To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
RE: Cells

Tomorrow, gotta catch the bulletin train bound for Tokyo tomorrow. Again! In the last two months, I have been to Tokyo a total of something like five or six times. Tokyo is the country's capital and a lot is concentrated there work-wise. Sure, there is a lot in Kansai — there's just more in Tokyo. Thing is, I just don't want to live there. Like, at all. No offence to Tokyo or the fine people who inhabit the city. It is a truly great metropolitan city and has so much to offer. Saying that, living there would cause me to go mental. Forget that I prefer the food, the dialect and the people in Osaka, so much has happened to me here personally that I can't fathom living anywhere else in Japan or outside it. Even when I go to Kyoto or Kobe, both cities which closely neighbour Osaka, they feel like other planets. Tokyo's can be like another universe at times, especially how the people act and whatnot.

Osaka is the city where I fell in love, became a father and began my writing career. This is where I came of age, really. So much has happened here, and the city's been really good to me. I gotta be good to it. Can see why some people commute between Tokyo (for work) and Osaka (for home) every week, working in Tokyo Monda-Friday and returning to Kansai on the weekend. Selfish and silly of me maybe, and I'm sure it's not exactly cheap to put my arse on a bullet train to cover stuff. Though, I really appreciate that Gawker (as well as Wired Mag, among others) are willing to do that! Many things to be thankful for. Living where you want to is certainly one of those, isn't it?

What you missed last night:
UMD problem?
Team Ico sequel
Halo 3 is tops in Japan
Consoles in one sentence
PSP big in Japan

According to Kojima Production's Ryan Payton (and really, the guy should know), Metal Gear Solid 4's going to ship with two completely different control schemes to choose from, one for "Japan", one for the "West". Why the difference? Payton says while the Japanese are used to more complex control schemes, they can't shoot. Which is kinda necessary in a game that's one pixellated money shot away from being gun porn. He also explains why there's a monkey in pants (PANTS, not diapers), so this is definitely worth a few minutes.

Soooooooooo scary. With all that Manhunt 2 controversy, it's nice to see Rockstar focus on the important things — like giving away a Wii covered in blood splattered stickers. (That's not all, the company is also giving away a 50 inch plasma TV.) The toned down and M-rated reworked Manhunt 2 is out in the U.S. on Halloween. Click below to enter Rockstar's contest.
Win a Wii with Bloody Stickers [Rockstar via Games Radar]

Right now, Steam is free. Which is lucky, since for all its benefits, it can still be a pain in the ass! Luckier still, Valve have committed to keeping it that way (the free part, not the pain/ass part), stating that not only are they planning on keeping Steam free, they've got a perfectly valid reason for doing so:

We will not charge for The Steam Community and its features. Never even entered our mind. Part of it is to address the fact that when folks first bought Half-Life 2, Steam didn't offer many reasons to stick around. It didn't do enough for customers, and it didn't justify itself. So I suppose we're paying off a debt now.

Awfully big of them to admit that. Well played, Valve.
Valve 'Will Not Charge' for Community Features [1UP]

Square Enix doesn't *just* do Final Fantasy re-makes and spin-offs. It also does Dragon Quest remakes and Kingdom Hearts spin-offs. And, erm, yoga games. Even though Konami has moved on from yoga to Pilates, Square Enix is offering DS de Hajimeru Tipness no Yoga, which was developed in connection with Japanese health club Tipness. Sadly, the in-game characters look decidedly normal. Frosted hair, leather capes and yoga posing could've really worked!
Square Enix Yoga? [Game Watch Impress]

My "office" doesn't smell. OK, it does, but depending on the season it smells of potpourri, sandalwood or vanilla bean. Not stinky feet. And between...well, the tons of crap strewn across my house I've got more than enough Mario merch. Let's say for a moment, though, that neither of those things were true. In that case, these would be perfect! Mario, Luigi and fresh, clean air? That, readers, is a win.
The Fresh, Invigorating Scent Of Mario And Luigi [Uber-Review, via Giz]

