Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Glu Mobile closes Brazil office; Washington and California studios hit with layoffs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/glu-mobile-closes-brazil-office-washington-and-california-studi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/glu-mobile-closes-brazil-office-washington-and-california-studi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/glu-mobile-closes-brazil-office-washington-and-california-studi/#comments Glu Mobile restructures, closes Brazil office, layoffs in WA, CAGlu Mobile, the developers behind mobile versions of Guitar Hero and Call of Duty: Black Ops, has announced that it is closing its San Paulo, Brazil office and laying off employees in Kirkland, Washington, and San Francisco, California.

A statement from the company says that it needs to hold its research and development investments flat over the next year, and to do that, changes are being made. Twenty-five percent of the Kirkland office and 5% of the San Francisco office are being let go today as part of the restructuring process.

Glu's plan is to add "the necessary monetization and server-side research-and-development resources" to the company's existing titles, and "focus on increasing average revenue per daily active user company-wide." More monetization and more revenue per daily active user should help turn the company's financial future around, though game quality often suffers when those two elements are focused on. Joystiq hopes affected employees land on their feet soon.

JoystiqGlu Mobile closes Brazil office; Washington and California studios hit with layoffs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidcall-of-duty-black-opsfiringglu-mobileguitar-herogun-brosiosiphonelayoffsmobileportssan-franciscosuper-ko-boxing-2washingtonThu, 15 Nov 2012 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony: Vita won't repeat PSP's port-heavy lineup]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/sony-vita-wont-repeat-psps-port-heavy-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/sony-vita-wont-repeat-psps-port-heavy-lineup/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/12/sony-vita-wont-repeat-psps-port-heavy-lineup/#comments Sony PSP was overrun with ports, won't repeat mistake on VitaThe Vita's sales pitch - "console-like" games in a mobile device - mirrors that of the PSP when it first launched, admits John Koller, Sony Marketing VP for handhelds and consoles. The Vita, however, has learned from the PSP's failures.

"The issue that happened with PSP is we got overrun with ports," Koller tells Gamasutra. "It became very difficult for us to define what made PSP unique. The content development became a bit unstructured or decentralized, in that we got a lot of content that was on PlayStation 2 and got thrown over to the handheld."

Sony is recommending publishers create unique content for the Vita, citing Ubisoft with Assassin's Creed 3: Liberation or Activision with Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, rather than ports.

"The messaging is similar [between PSP and PS Vita], but I think the output is going to be quite different," Koller says.

JoystiqSony: Vita won't repeat PSP's port-heavy lineup originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Activisionassassins-creed-3-liberationblack-ops-declassifiedplaystationplaystation-vitaportspspsonyUbisoftvitaWed, 12 Sep 2012 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Current gen consoles 'can't cope' with traditional Total War]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/31/current-gen-consoles-cant-cope-with-traditional-total-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/31/current-gen-consoles-cant-cope-with-traditional-total-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/31/current-gen-consoles-cant-cope-with-traditional-total-war/#comments Creative Assembly's Mike Simpson says the popular Total War series of strategy games wouldn't work on the current console generation, just in terms of hardware requirements. "They don't have enough memory, by a large factor," Simpson tells Eurogamer. The audience for console games tends to be a little more action-oriented and a little less strategy focused, and the experiences are very different as well, he asserts. But there's hope yet, "for all sorts of reasons."

The user interface is another issue, according to Simpson, but it's fixable through solid game design. While he doesn't mention the Total War version coming to iOS, that's definitely a clear indicator that the game can work on platforms other than PC. And Simpson says that despite the differences, Creative Assembly has some "very clever ideas" on adapting its popular strategy games for the next wave of consoles and the pick-up-and-play style that go along with them.

JoystiqCurrent gen consoles 'can't cope' with traditional Total War originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>creative-assemblymicrosoftmike-simpsonpcplaystationportsps3shogun-2-total-warstrategytotal-warxboxSat, 31 Mar 2012 02:30:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/05/thq-ceo-playstation-move-project-natal-games-shouldnt-be-ports/#commentsDuring an earnings conference call today, THQ CEO Brian Farrell told investors and press not to expect the publisher to release ports of its existing games for Project Natal or PlayStation Move. "What you will not see is porting of games to Natal, or I don't think you should see that," he said. "I think they should be specific, standalone game experiences that exploit that very new and significant technology. And the Move is the same way: You've got to do something unique and not just an add-on with respect to that platform."

Later in the call, however, Farrell did not entirely rule out ports of Wii games for PlayStation Move. When asked about the possibility of "Moving" games like De Blob (future iterations of which have been confirmed as multiplatform), Farrell said that THQ would "take advantage where we can in terms of development environments [and] take advantage of technology we already have," though he noted that because of the HD capabilities of the Xbox 360 and PS3, "just porting over those assets doesn't work." We'll see what THQ is developing with the new technologies next month, as Farrell said, "you'll like what we show at E3."

Even without porting, Farrell said that development costs for Natal and Move games were lower than on traditional games, "because, again, it's not about the technology, but it's about the gameplay." The big draw for Natal titles, he said, is the "interaction with digital objects." Farrell even alluded to passing the savings on to the consumer, rather than defaulting to a $60 retail price for future HD motion games published by THQ. He said that the company is "still deliberating internally on that" and "may not even announce those launch prices until much closer to the launch" of the games.

JoystiqTHQ CEO: Move & Natal games shouldn't be ports originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 19:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brian-farrellde-blobMicrosoftmovenatalNintendoplaystation-moveportsproject-natalWiiXbox-360Wed, 05 May 2010 19:50:00 EST<![CDATA[iPhone plays Doom, but what about Doom 3?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/iphone-plays-doom-but-what-about-doom-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/iphone-plays-doom-but-what-about-doom-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/05/iphone-plays-doom-but-what-about-doom-3/#comments id Software's John Carmack estimates that the iPhone version of iconic first-person shooter Doom took "maybe six weeks of serious work" to come together. Borrowing time -- and an artist -- the prolific programmer managed to assemble a port that, according to a recent VentureBeat interview, "plays great on every iPod Touch and iPhone ever made." But what if he focused effort on the iPhone 3GS, the latest and more powerful variant of Apple's killer app-platform?

