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[Suda 51 wants Grasshopper Manufacture to be like real grasshoppers]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/suda-51-wants-grasshopper-manufacture-to-be-like-real-grasshoppe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/suda-51-wants-grasshopper-manufacture-to-be-like-real-grasshoppe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/11/suda-51-wants-grasshopper-manufacture-to-be-like-real-grasshoppe/#comments Suda Grasshopper Manufacture revealed a major change in its development strategy during the Tokyo Game Show this year. Of the eight different games on display, the majority were downloadable titles, including high-profile titles like Sine Mora, Black Knight Sword and Diabolical Pitch. During the show, we managed to snag some time with Grasshopper's CEO, Goichi Suda, more commonly known as Suda 51.

During our chat, we discussed Grasshopper's new direction, Sdatcher and even the possibility of a collaboration between Grasshopper and Kojima Productions. Suda's ultimate goal? For Grasshopper Manufacture to become more like actual grasshoppers.

Continue reading Suda 51 wants Grasshopper Manufacture to be like real grasshoppers

JoystiqSuda 51 wants Grasshopper Manufacture to be like real grasshoppers originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-knight-swordgrasshopper-manufacturemicrosoftplaystationps3suda-51tgs-2011xboxTue, 11 Oct 2011 21:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Preview: Sine Mora and Black Knight Sword]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/preview-sine-mora-and-black-knight-sword/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/preview-sine-mora-and-black-knight-sword/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/preview-sine-mora-and-black-knight-sword/#comments PSN/XBLA titles Sine Mora and Black Knight Sword are the result of a new partnership between Grasshopper Manufacture and Hungarian studio Digital Reality. Of course, both games are strange, though only one of them is strange in the familiar Grasshopper Manufacture milieu. Both of them strongly suggest that this is a worthwhile collaboration.

Sine Mora is a traditional side-scrolling shooter, developed by Digital Reality with assistance from GHM. "The art direction, sound design, music by Akira Yamaoka, it's all coming from Grasshopper," explained Digital Reality creative Theodore Reiker. "Digital Reality, we have a ten-member-strong team making the programming, the 3D modeling, and the game design." That art style is a steampunk-esque world of big, complicated machines, airships, and squat, gunmetal-colored planes against skies of bright Sega blue. It was originally a much darker game, but Reiker explained that Grasshopper and Digital Reality eventually came to a "consensus" that the game should look like Studio Ghibli's Porco Rosso.

Continue reading Preview: Sine Mora and Black Knight Sword

JoystiqPreview: Sine Mora and Black Knight Sword originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black-knight-sworddigital-realitygrasshopper-manufacturemicrosoftplaystationps3sine-moratgs-2011theodore-reikerxboxThu, 06 Oct 2011 04:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The 3DS's Renegade remake is, thankfully, better than Renegade]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/the-3dss-renegade-remake-is-thankfully-better-than-renegade/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/the-3dss-renegade-remake-is-thankfully-better-than-renegade/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/28/the-3dss-renegade-remake-is-thankfully-better-than-renegade/#comments When news came out that Million, a company made up of people who worked on River City Ransom and the other games in the Kunio-kun series, would remake the first game in said series, I found it bittersweet in the extreme(s). On the one hand, I like Kunio games a bunch; on the other hand, Renegade is not among the Kunio games I like a bunch, because I'm a reasonable human being.

Here's a capsule summary of my impressions: Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun Special is not flawless, but it is better than original version. Which means it's at least playable now.

Continue reading The 3DS's Renegade remake is, thankfully, better than Renegade

JoystiqThe 3DS's Renegade remake is, thankfully, better than Renegade originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dskunionekketsu-kouha-kunio-kunnekketsu-kouha-kunio-kun-specialnintendorenegadetgs-2011Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:31:00 EST<![CDATA[How ViviTouch could change rumble technology]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/how-vivitouch-could-change-rumble-technology/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/how-vivitouch-could-change-rumble-technology/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/how-vivitouch-could-change-rumble-technology/#comments So touchy
Rumble technology is something that we often take for granted. The simple vibration technology has been built into most video game controllers for several years now and, for many, what was once a novelty in the N64 days is now a foregone conclusion that we often don't even notice. Indeed, often the only moment I notice my controller rumbling is when I set it on the coffee table to grab a drink, only to hear it loudly clatter during a cutscene.

By and large, rumble hasn't changed very much over the years, and generally relies on simple motors. Now, Artificial Muscle, a subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience - no relation to Aperture Science, as far as we know - has created ViviTouch, and introduced a new wrinkle in rumble technology: Fidelity.

Continue reading How ViviTouch could change rumble technology

JoystiqHow ViviTouch could change rumble technology originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artificial-muscleartificial-muscle-incperipheralstgs-2011vivi-touchvivitouchTue, 27 Sep 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Haunt house: a visit with NanaOn-Sha]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/haunt-house-a-visit-with-nanaon-sha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/haunt-house-a-visit-with-nanaon-sha/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/haunt-house-a-visit-with-nanaon-sha/#comments Just before TGS this year, I paid a visit to NanaOn-Sha's small studio in Tokyo's Aoyama neighborhood. The majority of the tiny studio is the meeting and testing room seen in our gallery below, where I spoke to founder Masaya Matsuura and director of development Dewi Tanner, and played a demo of the studio's upcoming XBLA game, Haunt.

Despite the relatively cozy surroundings, there's room for an impressive array of Parappa and Um Jammer Lammy merchandise. Was the Lammy pillow really something that was marketed? And just outside the door, there's (barely) room for all the awards NanaOn-Sha's games have received.

Improbably, there's also room for a bathtub in the small studio, something that Matsuura told me has been useful in the impossibly hot and humid summer Tokyo's experienced. "Especially this summer," he noted, "Japan has difficulty using electric power" as a result of conservation efforts following the March earthquake. They offered to let me use the bathtub, but there will unfortunately be no Joystiq review, as I declined. Past the break, Matsuura and Tanner speak about their studio, partnerships with Western companies, Haunt, and not baths.

