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    Sengoku Basara rocks the vote in Japan

    October 7, 2009 - 8:00pm

    To raise awareness about its upcoming gubernatorial election, Japan's Miyagi Prefecture is launching an ad campaign featuring Edo-era samurai Date Masamune. Oh, not the real one -- the one from Capcom's Sengoku Basara. Through "TV ads, radio, newspapers, and transportation agencies," the fictionalized video game version of the long-dead daimyo will encourage young residents to get out the vote ... even though power and land was inherited in the real sengoku period during which the real Date lived. In addition, the websites for Shiroishi City, Kochi Prefecture, Kochi City, and Sengoku Basara will post messages encouraging tourism to the homelands of the real historical figures who inspired the game. Why all the fuss? When the first game was released Stateside as Devil Kings, nothing really came of it; however, in Japan, the Sengoku Basara series and its associated anime have been popular enough to reignite interest in the real sengoku period among "otaku tourists." With Capcom launching Sengoku Basara 3 in North America next year, we could be seeing Masamune's smirking face on our own campaign posters soon enough.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Three ex-Bungie vets form Moonshot Games

    October 7, 2009 - 4:30pm

    Tired of telling the tale of Master Chief and all of those spinning rings in space, three Bungie veterans have packed their bags and left the company, GI.biz reports. The trio -- Michel Bastien, Damián Isla and Rob Strokes -- have decided to embark on their own adventure together as Moonshot Games, a studio based in both the Seattle and Boston areas.There's no word on what the new studio will be focusing on, but with all three having spent years making Halo 2 and Halo 3, we'd say it's safe to assume the studio's new project won't include any AI constructs or multi-billion dollar cyborgs. Well, unless they decide to stick to what they know best ...Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Rumor: First rumblings of a Taiko Wii sequel

    October 7, 2009 - 4:30pm

    We keep following new Taiko no Tatsujin game announcements, even though we know the games are never going to leave Japan, because the games are just so delightful we can't help it. And now, according to retailer Gamestar, a second Wii game is headed to Japan on November 17, in both a drum bundle and by itself.Called Taiko no Tatsujin: Dodon to 2-dai-me (roughly Taiko Drum Master: Dodon Chapter 2), the new game will contain over 70 songs and include the boss battle mode from the last DS game. The first Taiko drummed up some lovely sales upon its Japanese release, and, well, it doesn't take much to convince Namco to release Taiko sequels. Except in North America, where the series appeared once and shows no sign of returning.[Via Andriasang]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Dragon Quest VI: Screens of Reverie

    October 7, 2009 - 3:15pm

    At Tokyo Game Show 2009, Square Enix showed off the last in its trilogy of announced DS Dragon Quest remakes, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie, and now Famitsu has some new screens of the RPG. Unsurprisingly, it looks, graphically, just like the other two DS Dragon Quest remakes, also developed by Artepiazza.So why is it exciting? Well, for one thing, Dragon Quest games tend to be good. But most importantly, like Dragon Quest V, the Super Famicom version of Realms of Reverie never left Japan, and this DS version has already been announced for localization. North America will then finally have the whole numbered Dragon Quest series. Well, except for IX, but we can also be pretty sure that's coming.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Rumor: Epic Mickey's Wii exclusivity in question

    October 7, 2009 - 2:30pm


    It appears that Epic Mickey might wind up on more platforms than initially suggested. 1UP is reporting that GI's original post on the November issue of the mag has removed all mentions of Wii exclusivity, a potential sign that the deal is not yet cast in stone -- or, at the least, that other consoles are being considered. And why not?Frankly, we'd like to see it ported to every console in existence, not just because we're big Warren Spector fans, but ... okay, it's because we're big Warren Spector fans. Huge.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Now you'll have to buy Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