Japan has PSP Slim and Lite fever! In its first two weeks on sale, the redesigned portable sold 500,000 units. That's a lot! The total count as of October 3rd is 580,000. Likewise, a lot! The PSP Slim is even outselling the original PSP when it was launched back in 2004. And with Hot Shots Golf Portable 2 hitting the PSP this December, the Slim and Lite juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down. Yup, year's later, the PSP is gaming's comeback kid.
PSP Sales [Famitsu]

Attentive readers may already be aware of this, but I don't like WoW. Don't like MMOs at all, actually. This, though, this is the kind of thing they need to start getting me onboard: Oktoberfest-themed celebrations. Because while monthly subscriptions may irk me, there's something about orcs in lederhosen that's just irresistible.

Normally, a McDonalds Happy Meal is designed to lure children to McDonalds. Cash in on a popular brand name, sell some burgers, make some kids happy. Not this one. McDonalds Japan are running Blue Dragon Happy Meals, where kids can pony up their parent's hard-earned yen in exchange for a burger, fries, drink and... Blue Dragon card. Seems odd, since Japan hates the 360 (and thus by extension almost every game it touches), but hey, if shifting some burgers and cards onto unsuspecting kids gets them thinking 360 I'm sure it'll be mission accomplished for Microsoft.
Blue Dragon invades McDonalds [Siliconera]

Hey, I've seen those clothes before. That's Kasumi from Tecmo fighter Dead or Alive. Doujin circle C-CUBE put out a game, this non-Tecmo NSFW game, during the past and have also released a CD of "100 simulations of boob action voice" as well as 14 of the game's songs. What does those "boob action voice" simulations sound like? Dunno! But here's a sample:

AaAaAaAa,Nnn

Kyunnnn

Dyuuuuu, jyuuchuu

NAAAAAAaaaaaaaa!

So sexy! Of course, these are uttering during various "simulations" like squeezing, biting and poking. For those who haven't had enough (and who has really?), the CD's backside is right after this.

Read More »

Naughty Dog president Evan Wells says Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is just about done. Which is good news, partly because it's a promising PS3 game that's not being delayed, mostly because I was about the only person at TGS who didn't get to play it and get their rainbow-coloured, individual-toed socks blown off. The good news doesn't stop there: Wells also rolls up his sleeves, trawls through the comments on the post and decides that due to fan feedback they'd go ahead and implement 1080i support, where previously they'd only been gunning for 720p. Swell gesture!
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Update) [PlayStation.Blog]

Retired cop and current Manila mayor Alfredo Lim is cracking down. On everything. Shortly after the incumbent took office the summer, he demanded that Internet cafes prohibit children from accessing games from 7am to 6pm in hopes of preventing children skipping school. Now, he's out to ban games he views as violent altogether. Says Lim:

I have asked the city council to study a possible ordinance to ban these violent computer games at Internet cafes and arcades in shopping malls.

His hardline has earned him comparisons to Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry. So far, Lim has destroyed cafes and night spots in Manila's tourist district as well as dismantled basketball courts, tightened up on prostitution and drugs, and imposed harsh punishments on petty crime. Next up, watch as he tries outlawing masturbation or something.
Manila Mayor [ABS-CBN, Thanks Arbet!]

Reuters are reporting that Sony are in discussions with Toshiba over selling their PS3 graphics chip production facility in western Japan's Oita prefecture. Why? It's another step on the road to cutting costs at the company's semiconductor unit, and comes right on the back of the announcement of a new DRAM chip manufacturing deal Sony made with Infineon Technologies AG the other day. If the sale goes through, it'd be the second time this year the two companies have been linked; in September Sony were also keen to sell Toshiba their Nagasaki production facility, which was making the Cell chip. All of which is terribly fascinating to business followers, but what does this mean to you, the idle, slightly disinterested observer? Means the PS3 has cost Sony a lot of cash, cash they're now trying to recoup. Also means you're hopefully another step closer to a cheaper PS3, because this is all about cutting costs.
Sony may sell graphic chip line to Toshiba-sources [Reuters]

Japan-based, PS3-owning, Kotaku-reading humans rejoice! Some new content has popped up on the Japanese PlayStation Network, including a demo of the "soul breeding" Record of Agarest War. Definitely going to check it out tonight. Hopefully, it looks better than the cruddy clip we posted recently.

