Home / kotaku.com rss archive / September-07-2007


No, Thanks: No, Ubisoft Is Not Buying SCi
With SCi on the market, Ubisoft seemed a good fit for a buyer. Mainly because, well, they're not EA. Turns out they're not that interested, however, an Ubi rep telling the Financial Times: We are not in discussion with SCi Entertainment any more than we are with any other company in the industry. Instead, the mysterious, unnamed Ubisoft rep believes Time Warner will make a move for the house of Lara.SCi Entertainment sees PE more likely than trade bidders; Tchenguiz not interested [Financial Times]

Contest: Use Red, Win Heavenly Sword
With our globe contest wrapping up (winner announced Monday), it's time to kick off yet another contest! We've got one copy of Heavenly Sword with fiery sword-swinger Nariko to give away. But, we're not just going to give it away. You've got to win it! Here's the contest: Red. Lots and lots of red. Take a picture with as many read things (products, food, clothes, w/e!) as you can squeeze in. That's it! Easy!! The most interesting/creative ones will be selected by the mean Kotaku staff as finalists. The best one will then be selected by Kotakuland. Deadlines for entries is next Thursday at midnight EST. Send entries to kotakucontestATgmail.com and be sure to include a "Kotaku" sign in your picture. Good luck!Heavenly Sword [Official Site]

Shoring Up: Pro Evo 2008 Adds New Licenses, Seems To Lose Some As Well
Pro Evo fans, you'll know what this is about. American fans...imagine if the rights to Madden didn't come in one all-encompassing package. Imagine if each teams kit supplier, each team, each stadium, each league, each national body and even the players association had to be signed on individually. That's an issue Pro Evo's always faced, and one they've slowly improved each season as they add more and more official teams and leagues to their roster. For the 2008 version, Konami have announced a range of new club sides and national teams, which include:National teams: Brazil, Portugal, Greece, Scotland and IrelandClub teams: Newcastle, Tottenham, RSC Anderlecht, HJK Helsinki, IFK Goteborg, Panathinaicos, Spartak Moscow, Fenerbache, NK Dinamo Zagreb and FC BaselThat's the good news. Bad news? No Aston Villa. That and they may have lost some teams, too. They list Juventus, AC Milan and Turin as "new licensed clubs", but in previous years the entire Italian Serie A had been licensed....

Clip: Chill Out With Gear Turning and Fish
Not just puzzles, but puzzles, gears and FISH. Theta (AKA "Shi—ta") is a "relaxing and revolving puzzle" game for the DS. I get the revolving part, but think they might've confused "relaxing" with "boring."

Selective Quoting: British 360 Sales Rise By 260%
British sales trackers ChartTrack have announced that, following the 360s recent price cut, sales in the UK have risen by 260%. And...that's all they announced. Be nice to know just how many they sold, and then how that compares with how many Wiis and PS3s were sold, but since hard numbers aren't released by ChartTrack without money changing hands, this is all we got. UK Xbox 360 Sales Triple After Price Cut [Kikizo]

Day Note: Travels... or Trevails
To: Ash and FlynnFrom: CrecenteRe: Drink Less Booze, Drop WeightI don't exactly have that problem. While I've put on a bit of gut weight, I'm still a slender 130 pounds and 5-foot-7ish. Maybe I need to start drinking more Sake.This hasn't just been one hell of a week, its been one hell of a month. Next week I fly out to the northwest to spend some time playing an eagerly anticipated game for a few days, then I return to finish prep work for Tokyo Game Show and fly out that Sunday for Japan. I think I'm about ready for September to be over and with it all of these conventions. Not that I'm not going to have fun, but I can't wait to relax a bit.This weekend I'm going to strive and beat BioShock and start prepping for a little World in Conflict tourney the developers are hosting. Fahey is going to be my second and it's going to be a bloodbath.. not in our favor. Have a nice weekend guys.What you missed:Madame Tussauds' Master Chief Invades Las VegasZero G FlightAustin GDCEnrolling...

Official: SEGA Reminds The Dreamcast Is Soon Dead
As we previously posted, the last Friday of this month marks the end of official SEGA Dreamcast console and peripherals repairs. After that, SEGA of Japan officially (and humbly) disowns the product and you'll be forced to get your machine in some back alley by some dude who doesn't wash his hands. The horror! Over on its official site, SEGA just posted a friendly reminder online of this impending doom. Wait, this isn't very friendly, this isn't very friendly at all.A moment of silence, please — those are the last breaths of the SEGA Dreamcast support you hear. DC's Time is Up Soon [SEGA]

Second Life Hits New Low: Humans Get Baby Unicorns By Doing It With Adult Unicorns
When someone asks me why I think Second Life is so stupid, I normally just shrug and say "cos". Figure it'd take too long to get into a discussion on the matter. Now, though, I can just point to this, and we'll be all set! In-game merchants Sensual Stoneworks will provide you with a baby Unicorn...provided you consent to (or fail to resist) a rather unpleasant invasion of your personal space by a male adult Unicorn's junk. So, yes. Short of painting a picture, you get fucked by a unicorn, then you get a baby Unicorn. If the world ends tomorrow, with fire, brimstone, four horsemen, etc, I'm blaming this.Baby Unicorn Power!!! [Second Life Herald, via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

First Fridays: Devil May Cry 4, Zack & Wiki, Harvey Birdman Box Art Blowout
Capcom has put out a fresh batch of piping hot box art for us to judge, including highly anticipated games such as Devil May Cry 4, Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law. Obviously, you can see Nero sporting his fancypants glowstick hand above, but the rest of box art fun continues after the break.