"I think we could do the real Xbox Doom 3 game on a 3GS if we targeted it exclusively," Carmack notes. "That is pushing it a bit. You could probably get that kind of visual fidelity." And here we thought portable devices were only good for recording spooky audio logs and unlocking doors within exploding barrel research laboratories.

JoystiqiPhone plays Doom, but what about Doom 3? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionAppleDoomDoom-3FPSId-SoftwareiPodjohn-carmackMicrosoftportsXboxThu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Capcom adapting next-gen MT Framework for Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/rumor-capcom-adapting-next-gen-mt-framework-for-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/rumor-capcom-adapting-next-gen-mt-framework-for-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/rumor-capcom-adapting-next-gen-mt-framework-for-wii/#commentsWe're marking this as a rumor due to the third-hand nature of it: Andriasang summarized an article on Inside-Games about a Nikkei Industrial article (phew), which states that Capcom is working on bringing an engine designed for PS3 and Xbox 360 to Wii, to save time and money. This is likely the MT Framework that drives the majority of Capcom's works including the Lost Planet series and Resident Evil 5.

Nikkei reports that simultaneous development of games across the platforms could cut 1/5 off of Capcom's development costs, and 1/3 off development time. The inclusion of those stats makes it seem like Capcom is eyeing simultaneous development of 360, PS3, and Wii games rather than Wii ports. That approach should end in better results than the "hand the game to TOSE and forget about it" approach.

JoystiqRumor: Capcom adapting next-gen MT Framework for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomenginemt-frameworkNintendoportsWiiTue, 27 Oct 2009 16:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Piracy discourages future PixelJunk PSP port plans]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/piracy-discourages-future-pixeljunk-psp-port-plans/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/piracy-discourages-future-pixeljunk-psp-port-plans/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/19/piracy-discourages-future-pixeljunk-psp-port-plans/#comments
Q-Games president Dylan Cuthbert has suggested that rampant piracy of his studio's optimized PSP port, PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (PJMD), has deterred its plans for further PSP development. "I don't think we'll port anything else to the PSP, we have to see how PJMD does as there's a *lot* of piracy," Cuthbert tweeted over the weekend. Perhaps constrained by character limitations or simply caught up in another Uncharted 2 sesh, Cuthbert did not cite piracy estimates -- nor sales figures, for that matter. He did, however, confirm a demo is in the works; "but I don't think it makes any difference to piracy," Cuthbert lamented.

Cuthbert added in a follow-up tweet, "because Monsters is such a good fit it is being pirated I think," and then he responded to a suggestion to incorporate anti-piracy measures into the game code with: "unfortunately the pirates could just hack those kinds of things out." While the PSP Go has yet to be fully unlocked by would-be pirates and download-only PSN titles seem to be well protected from piracy, PJMD is available on UMD (in Japan and the greater Asia region), which has no doubt lead to the distribution of pirated versions of the game.

While it's somewhat naive of Q-Games to not have anticipated a piracy issue, it's no less disheartening. The PSP has long suffered from a lack of consistent third-party support because of a history of sales losses due to piracy. Q-Games is just the latest developer hesitant to commit further resources to supporting the PSP platform, and without the release of an impossibility firm firmware, it won't be the last.

Update: Cuthbert reemphasizes that PJMD sales will be the key determining factor that drives Q-Games' future in PSP development. Cuthbert's studio has not definitely dropped PSP development, but ostensibly low sales over the first three weeks of PJMD availability have Q-Games in some doubt about pursuing further PSP projects. Of course, a sales spike could certainly change that attitude.

[Via Examiner; thanks, Marcus N.]

JoystiqPiracy discourages future PixelJunk PSP port plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dylan-cuthbertpiracypixeljunkpixeljunk-monsterspixeljunk-monsters-deluxepjmdportsq-gamesMon, 19 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Konami pitches Power Pro franchise to iPhone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/konami-pitches-power-pro-franchise-to-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/konami-pitches-power-pro-franchise-to-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/17/konami-pitches-power-pro-franchise-to-iphone/#comments
Click image to dust off more screens
Konami's long-running Power Pro series (known as Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū in Japan) has hit the iPhone. Known for its implementation of light RPG elements and memorable character style, it's one of Japan's longest-running gaming series, and for $3.99, you can now have that experience on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

This version features six different teams to choose from and offers a variety of ways to customize the baseball experience. Players can alter variables such as the number of innings played in each game, as well as how many games will comprise the season. Slide into our gallery below to check out some screens.

Download Power Pros Touch for the iPhone/iPod Touch ($3.99) POWER PROS TOUCH

Gallery: Power Pros Touch

JoystiqKonami pitches Power Pro franchise to iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleiPodkonamiportspower-pro-baseballpower-prospower-pros-touchFri, 17 Jul 2009 01:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Radical job listings might hint at Wii Prototype port]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/radical-job-listings-might-hint-at-prototype-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/radical-job-listings-might-hint-at-prototype-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/13/radical-job-listings-might-hint-at-prototype-port/#comments
We're doing our best not to let our imaginations run away with this, so here are the facts: As superannuation recently noticed, Radical Entertainment is looking for a Wii designer with an "affinity for 3rd Person 'Open-World' Camera Design/Functionality" and a Wii programmer to "take game features from concept to execution for a port of a 360/PS3 game to the Wii."

Now, we'd like to think that this is an indication that Radical's bringing upcoming open-world action game, Prototype, to the Wii. Considering the company's track record, however, there's every chance that this is for another Crash game. Less depressingly, the listing could also be recruiting for an unconfirmed Spider-Man game. Not as juicy as Prototype, but hey, at least it's not Crash. What are you hoping for?

