Late Night Consoling

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Clover :(
  • Clover Studio Not So Lucky

    [ps2] [gamecube] [ds]

    Capcom announced today via a fairly straightforward press release that its fully owned but largely autonomous development house Clover Studio will be dissolved as of March 2007 in the interest of "concentrating management resources." Clover's current fifteen staff members will be offered relocation to Capcom's in-house development studios. The full reason given for the dissolution is as follows:

    Clover Studio Co., Ltd. has met the goal of developing unique and creative original home video game software, however, in view of promoting a business strategy that concentrates management resources on a selected business to enhance the efficiency of the development power of the entire Capcom group, the dissolution of Clover Studio Co., Ltd. has been raised and passed at a Board of Directors' meeting.

    Formed in on July 1, 2004, Clover Studio quickly established a strong identity for itself. The studio was established to create new and unique games. It developed every title in Capcom's Viewtiful Joe series other than the original GameCube title, and this year released both the gorgeous and stylized adventure Okami (PS2) and the over the top brawler God Hand (PS2).

    Clover Studio employed some of Capcom's most talented producers and directors, responsible for some of the most critically well received games in recent memory. According to a blog post by Wired's Chris Kohler, key Clover team members intend to split completely from Capcom to found an independent studio. Later statements from Capcom indicate that these members include company president and CEO Atsushi Inaba, involved in all of Clover's games and recently a producer on Okami, as well as legendary director Hideki Kamiya, who helmed Okami, Resident Evil 2, Viewtiful Joe, and Devil May Cry. Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, who recently directed Resident Evil 4 and God Hand, had already left Capcom late last year and was working on a special contract. He has currently been contracted to another Capcom project of some kind, but it is not Resident Evil 5.

    Despite reports of their plans to start a new studio, Kamiya and Inaba have not yet announced their immediate plans.

  • Wii Preorder Information Revealed

    [nintendo]

    Following EB/GameSpot's PlayStation 3 preorder day earlier this week, the company has announced that tomorrow it will be accepting preorders for Wii in North America. As with PS3, Wii preorders will be on a first come, first served basis. "We expect to reach our limit very quickly, most likely in minutes," said the company in a statement, undoubtedly based in part on the high demand seen on Tuesday for PS3 preorders. Reservations will be limited to one per household and will require a $50 deposit. Online preorders will be announced at a later date, but are expected to be extremely limited.

    Canadian gamers looking forward to either Wii or PS3 will have the opportunity to reserve systems this coming Monday, October 16. Those preorders will be conducted similarly to this week's North American preorders, and will require deposits of either CA$200 in cash or credit, or CA$50 in total trade-ins.

  • Wii Comes Alive

    [nintendo]

    When asked to name any particular difficulties in developing for Nintendo's upcoming Wii console, some developers have cited the complex calculations involved in interpreting data from the system's motion-sensing controller. Today, Nintendo and middleware provider AiLive announced LiveMove, a Wii software development kit that automates gesture programming for the system. Developers will be able to include recognition of particular movements in games by merely performing the movements in conjunction with AiLive's software. More details are available at AiLive's official site, and the company plans to run a series of tutorial sessions for developers in Palo Alto, California.

  • Xbox Live to be Dead for a Day

    [xbox] [xbox360]

    According to a Q&A on Microsoft's official Xbox site, the Xbox Live gaming service as well as Xbox.com will be offline for up to 24 hours starting at midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, October 17, 2006. Apparently, the downtime is "because we're adding some cool stuff," though this cool stuff does not include a new Dashboard update. Microsoft notes that you will be unable to "pwn [your] rivals." Later on, the Q&A refers to the original Xbox as "your big black buddy."

  • Gears of War Re-Webbed

    [xbox360]

    Microsoft sent word today that the official Gears of War (X360) website has been revamped, and now contains a variety of contextual flashback movies that allow players to become familiar with the world and backstory behind Epic's upcoming shooter. The game is set to ship in North America on November 7, 2006.

  • Trick or Treat, it's Darkwatch

    [ps2] [xbox]

    Carlsbad, California-based Darkwatch (PS2, Xbox) developer High Moon Studios announced today that it will be making available Halloween costumes based on the protagonist from its debut Western/vampire shooter title. California Costume Creations will be releasing a line of costume packages consisting of clothing and accessories worn by vampire hunter Jericho Cross. Components such as Cross' hat, eye patch, duster, cowl hood, vest, badge, belt, boot tops, Redeemer revolver, armored gloves, and armored knee pads will be available in packages spanning three adult and two child sizes. For a chance to win a costume set, check out High Moon's official site.

Misc. Media/Previews

PS2/PS3

1UP takes a look at Rockstar Vancouver's Bully (PS2).

Xbox/X360

Eurogamer has a preview of Turn 10's Forza Motorsport 2 (X360).

