Joystiq

Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Rumor: Konami's Rock Revolution may occur in 2009http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/rumor-konamis-rock-revolution-may-occur-in-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/rumor-konamis-rock-revolution-may-occur-in-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/rumor-konamis-rock-revolution-may-occur-in-2009/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

An associate producer for Konami's Rock Revolution confirmed that the game would be delayed until early 2009 during the company's Leipzig press conference, IGN reports. We've contacted Konami to find out if the representative meant that the title will be available for Europe in 2009 (this is a European press event after all), or if the game has actually been delayed from its original Fall '08 release in North America as well. We'll update as soon as we get the official skinny from Konami.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

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]]>delayignkonamileipzig-08rock-revolutionAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-20T18:30:00+00:00Bionic Commando Rearmed's divergent finalehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/bionic-commando-rearmeds-divergent-finale/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/bionic-commando-rearmeds-divergent-finale/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/bionic-commando-rearmeds-divergent-finale/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

***Spoiler Alert -- Final Warning***

The original Bionic Commando ended with a battle against The Albatross warship and then Master-D. IGN tells us that Rearmed's ending is going to be a little different. The Albatross is now its own level, and apparently the longest level in the game, with challenging rooms that will require shutting down a security system to battle Master-D.

Don't worry BC fans, we've been told before the original ending is still "historically accurate." Bionic Commando Rearmed will be available on August 13 -- be sure to check out videos of the new Albatross level after the break.

Gallery: Bionic Commando Rearmed

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]]>bionic-commandobionic-commando-rearmedcapcomignspoilerspoilersAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-29T19:30:00+00:00IGN announces E3 award winnershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/ign-announces-e3-award-winners/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/ign-announces-e3-award-winners/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/ign-announces-e3-award-winners/#commentsFiled under: Arcade, Culture, Nintendo DS, Mac, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360

And the winner is ... gamers! Well, that's the conclusion we came to after witnessing the sheer amount of top-notch games trotted out at this year's E3. While we're finalizing the official Joystiq E3 2008 Awards (coming soon - there was a lot of blood confetti to clean up in the judge's room) we'd like to offer, for your list-reading pleasure, IGN's picks for the Best of Show in various categories.

You can read the entire list after the break. Let us hear what you think of their choices in the comments, and, for nostalgia's sake, check out our award winners (and losers) from last E3.

Overall Game of the Show
Fallout 3 (Bethesda, PS3/360/PC)

Best Handheld Game
Rhythm Heaven (Nintendo, DS)

Best PC Game
Spore (EA, PC/Mac)

Best Console Game
Fallout 3 (Bethesda, PS3/360/PC)

Biggest Surprise
Final Fantasy XIII Coming to Xbox 360

Best Action Game
Mirror's Edge (EA/DICE, PS3/360)

Best Arcade Shooter
Galaga Legions (Namco, XBLA)

Best Fighting Game
Street Fighter IV (Capcom, Arcade/PS3/360)

Best Shooting Game
Gears of War 2 (Microsoft/Epic Games, 360)

Best MMO
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (EA/Mythic, PC)

Best Music/Rhythm Game
Rock Band 2 (MTV Games/Harmonix, PS3/360/Wii/PS2)

Best Platform Game
Prince of Persia (Ubisoft, PS3/360)

Best Puzzle Game
Braid (Number None, Inc., XBLA)

Best Racing Game
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift (Sony/Evolution Studios, PS3)

Best RPG
Fallout 3 (Bethesda, PS3/360/PC)

Best Sports Game
Shaun White Snowboarding (Activision, PS3/360/Wii)

Best Strategy Game
Spore (EA, PC/Mac)

Best Downloadable Console Game
Fat Princess (Sony/Titan Studios, PS3)

Best Graphics Technology
Gears of War 2 (Microsoft/Epic Games, 360)

Best Artistic Design
Prince of Persia (Ubisoft, PS3/360)

Best Multiplayer Experience
Left 4 Dead (EA/Valve, PC/360)

Special Achievement for Technological Excellence
Spore (EA, PC/Mac)

Special Achievement for Innovation
Spore (EA, PC/Mac)

Best Hardware/Peripheral
Wii Motion Plus (Nintendo, Wii)

