Joystiq

Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi joins Keio University

JC Fletcher — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST

Tetsuya Mizuguchi, former head of Q? Entertainment and creator of games like Rez, Lumines, Space Channel 5 and Child of Eden, has taken a position at Keio University as a "project professor." He remains at Q as a "spokesperson."

Keio's announcement notes that his position in the Graduate School of Media Design will allow him to "continue to produce games and further expand his expertise in the field of media design and innovative content production." So he's still working on games, but no longer in a commercial environment.

Considering he's best known for games about shooting corrupted files out of the computerized memory of a virtual teenager, and using your dancing-slash-journalism skills to defeat TV-faced aliens, we're intensely curious about what Mizuguchi does when freed from commercial concerns.

Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi joins Keio University originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rez and Child of Eden creator Mizuguchi steps away from game development

Sinan Kubba — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST

Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the man behind Rez, Lumines, and Child of Eden, isn't currently developing games at Q Entertainment. Company director Nobuhiko Shimizu told Eurogamer that Mizuguchi is taking on a "spokesperson" role, having become more involved with "academic work."

Mizuguchi's game development career began at Sega in 1990. There he created Sega Rally, Space Channel 5, and Rez, before moving to Q Entertainment in 2003. At Q he designed Lumines, Ninety-Nine Nights, and most recently Child of Eden. While Mizuguchi didn't oversee Q Entertainment's latest game, Lumines Electric Symphony, he was heavily involved with its development.

Rez and Child of Eden creator Mizuguchi steps away from game development originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child of Eden has a 'corset peripheral' (which you'll probably never see)

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST

The gaming industry is, with astonishing regularity, a total circus sideshow of inexplicable oddities -- but we're confident that nothing has approached the levels of bizarritude contained within this here post. According to IGN, Child of Eden creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi announced at the Kapow! Comic Con that developer Q Entertainment has whipped up a unique peripheral for the Kinect shooter: A corset which holds four 360 controllers at one time, all of which individually vibrate to the beat of Eden's music.

It sounds like a prototype that's unlikely to make it beyond the borders of Q Entertainment's home office -- but that doesn't make it any less magical. We mean, mathematically, it's four times crazier than Rez's Trance Vibrator. Exponentially more so, actually, since the vibrations in question happen inside of a corset.

Child of Eden has a 'corset peripheral' (which you'll probably never see) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child of Eden preview: Son of Rez

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:12:00 EST

After dazzling a room of Tokyo Game Show attendees with an extravagant Child of Eden demonstration, designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi offers a far-too-modest appraisal of his "multisensory shooter." This level's still early, he apologizes, and the game currently shares no statistics upon completion. And sorry, but there's no Game Over screen.

It's like sitting down in an opulent French restaurant and being told by the waiter that -- sorry! -- the kitchen isn't dishing out cheeseburgers and mini donuts tonight. Later, I ask Mizuguchi if Child of Eden, which he describes as a "feeling good game," even needs to introduce something so contrary like a Game Over screen. Does this mesmerizing mix of thumping music and abstract visuals really need an element of failure?

Gallery: Child of Eden (9/27/2010)

Continue reading Child of Eden preview: Son of Rez

Child of Eden preview: Son of Rez originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tetsuya Mizuguchi wants your memories in Child of Eden

JC Fletcher — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

During a Tokyo Game Show event, Q? Entertainment head Tetsuya Mizuguchi unveiled a new component of his abstract Xbox 360/PS3 rail shooter, Child of Eden -- a component for which he needs your input. For "The Journey Project" (not to be confused with The Journeyman Project), Mizuguchi seeks to build a collection of player-submitted pictures, for inclusion in the game's last level.

"In this game, the player's mission is to purify everything, every data," Mizuguchi told us in an interview. "And this is the final stage of this game, you know, I need the beauty of memories." With the collective memories of family, friends and "beautiful landscapes" added, "finally, you can get that kind of memory with music. It must be real." The developer added, "I want to put everybody's credit at the end of the game."

An announcement by Ubisoft clarifies that images can be submitted to the official Child of Eden website until November 20, and all "approved photos" will be used in the game. We're already cringing about the possibility of thousands of jokers submitting pictures of Journey to the Journey Project.

Gallery: Child of Eden (The Journey Project)

Continue reading Tetsuya Mizuguchi wants your memories in Child of Eden

Tetsuya Mizuguchi wants your memories in Child of Eden originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Child of Eden

JC Fletcher — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST

I admit to being a bit let down not to have the opportunity to play Child of Eden, Tetsuya Mizuguchi's spiritual successor to Rez, at Ubisoft's E3 booth. However, watching Tetsuya Mizuguchi play the game for a small group was still a rare and wonderful experience. And for a Kinect game, it doesn't seem that I missed out on as much for having a "hands-off" demo, because even the person playing it was hands-off.