Rumor: PlayStation Phone Coming In February?
Think we're all sure a Sony gaming phone is coming. Question is when. Mobile Entertainment seem to believe that it'll be February, during the Mobility World Congress. They also reckon the phone won't be PSP-branded (but you'd think it'd carry the PlayStation name somewhere), will be designed with gaming as the #1 priority and will be motion-sensitive, so expect a LocoRoco game somewhere at launch.Sony Ericsson to launch games phone in Feb? [Mobile Entertainment]

Cocks Out: Guitar Hero X-plorer Will Work With Rock Band 360, USB Hub Packed In
Harmonix Music president Alex Rigopulos sat in on the latest OXM Radio podcast, running over the details of Rock Band's many facets with a fine tooth comb. While Rigopulos touched on nearly every aspect of the Rock Band experience, from the single player career mode to the multiplayer World Tour to the game's web site, some important details that merit singling out were revealed. One very important confirmation that he provided was the the Red Octane X-plorer controller for Guitar Hero II would indeed be supported with Rock Band, potentially saving current GHII owners gobs of cash.On the single player Career Mode front, Rigopulos confirmed that each music discipline would feature a different career defining song. The drum career mode will, for example end with the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" but the guitar career mode will cap off with something totally different.For downloadable content, Harmonix is looking to release music without "radio edit" versions, issuing downloadable...

Banmjolnir: MS Issues 7,992 Year Ban To Halo 3 Epsilon Exploiter
Taking advantage of an exploit that allowed an unidentified friend to deliver to him the Halo 3 "Epsilon" test version, former Xbox Live user "Scar" found himself on the receiving end of the Live banhammer. After six hours of Halo 3 heaven, his brief flirtation with the unreleased game came to an end. He was hit so hard, his account won't wake up until the year 10,000 AD, at which point, he'll have fallen so far behind in his achievement grabbing that he'll... well, he'll probably be dead.Thanks to James and Chris for the heads up.Halo 3 Epsilon cheaters banned until 9,999 AD [Gamespot]

Clips: World in Conflict Gallery and Cut-Scene
newVideoPlayer("WiC_preacher_gawker.flv", 475, 376);With World in Conflict less than two weeks away expect a flood of new screens and clips. Here's just the tip of the iceberg.galleryPost('wic', 4, 'World in Conflict');

Incoming: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Demo Lands Monday
The official Enemy Territory: Quake Wars community site updated recently with a post full of good news. PC gamers looking forward to next month's retail release can busy themselves with a demo for the game starting Monday, September 10th. Featuring the map Valley, which some of you may have seen in the game's public beta, the demo will be at a number of sites, including Yahoo! Games, Nvidia, FilePlanet, Fileshack and more.Gamers can play online multiplayer against humans or offline against bots as well as host their own online games or LAN shindigs via the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars demo. And speaking of shindigs, it won't get much more happenin' than the IRC party scheduled for Monday's kick off, which will be attended by members of id, Splash Damage and Activision.The PC system requirements have also been finalized, so check them out, just in case you find yourself in need of a quick weekend hardware upgrade.Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars PC Demo Soon - Details Inside! [ET:QW...

Austin GDC 07: The Austin GDC Exhibit Hall In Pictures
As the Austin Game Developers Conference is an industry event, you won't see any startling game revelations or new titles featured on the expo floor. What you will find is t-shirts, pens, key chains, toys, and a whole lot of people looking for work and recruiting for same. I think the main highlight of the floor was the BioWare booth, which had free candy. Insomniac comes in a close second, giving out slinkies, and Emergent Game Technologies' beer booth comes in third, because a free beer table with a tip jar is not really a free beer table. galleryPost('agdchall', 8, 'Plenty of booths, No babes');

Japan Time: New Treasure Game For Nintendo DS Revealed Soon
Japan has pre-TGS countdown fever!! In more exciting Treasure news, publisher ESP (aka Entertainment Software Publishing) has revealed that a Treasure-developed game for the Nintendo DS will be revealed in just five short, agonizing days. Hence the countdown clock, one that will beat Sega's Ryu Ga Gotoku countdown to the reveal by about a day.Treasure already has two DS games under its belt, a pair of Bleach licensed fighters published by Sega, so they know the hardware. However, this one's under the publishing wing of ESP, responsible for some of Treasure's best shmups, including Radiant Silvergun, Bangai-O and Ikaruga. What could it be? Stay tuned! We'll let you know ASAP.Treasure X ESP Nintendo DS Project [ESP via GamerCafe]

Chains Of Luv: God of War: Chains Of Olympus Having A Ball In March '08
Gamespot writes today that Ready At Dawn's original Kratos adventure for the PlayStation Portable, in which it's expected he'll stab thousands of things and hopefully engage in a portable threesome, along with some plot-driving something-or-other, is still quite some time off. March 4, 2008 will finally bring about the next chapter in the God of War series with God of War: Chains of Olympus. Despite not having an official date set in stone, it was largely assumed to hit before the end of the year. Seems many asses were made based on that.PSP owners will have to make do with the UMD demo shipping later this month. More details on that tasty little bonus are available at Gamespot.Chains of Olympus breaking March 4 [Gamespot]