Source -- Senior Wii Programmer (Systems & Rendering)
Source -- Wii Gameplay Designer

JoystiqRadical job listings might hint at Wii Prototype port originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 May 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncrashNintendoportsprototyperadicalradical-entertainmentWiiWed, 13 May 2009 10:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Dark Sector PC port coming to US]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/05/dark-sector-pc-port-coming-to-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/05/dark-sector-pc-port-coming-to-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/02/05/dark-sector-pc-port-coming-to-us/#comments
OK, we're going to drop something on you right now, and it may be a little hard for some of you stuffed-shirt critic types to hear: Dark Sector was rad. Not great, not perfect, rad. You were a half cyborg and you ran around throwing an electric murder plate at bad guys. If every video game, movie and American-made car had a slice of that kind of magic, our economy wouldn't be in the dumper, and you can take that to the bank.

So, when we tell you that we're excited to learn that a PC port of the game is finally coming to the U.S. of A, you'll know why we're absolutely thrilled. Now, if we can just get Detroit to make glaives standard features on the 2010 models ...

JoystiqDark Sector PC port coming to US originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dark-sectordigital-extremespcportsThu, 05 Feb 2009 11:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Safecracker to open on Wii this fall]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/safecracker-to-open-on-wii-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/safecracker-to-open-on-wii-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/safecracker-to-open-on-wii-this-fall/#commentsFiled under: ,


It'll come as no surprise to fans that the Wii has sort of a dual nature. On the one hand, it's a platform for some of the most imaginative, creative titles to be released on consoles, but, on the other, it's the Statue of Liberty for ports, accepting the tired, the poor and all of the huddled masses freely. This fall, Lady Wiiberty will open her arms once more for Safecracker, a port of the 2006 PC puzzle adventure.

But this is no mere straight port, there are significant changes from its PC counterpart. For example, at $29.99, it will be $20 more expensive than on Steam. Also ... nope, actually that's it.

JoystiqSafecracker to open on Wii this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventure-companyportssafecrackerWiiTue, 24 Jun 2008 14:57:00 EST<![CDATA[First screens of 'The Incredible Hulk' on Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/see-the-first-screens-from-incredible-hulk-on-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/see-the-first-screens-from-incredible-hulk-on-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/07/see-the-first-screens-from-incredible-hulk-on-wii/#commentsFiled under: ,


True story: We were originally going to call this post "The Incredible Hulk on Wii looks like The Incredible Hulk on 360 and PS3, but worse," but we realized that if we did that, we would be hitting the nail so squarely on the head that we wouldn't have anything to say in the actual post. So ... these screenshots from The Incredible Hulk on Wii look like the ones from The Incredible Hulk on 360 and PS3, but, you know, worse.

Looks aside, all we actually want from the Wii version is really good Wiimote implementation, like being able to slam both 'mote and 'chuk down at the same time and destroy everything within a city block. Don't worry, we're not holding our breath. Check out all the screens below, we've added the next gen pics after the jump for your comparing pleasure.

Gallery: The Incredible Hulk (Wii)

Continue reading First screens of 'The Incredible Hulk' on Wii

JoystiqFirst screens of 'The Incredible Hulk' on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hulkportssegathe-incredible-hulkWiiMon, 07 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Gameloft phoning in more WiiWare ports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gameloft-phoning-in-more-wiiware-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gameloft-phoning-in-more-wiiware-ports/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/31/gameloft-phoning-in-more-wiiware-ports/#commentsFiled under: ,


Well, actually, they're remaking cell phone games, but the title kinda works. We actually approve of the population of the WiiWare service with new games from anybody. Mobile developer Gameloft has announced three more WiiWare games in addition to Block Breaker Deluxe. TV Show King is actually an original made-for-WiiWare quiz show game. Midnight Pool and Midnight Bowling are, well, pool and bowling games that use motion controls. Gameloft intends to release games in Japan, Europe, and the U.S.

TV Show King sounds like a great idea to us -- a trivia game with a low barrier to entry (price). We could totally see ourselves downloading something like that while bored some night or in preparation for a party or something.

[Via Siliconera]

JoystiqGameloft phoning in more WiiWare ports originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>block-breaker-deluxebowlingbreakoutgameloftmidnight-bowlingmidnight-poolpoolportstv-show-kingMon, 31 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Rockstar working 'around the clock' to quell 360's Bully issues]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/rockstar-working-around-the-clock-to-quell-360s-bully-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/rockstar-working-around-the-clock-to-quell-360s-bully-issues/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/06/rockstar-working-around-the-clock-to-quell-360s-bully-issues/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Having forked over their precious lunch money to recent current-gen graduate, Bully: Scholarship Edition, some Xbox 360 owners have expressed dissatisfaction with the game's technical performance. Though it's unclear whether the issues are widespread, several forum users have noted unsteady framerates, audio glitches and freezing within Rockstar's school daze sim.

The company has issued a statement in response to online complaints, vowing to work "around the clock to rectify this situation." A "horrifed" Rockstar president, Sam Houser, pinned the blame on "some older 360s," explaining that none of the technical issues occurred during the game's QA phase. "We would never shove anything out the door - we never have and never will," said Houser. "We apologise to everyone affected for the inconvenience."

JoystiqRockstar working 'around the clock' to quell 360's Bully issues originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BullyBully-Scholarship-EditionGlitchesPortsPS2RockstarTake-TwoWiiXbox-360Thu, 06 Mar 2008 07:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters set for March PS2 release]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/ratchet-and-clank-size-matters-set-for-march-ps2-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/ratchet-and-clank-size-matters-set-for-march-ps2-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/21/ratchet-and-clank-size-matters-set-for-march-ps2-release/#commentsFiled under: , ,


As was rumored in December of last year, the pint-sized version of Ratchet & Clank is set to make the leap from the PlayStation Portable to the PlayStation Not Very Portable But Considerably More Lucrative. Though ongoing publisher trends suggests the journey to the PS2 is less of a leap and more of a thoughtless sleep rollover, Size Matters' transition had yet to be confirmed outside of a retailer listing.

Shacknews now reports that a recent PlayStation Underground e-mail confirmed the impending port, noting a March 2008 release. Though Sony hasn't officially announced it yet, it seems only prudent to place the game in as many hands as possible. Perhaps they'll even get Miyamoto to play this one.

