There hasn't been a whole lot on the news front about Team Ico's next offering for the PS3, at least until now. The PS3 forums are alive with whispers of not one, but two new games from the team that first brought the critical darling Ico our way, back in 2001. At the recent Motorstorm event in Germany, a source claims to have, "talked to a product manager of Sony PlayStation Germany" who advised, "Team Ico is actually developing two games at once with one being close to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus in terms of atmosphere and setting." The claim is pretty rich, but if it bears fruit, we'll have two more PS3 games to get excited about. No official word on such claims from the Sony front yet, but if we wish hard enough, maybe we'll hear something during E3 in July.

[Via hiddenawaygames]

I've got something to admit. I have only just recently beat Ico. It was awesome, especially looking at it as a prequel to Shadow of the Colossus. Or is it a sequel? The two games lace into one another so arbitrarily that they may just be two distinct adventures taking place in the same game-universe. Anyway, the latest Famitsu held an ad for... well... Sony's ad agency. They snagged a two-page spread for a simple job listing. The job? Team Ico is seeking developers... for their PlayStation 3 project.

They want programmers and engineers. Lots of technical qualifications, but chances are they wouldn't be too interested in those outside of Japan. Although there are some people (me) who would love to take the translated text and make sure it's not a shoddy translation! You guys can take a look at the online entry form for the multitude of positions at Sony's website if you'd like... but we're more interested in thinking what Team Ico will churn out next. What do you guys think? Another game set in the same or similar world? A story that more clearly relates the other two games to one another? Or something completely new and different? Ready... theorize!

[Thanks, Sean!]

How long did it take you to do the map?

When people ask me this question, I usually just respond 4 months. The truth is, I don't remember anymore. I started it this summer and I released it [in the] beginning of December, but I already sketched out the colossus and the layout long before that, at the time when the game Shadow of the Colossus got released in the U.S.

What was your inspiration?

Well obviously Shadow of the Colossus for the bomb target statue, but the rest of the city is inspired by a not well know Ubisoft game called Beyond Good and Evil that I found in a bargain bin for 1 Euro a month or so prior to start building the map (best buck i have ever spend). Pretty much all textures you can see in the map are made from a photo collection provided by another great German artist "Thomas Hess" ... they inspired me quite a bit, too. He shot them in Southern France and even though Beyond Good and Evil is set on an alien planet, you can clearly feel [Ubisoft's] French architectural influences. So that was a lucky coincidence that matched up so nicely.

GameBump spotted this Shadow of the Colossus appearance in a trailer for the upcoming Adam Sandler drama Reign Over Me, which also stars Don Cheadle. So does Fumito Ueda's wonderful PlayStation 2 epic play a significant role in the plot? Probably not. Still, that a major Hollywood production would opt to use a game that is not easily recognizable to a mainstream audience is significant enough.

Unfortunately, the cameo, as framed by the trailer, is pinned to the old stereotype that when guys get to playing video games they neglect more important obligations (okay, sometimes we do), but the usage of Shadow of the Colossus also ties into an overarching maturation of the games industry; one that is forcing mainstream perception to shifts its view and embrace the critical impact games have on many adult lives. Nice work, Mr. Binder.

[Thanks, Aaron]

Weighing in at 160 MB, this map is one you're going to have to require everyone to download in advance if you plan on playing online. The creator, Soenke C. "Warby" Seidel, has an impressive collection of artwork and maps, including some 3D Shadow of the Colossus-inspired scenes, if you would like to peruse the artist's portfolio.

Color us impressed. Very impressed.

[Via bit-tech]

Retro Blast recently ran a contest to make gaming version of those ever-so-popular motivational posters. They have yet to decide on a winner, so now is the perfect time to check out the entire gallery of nearly 360 entries and decide for yourself the rightful heir to the champion's throne. Beyond Challenge (pictured), we'd opt for either Loyalty or @#!$@!.

Our only regret is that these image files have small resolutions; there are more than a few we wouldn't mind hanging on a wall.

We're certain this limited edition Shadow of the Colossus tee will have some of our readers fumbling through their chubby trifolds, weaving in and out of grocery club cards, de-laminated licenses, and ATM receipts, just to find that one credit card that isn't maxed out on import video games. But you'd better be quick, cause these are limited editions.

Due to go on sale tomorrow, this $30 CAD (about $27 USD) shirt features a towering colossus (number three if we're not mistaken) being approached by Agro carrying our fearless protagonist. It comes in the regular assortment of sizes (which are the same in Canada as the States, no?) but there's only 200 to go around. So, if you managed to find that credit card, you still have to be quick (feel free to insert your own 12:01 joke here).

[Thanks, jerry]

We've been spending most of our free time feeding this dog radioactive kibble in a poorly thought out plan to make him 100 feet tall. Every night, we lay out an oversized bowl, filled to the brim with a dangerous concoction of kibble laced with some radioactive waste that Ludwig found out back. Every night the dog eats it and every morning he's the same size. Not sure that radioactive waste is radioactive at all. On to Plan B:

We'll instead focus our efforts on shrinking ourselves and then ascend this 195mm (that's about 7.7", yanks) Shadow of the Colossus figurine and plunge our (now shrunken) swords into its dense resin exterior. 'Course we'll need to order the thing from Japan first and, at ?10,290 (that's about $90, everyone), it's not coming cheap. Compared to the rough numbers we've been putting together, it's the shrinking machine and not the figurine that's going to set us back.

[Via NeoGAF]

The 6th Annual Game Developer's Choice Awards were held tonight immediately following the Independent Games Festival awards. While the winners didn't quite match up with our choices, we did manage six out of eight, including Best Game. Shadow of the Colossus took home a total of 5 awards including Best Game, and the critically acclaimed (but commercially ignored) Psychonauts earning 2. Regardless of who won, all of the finalists were exceptional entrants in their respective categories and are worthy of recognition.

You can find out more about the Game Developer's Choice Awards at their website or read on for a list of the winners and some select pics of the ceremony.

In this interview with Wired, Fumito Ueda (the creative mind behind ICO and Shadow of the Colossus) talks about the difference between ICO and "conventional" video games. It seems Ueda has tried to distance the product from the negative connotations of the term "video games"; whether that was successfully accomplished rests in the opinions of those who view games negatively.

The interview also talks about some of the design decisions behind Shadow of the Colossus--it's an interesting insight into Ueda's creative processes.

Update: Warning, the article contains spoilers for Shadow of the Colossus.

What kind of person would take an adorable Flickr image of an adorable puppy, quizzically tilting his adorable head, and photoshop him into a giant colossus from Ueda's beautiful Shadow of the Colossus? A genius, that's who!

The colossi are tragic characters; slaying each one results in a sort of post-coital depression, the totality of your deed laid before you. From now on, with every reflection on the game and its tragic colossi, I will only see puppies. Adorable, fluffy puppies.

Brilliant.

[Via Cathode Tan]

UPDATE: The genius behind the image was aeg1x at Shacknews. Thanks, prfectjon.

Alexandria Neonakis's Shadow of the Colossus valentine is, quite possibly, the best video game-themed valentine ever! Perfect for that gamer-nerd you need to really impress today! If World of Warcraft or Katamari Damacy is more their speed, Alexandria's got you covered there as well.

See also:
How to say "I love you" (to that special gamer)
Be my Black Valentine (or "Poor teddy")

[Via insert credit]