Thanks iamhitori for the tip!

The October issue of Wired mag has a nice succinct nerd encyclopedia that does a fine job of defining things in a single sentence. Game-wise, this is what they've got on the seventh generation consoles:

Wii. A motion-sensing controller, simple games, and a low price make this the top 7th-genner.

Xbox 360. Brilliantly conceived online-community features give this box sizzle.

PS3. Stellar specs can't make up for the high price and late release — a missed opportunity.

Agree? Disagree? Can do better? Discuss.
Consoles Defined [Infendo]

Fantastic piece up over at the NY Times, albeit one with a slightly understated title. Said title reads: "Texas Man Linked to Past and Future of Space Exploration by Sputnik and Soyuz". Which is true, to an extent, but doesn't really capture the fact the super-nerd pictured above is Ultima creator, castle-builder and all-round space buff Richard Garriott. Holding his very own Sputnik satellite. A real one, too, which he picked up during the "fire sales" that followed the breakup of the former Soviet Union. He owns a whole bunch of other cool space stuff, which you can both see and hear Garriott discussing by checking out the full story below. So please. Do.
Texas Man Linked to Past and Future of Space Exploration by Sputnik and Soyuz [NY Times]

Now is not a time for words. Now is a time for quiet reflection on just what exactly this means for humanity.

1) Halo 3 (360) 59,000 copies
2) Pokemon's Mysterious Dungeon: Toki (DS) 55,000
3) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP) 54,000
4) Tamagotchi (DS) 54,000
5) Pokemon's Mysterious Dungeon: Yami (DS) 46,000
6) Bleach Blade Battlers 2nd (PS2) 31,000
7) English Test 2 (DS) 28,000
8) Yu-gi-oh Duel Monsters GX (PSP) 28,000
9) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3) 27,000
10) Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops + (PSP) 25,000

Media Create Sales 9/24 - 9/30: Halo on top! [Jonnyram @ NeoGAF]

Missed TGS? Live in Kansai? Next month, the Games Japan Festa kicks off at Osaka's ATC Hall. The two day event, sponsored by the Video Game Commercial Association of Japan, will feature 80 titles on display from 25 companies that include Capcom, Konami, Square Enix, SEGA, Bandai Namco and Nintendo. The festival will move to the Makuhari Messe, where TGS is held, at the end of November. No clue what they'll be showing at the Festa — whether it'll be TGS builds or new stuff. Nintendo, who usually sit TGS out, will be there, possibly showing stuff like Wii Fit to the Japanese public for the first time. Not sure, though! Nintendo should draw a fair crowd, no?
Osaka Festa [Famitsu]

Today being Thursday in the United States, Sony have gone ahead and updated your PlayStation Store. With what, I hear you ask with a half-hearted sense of idle curiosity? Buncha stuff. You've got demos for The Simpsons and Bladestorm, trailers for Uncharted, Haze, Tekkonkinkreet and Surf's Up, a couple of tutorials for NBA 08 and Eye Of Judgement and...a game! A real game. Go! Sports Ski, which is only $US 3 and lets you ski with the SixAxis. That's at least one or two good times right there.
PlayStation Store Update [PlayStation.Blog]

There are probably only 10 people out there who have an interest in pen & paper gaming - as addicted enamoured as everyone is with World of Warcraft these days - but seeing as how I'm close to feverish with love over true social role-playing, you'll just have to put up with me.

WarCry has an interview up with Wizards of The Coast's Iija Rotelli, who is director of online media for the hobby games company. The chat focuses on the upcoming 4th Edition, as well as WoTC's "digital initiative" called "Gleemax".

In the old days, we got new customers by people going into a hobby shop, pick up a group in his community, and he would start playing. Now a day's more and more people are staying home, playing video games, going on the internet, and so to attract those players, Gleemax was born.

It sounds like MySpace for PnP and CCG geeks... probably because that's exactly what it is.

So what you get right off the back with Gleemax is a social networking site for gamers.