Best Non-Playable Presentation
Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix, PS3/360)

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]]>awardse3-2008ignRandy Nelson2008-07-28T22:00:00+00:00Microsoft brings Chobot, 'IGN Strategize' to XBLhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/microsoft-brings-chobot-ign-strategize-to-xbl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/microsoft-brings-chobot-ign-strategize-to-xbl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/25/microsoft-brings-chobot-ign-strategize-to-xbl/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360

Not to be trumped in the online flesh-and-blood female host arms race by Sony and Qore's Veronica Belmont, Microsoft has announced a partnership with IGN to bring its popular "IGN Strategize" segments to Xbox Live, hosted by IGN host/celebrity Jessica Chobot (who may or may not lick a 360 controller).

Larry Hryb, Xbox Live's "Major Nelson," made the announcement this morning via his Twitter feed. A brief preview clip of himself and Chobot chatting has subsequently hit the "Inside Xbox" section of Live. IGN Strategize will soon join the other regular Inside Xbox segments and focus on tips, tricks, and strategies, hence the name.

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]]>BreakingNewschobotigninside-xboxmajornelsonpsnqoreveronica-belmontXBLxbox-liveRandy Nelson2008-06-25T16:00:00+00:00IGN's sticks-on impression of Rock Band Wii drumshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/igns-sticks-on-impression-of-rock-band-wii-drum-kit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/igns-sticks-on-impression-of-rock-band-wii-drum-kit/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/igns-sticks-on-impression-of-rock-band-wii-drum-kit/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo Wii, Rhythm

Although we've seen a picture of the Rock Band Wii drum kit before, IGN has gotten its hands on the final retail product. Beyond the obvious Wii white color difference of the drum set, the site says that the drums come with the "upgraded" components currently packaged with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions.

The upgrades include a strengthened kick pedal and "somewhat" softer drum pads. For people who bought one of the original copies of Rock Band, they would notice a thicker spring beneath the Wii drum's kick pedal. The site concludes there isn't much difference in the hardware, but the Wii version has no DLC song option. If you have the option of purchasing Rock Band for another console, it's probably best to do so.

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]]>drum-kitdrumkitignrock-bandrock-band-wiiAlexander Sliwinski2008-06-09T16:00:00+00:00Nintendo: 100 WiiWare titles in development warp pipehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/nintendo-100-wiiware-titles-in-the-warp-pipe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/nintendo-100-wiiware-titles-in-the-warp-pipe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/02/nintendo-100-wiiware-titles-in-the-warp-pipe/#commentsFiled under: Arcade, Nintendo Wii

According to Nintendo of America's senior director of project development, Tom Prata, there are currently over 100 WiiWare titles in various stages of development. Speaking with IGN, Prata says there were no first-party titles for the WiiWare launch because the company wanted to showcase the diversity of WiiWare developers, from large publishers, like Square Enix, to smaller and indie developers.

The interview is actually more noteworthy for the lack of information Prata gave to some direct questions. He dodges whether there will be a hard drive in the near future for the Wii, or if Nintendo plans to lift the alleged 43MB size limit for WiiWare titles. He also wouldn't discuss which WiiWare titles have been the most popular. Prata did say, however, that consumers shouldn't hold their breath for WiiWare demos to become standard with available titles.

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]]>ignnintendowiiwareAlexander Sliwinski2008-06-02T12:30:00+00:00MEGAowch: Haze handed 4.5 review by IGNhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/megaowch-haze-handed-4-5-review-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/megaowch-haze-handed-4-5-review-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/megaowch-haze-handed-4-5-review-by-ign/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

With its long development time and PS3-exclusive status, Haze has had a lot riding on its shoulders. If a new review by IGN is any indication, the game seems to have been crushed by the weight. The site gave Haze a paltry 4.5 out of 10, calling the effort a "middling, generic first-person shooter with bland visuals, a weak plot and laughable characters."

Developer Free Radical Design leapt to the defense of its game, telling PSU, "Haze has had mixed reviews, but even GoldenEye got a 4/10 when it first came out. With a 9/10 in the Italian PSM, and an extremely positive review in Famitsu [34/40, fyi], we're looking forward to people playing Haze and making a judgment for themselves."

