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Mask-wearing fan suing EA over likeness in Madden 09

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 4th 2009 at 5:30PM }

He might be known for wearing a bug-eyed dog mask and representing the most hardcore of Cleveland Browns fans, but John "Big Dawg" Thompson isn't down with his likeness being used in EA Sports' Madden NFL 09. No, not just because it misrepresents his jersey's number (98 in real life, 92 in the game) -- it's because EA Sports is using his likeness without ever having actually asked permission.

So John Thompson (not to be confused with that other Thompson) has filed a complaint at the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas seeking restitution "in excess of $25,000." He's also looking to block EA's ability to sell the game or use "the Big Dawg character" without his expressed permission in the future. We hate to tell you, John, but that game kinda came out last year.

Smith & Tinker looking into homes for Crimson Skies, Shadowrun IPs

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 3rd 2009 at 1:00PM }

Smith & Tinker founder Jordan Weisman recently spoke about his plans for the other FASA IPs he licensed from Microsoft. In a recent interview with Gamespot, Weisman teased, "I think Crimson Skies is something we'd love to get some energy around, and we have some devious plans--we'll see if those materialize." Intriguing!

Shadowrun fans, however, shouldn't expect to be nearly as intrigued -- at least not anytime soon. "Shadowrun was recently...not treated well...shall we say, so the thought was let a little time pass before approaching that one again," Weisman admitted.

As for the beloved MechWarrior franchise, the series reboot is currently in development by Piranha Games for PC and Xbox 360. Smith & Tinker plans to farm out development of these old IPs to other studios over time, so if you're a fancy studio head with a clever idea for a Crimson Skies or Shadowrun revival, feel free to give Weisman a call. Like, now.

[Via VideoGamer]

Gearbox gives up on Heat, says IP is up for grabs ... kinda

by Ben Gilbert { Aug 2nd 2009 at 7:30PM }

Ever since Heat's 1995 cinematic debut, aggression-soaked psychos (like ourselves) have been clamoring for a game adaptation of the crime drama. Gearbox Software prez Randy Pitchford agreed as well, optioning the rights to develop a game back in the mid-oughts. Fast forward to 2009, and GameSpot drops the hammer on him during a Borderlands press tour. "So what is the current status of the Heat game?"

In so many words: Kaput. "In a nutshell, we're nowhere," Pitchford said. And it's not for a lack of trying, as "filmmakers, game makers, and publishing partners" are all still apparently on board. He says, more or less, it's a matter of time -- or lack thereof. Due to time constraints, Pitchford says that his studio won't be keeping the rights to the game adaptation of Heat any longer. "We're not keeping the IP locked down anymore ... if somebody else were in a spot where they could do it, and everybody was comfortable with that, then conceivably that could happen."

So, how about it, aggression-soaked entrepreneurs? Hmmm?

Comic-Con 2009: New details on The Behemoth's third game

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 23rd 2009 at 12:14PM }

We'll give it to you straight: we're still not entirely sure what The Behemoth's next game is. It's sort of a platformer, it's sort of a multiplayer brawler, but what is it really? We're one step closer to understanding today, as GameSpot got a chance to preview the game this week at the San Diego Comic-Con, and says the game "falls beneath the umbrella of the platformer genre."

Of what they played, only mutliplayer was available and it featured a handful of game types -- coin collection, territories and kill the carrier, in so many words. Players choose a single weapon before each game (from fireballs to portable fans) and employ it liberally to their enemies, all the while avoiding environmental pitfalls (water, radioactive ooze, etc.) and trying to win the game mode. Do yourself a favor and check out the videos embedded after the break for a better idea of what The Behemoth's third game will look like when it's released sometime in 2010.

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Gamespot floods us with Bioshock 2 details, spoilers

by Griffin McElroy { Apr 18th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Before reading on, we beg of you, our dearest readers, to heed this solemn warning. Do you remember that magical feeling that filled you the first time you crossed the aquatic threshold into Bioshock's labyrinthian metropolis, Rapture? That warm, gooey feeling of excitement and wonder? If you read Gamespot's recent all-inclusive, spoiler-filled preview of 2K Marin's highly anticipated follow-up, you'll probably be robbed of that feeling the first time you boot up Bioshock 2. Trust us. We made the sacrifice to pass this news onto you, and we're pretty sure we won't be able to get to sleep tonight.

If you absolutely must know what tantalizing details Gamespot dug up, you can check out their video featurette, which we've posted after the jump. Just don't come crying to us when you learn that the original Bioshock was actually just a dream sequence. (Oops! Sorry!)

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Pachter calls March Wii console sales 'somewhat disconcerting'

by Ben Gilbert { Apr 18th 2009 at 3:00PM }

Michael Pachter, analyst for Wedbush Morgan, isn't freaking out, and he wants you to know that you shouldn't be either. He notes, while speaking on the subject of March NPD numbers, that even though the month saw hardware sales numbers drop across the board, that really has more to do with extraordinary sales for all comparable months. Speaking with GameSpot, Pachter said, "It's entirely possible that we were just up against an impossible comparison ... we're looking at a comparison to Grand Theft Auto IV in April, so it's likely that April will be down as well," referring to the release of Super Smash Bros. Brawl in March of 2008 and the subsequent month's GTAIV.

