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Platinum Games discusses enemy AI in MadWorld
Bless the Platinum Games blog, as it's been a wonderful source of interesting stuff leading up to next week's release of MadWorld. Today, Hirono Sato takes over the driver's seat and talks about his role in the game: player interactions and the three different AIs governing enemies. He breaks the enemy units down to "grunt," "grunt leader," and "boss." Sato explains that the "grunts" are essentially pushovers and the challenge they present is not simply just to defeat them, but to defeat them in the most stylish way possible, for the most points possible. Sato says that in a game "where running around killing all the enemies is supposed to be fun, making them so hard that you can't kill them wouldn't be fun at all."However, for those that crave difficult combat, the "grunt leader" is always on hand to provide an ample spanking. This guy is a bit tougher to battle, so it's not as much about getting the most points possible as it is about just surviving his attacks. Then, there are the "bosses," which are pretty self-explanatory.Sato also tells us of a cool in-game item called the "Money Grubber," a briefcase stuffed with money that you throw at enemies. Once the "grunts" see it, they'll start clawing for it, and eventually fight each other over the money. While they're busy, Sato offers a few ideas, including tossing "a drum filled with gasoline their way" and even tossing the case "onto some busy train tracks." %Gallery-22964%
Platinum Games doesn't find MadWorld's violence so funny, actually
There's certainly something comedic about a guy with 13 road signs sticking out of his head. There's something even funnier about launching that guy into a wall of spikes. Such is the over-the-top violence of next week's release, MadWorld. The developers behind the title aren't laughing with us, though. Platinum Games' Shigenori Nishikawa explains that the goal for the development team in Japan was to make the game over-the-top, but not to "ever aim to get laughs." He points to the first showing of the signpost-in-head maneuver, which was seen as "mean-spirited" and "left a bad taste" in Japanese mouths. When foreigners caught a glimpse, however, they were laughing it up, so Platinum Games decided to keep it in.Nishikawa further explains the gap between the Japanese and us in the West, saying he's never "heard of a Japanese comedian think of some kind of gag that will get laughs overseas and have it actually work out." Well, whether it was intentional or not, Nishikawa did get one thing right about us: We love to laugh at fat people in weird outfits.%Gallery-22964%
Touch Ruminations: Progressive necessity
In the latest edition of 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 480 lines of progressive scan, and whether or not it should be the standard on Wii. The opinions expressed here belong to the author and don't necessarily reflect those of Joystiq, Weblogs Inc. or its affiliates.I've been so pumped for MadWorld, it's not even funny. Then Monday came around and we found out the game wasn't going to run in 480p and I knew it had to be this week's topic. Some people went bonkers, but, to tell you the truth, I don't think it's such a bad thing.
Here's the opening for MadWorld
After taxing our eyeballs for three minutes on the opening sequence of MadWorld, asking them to distinguish between different splotches of black and white, we can't say that we understand whatever is going on any better. Who's controlling the city? Who blew up those helicopters? Why is everyone so angry? We have absolutely no idea.That said, the opening did manage to send us frantically searching for our Wiimote and nunchuk, which we guess is the whole point. See if you don't have the same impulse as you watch the video right after the break.
MadWorld's controls designed by sane people
IGN posted this control diagram as part of their week of MadWorld coverage, allowing us to breathe a sigh of relief at the non-gimmick controls. We particularly enjoy the fact that, rather than "light" and "heavy" attacks, the buttons correspond to regular attacks and the chainsaw -- which can only be used for five seconds at a time before requiring a recharge. There is some waggle, but it's not the main method of attack, and its mapping to the "uppercut" move means it will probably finish combos, much like the control scheme in the sublime No More Heroes. Swinging the nunchuk initiates a, uh ... "buck flip."In addition to the basic controls, IGN posted a more detailed rundown of Jack's abilities, including a description of MadWorld's lock-on feature, and tweaking punches with the analog stick. We're happy to hear about some depth in the controls, because while the black-and-white look is stunning and the overdone violence is funny, what we really want out of MadWorld is solid, complex brawling.%Gallery-22964%
MadWorld $10 off with Amazon pre-order
Update: Deal is expired.Here's a deal you'd be absolutely mad to pass up. Amazon is offering Sega's upcoming gore-filled beat-'em-up, MadWorld, for $40 if you pre-order the game on the site. That's a $10 savings off the retail price, which should keep you out of the red financially and firmly in the black & white death sport of the game. Amazon is promising a March 10 ship date for MadWorld orders. You can also purchase an official MadWorld strategy guide, but we'll summarize its contents for added savings: "Kill, repeat." You're welcome.[Thanks, Christopher S.!]