On a side note, I'm currently running a D&D campaign, and was desperately after an app to track encounters. After failing to find a free one online I was happy with, I put one together myself. You can download the executable below, and if anyone wants the source code (VB.NET) just email me. You'll need the .NET Framework 2.0 to get it running.

Download TrackWork - D&D Encounter Tracker

Dungeons and Dragons: 4th Edition Q&A [WarCry]

While at TGS, the Official PlayStation Mag team ran into Kaz Hirai. First instinct? The right one: they asked what the hell Team ICO were up to. Kaz's response? Dude had no idea. Luckily, one of his accompanying executives did, and blurted out:

I'm pretty sure they're doing the sequel.

Great! But... sequel to what? No clue, the Sony types realised they may have said too much and shut their yaps. Let's say it's for ICO, if only because we all know where the Shaow of the Colossus ending leads us...
OPM (UK) stalks Team ICO for us. No, seriously [Team ICO Gamers]

PS2, what have you done for Capcom lately? Not enough, it seems, the company announcing yesterday that they're ditching support for Sony's ageing warhorse in favour of the PlayStation 3. That's not to say they've gone PS3 CRAZY at Capcom headquarters, though: while expressing a desire to move on and get cracking on some proper PS3 games, company president Haruhiro Tsujimoto also emphasised Capcom's plans to support multi-platform development. Which means the 360. I'd guess it includes the Wii too, but the source article says naught about that, so maybe he was just having a rough day and forgot all about Zack & Wiki.
Capcom's Software Development for Sony to Focus on PS3 [JCN, via PS3 Fanboy]

Wii-mote straps had a problem. This I knew. And Xbox 360 have hardware issues. This also I knew. But UMD cases falling apart? That would involve prolonged PSP use. Not an issue! Above, Dave's hands from web vender Multimedia Recovery claim to have repaired 70,000 busted UMDs and shows the horrors of "flimsy" UMD cases. So flimsy that it looks "deliberate" as the disks are "designed to self-destruct", while the cases are made out of "junk".

Awesome.

Each improved case, designed to keep the UMD from self-destructing, costs $US 3.99 with free domestic shipping and comes in different five different colours like green — which Dave claims is blue. Go figure.
UMD Problem Solved [Multimedia Recovery via PSP Fanboy]

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sequel to Sega's hack n' slash series Golden Axe sure isn't gonna make its estimated 2007 release date. We haven't heard a lick about the game since it was announced way back in May of 2006 but now, we may have a name. Golden Axe: Beast Rider was recently trademarked by the Sega for "video game software" and "computer game programs" and could be the name of the next high-def iteration.

On the other hand, it's Sega. They could've have decided to divert resources to what would essentially be Golden Axe: The Ride at one of its SegaWorks arcade locations. We'll bug them and try to find out more.

I like Harvest Moon as a concept. A game that features child-making and cow-cuddling should be a winner. But in practice...it's all a bit dry. And boring. And repetitive! Oh, the repetition. Anyways, maybe that'll all change, or at least be alleviated somewhat, by the news the next Harvest Moon will feature online play. Series creator Yasuhiro Wada, speaking with Game Informer:

Of course I am now making an online Harvest Moon. I cannot tell you which platform.

What he can tell us is that it won't be an MMO style of online, more a feature where 2-8 people can visit your town, hang out, help with the mundane chores around the farm, maybe even try and sleep with your missus.
Harvest Moon Creator Reveals Next Project To Take Series Online [Game Informer]

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: The Toilet is Where to Study

You know, it's a documented fact that Martin Luther did some of his best work on the "throne" and Chaucer was also known to take some writing paper with him when nature called. I'd make my Feces Thesis joke now, but I think I already used that one with you, so I'll just shut up.

Tristan has a cell phone. This is something that sort of happened by steps. We bought him a Migo, essentially a gimped cell, back in December as a Christmas present. But a month or so ago he lost it. So I told him he had to save up to buy the replacement. Thing is they no longer sell Migos at the place I go to, so he managed to sweet talk the manager into selling him an honest to goodness cell phone for $50. (His lost one was still under contract so that's quite a feat.) I'm able to lock it so he can only make an accept calls from the people I put into his address book.

