The Last Guardian
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Team ICO moving to main Sony offices in Japan
Studio head Fumito Ueda of Team ICO (the folks behind the much-awaited PS3 title The Last Guardian) tweeted that the developer is moving offices in Japan this week, into Sony Computer Entertainment's main building in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo. Ueda said that the move was part of a "major reformation of our development environment," designed to set up Team ICO for even bigger and better things in the future. Here's hoping the move goes well. Just be sure, guys, that the first box you open says The Last Guardian on it, so you can get that title out and into our hands. That box that says "Failed Colossus Ideas?" That one you can leave taped up for the time being.
The Last Guardian, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection delayed
Perhaps it's best that we don't hasten the inevitable, tragic death of a majestic creature or its adventurous boy companion. Sony has announced a worldwide delay for The Last Guardian, the third of Team ICO's wistful adventures and the first to debut on PlayStation 3. In a statement on the PlayStation Blog, creative director Fumito Ueda says The Last Guardian had to be bumped out of its original holiday 2011 launch window "to provide more challenging and better quality of content to users and to fulfill First Party Studio's obligations." He assures readers that the development team is working at a "fast pace," while ensuring a "First Party Studio" level of quality. "I sincerely apologize to all the customers who have been waiting for "The Last Guardian" for so long, but I beg for your patience," he said. "I will also announce the new release timing at a later time." Please, Mr. Ueda, there's no need to beg. We understand, and appreciate your dedication to -- what's this? The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection has also been pushed out of Spring 2011? So ... whoa. UEEEEEDDDAAAA!!!!!
The Last Guardian: still beautiful, beautiful stills
While The Last Guardian isn't being shown in an official capacity at GDC this year, Sony has released a series of new images of the upcoming PS3 exclusive. Unsurprisingly, it's still quite the looker.
The Last Guardian will have 'simpler' controls, Ueda says
Not much is known about The Last Guardian, Team Ico's first game for PS3, but PlayStation Blog has posted a short Q&A with Fumito Ueda, the creative director behind the mysterious title, and it offers some insight into the game. Ueda clarifies that The Last Guardian is not a "pet game," although the player will be protected by Trico, a giant guardian "animal." The player's character is a boy -- with no name ... "yet" -- who must escape from the location seen in the trailers. While Ueda doesn't outright confirm it, he does tease that players could run into other creatures the size of the guardian. While that might bring to mind the epic boss battles that comprised Ueda's last game, Shadow of the Colossus, he reiterates that "the boy is unable to defeat the enemies on his own." The mechanics of The Last Guardian's gameplay aren't fully in place yet, Ueda explained, but "it doesn't take much time to change the control scheme." The end result is likely to be something more accessible than Shadow of the Colossus, though. "I also want people who are not serious game players to try out this game. So I want the controls to be simpler than before."
Know Your Lore: The Council of Tirisfal and the last Guardian
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. He was the last Guardian and one of the most influential people in Azeroth -- but he never meant to be either one. Of all of the myriad and varied heroes in World of Warcraft, there is one man who is responsible for the majority of the events we see in Azeroth today. This man was solely responsible for the presence of orcs, responsible for the Horde, responsible for the ever-evolving conflict between Horde and Alliance. He was responsible for the original destruction of Stormwind, for the death of Anduin Lothar, King Llane Wrynn and many other heroes whose exploits didn't make it into the annals of history. He was responsible, indirectly, for the corruption of Arthas and the subsequent death of King Menethil, the razing of Stratholme and the rise of the Scourge. He arguably has more blood on his hands than any other being in Azeroth. And yet he was also responsible for the first tenuous threads of peace stretched between Alliance and Horde. He was responsible for the rise of some of Azeroth's greatest heroes -- he was the man that made Varian Wrynn who he is today, he was the man who turned Thrall from an orc with dreams of peace for his people into a leader of action. He was responsible for saving Azeroth from being razed and torn asunder by the Burning Legion. He was a man of many talents, and a man of many regrets. His name is Medivh.
The Last Guardian finally gets a release window: Holiday 2011
The Last Guardian finally made its appearance at Tokyo Game Show during Sony's TGS press conference. In addition to a new trailer (available after the break), there was a vague release date: Holiday 2011. Certainly, it's a long wait -- one that we hope will be worth it.%Gallery-102416%
Know Your Lore: Med'an, Cho'gall and the Prophecy
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. WARNING: The following post contains spoilers for World of Warcraft: The Comic. Players who are currently reading through the comics or simply wish to avoid spoilers from the series should avoid this post. We're taking a step back from Alliance politics this week in light of some new information from the 3.3.5 PTR. The servers have been laggy and somewhat unstable, but I've still been able to log on and play through a few things. One of those things is an interesting new quest chain available in Orgrimmar involving Doomsday Cultists who are suddenly making appearances in the Drag and talking about the end of the world as we know it. The biggest thing that sparked my interest was mention of Cho'gall. Matthew Rossi did an excellent write-up of the Twilight's Hammer and their leader Cho'gall, but what struck my interest was that Cho'gall's presence in game may lead to more interplay between story lines from the Warcraft comic series and World of Warcraft itself. However, while I made the connection readily enough, there are plenty out there who haven't read the comics and have no idea who Cho'gall, Med'an or any of the other characters I've referenced in previous posts actually are. In light of this, today we're going to be talking about the last half of the Warcraft comics series -- what happened in them, who was introduced, who died, what happened with Cho'gall, why Silithus was suddenly relevant again, and most of all, who the heck that Med'an kid is that I've been going on about. As I will be talking about these things in detail, this post is absolutely brim full of spoilers for the comics series; readers who are interested in picking up the comics and reading through them may want to veer away from this post.