JoystiqRatchet & Clank: Size Matters set for March PS2 release originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BreakingNewsPlatformerPortsPS2PSPRatchet-and-ClankRatchetandClankSCEASize-MattersSizeMattersSony-Computer-Entertainment-AmericaMon, 21 Jan 2008 21:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Atlus goes dungeon crawling for the Wii, PS2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/atlus-goes-dungeon-crawling-for-the-wii-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/atlus-goes-dungeon-crawling-for-the-wii-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/atlus-goes-dungeon-crawling-for-the-wii-ps2/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When the chips are down and creativity's glass feels half empty, we know we can always look to the mavericks at Atlus to come up with something just a hair shy of normal for an experience that is, if anything, unique. With surgery sim Trauma Center: New Blood's release sewn up and a pair of Japanese-style strategy RPGs for the Xbox 360 on the way, Atlus is one of the last remaining 'garage bands' of video game publishing.

Now the company has announced its next project, namely a dungeon crawl-style action RPG called Baroque, describing the game as "hardcore" and "a pure RPG experience" for both the mini-game addled Wii and aging PS2. With an art style that is all its own, Baroque is set for release on both consoles in February, and is a remake of Japanese dev Sting's Saturn/PlayStation original, no doubt throwing yet another log on the fire for those weary of the Wii's growing catalog of last-gen ports. For us, we're just more interested in finding out what a trek through a post-apocalyptic dungeon has to do with excessively intricate art. Color us intrigued.

JoystiqAtlus goes dungeon crawling for the Wii, PS2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atlusbaroquedungeon crawldungeon-crawlDungeonCrawlnicheportsPS2PSonesaturnstingWiiThu, 13 Dec 2007 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: PSP Silent Hill being ported to PS2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/rumor-psp-silent-hill-being-ported-to-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/rumor-psp-silent-hill-being-ported-to-ps2/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/11/rumor-psp-silent-hill-being-ported-to-ps2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


So get this: Konami made a (by most accounts) pretty good game called Silent Hill Origins for the PSP, and according to a Kotaku tipster, the company will be moving the game to the PS2 in March 2008! Making a port of a decent game from a well-regarded franchise for a system with 120 million units sold worldwide, can you believe it? ... Yes, so can we.

As we said, this hasn't been confirmed by Konami, but it seems like one of two things would be happening right now. Either they are porting SHO to the PS2, or they've seen this story on the internet, fired the guy in charge of thinking of things like this and are in the preliminary stages of porting SHO to the PS2. Either way, we'd bet that you'll hear more about it soon.

JoystiqRumor: PSP Silent Hill being ported to PS2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>konamiportsps2pspsilent-hillsilent-hill-originssilenthillTue, 11 Dec 2007 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[How Okami got to the Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/how-okami-got-to-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/how-okami-got-to-the-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/16/how-okami-got-to-the-wii/#commentsFiled under:


Christian Svensson, Capcom's VP of Strategic Planning and Business Development, posted on the Capcom blog about the process by which a PS2 non-starter ended up being earmarked for a high-profile Wii port. Really, it makes total sense to people like us, but on the face of it, porting a poor-selling game like Okami is kind of strange business.

But as Svensson tells it, the Okami Wii port is born almost entirely out of fan demand. After seeing the outcry for a Wii version (before, during, and after the original game's release), Svensson started discussing the idea with Capcom in Japan. They realized that a release of the game on a system that was not at the end of its lifecycle may do better, and decided it may be a good move to give Clover's adventure another shot.

We love getting to look behind the curtain a bit at the inner workings of game companies. The post actually goes into a bit of detail about dealing with Ready at Dawn and the state of Okami's code.

JoystiqHow Okami got to the Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurecapcomokamiportsps2Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Capcom ensures a port-filled future with RE4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/capcom-ensures-a-port-filled-future-with-re4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/capcom-ensures-a-port-filled-future-with-re4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/30/capcom-ensures-a-port-filled-future-with-re4/#commentsFiled under:


Capcom released a statement today congratulating themselves for the awesome sales of their Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. They claim to have shipped over one million copies of the survival-horror game worldwide. Of course, 'shipped' does not mean 'sold', but we can at least assume that the majority of these discs have found their way into homes, unless Capcom 'shipped' a few hundred thousand copies into their own Sales Inflation Warehouse.

This should remove any lingering doubt as to the motivation behind the Okami port, since Capcom has discovered that old games can do excellent business on the Wii, while saving on annoying costs like development. We should look forward to the inevitable rush of PS2 and Wii ports, as companies mine every old game that seems the least bit viable. And also Ninjabread Man.

JoystiqCapcom ensures a port-filled future with RE4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomportsre4resident-evil-4salesTue, 30 Oct 2007 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Secret Collect. reveals itself on the DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/secret-collect-reveals-itself-on-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/secret-collect-reveals-itself-on-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/secret-collect-reveals-itself-on-the-ds/#commentsFiled under:

Just when you think we've established what the Nintendo DS is capable of graphics-wise, homebrew developer Phillip Bradbury comes along and smashes those preconceptions with a Videlectrix port for the ages. If you thought Population: Tire shook the scene with its innovative touchscreen controls, prepare to be brought to your knees by Secret Collect. Epic in every sense of the word, this remake is half Indiana Jones, half God of War The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time:

"The greatest secrets man has ever known have been scattered all over the globe and its [sic] your job to find them."

Homestar Runner's Strong Bad stars in the game, represented by a magnificently detailed, red square. You'll navigate the agile hero through fifteen blocky mazes and collect yellow squares to advance to the next spine-tingling level. Picking up the blue power-ups (also squares) will boost your speed, keeping you ahead of the labyrinths' treacherous monsters -- so treacherous, they're invisible to the naked eye!

The original Flash version is also available online for those of you who either lack the tools to play homebrew games or don't have enough room on your hard drive for the 18KB download.

