okami
Latest
MadWorld's Inaba: Japanese devs are 'too soft'
Hey, you reading this! You a Japanese developer? If so, we need a word! Firstly: wow, thanks for reading us -- that's awesome. Secondly, and with the niceties over: you know what your problem is? You're too soft! At least that's what Platinum Games' Atsushi Inaba reckons.In an interview with Gamasutra, Inaba suggested that Japanese developers spend too much time concentrating on established franchises, and not enough on amazing, creative new ideas -- ideas such as MadWorld, which is what Inaba is presently working on. If anything, argues the Okami creator, it is Western developers who are now producing the most innovative videogames."We don't feel that we're at the top of the industry, but we know that we have to catch up to where Western developers are," he concludes. Is he right, readers?
Let the goddess of the sun keep your head warm
Even though it's the height of summer in the northern hemisphere, we want one of these. We wouldn't usually post items from Etsy that have already sold out, but then we don't see too many Okami hats cluttering up the internets. This fine head garment, featuring Okami protagonist Amaterasu, reportedly took around five hours to complete, and was crafted from polar fleece. And we want one. Did we say that already?Let's hope somebody out there can nag seller riomccarthy into making more![Via Capcom Blog]
Rumorong: Ready at Dawn not going Wii-exclusive
A snippet from the latest issue of GamePro claims that Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus dev Ready at Dawn has ditched PSP development in favor of producing Wii-only titles. Joystiq contacted RAD (pretty cool acronym, huh?) president Didier Malenfant, who was quick to squash the report (although we can't be sure he didn't thwap it with a Wii remote left over from porting Okami to Nintendo's console). Malenfant further tells Joystiq that his company "[doesn't] have any Wii titles currently in development." RAD had previously hinted at plans to create games for current-gen consoles after finishing Okami Wii, and just today confirmed that it has two all-new games underway. So, two new games in development, none for Wii ... rumorong!
Show and Tell: By hand
Need a case? Sure, you could buy one -- and there are plenty available -- but as a dedicated Show and Tell reader, surely by now you can guess where this is going. If you just shouted out, "Wisconsin!," you are both very wrong and very random (also, stop yelling at the screen; it's sensitive). If, instead, you suspect a little DIY is ahead, you just may be right.Reader Eleniel decided to make a case, but there was just one problem -- no sewing machine about. But that's okay, because DS Fanboy readers are hardcore, so like your intrepid hostess, Eleniel sewed it by hand. It is, however, one hell of a lot better than my work. It's got that fancy new zipper technology. That doesn't mean it's perfect, though; Eleniel confesses that the pocket designed to hold games doesn't exactly hold anything. We still like checking it out, though. And, while on the DIY kick, Eleniel also made an Okami-inspired skin. Might as well go all out, right? You can check out the finished products in our gallery below. %Gallery-23519% Show and Tell is all about your stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts. Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest.
Amazon paints in a new price for Okami
Following Best Buy's example, Amazon has marked down its Wii copies of Okami to $29.99 from its standard $39.99 pricing, throwing in free shipping for good measure. You won't even have to leave your house to take advantage of this deal, now. In fact, you don't even have to get up from your chair!We're not sure how long the online retailer plans to host the sale, so buy the game now or you'll never find a use for that replacement boxart you ordered. That's right, we're totally on to you. You ordered one of those covers without actually buying the game just to get free stuff, didn't you?%Gallery-16485%[Via CAG]
Wii's Sunday bargain bin
We love Sundays, as there are always new game sales to look forward to. Luckily, this week there are some sweet deals on a few Wii titles. Scouring through the ad listings at Cheap Ass Gamer, the ones we found of interest include: Okami for $29.99 at Best Buy Boom Blox with a free $10 gift card at Circuit City and Target Speed Racer for $29.99 at Target Keep in mind that while Circuit City offers its deals online, Best Buy and Target's are brick and mortar only. Also, Target deals vary by region, so the ones above may or may not apply to stores near you.[Via CAG]Read: Best Buy ad with Okami for $29.99Read: Boom Blox with free $10 gift card at Circuit City
WRUP: Is it Iron Man? edition
Uh, no post title, it is in fact not Iron Man (although, we should say the prospect of seeing the film this weekend sounds nice). What we're all going to be playing, no doubt, is Mario Kart Wii. With its multitude of tracks, online play and plethora of control schemes available (got to love that wheel!), it looks like it's a shoe-in for this weekend's down time. What about you all?Will you be racing it up in Mario Kart Wii, or are you playing something else? Maybe you're still chipping away at Okami? What are you playing?%Gallery-4772% What are you Playing? is a weekly feature where we ask what it is that you're, well ... playing! Every Friday, look for a new topic and a new chance to converse with the community about what games you're enjoying and which games are disappointing. So tell us already!
