural spotlight? Well, we just heard from moderators that the one millionth hero was named ... Boner Dragon."
"Boner Dragon?"
"Boner Dragon."
"I think we should just do a press release instead. A press release which deftly avoids mentioning the hero's name."
"That is an excellent idea, Jeffrey."
EA concerned by casual game price wars, but doesn't think it will undermine industry
by Alexander Sliwinski { 8 days ago }
EA Casual VP Harvey Elliott admits that the current price wars going on in the casual market is a concern, but feels that there will always be games customers will pay for more than others. CasualGaming.biz reports on Elliott's keynote at the Casual Games Forum, where the executive said he doesn't think that the gaming price wars incited by low-cost system's like Apple's App Store will go on forever.
Elliott believes there are "certain games for certain markets, and sometimes free games will feel and fit right, but the same is true for low-priced games." He thinks there will always be a place for "paid-for games of all price ranges" -- we hope that's what he thinks, because his job depends upon it.
Square Enix's expected FY09 earnings hit for $55M damage
by Randy Nelson { 8 days ago }
MISS!
Eidos Buyout attacks Square Enix!
Taito Retirement Program attacks Square Enix!
Square Enix Retirement Program attacks Square Enix!
Square Enix net earnings for April 1 through September 30, 2009 hit for ¥4.9 billion ($54 million)!
Square Enix predicts ¥15 billion ($164 million) net earnings for fiscal year 2009
MISS!
Square Enix predicts ¥10 billion ($109 million) net earnings for fiscal year 2009
SUCCESS!
Square Enix earned 100 XP!
Square Enix found the following items!
HUMBLE PIE x1
Pre-order Modern Warfare 2, trade it in by Dec. 13, get $40 from GameStop
by David Hinkle { 8 days ago } 
Considering this "deal" also applies to the Hardened edition, we have to wonder how the company will handle the included Call of Duty Classic. We've contacted GameStop for some additional info on that and will relay what we hear back.
[Thanks, Marques!]
Spector explains disparity between Disney Epic Mickey concept shots and reality
by Ben Gilbert { 8 days ago } 
He additionally teases, "Some of what you saw was beyond the line ... some of it was early design ideas that are no longer relevant ... some of it is stuff that's still in the game, and I'm not saying what." If the recent steady stream of information on Disney Epic Mickey continues, we'll likely see at least a few of those original concepts in their current form at a point in the not-too-distant future.
Gallery: Disney Epic Mickey
Gallery: Epic Mickey concept art
Video: Left 4 Dead 2's Realism Mode
by Richard Mitchell { 8 days ago }
X-Play's Abbie Heppe explains there are a few major differences. One, dead players will stay dead unless revived with a defibrillator -- keep in mind that each player can carry a defibrillator or a med kit, not both. Second, zombies must be killed with headshots, though it's hard to tell how strict this rule is in the video. Third, players have to be much closer to items in order to pick them up. Finally, there are many, many more witches. See it for yourself after the break.
[Via Evil Avatar]
Rising Star's Q1 lineup for Europe includes Fragile, Way of the Samurai 3
by JC Fletcher { 8 days ago }
Also in March, the publisher will release Rune Factory Frontier on Wii, and Avalon Code and My World My Way on DS. Before that, in February, Rising Star will release Half-Minute Hero on PSP, and, through "affiliate label" Gamebridge, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Way of the Samurai 3. We've got Rising Star's full lineup listed after the break.
DSi XL dated for Q1 2010 release, Nintendo confirms
by Griffin McElroy { 8 days ago } 
That just leaves us with one final, appropriately oversized question: How much is it going to cost? Don't get us wrong, we love the idea of buying a bigger version of a smaller version of a smaller version of an originally bulky handheld -- but based on the sheer number of titles we'll be buying in the dawn of next year, we're probably going to be kinda strapped.
Team17 details Alien Breed episodes structure
by Richard Mitchell { 8 days ago }
The first episode of Alien Breed Evoluation should release fairly soon, as it was originally slated for "around October." The XBLA version will enjoy an unknown period of exclusivity before the PSN and PC versions are released.
Report: Court backs Interplay in Fallout MMO squabble; concept art surfaces
by Randy Nelson { 8 days ago }
The twists and turns in the saga of Interplay's suspected Fallout MMO, "Project V13," date back to 2006. The latest came this week when, according to a report by No Mutants Allowed, someone claiming to be an Interplay stockholder revealed that Fallout IP owner Bethesda was denied an injunction it had sought against Interplay.
Bethesda had hoped to strip Interplay of the Fallout license after the publisher had supposedly broken an agreement to begin development of the MMO before April 4, 2009. Interplay claims that's not the case and, perhaps to prove its point, has posted concept art from the could-be-a-game on its forums.
As much as we'd love to play an MMO based on our favorite post-nuclear RPG, we can't help but feel this falling out between the two companies is going to keep us waiting until the real apocalypse -- and beyond.
[Via BigDownload]
Bethesda had hoped to strip Interplay of the Fallout license after the publisher had supposedly broken an agreement to begin development of the MMO before April 4, 2009. Interplay claims that's not the case and, perhaps to prove its point, has posted concept art from the could-be-a-game on its forums.
As much as we'd love to play an MMO based on our favorite post-nuclear RPG, we can't help but feel this falling out between the two companies is going to keep us waiting until the real apocalypse -- and beyond.
Gallery: Project V13 (Fallout MMO)
[Via BigDownload]
Rumor: Left 4 Dead 2 demo files name two DLC packs
by Griffin McElroy { 8 days ago }
Frankly, we think the game's already got its fair share of the Apocalypse, not to mention plenty of miracles, which is the only way we can explain how four people can survive continuous encounters with a city's worth of the walking dead. Still, we've contacted Valve to see if these two messages are a sign of more disastrous -- or miraculous -- things to come.
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow coming to DS in Spring 2010
by Ludwig Kietzmann { 8 days ago }
Dubbed Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojuu in Japan (and published by Namco Bandai, which owns the majority of D3Publisher), the second DS entry in the Mistwalker's role-playing franchise stars a new protagonist, with gender, facial features and clothing determined by your input. Awakened Shadow is set two years after the events of the Xbox 360 game and finds Shu and the gang returning to Blue Dragon's "contemporary" RPG gameplay. Expect to upgrade weaponry, tactically change shadows and skip every scene featuring Marumaro.
Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is scheduled for release in Spring 2010.
Capcom posts strong Q2 2009 earnings, despite 'soft' overseas sales
by Richard Mitchell { 8 days ago }
Capcom credits strong sales of Monster Hunter Tri in Japan, as well as continued sales of Resident Evil 5, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite and Ace Attorney: Investigations to its recent financial success. However, the company stated that overseas sales remained "soft" for the period thanks to the delay of Dark Void and the weak performance of Bionic Commando and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. Joystiq readers will recall that Capcom leveled complaints at the same games in its first quarter report earlier this year. It's worth noting that overseas sales still amounted to ¥11.739 billion ($128 million), which accounted for 57-percent of the home video games division sales.
We suppose Capcom might consider that "soft," but the suits can't be too broken up about it.
Source -- Capcom | Favorable Financial Results for the 6 months ended September 30, 2009
Source -- Capcom | Consolidated Financial Results for the 2nd Quarter of the FY2009