MadWorld won't run in 480p (consolation: multiplayer footage!)
Being Wii gamers, we're not total graphics snobs, but many feel that 480p support really should be the standard for new games by now. We guess Platinum Games didn't get the memo, as upcoming MadWorld will only run in 480i, IGN reports. Neither Platinum Games nor Sega have made an official statement as to why the game is stuck in 480i, but regardless of interlaces or progressives, you have to admit the game still looks sweet.For those of you who feel the same way, you might want to head past the break for a sneak peek at the game's multiplayer Blood Bath challenges. Still planning to pick up the game, despite 480i? Or is the deal totally off now?%Gallery-22964%Source - MadWorld in 480i Source - First look at multiplayer [Via Go Nintendo]
Inaba: Western devs 'superior' to Japanese devs
Atsushi Inaba, creator of Okami and the upcoming Madworld, contends that western game developers are better than their Japanese counterparts in a new interview with Develop. According to Inaba, Japanese developers have to "work hard" to match the standards of western developers. He adds that game development will soon be "about individual developers and not about what country they are in" and that the games industry is being consumed by the ever-growing beast, Globalizilla -- the embodiment of globalization, of course. (Note: Inaba did not specifically utter the name "Globalizilla" -- probably because he's superstitious.)When asked about opportunities for Japanese developers, Inaba stated that there were many opportunities, but that such opportunities hinge on a developer's ability to sell products to a global audience. He further added that it's important to focus on new IP in order to keep innovation alive in the industry, stating, "Industries that innovate and produce something new will always survive in the global marketplace." So, we shouldn't expect a Madworld sequel then?
MadWorld UK pre-order goodies revealed
Fancy getting your hands on some MadWorld merchandise, completely free of charge? All you have to do is live in the UK and pre-order the game from one of three different outlets: Music fans will be able to get their hands on the original soundtrack to the game by pre-ordering at HMV. How appropriate. Tee-shirt lovers have a choice to make between two different designs: One from GameStation -- shown above -- and one from Game. These should be available both online and off. You can check out the designs for yourself at the official UK Sega Blog.
The black-and-white evolution of MadWorld's graphics
MadWorld Lead Character Designer & Art Director, Masaki Yamanaka, just posted an informative blog that talks about Platinum Games' decision to go with a black-and-white art style and its subsequent evolution -- one that progresses from a high contrast black-and-white look to the addition of desaturated yellow tones and plenty of comic book violence. Something similar to Sin City, but with no Jessica Alba and fewer metaphors. It's interesting to note that early concepts of Jack had him free of bladed weaponry. Thankfully, through the miracle of development, a chainsaw was attached to his arm, which definitely aids in the spilling of Organizer blood.
MadWorld screens show off new bad guys, same old buckets of blood
Click image for more carnage Sega sent us a shiny care package, completely full of new screens from next month's MadWorld. As one might expect, there are at least three awesome things about these images: lots of violence motorcycles looking badass fat guy in a turtle suit We're big fans of those three things, which, obviously, make us big fans of MadWorld. The fat guy reminds us of Dynamo, which is the best. Check out the new screens in our gallery below.%Gallery-22964%
Jack piles up the bodies in latest MadWorld trailer
If you wanted to see a trailer for MadWorld that pretty much just showed Jack kicking the crap out of people, then welcome to the blog post of your dreams. After the break, you'll find a trailer containing just that for Sega's game, due on store shelves in North America next month. Jack kills people on foot, on his motorcycle, and with his chainsaw, just the way we like it.See also: NYCC 09: MadWorld hands-on]Via Offworld]%Gallery-22964%
NYCC 09: MadWorld hands-on (Wii)
MadWorld seems to be made with the theme: if you can see it, you can kill someone with it. This game is all about gore and the sadistic glee one derives from spilling others' blood. We've kept our eye on this title for nearly a year now, and with a release looming so closely, Sega finally lets us try it out for the first time.So what does it feel like going through this ultra-violent Wii title? What does one feel while holding Jack's chainsaw and using the Wiimote to cut into enemies? It feels great – so natural and so good. Gallery: MadWorld
NYCC 09: You'll be happy to see this MadWorld trailer