We're currently compiling such judgments from across the netweb for a metareview. We'll let you know when there's something approximating a consensus.

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]]>free-radicalhazeignubisoftJustin McElroy2008-05-20T11:00:00+00:00Kid Icarus on Wii indirectly revealed by IGNhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/kid-icarus-on-wii-indirectly-revealed-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/kid-icarus-on-wii-indirectly-revealed-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/kid-icarus-on-wii-indirectly-revealed-by-ign/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo Wii

When fans debate which of their plentiful wells Nintendo will be returning to for their next big title, Kid Icarus is always a popular suspicion. Now, IGN's Matt Casamassina has basically confirmed that it's on the way to Wii. On episode 7 of the IGN Nintendo Voice Chat podcast Casamassina says, "Of course [Nintendo is] going to have some E3 surprises. You know, Kid Icarus, for crying out loud, how many times do we have to say Kid Icarus? Kid Icarus is coming for crying out loud." When a co-host asks if he wants to reveal the developer he responds "I think we've confirmed it a billion times but no, I'm not going to say it officially."

Adding more fuel to the fire on this week's show Casamassina said "Kid Icarus, that's another one that I'm really anticipating just because I love the franchise and I'm sure that the developer will make a really pretty game." It looks like we'll have to wait for July to hear anything official from Nintendo but, if Casamassina is to be believed (we've asked him for further clarification), a Wii version of Kid Icarus seems to be all but a done deal.

[Thanks to Jeff for the heads up.]

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]]>breakingnewsignkid-icarusmatt-casamassinanintendoJustin McElroy2008-05-08T12:29:00+00:00IGN responds to concerns over exclusive GTA IV reviewhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/ign-responds-to-concerns-over-exclusive-gta-iv-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/ign-responds-to-concerns-over-exclusive-gta-iv-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/ign-responds-to-concerns-over-exclusive-gta-iv-review/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Hacks, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

Earlier this week, Variety's Ben Fritz expressed concern over IGN's exclusive first review of Grand Theft Auto IV, asking rhetorically, "How can we trust a videogame review when the outlet running it has been given a major commercial favor ... from the publisher of the game?" Well, GameDaily Media Coverage Columnist Gus Mastrapa went the extra mile and asked that very question to some people at IGN. And he even got an answer!

"We in no way trade scores for an exclusive," said IGN VP Tal Blevins, adding that publishers have no access to or say in the text of a review before it goes live. That doesn't mean IGN didn't make any concessions to secure the exclusive, though. IGN Xbox editor Hilary Goldstein admitted the site used promotional placement on the site's top feature bar to secure the exclusive. "Our bargaining chip is to basically say, 'I will put it here if you let me have this,'" Goldstein said. Mastrapa likened the practice to an "exclusive cover story" in a game magazine.

As for Variety and Fritz, Goldstein seemed unimpressed with with his journalism bona fides. "Nobody from Variety called us and said, 'Hey, would you like to comment about this?'" he said. "He says in blog post, 'If I had the game right now I would have broken the embargo.' To me that goes against your ethics." Nothing like an I'm-more-ethical-than-thou battle to get your heart racing in the morning.

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]]>Ben-Fritzcontroversyexclusivegta4Hillary-GoldsteinIGNjournalismreviewTal-BlevinsVarietyKyle Orland2008-05-02T12:15:00+00:00Variety discusses ethics of 'exclusive' reviewshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/variety-discusses-ethics-issue-with-exclusive-reviews/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/variety-discusses-ethics-issue-with-exclusive-reviews/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/variety-discusses-ethics-issue-with-exclusive-reviews/#commentsFiled under: Culture

Sometimes it's interesting to see the industry through fresh eyes again. Variety has an editorial up about the "ethically troubling" industry standard of exclusive reviews. The editorial specifically discusses IGN's GTA IV "exclusive," as the review site didn't get a "scoop" by finding some early copy of the game and posting a review, but by being given permission by Rockstar to break embargo. Every other outlet had to wait until this past Sunday.

