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Ratchet & Clank Collection brings lombax memories to Vita [update]
Sony quietly announced the Ratchet & Clank Collection is coming to Vita tomorrow, July 22, as a PSN downloadable. The publisher unveiled Insomniac's compilation for European and Australian Vitas in May before finally ending the radio silence over North America. Over on PSN Europe the Ratchet & Clank Collection is cross-buy, meaning if you buy either the new Vita version or the original PS3 compilation, you'll get the other for free. There's no word yet if the same deal is coming to North America, though. As for a physical release, the PlayStation Blog only denotes the game as "digital." Update: The PS Blog has updated its post, saying Ratchet & Clank Collection will in fact not launch on July 22. According to the update it's now scheduled for release on July 29.
Jak and Daxter Collection rated for Vita by ESRB
Jak and Daxter Collection, which you may remember originally dropped on the PlayStation 3 in February of 2012, has been rated for the PlayStation Vita by the ESRB. Which, you know, is a pretty solid indication of things to come.The ESRB's rating summary for the game, while hilarious in the stilted, clinical way these things always are, also indicates that the Vita version of this collection should include all three games featured in the original. Of course, the port doesn't officially exist until Sony says that it does, so we've reached out to Sony for more information and will update with anything we learn.
The Virtual Whirl: You know that guy
This week, in The Virtual Whirl, we're looking at people, worldviews, stereotypes, public perception, technology angst, and ... most importantly, we're looking at that guy. Trust me, you'll know the one.
Businesses not stampeding from Second Life
While the media focuses on a few high-profile business departures from Second Life, it isn't fair to assume (as many writers have) that businesses are stampeding out of Linden Lab's virtual environment. If anything, business use of Second Life continues to surge, but it isn't the same kind of usage. Indeed, the sort of usage that is in decline is the sort that can barely be called usage at all. Much of the sort of business usage that you've heard about through the media are self-promotional usages. Sites intended to boost the image of businesses such as Comcast (mistargeted) or Wired (no target) have largely fallen flat. There are more enterprises using Second Life. They're just not the uses that you normally hear about.
Reports: THQ closing 5 studios, downsizing Juice Games
Various reports are emerging today that THQ has sharpened its battle axe and promptly swung ... at itself. Stuntman: Ignition developer Paradigm Entertainment has been closed, reports Gamasutra, and Juice Games has been dealt a crushing blow, losing a third of its staff, according to Develop. Additionally, amidst sinking share value and ongoing internal woes, THQ is poised to make further cuts this week. In fact, a peek at THQ's studio listing reveals the company is -- quite suddenly -- down to 11 studios (compare this to the soon-to-be-updated Wikipedia page, which lists 16 teams). Missing and presumed dead are: Helixe Games, Locomotive Games, Mass Media, Sandblast Games, and aforementioned Paradigm.Tune in Wednesday when the troubled publisher releases its quarterly financial report -- and bring a splatter guard. There will be blood. Source - Juice Games to lay off a third of workforce [Develop]Source - THQ Closes Paradigm Entertainment [Gamasutra]Source - Studio System [THQ]
PBS covers the government's intrusion into online worlds
This clip, from PBS' Bill Moyers Journal, is notable for a number of reasons. First of all, I'm fairly sure this is the most balanced, objective look at MMORPGs I've ever seen in mass media -- they talk about both Second Life and World of Warcraft, but there isn't a single mention of addiction or cluelessness or any of the other stuff mass media throws at us.And it's also a good look at what was behind all the hubbub about the government searching for terrorists in WoW -- in truth, the fact that the government is interested in online communities isn't that huge a deal (who isn't interested in MMOs?), but the fact that they're doing it with the justification of terrorism is a much more disturbing discovery. And this piece then goes into the larger problems with this lately -- that the government is dipping into all kinds of supposedly private communications outlets with this lame justification of searching for terrorists.Nice piece, but especially so because of that very even look at our favorite past time. If only all reporters were so objective.
Tetris Evolution dev drops Tetris XBLA hint
During an interview with Gaming Target, the developers of the upcoming Tetris Evolution outlined some of the game's key features that differentiate it from other Tetris titles. Included in the game are two new modes, "Eraser" and "Go Low." "Eraser" is fairly simple, just erase a few predetermined lines. See, easy. "Go Low" asks players to make the highest block drop as far as possible when clearing away lines. Of course, most gamers know that the extra modes don't matter too much in Tetris, so long as the game plays properly.The game promises high definition still and video backgrounds, customizable skins and player icons for your board, and 4 player Live multiplayer. 40 achievements are lined up for the game, with most of them awarded for achieving high scores in various modes. Hardcore players will be glad to hear that multiplayer matches do not allow "infinite spin," where players can constantly spin a piece, forcing it to stay in play. Single player games, however, allow you to toggle between infinite, extended, and classic spin settings. Another happy note, the game has been priced at $29.99.Finally, when questioned about the reasoning behind making Tetris Evolution a retail title instead of an XBLA title, a developer responded, "I can't really speak for the Xbox Live Arcade version. We've known for some time it was being developed, but we don't really have any visibility as to its feature set." So there you have it, a Tetris developer says an XBLA Tetris is in the works. The developers do elaborate, however, that the amount of features in Tetris Evolution -- in particular the full motion backgrounds -- would exceed the XBLA size limit.Would you bother with a retail Tetris if you knew a version was coming to Xbox Live Arcade?[Thanks, John]Update: Gave credit to our tipster.
Mass Media joins THQ family
Veteran developer Mass Media has been acquired by THQ, as the publisher posted soaring profits following an impressive nine months (April-December 2006) in sales. With more than a decade of experience, Mass Media brings an eclectic range of potential talent to the THQ family. Most recently, Mass Media contributed a pair of Full Spectrum Warrior titles to PlayStation 2, but the developer has an archive of 30 titles that span the likes of CD-i, GBA, and the original Xbox.Mass Media is currently working on a unannounced game for the newest generation of consoles. Could it be the oft-rumored New Testament: The Bible Game 2? Better touch up on those letters to the Corinthians...
