madworld
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Dead Space Extraction producer confident about sales despite GTA: Chinatown Wars
Steve Papoutsis, producer of Dead Space Extraction, isn't concerned about the disappointing sales of recent Mature-rated games on Nintendo platforms. Talking to VG247 about MadWorld on the Wii and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on the DS, Papoutsis said, "I think that's happening because of what people are looking to buy, I guess." In contrast, "I think with our game right now I think we're hitting on something that's really interesting and really fun, and we're hitting on the atmosphere and the visuals that people have started to associate with Dead Space." It's hard to believe that Grand Theft Auto just wasn't what people were "looking to buy," and an unexplainable not-really-rail-shooter is, but he could be on to something! Or he could have just decided not to tell VG247 how scared he really was.Papoutsis also extolled the cooperative play found in Extraction: "I love the Wii, I love Nintendo. I love all the platforms, but I really want something that I can play co-operatively on the Wii with a friend that hits that sweet spot I think Dead Space: Extraction is in."%Gallery-49881%
Lazy waggling could damage your arm
Reading a New York Times article about repetitive stress injuries caused by the Wii is like taking a little day trip to 2006. In those days, Wii puns had just started to get old, and everyone discovered that repeated activity, even while playing a video game, can sometimes lead to injury.This particular article features an angle we hadn't heard before: it's actually worse for your arms if you don't swing with the proper zeal. According to the article: "... a flick of the wrist is often enough to return a serve or bowl a strike. As several doctors pointed out, that is the exact motion - concentrating the force of a swing in the muscles of the forearm - that can cause tennis elbow."Who knew -- even as you were committing graphic violence against fake dudes in MadWorld, you were mutilating your own arm?%Gallery-22964%[Via MTV Multiplayer]
MadWorld 3D screens (3D glasses not included)
Nintendo Everything has posted a batch of 3D screenshots of Sega's gore fest, MadWorld. Now, to be clear, these are not the 3D screenshots that you open on your computer and spin around with your mouse. Nope, you'll need to break out the old red and blue glasses for these. If you happen to have a pair lying around -- and who doesn't? -- Nintendo Everything promises a working 3D experience.If you don't have any 3D glasses, try this: Stick your face directly against your monitor and cross your eyes as hard as you can*. It won't make the image appear three-dimensional, but it's guaranteed to give you one helluva headache.*Don't do this. It's bad for your eyes. Seriously.
MadWorld sells 66K in March, Sega oddly pleased
Call us crazy, but we always thought that the idea behind making games was to sell tons of copies. Not so for Sega, as it seems weirdly satisfied with MadWorld's lackluster sales, based on comments to Gamasutra. Debuting early in March, Platinum Games' over-the-top brawler managed to move 66,000 copies, despite generally positive reviews.Sega's other M-rated title on Wii, House of the Dead: Overkill, also managed to have a sub-par debut, selling 45,000 copies during February. What does this say for The Conduit, the third of Sega's big games for Wii? Could Sega's gamble on the mature audience of Wii gamers been a poor move? All signs are pointing to "yes" right about now ... but Sega seems to disagree!%Gallery-22964%
Fanmade MadWorld figurine oozes cool
There are plenty of things to love about MadWorld. The over-the-top slapstick action, the hilarious commentators, and fun Blood Bath Challenges are just a few of the things we enjoy in Platinum Games' latest title. Well, deviantART user ebooze loves the game's main character Jack so much that he decided to make his own custom figurine, complete with detachable chainsaws of both the bloody and clean variety. Want!%Gallery-22964%[Via Go Nintendo]
Sega: Overkill sales 'met expectations,' MadWorld's 'very encouraging'
We've kind of assumed that Sega's double shot of M-rated offerings on the Wii underperformed, because ... well, because it's the Wii. But if Sega of America VP Sean Ratcliffe is to be believed, we might just have sneered at MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill's numbers too soon.Ratcliffe told VentureBeat, "House of the Dead has done very well and has absolutely met our expectations. The first set of data for MadWorld is very encouraging, as well." We know that Overkill only sold 45,000 units in February, but if that's good enough for Sega, it's just enough to allow us to keep the hope of an Overkill sequel alive in our hearts without feeling like cockeyed optimists.