Austin GDC 07: Are Microtransactions The Future of MMO Games?
What do you get when you put Everquest II producer John Blakely, Matt Firor of ZeniMax Online Studios, Mark Jacobs of EA Mythic, Raph Coster of Areae, and GoPets CEO Erik Bethke into one room to discuss opportunities for increasing revenue and reaching new players in the MMO space? From what I saw this afternoon, you get a debate over microtransactions versus traditional subscription payment systems. I attended a panel called "Where are the Biggest Online Gaming Opportunities?" which was supposed to about experimenting with new MMO design and innovative new revenue models, but it quickly because a debate of old school MMO systems versus the new ones. The subject of microtransactions has popped up a lot this week, most notably in the Dave Perry Q&A from earlier in the day, where Perry sings the praises of the ad-supported, microtransaction funded business model. I don't know what convention organizers thought they would accomplish by bringing these men together, but what...

Popular: Today's most popular headlines are Shadow ...
Today's most popular headlines are Shadow Monsters (Gameplay?) Is A Bit Amazing (7,703 views today), Difference in 360 and PS3 Devil May Cry 4? The Controller (7,154) and Squeenix Boss Tells Sony To Straighten Out PS3 Marketing (6,766).

September Surprise: Sin And Punishment Coming To Virtual Console... In Australia?
With Treasure's Nintendo 64 rail shooter Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth recently revealed as a release candidate for the Wii Virtual Console service in Japan, we wondered if we'd (finally) get a proper English language translation of the game. That possibility looks more and more likely as the Australian Classification Board rated the game M for "moderate violence" and "moderate themes" just a few days ago.Good news for the Aussies, but what about those of us in North America? While the rating doesn't guarantee a release above the equator, any English language region release certainly lends more weight to a release here. I know I've got 1000 Wii Points earmarked, just in case.SIN & PUNISHMENT: SUCCESSOR TO THE EARTH [Australian Classification Board via NeoGAF]

Hot Flashes: Psychonauts Creator Reveals, Releases New Game "Epic Saga"
Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions has announced its latest game, one that is definitely not Brutal Legend starring Jack Black as a dead roadie clawing his way from Rock and Roll Hell to Rock and Roll Heaven. No, instead, Double Fine brings us an original IP shocker in Epic Saga - Extreme Fighter an amazingly deep online fighting game that tells the story of "a barbaric hero in an epic fantasy world, fighting his way from Rock and Roll Hell to Rock and Roll Heaven."Players can choose to progress through the game's storyline with one of six fighters, including the Barbarian, Horny Witch, Dark Wizard, Cave Dweller and Gnome King, with the speedy Gnome featured as an unlockable character. This is AAA stuff, folks. Once you see all four frames of animation on each beautifully rendered character, you will believe that Double Fine is ready for the next-next-generation of hardware.If you've got the skills to take on this series of truly extreme fighters, you won't be disappointed....

Gallery: New PGR4 Screens
galleryPost('pgr4new', 4, 'Car Porn');Project Gotham Racing 4 is less than a month away so Microsoft decided that now would be a good time to ship out a batch of new screenshots all taken with the game's Photo Mode. Hey, did you realize you can view pics captured in Photo Mode in 3D by using a standard pair of red and blue glasses and turning on the 3D glasses cheat? I had no clue.New batches of PGR4 screens are expected every Thursday until the game's release, we're told.

Potshots Golf: SCEE Says Home Release Date "Unofficial"
Yesterday's post on upcoming release dates for PSP, PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 games shouldn't be taken as fact, at least according to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. The company's UK reps told GamesIndustry.biz that the list, forwarded to us by a tipster, was "not an official release schedule" and that "none of the dates on the list have been confirmed at this time."Denial? Certainly not, but that doesn't mean our friends across the pond should plan their GAME camping trips around the alleged schedule until they hear official word from Sony themselves. According to the same sources, while the October 11th release date for the Home service is unconfirmed, we should expect further announcements on the platform at Tokyo Game Show.In the meantime, petty potshots are certainly welcome from our online friends and well-wishers.Sony denies issuing release date for PlayStation Home [GamesIndustry]

Rip Mix Burn: Dojo Dump: The Music Man
While this week's series of updates to the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl web site might not be filled with marquee updates like, say, Sonic the Hedgehog or the boat from Jaws joining the cast of the Nintendo brawler, but it does feature one very cool update. Sure, SSBB may not (as far as we know) feature custom soundtracks, it does feature the "My Music" option which lets players choose the frequency of your favorite classic Nintendo tunes. We'll never grow weary of the classic Super Mario Bros. ditty, but with this new option, we'll be able to pepper in some Mario jams from the past three decades. Nice! Here's the weekly Dojo Dump...Monday: Video of Pit's Descent and his relation to the Subspace Army are shown.Tuesday: Diddy Kong's special moves, including the vicious Peanut Popgun are profiled.Wednesday: Meta Knight, Kirby's nemesis is finally profiled.Thursday: Mario's special moves are revealed! Oh, crap, it's the F.L.U.D.D. The updated Pokmon Stadium stage is further...

