Late Night Consoling

44
The news is staying pretty slow. I guess publishers figured if they had anything worth announcing, they might as well do it at E3!
  • Spore Growing on Consoles

    [ps3] [xbox360] [nintendo]

    In a recent GameSpy interview, Will Wright claimed that his upcoming sim-everything game Spore (PC) is in development for not just PC, but "all platforms," though the PC version will be released first. Presumably, since the game is not expected until 2007, this means it will appear on the next generation platforms (which, by that time, we can finally refer to as "current generation platforms" or, even better, "platforms") PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. However, given publisher EA's general multiplatform tendencies as well as the high expectations no doubt accompanying a new game by the maker of the phenominally successful The Sims, it may be in development for current generation systems as well.

    In related news, several months ago, a job listing surfaced, calling for a designer to supervise portable versions of Spore. This almost certainly refers to DS and PSP, as well as potentially GBA. Wright noted that the game is coming to cell phones in some form as well.

  • New Earthworm Jim in Production

    [ds] [psp]

    Here's a bit of news that came out last week during the hustle and bustle of E3, that you may have missed (I did! Whoops.). Atari announced that it has acquired the "online and handheld rights" to the classic platforming character Earthworm Jim, originally developed by Shiny Entertainment in the mid-90s. The press release is quite vague about just which platforms are included in those rights, at some point implying next-generation home consoles and at other points not. Atari expects to develop several games in the franchise over the next five years. First up is a game for "next-generation handheld systems" (PSP? DS? N-Gage? Gizmondo?) being developed by Shiny.

  • Majesco Busts a Move, Says "Wii"

    [nintendo]

    After massive corporate restructuring, publisher Majesco stated that it will be shifting its focus to portable gaming, but it seems that it will be making a few exceptions. In an extremely short press release, Majesco announced that it will be releasing a Bust-A-Move (aka Puzzle Bobble) game for Wii in early 2007. The game is called Bust-A-Move Revolution, hanging onto the former codename of Nintendo's upcoming system. Bust-A-Move's gameplay, which hinges on precision aiming, seems well suited to the system's pointer-like controller.

    This upcoming game is described as the "first of several titles" from Majesco for Wii, though no others are named.

  • Dave Perry Consults

    Speaking of Shiny Entertainment, founder Dave Perry left the studio earlier this year in an attempt to drum up interest on the part of another publisher to buy Shiny from current owner Atari. In the meantime, it looks like's decided to start up a consulting firm. GameConsultants.COM, billed as providing "Executive Video Game Industry Advice," is apparently already talking with investment companies and hardware and software developers as to "how to position strategic projects for the US market."

  • Suda Names Wii Project

    [nintendo]

    In a recent interview, Grasshopper Manufacture head Goichi Suda revealed that his game for Wii, which had been previously mentioned but not revealed in any way, is currently going by the name Heroes. Rumors prior to E3 suggested that the game would be shown at E3 in trailer form, and it appears even Suda himself thought that was to be the case; in the interview, he admits he is not sure why the game was absent. A trailer should be forthcoming this summer.

    Suda and Grasshopper are best known for the unapologetically insane Killer7 (PS2, GCN) as well as the recent Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked (PS2) and the upcoming Contact (NDS).

  • Misc. Q&As/Features

    IGN chats with three developers on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii), director Mark Pacini, manager Kensuke Tanabe, and senior producer Bryan Walker.

    On the previews front, everybody is still finishing up assorted E3 coverage. If you're interested, check that out at Game Informer, GameSpot, Eurogamer, IGN, GameSpy, and surely others.

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Panzer Dragoon Saga (Azel) for the Sega Saturn. "If you were one of the 30,000 some people who actually bought this game, you know what I'm going to say. Amazing story, fun RPG elements, and truly breathtaking art-style. My favorite game of all time." (submitted by shivawn)

From The Chatty
  • reply
    May 16, 2006 8:02 PM

    Earthworm Jim.... whatever you do, do NOT make it a 3D game.

    • reply
      May 16, 2006 8:18 PM

      Amen to this.

      I would be happy with a DS port of the originals, to be honest.

      PETER PUPPY

    • reply
      May 16, 2006 8:52 PM

      I would be happy if they did it in 3d the way the new SMB on the DS is. <3

    • reply
      May 16, 2006 10:11 PM

      I dont mind 3d, as long as they limit the movement to 2 dimensions (think NiGHTS). I can't enjoy platformers with 3d movement. They always feel so clunky.

    • reply
      May 16, 2006 11:52 PM

      I, T. Wheat, hath signed this.

    • reply
      May 17, 2006 12:04 AM

      needs for FPS.

    • reply
      May 17, 2006 1:39 AM

      Too late? Or does anyone not remember the abomination that was Earthworm Jim 3d?

      • reply
        May 17, 2006 4:52 AM

        i'm appalled about the lack of gaming knowledge in this lnc thread.

      • reply
        May 17, 2006 7:50 AM

        Like anytime you get raped,you tend to black it out. As I did with Earthworm Jim 3D (and I assume 90% of the shack):(

    • reply
      May 17, 2006 4:34 AM

      if it's like mdk it could be cool in 3d

Hello, Meet Lola