beautiful-katamari
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Beautiful Katamari rolling back home - probably
Namco Bandai's recent site update has unearthed a veritable treasure trove of info. First Eternal Sonata's inevitable move to the PS3 and now Beautiful Katamari is listed as being available for the PS3 in the future too. While neither of these titles have any sort of release date beyond "To Be Determined," it's nice to know that we have two potentially excellent Japanese specialties on the way. We're intrigued to see what sort of control system they come up with for the SIXAXIS. It seems like the perfect game to utilise some motion controls, especially since a Wii version also seems to be in production. As long as they don't make the same mistake some developers have and allow an option for analogue controls.
Katamari demo rolls up (get it?!) Marketplace
Beautiful Katamari's demo just landed on Marketplace and has been rolling up a storm. At first, it was available on a recent OXM demo disc, but now it is available for the whole world Canada, America, and Mexico (read: North America) to download. It weighs in at just under 435 MB, so it's not going to break the disk space bank, although X3F reader Magic Whiskey tells us that it's also on the short side, but enough to get the premise of the game. Give it a download and tell us what you think.
Beautiful Katamari to be 360 exclusive
Again, the rumors turned out to be true! Beautiful Katamari is headed to the Xbox 360 exclusively with no PS3 version in sight. In the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, they state that production on the PS3 version of Beautiful Katamari has been halted and that the Xbox 360 version is set to roll out this Fall. Famitsu also uncovered a few new multiplayer details including split screen co-op and online battle modes. Heavenly.And so another game completes its journey to becoming an Xbox 360 exclusive title. Maybe Namco would be kind enough to tell us exactly why they decided against developing Beautiful Katamari on the PS3. Because god knows we'd love to gush over all the juicy details.
Rumor: Beautiful Katamari drops PS3, picks up Wii
Rumors surfaced over the last couple of weeks about Beautiful Katamari rolling itself away from PlayStation 3 and towards Nintendo Wii. An Xbox 360 version, already weighted its own speculation, is the only confirmed version to be shown at next week's E3. Now comes word that Famitsu (via PS3 Center) has validated the rumors and that Namco Bandai has indeed quietly canceled a PS3 iteration in favor of rolling the Prince of All Cosmos onto the Wii. As we have yet to see the purported issue of Famitsu, we're still labeling this as rumor fodder. We've contacted Namco Bandai for a statement. In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane with our recent b[ack]log on We Love Katamari.[Via Evil Avatar]
Namco E3 lineup confirms Katamari exclusivity?
If you needed any more confirmation that Beautiful Katamari will only roll on the Xbox 360, you need look no further than Namco Bandai's recently released E3 lineup. Eurogamer has the list and was quick to notice that the Xbox 360 was the only platform designated for the title. Is it ironclad proof that Beautiful Katamari is 360 exclusive? No, but it's pretty damned close. Other Namco Bandai 360 games to be shown at E3 include Dynasty Warriors Gundam, Ace Combat 6, Eternal Sonata, and Culdcept SAGA.
The universe really is full of Katamari rumors
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/The_universe_really_is_full_of_Katamari_rumors'; Remember the rumor that Beautiful Katamari was going to roll onto the Wii? It won't die. It's come back again, this time with psychotic reasoning behind it.IGN's Matt Casamassina has "100 percent reliable" word from mysterious, anonymous sources that Bandai Namco is planning a version of the game on Wii. As the story goes, they encountered difficulty porting Beautiful Katamari to the PS3, so Namco decided to scrap it and create a new Wii version instead.This is really the part that arouses our suspicion. A port is too hard, so they switch over to an all-new game? It just sounds like an excuse to troll the PS3 and make the Wii look better at the same time. It may be true, but we're not taking that reasoning as an explanation for anything.We still aren't sure we should even care, with no Keita Takahashi involvement, but we can't help but become wistful when we think about a new Katamari. We wish we could hear some final word about this. We're tired of the emotional rollercoaster![Via GayGamer]
Beautiful Katamari fact sheet shows only Xbox 360
According to an official Namco Bandai fact sheet (found after the break) Beautiful Katamari is coming to Xbox 360 ... and that is all. Siliconera dug up the sheet and adds another log to our crazy katamari of news surrounding this title. Even though the game is just more of the same gameplay we've come to enjoy from the series, the story behind all this maneuvering is becoming the interesting tale.Maybe it is time to just to make an absurd list of what people think will happen next and we'll check back on it when the next Beautiful Katamari incident occurs -- see if anybody is on the mark. Siliconera goes on to say that the game is probably a timed exclusive, considering GameFly still has their info up for all three systems (and they don't just make stuff up), it's the best information we've got until Namco Bandai makes a clear statement on what's really going on.