Whoe Knew?: Games With Online Play Sell Better
In a recent report by research firm Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, it was concluded that games with an online component sell nearly twice as many copies, on average, than their onlineless counterparts. You ever wonder why every game, no matter how unsuited, seems to be sticking in a multiplayer component? Now you know why. Of course, there could be confounding correlations at work here, like between a game's budget and its propensity to have online play, or taking the possibility a step further, a game's level of marketing and said budget. Still, it's an interesting theory. Has the promise of multiplayer ever tipped the scales for a game you almost didn't purchase? Games with strong online components outsell the competition [arstechnica]

Humor: Street Fighter: The Later Years Is Back!
After a painful eight month wait lacking any semblance of joy, our lives are back on track now that Street Fighter: The Later Years has officially returned. The kids at CollegeHumor just gave us the go ahead, as part four of the series is now live, and looking sexier than ever in the new widescreen format. I'll refrain from spoiling too much, but the Balrog cameo might just be one of the best gags yet.Street Fighter: The Later Years, Part 4 [CollegeHumor]

Cedia07: A Really Nifty Pinball Emulator
The only gaming company actually listed as such in the CEDIA catalog was Game Cabinets Inc. which sells MAME-loaded gaming cabinets.While I found the cabinets surprisingly pricey and their disco-fied CrystalCade immensely gaudy, I was very impressed with the guts of their machines and their incredible take on pinball.All of their machines come with computers and DVD drives built into them, including their table-top StingerPlus, which probably explains some of the high cost. They also use Cherry Microswitches and Happ parts, which probably accounts for the rest of the high cost. The end result? A beautiful feeling set of controllers that not only give you precise, arcade-like gameplay but will, in my experience, last you quite awhile. I tested out their StingerPlus playing MAME versions of Joust (for the buttons) and Street Fighter II (for the sticks) and the play was fluid and amazing.While I was impressed with the parts used in the controllers, GCI isn't the only company that...

Demon Downtime: What Are You Playing This Weekend?
After last night's monthly gaming get together Geek Night, which included playing plenty of EA's skate (poorly), the Call of Duty 4 beta, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and lots of BioShock, I've got an action gaming itch to scratch. That's why I'm firing up the old Xbox for some Otogi and tackling the last chapters of Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Both have been on my completion backlog for a long time now—never finished the original Xbox Ninja Gaiden—and a quiet weekend with lots of swordplay sounds just magical.Oh yeah, plenty of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption as well. So what's up? What are you playing this weekend?

Street Fighter: The Later Years: Street Fighter: The Later Years Returns
After a painful eight month wait lacking any semblance of joy, our lives are back on track now that Street Fighter: The Later Years has officially returned. The kids at College Humor just gave us the go ahead, as part four of the series is now live, and looking sexier than ever in the new widescreen format. I'll refrain from spoiling too much, but the Balrog cameo might just be one of the best gags yet.Street Fighter: The Later Years, Part 4 [College Humor]

Video: Shadow Monsters (Gameplay?) Is A Bit Amazing
newVideoPlayer("ShadowPuppets_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Philip Worthington's Shadow Monsters was on display at GC07, and it may have been—no, definitely was—the most amazing thing I saw at the whole show. Essentially, it's a projector that adds extra animations and sounds to your shadow puppets. And it's a lot of raw, unadulterated fun.Shadow Monsters has been around since 2005, but the exhibit/game certainly hasn't gotten its due in the media. Game devs, take note please. There is more innovation in this one product than the entirety of next gen motion control—by a long shot. Shadow Monsters Home [worthersoriginals]

Postponed: Sega Delays The Club to 2008 Ship Date
For whatever reason I never believed The Club would ship in 2007, so it's hard to see this as "news" proper. But The Club has been delayed on all platforms to a February 2008 release. For those who don't remember, McWhertor really liked the game during his impressions at E3, though the title alone is a bit too trendy for my tastes. On a somewhat related note, does anyone believe ship dates when they're more than 2 months out? Because I sure don't. My heart's been broken too many times as I've sat alone at my TV with an empty bottle of wine and a plate of cold quail, settling for XBLA ports in the dark. Sega Announces Ship Date for "The Club" [gamingtoday]

Promo: Halo 3 Set to Hit IMAX Screens
Pontiac is giving away a chance to get some hands on time with Halo 3 before it launches, either by winning a copy of the game a day earlier or getting to play it on an IMAX screen in New York or San Francisco.The car company is giving away tickets to the two IMAX screenings and one thousand copies of the game, which will arrive in homes on Sept. 24, the day before the game hits.To register for the tickets or the First to Play events hop on over to the site and register.Pontiac Halo 3 Promo

Delays: Orange Box PS3 Delay Not Because of PS3, Really!
We told you yesterday that Valve's Orange Box would see a delay on the PS3 platform. But Valve wants to make sure everyone knows that's it's not the hardware, oh no. It's a commuting thing. While PC and Xbox 360 work is done by the core team in the states, the PS3 version is handled by an EA UK group. And that's like, thousands of miles away. Maybe tens of thousands. Maybe millions. No one knows for sure. So it takes longer. Especially when all communication is transfered by letters being transported by boats. Old ones. With sails. And masts. And poop decks. That's why Orange Box PS3 is going to come out a few weeks late. Now you know. Valve explains PS3 Orange Box delay [eurogamer] [image]