Mizuguchi walked us through two of the rail shooter's levels, called "Archives." The concept for the game (which it doesn't need at all -- "you shoot pretty stuff" is more than enough) is that you're eliminating viruses from visual representations of emotional memories within the AI "Project Lumi" -- Lumi just happens to be the same name of the virtual idol at the front of Mizuguchi's Genki Rockets band. Your shots "purify" everything they hit, while also, of course, emitting drumbeat noises and other musical sounds, provided, of course, by Genki Rockets.

Gallery: Child of Eden

Continue reading Preview: Child of Eden

Preview: Child of Eden originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mizuguchi: Child of Eden to support standard controllers

Randy Nelson — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:10:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Tetsuya Mizuguchi's latest music-driven "synesthesia" shooter, Child of Eden, made for an exciting kickoff to Ubisoft's pre-E3 2010 press conference. We caught up with the Rez creator following the event to chat about the his Kinect title, and found out that Microsoft's new motion-tracking tech actually won't be required to play.

Mizuguchi answered in the affirmative when we asked if Child of Eden can be played using a standard controller, also confirming that players will experience Rez-like controller vibration synced to the game's music. Given that the Q Entertainment founder went as far as to create the "Trance Vibrator" peripheral for additional, buzz-y feedback for Rez, we asked how he felt (or didn't, as the case may be) about a lack of tactile feedback when playing Kinect titles. "When I play the Kinect, I need some feedback," he replied, adding that vibrating bracelets -- like the Trance Vibrator -- could be used to improve the experience.

And what about a PlayStation Move release of the game? "We haven't decided yet," Mizuguchi responded when the topic was broached. He may not have, but we've decided we want it. How about you?

Mizuguchi: Child of Eden to support standard controllers originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Child of Eden coming to Kinect, Tetsuya Mizuguchi leading development

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:19:00 EST

Were you wondering what would make you purchase Microsoft's Kinect? Well, if Ubisoft's Your Shape wasn't enough, Tetsuya Mizuguchi revealed his next game live at today's Ubi presser: Child of Eden. From what we can see, it looks a lot like Rez, albeit with gesture-based controls and much prettier visuals.

No release date was given, but we'll be sure to bug Ubisoft for more details as soon as we can. For now, we've got the official trailer embedded after the break. The trailer also indicates that Child of Eden is coming to PlayStation 3 (as a PlayStation Move game, we suspect).

Update: According to Mizuguchi, it's still being decided whether or not Child of Eden will be a downloadable or retail title.

Continue reading Child of Eden coming to Kinect, Tetsuya Mizuguchi leading development

Child of Eden coming to Kinect, Tetsuya Mizuguchi leading development originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q? Entertainment: Music licensing, other issues keeping portable Lumines off PSN for now

JC Fletcher — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Lumines was one of the most popular launch titles for the PSP -- but Q? Entertainment's puzzler is notably absent from the PSP Go's initial lineup. Q explained the reason for the non-downloadability succinctly in a Tweet.

"We would love to bring Lumines/Lumines II to the PSN store," Q's rep said, "but there are complications, music licensing, was published by Namco, etc." However, "That said, we're obviously looking into it. :)" Q went on to single out the songs "Shinin'" and "Lights" as requiring new licenses for digital distribution, and clarified that it would be Bandai Namco's decision to publish the first Lumines on PSN, since it published the game on UMD (in Japan).

While the licensed music in Lumines makes it even harder to republish, this is starting to sound really familiar. As Sony's Eric Lempel told us, it's especially difficult for publishers of older PSP games to go to PSN, because licenses will have elapsed, and won't have covered digital distribution in the first place. And Sony isn't requiring third parties to pursue digital distribution, so unless they see significant revenue potential from, say, PSP Go sales, many publishers just won't. That said, it's hard to imagine a PSP without Lumines, and we're confident it'll happen eventually.

[Via PSN Stores; thanks, Kassatsu]

Q? Entertainment: Music licensing, other issues keeping portable Lumines off PSN for now originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mizuguchi, Suda 51 weigh in on E3's new motion controllers

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST

In this week's Famitsu, three major Japanese developers discussed this year's E3 and how they feel about the various motion technology displayed. Grasshopper Manufacture's Suda 51, Q Entertainment's Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Level-5's Akihiro Hino all somewhat agree on what they see as the future of gaming. "Hardware-wise, it was all about Project Natal," Mr. Suda said, as translated by 1UP, noting his excitement on the possibility of creating a game specifically based around its technology.