Beautiful Katamari isn't XBLA material
When Gamespot posted their hands-on Beautiful Katamari preview they mentioned that the game would be available exclusively on the XBLA. Which caused a little confusing to how much the game was actually beefed out and what would have to change since it would have to fit the XBLA size requirements. But it looks like we don't have to worry about any of that, because Gamespot retracted their Beautiful Katamari on XBLA talk and now say that the game will be released in a "full retail package". So, believe what you wish. But we ask, which would you have preferred? A cheaper Arcade Katamari or the whole big shebang retail Katamari?
Gamespot: Beautiful Katamari coming to Xbox Live Arcade [update]
[Update: We shouldn't have doubted you, Ross! Gamespot has stated that the information in the article was indeed "total crap". Original post follows.]As the extreme and possibly insane cynic might ask, "Isn't there already a colossal ball of junk on Xbox Live Arcade?" To that we answer, "No sir, but there soon will be. Although, Feeding Frenzy was a bit rubbish, wasn't it?" The destined arrival of Bandai Namco's next Katamari game on Xbox Live Arcade is announced in a rather blasé manner by the first sentence in Gamespot's hands-on preview of the title: "The big, huge Katamari ball of junk just keeps on rolling, this time with a new installment called Beautiful Katamari slated to hit Xbox Live Arcade in October."The news sticks to yesterday's word from Newsweek's N'Gai Croal that Beautiful Katamari would be an Xbox 360 exclusive, and neatly contradicts previous XBLA portfolio manager Ross Erickson's "total crap - not happening". Something obviously changed in the months since then, an observation not befitting of the Katamari franchise, it seems. Gamespot's Brad Shoemaker labels the game as "more of the same," noting the presence of new levels, high-definition graphics, 4-player online gameplay and, perhaps most importantly, an original soundtrack. Despite losing momentum in terms of moving the series forward, we suspect there's still plenty to heart about Katamari -- especially if the price is right.
Newsweek: Beautiful Katamari rolling exclusively with Xbox 360
Striking a blow to symmetrical ball-rolling controls everywhere, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal reports that Beautiful Katamari's royal rainbow will extend only to the Xbox 360. He explains that an exclusivity deal is already "very close to fruition" and is likely to be announced formally at July's Min-E3 event in Santa Monica. The trail of digital crumbs leading to the deal seems especially obvious in retrospect, with Ridge Racer 6, Ace Combat 6, Eternal Sonata and Pac-Man: Championship Edition all indicating quite the chummy relationship between Namco Bandai and Microsoft. With the Katamari franchise not being nearly as unstoppable as its clutter-collecting cosmic prince, PlayStation 3 alarmists shouldn't view this as the end of their fragile and constantly beeping world. That being said, seeing a distinctly, almost obviously "Japanese" game picking up Microsoft's system alone certainly points to interesting times ahead. It also makes completing the level that much harder. [Thanks, Matthew]
More Beautiful Katamari screens to roll you up
Screenshots, screenshots. What good are you? Indeed, you show off the power of the current-gen systems for people to gawk at and wonder "gee golly, how'd they do that?" or to set as wallpaper because it's that impressive. These aren't the only reasons why screenshots are valuable items to stay up to date on, to see what the game looks like across iterations, sequels, platforms, etc. Probably the best reason to keep on top of these is to watch a work in progress evolve, even if you aren't interested in it. The change from Okami, for example, from realistic to incredibly artsy would have been much more subdued without those screenshot things.We come now to some more Beautiful Katamari screenshots. They more or less make everything we just said a whole lot of "what?" and a whole lot more of "ooh, neato." The game hasn't necessarily evolved from previous installments, but that's okay. Art allows that freedom. The game's still colorful, still weird, still fun. Looking. Anyway, if you want some totally awesome wallpapers of giant balls of random stuff, check out the new ones and let us know your favorite moment in the crazy Katamari universe. Ours is simple -- the opening video for Katamari Damacy. It really set up the entire experience.