JoystiqSecret Collect. reveals itself on the DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsflashhomebrewmazenintendonintendo dsNintendoDsportportsROMsecret collectsecret collect.SecretCollectSecretCollect.strong badStrongBadvidelectrixviidelectrixMon, 16 Jul 2007 19:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Rygar screens: remember the game for the first time]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/rygar-screens-remember-the-game-for-the-first-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/rygar-screens-remember-the-game-for-the-first-time/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/16/rygar-screens-remember-the-game-for-the-first-time/#commentsFiled under: ,


We liked Rygar: The Legendary Adventure enough to want to at least look at the Wii version. We hate to admit it and indirectly support port-dumping, but messing with the yo-yo-like Diskarmor was pretty neat on a regular controller, and we kind of think it mightb be worth trying with the Wiimote. Famitsu uploaded some new screenshots of the game, all of which highlight the bizarre and absolutely non-Rygar-like character design.

Famitsu actually found the new content in the game, outlining the new Wiimote-based "Muscle Mode," a battle arena where you slice tons of monsters with your Diskarmor using motion controls. You can slam the Diskarmor into the ground, generating a quake. You can also swing it around horizontally and create a sonic boom, or perform a sort of Diskarmor stab in which the Diskarmor shoots directly forward at high speed.

JoystiqRygar screens: remember the game for the first time originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>legendary adventureLegendaryAdventuremusclemuscle modeMuscleModeportportsrygartecmoMon, 16 Jul 2007 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mazes of Fate getting ported from GBA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/mazes-of-fate-getting-ported-from-gba/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/mazes-of-fate-getting-ported-from-gba/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/13/mazes-of-fate-getting-ported-from-gba/#commentsFiled under: ,

We're pretty inured to this kind of thing on the Wii, although we still enjoy getting outraged about it now and then. But now we're starting to see last-gen ports on the DS! Sure, we have the Phoenix Wright games already, but they totally get a pass since the ports are new to the US and Europe.

RPGLand reports that Mazes of Fate, the first-person dungeon crawler developed by Argentina's Sabarasa Entertainment, is being prepared for a DS release by publisher Signature Devices and their in-house developer Graffiti Entertainment. Unlike Phoenix Wright, the GBA version of Mazes of Fate did come out in the US-- in December of last year. The DS is a good system for dungeon games, with its map-displaying second screen, and Graffiti is adding new dungeons, characters, and some touch-screen stuff. If you don't already have the game, this is the one to get. Or if you have a DS Lite and you get really embarrassed about the GBA protuberance.

JoystiqMazes of Fate getting ported from GBA originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crawlerdungeonfategbamazesmazes of fateMazesOfFateportportssabarasaFri, 13 Jul 2007 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Project Rygar not as big a project as we thought]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/12/project-rygar-not-as-big-a-project-as-we-thought/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/12/project-rygar-not-as-big-a-project-as-we-thought/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/07/12/project-rygar-not-as-big-a-project-as-we-thought/#commentsFiled under:

We were very excited about the prospect of a new Rygar game on the Wii. Whipping the Diskarmor around sounds like one of those things that would naturally be perfect for the Wiimote. And we thought, based on the brand-new character art and the title-- Project Rygar-- that we were in for some big new stuff. After all, if it's a "Project," that means it's a pretty intensive undertaking, right? One that takes a lot of time and effort on Tecmo's part?

Yeah, it's a port of the PS2 game Rygar: The Legendary Adventure. The one from 2002. That's a little depressing! But hey, if it helps, the PS2 game was a fairly competent Devil May Cry-alike. And Tecmo is promising new content in the form of the newly-designed main character and, more significantly, a new Wiimote-friendly battle mode.



[Via NeoGAF]


JoystiqProject Rygar not as big a project as we thought originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diskarmornintendo wiiNintendoWiiportportsproject rygarProjectRygarps2rygartecmowiiThu, 12 Jul 2007 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Trade in your old ports for a new port]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/trade-in-your-old-ports-for-a-new-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/trade-in-your-old-ports-for-a-new-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/trade-in-your-old-ports-for-a-new-port/#commentsFiled under:



If you're lucky enough to have a Hastings store nearby, the entertainment retailer is offering to exchange your moth-eaten copies of Super Paper Mario or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for a waggle-fied edition of Resident Evil 4. They'll also accept Rainbow Six Vegas (360) and God of War II (PS2), but not without scowling at you first.

According to the rest of Hastings's weekly ad, there's a buy-1-get-2nd-for-free sale on body jewelry, so be on the look out for that deal too! Put away the other two RE4 games you've already bought for previous platforms, throw on a shirt that shows off your belly-button-ringed midriff, and check past the post break for the full flyer.

Continue reading Trade in your old ports for a new port

JoystiqTrade in your old ports for a new port originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jun 2007 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdealdealsexchangehastingslegend of zeldaLegendOfZeldanintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiipaper marioPaperMarioportportsre4resident evil 4ResidentEvil4spmsuper paper marioSuperPaperMariothe legend of zeldaTheLegendOfZeldatptradetwilight princessTwilightPrincesswiizeldaFri, 22 Jun 2007 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Adventure game Secret Files: Tunguska coming to Wii, DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/12/adventure-game-secret-files-tunguska-coming-to-wii-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/12/adventure-game-secret-files-tunguska-coming-to-wii-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/12/adventure-game-secret-files-tunguska-coming-to-wii-ds/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Distributor Koch Media announced today the point and click adventure title Secret Files: Tunguska is coming to both Wii and DS systems. According to the studios handling the development, 10TACLE for the Wii and Keen Games for the DS, Secret Files is "a perfect-match" for each platform's unique control schemes. The DS port will be out later this year with the Wii version following Q1 2008. The PC version of Secret Files is already at-large.

The adventure genre has struggled to maintain its presence on consoles and handhelds in recent years. The DS has revived the scene with Phoenix Wright, Trace Memory, Hotel Dusk, and the upcoming Myst DS. Secret Files will be the first traditional adventure game for the Wii. Could motion-sensitive controls shock a little life into players' interest in the genre?