Gallery: NanaOn-Sha studio

Continue reading Haunt house: a visit with NanaOn-Sha

JoystiqHaunt house: a visit with NanaOn-Sha originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dewi-tannerhauntkinectmasaya-matsuuramicrosoftnanaon-shatgs-2011xboxTue, 27 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Army Corps of Hell: Pikminocalypse]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/army-corps-of-hell-pikminocalypse/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/army-corps-of-hell-pikminocalypse/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/army-corps-of-hell-pikminocalypse/#comments
Before the PlayStation Vita finally launches, you're going to hear a lot of people referring to Army Corps of Hell as being "like Pikmin." That's precisely how the game is being pitched. When I sat down to try the handheld title at TGS, I was told that it was essentially "Pikmin for adults."

Having spent a sizable amount of time with the game, I'm more inclined to think of it as "Pikmin for adolescent boys who like to doodle on their Trapper Keepers." Which isn't a bad thing.

Continue reading Army Corps of Hell: Pikminocalypse

JoystiqArmy Corps of Hell: Pikminocalypse originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>army-corps-of-hellplaystationplaystation-vitasquare-enixtgs-2011vitaTue, 27 Sep 2011 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Rhythm Thief lifts from all the right places]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/rhythm-thief-lifts-from-all-the-right-places/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/rhythm-thief-lifts-from-all-the-right-places/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/rhythm-thief-lifts-from-all-the-right-places/#comments The first thing I played at TGS was also one of the games I was most curious about: Sega's 3DS rhythm game Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure. I'm a fan of music games, especially those that use musical gameplay to tell an original story, like Parappa the Rapper or Gitaroo-Man.

Rhythm Thief stands as a sort of fusion of this kind of "narrative music game" and Rhythm Heaven, combining the persistent storytelling of the former with the wacky variety of the latter, with some of the style of Elite Beat Agents.

Which is a circuitous way of saying "this is really the kind of game I like." I'm not convinced it'll be a true classic like those others, but it has the right inspirations, at least.

Gallery: Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure (3DS)

Continue reading Rhythm Thief lifts from all the right places

JoystiqRhythm Thief lifts from all the right places originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsnintendorhythm-thief-and-the-emperors-treasuresegatgs-2011Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TGS 2011: Cosplayers suffer for their art]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/tgs-2011-cosplayers-suffer-for-their-art/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/tgs-2011-cosplayers-suffer-for-their-art/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/26/tgs-2011-cosplayers-suffer-for-their-art/#comments Every year, many of Japan's biggest game and anime fans put incredible time, effort and money into creating detailed costumes of their favorite characters. Then, in September, they don those costumes ... and cram themselves into the most crowded, humid place on Earth, a corridor between two halls of the Tokyo Game Show. Seriously, we were wearing regular non-costume clothes and we were sweating at all times.

Join us in celebrating talent, commitment, and unhealthy zeal of these brave cosplayers by perusing our gallery of TGS 2011 cosplay. You'll see that, in Japan, people like the Yakuza games enough to dress up like its characters! Kind of amazing!

Gallery: TGS 2011: Cosplay


[Photos by Heidi Kemps]

JoystiqTGS 2011: Cosplayers suffer for their art originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cosplaytgs-2011Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:40:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Show - Suda 51, TGS 2011 Wrap-up]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-wrap-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-wrap-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-wrap-up/#commentsFiled under:

It's time to say goodbye to the Tokyo Game Show. TGS 2011 proved to be the biggest and most attended yet, and while the guys spilled the details of what they saw at the show in the two previous specials, this one is all about the Japan experience. You love hearing about Japan craziness, right?

Richard, JC and Ben share a few stories about their time spent wandering the concrete jungle of Tokyo, and then it's on to an interview with Suda 51. And with that, we set our sights on TGS 2012.

Part 1 (12:00) - TGS/Japan reflections

Part 2 (23:06) - Interview: Suda 51 - Grasshopper Manufacture Inc

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Hosts: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM), Ben Gilbert (@BigBossBGilbert) and JC Fletcher (@jcfletcher)
Guest: Goichi Suda (@suda_51 - Grasshopper Manufature Inc)
Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)
Music: Bust This Bust That by Professor Kliq

Stream the show after the break.

Continue reading The Joystiq Show - Suda 51, TGS 2011 Wrap-up

JoystiqThe Joystiq Show - Suda 51, TGS 2011 Wrap-up originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-podcastjoystiq-showpodcaststgs-2011Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:30:00 ESTThe Joystiq Show - TGS 2011 Wrap-upJoystiq32:05podcasts<![CDATA[Haunt preview: Spirited entertainment [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/haunt-preview-spirited-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/haunt-preview-spirited-entertainment/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/haunt-preview-spirited-entertainment/#comments
During a visit to NanaOn-Sha's Tokyo headquarters, I had the opportunity to try Haunt, the company's new XBLA Kinect game. And despite the superficial, high-level similarity to Rise of Nightmares -- both are "scary" Kinect games in which you can walk around freely -- Haunt couldn't be a more different experience. NanaOn-Sha founder Masaya Matsuura classified it as more of a "haunted house" experience. Think Casper. Think profoundly charming.

The Haunt demo begins on rails, on a cart guided down a railway like a haunted house ride, but that's just to ease you into the game. And, like any good haunted house, as you're slowly clack-clacking your way through the halls, spooooooky ghosts and skellingtons jump out to scare you. You dodge and avoid taking damage by moving your body to one side.

Gallery: Haunt (TGS 2011)

Continue reading Haunt preview: Spirited entertainment [update]

JoystiqHaunt preview: Spirited entertainment [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hauntkinectmicrosoftnanaon-shatgs-2011xblaxboxzoe-modeFri, 23 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Joystiq vs TGS 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/video-joystiq-vs-tgs-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/video-joystiq-vs-tgs-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/video-joystiq-vs-tgs-2011/#comments
The Tokyo Game Show is over and done but, thanks partly to some serious jetlag, we'll be trickling out a few more articles here and there over the coming days. Watch a new Joystiq "versus" video as we once again part ways with the Land of the Rising Sun.