Nintendo talks core, third parties, and DSi
During a recent interview with Gamasutra, Nintendo's Denise Kaigler spoke about a slew of subjects sensitive to the Nintendo loyal. Core gaming, third-party support, and the new DSi were just a few of the subjects Kaigler touched on. In regards to the core, Kaigler says that developing games for that audience is important for "everybody, the industry, certainly for Nintendo, but most of all, for consumers." She points to Zelda: Spirit Tracks as a game for that audience.Moving on to third-party support, we're starting to see more and more third parties recognize Nintendo's platforms. Kaigler says that being able to offer that 150 million user base between the two systems is very enticing to those developers. But, she notes that Nintendo wants to impart its own success on the platform and show these developers how it has achieved success (see: characters with floating, circular hands in everything), which might tie into those poor sales figures for the recent original, mature games MadWorld and House of the Dead: Overkill.Finally, no interview with a Nintendo exec can skip the company's latest handheld, the Nintendo DSi. Some folks (especially commenters on Joystiq) have felt the handheld doesn't improve enough over the DS Lite, especially for the price it's demanding. Kaigler, however, argues that the new handheld has plenty to offer, pointing out the DSi's popularity on Amazon and at GameStop through pre-order figures, as well as the one feature that we think too many people are overlooking: DSiWare.
First Bad Company 2 trailer light on gameplay, heavy on death
Light on gameplay but heavy on murder the first trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 got "world exclusive" status on this week's GameTrailers TV (after the break).Showcasing the cycle of "smoke a cigarette, kill a dude, get killed yourself" in a MadWorld-esque aesthetic, we can't help but wish for actual gameplay footage from the game -- the first Bad Company 2 screen was madness! We'll expect to hear more from publisher EA and developer DICE as we near E3 2009 in June. More on murder, that is.
MadWorld: If you flail, you may fail
In a blog post titled MadWorld vs. The Wii Remote, Shigenori Nishikawa recommends gamers "flick" the controller rather than "flail" in order to get the best experience out of MadWorld. Nishikawa, the game's director, wrote the blog to detail the development process behind bringing the bloody MadWorld universe to the Nintendo Wii. In order to maintain a consistent tempo between the on-screen action and the motions of the player, Platinum Games "adjusted the way" MadWorld detects swing strength. That means, gamers aren't required to "flail [their] arms around" to unlock maximum carnage. However, Nishikawa isn't stopping gamers from going crazy either, saying, "If you get into the Jack state of mind and want to swing for the fences, you are more than welcome to!" What else are you going to do with that discounted Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man you bought?
Wanted's Wanat considers Wii development a 'narrow market' [Update]
Update: Pete Wanat joined the team at 1UP and discussed comments made during Invisible Walls during the first GDC episode of ListenUP! (Download Link). During the conversation Wanat clarified that his comments were taken out of context and the numbers mentioned were simply guesstimations. Simply put, Wanat clarified that he loves games, regardless of platform ... as we all should. Wanted: Weapons of Fate executive producer, Pete Wanat, says Sega -- whom he has no current working connection to -- would need to sell "2-3 million units" to make a sizable profit on MadWorld. Wanat doesn't pull his punches during an interview with web show Invisible Walls, criticizing the Nintendo Wii's development process where spending more than "$350,000 to $500,000" on a game runs the risk of making little to no profit. "[Nintendo was] getting their ass handed to them [last generation], trying to compete with hardcore gamers. So they said, 'We're not going to bother, we're going to find our niche audience.'" says Wanat. "[Nintendo] has succeeded overwhelmingly so. But do not expect the rest of the industry to get down on its knees and 'blow' Nintendo to make games for that system when you can no longer use it and the same porting mechanism [when creating multiplatform SKUs on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC]." Now Nintendo fans, before you feverishly type a retort, Wanat wants to make it clear that the Wii is home to some "unbelievable experiences" (specifically calling Nintendo's first-party titles, "Awesome"). However, as a third-party developer, "cracking the code" and finding success on the platform doesn't allow a game to be ported to other systems without completely changing the game's unique features, like gesture-based controls. "You're really getting narrowed to that one, narrow market. And what sells there? Nintendo games." It seems Sega is already feeling that sting.[Via Sega Nerds]
House of the Dead: Overkill sells 45k in February
Sega's latest (on rails) shooter -- and Guinness World Record holder -- The House of the Dead: Overkill sold 45,000 units in February, landing itself 50th place in the month's top 100 titles sold. According to data from the NPD Group (Via Edge), Overkill -- which released on February 10 -- joins other third-party Wii titles that have failed to capture attention at retail. Last year, Sega of America president Simon Jeffery said Western publishers have ignored the hardcore market focusing instead on family friendly titles, in line with the Wii's mainstream image. Sega -- who recently released MadWorld -- is prepping for a June release of The Conduit, continuing a string of Mature rated titles developed for the top-selling console. Hopefully, it will fare better on store shelves.