Impressions: Xbox 360 Chatpad Tires Out My Mitts
The new Xbox 360 Chatpad is pretty great. Despite most LIVE users being more inclined to voice chat than text message online, I can appreciate the solid construction of Microsoft's new peripheral. At first glance, the Chatpad looks like it will never fit on the controller, but the unit snaps on snugly. And you quickly find that its well-spaced keys are comfortable and prevent spillover button presses. Going from playing to typing requires a simple shift of balance—there has clearly been a ton of thought put behind the device's practical ergonomics. But it really tires out the hands.Holding the Chatpadized controller is a bulkier matter, but it's not uncomfortable. So when I found my fingers slow to respond on the thumbsticks after about an hour of play, I thought it was just me. Then I remembered my recent time in Germany, or more specifically, the countless gallons of steins that I've been lifting over the past 2 weeks. If anything, my hands should have increased...

Feature: Enrolling At Logos Academy
As we sat in the foyer of the Austin Amerisuites awaiting the busses that would take us to Richard Garriott's home for the Tabula Rasa Logos Academy event, a scraggly looking man snuck up to the couch I sat upon and handed me what you see above. The scrawled notes were a key to unlocking the graphical code, and I quickly translated the notes. "Meet near entrance before 5:30, not after. You will journey in vehicle. You will eat. You will think. You will return after midnight." Not exactly a big secret, but other than that the assembled crowd from various segments of the gaming industry had no idea what to expect as we boarded the busses. What we got was a tour of Lord British's amazing home, food, drink, and a spectacle that had to be experienced to be believed. On the way to the event in our two busses, we suddenly got a pretty good idea as of what to expect as both of our busses were pulled over to the side of the road by the police. As the cops questioned our drivers, a guy...

Uh Oh: Uncensored Manhunt 2 Leaks Online
Projectmanhunt.com is reporting that an early PS2 build of Manhunt 2 has leaked online. Though credited to Rockstar-unaffiliated Team Slonik, the software had to come from somewhere and YouTube clips are already appearing for public consumption—meaning this could become a quite literal torrent of bad press for Rockstar...who was finally (kinda) out of the fire for Hot Coffee. Full release notes after the jump.NFO(release notes):*******************************************************************************Manhunt 2 (Banned Uncut)*******************************************************************************-------------------------------------------------------------------------------General Information-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Type.................: GamePlatform.............: PS2Number of Parts......: 57 Including PARSImage Format.........: Other (specify)Image Created with...: CloneCDBurn Tested..........: Yes---------...

Only In Europe: Sony Dates PlayStation Games For Europe (Including Home) [UPDATED]
SCEE today clarified may have issued some near final release dates for games across the entire PlayStation family, including providing a tentative release date for its online social software Home. PlayStation Network releases, including Home, after the jump, but it appears gamers with the above haircut will be moping it up online before Halloween.PLAYSTATION 3October 17 - FolkloreOctober 19 - LairOctober 24 - Eye of JudgmentNovember 7 - Ratchet & Clank: Tools of DestructionNovember 28 - Time Crisis 4December 5 - Uncharted: Drake's FortuneDecember 2007 - Gran Turismo 5 PrologueUPDATE: Please note that these dates were unconfirmed by SCEE themselves, as GamesIndustry.biz wrote earlier today. These dates were provided to us by an anonymous tipster, but appear to have originated on popular message board NeoGAF with no source provided. They should be considered, and should have been considered from the get-go, rumor.PlayStation 2October 19 - Buzz! Hollywood QuizNovember 2 - Syphon...

Industry: Take-Two Sells Joytech
Take-Two today announced that they have sold "substantially all" of their Joytech video games accessories company to Mad Catz Interactive as part of a previously announced plan to ditch "non-core" businesses."The sale of the Joytech assets is consistent with one of the key goals we established in our 100 Day Plan: to develop strategic alternatives for any operations that we determined to be outside our core publishing business," said Ben Feder, Take-Two's Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly pleased that we accomplished this goal in a manner that will allow substantially all of our Joytech employees in the U.S. and U.K. to join Mad Catz, which is a highly respected provider of video game peripherals."They like that "substantially all" phrase don't they?Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announces Sale of Joytech Video Game Accessories Subsidiary [Take Two]

Tell Us: ESRB Changed Manhunt 2 Rating, But Why?
Is it the elephant in the room? The ESRB has changed the Manhunt 2 rating from AO to M. That's old news. But it's a decision that's uniting journalists and zealots, pro-gamers and anti-gamers alike in one respect: we want to know what was changed to get the M rating. At this point in time, the ESRB has still not responded to anyone's request for clarification on the matter. And it's an important point because these changes dictate:1. public response2. commercial success3. what game ratings actually constitute Few of us compare the ESRB to the absurdity of old Hollywood, who forced actors to kiss in bursts as to not promote lewd necking and make the world into sex addicts. But it's tough to know without seeing a list of changes on paper.The "Manhunt" problem [mercurynews]