[Music: "Airbrushed" (Live at WFMU) by Anamanaguchi]

JoystiqVideo: Joystiq vs TGS 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>culturedsjoystiq-vs-tgs-2011kinectmicrosoftmovenintendoplaystationplaystation-vitaps3tgs-2011vitawiixboxFri, 23 Sep 2011 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: In the Pig City]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/ni-no-kuni-ps3-preview-in-the-pig-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/ni-no-kuni-ps3-preview-in-the-pig-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/ni-no-kuni-ps3-preview-in-the-pig-city/#comments
Not that I expected it to, but a year after my first demo, I'm delighted to report that Ni no Kuni still looks completely gorgeous. The graphics don't seem incredibly impressive from a technical perspective -- they're actually pretty simple -- but effective use of cel-shading and good old-fashioned art design have combined to convincingly deliver the experience of wandering around in a Studio Ghibli world.

Continue reading Ni no Kuni (PS3) preview: In the Pig City

JoystiqNi no Kuni (PS3) preview: In the Pig City originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>level-5ni-no-kuniplaystationps3tgs-2011Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Final Fantasy XIII-2: Paradigm slightly shifted]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/final-fantasy-xiii-2-paradigm-slightly-shifted/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/final-fantasy-xiii-2-paradigm-slightly-shifted/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/final-fantasy-xiii-2-paradigm-slightly-shifted/#comments Someone tell Ah-nold. Let's get something out of the way: I haven't played Final Fantasy XIII. Not one minute. That said, I'm fairly confident in saying that Final Fantasy XIII-2 doesn't dramatically alter the foundation laid down by XIII. I'm also very confident in saying that grasping the complexities of XIII-2's combat system during my brief play session at TGS was daunting, to say the least.

Thankfully, there are only a few new wrinkles for XIII vets to absorb. Namely, there's more to explore, more ways to fight and more ... uh, time rifts to discover.

Continue reading Final Fantasy XIII-2: Paradigm slightly shifted

JoystiqFinal Fantasy XIII-2: Paradigm slightly shifted originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasy-xiii-2microsoftplaystationps3square-enixtgs-2011xboxThu, 22 Sep 2011 23:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Tokyo Game Show 2011 draws largest crowd ever as show floor continues to shrink]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/tokyo-game-show-2011-draws-largest-crowd-ever-as-show-floor-cont/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/tokyo-game-show-2011-draws-largest-crowd-ever-as-show-floor-cont/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/tokyo-game-show-2011-draws-largest-crowd-ever-as-show-floor-cont/#comments Though shrinking booth sizes and publishers entirely skipping this year's event characterized the Tokyo Game Show, it saw its highest attendance numbers ever in 2011, according to the event's organizers. Over four days, the event drew 222,668 visitors, averaging 85K people on the two public days and 26K on the two "industry" days. TGS grew by 15,021 visitors in 2011 (3.25 percent), with each of its four days seeing individual growth as well.

The next show has been scheduled for 2012, and will take place from September 20 through September 23, once again at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. We'll be on-site for breaking news, liveblogs, and, of course, videos of Rappies. We've also got our usual list of ... alternative statistics after the break.

Continue reading Tokyo Game Show 2011 draws largest crowd ever as show floor continues to shrink

JoystiqTokyo Game Show 2011 draws largest crowd ever as show floor continues to shrink originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attendancejapanmakuhari-messetgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Xseed publishing Vanillaware's online RPG 'Grand Knights History']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/xseed-publishing-vanillawares-online-rpg-grand-knights-history/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/xseed-publishing-vanillawares-online-rpg-grand-knights-history/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/xseed-publishing-vanillawares-online-rpg-grand-knights-history/#comments XSEED has picked up Vanillaware's recent PSP release, the turn-based RPG Grand Knights History, with the intention to publish it in both UMD and digital releases this winter. Rising Star Games will publish it in Europe at an unspecified time. Vanillaware, if you can't quite place the name, is the developer of absurdly pretty 2D games like Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Odin Sphere, and the upcoming Dragon's Crown.

Grand Knights History depicts a war between three European-style nations, Union, Avalon, and Logres. Players choose one of the factions, recruit teams of soldiers, and face off against the other two armies in battles that take place over 30 hours. Each team member is fully customizable.

During TGS, I spoke with producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto, from development partner and publisher Marvelous, who explained the unique online functionality of this title -- the part that he thinks will help appeal to western audiences. "The way it works is you have these four parties online," composed from within a group of 32 characters you've built. "When you're online, you can take direct control of one of these; the other three will battle automatically. The other three parties are synced up to the server. But if you can't get online, all four will fight on their own."

While the online play is seen as a feature to draw in western players, the choice of gameplay system displays what seems to be a uniquely Japanese view. "The reason this was chosen: we did Muramasa: The Demon Blade with Vanillaware previously," Hashimoto said, "an action game. Some people are good at action, and some people are not. So with this game -- everybody can play a turn-based battle, and so every player will be able to get through the story and see the end, which is what we wanted."

Gallery: Grand Knights History (PSP)

Continue reading Xseed publishing Vanillaware's online RPG 'Grand Knights History'

JoystiqXseed publishing Vanillaware's online RPG 'Grand Knights History' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>grand-knights-historymarvelousplaystationpspsonytgs-2011vanillawarexseedyoshifumi-hashimotoThu, 22 Sep 2011 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Fine fanservice in Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/fine-fanservice-in-theatrhythm-final-fantasy/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/fine-fanservice-in-theatrhythm-final-fantasy/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/22/fine-fanservice-in-theatrhythm-final-fantasy/#comments People give Square Enix trouble for Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy, saying that the graphics are too simple and the gameplay too limited for a retail 3DS game. To those people, I say whatever. Well, I might (conditionally) agree on the second point. But mostly, whatever.

Even if it is a simple implementation, it's a game that the series has needed basically since the beginning: a celebration of its memorable music. Plus, it's super cute! And fun to play!

Continue reading Fine fanservice in Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy

JoystiqFine fanservice in Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsdsnintendosquare-enixtgs-2011theatrhythm-final-fantasyThu, 22 Sep 2011 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[We don't object to this Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright trailer one bit]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/we-dont-object-to-this-professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-trai/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/we-dont-object-to-this-professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-trai/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/21/we-dont-object-to-this-professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-trai/#comments
Sure, it's all in Japanese. And sure, we're not really sure what's going on as a result, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the latest trailer for Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright on Nintendo 3DS. No plans exist for a US release yet, but Level 5 gives us hope with its recent news about Ni no Kuni. Layton next, please!