JoystiqAdventure game Secret Files: Tunguska coming to Wii, DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10tacleadventuredsindependentindiekeengameskochmediapcpointandclickportswiiTue, 12 Jun 2007 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision tries to one-up Ubisoft at being sorry]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/activision-tries-to-one-up-ubisoft-at-being-sorry/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/activision-tries-to-one-up-ubisoft-at-being-sorry/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/01/activision-tries-to-one-up-ubisoft-at-being-sorry/#commentsFiled under:

Yesterday we reported that Ubisoft owned up to their lazy Wii ports. Today, Activision CEO Robert Kotick reminded Next-Gen.biz readers that his company was dumping ports on Nintendo systems before it was cool.

Konick admitted that the GameCube was a "non-strategic platform" for them, which meant that they couldn't be bothered to put significant effort into it. But now that the Wii is huge, they're putting more attention into Nintendo releases. Like Guitar Hero: "There probably is no better product to take advantage of the capabilities of the Wii than Guitar Hero."

But ... isn't Guitar Hero probably going to be a port of some kind? Or if it's not, why develop a Wii-specific version? And how is a game that requires a specialized controller going to take advantage of the capabilities of the Wii, when most of the capabilities are tied to the system's standard controller? Isn't this exactly the kind of thing that was the problem before?

JoystiqActivision tries to one-up Ubisoft at being sorry originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionguitarguitar heroGuitarHeroheronintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiiportsubisoftwiiFri, 01 Jun 2007 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft on Ubiports: 'We made mistakes']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/31/ubisoft-on-ubiports-we-made-mistakes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/31/ubisoft-on-ubiports-we-made-mistakes/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/31/ubisoft-on-ubiports-we-made-mistakes/#commentsFiled under:

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, speaking to Spiegel magazine, candidly (yet indirectly) revealed that he believed that some of his company's Wii releases were less than perfect. No, not Red Steel. Guillemot was referring to the spate of ports that Ubisoft released to fill out their lineup.

Regarding the hasty ports (games such as Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, Far Cry: Vengeance, and Monster 4x4 World Circuit), Guillemot said that "We made mistakes." Ubisoft admitting to overporting? Between this and weird releases like My Word Coach, Ubi seems like a whole new company!

JoystiqUbisoft on Ubiports: 'We made mistakes' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 May 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4x4coachfarcrymonstermy word coachMyWordCoachnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiipersiaportsprinceubisoftwiiwordThu, 31 May 2007 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Homebrew Warlords invades the DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/02/homebrew-warlords-invades-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/02/homebrew-warlords-invades-the-ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/02/homebrew-warlords-invades-the-ds/#commentsFiled under: ,

Though we hate to think of the Nintendo DS as a system overrun with ports of old games, we won't raise any arguments when those ports consist of PC classics. Homebrew developer Beathwho has started work on bringing over a DS version of Warlords, one of the finest turn-based strategy titles to hit home computers in the early 90s. If you've played Puzzle Quest, then you're already familiar with the series' fantasy world of Etheria.

With Infinite Interactive already planning a commercial release of Warlords 2 for the DS, we can't imagine that they'd be too happy seeing games from their franchise put out for free. Still, it's great to see someone deliver these old favorites to our handhelds. Now all we need are ports of X-Com and Civilization!

[Via PAlib]

JoystiqHomebrew Warlords invades the DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2007 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beatwhodshomebrewinfiniteinteractivenintendonintendodspcportportspuzzlequestwarlordswarlords2warlordsdsWed, 02 May 2007 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Warm Up: Check out this RE4 boxart]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/29/wii-warm-up-check-out-this-re4-boxart/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/29/wii-warm-up-check-out-this-re4-boxart/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/29/wii-warm-up-check-out-this-re4-boxart/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Not so much a discussion topic today as it is a directed viewing. This is the boxart for the European release of Resident Evil 4. It's basically the PAL PS2 boxart, but white instead of red.

We are now totally okay with the tacked-on waggle controls, and the fact that it's a Wii port of a game that is two years old and can already be played on Wii, because it's got really nice boxart. We're not even being sarcastic. Too bad about the "Wii Edition" thing, but we'll look past that. So what's your opinion? Awesome boxart, or totally awesome boxart?

JoystiqWii Warm Up: Check out this RE4 boxart originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomeuropeevilnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiipalportportsre4residentresident evilResidentEvilwiiwwuSun, 29 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New games this week: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/new-games-this-week-pokemon-diamond-pearl-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/new-games-this-week-pokemon-diamond-pearl-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/23/new-games-this-week-pokemon-diamond-pearl-edition/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Even if you have no proclivity to catch 'em all, you'd have to admit that Pokemans are holding down the fort this week. At least they're not ports, which is more than you can say for the big three. Besides all that, the kids just love 'em.

Gallery: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl



Nintendo DS:
  • Pokemon Diamond
  • Pokemon Pearl
  • SNK vs. Capcom Card Fighters
  • Devilish

Continue reading New games this week: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl edition

JoystiqNew games this week: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DSlotrnewgamespokemonportsPS3WiiXbox-360Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Wii Warm Up: Superfluous waggle]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/07/wii-warm-up-superfluous-waggle/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/07/wii-warm-up-superfluous-waggle/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/07/wii-warm-up-superfluous-waggle/#commentsFiled under: ,

Some games, like the ubiquitous Wii Sports, use the Wiimote's space-age technology to closely map real motion into gameplay. This is generally regarded as "neat" and accepted by the masses, who run off to show their grandparents.

Other games, like the upcoming port of Resident Evil 4, make no such attempt to represent physical motion as virtual motion (outside of the new knife controls). In fact, some of the motion controls seem to be simulating button presses. Case in point, reloading requires you to hold B and shake the Wiimote. That's hardly more representative of the action of reloading a gun than pushing a button, or even going into a menu.

We sort of revealed how we felt there, but this isn't about us. It's about you. How does non-representative motion control affect you? Is it still fun to waggle, even when you're waggling abstractly?