The Variety writer states that he doesn't personally trust any review labeled "exclusive," pointing out "reviews are entirely subjective, so if a critic is being influenced inappropriately in any way, the whole thing is worthless even though we as readers can't prove there's anything 'wrong.'" The piece concludes by saying that any self-respecting publication with a GTA IV review should have run it the minute IGN released its review. It's a lovely thought, but the last thing any review outlet wants is a reputation with PR firms for breaking embargo. In a worst case scenario, if any of these outlets signed legally binding non-disclosure agreements for these reviews, they'd have to face the possibility of being sued.

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]]>grand-theft-auto-ivgrandtheftautoivgta-ivgtaivignvarietyAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-28T19:30:00+00:00IGN watermark on Okami Wii strategy guide coverhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/ign-watermark-on-okami-wii-strategy-guide-cover/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/ign-watermark-on-okami-wii-strategy-guide-cover/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/ign-watermark-on-okami-wii-strategy-guide-cover/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure

Lightning does strike twice, and by lightning we mean botched cover art. The Okami Wii box cover wasn't the only victim of the IGN watermark, as it turns out the BradyGames strategy guide also proudly displays the blemish. The automatic reaction to this information would be, "Well, duh! They got the cover from Capcom. So, of course, it'll be there too." Funny thing: The watermark is actually in a different spot.

However the error occurred is up for speculation. We just hope this little fiasco urges publishers to supply its designers with the assets to do their job properly. Or, designers should feel free to take assets from us with the Joystiq watermark on them. We totally give permission!

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]]>capcomignokamiokami-wiiokamiwiiwatermarkAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-28T13:30:00+00:00IGN: First web GTA IV review, another perfect 10http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/ign-first-web-gta-iv-review-another-perfect-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/ign-first-web-gta-iv-review-another-perfect-10/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/26/ign-first-web-gta-iv-review-another-perfect-10/#commentsFiled under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action

Is it too early to say that we're beginning to see a pattern develop here? We know that a mere handful of reviews for Rockstar's latest opus have been published, but should the current trend continue, Grand Theft Auto IV could be the subject of more perfect scores than 1976 Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. Yes, IGN recently dropped the suspiciously non-embargoed first online review for the title, giving it a 10 out of 10 (on both platforms) and evoking the wrath of the Nintendo Defense Force, calling GTA IV "the best game since Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time."

The seven-page, five-thousand word review (and accompanying video review, after the jump) praises the game's art style, the immersive backdrop of Liberty City, the "Oscar quality" story and the "refined" gameplay. The enamored reviewer even commends some of the quirky extra features included by Rockstar, such as Niko's multipuropse cellphone, or the in-game use of alcohol: "You don't have to drive drunk," the reviewer exclaims, "but it's fun to give it a try." Great, now we can look forward to public backlash towards the game's DUI-endorsing write-ups, as well.

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]]>grand-theft-auto-ivGTA-IVGTAIVIGNReviewrockstarrockstargamesGriffin McElroy2008-04-26T15:30:00+00:00Capcom offers box art 'redemption' for Okami Wiihttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/capcom-offers-box-art-redemption-for-okami-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/capcom-offers-box-art-redemption-for-okami-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/capcom-offers-box-art-redemption-for-okami-wii/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo Wii, Adventure

Capcom has responded to the Okami Wii box snafu by offering replacement cover artwork "to better reflect the artistic nature of the game," which we presume is a more professional way to say "to better remove the reflection of the IGN watermark."

Head over to the Cover Artwork Redemption page (yes, they call it redemption) to fill out the form and choose one of three designs, including a "redesigned" version of the original. Previews for the other two replacements are shown above. The offer is free and an email confirmation from Capcom states the cover art will be shipping "in the next few weeks."

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]]>box-artcapcomcover-artignokamiRoss Miller2008-04-24T10:25:00+00:00Uh-Ohkami: Capcom botches Okami Wii box art, inadvertently advertises IGNhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/uh-ohkami-capcom-botches-okami-wii-box-art-inadvertently-adver/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/uh-ohkami-capcom-botches-okami-wii-box-art-inadvertently-adver/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/20/uh-ohkami-capcom-botches-okami-wii-box-art-inadvertently-adver/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo Wii

With all the work that goes into the designing, writing, and programming of a game (especially for a title as hotly anticipated as Capcom's waggle-infused port of the PS2 under-appreciated gem Okami), we assumed that there would be one person at every video game publisher who would give the final retail packaging a once-over, keeping a keen eye out for any typos, printing errors, or hidden watermarks from popular video game news sites. Then again, maybe that's just us.