JoystiqWe don't object to this Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright trailer one bit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscapcomlevel-5nintendophoenix-wrightprofessor-laytonprofessor-layton-vs-phoenix-wrighttgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Inafune's next game was ready to show at TGS, but he wasn't]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafunes-next-game-was-ready-to-show-at-tgs-but-he-wasnt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafunes-next-game-was-ready-to-show-at-tgs-but-he-wasnt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafunes-next-game-was-ready-to-show-at-tgs-but-he-wasnt/#comments Ex-Capcom head of production Keiji Inafune has announced a couple of social titles in development at his company Comcept, and some form of involvement in a female dating sim for PSP, but he's yet to speak about anything in the console realm from his other company, Intercept.

He had plans to show off his first console title since leaving Capcom in late 2010 at this year's Tokyo Game Show. So, what happened? "We decided not to," he told me this past weekend. "As for titles which aren't social games," he noted, it would be "very, very soon." He specifically pointed out that his company already had work ready to show, but due to the crowded space, he decided against it.

"By the time you guys get back to North America, we might have something releasing," he said. When I told him we'd be flying back the following Monday, September 19, he just laughed and added, "That's a bit too soon, it's going to be a little longer."

JoystiqInafune's next game was ready to show at TGS, but he wasn't originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comceptinterceptkeiji-inafunetgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Mad Catz fully responsible for relaunch of Rock Band 3]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/mad-catz-fully-responsible-for-relaunch-of-rock-band-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/mad-catz-fully-responsible-for-relaunch-of-rock-band-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/mad-catz-fully-responsible-for-relaunch-of-rock-band-3/#comments When Mad Catz re-releases Rock Band 3 this holiday, it'll be acting as sole financier on the Xbox 360-only publishing deal. "They're actually doing the retail distribution as well as marketing support, etc. They're acting as de facto publisher for the title," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos explained to me in an interview session late last week at the Tokyo Game Show.

That makes Rock Band 3 one of the first retail Xbox 360 game to be published by Mad Catz, a long-time peripheral manufacturer who is now getting into publishing on Microsoft's console. The company's second title, appropriately named War Wings: Hell Catz, is due to arrive on PCs some time in 2012. It has yet to be announced for the Xbox 360. Additionally, Mad Catz has a rugby title due out later this year.

Rigopulos also noted that the relaunch is aimed at a variety of people, from new audiences who haven't ever played a Rock Band title, to "people who are still playing Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero players who haven't even entered the genre yet." Rock Band 3 will relaunch with Mad Catz branding and peripherals for the Xbox 360 some time this holiday season.

JoystiqMad Catz fully responsible for relaunch of Rock Band 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-rigopulosharmonixharmonix-music-systemsmad-catzmicrosoftRock-Band-3tgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011xboxTue, 20 Sep 2011 14:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Inafune asked to keep working on canned Mega Man projects post-Capcom; Capcom declined]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafune-asked-to-keep-working-on-canned-mega-man-projects-post-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafune-asked-to-keep-working-on-canned-mega-man-projects-post-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/inafune-asked-to-keep-working-on-canned-mega-man-projects-post-c/#comments When Mega Man co-creator and former head of production at Capcom Keiji Inafune vacated his long-held position late last year, it was unclear what would happen with the two projects he had just fought to get going -- a long-awaited sequel in the Mega Man Legends series and an ambitious XBLA/PSN Mega Man mashup title. Despite a brief period of support from his former employer, the two games were eventually canceled. Inafune, however, was still fighting for the games after his employment ended. "I really wanted to finish those two projects, especially Legends," Inafune told me in an interview this past weekend at the Tokyo Game Show.

"It's really up to Capcom to let me do it or not, and for the moment I don't think they're gonna let me do it," he resignedly added. Apparently after leaving his position at his former employer, he requested to continue working on the project in some capacity as a contractor. Cacpom, however, wasn't interested in that idea. But rather than directly blame Capcom for canceling the two projects -- he's not into pointing fingers, as we already know -- Inafune spoke to his struggle even getting them going.

Continue reading Inafune asked to keep working on canned Mega Man projects post-Capcom; Capcom declined

JoystiqInafune asked to keep working on canned Mega Man projects post-Capcom; Capcom declined originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscapcomkeiji-inafunemega-man-legends-3mega-man-legends-3-projectmega-man-universemicrosoftnintendoplaystationps3tgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011xboxTue, 20 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dead or Alive 5's 'fighting entertainment' means even crazier stages]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/dead-or-alive-5s-fighting-entertainment-means-even-crazier-st/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/dead-or-alive-5s-fighting-entertainment-means-even-crazier-st/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/dead-or-alive-5s-fighting-entertainment-means-even-crazier-st/#comments Team Ninja pulled an Apple-style "one more thing" at its pre-TGS party, announcing Dead or Alive 5 at the last minute and showing an early trailer. At that event, studio head Yosuke Hayashi called DOA 5 a "fighting entertainment" game, something distinct from other fighting games.

Later, in an interview at Tecmo's TGS booth, I asked Hayashi to clear up that terminology. The early generation of fighting games, around Street Fighter 2, he said, "had some of the most outrageous graphics, fun gameplay, and really a lot of stuff going on." He implied that, in comparison, modern fighting games emphasize online competition over wowing players with unprecedented visuals.

"It's not as over-the-top, it's not as much of the entertainment aspect that the originals had, and so they seem a little bit dull, in some aspects." The term "fighting entertainment" represents an effort to return spectacle to the genre.