Look! There are new The Last Guardian screens
We're not going to pussy-foot around this (ha, you said -- nevermind): Team Ico's highly-anticipated The Last Guardian finally has an honest-to-goodness website now, chock full of saliva-inducing high-res screens. Aside from that, there isn't really much there at the site now -- apart from the trailers we've all seen way too many times but, hey, you might as well watch them again because it's been [insert any amount of time here] since you last watched them and why not? Anyway, go to the site and look at the new screens. What? No more words! The only thing we want to hear is you going "awwww" at the beautiful relationship between a young boy and his catbird thing. [Via VG247]
Ico developer digs Half-Life 2, interested in making 'first-person games'
Though the Japanese aren't exactly known for their love affair with first-person shooters, Team Ico director Fumito Ueda can name at least one that he digs: Half-Life 2. Speaking to G4TV (through a translator), Ueda named the Valve-developed sequel when asked which games he has had an emotional reaction to."There was variation in terms [of] locations and also [in] the way of storytelling in the game. Usually, you have to incorporate storytelling with constraints, but the way [Valve] implemented constraints was something different that I enjoyed, compared to other games," observed Ueda. He's even considered making his own first-person game at some point, stating, "I have an interest in making first-person games."If Ueda's previous development cycle lengths are any indication, we tentatively expect to see a Ueda-developed first-person game by 2025 or so ... at the earliest. [Image credit: jeriaska]
TGS 2009: The Recap Post
Last week, the Tokyo Game Show brought in over 100 posts worth of news, previews, interviews, galleries, and videos. Clearly, a lot happened. If you're looking for a comprehensive list of all the goings-on during TGS 2009, Joystiq has you covered -- and organized! Click on a platform below to scan the highlights: (On the far right: that's "News" and "Culture" on the top and bottom, respectively)
TGS 2009: Interview: The Last Guardian's Fumito Ueda
We had a few minutes to chat with Fumito Ueda, director of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and the upcoming The Last Guardian. He explained the game's unusual Japanese title to us, and talked about the possibilities of PSN support. Read on for more:The Japanese title of The Last Guardian is much longer than the English one. Can you explain what the Japanese title means?Initially, the project started as "Project Torico." In the past, we haven't used the project name in the actual title of the game. For example, Shadow of the Colossus (Wanda to Kyozo) had a different project name, "Nico." I wanted the project name to be in the title this time, but it wasn't so well received by the international crew. They said a more simple, more direct title would be better. My hope, or my intention is that the Japanese title is the original title of the game.[A literal translation of the title, as suggested by Sony in the presence of Ueda, was "Man Eating Giant Eagle: Torico."]
TGS 2009: Fumito Ueda on the reality of The Last Guardian's fantasy (oh, and new trailer)
"Going with an imaginary creature makes it feel much more real," ICO and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda explained in a new video revealed at the Tokyo Game Show. "None of the elements we're mixing together actually exist, but they feel like they do."Ueda's previous games were praised for being able to push players to emotions rarely expressed in most games. After watching this trailer from Tokyo Game Show, it seems certain that Ueda might be able to pull off a hat trick with The Last Guardian.%Gallery-65152%
Sony's Kobayashi: better ICO box art could have boosted sales
At DICE Summit Asia, Sony Japan Studio VP Yasuhide Kobayashi gave a speech about appealing to a global audience with games, which he identified as increasingly important as the Japanese market contracts. He mentioned The Last Guardian, which was given that particular title to appeal to Western markets. As an example of Western-focused marketing that didn't work, Kobayashi presented the Japanese and North American boxes for ICO, the game that brought the Last Guardian developers to prominence. "If the packaging was designed differently, we think it would have sold more," he said. "In fact on the internet many people have said that the Japanese version was better." Because it is.Kobayashi then finished by highlighting what he saw as a different perception of what makes a "new" game in the West and Japan. He said that a "new" game in the US or Europe could be "something similar to something that's come before, because they think it is easier for people to understand.""But actually we don't like this - it's like you're simulating, following suit, combining two titles into one," he continued. "It seems the definition of a new title is different in the US and Europe to Japan. It means a new genre, that's what we call a new game."Japan has just as many iterative sequels as anywhere else, but we guess they aren't considered as new?