GCN/Wii

GameSpot previews Tecmo's Super Swing Golf (Wii).

Portable

GameSpot checks out Ubisoft Quebec City's PSP version of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas (PSP, also PS2, Xbox, PS3, X360, PC).

Multi

1UP checks out Starbreeze's The Darkness (PS3, X360).

Console Game Of The Evening [Submit Yours!]

Rambo for the NES. "I remember playing this game as a young lad along side my father. Normally he is a calm and collected man, but when I mention that final boss encounter to him he gets a vacant look in his eyes and mutters softly to himself: 'fuck that helicopter'" (submitted by liqker)

From The Chatty
  • reply
    October 12, 2006 8:49 PM

    so what's the reason they dissolved clover? such lawyer speak. their games weren't commercial enough?

    • reply
      October 12, 2006 8:52 PM

      maybe it was because the lead devs wanted to break off and start their own studio. It's all rumors now but we'll see if they officially announce a new studio.

      • reply
        October 12, 2006 9:12 PM

        Based on extremely recent interviews by Inaba, I get the impression that the Clover guys were happy with the arrangement and would have liked it to continue.

    • reply
      October 12, 2006 9:16 PM

      That's exactly what it sounds like to me. Need more movie licensed games and less originality and innovation! It's sad that a large part of the innovative games out there fail in the marketplace. I'd say a large part of it is all the advertising is spent on the big name games.

      • reply
        October 12, 2006 9:29 PM

        Okami excepted, are any of their other games really innovative? Or just odd looking (which can often be confused with original and innovative)?

      • reply
        October 12, 2006 9:40 PM

        I don't think advertising would have really helped Okami

        ancient japanese art is just not something that most casual americans are interested in

        • reply
          October 12, 2006 9:42 PM

          Zelda-style adventure games are certainly not retail poison though.

          • reply
            October 12, 2006 9:46 PM

            uh, zelda looks nothing like Okami... Okami looks really strange to the eye, much more so than even fantasy games

            are you trying to say that you think Okami could have been a mega blockbuster mass-seller?

            • reply
              October 12, 2006 9:52 PM

              I'm not saying either of those things. I'm saying that there's a decent market for that sort of game.

              • reply
                October 12, 2006 10:07 PM

                yeah, there is a solid market for action-adventure games in general

                but is Clover willing to make games that have more of a standard, normal setting? instead of weird wacky ones like with Viewtiful Joe and Okami?

                • reply
                  October 12, 2006 10:11 PM

                  It doesn't really matter because they aren't going to make any more games. I'm sure they'd have been quite willing to, though, because Okami was originally going to be realistically rendered.

                  • reply
                    October 12, 2006 10:15 PM

                    oh really? I had no idea that was the case before

                    do you know if the Clover developers completely decide on the setting and artisitic style of their games themselves, or did Capcom have any say on what type of game they wanted

                    • reply
                      October 12, 2006 10:17 PM

                      It was all Clover. PS2 wasn't powerful enough for the standard they wanted to hit with realistic rendering, so different members of the team came up with ideas for different rendering styles and this is the one everyone liked (thank goodness).

            • reply
              October 12, 2006 10:05 PM

              Zelda-style refers to the gameplay, not the look.

          • reply
            October 12, 2006 9:49 PM

            Did I miss something? Is Okami not selling?
            That makes me sad. I haven't bought a PS2 game in a year, and I was thinking about going to look for this on friday. Oh well, Im still getting it.

            This cant be good for the industry though...

            • reply
              October 13, 2006 7:20 AM

              Maybe it is, but my guess would be no. It's very rare for a new original game that doesn't have a hype machine going, say like Gears of War for a current game, to be a big hit.

          • reply
            October 12, 2006 9:50 PM

            well re-reading your statement, maybe you were just saying that 'adventure' games as a genre can sell well

            that is true, there is nothing wrong with selling action-adventure games as a genre. but that's not Okami's problem. setting and art-style can make a big difference...and Okami just isn't something that would appeal to casual americans. I don't know about euros, but I don't think it's something that would really appeal to them either. when it's all said and done, Okami will not be a mass market seller

          • reply
            October 13, 2006 6:11 AM

            Speaking of Zelda and Capcom, has there been any word about future Capcom Zelda games? I really enjoyed Minish Cap, but Nintendo looks like they're taking over on the DS.

    • reply
      October 12, 2006 9:21 PM

      Damn, this means even less original ips.

      • reply
        October 12, 2006 9:52 PM

        We don't know that. Keep in mind that Dead Rising and Lost Planet are both original IP Capcom games that weren't made by Clover.

        I'm interested to see what this all means. It certainly isn't good, but it isn't the deathknell to Capcom's original IP plans.

        • reply
          October 13, 2006 7:22 AM

          My theory is original games don't sell well unless they have a lot of hype/advertising, a lot of violence and/or gunfighting.

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