Continue reading Dead or Alive 5's 'fighting entertainment' means even crazier stages

JoystiqDead or Alive 5's 'fighting entertainment' means even crazier stages originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-or-alive-5microsoftplaystationps3tgs-2011xboxyosuke-hayashiTue, 20 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ninja Gaiden 3's 'Hero Mode' allows more players to experience the story]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ninja-gaiden-3s-hero-mode-allows-more-players-to-experience-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ninja-gaiden-3s-hero-mode-allows-more-players-to-experience-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/ninja-gaiden-3s-hero-mode-allows-more-players-to-experience-t/#comments Ninja Gaiden 3 is Team Ninja's first full Gaiden game post-Itagaki, and it looks like things are progressing a little differently. For one thing, it's got a sort of easy mode called "Hero Mode," which adds automatic dodging and blocking of most normal attacks, to which I can imagine Itagaki's head shaking, making waves in a cloud of cigarette smoke.

I asked director Fumihiko Yasuda (who also did design work on Sigma 2) about why such a ... friendly mode would appear in such a typically unfriendly series.

"We really wanted to flesh out the story this time around," Yasuda said, "so we wanted people to enjoy that story and get used to the game as it is. In the past the games were really hardcore and we couldn't get players to stay with us and complete the game." Team Ninja is "redefining" Hayabusa's image, and wants people to experience that whole story without dying over and over again or throwing the game into the disposal in frustration.

Continue reading Ninja Gaiden 3's 'Hero Mode' allows more players to experience the story

JoystiqNinja Gaiden 3's 'Hero Mode' allows more players to experience the story originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fumihiko-yasudamicrosoftninja-gaidenninja-gaiden-3playstationps3team-ninjatecmo-koeitgs-2011xboxyosuke-hayashiTue, 20 Sep 2011 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix announces Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/square-enix-announces-final-fantasy-xiii-2-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/square-enix-announces-final-fantasy-xiii-2-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/square-enix-announces-final-fantasy-xiii-2-dlc/#comments DLC is the new black, you know? During the recently concluded Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase announced a fair amount of DLC for this winter's sequel to a sequel: Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Now, DLC is par for the course for a lot of western RPGs, thanks in no small part to the Dragon Ages and Mass Effects of the world, but it's virgin territory for the everlasting, oxymoronic Final Fantasy series, spinoffs not withstanding. Nothing specific was revealed, but Kitase did mention weapons, monsters and costumes as being on tap. We hope Square Enix goes whole hog; we'd pay 1200 MS Points for a blinged out Historia Crux.

JoystiqSquare Enix announces Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DLCFinal-Fantasy-13-2final-fantasy-xiiifinal-fantasy-xiii-2microsoftplaystationps3square-enixTGS-2011xboxTue, 20 Sep 2011 00:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Street Fighter X Tekken: Cole MacGrath pummels Ken on Vita]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/street-fighter-x-tekken-cole-macgrath-pummels-ken-on-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/street-fighter-x-tekken-cole-macgrath-pummels-ken-on-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/street-fighter-x-tekken-cole-macgrath-pummels-ken-on-vita/#comments
Here's some more Street Fighter X Tekken footage, purportedly taken from PlayStation Vita. Infamous loner/loaner Cole MacGrath appears and brings along his spectacular electrical vortex. (Isn't it ionic? Don't you think?)

JoystiqStreet Fighter X Tekken: Cole MacGrath pummels Ken on Vita originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcommicrosoftplaystationplaystation-vitaps-vitaps3tgs-2011vitawow-that-is-a-bad-jokexboxMon, 19 Sep 2011 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[There will be spud: Our tour of retro game shop Super Potato]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/there-will-be-spud-our-tour-of-retro-game-shop-super-potato/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/there-will-be-spud-our-tour-of-retro-game-shop-super-potato/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/there-will-be-spud-our-tour-of-retro-game-shop-super-potato/#comments
Inside Tokyo's electronics district, Akihabara, you'll find Super Potato. In short, Super Potato is a retro gamer's paradise, especially for those with fond memories of Japanese titles. The multi-level store is packed with nearly every older title and system under the sun. Famicom, Super Famicom, Mega Drive, Sega Saturn -- you name it, and it's there.

I made it my mission to find Super Potato and, within its walls, a copy of Vampire Savior, the third game in the Darkstalkers series that never came out in North America. Spoiler alert: I found it, along with a whole lot more.

Now I just wish I had remembered to look for Dungeons & Dragons Collection. There's always next year, right?

JoystiqThere will be spud: Our tour of retro game shop Super Potato originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomjapanplease-make-a-new-darkstalkerssuper-potatotgs-2011vampire-saviorMon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mommy Tummy and me: A Tokyo Game Show story]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/mommy-tummy-and-me-a-tokyo-game-show-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/mommy-tummy-and-me-a-tokyo-game-show-story/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/mommy-tummy-and-me-a-tokyo-game-show-story/#comments
This year marks my first year at the Tokyo Game Show. It also marks the first time I've ever been to Japan. I've heard stories about how different it is, of course, and I've seen Lost in Translation more than once. So, before I arrived in Tokyo, I had considered the possibility that there might be a crazy adventure in the works.

I've now experienced Mommy Tummy, a "serious game" project from Kosaka Laboratory - part of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology - and let me tell you: Scarlett Johansson ain't got nothing on me.

Continue reading Mommy Tummy and me: A Tokyo Game Show story

JoystiqMommy Tummy and me: A Tokyo Game Show story originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kosaka-laboratorymommy-tummyserious-gamestgs-2011Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Let's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/lets-play-the-blame-game-inafune-on-what-went-wrong-with-capco/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/lets-play-the-blame-game-inafune-on-what-went-wrong-with-capco/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/lets-play-the-blame-game-inafune-on-what-went-wrong-with-capco/#comments In the latter half of 2009 and early 2010, Capcom released two major retail games in collaboration with prominent Western devs: Crimson Skies dev Airtight Games created Dark Void, and gun-for-hire Grin rebooted Bionic Commando. Those two games, however, were prominent sales flops. One even contributed to the eventual closure of Swedish dev Grin.

For its part, Capcom promptly returned to its tried and true franchises, with a lineup today featuring many more sequels than back in 2009. At the time, Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune was overseeing production on Capcom's retail titles, and when I spoke with him this past week at the Tokyo Game Show, I wanted to know what went wrong. Beyond sales, neither game was particularly loved by critics, especially Dark Void.