The Okami goofs continue: Clover contributions pulled from Wii port end credits
Poor Okami for the Wii. You just can't seem to get good press, whether it be through your hilarious advertising or more hilarious boxart (at least we got a pretty neat fix, though!) Now, the game's director, Hideki Kamiya, is upset that Clover's contributions to the game were cut from the Wii title's ending credits.Trust us, we're not trying to poke fun, because, and we'll be complete honest here, we want to have Clover Studio's babies. We loved those guys and every project they had their hands on. And, even if it's a Wii port, we think him and other Clover staff members that worked on the game should be credited. Capcom doesn't think so, however.Since the end credits were all one movie (which had the Clover logo at the end of it), Capcom decided to pull the entire credits. They claim that they had no access to the original source file for the logo, so they couldn't just pull that. If you ask us, that sauce is kind of weak, because in this day and age, the ability to quickly transfer information between parties is widely known and Capcom could've easily picked up a phone and called whomever they needed to. Also, there's, uh, e-mail.If you want to see the original ending credits, cruise past the break.%Gallery-16485%
Clover staff credits cut from Okami Wii, original director 'shocked'
Posting on the official blog of his new studio Platinum Games, Okami director Hideki Kamiya, who developed the original PlayStation 2 version with the now defunct Clover Studio, addresses (in English) Capcom's "incredibly disappointing" decision to cut the original credits. Capcom says the cut was made because the original staff roll, which is a pre-rendered movie, contains the Clover logo (at the very, very end), and since Clover was not involved with the Wii port directly, Capcom had "no right" to leave the old logo. Capcom claims it couldn't remove the logo (at the very, very end) because it didn't have the source file. What, couldn't pick up a phone or fire off a few emails? Kamiya explains that it's not simply the removal of his name and the staff names from the credits that upsets him. "Of course, we all have pride in our work; we all want to stand up and say 'I made this!' Yet more importantly, I find it extremely regrettable that the omoi that went into the staff roll is gone from the game as well." (A translator's note explains "omoi" is "best defined as a combination of thoughts, emotions, and messages.") Kamiya stresses the importance of this post-game omoi, specifically describing the relevance of Okami's original credits in relation to the epic length of the game. "It was a special staff roll for a special moment," writes Kamiya. "And now it is gone." Jeez, after the watermark debacle, Wii's Okami seemed transformed into a "comedy of errors." Now it's just a true tragedy, huh? [Via Kotaku]
Okami gets dated for Europe
Europe, sad news: you're getting Okami. No, no, that's not the bad part, as the really horrible part of this news is just when you're getting the game. That day is June 13th. It's a tough wait, we know, but the critics seem to think it's worth your time. Europe, are you going to wait for the Wii version to release in June? Or, are you going to check out the PS2 version instead? It's okay, you can be honest with us. We won't judge you too much.%Gallery-16485%
Print your own Okami boxart, IGN watermark optional
In order to share the new replacement Okami boxarts with people outside the U.S. (to whom they can't ship the printed copies), Capcom has made the boxarts available as PDF downloads, in a big, take-it-to-Kinko's resolution. Capcom's one-time blunder is becoming more of a boon to fans every day.We checked the new version of the original design for IGN watermarks, and didn't see one. That means that you can place the IGN watermark wherever you'd like! You now have the power to choose the size, location, and opacity of the IGN logo on your Okami boxart. For that matter, you could use any watermark you like!
IGN watermark on Okami Wii strategy guide cover
Lightning does strike twice, and by lightning we mean botched cover art. The Okami Wii box cover wasn't the only victim of the IGN watermark, as it turns out the BradyGames strategy guide also proudly displays the blemish. The automatic reaction to this information would be, "Well, duh! They got the cover from Capcom. So, of course, it'll be there too." Funny thing: The watermark is actually in a different spot. However the error occurred is up for speculation. We just hope this little fiasco urges publishers to supply its designers with the assets to do their job properly. Or, designers should feel free to take assets from us with the Joystiq watermark on them. We totally give permission!
Okami guide also IGN'd?
