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Team Ninja's Dead or Alive: Code Cronus and Project Progressive canceled
For Dead or Alive: Code Cronus, the long-delayed action game from Team Ninja, there is no longer any question as to its status. It's just "Dead: Code Cronus," now. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi confirmed the project's cancellation in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Andriasang). After all these years, Hayashi said, "It was just on the framework level." Also on the chopping block: "Project Progressive," mentioned in passing in this 2007 interview with former Master Ninja Tomonobu Itagaki. These two dropped projects aren't the only evidence that Team Ninja is looking forward. "We're developing [Ninja Gaiden 3] with the idea of restarting at the beginning, saying, 'We'd like to make the action game that's most interesting for the current era.' With this meaning, it's going to be a game that's not bound by the past more than necessary. Of course, we will be valuing the past," Hayashi said, "but in a good meaning we'd like to make it into a game that's not tied down by the past." The image released at TGS actually holds vague clues about the content of Ninja Gaiden 3. Hayashi teased that Ryu Hayabusa "seems to be doing something with [his] right hand," which is covered with unnatural-looking blood. Team Ninja also has Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Ni-Oh in the works. Hayashi expects Dimensions to be released first, followed by Ninja Gaiden 3.
NBA Elite 11 canceled, series handed off to EA Tiburon
EA Sports has decided to give NBA Elite 11 the longest delay possible, updating the game's release date to never. EA's John Schappert confirmed during a recent investor's call that "we have elected to cancel NBA Elite 11." Elite had attempted to completely rework EA's basketball pedigree, abandoning the gameplay and namesake of EA's long-running NBA Live franchise. The gamble appears to have backfired, and development of the next EA Sports basketball title is being moved from EA Canada to the studio famous for Madden. "Future development of that franchise will be handled at EA Tiburon in Orlando," Schappert confirmed.
White iPhone disappears from online Apple Store
First it was delayed until late 2010, then spring 2011, and this morning's latest rumors pointed to an outright cancellation of the white version of the iPhone 4. Adding fuel to the cancellation rumors: the white iPhone has unceremoniously disappeared from Apple's online store. The increasingly mythical white iPhone 4 still shows up in Apple's iPhone gallery -- for now -- but the "unavailable for pre-order or in-store pickup" placeholder for the white iPhone 4 that's been on the Apple Store since the iPhone 4's debut has vanished. As soon as we heard the white iPhone 4 was being delayed until spring 2011, most of us felt it was only a matter of time until the device was canceled altogether. The next-generation iPhone -- we'll just call it iPhone 5 for now -- is most likely due for release in June or July of next year. That would give a white iPhone 4 only a few months on the market before, in the words of Daring Fireball's John Gruber, it'd be "dropped to the $99 last-year's-model cheapskate bin." Others have speculated that the white iPhone 4 might be a Verizon exclusive; however, that comes at a risk of alienating not just AT&T (and more importantly, its iPhone customers), but also the myriad of international carriers offering the iPhone 4. Cancelling the white iPhone 4 seems like a foregone conclusion now. At this point in the product cycle, Apple likely wants to devote more of its R&D efforts to the next-gen iPhone rather than spending tons of man-hours, materials, and cash figuring out how to solve the problems with a white version of the iPhone 4 when the black version seems to be selling just fine. Hopefully, when Steve Jobs ascends the stage at WWDC 2011 he'll show the world an iPhone 5, say "it comes in white," and this time really mean it.
WarDevil canceled after five years
After five years in development, Ignition's ambitious action game WarDevil has been canceled, according to Develop. The final nail in the game's coffin follows last month's reported closure of Ignition's London studio (formerly Digi-Guys) where the long-suffering game was being crafted. (As it happens, Ignition now says the London studio will soldier on as the hub of a refocused digital development operation, but that's neither here nor there.) So, who could have ever guessed this would happen? Why, you, dear reader. Here, let's look at our past WarDevil headlines and see if we couldn't have CSI'ed this thing out. Ignition shutting down London studio, fate of WarDevil under evaluation (This is kind of an obvious one. Let's dig deeper.) WarDevil resurfaces in bizarre (original) Xbox demonstration ("Resurfaces" is what we call a "danger word." Also: This story was from a year ago.) Relax! WarDevil isn't cancelled (Justin from August of 2009 feels really bad about leading you astray here.) WarDevil returns in first new trailer in two years ("Returns" isn't as bad as "resurfaces," except when you add the phrase "after two years.") WarDevil: Enigma screens drop out of the sky (This story from 2007 is notable only because someone somewhere realized that the unintentionally hilarious subtitle would have to be removed.) Our hearts, of course, go out to those hurt by the cancellation, but we'd like to think the reaction of those closest to the game was less "How could this happen?" and more "Oh, well, naturally."
