Monthly Archives: February 2009

StarCraft II lead designer Dustin Browder has given a clear indication that you’re going to be playing the strategy game sooner rather than later.

“We don’t want to lie about the Beta, and we don’t even want to lie about the next Battle Report,” he said in response to an FAQ question about release timings.

“When we know a date (for anything) for certain, we’ll let you know. Hang in there. We’re in the final stretch.”

Browder’s comments come after Blizzard COO Paul Sams said the RTS’s beta was to start in the “coming months” in Acti Blizz’s Q4 earnings call last week.

The game will be launched on a “basic version” of the new, hugely anticipated version of Battle.net.

There’s no date on the game as yet, obviously. Thanks, StarCraftWire.

Microsoft PR has refused to confirm or deny whether or not staff are to be shed at Rare this morning, following confirmation that the studio is to be restructured.

“To be honest, we have nothing to add to the statement,” a spokesperson told VG247.

“We’ve come out and said, ‘This is what’s going on,’ to avoid any confusion. We feel that we’ve said our piece and don’t want to say anything more.”

Insiders have intimated this morning that proposed staffing changes are “serious”.

Rare issued a statement earlier today saying that now was the time to “restructure our current approach so we can speed development and better manage the scale required to create high quality games.”

Rare published four projects last year, namely a second Viva title, a DS Viva, Banjo Nuts & Bolts and Avatars for NXE.

Rare’s “restructuring” its studio, and potentially shedding staff.

“As the entire industry struggles to address the increasing scale and cost of development, we too have felt a need to restructure our current approach so we can speed development and better manage the scale required to create high quality games,” said Mark Betteridge, studio manager.

“With four projects recently underway, now is the right time to make this change. Throughout its history, Rare has demonstrated a willingness to embrace new approaches and commitment to delivering game-changing experiences to our customers.

“This announcement is no different and builds on that tradition as we work with MGS to make interactive entertainment as culturally relevant in people’s lives as books, movies and television are today.”

More on GI. We’re chasing this now.

The Linux version of World of Goo has been a rollicking success for 2D Boy, with the launch seeing over 40 percent more games sold via the company’s website in one day than ever before.

From here:

It’s only been 2 days since the release of the Linux version and it already accounts for 4.6% of the full downloads from our website. Our thanks to everyone who’s playing the game on Linux and spreading the word. Here are a couple of nifty stats:

• About 12% of Linux downloads are of the .rpm package, 30% are of the .tar.gz package, and 57% are of the .deb package.
• More copies of the game were sold via our website on the day the Linux version released than any other day. This day beat the previous record by 40%. There is a market for Linux games after all

Go Linux, etc. More through there. Thanks, The Reticule.

A few screens of what’s apparently a BottleRocket adaptation of The Flash have surfaced, showing… The Flash. See them here.

The game was apparently in development for now defunct publisher Brash.

BottleRocket wound up earlier this month when Namco pulled Splatterhouse from the firm.

Via Kotaku and superannuation.

Rockstar’s released The Lost and Damned, GTA IV’s first major piece of DLC, as you can see here.

The content’s priced at 1,600 MS Points, and features around 10 hours of gameplay.

You need the original GTA IV disc in the drive to play it, remember, and it’s a 360-only thing. Just in case you’d forgotten.

Thanks Michael O’Connor.

ESA’s Dan Hewitt’s told GI that “glamour and sizzle” will be part of this year’s revamped E3, but the US trade body isn’t going to let things get out of hand. Phew.

“In response to the glamour and sizzle of 2005 and 2006, there are certainly going to be components of that show,” he said.

“But is it going to be the over-the-top excess that you’ve seen in years past? No – but that goes back to learning what is manageable and what is sustainable, and hearing from attendees what it is they want, and creating something that meets their needs.

“It goes back to taking what was the best of the 2006 event, and what was good about 2007 and 2008, and creating something that has constituent elements.”

Let’s just hope it tries to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Again. Full thing through the link.

To celebrate the release of GTA IV’s first major bit of DLC this morning, Microsoft’s put out a Lost and Damned Avatar clothing pack. Just to get you in the mood.

Here’s what you get. It’s all free.