Earlier today he was sitting on the front doorstep messing around with his phone. I walked up and noticed he was playing a snowboarding game. I proceeded to go off on him for buying a game for his phone without permission... Turns out that the game came pre-loaded on the phone and that he just sort of "figured out" where it was. Man I'm grumpy when I'm sick.

What you missed:
The Holiday Season: Now How Much Would You Pay?
Wii Boxing: So Easy a Caveman Can Play It
I LOVE Zero Punctuation

Minister Helen Coonan has given the Game Developers' Association of Australia's (GDAA) proposal of a 40% rebate for game developers the shake of her head, according to IGN.AU.

GDAA CEO Greg Bondar was understandably upset with the turn of events and the Government's lack of support for the country's growing games industry. From the IGN.AU story:

We are continually encountering situations where large scale projects are being awarded to game development companies overseas as they're able to provide a rebate incentive for companies in the game, film and entertainment industries to employ their services. Without the same sort of 'carrot' to dangle in their faces, we find that an enormous amount of business is being lost.

When you read this comment made on ANZ game developer portal Sumea in regards to the story, the situation seems even more bizarre:

Interestingly enough, both Firemint and Torus picked up a Commendation at the Governor of Victoria Export Awards on Tuesday night, which is an official recognition that games companies contribute to the export economy. Didn't see any film makers get a mention.

So what exactly does our Government think it's doing? Or more accurately, Minister Coonan? Considering Auran had to seek overseas investment for Fury, it makes you wonder if the Government is paying attention to the industry at all.

Minister Dismisses AU Games Industry [IGN.AU, via Sumea]

We don't post Zack & Wiki screenshots out of obligation or monetary compensation. No, it's done out of pure love. Maybe it's actually guidance from a higher power, as I saw someone describe the Wii adventure game as an "average puzzler" and I expected nothing short of a proper smiting from the Lord. Regardless of our religious fervor for all things Zack, Wiki and Barbaros, some of these new and newish shots illustrate the new "whiteboard" feature that allows three backseat gamers to draw things on the screen. Arrows, circles, the occasional "FU"—it all adds to the multiplayer experience. Enjoy. That's an order.

Read More »

Gears of Wars hits PC in about a month, so Microsoft put together this rather chunky fact sheet to remind us why we should buy the game. To summarise: The PC will have some new content, DirectX 10 support and a game editor that will let you create your own levels using the Unreal Editor.

Hit the jump for the full fact sheet via Beyond Unreal.

Read More »

No spoilers. Just watch. Repeat if necessary. Finally, appreciate the Halo 3 "Saved Films" feature.

Thanks a million, Weston.

Rumors of a "big bang" announcement from Sony appeared on the French edition of GamePro late last week, issuing in a mini-torrent of speculation from internet bottom feeders, console war veterans, bloggers and message board posters. Speculation that Sony would be holding a conference on October 12th seemed to tie in nicely with the now painfully obvious future appearance of the PlayStation 3 40GB announcement.

SCEE has since told Eurogamer that "has nothing of the sort planned", meaning we won't have to wake up early/stay up late to learn what they have up their sleeves. While spokespeople say they have nothing planned nor have they announced anything new, that doesn't rule out a "small bang" announcement about the new PS3 model that doesn't quite fit into the terms provided in PR speak.

No Sony conference next week [Eurogamer]

Oz Kotakuite Will Ooijer has gone to the trouble of comparing Ubisoft's Jam Sessions on the DS to the real thing. A bit unfair? Maybe, but a fun read nonetheless. Included are separate scores for comfort, chords and fingerpicking - among other things. A word of caution: if you're a big Jam Sessions fan, the following link may upset you.

PS. Done something you think deserves our attention? Send it in to tips@kotaku.com.au.

Jam Sessions Review [Will Ooijer's 1UP Blog]

Hawty McBloggy points out that they second annual Flight Like A Girl Halo Tournament kicks off later this month. Entry is $US 10 each for the Halo 3 FFA and 2V2 tourneys with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The event is Oct. 20 on Xbox Live at 11 a.m. PST and is, despite its name, open to anyone, whether you fight like a girls or not. Sounds like a good time for a good cause.