"[It's] very, very simple: The publisher was Japanese and the developer was foreign. Even inside Japan, when you work in two different companies, they always blame each other for any small mistakes, so that's pretty much what happened in those two games -- blaming each other," Inafune explained. He went on to compare those development experiences with that of Dead Rising -- a game that has since become a major franchise for Capcom, not to mention a commercial success.

Continue reading Let's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push

JoystiqLet's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airtightairtight-gamesbionic-commandoDark-Voidgrinkeiji-inafunemicrosoftpcplaystationps3tgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011xboxMon, 19 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Crazy Eddie's TGS 2011 Trailer Blowout! It's an Asura's Dogma Army Online of savings!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/crazy-eddies-tgs-2011-trailer-blowout-its-an-asuras-dogma-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/crazy-eddies-tgs-2011-trailer-blowout-its-an-asuras-dogma-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/crazy-eddies-tgs-2011-trailer-blowout-its-an-asuras-dogma-ar/#comments That's right folks, it may still be Sunday here in the states, but in glorious Nippon it's already Monday, and that means these Tokyo Game Show trailers are priced to move! Our manager is out of town and we've gone crazy!! Just look at these prices:
Are you still reading this? You'd have to have a toolbox for a head to pass up an opportunity this golden! Jump past the break and find out why Crazy Eddie's Discount Trailer Emporium and Rustic Furniture Showcase is still your number one source for new and used video game footage!

Continue reading Crazy Eddie's TGS 2011 Trailer Blowout! It's an Asura's Dogma Army Online of savings!

JoystiqCrazy Eddie's TGS 2011 Trailer Blowout! It's an Asura's Dogma Army Online of savings! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>army-corps-from-hellasuras-wrathCapcomdragons-dogmamicrosoftPhantasy-Star-Online-2playstationps3SegaSquare-EnixTGSTGS-2011xboxSun, 18 Sep 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How Street Fighter X Tekken's 'Pandora Mode' bridges the fighters' styles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/how-street-fighter-x-tekkens-pandora-mode-bridges-the-fighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/how-street-fighter-x-tekkens-pandora-mode-bridges-the-fighter/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/how-street-fighter-x-tekkens-pandora-mode-bridges-the-fighter/#comments During TGS, Capcom revealed Street Fighter X Tekken's "Pandora Mode," which allows players to sacrifice a character in order to give the tag partner infinite EX meter before also dying, allowing for last-ditch comeback efforts. Curious about the motivation for this kind of crazy mode, I asked producer Yoshinori Ono, who then proceeded to take me to school about the differences in flow between Street Fighter and Tekken games.

Continue reading How Street Fighter X Tekken's 'Pandora Mode' bridges the fighters' styles

JoystiqHow Street Fighter X Tekken's 'Pandora Mode' bridges the fighters' styles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcommicrosoftplaystationplaystation-vitaps3street-fighterstreet-fighter-x-tekkentekkentgs-2011vitaxboxyoshinori-onoSun, 18 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ono: Porting Street Fighter X Tekken to Vita isn't hard, but integrating rear touch panel might be]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ono-porting-street-fighter-x-tekken-to-vita-isnt-hard-but-int/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ono-porting-street-fighter-x-tekken-to-vita-isnt-hard-but-int/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/ono-porting-street-fighter-x-tekken-to-vita-isnt-hard-but-int/#comments Street Fighter X Tekken producer Yoshinori Ono told me that he hasn't had much trouble in technical terms porting the game over to PlayStation Vita ("When I say 'I' of course I mean the programmers," he clarified, "because I'm not doing this myself.")

"A lot of people, when they're porting to new hardware, especially a handheld, they'll talk about how it's difficult because of memory restrictions or speed or things like that, and I haven't found that to be the case." His team has been able to confer with the team working on the Vita version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, as well, further streamlining the process. The difficulty isn't in the technical stuff, it's in making smart use of the Vita's features. "We've been putting less energy into the porting process itself and more energy into adding additional features, because we don't want to do a straight-up port -- that's silly and meaningless."

Continue reading Ono: Porting Street Fighter X Tekken to Vita isn't hard, but integrating rear touch panel might be

JoystiqOno: Porting Street Fighter X Tekken to Vita isn't hard, but integrating rear touch panel might be originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomplaystationplaystation-vitastreet-fighter-x-tekkentgs-2011vitayoshinori-onoSun, 18 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Phantasy Star Online 2 preview: Back, in action]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/phantasy-star-online-2-preview-back-in-action/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/phantasy-star-online-2-preview-back-in-action/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/phantasy-star-online-2-preview-back-in-action/#comments Phantasy Star Online hit some kind of magical sweet spot back in 2000. Though its spinoffs and followups kept much of the formula from that release, there was always something that felt off about them, and prevented some fans (like me) from getting fully into them.

It turns out that maybe those games were hewing too closely to the first PSO, because the new Phantasy Star Online 2 feels significantly different from its predecessors in action, and seems to have paradoxically recaptured the PSO excitement by doing so. It definitely hits all the right notes, but the mechanics have actually been upgraded. Can you believe it? Of course, the bummer about this is that it's a currently Japan-only, PC-only game.

Gallery: Phantasy Star Online 2 (TGS 2011)

Continue reading Phantasy Star Online 2 preview: Back, in action

JoystiqPhantasy Star Online 2 preview: Back, in action originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcphantasy-star-online-2segasonic-teamtgs-2011Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos explains what happened to Rock Band Japan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-ceo-alex-rigopulos-explains-what-happened-to-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-ceo-alex-rigopulos-explains-what-happened-to-rock-band/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-ceo-alex-rigopulos-explains-what-happened-to-rock-band/#comments After announcing intentions to bring its Rock Band franchise to the Japanese market way back in the summer of 2008, Harmonix and co-developer Q Entertainment quietly walked away from the project. "Never say never," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos said of the project in a group interview session this week at Tokyo Game Show, answering a question asked by Kotaku's Brian Ashcraft. "We were very much interested in bringing that experience in some form to the Japanese market," he explained. "There were a couple of significant challenges."