Guys:

• Rocker Jacket
• Pixie Boots
• Grunge Pants
• Metal Combats
• Top Hat
• Skull Ring
• Leather Biker Gloves
• Left Feather Earring
• Right Feather Earring

Girls:

• Punk Tee
• Black 60’s Boots
• Leopard Print Leggings
• Biker Jacket
• Biker Gloves
• Skull Wrist Band
• Left Feather Earring
• Right Feather Earring

GTA IV DLC The Lost and Damned will be available for download this morning at 8.00am GMT.

That’s 3.00am EST, if that’s where you are, or midnight on the West Coast.

We’ll let you know when it’s gone up.

SCEA’s put out another Resistance Retribution movie, this time featuring a ton of in-game footage and the thinking behind building a Resistance product on PSP.

It’s all about keeping the intensity of the PS3 games, apparently. Looks very shooty.

Releasing March 17.

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Valve’s extended its 50 percent off Left 4 Dead sale until tomorrow.

It was supposed to finish yesterday.

Go and buy it, you lucky, lucky people. It’s only £13.50.

THQ popped over a video of the Create-a-Legend feature in WWE Legends of WrestleMania, showing what has to be the most extensive array of mullets and small beards in a game.

Abs and perms. We say nothing. Game’s out for 360 and PS3 this “spring”.

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EA Sports has signed a deal with Toy Island to make branded sportswear.

The first lot comes out this autumn.

Thrilling, we know, but the press release has a quote from Peter Moore in it, and is therefore great.

“Our goal is to take the EA Sports brand deeper into the fabric of sports, and into new markets that allow more people to unleash their inner spirit of sports and competition,” said Moore.

“With Toy Island, we’ve found a partner that shares EA Sports’ passion for quality and innovation. We’re excited to be working with them to bring to market unique products that are sure to be captivating for young athletes.”

Full thing after the link.

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As far as PR goes, the video after the link is something of a classic. It’s about a band called Blind Guardian, and how it got involved in doing the music for Ascaron RPG Sacred 2.

Basically, the band wanted to do a game, but couldn’t. And then it could. And there was metal in Sacred 2.

Feel the passion. Simple, innit. Game’s out on March 24.

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Criterion’s confirmed the Burnout Paradise Legendary Cars Pack will release this Thursday.

This is the DLC with the flying Back to the Future car, which is reason enough to buy it.

It’s probably even reason enough to buy the game again if you were silly enough to sell it. Flying car, yeah?

Dragon Quest V has sold 1.2 million copies in Japan alone since releasing in July, Edge reports, according to new figures released by Square Enix.

The figure is probably higher as it does not take into account any sales data from 2009.

The title is set for release in the US and Britain later this week.

Here’s all the numbers released, showing sales for the nine months ending December 31.

• Dragon Quest V – 1.19m
• Dissidia: Final Fantasy – 780,000
• Chrono Trigger DS – 710,000
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – 700,000
• Last Remnant – 490,000
• Final Fantasy IV DS – 480,000
• Infinite Undiscovery – 440,000
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2 DS – 340,000
• Dragon Quest IV – 300,000
• Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume – 160,000

Death Tank’s this Wednesday’s XBLA game, which is probably pretty cool.

The Snowblind Studios remake features Live play for up to eight, and it’ll cost you 1,200 Points.

You really may as well buy it. It’ll probably be fun.

Unstoppable. Another week, another seven days Nintendo shoves the “core” up the British charts’ ass.

Wii Fit has now been on top of the UK top ten for five weeks. Nice first week for FEAR 2 there in second place, and it finally looks as though World at War and FIFA are finally on the wane, down to four and five respectively.

Data for the week ending February 14. Last week’s chart here.

The first wave of reviews for The Lost and Damned, GTA IV’s first piece of 360 DLC, has gone live.

Everything so far below. Post in the comments if you want something added.

• TVG – 10
• TeamXbox – 9.7
• Eurogamer – 8
• IGN – 8.6
• Kikizo – 9
• Gamespot – “Downloadable content isn’t something that we review right now…”
• 1UP – B+
• IGN video review – After the break
• CVG – 9

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Update – There’s video of it after the break.

Yep, that’s what it says. Kikizo’s reporting that GTA IV’s first bit of DLC features an actual penis. Well, a virtual penis, but you know what we mean.

We can hear the Daily Mail’s twitching heart from here.

Full details after the break. Be warned. There’s a spoiler here, so don’t look if you care about such things.

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