Hard times are falling on the arcade scene in Japan. Thanks to a combination of high oil prices – keeping families away from shopping malls – and the continual inroads of home console gaming, two of Japan’s biggest gaming names have announced they’re closing down huge numbers of their branded arcades. Namco Bandai have announced they’re closing 50-60 of their Namcoland centres (around 20% of their total), news which comes not long after Sega also announced closures, planning to shutter around 100 of their own arcades. Nintendo’s Wii claims more victims; Japan arcades hurt [Reuters]
Crazy DS game time! Bandai Namco are releasing a game that encourages players to cry. It’s a weepy game. Called 99 Tears, the story is set in a fictional city where the inhabitants have forgotten how to cry. The game analyses the player’s personality and selects one of 200 tear jerkers to make players cry. During the game, players will read 99 of them. Apparently, players are supposed to read them right at the end of the day and then cry. We know that crying is actually healthy and that Japanese do cry (lots!), but is there some sort of weepy trend nobody’s told us about? DS Crying Game [IGN via 1Up]
First up: Rainbow Six Vegas. OK, so it’s less of a casemod and more of an everything-around-it-mod, but you have to admit: it’s pretty amazing. It’s Vegas! Built around a PS3! With casinos, and sexy Vegas lighting, and little pedestrians, and more casinos, and even a little SWAT truck for the Rainbow Six lads to kick back in after a job well done.
Electronic Arts hasn’t forgotten about those casual gamers! Oh, no, not at all. EA is so ready to hop on that casual gravy cho-cho train. Hear what EA’s Peter Moore has to say:
There will be more announcements that will be, if you will, licensed intellectual property that will be, quite frankly, looking at the more casual consumer that we see as a bigger force in the business. We need to do better on the Nintendo platforms, and we intend to do that. It’s a different type of game mechanic that the Nintendo Wii consumer, in particular, can play.
Nice to see a third party publisher seriously looking at the Wii for what it is. Heck, and EA of all people. Peter Moore Interview [IGN via MCVUK via Go Nintendo]
1UP are reporting that David Ortiz, lead producer on the Madden series at EA’s Tiburon, has left the studio, citing family reasons. 1UP, however, are also saying sources have told them he’s quit because “he grew frustrated with the inner workings of the studio”. You mean a man can grow frustrated with working on a game that, subtle tweaks aside, hasn’t enjoyed a fundamental overhaul since Madden 2002? Can’t see how that could happen. Madden Lead Producer Leaves EA Tiburon [1UP]
Quick: Are you hardcore or casual? Answer! For those who cannot pick either, you might be something else. You might be a “mid-core gamer,” somewhere between the hardcore and casual netherworlds. Blog 8bitrocket has not only coined the term but also come up with a neato manifesto. Writes 8bitrocket: Hardcore gamers consider me a casual gamer and casual gamers consider me a hardcore gamer, so what am I? …In any case, I have decided to call myself a MID-CORE gamer. I have no idea if there is another term for me or the millions like me, but I like this one and I’m sticking to it. I know it’s not CATCHY or SEXY, but it is accurate… I always hear industry people talk about CASUAL and HARDCORE, but never the in betweens like me. I have to search online and bargain bins for games that fit my needs.
This is truly delightful. Bravo to 8bitrocket’s Jeff Fulton for coming up with this. So new question: Are you hardcore, casual or mid-core? Mid-Core Gamer [8bitrocket via GameSetWatch via Joystiq][Pic]
No escaping it. It was Star Wars-related, it’s a videogame, so it was always going to get some Lego. This is the Rogue Shadow, and is the ship of one the game’s stars, Imperial pilot Juno Eclipse. The set also includes three figures: Juno, a battle-damaged Darth Vader (who looks fantastic) and Vader’s secret, probably evil apprentice. The Rogue Shadow, which is retailing for $US 49.99, should be rolling out to toy stores as you read this.
From reader Pdubbs601: last night jackson, tn got hit with a tornado that tore down most of the dorms and left our campus in ruins. i got out ok (glass in my hand, but that’s about it) and all of my close friends are account for and doing well. unfortunately my car got totalled, and my room has been quarantined so i can’t get to it. what really stinks is that my room contained well over $US 2,000 worth of gaming apparatus (including a pc which ran WoW, a 360 elite, multiple controllers, a psp, ps2, tv, sound system, and a couple hundred dollars worth of games). now i’m homeless (staying with friends) and bored as mess because i don’t have any games to keep me company!
…when it comes down to it, it’s just stuff. admittedly fun stuff which can make for a fun evening when nothing else is going on, but just stuff. i found myself giving thanks to God for my life and the lives of my friends, and as a side note, asking that my material posessions be spared.Here’s hoping you pull through this, Pdubbs601.
And so the tournament begins. The increase in action has coincided with a drop in the funnies, but since we’re all hooked now they’ve got our attention for the duration regardless. Note to office workers: Guile has a mouth like a sailor in this one, so you might want to turn it down. Street Fighter: The Later Years – Part 8 [College Humor]
Let The Blood Flow
7:00PM February 7, 2008 | Brian Ashcraft
Knives out! Dig in and brace yourself, tonight we’re cutting back and thinning the herd. Yup, it’s a good ol’ fashioned Night of Knives. We’ll be switching out the Ban Hammer for the Ban Dagger. So many to choose from! Things will return to business usual in the morning. Hope to see you on the other side.
More »