What he does find worrisome, however, is declining Wii software sales after a year of strong console sales, reportedly doubling the system's installed-base. "Given that the installed base of Wii consoles has doubled in the past year, we find it remarkable (and somewhat disconcerting) that Wii software sales were actually down year-over-year in March, dropping by $72 million, or 26 percent." Pachter doesn't see the future as grim though, pointing out that this summer's release of Wii MotionPlus and Wii Sports Resort should put some wind back in Nintendo's ~~sales~~ sails. We'll just have to wait 'til August NPDs are released to find out!

Source 1 - GameDaily
Source 2 - GameSpot

Maxis talks about Wright's departure; Will talks Stupid Fun Club

by Ben Gilbert { Apr 10th 2009 at 7:04PM }

Will Wright's announcement that he was kind of leaving EA this week took the gaming community by surprise. Unsurprisingly though, Wright says the move was planned over the course of the last year with EA. "It's something that we've been in talks with EA for almost a year ... it's kind of a long-term plan and I was just in no hurry to do it," he told GameSpot. Lucy Bradshaw, VP and general manager at EA Maxis, echoed Wright's statements, telling GameDaily it's been a "life-long dream [for Wright to have a] small nucleus think tank."

Funded by EA and venture capitalists, Stupid Fun Club is setting out not to develop just new games but to develop new IP across multiple mediums. Wright calls his vision of the club the "evolution of the entertainment industry," using Marvel and LucasArts as reference points and saying, "If I'm into Star Wars or Lost, I might go to the website or buy the toys .... It's the IP that really matters, that strand of consistency and quality through it." We've certainly heard this tune before, though never from such an acclaimed developer. It remains to be seen just how "stupid fun" Mr. Wright's club actually is, but we'll remain hopeful for now.

Source 1 - GameDaily
Source 2 - GameSpot

THQ already planning sequels to unreleased games

by Ben Gilbert { Apr 1st 2009 at 8:55PM }

THQ may not be doing so well financially, but the company doesn't want you to think it's down and out. In fact, it wants you to know it's planning for the future -- the distant future even! Announcing projected titles for the fiscal year ending 2012 (that's April 1, 2011 - March 31, 2012, folks) like Darksiders 2 and Red Faction 4, the company clearly hasn't written itself off yet. Hell, it's projecting titles that are still unproven intellectual properties!

Filed away in the middle of a more than a month-old investor's report, GameSpot found a slide revealing four full years of projected THQ releases. Though the slide notes, "Release schedule subject to change," we were shocked enough to learn the company's planning sequels to games that have yet to be released. For THQ's investor's sakes, let's hope Darksiders and Red Faction: Guerrilla turn out to be the cash cows the company apparently anticipates them to be.

[Via GameSpot]

Get LittleBigPlanet beta On the Spot today

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 25th 2008 at 5:00PM }

American gamers have been waiting patiently for their chance to play the LittleBigPlanet beta. Well, your chance is coming. Watch GameSpot's On the Spot, starting at 7PM EST today for your chance. There will be even more opportunities to get into the beta starting next week -- so stay tuned!

[Thanks, Kristin R.!]

Gerstmann-gate 'villain' leaves CNET for advertising company

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 18th 2008 at 9:45PM }

GameDaily reports Joshua Larson, former VP of Games at CNET Networks and the man often blamed for GameSpot's Gerstmann-gate scandal, has been named VP of Business Development at in-game ad agency Double Fusion. Please let the deliciousness of that flow over you for a brief moment.

Double Fusion's President and CEO announced Larson's hiring along with several others, saying that the new folks share a love of games and a "history of strong results and success in their prior roles." Larson's previous role was to manage business strategy and product direction at GameSpot.com. He's been dubbed the point man in the firing of Jeff Gerstmann and the exodus which followed, leaving GameSpot an editorially tarnished brand. If "success" is determined through money and not reputation, then it's probably being used to describe Larson's small roll in CNET's purchase by CBS for $1.8 billion earlier this year.

C-list celebrities + Gamespot party = Awkward

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jul 23rd 2008 at 11:00PM }

The latest episode of Glitch in the System makes it horribly obvious that the "celebrities" attending Gamespot's E3 bash had no idea who was hosting the party. That street probably goes both ways because, straight up, we had to Google almost every single one of the "celebrities" that we saw in the video. Check out the cringe-inducing footage o the red carpet interviews after the break.

PS: Thanks again to the 300+ people who attended -- or used astral projection to attend in spirit -- our Joystiq E3 meet-up. Watching something like this makes us appreciate you all even more.

