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Japanese publisher reinvigorating classic arcade catalog with XBLA, PSN revamps; Pac-Man CE DX to be followed by Galaga Legions DX, Aero-Cross.
Namco Bandai reinvigorated the Pac-Man franchise in 2007 with the release of Pac-Man Championship Edition. The reimagined Pac-Man gameplay has largely lain dormant for three years, but Namco Bandai will revive it tomorrow on Xbox Live and next Tuesday on the PlayStation Network with Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. As it would turn out, that release will herald the arrival of a new line of titles revisiting the publisher’s classics.
Today, Namco Bandai announced Namco Generations, a new game label focused on bringing the publisher’s arcade catalog to Microsoft’s and Sony’s digital distribution platforms. The goal of the label, according to Namco Bandai, is to “reinvent favorite Namco franchises with high-definition graphics, enhanced gameplay features, and regularly updated community news.”
The aforementioned Pac-Man Championship Edition DX will be the first game to fall under the Namco Generations label. Other developments within the label include Galaga Legions DX, a sequel to 2008’s Xbox Live Arcade effort, as well as Aero-Cross, an update to Namco’s 1985 arcade title Metro-Cross.
Namco Bandai expects to continue to stock the Namco Generations throughout 2011.
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“Namco Bandai launching Generations label” was posted by Tom Magrino on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:37:06 -0800 -
Online chat add-on no longer available.
Nintendo has discontinued its Wii Speak peripheral, according to an Amazon listing.
The product’s sales page, spotted by GoNintendo, now reads “Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes.”
This tallies with comments made last week by the developers of forthcoming SEGA FPS, The Conduit 2. High Voltage’s creative officer Eric Nofsinger told BitMob that it was supporting the third party Headbanger headset for online multiplayer modes, rather than Nintendo’s own hardware.
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Force Unleashed II publisher confirms “minor adjustment in staffing,” recommits to internal studio.
It’s November and the holiday season is in full swing. Seemingly every week sees the release of multiple high-profile blockbusters, the retailer discounts are ramping up, long-planned family trips are just around the corner, and game developers are shedding staff left and right. The latest example of that last trend comes from LucasArts, which today confirmed its latest round of cuts to GameSpot.
“LucasArts recently made a minor adjustment in staffing to help us better address the needs of the business,” a LucasArts representative said. “We remain committed to our internal studio–and to fostering relationships with trusted external partners–in order to deliver quality games that amaze and inspire fans.”
The recommitment to the LucasArts game business may reassure fans and employees concerned by recent events. Last week, Electronic Arts announced that it was taking over sole publishing duties for the upcoming Star Wars massively multiplayer online game The Old Republic, relegating LucasArts to a licensing partner. In September, as the publisher finished up development on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II for multiple platforms, it reportedly laid off approximately 85 other employees.
With Force Unleashed II out the door, the only remaining announced project on LucasArts’ slate is Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. There is also at least one unannounced project that boasts former Ubisoft developer Clint Hocking as a creative director.
LucasArts is far from alone in cutting payroll lately. Since September, developers and publishers big and small have laid off employees, including Activision’s Raven Software, n-Space, Disney Interactive’s Propaganda, Electronic Arts’ EA Canada and Black Box studios, Square Enix’s IO Interactive, and Namco Bandai. Just this morning, reports surfaced of the outright closure of Activision’s Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone development studio Bizarre Creations.
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“Layoffs hit LucasArts” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:00:55 -0800 -
Force Unleashed II publisher confirms “minor adjustment in staffing,” recommits to internal studio.
It’s November and the holiday season is in full swing. Seemingly every week sees the release of multiple high-profile blockbusters, the retailer discounts are ramping up, long-planned family trips are just around the corner, and game developers are shedding staff left and right. The latest example of that last trend comes from LucasArts, which today confirmed its latest round of cuts to GameSpot.
“LucasArts recently made a minor adjustment in staffing to help us better address the needs of the business,” a LucasArts representative said. “We remain committed to our internal studio–and to fostering relationships with trusted external partners–in order to deliver quality games that amaze and inspire fans.”
The recommitment to the LucasArts game business may reassure fans and employees concerned by recent events. Last week, Electronic Arts announced that it was taking over sole publishing duties for the upcoming Star Wars massively multiplayer online game The Old Republic, relegating LucasArts to a licensing partner. In September, as the publisher finished up development on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II for multiple platforms, it reportedly laid off approximately 85 other employees.