Beautiful screens of Katamari Damacy
Xboxyde is on the ball again, this time bringing us some bright and colorful screens of Beautiful Katamari Damacy. Pictured is the roll of over seven thousand kilometers in diameter, taking a chunk out of the Earth that even Galactus would be proud of. Other screens are a little less planetary in scale and still show off the addicting gameplay that PS2 and PSP owners have been enjoying for years. Beautiful Katamari is looking to live up to the legacy, are you ready to start rolling, rawhide?
More of those Beautiful Katamari screenshots
As we've said before, we love rolling up trash, people, buildings and whatever else into gigantic balls of sexy, but there's one thing we just can't roll up -- screenshots. They defy every kind of rolling (unless you print them out, of course). Well, a few more screenshots have rolled in depicting our hammerheaded hero doing what (s)he does best in Beautiful Katamari. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if in the final game, you can roll up entire planets and consume an entire solar system into your ball o' filth. Check out the new screenshots, sing a crazy song, and wait. It's going to be a while.
These Beautiful Katamari screenshots are, well, beauteous?
We don't have much to say on the subject of the Katamari games -- where you roll around a ball of, well, everything and complete objectives or whatever. They're pretty trippy in presentation, which isn't a bad thing -- it's quite hilarious, actually. The next-gen consoles have recently welcomed the newest iteration, Beautiful Katamari, into their fold but from the screenshots we can see the graphics are largely the same. No big deal, it's a style choice. The extra processing power will be used to allow the creation of bigger, badder balls of trash. Sounds good enough.There's no release date yet, but you can scroll through the Japanese website if you'd like a giggle or two. We've got some screenshots over here for you to look at, too. Yep. There will be mayhem and ball-rolling for everyone to enjoy.
First Beautiful Katamari screens roll out
Officially confirmed earlier this week, the first screens of Beautiful Katamari Damacy are rolling in (see what we did there?). The handful of screens show off what we've all grown to love about Katamari Damacy: giant balls of stuff. The image above contains a katamari that has grown to a size of over 7,000 kilometers. The second shot displays a much more diminutive katamari (only 13 centimeters tall). Of course, Katamari Damacy shots wouldn't be complete without a rainbow enveloped shot of the King of All Cosmos. Hit the "read" link to check out all three new shots.
We love Katamari sequels for the PS3 and 360!
Do you like crack? We hope not. Crack is scary and dangerous. If you step on a crack, you'll potentially risk breaking your mother's back. Speaking of crazy things that make absolutely no sense, a sequel to the cult hit Katamari Damacy that has become so popular on the blog world because of its quirkiness (almost equalling the quirkiness of some of the quirky blog writers out there -- they've got quirky tastes... quirky quirky quirky) has been officially confirmed.Beautiful Katamari is due out eventually for the PS3 and 360. So far, there's rumors of online play but no details. Probably a cooperative and competitve service. The scale is going to be massive -- a screenshot in Famitsu shows a katamari rising well beyond 7,000km. That's huge. Once we snag some more information, we'll proudly roll it into a ball and deliver it to you. And subsequently roll you into the ball.