Austin GDC 07: Liveblogging The Dave Perry Q&A
The highlight of Friday at the Austin Game Developer's conference is a Q&A session between Shiny Entertainment founder Dave Perry and GDC Director Jamil Moledina. The session is called "When Did (You) Last Level Up? Career Advice From an Industry Veteran, and it is sure to be somewhat helpful to those in the gaming industry as well as those trying to break in. I'll be liveblogging the session from here in beautifully hot and humid Austin Texas, so hit the jump to follow along. This is my first liveblog, so be gentle. 11:08 AM : Play that Funky Music White Boy is playing on the PA, and a small crowd has gathered for the Q&A that was supposed to start 8 minutes ago. Oh, here we go! Jamil and Perry take the stage!Jamil is talking about how awesome Dave Perry is. I tend to agree. We are pleased an honored! Applause!First question...are you the tallest developer in the industry? Yes, yes he is. Even taller than Phil Harrison. He gets the same thing I did in high school....

Gametap: New Myst Online Episode Hits Tomorrow
On Saturday GameTap is launching Deception, the newest episode in Myst Online: Uru Live. In this latest addition the D'ni Restoration Council continues its efforts to introduce a Guild system into the cavern, which includes new Guild pubs. Deception also forwards the plot of Phil Henderson who continues to spread information regarding the Bahro and their conflicts.This episode, GameTap says, is the lead-in to the Myst Online: Uru Live season finale that hits next month.

Austin GDC 07: In The Beginning Of AGDC
As I arrived at the Austin Game Developers conference on Wednesday morning, I had a little free time to take some pics of the convention being set up as well as the sights around the Austin Convention center. Marvel at random (hopefully) animal bones, birds, and people waiting in line! galleryPost('agdc07 ', 4, 'In The Beginning');

Leveling Up: COD4 Beta Update
The Infinity Ward people dropped me a note to let me know that starting at 1 p.m. Eastern they are going to be increasing the Rank level cap for the Call of Duty 4 beta to Level 16. This will allow gamers access to more weapons, perks and features, including Clan Tags which hit at Level 12.This is the first of several level increases Infinity Ward will be doing throughout the beta.

Zero G Flight: Videos From Beyond Gravity
newVideoPlayer("MOV00874_gawker_001.flv", 475, 376);In my defense, I was on some very nice anti-motion sickness drugs and being crushed by tremendous g-forces, so me calling Crecente a fucker should be in no way take away from my deep love for the man. It's very hard to keep your camera steady once weightlessness kicks in, so mind the spinning. Perhaps I should have issued you guys those meds. Hit the jump for a peek at Super Garriott!newVideoPlayer("MOV00886_gawker_001.flv", 475, 376);You will believe an MMO developer can fly! Marvel at me getting kicked in the head by Richard's brother Robert! See the motion sickness-inducing visuals! Fear the final close-up shot of my giant face! I need my own cameraman.

Zero G Flight: Flight of Anti-Gravity
When I was a child, all of my friends wanted to grow up to be astronauts. As the world gets smaller and smaller thanks to the internet and advances in communication, outer space is one of the few places that still hold the kind of fascinating mystery that young people used to find in far-away places on our own planet. As a science fiction geek, every now and then I still entertain the fantasy that I will one day journey into the stars to float weightless in a space station somewhere, so when NCsoft offered me the chance to go on a Zero G flight, I naturally jumped at the chance. More than a few childhood dreams were fulfilled this day as Richard Garriott led a group of game industry press and executives on a technological flight of fantasy.Zero G is a company that charters private parabolic flights using a modified Boeing 727. The parabolic maneuver used to simulate a zero gravity environment is similar to that used by NASA to train astronauts. Basically the aircraft follows...

Xbox 360: Madame Tussauds Master Chief Invades Las Vegas
Someone just snuck me the official press release for Madame Tussauds' Master Chief unveiling. Actually the press release doesn't mention the big MC, just that it will be the first video game character to be immortalized in the 250-year-old attraction and that guests will include representatives from Xbox 360. It helps that GameTag Radio was tipped off with a picture of the Master Chief in production earlier this week.The press release goes on to say that the media and guests will have a chance to see the 7-foot-2 figure up close and have their photo taken with him. There will be some unnamed celebrity guest on hand too. I'll look into getting pictures from the Saturday event, and maybe even an interview,once it happens.

Gallery: Zero G Souvenirs
Well my Zero G Flight experience is now over, and I am left with nothing but a tummy ache and a bag of swag to commemorate the event. While I am still busy putting the whole experience into words, I thought I would go ahead and give you guys an idea of what I walked away from the event with materially, so you can see how little material things matter when I recount the experience as a whole. Here you can see the commemorative photo of our flight, a Zero G t-shirt, the special socks they issued us, the one bag to hold it all, and last but not least, the flight suit. That little baby fit me like a glove, but only if the glove were on my crotch and three sizes too small. More on that later. For now, a gallery. galleryPost('zerogswag', 4, 'I Just Wanna Fly');

Xbox 360: Madame Tuusauds Master Cheif Invades Las Vegas
Someone just snuck me the official press release for Madame Tussauds' Master Chief unveiling. Actually the press release doesn't mention the big MC, just that it will be the first video game character to be immortalized in the 250-year-old attraction and that guests will include representatives from Xbox 360. It helps that GameTag Radio was tipped off with a picture of the Master Chief in production earlier this week.The press release goes on to say that the media and guests will have a chance to see the 7-foot-2 figure up close and have their photo taken with him. There will be some unnamed celebrity guest on hand too. I'll look into getting pictures from the Saturday event, and maybe even an interview,once it happens.