"It's not a shift from 2D to 3D or in the number of polygons, but it's games trying to open up an entirely new door," Mizuguchi agreed, continuing, "I thought it would take longer, but it's happening faster than I expected." Ironically, when the trio chose the most exciting games at E3, the list quickly filled with Western-developed games, from Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassin's Creed 2 to The Beatles: Rock Band. Could they resist the ubiquitous Final Fantasy name drop? No, no they could not. "The visual quality was so impressive that I doubted it was even a game," Hino said of AC2, adding, "Final Fantasy XIII is the same way." Impressed/interested by the motion technology but still loving AAA-franchise sequels? Sounds like the whole game industry right now.

Gallery: Project Natal

Mizuguchi, Suda 51 weigh in on E3's new motion controllers originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft's collaboration with Q Entertainment likely to be a music game

JC Fletcher — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST

So far, all we've known about "Codename Eden," the project Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment is working on with Ubisoft, is that Mizuguchi is involved, and that Ubisoft didn't think it was worth cutting into its E3 press conference's Cameron Time to bring Mizuguchi up to talk about it. As a result, all we got was a brief mention of the project and an awkward wave from Mizuguchi's seat in the audience.

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft executive director Alain Corre offered substantial hints that the new project may be a music game. First, he described Q as "very advanced and specialised in how to exploit the music genre."

GI followed up by asking about Ubisoft's interest in entering the market and competing with Guitar Hero and the like. "We have been researching the music genre a lot," Corre said. "We know some iterations of music games are working very well in the music category. There are a lot of new things to invent in the future with voice or dance, so we're very much looking at what we can do in that respect."

This is no absolute guarantee that "Codename Eden" is some kind of music game, but the proximity of the two statements is interesting. And the prospect of a new music game from the creator of Space Channel 5 and Rez is wonderful.

Ubisoft's collaboration with Q Entertainment likely to be a music game originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubisoft kind of announces something with Tetsuya Mizuguchi

JC Fletcher — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:08:00 EST

In one of the weirdest moments of a very ... strange Ubisoft conference, the company announced that it was working on a project with Rez creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi. No word on what that project is or when it's coming out, just that there is one, called "Codename Eden" for now.

And instead of bringing Mizuguchi up on stage and having him talk about his project, they just pointed him out in the audience. It was weird. Of course, this came right after the company's massive No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle presentation, which consisted entirely of the game logo and a few words about Suda 51.

Ubisoft kind of announces something with Tetsuya Mizuguchi originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumines Supernova hitting Euro PSN on Feb. 5

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST

Block-dropping synaesthesia news now, with Q Entertainment confirming the European PSN debut of Lumines Supernova. Launching this Thursday, February 5th, Supernova enhances the puzzle game's blend of beats 'n' bricks with new modes (including "Dig Down"), 40 psychedelic skins, a make-your-own-medley Sequencer and, of course, Trophies. Unfortunately, the 14.99 Euro asking price does not net you the US PlayStation Store's free, 20-skin "Holiday Pack."

We've queried Q about the add-on's European fate -- and why it's always 4AM when we stop stacking squares.

Lumines Supernova hitting Euro PSN on Feb. 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumines Supernova dropping on PSN Dec. 23

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Puzzle, Rhythm

Rejoice, fellow and completely willing synesthesia sufferers! Q Entertainment has replaced its vague "Winter" release window for Lumines Supernova in favor of something more precise. The rhythmic block dropper will be available on the North American* PlayStation Network on Tuesday, December 23rd, just in time to drown out those obnoxious family members who only bother to drop by when there's a free Christmas dinner involved.

Ignoring them should be particularly easy given the bevy of distractions packed into Lumines Supernova's $15 package: 40 skins; a new "Dig Down" mode; a Sequencer mode for creating your own background music; Time Attack and Skin Edit modes; Puzzle and Mission levels; Trophies; and a local 2-player Battle mode for those sharing types who ignore the "mine" in Lumines.

And hey, don't forget the LittleBigPlanet skin, which will join a free "Holiday Pack" of 20 additional skins. The latter is available for a limited time only -- just like Christmas.