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Ryan Davis talks up Giant Bomb's explosive re-launch

by Kyle Orland { Jul 23rd 2008 at 2:00PM }

When Gamespot Editorial Director Jeff Gerstmann was abruptly fired under controversial circumstances late last year, it set off a sort of domino effect. In the wake of the scandal, Gamespot staffers Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker and Vinny Caravella all decided to leave the venerable site to start a new project with Gerstmann: a project called Giant Bomb. A skeleton of the site has been up since March, but the project really got going Monday with an overhaul that mixes user-created, wiki-style pages with editorial reviews, videos and podcasts from the four-man ex-Gamespot crew.

We talked to Giant Bomb co-founder Ryan Davis about his thoughts on the new site and his departure from Gamespot, and game journalism in general. Some excerpts from our conversation (be sure to click the "Continue" link for the full interview):

On Gerstmann-gate and the state of game journalism
"Obviously we still have lots of friends and a ton of history there [at CNET], but we're so focused on the good stuff we're doing now. ... [Gerstmann-gate] certainly helped get our names in people's mouths in certain circles. ... Before [Gerstmann-gate] even happened, I felt like people needed to be more skeptical about what they read, with the massive influx of news-blogs giving little distinction between rumor and fact.

"We're not in the business of reporting news, but as far as the review process goes, we're being very open about a review being that person's perspective. We don't use fancy math to come to our reviews, we just go with what the reviewer feels the game merits. I think when a review has to represent an entire organization's perspective on a game, that's where you can run into trouble. Also, for what it's worth, I've never considered myself a 'game journalist.' I think they exist, but I'm a reviewer and a commentator more than anything."

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Today in Joystiq: June 17, 2008

by Ross Miller { Jun 17th 2008 at 11:59PM }

Man, if peopled freaked out over their 8.8 Twilight Princess score, imagine what's going to happen when the internet catches wind of Metal Gear Solid 4's 0.0. (Note: The above did happen, but it was just a technical glitch. Please don't stick a stun knife in either us or Gamespot.) Check out the highlights for today:

Joystiquery
A week with Spore Creature Creator: Day One
BigDownload offering big prizes to see your Spore creatures
Joyswag: Win a Kojima-signed copy of MGS4
Meet the Team: Kevin Kelly
Podcast Rodeo for June 17: ... And Ear Back
The best of WoW Insider: June 10-17, 2008

News
Championship Gaming Series coming to G4
Wii Move to do "something" with the Wii Balance Board
Team Fortress 2 Pyro update coming Thursday
EA extends Take-Two offer to July 18
Crytek shows interest in PSP development
Underworld's Len Wiseman set to helm Gears of War movie
MGS4 sells 476K units first week in Japan; UK PS3 sales impact 'minimal'
Spore Creature Creator demo available now on PC and Mac
Nintendo promises 'core' gamers will be happy with E3 showing
All Tecmo employees sue Tecmo
Sega: leaked 'Crucible' video not our Silicon Knights game
Marathon 2 map pack thrown up on Wednesday
First Call of Duty: World at War trailer to roll onto XBL
Reminder: Preorder Hail to the Chimp, get $10 of Onion Store credit
Stardock launches Impulse digital distribution system
Boom Blox sales: EA content, analysts less upbeat
PS3 2.40 update includes in-game XMB, trophies
Sims Carnival is now in open beta
Force your older Mac to evolve and run Spore Creatore Creator
Screamshots: Dead Space
PS3 firmware v2.36 available now

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: Heavenly Sword 2 cancelled; Ninja Theory 'bitter' with Sony

Culture & Community
Bodysurf: Where the Wii Balance Board meets Audiosurf
Boom, headshot! Meet the Team Fortress 2 Sniper

Former GameSpot reviewer sheds light on more PR hijinx

by Xav de Matos { May 29th 2008 at 2:30PM }

In an interview with former GameSpot reviewer, Alex Navarro, MTV Multiplayer Blog was able to extract a telling tale from the newly appointed community team member at Harmonix regarding the oil-to-water relationship public relations practitioners have with the press.

When tasked to review an unnamed Wii launch title, Navarro was sent a note along with his copy of the game--which he provided as evidence to Steven Totilo.

The note read: If the review is 9.0 or higher you can post immediately. Lower than 9.0, could you please hold until launch day, November 19th? Thanks.

"And that's not the first time I got something like that," Navarro told MTV. Navarro, who left GameSpot after the public and controversial firing of then-reviews editor Jeff Gerstmann, said GameSpot ran their review for this game based on a copy bought in a store and they panned it for what it was.

Gamespot compares 360, PS3 graphics; calls it a tie

by Scott Jon Siegel { May 27th 2008 at 2:27PM }

Gamespot's been stirring the fanboy stew with their graphics comparison features for a few years now, highlighting the visual differences between major consoles. Now in their third round of 360 vs. PS3, Gamespot has a startling revelation: it's really hard to tell them apart.

Though they ultimately rule that the Xbox 360 still slightly wins out in the overall, the difference is negligible enough that they're willing to call it a tie. The 360 rocks the boat in high-res textures and texture mapping, but the PS3 conquers in shadowing and anti-aliasing (whatever all that means).