Beyond the whole "manufacturing and shipping hundreds of thousands more plastic peripherals to an island country" ... thing, Rigopulos lamented issues with licensing Japanese music for the game, which he characterized as "very difficult in Japan, relative to other countries." He also pointed to a rather obvious concern: space limitations in Japanese households. "Even for people who have the space, Japanese families tend to not make a lot of noise in their homes. They generally have a quieter lifestyle at home 'cause they're living in closer quarters, and also Japanese families don't entertain in their homes as much."

Given the original inspiration for Harmonix' franchises Guitar Hero and Rock Band was the arcade-born Guitar/Drum Freaks franchise, I wondered if Harmonix had looked at Japanese arcades as an option instead of a home console release. "That's something we considered," he admitted. "One of the challenges is that arcades are very, very noisy, and so if you're trying to make something that's really a musical experience and you've got 37 other arcade machines all turned up to full volume, it kind of impairs the musicality of the experience."

Again, Rigopulos said Harmonix has yet to give up on the concept of Rock Band in Japan, but from the sound of things, it's not exactly at the top of his priority list.

[Image credit: ShonenKnife.com]

JoystiqHarmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos explains what happened to Rock Band Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-rigopulosarcadesharmonixharmonix-music-systemsjapanmicrosoftplaystationps3q-entertainmentRock-Bandrock-band-japantgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011xboxSun, 18 Sep 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hayashi: Ninja Gaiden 3's dismemberment-free gameplay adds meaning to the violence]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/hayashi-ninja-gaiden-3s-dismemberment-free-gameplay-adds-meani/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/hayashi-ninja-gaiden-3s-dismemberment-free-gameplay-adds-meani/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/hayashi-ninja-gaiden-3s-dismemberment-free-gameplay-adds-meani/#comments Ninja Gaiden 3 won't feature the frequent decapitations and other freeform dismemberment of its predecessors. You may think of this as softening the impact of the violence in Team Ninja's famously brutal series, but it's intended to be quite the opposite. In fact, if anything, Team Ninja lead Yosuke Hayashi made it sound even more sadistic.

"For Ninja Gaiden 3," Hayashi told me, "we wanted to focus on the act of cutting someone down, and what it's like to actually kill someone with a sword. Once you start lopping off limbs, your enemy goes from being a living thing that you're killing to just a thing."

And to hammer the point home (or katana the point home, if you prefer) that these are real human beings you're flipping out and killing, he continued. "When you're actually cutting into a person, and you feel them getting scared, and the blood is spraying right on you, you hear their dying breaths in your ear -- that's the kind of visceral violence we're going for in Ninja Gaiden 3." In the demo level I played, by the way, the enemy soldiers start pleading for their lives as soon as you begin attacking them.

At this point you might think, as I did, that you're going to start feeling guilty about cutting into all these bodies. That's ... kind of the idea. "Ryu Hayabusa is a dark hero," Hayashi explained. "If people want to take the easy way out or a cleaner way out -- not killing people -- that's not what the story is about and what Ryu Hayabusa is about. To be a dark hero, you have to do bad things in order to do good."

Gallery: Ninja Gaiden 3 (Tokyo Game Show 2011)

JoystiqHayashi: Ninja Gaiden 3's dismemberment-free gameplay adds meaning to the violence originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftninja-gaidenninja-gaiden-3playstationps3team-ninjatecmo-koeitgs-2011xboxyosuke-hayashiSun, 18 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmonix interested in branching out beyond music with Kinect]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-interested-in-branching-out-beyond-music-with-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-interested-in-branching-out-beyond-music-with-kinect/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/harmonix-interested-in-branching-out-beyond-music-with-kinect/#comments Many years ago, before Harmonix was the dev house that birthed Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central, the company created EyeToy: AntiGrav -- a motion-controlled game for Sony's PlayStation 2 "EyeToy" camera peripheral. Despite strong sales, that was the last time that the Massachusetts-based developer created a project not steeped in music. But it seems that the studio may not have abandoned its one-time interest in non-music motion-based games.

"I think we're always open-minded about new opportunities," Harmonix CEO Alex Rigopulos told me in an interview this week at the Tokyo Game Show. "Certainly our focus always has been and probably always will be on music-themed games," he added, but his company's involvement with Dance Central has rekindled the studio's interest in other types of motion-based gaming. "A perfect example is the Kinect, which I think that through our work on Dance Central we've developed an affinity for -- towards motion gaming."

Though Rigopulos wouldn't speak to specifics, he would say that, "It wouldn't be surprising if in the future we took some steps outside of our wheelhouse in music to try some new things in non-music focused motion gaming."

Harmonix' latest release, VidRhythm for iOS devices, may also be on the cards for some type of Kinect-based adaptation. "Of course our hope is to keep improving it and expanding it, including bringing it to other platforms, such as possibly Kinect," Rigopulos explained. That said, with VidRhythm having just launched in the past few weeks, he's not even sure of initial sales reports just yet, so it may be a few before we hear more about the application headed to other devices.

JoystiqHarmonix interested in branching out beyond music with Kinect originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alex-rigopulosdance-central-2eyetoyeyetoy-antigravharmonixharmonix-music-systemsmicrosoftmobiletgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011vidrhythmxboxSun, 18 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[TGS serious screen 'splosion: BF3, MW3, Uncharted 3, Binary Domain]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-serious-screen-splosion-bf3-mw3-uncharted-3-binary-doma/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-serious-screen-splosion-bf3-mw3-uncharted-3-binary-doma/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-serious-screen-splosion-bf3-mw3-uncharted-3-binary-doma/#comments Tokyo Game Show isn't all fun and games -- some of this stuff is serious business. The following screens, for example, are very serious, and nothing at all like the pictures of happy Sackboys we showed you earlier. The galleries below are the exact opposite of happy Sackboys: They're angry sieve-men. With guns. Serious guns.

Binary Domain

Gallery: Binary Domain (TGS 2011)

Continue reading TGS serious screen 'splosion: BF3, MW3, Uncharted 3, Binary Domain

JoystiqTGS serious screen 'splosion: BF3, MW3, Uncharted 3, Binary Domain originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield-3binary-domaincall-of-duty-modern-warfare-3microsoftmodern-warfare-3pcplaystationps3tgs-2011uncharted-3uncharted-3-drakes-deceptionxboxSat, 17 Sep 2011 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Taking a detour to the Amusement Machine Show]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/video-taking-a-detour-to-the-amusement-machine-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/video-taking-a-detour-to-the-amusement-machine-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/video-taking-a-detour-to-the-amusement-machine-show/#comments Today, after finishing up our last appointment at TGS, we wandered over to an annex of the convention center and found ... a secret second convention! The JAMMA Amusement Machine Show is usually held sometime near TGS, but this year was held concurrently, and thus we were able to just pop in there!