Sign Up [Komen Donations, via Hawty McBloggy]

Fan of all things hairy, bearded and woolen, Jeff Minter, dropped word on his LiveJournal today on the follow up to the loved/hated Space Giraffe for Xbox Live Arcade. Llamasoft's Gridrunner++ is currently in the redesign process for XBLA which will undergo a 3D transformation and will be "a much more involved game than the PC-only predecessor".

For those unfamiliar with Gridrunner++, demos for the PC and Mac are currently available at Llamasoft. For those who can't be bothered with the half-dozen clicks required to run it, the game is a "twitch gaming shoot 'em up" featuring "glorious, retina scorching, psychedelic themed parallax scrolling levels." It sounds like Robotron. It's fun. Go play it.

iPod touchness [Jeff Minter's LiveJournal]

The ultimate Half-Life 2 collection, The Orange Box, is nearly upon us. Xbox 360 and PC gamers will bask in the value next week, while PlayStation 3 owners will enjoy chewing their nails and cursing Ken Kutaragi until December. Fortunately, for those of us with a Windows box and a Steam account, we can start working on our Half-Life 2 downloads, as Valve has begun pre-loading of both Portal and Half-Life 2: Episode Two to those who have pre-ordered the package.

Pre-loading via Steam for instant access is just one more reason I don't feel the need to drop my weight below 900 pounds and venture out of doors to visit a game shop ever again. Take that, society! You too, traditional retail!

Red Ant, the Oz distributor of Unreal Tournament 3, has gotten back to me regarding the details of the UT3 Collector's Edition box. They've been able to confirm everything we heard about last week, but were also kind enough to deposit the price tag of $119.95 and a street date of "the last week of November" in my inbox.

I'm looking to update this post with an ANZ packshot shortly.

UPDATE: Looks like the packshot will have to wait, Red Ant is still sorting it out.

If you happened to miss the excitement of the Halo 3 launch in Sydney, perhaps because you weren't there, don't live in NSW, or are a piece of sandstone, the fellas over at Unseen TV have put together a little clip post-humorously. I think it serves as a nice end cap to the whole Halo 3 extravaganza. Well, until we hear more about Bungie's reported split with Microsoft...

Halo 3 Sydney Launch [Unseen TV, thanks James!]

Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Nail, meet coffin.

Mass Effect Limited Edition Details Emerge
Find out what will be inside Bioware's special box.

Nintendo Stock Hits All-Time High
Yes, the Wii and DS continue to sell like, ah, the Wii and DS. And hotcakes.

Team Fortress 2 Art Direction, Justified
The cartoon look was intentional, it seems. That's what Valve's saying anyway.

Fracture Terrain Deformation Dev Diary
Deforming terrain like it's never been deformed before. Seriously.

Unreal Tournament 3 PC Specs
Will you need to upgrade? Judging by these numbers, almost certainly.

New Guitar Hero 3 Tracks Revealed
You know that supposedly fake track list? Turns out it's not so fake.

Chunky Custom Master Chief Figurine
So chunky, you can't carve it!

I guess this is the ultimate proof that Soldier of Fortune: Payback is coming. Too bad it's going to be a craptastic value game. Man, that really sucks.

According to a report from Team Xbox, BioWare has confirmed the details of the limited collector's edition of its Xbox 360 space epic Mass Effect. For an extra who knows how much, you can snag yourself the following, probably all snuggled up tightly in a fancy metal tin.

• Fiction Book: Galactic Codex: Essentials
• Mass Effect Art Book: A Future Imagined
• 2nd DVD with exclusive videos about Mass Effect (Art of Mass Effect, Interactive Storytelling of Mass Effect)

Oddly enough, the official Mass Effect forums had the following response from Chris Priestly, Bioware's community coordinator: "Sorry, but we do not have any information about a Limited Collectors Edition (LCE) at this time." So... are we clear?

Mass Effect Limited Collector's Edition Content Revealed [Team Xbox]

Mistwalker's Archaic Sealed Heat should