We may not all get to go to New York Comic-Con and meet the Platinum Games crew, but we get to watch this MadWorld trailer in the comfort of our own homes, without the din of thousands of shuffling fanboys drowning out the crunching noises and rock. It's about one minute of all-new footage, full of punching, kicking, throwing, and wrist-mounted-chainsawing. Given that this is a MadWorld trailer and thus violence is happening in almost every frame, you'll find it safely tucked away after the break. Speaking of violence, pause on the ESRB rating and check out the content descriptors! Yeesh. They almost ran out of space.%Gallery-22964%
MadWorld mows down North America on March 10
A Sega America representative has confirmed that MadWorld is ready to begin its reign of bloody action on March 10th on the Wii in North America. Oddly enough, the title still does not have an anticipated M-rating from the ESRB, despite having already passed both Austrailian and British rating boards.Publisher Sega has been working with the review boards to eliminate possible delays to MadWorld's release -- now that the publisher has picked an official release date, it might be good if the ESRB gave an "all clear." Gallery: MadWorld
Platinum Games launches community site
Billed as a "grand experiment," Japanese developer Platinum Games just opened an English-language website for gamers outside of the land that birthed Chocobos. Rather than creating a corporate site de rigeur, Platinum's taking a more community-based approach, including forums (MadWorld will be teh awesome everyone!), social media interaction (Hideki Kamiya just ate a sandwich!) and even a video podcast. "It is part corporate homepage, part purpose built community portal," reads the site's front page. And between that fancy new logo and this community-based initiative, we'll remain hopeful going forward. After all, this isn't the first time a Japanese developer has tried to do this, right? What's the worst that could happen?
MadWorld presents: Creative Murder 101
It's not about the number of victims you mindlessly slaughter in MadWorld -- it's how you do it that counts.Take this guy above: bound by a tire, sign through the skull, and then chucked into a wall of spikes. See? Effort. A bit of flair. It's about chainsawing enemies mid-air while riding your chopper at breakneck speeds, or seeing just how many roadsigns can be wedged into a single cranium. Down with uncreative killing!%Gallery-22964%
Sega: Mature-themed games the way forward
Click for more MATURE-THEMED imagery. Sega, the company that put Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games in two million British homes, has seen the future on Wii -- and it's not minigame-shaped.Rather than follow the herd, Sega intends to aim squarely at a part of the market it feels is being neglected: mature-themed Wii games. Sega's Alan Pritchard and John Clark both hope that the company can capitalize on what they perceive as a lack of "hardcore titles" on Wii, and to be fair to Sega, they're putting their money where their mouth is, by publishing House of the Dead: Overkill, The Conduit, and MadWorld.On the subject of MadWorld, the publisher has promised that Platinum Games' bloody, stylized action game is a Wii exclusive. A small fuss was kicked up after the game was listed by the OFLC as "Multi Platform," but Sega has already reassured several sites that MadWorld isn't making eyes at other consoles.%Gallery-22964%Source: Sega on mature-themed games.Source: MadWorld a Wii exclusive [Via Sega Nerds]
MadWorld passes Australia's OFLC with MA 15+ rating
Australia's governmental ratings board, the OFLC, has classified the unabashedly violent MadWorld with an "MA 15+" rating. Sega informed IGN that the game was not "edited or adjusted" for the land down under. Last week, the title received an "18" rating in Britain, and having now passed both the BBFC and the OFLC, it's expected that the United States' ESRB will hand the title a "Mature" sticker.It's certainly interesting that Australia let the game pass with an MA 15+, at least based on the footage and images we've seen. For better or worse, perhaps the region is loosening up its policies in lieu of implementing an R18+ rating for games.[Via IGN]
MadWorld somehow makes it into Australia unscathed
We were afraid that Platinum Games' brutal black-and-white action game MadWorld would just be too violent for Australia's OFLC ratings board, and that the organization would force Platinum and Sega to bowdlerize the game -- or worse, they'd bar a release. But it turns out that despite the organization's history of harsh treatment of "mature" games, our fears were unfounded. The OFLC's rating for MadWorld is available in their database, meaning that the game has been given the okay for release.Surprisingly, it's been rated 15+, which is even less stringent than the BBFC's rating! Thankfully, the database identifies the game as "original," meaning no edits were made to achieve the 15+ rating!%Gallery-22964% [Thanks, Foetoid!]