As is the unfortunate case with the Wii Okami box art -- NeoGAF user Bob Digi discovered that right above a permanent "sticker" promoting the game's high score in Play magazine (an unsightly blemish in its own right) sits a fairly clear IGN watermark, the result of the artwork's background being photoshopped from an image on IGN's Okami PS2 site. Then again, perhaps the game underwent some serious changes in its Nintendo transition, and now features protagonist Amaterasu traveling throughout feudal Japan, devouring the logos of major gaming news sites.

[Thanks, Riven.]

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]]>boxartcapcomignneogafnintendookamiokamiwiireadyatdawnwatermarkwiiGriffin McElroy2008-04-20T11:00:00+00:00IGN posts about Skate on Wii, then pulls story [Updated]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/ign-posts-about-skate-on-wii-then-pulls-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/ign-posts-about-skate-on-wii-then-pulls-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/ign-posts-about-skate-on-wii-then-pulls-story/#commentsFiled under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Sports

Oh, IGN, you so crazy. Yesterday, it was posting a story about Pandemic working on a Batman game and then promptly removing it. Today (well, technically last night) it's skate being ported to Wii and DS. The story apparently went up Tuesday and was soon removed.

What's interesting is that both the mysterious Batman project and skate are EA titles. So ... did IGN get some exclusive info and then let the bat out of the bag too early, deleting them moments before uncle EA could wrest his whippin' belt free from his dungarees? We're betting yes, but we'll almost certainly never know.

[Update: If you're interested, here's the cached article, thanks to tipster Robber Tom.]

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]]>batmaneaignskateJustin McElroy2008-04-04T09:30:00+00:00April Fools' Alert #3: Legend of Zelda movie by IGNhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-legend-of-zelda-movie-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-legend-of-zelda-movie-by-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/april-fools-alert-3-legend-of-zelda-movie-by-ign/#commentsFiled under: Culture

IGN has a little fun this April Fools' Day with its exclusive Legend of Zelda movie trailer. The preview plays out like one giant cliché with fan service and a distinctive Uwe quality to it. We'd love to embed the preview and show you, but the code is broken and all we seem to get is some PSP-licker (and game butt-rubber) hosting a show.

Last year we had another impressive Zelda-inspired April Fools' joke with a preview for a Legend of Zelda game set in a future/Star Wars version of Hyrule. We can't help but think IGN's trailer would have been better (and more over the top) had Link been walking down the street of some poor provincial town and people started bursting out singing like the opening of La Belle et la Bête Beauty and the Beast.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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]]>aprilfools08ignlegendofzeldamovietrailerzeldaAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-01T10:30:00+00:00Serial killer killing killer Dexter getting gamehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/serial-killer-killing-killer-dexter-getting-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/serial-killer-killing-killer-dexter-getting-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/serial-killer-killing-killer-dexter-getting-game/#commentsFiled under: Business

IGN reports that a game based on Dexter will be announced tomorrow by Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment. Showtime's Dexter, currently airing (and not-so-badly edited) Sundays on CBS, follows the life of Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who keeps his desires in check by killing other serial killers. There is currently no information on the game's plot, developer, genre, platforms, etc.

Just like our favorite serial killing protagonist, we can't help but feel conflicted about this announcement. With any luck, Dexter's video game hunt will find inspiration from games like Hitman or Assassin's Creed without losing the show's sinister personality. Yes, completely unlikely, but we can dream darkly.

[Via X3F]

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]]>dexterignmarc-eckoshowtimeAlexander Sliwinski2008-03-03T21:00:00+00:00Jason Ocampo leaves Gamespot for IGNhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/jason-ocampo-leaves-gamespot-for-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/jason-ocampo-leaves-gamespot-for-ign/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/29/jason-ocampo-leaves-gamespot-for-ign/#commentsFiled under: Culture

The post Gerstmann-gate metagame of "who's leaving Gamespot" continues with the announcement that former editor Jason Ocampo has landed a job as Editor-in-Chief of the PC team at IGN.