JoystiqWii Warm Up: Superfluous waggle originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biohazardcapcomevilnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiiportportsre4residentresidentevilresidentevil4wagglewiiwwuSat, 07 Apr 2007 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Famitsu reveals Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, confirms RE4 port [update 1]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/famitsu-reveals-resident-evil-umbrella-chronicles-confirms-re4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/famitsu-reveals-resident-evil-umbrella-chronicles-confirms-re4/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/04/famitsu-reveals-resident-evil-umbrella-chronicles-confirms-re4/#commentsFiled under:


[Update 1: fixed the name of the DS game. Thanks, SnesR0X, and no thanks to the many similar DS-game subtitles!]

It's been a while since we had a directed blurry-Famitsu-picture staredown, and this one is, as usual, totally worth staring at. Famitsu printed a long-awaited look at Capcom's Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, the Wii-exclusive RE-series-spanning game.

According to the article, it's a first-person gun shooting game with playable characters from past REs including Chris, Jill, Wesker, and others. Whether it's a true FPS or an on-rails affair like Resident Evil: Dead Aim remains to be seen.

Also in Famitsu was confirmation that Resident Evil 4 is getting an enhanced Wii release. Rumor has it that all the PS2 extras will be included, but the only definite is an added Wiimote-controlled knife mode. Sounds like RE Deadly Silence on the DS.

[Thanks, zshadow!]

Continue reading Famitsu reveals Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, confirms RE4 port [update 1]

JoystiqFamitsu reveals Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, confirms RE4 port [update 1] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>biohazardcapcomchroniclesevifpsnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiiportportsre4residentresident evilResidentEvilresidentevil4reucsurvivalhorrorumbrellawiizombiesWed, 04 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[EBGames says Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition on the way]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/ebgames-says-resident-evil-4-wii-edition-on-the-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/ebgames-says-resident-evil-4-wii-edition-on-the-way/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/29/ebgames-says-resident-evil-4-wii-edition-on-the-way/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to a preorder listing found on EBGames' website, a new Wii version of Resident Evil 4 will be released on June 25th for $30. While we don't have any details on it, other than that EB thinks it exists, we can speculate about what it will include: the PS2 extras, if we're lucky, and a new Wiimote control scheme.

It seems a little shocking that companies are already porting Gamecube games to the Wii, although Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at the prospect back in August. We can't wait to see how one of the Gamecube's most impressive games benefits from the power of a second, taped-on Gamecube.

[Via GoNintendo]

JoystiqEBGames says Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition on the way originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomevilnintendonintendo wiiNintendoWiiportportsre4residentwiiThu, 29 Mar 2007 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hoshigami Remix turns to the US]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/26/hoshigami-remix-turns-to-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/26/hoshigami-remix-turns-to-the-us/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/26/hoshigami-remix-turns-to-the-us/#commentsFiled under:


The DS remake of the Playstation strategy game Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth is headed to the US as Hoshigami Remix, published by Aksys Games. According to the announcement, the game is getting a ton of new content, including a new character, new missions, and redrawn art, plus the most welcome addition: three difficulty levels. Of course, there's also a new control scheme, but that's part and parcel with being a DS game.

Aksys is aiming for a summer release at $29.99. Localizing an RPG and releasing it just a few months after the Japanese release seems pretty ambitious for a company that's only released one game (Eagle Eye Golf on the PS2) and no text-heavy RPG's. We're impressed by their confidence!

[Via Insert Credit]

JoystiqHoshigami Remix turns to the US originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atlusdsds liteDsLitehoshigamilitenintendonintendo dsnintendodsplaystationportsrpgrtsstrategyMon, 26 Mar 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Agatha Christie adventure game to mysteriously appear on Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/agatha-christie-adventure-game-to-mysteriously-appear-on-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/agatha-christie-adventure-game-to-mysteriously-appear-on-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/20/agatha-christie-adventure-game-to-mysteriously-appear-on-wii/#commentsFiled under:


Seems like everyone finally picked up on the idea to port their PC adventure games to the Wii! Console players are starved enough for pointing and clicking that we'll gladly take leftovers. The Adventure Company has announced that Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, an adaptation of a novel of the same name ("The World's Best Selling Mystery Novel," according to the game's website), will be released on the Wii in November.

Maybe a game based on the work of a popular mainstream author will bring the Wii even more attention from the non-traditional audience that Nintendo's after. And then we'd see an adventure boom like the one we're experiencing with minigames! Okay, maybe not-- but maybe it'll at least be kind of fun?

JoystiqAgatha Christie adventure game to mysteriously appear on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventureadventurecompanyadventuregameadventuregamesagathachristiemysterynintendonintendo wiinintendowiipcportswiiTue, 20 Mar 2007 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP getting ports from new sources]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/21/sources-for-psp-ports-changing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/21/sources-for-psp-ports-changing/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/21/sources-for-psp-ports-changing/#comments


It's no secret that the PSP (as with any system) gets ports of games from other consoles. Most of the ports to PSP logically come from the PlayStation 2. But all that is starting to change. With the PS3 on the rise and the PS2 on the decline, PSP is starting to get ports from some unexpected places.

The DS has many a game that it's shared with the GBA, but recently it seems like more and more GBA games are jumping over to Sony's portable. The most obvious of these are all of the recently announced Final Fantasy projects. From Final Fantasy Tactics to just plain ol' Final Fantasy, these GBA remakes are being remade again for the PSP. But it doesn't just end there, the PSP will also see a port of the GBA RPG title Riviera (which is great for me, since I never played that game).

Of course, while it seems like quite a few PSP games are from GBA land, that isn't the only system sending off titles to PSP's library. Xbox games like Xyanide and Painkiller: Hell Wars are reported to have versions coming out this year for PSP and the DS racer Asphalt Urban GT 2 will be out shortly. Even the PC isn't exempt as fantastic physics platformer Gish has a release date for our system of choice.

The future though seems to be the Wii and PSP connection. While Alien Syndrome is one of the only Wii/PSP games announced so far, the fact that Wii games have to be developed independently from the rest of the home consoles means many developers may be looking to PSP versions as another source of profit. Of course as with any business move, these ports will have to make money if this is to become a serious trend.

