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    Ready 2 Rumble Revolution: Fake Nic Cage vs. Some Guy

    January 30, 2009 - 11:00am


    The latest Ready 2 Rumble Revolution trailer features the character we previously called out as our favorite, The Impersonator. It's kind of hard not to be impressed with the sheer randomness of a boxer who looks like none other than Nicolas Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas-era Elviswear. Not necessarily "this is definitely a game to buy" impressed but at least "hey, look at this thing in a video game" impressed.The other fighter, "Dragon Chew", isn't quite such a hit (pun unintended). Is he Bruce Lee? Some other martial arts star we can't identify? It's actually starting to bother us. And then one of you will tell us and we'll feel a combination of total humiliation and relief. The trailer is after the break!

    Former THQ exec forms casual pub Mamba Games

    January 30, 2009 - 9:30am

    Brimming with confidence, a new name has strutted into the marketplace with plans to take the world by storm, albeit casually. Co-founded by former THQ vet Robert Nielson, Mamba Games is a new casual game pub, though unlike other startups it already has several titles flowing through its low-pressure pipeline.Among the games on the studio's plate is Matchman (pictured), a black and white comic-style shooter for the Nintendo DS coming in the second quarter, with versions for the PlayStation 3 and Wii coming later in 2009. Mamba is also publishing the PC horror adventure game The Lost Crown: A Ghost-hunting Adventure and racer Pyroblazer, however neither of these will be brought to North America by the fledgling studio. Slightly more interesting are the outfit's plans to publish six expansions for Flight Simulator X over the next two years, though with the recent shuttering of Flight Simulator dev ACES, we wonder if these planes will run out of fuel before they land.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    EA unveils new Need for Speed trio

    January 30, 2009 - 8:30am


    It seems EA's long-idling racing franchise isn't destined for the scrap heap at all, as the publisher has unveiled three new Need for Speed titles across several platforms. In an interview with Gamespot, EA's veep of marketing, Kevin Munro, insists that "the new brand strategy around three specific genres will keep the game fresh and players entertained." This refreshing and oh-so-entertaining trio of titles includes:

    • Need for Speed: Shift (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP) -- A "hardcore racing simulation" overseen by Black Box executive producer Michael Mann, and Patrick Soderlund, the co-founder of DICE and current senior vice president of EA Games Europe. External developer Slightly Mad Studios will be responsible for putting a realistic spin on the franchise.
    • Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii, DS) -- As you might expect, this one will feature a "unique visual style," courtesy of EA Montreal. Nitro promises to take full advantage of the unique controls on offer for both platforms, but without sacrificing depth. According to Munro, "We do not want to fall into the trap of creating a 'Need for Speed Lite.'"
    • Need for Speed: World Online (PC) -- Jointly developed by Black Box and EA Shanghai Singapore, this free-to-play online racer is set to launch in Asia this Summer, with a North American release slated for next Winter.

    You can look for Shift and Nitro on North American shelves sometime during Fall 2009.Update: Uploaded three screens (Shift, Nitro and World Online) and added source link to press release. Corrected development information for World Online.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    New Blood Bowl trailer pits rats against lizards

    January 30, 2009 - 8:00am

    Like you, we've spent a good deal of time in our backyards, wrangling together neighborhood mice and lizards and forcing them to play miniature games of football. Now, a new trailer for the video game re-imagining of tabletop favorite Blood Bowl looks to bring that fun indoors, as the rat-like Skaven skitter about down field against brutish Lizardmen. That's something you won't see in Sunday's big game.In development at Cyanide Studio, Blood Bowl is expected to take the field for the PC, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS and PSP in the second quarter of 2009. Finally, we'll be able to settle the age old question of which is better at tossing around the pigskin: reptiles or stupid, stupid rat creatures.
    Download Blood Bowl Skaven vs Lizardmen Trailer HD (36 MB)Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Analyst: Chinatown Wars a test for both Take-Two, Nintendo