It's a mad, MadWorld blooper reel
Make no mistake, MadWorld is one of the most violent games we've ever seen but it's all wrapped up into a big joke. It's over the top, insane and pretty hilarious. Some of that hilarity is thanks to the one-two commentary punch of Greg Proops (Whose Line is It, Anyway?) and John DiMaggio (Bender from Futurama, among other things). Unfortunately, the latest trailer for MadWorld doesn't include Proops & DiMaggio but a pair of actors trying desperately to pretend to be hilarious. Maybe we're being overly harsh but you be the judge, check out the trailer after the break.
Fake severed limbs are totally hot right now
Occasionally, the gaming industry gets hooked on the most bizarre marketing trends, such as ARGs, and laughably unbelievable product enthusiasts. However, even with our usually spot-on industry clairvoyance, we didn't see this one coming -- for the second time in a month, a developer used fake severed limbs to attract attention to their ultraviolent title. Sega, promoting MadWorld, recently scattered monotone severed arms (all holding copies of the game) across London. Man, Londonites have got to be getting sick of these shenanigans.We hope this trend comes to a grinding halt before other companies can hop on the bandwagon. The thought of a major metropolitan city whose desensitized residents shrug nonchalantly when they notice human gristle littering their streets makes us a tad uncomfortable.[Thanks, Tagg.]
SEGA offers advice, creates MadWorld must-do list
Platinum Games' well received MadWorld has been abusing and roughing up the Wii for few days and SEGA decided its the opportune time to give game advice. Only because the publisher wants to make sure everyone is getting the most brutal experience possible. The top ten MadWorld must-do list is what SEGA came up with and is (interestingly enough) penned by the company's own senior localization producer, Patrick Riley. The list includes a few gameplay tips, some Challenge tricks and various insightful nuggets of information, like the fact that Jack can impale foes with a total of five, yes five caution signs. Yes sir ... the more you know.
Touch Ruminations: It's a MadWorld out there
In Touch Ruminations, former DS and Wii Fanboy Lead David Hinkle talks about whatever he feels like. He's a jerk like that. This week, it's all about Jack and his crazy romp through Varrigan City's Death Watch in MadWorld. The opinions expressed here belong to the author and don't necessarily reflect those of Joystiq, Weblogs Inc. or its affiliates.MadWorld has been the biggest game on my radar for awhile, both professionally and personally. As a big fan of God Hand, I immediately compared MadWorld to that and expected it to carry over a lot of the things that game did so well: memorably goofy characters, ridiculously over-the-top combat, and an inspired, memorable setting. I'm glad to say that MadWorld has all of these things so far (I've only gotten through the first 3 stages, so that could change; my copy only arrived yesterday morning).%Gallery-22964%
Metareview -- MadWorld
You may not realize this, but MadWorld is a scathing look into the future of reality television. On today's shows we have survivors attempting to avoid madness and starvation, people who think they can dance and survivors who must dance to avoid madness and starvation (maybe we mixed that one up). MadWorld ups the ante by throwing players into a game show called Death Watch -- where winning puts $150 million in your pocket and losing puts you in the morgue. Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to warn us television would go this route ... now, it's Sega's turn. 1UP (A-): "The design constraints of Nintendo's system forced the developers at Platinum Games to be creative, and they followed through on their creativity by putting together a thoroughly enjoyable brawler with just the right amount of the ultra-violence." GamePro (90/100): "Dark, brutal and hilarious in just the right way, MadWorld is a title that has rocketed to the top of every staff member's must buy list. Don't let the fact that it's on a "kiddie console" fool you-this is one title every "hardcore" gamer needs to play, provided you're over eighteen years old, of course." GameTrailers (85/100): "One of the most eye-catching games to come along in a while, MadWorld is stylish, bloody, and a great fit for the Wii's controls. Though there's a surprising amount of incentive to replay it, it's barely seven hours long, so if you aren't persuaded by the novelty of extreme violence buy with caution." Eurogamer (70/100): "No matter how much the schoolboy-humour commentary grates, no matter how repetitive the bits in between the set-pieces start to feel and no matter how frustrating the later levels become, MadWorld provides a rush of blood to the head almost as often as it provides a rush of blood to the pavement." %Gallery-22964%