Gallery: Lumines Supernova

*Europe, you're getting it in "Early 2009." :(

Lumines Supernova dropping on PSN Dec. 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors: Rez sequel, Spielberg's LMNO on hold and more from EGM

Ross Miller — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:50:00 EST

Beyond Gears of War 3 for 2010, the January 2009 issue of the future-uncertain EGM contains a handful of other rumors to pique your interest (via NeoGAF). Top of that list? A spiritual sequel to Rez is coming from creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who can't make an actual sequel beacuse the IP is owned by Sega. Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment recently announced a music-infused project codenamed "QJ" for Wii, though it may be unrelated.

Additionally, the issue also asserted that Spielberg's mysterious EA Project LMNO is on hold at the moment. At the end of October, EA denied speculation that there had been layoffs related to the title. The remaining rumor-mongering includes a new Rifts-licensed game in 2010 (the last one was on N-Gage) and a large co-publisher for Tecmo's PlayStation 3 exclusive Quantum Theory.

Rumors: Rez sequel, Spielberg's LMNO on hold and more from EGM originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Synaesthesia imminent: New Mizuguchi music game announced for Wii

JC Fletcher — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Okay, we're doing our best to calm down enough to type this out coherently. Atari has announced a new music game, tentatively titled QJ, for the Wii. According to the very short announcement, the game is being developed by Q? Entertainment founder Tetsuya Mizuguchi. We can assume from the title that his company is the official developer. Either that or it's tied in to the website.

That's all the information we have, but it's enough to make us FREAK OUT. While still at Sega, Mizuguchi was responsible for the pioneering music/shooting game Rez and the incredibly awesome dance-rhythm game Space Channel 5. To celebrate, let's all enjoy the Mizuguchi-produced "Heavenly Star" by Genki Rockets!

Synaesthesia imminent: New Mizuguchi music game announced for Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumines Supernova to fall this fall on PSN

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Puzzle

We're doubtful the release of Lumines Supernova on PSN this fall will be met with the sort of stellar explosion the game's title implies, but a revered action puzzler -- with "block-dropping beats" to back it up -- can only be a good thing for PlayStation 3's downloadable games service. Still, there's not much about Supernova that could justify a purchase for current owners of one (or more!) of the franchise's iterations aside from a pair of new modes:

Dig Down Mode: Using the falling blocks, erase squares from a playfield already filled with blocks as you dig down to the bottom. Show off your digging skills as your completion time is ranked based on clearing 20 consecutive stages.
Sequencer Mode: Create your own background music using the sound loops provided in the "Sound Bank" -- drums, bass, synthesizer 1, synthesizer 2, and effects each come with 20 different loops.

In addition, Supernova will feature 40 unlockable skins in Challenge Mode, plus Skin Edit, Time Attack, and Puzzle / Mission modes, and a 2-player versus mode. Q Entertainment has yet to set a firm release date or price for Lumines Supernova, but it does appear to be a more complete game than the core experience on Xbox Live Arcade.

Gallery: Lumines Supernova

Lumines Supernova to fall this fall on PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Genki Rockets promote new album in Shibuya

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Fans of Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Lumines games should be familiar with The Genki Rockets. The group of unnamed artists, including Mizuguchi himself, has performed a number of Lumines tracks, the most familiar of which is "Heavenly Star." The group is preparing a new album, creatively titled Genki Rockets 1. To promote their new album, the group played a show at the Shibuya Apple Store and performed various songs from Lumines II.

Songs from their performance will be available on iTunes later next month.

The Genki Rockets promote new album in Shibuya originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tetsuya Mizuguchi doesn't rule out Wii for next project

David Hinkle — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Interviews

But, he doesn't exactly say his next project will be on Nintendo's console, either. Such is the pain we're all forced to endure for the moment. Miziguchi's next game will be themed around music, however, providing his old-school fans of his Rez and Space Channel 5 games with some hope that he could be making a similar product (although he does shoot down the idea of remaking Space Channel 5).

When grilled about his latest project, Miziguchi did say that he is "keeping an eye on several platforms - not just game consoles." He meant this to say that he was also looking at the mobile space, but that's a good thing. The more he looks at his options, the more viable solution the Wii will become in his mind. Because, let's face it, you can't be alive today without the Wii interacting in your life somehow, whether it be through television commercials, subway ads or other promotions.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi doesn't rule out Wii for next project originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band heads to Japan with help from Q Entertainment

Ross Miller — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Harmonix and MTV are bringing Rock Band to Japan with some help from Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Q Entertainment (Lumines). According to the press release, "The two studios will work together to develop the title, marking the first US-originated rock music game to be heavily localized for the Japanese market." No clue on what that heavy localization will entail.