    October 7, 2009 - 1:26pm

    Just when you thought he'd finally get around to avenging his father's death, Ryo Hazuki has appended one more thing to his lackadaisical to-do list: "Appear as a playable competitor in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing." It seems Sega might have a lucky hit (how about it?) on its hands, especially if the compulsion to purchase any new Shenmue-related material -- no matter how tactlessly integrated -- is as strong with you as it is with us. Of course, one can hope (in vain) that Ryo and his forklift follow a similar trajectory to Rocket Knight, first appearing as an undignified cameo and then a proper protagonist. Expect to make your grudging purchase of All-Stars Racing sometime in 2010, henceforth referred to as the day of the incident.
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    EA: FIFA 10 is fastest-selling sports game 'ever'

    October 7, 2009 - 10:36am


    EA's annual footie franchise must be doing something right this year because FIFA 10 has apparently sold 1.7 million copies in Europe during its first week. According to EA, the title is "the fastest selling sports game ever and EA's biggest European launch in history."

    Even with the positive launch, GI.biz spoke with an analyst who believes the sales aren't going to help EA in the long-term. Doug Creutz of Cowan and Company notes that heavy discounts at supermarket chains and other incentives made initial sales strong, but if the situation plays out anything like FIFA 09, the year-on-year sales will only grow marginally. But like a head-butt goal in the first minutes of a match, FIFA 10 is putting on a good show during launch.

    Source -- EA announces record-breaking launch FIFA 10 (EA)
    Source -- FIFA 10 record sales won't boost profits (GI.biz)Permalink | Email this | Comments

    David Bowie invites us all to dance in latest Lego Rock Band trailer

    October 7, 2009 - 12:58am


    No, really, that's David Bowie. Click for a higher-resolution peak

    Warner Bros. today announced the inclusion of David Bowie as a second playable character in upcoming music/rhythm game, Lego Rock Band, and also handed over a mess of new media seen above and below. Coupled with last month's Iggy Pop announcement , the game's playable-musician-who-probably-shouldn't-be-in-a kids-game quotient has officially been doubled. One major plus for Bowie: Lego character gender ambiguity is all the more fitting. Bravo, MTV Games! Now that's synergy.

    Continue reading David Bowie invites us all to dance in latest Lego Rock Band trailer

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    Broken Sword creator designed Disney's Christmas Carol game

    October 6, 2009 - 9:35pm

    Unlike Dante's Inferno, there's a very good chance that the new game based on (Robert Zemeckis's upcoming movie version of) Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol won't make us want to go back in time and apologize to the original work's author on behalf of the industry we love so much. The main reason: it's designed by Revolution Software's Charles Cecil, best known for his work on Broken Sword. Cecil's experience with smart adventure games means that this new game is unlikely to turn Ebenezer Scrooge into a musclebound avenger who tears apart the ghosts invading his home.

    "The approach I took was to place the player as the hand of fate," Cecil told Develop about the Sumo Digital-developed game, "guiding a very willful protagonist down the road to redemption, and he doesn't want to down that road at all. Players have to interact with people and the environment to make that happen, and it tells the story in really different way. I'm very happy with it."

    We never thought we'd find a licensed Disney game about Christmas so interesting! Another different way this story is being told: with Cecil's own narration. He did some placeholder voice work, and "the Americans" insisted that it remain in the final game.

    Though Cecil didn't specify platforms, a game based on A Christmas Carol is set to come out on DS on November 3, just before the November 3 release of the film.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Forgotten Disney characters are Epic Mickey antagonists

    October 6, 2009 - 7:35pm


    We can't seem to stop waffling on Epic Mickey. At the start, Warren Spector's involvement was enough to pique our interest. But we couldn't help but be a bit disappointed to see that Wii exclusivity might keep the game from being the graphical masterpiece we'd hoped for. But now, after reading a few details about the game scooped up by Eurogamer, we're right back on board.

    The game reportedly revolves around forgotten Disney characters who, after years of being ignored, have grown bitter. None more so than Walt's first cartoon creation, Oswald the Rabbit. He's the one who spread all of the evil black goo around that you see above. Mickey will apparently have to use paint, thinner and erasers to draw his way through the world, which makes the Wii exclusivity a lot easier to understand.

    Okay, so the black goo all over the world isn't the most original, but disgruntled Disney characters trying to wipe out Mickey? How cool does that sound?

    (P.S. Captain EO as a villain. We demand it.)
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