This week on the Nintendo Channel: Celebrities, Mac and Cheese
Another Monday means another Nintendo Channel update, and this week we've got a boatload of new video content, as well as some new DS content to love. On the demo side, there are two piping hot samples, one of which is Personal Trainer, and the other TrackMania DS. Check the full list of demos after the break.On the video side, there's plenty of new content to watch. You can check out some footage from Pokemon Platinum, as well a nice developer chat with the folks behind World of Goo, and some footage from Sega titles House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld.%Gallery-37398%
MadWorld: Just Hot Enough for TV
Sega is taking a somewhat rare step (for a third-party Wii game) in its advertising campaign for MadWorld: a TV commercial. We hardly ever see ads for Wii games on TV, and Sega has been responsible for two lately: this one, and the previous House of the Dead: Overkill spot, which also mentioned MadWorld.Despite its graphic violence (which can only be hinted at on television), Platinum Games' brawler is an excellent candidate for a TV campaign: we believe that the amazing high-contrast graphical style alone can sell copies, and thus putting it in front of more people is a great thing. We also think that not all Wii owners are in the audience for game blogs, and as such may not have even known that they needed MadWorld. And now they will!%Gallery-22964%
Yasumi Matsuno resurfaces to discuss work on MadWorld
Ogre Battle, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Vagrant Story creator Yasumi Matsuno left his position as director of Final Fantasy XII in the middle of development, and has been quiet ever since -- until last month, when the (weird) news came out that he had been contracted to write for ... MadWorld.On the IGN MadWorld blog, Matsuno posted about the narrative for the brawler. Under contradictory advice from the producer and the development team, Matsuno came up with the game show idea. The development team wanted a world where violence was accepted -- but the producer (not named, but probably Atsushi Inaba) wanted a world where "Violence should ultimately be denied in the end." To comply with both of those ideas, Matsuno devised DeathWatch. "In the extraordinary world of the DeathWatch games," Matsuno explains, "violence and brutality is not only required, but accepted. However, once you step out of the show, the world outside is ruled by normal conventions. In the conclusion of the post, Matsuno says that "it may be a little difficult to catch everything in the story by only playing the game once." We're happy to hear about some replay value!For more from the World: Over on the Platinum Games MadWorld site (which can now be viewed on the iPhone!), director Shigenori Nishikawa explains the motivation for adding the comedic narration to the game.%Gallery-22964%
Capcom's Inafune: Xbox was only way into overseas market
Capcom's Head of Research & Development Management Group and Online Business (breath) Keiji Inafune is all about the Western game market. In an internal interview on Capcom's website published earlier today, Inafune makes a variety of comments regarding Capcom's changing attitude with regards to the Western market. "I think I can only get away with saying this now, but I really thought that using the Xbox was the only way to break into overseas markets, and I took that hypothesis all the way," Inafune says in the piece, citing Lost Planet and Dead Rising as two prime examples of games targeted at Western audiences that were successful.Speaking to the state of the video game industry and Capcom's relevance within it, he continues, "Up until now, we made games in Japan, and it was merely coincidental that those games sold overseas. But overseas game makers in regions like North America and Europe have gained strength, and it has become clear that this is the direction the game industry is going." We've heard statements like this before from MadWorld creator Atsushi Inaba, but never from such an influential and powerful figurehead within the Japanese development community. Considering the online multiplayer focus of the company's cadre of games both released and on the horizon, we think Capcom is putting its money where its mouth is.