JoystiqPSP getting ports from new sources originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alien syndromeAlienSyndromeasphalt urban gt 2AsphaltUrbanGt2final fantasyFinalFantasygameboygameboy advanceGameboyAdvancegbagishpainkillerpcportportsps2RivierawiixyanideSun, 21 Jan 2007 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Do PSP games on PS3 cause a threat?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/14/do-psp-games-on-ps3-cause-a-threat/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/14/do-psp-games-on-ps3-cause-a-threat/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/14/do-psp-games-on-ps3-cause-a-threat/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sony seems to be having a bit of a problem. They have a portable system that is a success, but not by any means their main product. Then they have a new console that desperately needs games any way it can get them. Obviously they need to compete on the high end next gen game front, but they also need to compete against the Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade. Without the backlog of games like Nintendo or the head start of Microsoft, they seem to be turning to a questionable source for their downloadable games; the PSP.

The obvious issue with PSP games going to PS3 is that it begins to negate the reasons for a consumer to own both. Sure, right now it's a Gripshift and a Tekken, but what happens if the trend just continues? Sure, this would strengthen the PlayStation Network, but at the cost of PSP exclusives. This is just not acceptable when the PSP still has a long way to go to establish itself.

If Sony does insist on continuing to take games from the PSP library to the PS3, than it needs to change how it does so. Microsoft announced Live Anywhere quite some time ago, but we're still waiting for the day when we can play Xbox Live Arcade games on the go. Part of the reason is that Microsoft doesn't yet have a portable gaming system, but Sony does. Why not have it so if I download Gripshift on the PS3 I can download it to my PSP as well free as charge. For games that require progress, it would be great if I was able to share saves between my PSP and PS3. Maybe this is part of Sony's eventual plans anyway, but until I can buy Tekken on my PSP and continue it on my PS3 or vice-versa, it seems like a missed opportunity.

It could just be that this is a temporary solution and as more developers jump on board the PlayStation Network, Sony will stop relying on PSP games as downloadable content. Even if this is the case though, it still seems like a dangerous road for Sony to travel. It could just be that I'm overreacting though. What do fellow PSP owners think of this development?

JoystiqDo PSP games on PS3 cause a threat? originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gripshiftmicrosoftnintendoplaystation networkPlaystationNetworkportsps3psptekkenvirtual consoleVirtualConsoleSun, 14 Jan 2007 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[EA's Larry Probst on Wii and PSP development]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/eas-larry-probst-on-wii-and-psp-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/eas-larry-probst-on-wii-and-psp-development/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/30/eas-larry-probst-on-wii-and-psp-development/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Newsweek's N'Gai Croal has posted two parts of his three-part interview with Larry Probst, CEO of EA. (Part three is due Friday.) Among a few other topics, Probst discusses publishing the same game on multiple platform, and how that strategy fits with -- or doesn't match -- the Wii and PSP.

Probst says that EA doesn't plan any original titles for the PSP; the company will continue making portable versions of its established franchises for that hand-held. The Wii should get 12 or 13 EA games next year, with two or three of them being original Wii titles. (Probst mentions that a Wii-specific version of The Sims fits that original category.)

While any EA support for Nintendo's console is good for gamers, two or three Wii-specific titles seems like a low target for the world's biggest publisher. Madden on the Wii takes a legitimate shot at using motion controls with an old franchise; we hope that EA can pull this off for all of its established titles. But wouldn't the Wii market be best served by shipping five or six original games in the year and skipping the ports? Or is that approach at the expense of EA's business model?

Read:
Loot: The Larry Probst Interview: Part I
Loot: The Larry Probst Interview: Part II

JoystiqEA's Larry Probst on Wii and PSP development originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>franchiseLarry ProbstLarryProbstN'Gai CroalN'gaiCroalportsPSPWiiThu, 30 Nov 2006 22:25:00 EST<![CDATA[New GUN Showdown trailer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/new-gun-showdown-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/new-gun-showdown-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/11/new-gun-showdown-trailer/#commentsFiled under: ,

In the last GUN Showdown Feature trailer, I complained that the game didn't seemed to look more like a PS1 title than a PS2. In the newest feature trailer, I have to admit the game's character model do seem to look a bit better.

However, I just can't get over the fact developers Rebellion/Neversoft Entertainment seem to be putting too much focus on the character models and the surrounding infrastructure is getting the short end of the stick. The same low-res textures still seem to be present.

But if Showdown can capture the same great gameplay that was present in GUN, I'm sure publisher Activision will have a hit on its hands. Showdown is set to ship Oct. 10.

JoystiqNew GUN Showdown trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Oct 2006 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisiongunneversoftportsrebellionshowdownWed, 11 Oct 2006 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Cave Story, a freeware game heading to the PSP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/10/freeware-game-heading-to-the-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/10/freeware-game-heading-to-the-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/10/freeware-game-heading-to-the-psp/#commentsFiled under:

Freeware game heading to the PSPIt seems like Sony is starting to make a habit of taking freeware games and bringing them to their video game systems. First it was Flow on the PS3, and now it's Cave Story on the PSP.

However, I may be going out on a limb here, but I think it's safe to say Cave Story will receive some drastic graphical improvements before it reaches our hands. At least I hope it does. The game is being developed by Variant Interactive and should be released in 2007.

In case you're like me and have never heard of this game before, it's about a boy who wakes up inside and "delves into the rocky tunnels in search of clues to his where abouts and his identity. Meanwhile, a mad doctor makes use of an enchanted crown to enslave a race of rabbit-like creatures, known as Mimigas.

As the boy travels through the cave, searching for an exit, he meets Sue, a mimiga unlike all the others. Soon he is caught up in an adventure beyond imagination as the fate of both human and mimiga races hang in the balance," according to Variant's website.

How do you guys feel about having to pay for a freeware title, even if it's been upgraded?

[Via Kotaku]

JoystiqCave Story, a freeware game heading to the PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cave storyCaveStoryflowfreewarekotakumimigasportsvariant interactiveVariantInteractiveTue, 10 Oct 2006 14:00:00 EST