Beautiful Katamari Damacy confirmed for 360
A recent issue of Famitsu has confirmed one of the gaming industry's worst kept secrets. That's right, Beautiful Katamari Damacy is headed to the Xbox 360 and PS3 (here are the scans to prove it). Long rumored via rental and retail listings Beautiful Katamari Damacy will be the first iteration of the series to roll onto a Microsoft platform. The controls will remain true to the PS2 originals and Famitsu reports that the katamaris (the giant junk ball pictured above) can reach heights of over 10,000 kilometers. Also planned for the game is some kind of online play, though no specific details have been confirmed. Beautiful Katamari Damacy is reportedly 50% complete, with no release date announced at this time.[Via Joystiq]
Beautiful Katamari in Famitsu, but no sign of Wii [update 1]
There's a beautiful set of scans on Beautiful Katamari from the most recent Famitsu, but there's no sign of anything Wii-related; all the news is about the PS3 and the 360. It's enough to make a Nintendo fan weep. We want to roll up big balls and hear the screams of the city folk. We want to roll our big balls online, and we want to use our Wii remotes. What gives? Throw us a bone here, people! Does this mean the rumors are dead? Not at all; the game is only half-completed, after all, and from the scans, we can't pick out any reason to avoid the Wii and we don't seem to be alone in that sentiment; many of the comments at Jeux France seem to share that view. Let's hope that, as Beautiful Katamari nears completion, the folks at Namco Bandai figure out that there is extraordinary demand for a Wii Katamari.[Update 1: That was fast! Looks like we were tossed a bone after all 1UP has the following quote from Jun Moriwaki, director of Beautiful Katamari. "The Wii is also one of our platform choices .... However, the controller for Wii is quite unique so being able to overcome the different issues will be the key." That'll do, director. You go work on that, and we'll be waiting.]
Rumorang: Gamefly says Beautiful Katamari this fall
Gamefly, the online game rental service, has never been the harbinger of new releases; but unless they're getting into the habit of offering up officially unannounced games, expect Beautiful Katamari to release in October for PS3 and Xbox 360. The Wii version supposedly comes out one month later. Although October and November look like placeholders at this point, maybe spurred by previous rumors, the fact that the game is even listed is a good sign that the King of all Cosmos will send his son to roll balls on the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii this fall.Like the ESRB database, Gamefly might become a nice source for future, and especially in this case, unannounced games. If this becomes a habit for the service, we wonder what other treasures Gamefly may accidentally tell us in the future. We will certainly laugh if they end up making the Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII announcements for Xbox 360 before anyone else.In related news, OrangeLoungeRadio, who originally reported the rumor of Beautiful Katamari, wrote last week their Katamari "story has been removed by request from Namco Bandai." A nice strong-arm tactic by Namco Bandai that does nothing but show OrangeLoungeRadio was on the money the whole time. We've contacted Namco for a statement about Beautiful Katamari. The Prince's cosmic Leo is certainly out of the bag.[Thanks DPCough]
More fodder for the Katamari rumor fire
While there's still no official, announcement-style confirmation that Beautiful Katamari is coming to the Wii, we're tentatively jumping up and down with glee around the Wii Fanboy offices. The rumors have been glomming together into a beautiful, spherical whole, we're almost convinced that the King of All Cosmos will be decrying our lack of rolling skill this winter. Several sites are reporting that references to the Wii title are popping up everywhere -- most recently on GameFly, showing a release date in November. Blogosphere detectives also stumbled across a listing for Namco Museum Remix on the Wii, a title that seems somewhat superfluous considering we have the Virtual Console ... unless something special is done to update the collection. That's definitely something to watch.On the Katamari front, however, and we must stress this "however" quite strongly -- this latest "confirmation" could simply be a matter of GameFly picking up other rumors. We've seen retail slip-ups and placeholders spawn rumors before, and they often come to naught. But with so much buzz around it, we hope to hear something one way or another from Namco on the possibility of a Wii Katamari title. Creator Keita Takahashi hasn't hesitated to speak up before ... but perhaps the smashing success of the Wii has changed a few minds? We'll keep you posted.