It has been little over a week since a Harmonix rep was asked about the possibility of seeing Japanese content in Rock Band. At the time, the rep said an official announcement on future DLC plans would arrive in "a little over a week." So, the question remains: How does one program instrument tracks for a Genki Rockets song?

Rock Band heads to Japan with help from Q Entertainment originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mizuguchi: 'Nintendo games are too strong'

Chris Greenhough — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews

Know who we'd like to see developing on the Wii? Tetsuya Mizuguchi, that's who. Some of his games would work beautifully on Nintendo's console. We can totally picture ourselves playing through a motion-based Space Channel 5, or using the Wii Remote to point and shoot in Rez.

Wii owners who also happen to be Mizuguchi fans shouldn't get their hopes up, though. Mizuguchi seems keen enough on the Wii itself, but confessed in an interview with Wired that he was a "little bit worried" about the strength of Nintendo games. We presume this is a reference to an increasingly common complaint from publishers and other industry folk that Nintendo's first-party titles are hogging sales.

Looks like an Ulala appearance in Sega Superstars Tennis could be the closest we get to grooving with Space Michael. Cry.

Mizuguchi: 'Nintendo games are too strong' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: Rez HD

Zack Stern — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:35:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Peripherals, Rhythm, Casual, Galleries

As vector-like throwing-star enemies corkscrewed towards me, I defended myself with a gun that made electronic clapping sounds. I fired the gun. Clap. I fired two quick shots. Clap Clap. My applause aligned with the electronic beats spilling from the speakers. It was Korg-like synth-aesthesia, and almost immediately, I cared more about clapping in-time to the music than shooting back.

Rez HD surrounded me in a coordinated, sensory bombardment. The controller in my hand shook and bobbed with the beats while controllers under my feet and on my back vibrated a counter-tempo pattern. 5.1 surround-sound flew from all directions, and the neon-sharp HD game-world pulled me into its reality.

In my brief time with Rez HD, I decided that it wasn't a game as much as an experience. There's a game inside somewhere, but the title feels like a journey, rewarding meandering through levels instead of racing to the end. And even though it's a linear shooter, Rez HD hides a lot of exploration; I look forward to moving slowly through the game after its January 30 release.

Gallery: Rez HD (XBLA)

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Rez HD

Joystiq hands-on: Rez HD originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rez HD arriving this month for 800 MSP

Scott Jon Siegel — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Good news for synaesthetes and fans of all things awesome: a friendly press release from Q Entertainment informs us that Testuya Mizuguchi's Rez HD will be landing on Xbox Live Arcade in "only a few weeks," for the very reasonable price of 800 Microsoft Points.

Along with the highly-anticipated "trance vibration" support, the enhanced port of the Dreamcast/PS2 classic will include a high-definition upgrade to the visuals, and feature 5.1 surround sound. The game will also introduce new audio and visual effects, a new Replay Theater for re-watching play data, and the usual suite of XBLA leaderboards and achievements. Check out the gallery below for some gorgeous new shots of Rez in all its trippy, HD glory.

Gallery: Rez HD (XBLA)

Rez HD arriving this month for 800 MSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lumines now available on PC

Scott Jon Siegel — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Puzzle, Rhythm, Casual

PC users who haven't yet experienced Tetsuya Mizuguchi's rhythm-based puzzle game can finally enjoy the genre-straddling title from the comfort of their own computers. Wild Tangent and Q Entertainment have teamed up to offer a PC version of Lumines, as part of Wild Tangent's library of downloadable game offerings.

The PC version of Lumines -- which appears to be based on the PSP title Lumines II -- features multiple modes of play, a skin editing mode, and online score ranking. Players can buy the full game for $19.99 USD, pay on a per-play basis using Wild Tangent's subscription model, or play a free ad-supported version of the game.

Lumines now available on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angel Love Online brings cuteness to PS3

Chris Powell — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Videos and Screenshots, PlayStation Store, PlayStation Network

Tetsuya Mizuguchi is known for creating some off-the-wall games. I mean, this is the same guy who helmed Space Channel 5, Rez and Lumines, but Angel Love Online could be the strangest one yet.

While the free-to-play MMO features the standard RPG knights, mages and robots, you'll also apparently be able to command humanoid pigs, cats, dogs, zombies with candles on their heads, Native Americans and several creatures the English language has no names for.

Although, it's difficult to understand what's going on in the video since it's all in Japanese and the screen is obscured by disturbingly cute characters, Mizuguchi and his team definitely know what they're doing ... at least we think they do.

Angel Love Online brings cuteness to PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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