Night Note: Drink Less Booze, Drop Weight
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftRE: BioShock Hang-OverDamn you and your BioShock. The Asian edition doesn't come out until later this month. That, and my 360 is still getting fixed. Recent discovery: Drinking a half-bottle of sake everyday makes you fat. I love sake. Like love it. So, so, so much. I've visited a ton of distilleries in Nara, and I'm fascinated by the drink, how it's made, how delicate the flavor is, how it ages, blah, blah, blah. So! After I finish a 12 or 13 hour blog marathon, I would throw down half a bottle of the stuff.That makes you BIG and FAT.For the past month and a half, I have only had sake on Saturday or Sunday. And not half a bottle. I think I've losts 5 kilograms or more just through that! Also, I've been eating pork and beans everyday. That might have helped. I'm down to 78 kilograms. Ideal weight? 70. Gonna have to start exercising again. It's just been too damn hot to do that. Excuses, excuses. What you missed last nightWada's words to SonyThe PS3...

Sponsors: Sponsors Thanks
A long week has drawn to a close. Or close to a close. So sleepy. So so so sleepy. Kotaku Tower is a bad place for napping. The desks are stone and the chairs are rocks. Not exactly idea for a snooze. Good thing our Sponsors have pillows and blankets. Good thing we have Sponsors! This week Kotaku was tucked in by Good Luck Chuck, GWEN, Heavenly Sword, Sonos, TiVo, Verizon, World in Conflict and VW. For that, we thank them.Interested in advertising with Kotaku? Click here to find out how.

Clip: Zero Punctuation Reviews, Is Slightly Annoyed By BioShock
PREFACE: I love BioShock. Love it to bits. Best game I've played in ages. Still. Those that have finished it will know what I'm talking about when I say the final third of the game is a bit of a let-down. A disappointment, even. So it's great, yes, but not as perfect as some may have you believe. Which brings me to this Zero Punctuation vid review from The Escapist, which dwells on many of the game's flaws. Actually, it dwells exclusively on the game's flaws. Which would make him the world's most negative ninnie were it not for the fact he can back his assertions up with years of elitist, snooty PC gaming pedigree and a few dozen snappy jokes.

Hyper Multi-tap: A Week In Comments (No dv8godd Comments Edition)
CoD4 Dev Likes Microsoft's English Better Than Sony'sComment by: floppylobsterWhen I worked for Sega in New Zealand we dealt with people in Japan who could speak English but things never went smoothly. Since then I've learned Japanese (and Sega crashed and burned) and now I understand how hard it is to communicate in a language that is not native. No matter how proficient you are, you will always lack knowledge of the cultural significance of certain words and may not fully grasp how they may have changed over time. All words come with connotations. And that is something non-native speakers will always struggle with. I will never be able to express myself better than in my native tongue (barring mistyping something). Sure you can have a conversation and get by, but every nuance of what you're saying and how you're saying it (tone, level of politeness, phrasing, etc) will not always be passed on.2K on BioShock: "Why should your brother play for free?"Comment by: edb87Nominated...

So Says Dyack: Denis Dyack? Honest Man.
Silicon Knights honcho Denis Dyack wants you to know about Denis. He wants you to know that Denis is honest and calls 'em like he sees 'em. Denis Dyack doesn't lie! And neither does his Ontario-based company. Why, just ask Denis Dyack. He'll tell you all about him:I think the games industry is challenging, but I'm always about telling the truth and saying it like it is. And that is a tough thing to do in this industry, as I'm sure you know. That's always been our way. We're often misquoted and misunderstood as a developer... We're big believers in the truth. I'd rather be truthful than go unscathed, I guess. We're going to say some things and stand up for some things that we think are right, and we're going to seek justice when harm has been done--and that's the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences. We're going to do the right thing. Denis Dyack, believer of truth, justice and the Canadian way.Dyack Interview [GameInformer via Sega Nerds]

Contest: Hey Reader People, Pick The Best Globe!
Here they are: The Make-The-World-Win-The-World in Conflict contest finalist. We've got six in the running. (Much love to all who entered!) A copy of either the PC or Xbox 360 version of World in Conflict is up for grabs — the winner chooses! So, let's pick that winner, Kotakuland. In the comments section, write down one finalist you think should one. Just one! Not, two, three or w/e. ONE. Also, folks who dip into little Mr. Critic territory will feel the brunt end of the banhammer. Voting ends tonight at midnight EST. The finalists after the j-u-m-p!Finalist 1 llia Chentsov writes:This is my globe, made from a potato - the tuber that originated in America, but was later brought to Russia and became our traditional meal as well (we call in kartoshka). So let us raise our glasses for the time when we all forget our conflicts and share our kartoshka as brothers!Finalist 2 Zhai writes:I would like to present you my globe made of paper, 2 crayons (green and yellow) and...