WoW Rookie: Reading about Warcraft
New around here? WoW Rookie points WoW's newest players to the basics of a good start in the World of Warcraft. Send us a note to suggest a WoW Rookie topic, and be sure to visit the WoW.com WoW Rookie Guide for links to all our tips, tricks and how-to's. Even if you're not a roleplayer, it's almost impossible not to find yourself swept up by some aspect of the hundreds of compelling stories tucked into the World of Warcraft. The question is, how can you dig deeper? Where do you find more? The answer: Books ... Manga ... Comics ... RPGs .... Page after page after page of glorious lore. Blizzard approves the storylines and lore included in the Warcraft and World of Warcraft line of novels, although you won't find a straight and clear progression across the whole line. Not every story and character crosses over from books to game (and vice versa). Besides the Warcraft novels, WoW-starved readers can chew through enough manga, roleplaying game books and gaming guides to sate any lore feeding frenzy. The best part? You enjoy +Lore bonuses to your online play experience. Even the RPG books add color to the overall picture. Follow us beyond the break for a basic reading outline to escort you down Warcraft's path of lore.
The Last Guardian trailer analyzed in depth
What are gamers, if not obsessive? It's the reason collector's editions and gotta-catch-em-all games like Pokemon exist. Another example of our obsessive nature? Overanalysis. Eurogamer's Digital Foundry has picked apart Team Ico's The Last Guardian trailer in an effort to determine whether the footage was taken in-game or not. The video rundown (which you can view on Eurogamer) is certainly interesting, particularly to those with some knowledge of 3D artistry. Even if not, at least it's an excuse to watch the trailer again.The final say: Digital Foundry just doesn't know whether all the footage is in-game or not, as "some scenes appear to have anti-aliasing, while others have none at all. Some scenes are confirmed 720p, while others -- due to the compression of the video asset -- are much more difficult to discern." Tricksy. We'll no doubt find out once we see more of the game in action. Which will be soon, right? Please?
Call the waah-mbulance: Tretton talks PSP Go leaks
Sony's Jack Tretton is a pretty upset guy. Before last week's E3, two major surprises were spoiled for Sony, in the PSP Go and The Last Guardian leaks. That's made Tretton somewhat bitter -- as one would expect -- and he's told CNBC that the industry needs to do a better job of keeping a lid on it."People don't respect confidentiality in this industry," said Tretton, who is now concerned for the future of his company down the line, where he sees leaks once again beating Sony to its own news. "You have to prepare for people to know things in advance. The frustrating thing is they only know a part of the story and that opens up a lot of conjecture and misinformation that ultimately waters down the reality when you roll it out."Sure, it's tough, but it's all part of the game (sorry!). If Sony is so concerned with the confidentiality of who it trusts with this information, then it needs to do a better job of policing leaks and encouraging silence. To us, it's as simple as that.
The Last Guardian full trailer, screens, and our love
Since Sony's E3 press conference last week, we've been watching various versions (albeit, in less than ideal quality) of the company's The Last Guardian trailer pretty much non-stop. Thankfully, over a full week later, Sony has finally released the high quality version shown at E3 -- you know, the one where the kitty dragon makes us weep with joy and wish we were riding on its back? Oh, right! That's the only one! Why aren't there more?!The graphics have been updated since the "Trico" trailer leaked a couple weeks back and for those of you who'd like a side-by-side comparison, we've put together a handy little video after the break. Watch the trailer above and then watch it again. It's not getting tired any time soon -- that we can assure you.%Gallery-65152%
Ico costumes for LittleBigPlanet revealed
This week's DLC pack for LittleBigPlanet is, as teased, related to Team Ico's first two games, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. The pack will contain costumes, stickers and sound effects and the Ico costumes have already been revealed, with Shadow of the Colossus costumes being shown off tomorrow. You can see Ico himself in the image above and Yorda after the break. It's slightly disappointing that this pack doesn't include new levels a la the Metal Gear Solid 4 DLC, but we'll still take it. Who knows, maybe one of the stickers will show the Kitty Dragon from the Last Guardian trailer.
Video comparison: 'Trico' leak and 'The Last Guardian' debut
When we first saw the year-old leaked footage for Team ICO's third game – then known only as "Trico" – we had only one thought: we really want a kitty dragon. Okay, fine. We had two thoughts. First: we really want a kitty dragon; and second: we wonder what the game looks like now. Lucky for us, Sony's E3 keynote answered the latter, with a fresh dose of video footage of the game, newly dubbed The Last Guardian. Here's the thing though: the first three and a half minutes of the trailer were shot-for-shot identical to the leak, with obvious visual enhancements and that got us thinking: a video comparison! Our very own Richard Mitchell painstakingly stitched the two videos together above for your enjoyment. On the left: The Last Guardian. On the right: Trico. Bon appétit!
'Trico' revealed as The Last Guardian
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/Trico_revealed_as_The_Last_Guardian'; Attendees at Sony's E3 keynote were treated to some quality kitty dragon time as Sony announced the real title for the Team ICO PS3 project: The Last Guardian. The presentation started off with old footage, but then it segued into gameplay footage which revealed stealth gameplay and kitty dragons.Sure, the kitty dragons have already been revealed, but kitty dragons.
