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Assessing the damage at 1UP [update]
While Ziff-Davis CEO Jason Young's message to his company -- including current 1UP Network staff -- today, along with coordinated press releases regarding 1UP's sale to UGO, painted a picture of strength in (and growth of) the 1UP brand, we've begun to hear reports quite to the contrary. Several key members of the 1UP staff have announced their termination via Twitter messages and posts to the NeoGAF forums. There's very little in the form of official word as to changes at 1UP at present, apart from Young's assertion that "more scale is necessary [for 1UP] to effectively compete in this market segment." Based on what we do know, the only scaling going on is in a backwards and downwards direction. Joystiq -- and many of our readers -- are great fans of the 1UP team's work, and care about what happens to these folks. We'll be keeping you posted after the break with the latest as it develops.
Podcast Rodeo for May 13: Mutinear
Hey, it's time for the Podcast Rodeo once more. This is the very special episode where we learn a little something about ourselves. Hopefully, you'll come with us on this very emotional journey.1UP Show: The show returns for the summer with a hot new theme song, Odin Sphere video, a preview of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings and tons of stuff on Team Fortress 2, which still looks incredible. Gamers With Jobs Conference Call: The old, old men of GWJ celebrate their 30th episode with special guest star Big Huge Games' Brian Reynolds talking about the making of Catan. Also, there's some interesting discussion of the debacle, if you've not yet grown tired of the topic.
Secret PSP game next week on 1up show
Last week we wondered where 1up's infamous awesome secret PSP game announcement was. Well, it looks like another week has passed and still no announcement despite it originally being promised for the season premiere of the show. It isn't quite as bad this week though, since Shane did actually address the issue on this week's 1up Show and promised that the announcement would now be on next week's show. He cited the reason for the big reveal being delayed was due to the company involved not wanting the announcement to occur yet.Hopefully this time Shane is actually able to follow through on his promise and after this long of a wait, it better be an awesome game indeed!
Us to 1UP: where's our PSP stuff?
The newest episode of The 1UP Show was supposed to have the "really awesome" PSP game that was mentioned in the last 1UP Yours podcast. So ... what happened? It appears that the Ziff Davis people are constantly taunting us, as the latest 1UP Yours podcast talks about more good PSP news. Shane elaborates more on EGM Rumor Mill's rumor about Square Enix's support on PSP: "This isn't the end of Square Enix's bizarre love affair with the PSP. There's more s**t coming. The 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy is not over and you'll be really surprised by some of the stuff you'll see later this year (emphasis added) ... You're not going to see a remake of Final Fantasy VII on PSP, but you will see some exciting, unexpected Final Fantasy games on PSP."To ease your fears, we're not getting Chocobo Adventure or Chocobo Racing. Shane explains: "There's specifically one PSP game that nobody could ever guess ever that will blow everybody away." Also, there's going to be a ton of ports heading our way as well: "There are some other remakes and ports that aren't Final Fantasy from Square Enix on PSP and DS."So ... what's your guess? The guess that nobody could ever guess? Mine is a new version of Ehrgeiz (oh yeah, I went there!).
MGS:PO enthralls the hearts of 1UP
This week's episode of The 1UP Show features extensive coverage of the beloved Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. If you don't have the game yet, it's probably because it's sold out at your local retailer. Or, you were on the fence. After watching the 1UP gang showcase Portable Ops, you know you'll eventually get this game.
PSP puzzlers featured in new season of The 1UP Show
I ran into Milky from 1UP a few times at DigitalLife, and during our video game musings, we discovered our mutual love of one thing... Lumines. The latest episode of The 1UP Show (PSP version also available) reveals some new footage and details from the upcoming music puzzler. The show reveals that J-Pop artist Mondo Grosso will headline the introductory track for the game, and it looks like a lot of fun. What isn't so fun are the new English language pop music video levels. The music doesn't mesh with the game, and the videos can be distracting, according to the Milkman. Interestingly, the graphics of this puzzle game have somehow become more beautiful. Gyuh? The rest of the episode goes to detail about the customization options in the new Lumines, and unlockables, and the new "harder" difficulty level. If that wasn't enough Mizuguchi love for you, Gunpey is featured on the episode, and there's nothing but praise for the game. With stylish good looks, a rockin' soundtrack, and some addictive puzzle gameplay, it appears that Gunpey is where PSP owners will flock to get a new puzzler fix, if Lumines feels too familiar for them. Interestingly, the show reveals that both Lumines and Gunpey have been delayed in Japan to 2007, meaning American gamers will be able to enjoy these very quirky Japanese-centric games months before the land of the rising sun. And the reason? Because PSP has become so overshadowed by the DS. Lumines II arrives in stores November 7.
Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins video review
You may remember that the 1UP network wasn't too pleased with Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins' horrifying difficulty. Now, you can see their complaints in video form in the latest episode of The 1UP Show (available as a video podcast). There's a lot to go over, such as the dated controls, the randomly spawning enemies, and the unpleasant rings system, which can nullify all the hard work a hapless player may have endured through. Will this stop you from picking the game up, or is the masochist in you raging for a beating?
Valkyrie Profile, Tekken & Loco Roco on The 1UP Show
This week's episode of The 1UP Show has a ton of PSP love. First, they have an excellent debate about Valkyrie Profile Lenneth, the highly anticipated RPG coming out for PSP this week. James Mielke, a fan of the PlayStation classic seems pretty enamored by the PSP version. In his written review, he calls the game "an adventurous, risk-taking RPG," and awards it a mighty 8.0. However, not everyone at Ziff Davis agrees with such a high score. Shane speaks of the PSP-exclusive slowdown and load times, calling it a "lazy port." He complains that releases like this encourage PSP developers to make lazy ports, a fear that we all share. Make sure you watch the review to see the hot-tempered debate. But that's not the only PSP love on this week's episode. They also have absolutely awesome footage of Tekken: Dark Resurrection. We know it's going to be awesome, but it's great to see the great graphics and awesome load times visualized in handy video form. Finally, if you missed last week's episode, they had an entire episode dedicated to Loco Roco. With these three great exclusives heading to the PSP, the haters can't say that we don't have a kick-ass games lineup. Game-specific videos: Valkyrie Profile Lenneth Tekken: Dark Resurrection Loco Roco [Download MP4 for PSP]