Reassuring: Sony Say Yes, TV Cables Will Make The British PSP Slim Launch
A few days ago, CVG spoke to a GAME retailer and came away with news that there'd be no TV cables for the PSP Slim's British launch. GAME practically own the specialist gaming market in the UK, so if there were no cables for GAME, safe bet was there'd be no cable for anyone else. WRONG. Sony have confirmed that TV cables will indeed be available at the handheld's launch. So there you have it. Sony confirms white PSP delay, cables available from day one [Gamesindustry.biz]

Bee-tah: British Call Of Duty 4 Beta Details Announced
And the international Call of Duty 4 bee-tah roll-out continues. Residents of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, you're up next, with sign-ups good to go as soon as you grab the details from the official local site. The beta kicks off today (Sep 7), though, so don't arse about or you'll miss out.Official UK Beta Program [CoD4 Official Site]

So Says Dyack: Dennis Dyack? Honest Man.
Silicon Knights honcho Dennis Dyack wants you to know about Dennis. He wants you to know that Dennis is honest and calls 'em like he sees 'em. Dennis Dyack doesn't lie! And neither does his Ontario-based company. Why, just ask Dennis Dyack. He'll tell you all about him:I think the games industry is challenging, but I'm always about telling the truth and saying it like it is. And that is a tough thing to do in this industry, as I'm sure you know. That's always been our way. We're often misquoted and misunderstood as a developer... We're big believers in the truth. I'd rather be truthful than go unscathed, I guess. We're going to say some things and stand up for some things that we think are right, and we're going to seek justice when harm has been done--and that's the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences. We're going to do the right thing. Dennis Dyack, believer of truth, justice and the Canadian way.Dyack Interview [GameInformer via Sega Nerds]

Give Me Just A Minute While I Clarify: Wii GHIII WILL Have Online, Just No DLC. Yet.
RedOctane would like to clarify something. When they said the Wii version of Guitar Hero III had its online balls in a vice, they were talking about downloadable content. Not online multiplayer, which is all ready and is looking good to go. So online play, yes, downloadable stuff, no. At least, that's a no until Nintendo get around to announcing some kind of Wii storage device. Then I'd imagine it'd be on for all and sundry.Red Octane says Wii will have GHIII online play, no DLC initially [Joystiq]

DS Only: Taito's TGS Looks Something Like This
The TGS anticipation continues! Taito has released its list of games appearing at TGS. And amazingly (or not, depending on how you look at it) all titles are DS games. They include:Cooking Mama 2Arkanoid DSExit DSSpace Invaders ExtremeThe Legend of Kage 2 Pet Shop Monogatari DSPaddle Controller DS (Peripheral)Boy I hope it's Space Invaders Extreme and not Space Invaders eXtreme or Space Invaders Xtreme. Taito's TGS List [ITmedia]

Clip: Skate Video Tickles The Funnybone
I don't skate. Can't, my body just will not cooperate. Don't really follow it, either, but I do own several DVDs devoted entirely to skateboarders crashing/stacking/grievously harming themselves. Don't know why, but I just find it really, really funny. EA know what I'm talking about.

SERVED: Squeenix Boss Tells Sony To Straighten Out PS3 Marketing
Sure, Kaz has gone on record calling the PS3 a games console. It's a start. According to Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada, though, Sony need to go further, and sort out just what the PS3 is. Quit trying to sell it as a computer, as a multimedia centre, as a Blu-Ray player, and settle on what it really is. A freakin' games machine. Sony first unveiled the PS3 as a mighty home electronics product. Then, after some badgering from game companies, it shifted the position of the console closer to a game machine.(The future of the PS3) would be tough if its marketing strategy is not straightened up. Ouch. Hear that, Sony? That's your most important third-party publisher totally calling you out. Publicly. Best get that marketing in order, or things might get ugly. Wada's a tough cookie. I hear he does 1000 push-ups and eats a bowl of nails every day. And that's before breakfast!Sony needs consistent PS3 strategy: videogame publisher [Reuters]

Delicious: Korean Cooking Mama Gets The Mitts Out
Best. Item. Ever. Over in Korea, Cooking Mama comes with oven mitts. Yes, oven mitts! Because right after playing Cooking Mama, you just might feel like cooking. Hell, I already have Cooking Mama and can't read Korean, but I would so pick them up for those mitts alone. Cooking Mama in Korea [GameBrink via DS Fanboy]

Exploration: Strange Girls Would Rather Touch Each Other Than A PSP
More WACKY Sony lifestyle advertising! These two girls are touching each other. On the seat next to them is a PSP, which next to women touching each other just isn't getting a look-in. Poor thing. If only it's battery had lasted longer, the girl on the right might still be enjoying a quick bout of Monster Hunter Freedom 2 instead of seriously considering exploring her sexuality in a public place. WHAT'S THIS THE PROMOTIONAL IMAGE FOR? [UK:R]

Giant Kaz Face Says: The PS3 Is a Game Machine. Period.
Things the PLAYSTATION 3 has been called: A computer, a hub and a multi-media center. And that's just by Sony! Previous Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi himself called the PS3 a "super computer." New SCE honcho Kaz Hirai is here to set the record straight:I'd like to clearly say, "The PS3 is a game machine." It's nothing more than that. He also points out that the PS, the PS2 and the PSP are game machines as well. Oh. Okay. Hirai Interview [Game Watch]