With Force Unleashed II out the door, the only remaining announced project on LucasArts’ slate is Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. There is also at least one unannounced project that boasts former Ubisoft developer Clint Hocking as a creative director.
LucasArts is far from alone in cutting payroll lately. Since September, developers and publishers big and small have laid off employees, including Activision’s Raven Software, n-Space, Disney Interactive’s Propaganda, Electronic Arts’ EA Canada and Black Box studios, Square Enix’s IO Interactive, and Namco Bandai. Just this morning, reports surfaced of the outright closure of Activision’s Blur and James Bond 007: Blood Stone development studio Bizarre Creations.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
“Layoffs hit LucasArts” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:00:55 -0800 -
Acti talks up customer care and “patience”.
Activision’s controversy-courting CEO Bobby Kotick has stressed how much he cares about what gamers have to say about the publisher’s products.
Speaking at San Francisco’s Web 2.0 Summit, as reported by Gamastura, Kotick said, “I think [listening to customers] matters more now than ever before… because you have incredibly passionate and vocal consumers, and they are really thoughtful and articulate about what they would like to see in a game, how you can enhance the experience.
“So if you take the time and actually listen to what your customers have to say, you are going to create much better experiences.”
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Nintendo: Bond revamp is a hit.
Activision’s GoldenEye 007 revamp is doing great business on Wii, Nintendo has claimed, proof that there is a healthy market for core games on the system.
Nintendo’s UK communications chief Rob Saunders told MCV, “The sales of GoldenEye show that these titles can and do perform well on Wii.
“The idea that Wii owners are only after smaller mini-game compilations or first-party titles isn’t true. A good quality title, supported well by both publisher and retail, has just as much chance of performing well as any Nintendo title.”
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RIP Budcat Creations.
Following news earlier today that Blur dev Bizarre Creations was facing down an uncertain future, Activision has axed another one of its acquisitions Budcat Creations.
According to PC Gamer, staff at the Iowa City-based developer were handed their P45s this morning.
The studio was set up in 2001 by ex-EA Tiburon employees. Early titles included PSone ports of Madden NFL 2003 and Nascar Thunder 2003, franchises that it continued to work on until Activision bought it in 2008.
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Buy Gabriel Knight creator’s comeback now.
Gray Matter, the long-in-the-offing comeback from point and click guru Jane Jensen has quietly made itself available for download.
Rock Paper Shotgun reported that a PC version of Gray Matter is available to buy from Amazon Germany for 35.99 or download from online retailer Games Planet for 39.95.
Apparently, the game comes with English voiceovers so is fully playable for those who don’t German.
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But girls get into more fights, says research.
Male teens who play videogames are less likely to smoke or take up drugs, and do better at school than their non-gaming classmates, according to new research.
However, the same can not be said of girl gamers apparently they’re more likely to get into fights or bring a weapon to school.
The research, carried out by the American Academy of Pediatrics and reported by Games Radar, surveyed 4,000 Connecticut high school students.
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Special edition of crossover fighting game to include prologue comic, downloadable post-launch characters Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath, $70 price tag.
If one looks at the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds as a love letter to two devoted fan bases, then its release date is only appropriate. Capcom today announced that Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will arrive in stores the day after Valentine’s Day, February 15.
For fans who want to show their love right back, Capcom also announced a collector’s edition package for Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The $70 edition of the game will come in a steel book case with a 12-page prologue comic, a one-month subscription to the Marvel Digital Comics online library, and two downloadable characters who previously appeared in Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath. The pair will be available four weeks after the game launches.
The Resident Evil tough girl Valentine will join a roster of Capcom stars, including Mega Man Zero, Nathan “Rad” Spencer, Wesker, Tron Bonne, Viewtiful Joe, Amaterasu, Dante, Ryu, Morrigan, Chris Redfield, Felicia, Trish, and Chun-Li. Meanwhile, Shuma Gorath will provide some much-needed magical starfish power to a lineup consisting of She Hulk, M.O.D.O.K., Spider-Man, X-23, Dormmamu, Thor, Deadpool, Hulk, Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Doctor Doom, and Super-Skrull.
For more on Marvel vs. Capcom 3, check out GameSpot’s previous coverage.
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“Marvel vs. Capcom 3 set for February 15” was posted by Brendan Sinclair on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:08:24 -0800