Apparently IGN is the place to go for high-resolution Okami artwork. BradyGames' Okami strategy guide is also marred by IGN branding -- but a different logo, and in a different place. At first, we thought this was a windup from a tricky Kotaku commenter -- then we looked at the cover on the Brady Games website. Not only does the little D-pad-esque IGN logo appear next to Amaterasu's mouth, this watermark also features "IGN," and you can just see the ".COM" at the end there. Okay, so the Kotaku commenter is absolved -- now we kind of think this must be a joke on the part of the person who made the preview image for Brady's website. If not, we can look forward to some decorative slipcovers.[Via Kotaku]
Friday Video: Okami Art School
We're not sure if this is a really poor attempt at being funny or a touch of comedic brilliance. We're leaning toward the latter, as the hilarious editing mistakes (whether they're intentional or not) remind us of those great Tim & Eric pieces featuring John C Reilly. OK, in the time it took us to write these sentences, we have decided that we like this video.What about you all? Horrible attempt at comedy or low-budget brilliance? Would you attend this undoubtedly fine educational institution?%Gallery-16485%
Wii Warm Up: Watermarkgate
Capcom did a very admirable job of making up for an error that nobody but snarky bloggers actually cared about. A lot more people cared once we found out that beautiful replacement artwork was available! We wonder, however, how many people actually cared -- how many people were offended who either bought Okami twice or dutifully held on to their Nintendo fandom, firm in the belief that Okami wouldn't be any good without waggle? For us, it was just a few seconds of lulz. We didn't hold anything against Capcom or anything, except that, of course, we would have preferred Wii Fanboy watermarks to IGN's.
Capcom fixes Okami boxart goof awesomely
The Okami boxart issue discovered this week, or Watermarkgate, could have been a huge embarrassment for Capcom. Instead, it's become a totally great situation for everyone who bought the game. Capcom announced via their blog that any Okami owner can receive a free replacement boxart in one of three styles. One is just the normal boxart with (presumably) less IGN advertising, but the other two are beautiful art pieces with no Wii box design conventions.So not only do you get amazing new boxart free from Capcom, you also have a highly collectible "error" art. And there's probably something inside the box, as well -- maybe a game or whatever.%Gallery-16485%[Via Capcom Blog; thanks, Roto13!]
Capcom offers box art 'redemption' for Okami Wii
Capcom has responded to the Okami Wii box snafu by offering replacement cover artwork "to better reflect the artistic nature of the game," which we presume is a more professional way to say "to better remove the reflection of the IGN watermark." Head over to the Cover Artwork Redemption page (yes, they call it redemption) to fill out the form and choose one of three designs, including a "redesigned" version of the original. Previews for the other two replacements are shown above. The offer is free and an email confirmation from Capcom states the cover art will be shipping "in the next few weeks."
What the? Did IGN sneak onto my Okami boxart?
Personal story time, kiddies. I went out this morning to run some errands and pick up Okami, when, as I was leaving the Target, I noticed something weird about the boxart. I didn't recall us posting it on the site, so I spent some time glancing at the cover. It was then I noticed something very weird around Ameratsu's mouth: an IGN watermark."No, I didn't just see that," I told myself, as I placed the game back into the plastic bag the cashier put it in. Then, when I got back to the office, I checked a second time. And there it was again, sitting right where it was when I first spotted it. I quickly got online to see if anyone else caught this and lo and behold, our cruel overlords had reported on a thread at NeoGAF all about this. So yeah, now I feel like I want to return it. I know the watermark shouldn't bother me (it's pretty lultastic), but ... but it just does.%Gallery-16485%[Via Joystiq]
Uh-Ohkami: Capcom botches Okami Wii box art, inadvertently advertises IGN
With all the work that goes into the designing, writing, and programming of a game (especially for a title as hotly anticipated as Capcom's waggle-infused port of the PS2 under-appreciated gem Okami), we assumed that there would be one person at every video game publisher who would give the final retail packaging a once-over, keeping a keen eye out for any typos, printing errors, or hidden watermarks from popular video game news sites. Then again, maybe that's just us. As is the unfortunate case with the Wii Okami box art -- NeoGAF user Bob Digi discovered that right above a permanent "sticker" promoting the game's high score in Play magazine (an unsightly blemish in its own right) sits a fairly clear IGN watermark, the result of the artwork's background being photoshopped from an image on IGN's Okami PS2 site. Then again, perhaps the game underwent some serious changes in its Nintendo transition, and now features protagonist Amaterasu traveling throughout feudal Japan, devouring the logos of major gaming news sites. [Thanks, Riven.]
Okami got a face lift (comparison video)
Already having Okami for the PS2 is the most valid excuse for not buying the game on the Wii. If you fall into this group, you're probably still tempted to make the purchase because of the added motion controls. Should that not be enough to get your wallets in action, though, you might want to check out this side-by-side comparison video. We already knew that the Wii version looked better, but seeing the two compared with each other shows just how much. The colors are much more vibrant on the Wii, and for a game that's main draw is its beautiful artistic style, that's kind of big deal. The 16:9 support doesn't hurt matters, either. Have any of you played both Okamis and noticed the difference for yourselves?%Gallery-16485%