Although Ocampo's leaving supposedly had nothing to do with Gerstmann-gate, the loss of almost every "known" person at Gamespot in such a short time is ... awkward. On the plus side, now there's hardly anyone remaining at Gamespot who'd be worth noting if they left. Yay, the epic is almost over and we can march forward (Ocam-ocam-ocam-po).

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]]>gamespotgerstmann-gateignjason-ocampojeff-gerstmannocampoAlexander Sliwinski2008-02-29T15:00:00+00:00Rockstar distributing through IGN's Direct2Drivehttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/rockstar-distributing-through-igns-direct2drive/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/rockstar-distributing-through-igns-direct2drive/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/23/rockstar-distributing-through-igns-direct2drive/#commentsFiled under: PC, Online, Business

Rockstar's collection of PC games has gone digital distribution, but they're not going the Steam route. Three Grand Theft Autos, two Max Paynes, a Midnight Club sequel and Manhunt are now available via IGN's Direct2Drive service.

The games are $9.95 apiece except for San Andreas and, inexplicably, the original Manhunt, which go for $19.95. Two sets are available, the Grand Theft Auto collection for $29.95 ($39.85 if all bought separately separately) and the entire Rockstar collection for $59.95 ($89.65 separately). The best part? Digital distribution downloads immediately, no waiting in the pre-holiday traffic. Last-minute Christmas gifts just got more controversial.

[Via Gamasutra]

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]]>direct2driveignrockstarRoss Miller2007-12-23T19:35:00+00:00IGN's Casamassina responds to conflict of interest claimshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/igns-casamassina-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-claims/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/igns-casamassina-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-claims/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/igns-casamassina-responds-to-conflict-of-interest-claims/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Nintendo GameCube, Hacks, Nintendo Wii

Video Game Media Watch has a rather incendiary post up tonight "revealing" that IGN Nintendo editor-in-chief Matt Casamassina and Golin Harris Vice President Edie Kissko are married. This might not seem like a big deal, until you consider that Golin Harris handles public relations for Nintendo (and Kissko works on the Nintendo account). This isn't precisely a "breaking" story ... the marriage has been well known in some corners of the industry for a while. Still, isn't this the kind of thing that Casamassina and/or IGN should disclose to readers who might be worried about such a seemingly obvious conflict of interest?

Casamassina doesn't think so. In an e-mail to Joystiq, he confirmed that he and Kissko have been married for several years, though he says he does "prefer to keep my wife and kids out of the public spotlight." Despite the marriage, Casamassina said that both he and Kissko know how to keep their home lives and work lives separate. "Nintendo and IGN / FOX have been aware of our relationship since we first started dating," he said. "We're professionals. Both of us have signed strict confidentiality agreements with our respective employers and, incidentally, we leave what happens on the job at our home's front door."

Furthermore, Casamassina argues that readers can judge for themselves whether his personal relationship affects his writing. "The original article makes the suggestion that my marriage to Edie violates the trust of IGN's dedicated readership, but I think my body of work speaks for itself," he said. "Over the years, I have remained one of Nintendo's biggest fans and harshest critics and have also developed hundreds of reliable of sources within the industry, none of them Edie." (Kissko and a Golin Harris representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We'll update you if and when they do.)

While readers can indeed decide for themselves whether or not Casamassina is overly nice or harsh to Nintendo in his work (or gets more insider scoops than the average reporter), most had no reason to doubt his independence before now. Though his marriage to Kissko wasn't exactly a secret, it was far from well known to IGN's readers -- even some of us insiders at Joystiq were surprised by the revelation. As a general rule, if a situation could cause even the perception of impropriety, a journalist should disclose it.

Regardless, now that the information is "out there," so to speak, will it affect the way you read one of the industry's most visible Nintendo journalists? Let us know in the comments.

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]]>CasamasssinacontroversyEdie-KisskoGolin-HarrisGolinHarrisIGNjournalismKisskoMatt-CasamassinaMattCasamassinaNintendoKyle Orland2007-12-19T22:30:00+00:00