    January 29, 2009 - 11:00pm


    Analyst Dough Creutz of Cowen Group believes GTA: Chinatown Wars is as much a test for Take-Two as it is for Nintendo. Gamasutra reports on Creutz's bullish investor note, where he expresses that the title will reveal Take-Two's "ability to make inroads" on Nintendo's platforms.On the flip side, he expresses that Nintendo wants Chinatown Wars to succeed because it appeals to core gamers, whom Creutz apparently thinks Nintendo still gives a Yoshi's turd about.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Disney Interactive hit with layoffs, consolidates studios

    January 29, 2009 - 9:00pm


    The hardship brought on by the tough economic climate continues today as Disney Interactive Studios has confirmed it will lay off staff and consolidate studios. The rumor began when a NeoGAF user said "enough people" had told him that Propaganda Games would see "in the neighborhood of 50" layoffs. GameDaily BIZ spoke with Angela Emery, Vice President of Communications at Disney Interactive Studios, who confirmed the layoffs. However, the situation is worse than originally rumored. While Propaganda Games will see cuts of "less than 30" employees, other studios will also experience losses. The publisher has decided to consolidate its Fall Line Studio with Avalanche Software, developers of Bolt, Chicken Little, Hannah Montana and The Chronicles of Narnia franchises. Merging the two studios is expected to result in the loss of "less than 20" employees. Emery said that the consolidation would allow the unified studio to focus on the Nintendo Wii, a platform she considers to be "very important." She would not confirm that the cuts at Propaganda Games would cause the cancellation of a rumored Turok sequel. Disney Interactive's other studios, including Black Rock and Junction Point, will not be affected by the round of layoffs. An internal communication sent to remaining employees by Steve Wadsworth, president of Walt Disney Internet Group (and obtained by Kotaku), can be found after the break.

    Continue reading Disney Interactive hit with layoffs, consolidates studios

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    Tatts a lot of ink: The Piranha Plant tattoo

    January 29, 2009 - 6:00pm


    Nintendo super-fan Eve The Demoness has finally completed her dream tattoo, as you can see. Signing her LiveJournal entries as "The Piranha Plant Princess," Eve has had her over-sized chest tattoo colored to showcase her favorite game character -- guest starring a pair of Bob-ombs. There are many schools of thought on how to show off nerd culture love -- slick visuals and creativity is the way Eve decided to go -- but some take the road less traveled.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Tatts a lot of ink: The Piranha Plant tattoo

    January 29, 2009 - 6:00pm


    Nintendo super-fan Eve The Demoness has finally completed her dream tattoo, as you can see. Signing her LiveJournal entries as "The Piranha Plant Princess," Eve has had her over-sized chest tattoo colored to showcase her favorite game character -- guest starring a pair of Bob-ombs. There are many schools of thought on how to show off nerd culture love -- slick visuals and creativity is the way Eve decided to go -- but some take the road less traveled.

    Dragon Quest IX, or 'Dragon MapQuest IX'?

    January 29, 2009 - 5:15pm

    It's a minor thing, but the map screen in Dragon Quest IX is quite lovely. And, honestly, it's more important to have a nice world map than it may seem, because you'll be staring at the thing all the time. The sepia-toned map provides a detailed drawing of the world, including bridges and other narrow crossings.Less detailed, but still pretty great, is the treasure map, seen here. These maps imitate the color scheme of the main world map, but are drawn crudely and with much less detail. Treasure maps, of course, are marked with an X in a location corresponding to some mysterious treasure -- housed inside caves.Once inside the cave, you switch over to a blank automap that fills in as you explore. That's a lot of different mapping for one game! Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

    Dragon Quest IX, or 'Dragon MapQuest IX'?

    January 29, 2009 - 5:15pm

    It's a minor thing, but the map screen in Dragon Quest IX is quite lovely. And, honestly, it's more important to have a nice world map than it may seem, because you'll be staring at the thing all the time. The sepia-toned map provides a detailed drawing of the world, including bridges and other narrow crossings.Less detailed, but still pretty great, is the treasure map, seen here. These maps imitate the color scheme of the main world map, but are drawn crudely and with much less detail. Treasure maps, of course, are marked with an X in a location corresponding to some mysterious treasure -- housed inside caves.Once inside the cave, you switch over to a blank automap that fills in as you explore. That's a lot of different mapping for one game!