The show was heavy on redemption and medal games, with entire booths dedicated to companies' prize offerings, but we were able to see some video games as well -- including a line of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 machines! There was also randomly a concert in progress over at Sega. You can see a bit of that, along with (OF COURSE) a few big mascot characters, in the video above!

Gallery: AMS 2011 show floor

JoystiqVideo: Taking a detour to the Amusement Machine Show originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ams-2011amusement-machine-showarcadetgs-2011Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Joystiq Show - TGS 2011 Check-in 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-check-in-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-check-in-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/the-joystiq-show-tgs-2011-check-in-2/#commentsFiled under:

The guys are still at TGS and they are having the true Japan experience. Richard experienced a virtual pregnancy and will be on Japanese TV. A trip to Japan doesn't get much more Japanese than that.

This one is slathered with Japanese flavor. Tune in for stories of soda with chunks in it, hamtaro, Capcom DLC plans, tiny arcade sticks and more!

Get the podcast:
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Hosts: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM), Ben Gilbert (@BigBossBGilbert) and JC Fletcher (@jcfletcher)
Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily)
Music: Bust This Bust That by Professor Kliq

See all show links, and stream the show, after the break.

Continue reading The Joystiq Show - TGS 2011 Check-in 2

JoystiqThe Joystiq Show - TGS 2011 Check-in 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>joystiq-podcastpodcaststgs-2011Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:55:00 ESTThe Joystiq Show - TGS 2011 Check-in 2Joystiq35:40podcasts<![CDATA[TGS Vita screen 'splosion: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dark Quest, Legion of Hell]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-vita-screen-splosion-escape-plan-littlebigplanet-dark-qu/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-vita-screen-splosion-escape-plan-littlebigplanet-dark-qu/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/tgs-vita-screen-splosion-escape-plan-littlebigplanet-dark-qu/#comments We don't know if you realized, but Tokyo Game Show is actually conducted entirely in stop motion, through a series of giant screencap cutouts and mulitcolored strobe lights. Really, it is. No, really.

OK, fine. It isn't. We do, however, have a ton of screenshots from TGS, including the following batches of Vita games: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dungeon Hunter Alliance (Dark Quest in Japanese) and a new title from Square Enix, Legion of Hell (make sure your speakers are turned up all the way for that website). Switch on your strobes and let the show begin below:

LittleBigPlanet

Gallery: LittleBigPlanet Vita (TGS 2011)

Continue reading TGS Vita screen 'splosion: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dark Quest, Legion of Hell

JoystiqTGS Vita screen 'splosion: Escape Plan, LittleBigPlanet, Dark Quest, Legion of Hell originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dungeon-hunter-allianceescape-planfun-bits-interactivelegion-of-hellLittleBigPlanetlittlebigplanet-vitamedia-moleculemobileSquare-Enixtgs-2011UbisoftSat, 17 Sep 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Inafune envisions a future where portable gaming consoles and Smartphones coexist]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/inafune-invisions-a-future-where-portable-gaming-consoles-and-sm/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/inafune-invisions-a-future-where-portable-gaming-consoles-and-sm/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/inafune-invisions-a-future-where-portable-gaming-consoles-and-sm/#comments When Nintendo president Satoru Iwata delivered the keynote back in March at this year's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, he spoke of the "commoditization" of gaming, and the resultant devaluing of games. But given his position as head of a company leading the charge in the dedicated gaming portable market, it was difficult to see past his highly vested interests in this stance. To put it more bluntly, Iwata is a man who relies on people buying his portable console's games for $30 to $40, and thusly his ideas on the subject are tainted by his own vested interests.

But when Mega Man co-creator and ex-Capcom head of production Keiji Inafune feels similarly, we can't help but take note. I asked him during an interview this week at the Tokyo Game Show how he felt about Mr. Iwata's keynote, and if the Nintendo 3DS -- as well as the PlayStation Vita -- stand a chance against the rise of the Smartphone.

"I think it's very similar between cell phone cameras and professional digital cameras [DSLRs]. You don't use a Smartphone camera for an interview, and you don't use a really professional camera to take some small pictures when you're going to work," he told me, drawing a comparison between the DSLR my colleague was holding and the iPhone 4 I was recording the interview with. "I think that's the same thing that happens with game consoles as well," he continued. "If you want to play a good game, you get a PS3 or Xbox or that kind of thing. You don't stay on your iPhone or on a Smartphone game for three or five hours, nobody would do that. So I think the needs difference is happening here."

Continue reading Inafune envisions a future where portable gaming consoles and Smartphones coexist

JoystiqInafune envisions a future where portable gaming consoles and Smartphones coexist originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comceptinterceptkeiji-inafunemicrosoftplaystationps3tgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011xboxSat, 17 Sep 2011 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[New Suikoden title coming to PSP]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/new-suikoden-title-coming-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/new-suikoden-title-coming-to-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/17/new-suikoden-title-coming-to-psp/#comments

Konami announced a new Suikoden installment coming to PSP, Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki, at Tokyo Game Show today. The new title has a website, trailer and Twitter account, one of which you can watch right here. You could watch the other two if you really wanted to, but we doubt they would have as many epic anime eyeball close-ups as the above trailer.

No word yet on pricing, gameplay, developer details or a release date, but that trailer should keep you occupied until more information emerges -- if it starts to get boring, make a game out of it. Every time a dramatically zoomed-in facial features fills the screen, take a shot of Sailor Jerry (or milk, as your age and country restrictions permit). The months will fly by.

JoystiqNew Suikoden title coming to PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Genso-Suikoden-Tsumugareshi-Hyakunen-no-TokiKonamiplaystationpspsonysuikodentgs-2011Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:30:00 EST