Disney cancels Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned; Propaganda suffers layoffs
A Disney Interactive representative has confirmed to Joystiq that Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned has been sunk down to Davy Jones' locker and will not come to port in 2011 ... or ever. The confirmation comes following rumors reported by Kotaku that the game had been canceled and layoffs had occurred at developer Propaganda Games. In a statement (in full after the break), Disney Interactive explains that a "restructuring" has occurred at Propaganda Games, "affecting one of the studio's two development teams." Propaganda is still working on this December's Tron: Evolution and its post-release DLC.
Rumor: Epic Games in talks to buy APB
Could the Gears of War folks be the knight in shining armor that doomed APB desperately needs? According to BBC, Epic Games is possibly interested in scooping up Realtime Worlds' MMO, although nothing is confirmed at this point. Realtime Worlds abruptly announced yesterday that APB was to be shut down today, sending shockwaves through the community. While Epic Games is not commenting on any possible negotiations, a spokesperson confirmed that Epic's CEO, Mark Rein, is a fan of the game. "Mark absolutely loves APB, and everyone here loved what they saw. We've got our hands full of Gears of War 3, Bullet Storm and the recently announced Project Sword. If any talks like that are going on, then they would be confidential," Dana Cowley, Epic's spokesperson, said. Rein was outspoken about his enjoyment of the game at PAX last year. Epic Games may also have a vested interest in the technology powering APB. We'll be keeping our ears to the ground on this one if anything further develops.
Force Unleashed 2 canceled on PSP
Though Star Wars: The Force Unleashed sanctioned the abuse of stormtroopers on your PSP, The Force Unleashed 2 has jettisoned Sony's handheld system before its multiplatform launch on October 26th. According to IGN, LucasArts did not offer an explanation for the late cancellation. The PSP version of the original game didn't fare too badly with critics, so we're left wondering where the sequel's development took a wrong turn -- assuming it wasn't simply a consideration of profitability on a platform that has been known to struggle with piracy. We'll let you know if we hear anything that more closely resembles an actual reason.
The end of Exteel
Set the flags to half-mast, put on your blackest mech armor, and raise a glass with us: As of September 1st, Exteel is shutting its doors and powering down its giant fighting 'bots. NCsoft announced the game's cancellation with a bittersweet consolation prize in the form of a late August event where all parts and mechs will be sold for one NCcoin apiece. Exteel has been around since December 2007, a mere month after Massively itself opened its doors. While it was never a title to garner a huge amount of attention, Exteel's combination of a mech-based setting, PvP-centric play and microtransaction funding made it unique to the MMO genre. NCsoft said that the game was no longer "financially viable," adding, "We know that we have many loyal players who love Exteel. Although this decision was a painful one, in the end it was a business decision that had to be made. We encourage everyone to play and have fun with the game that you love in the time you have left."
Vodafone 360 LiMo handsets are no more, probably not missed by many
We can't say we didn't see this coming, but Vodafone's finally put its bespoke 360 phones out of misery. The reason? To focus on making its 360 services -- mainly social networking integration and an app store -- "available on as many devices as we can as soon as we can." Sounds a bit over the top (like Sony Ericsson bundling PlayNow with Android), but regardless of the implementation, 'tis likely a way of reflecting the lack of adoption for these Samsung LiMo handsets. A real shame, we tell ya. We don't blame Vodafone -- times is hard with other big-name mobile platforms competing with their own built-in services -- plus the 360 branding never really extended beyond the H1 and M1, let alone the now-cancelled H2. But hey, at least that's one less category for the store assistant to shower you with, right?
Apple randomly canceling some iPhone pre-orders? Update: AT&T pre-orders too?
We haven't verified exactly what's going on here, but we've gotten several tips tonight from people who've received an iPhone 4 pre-order cancellation email from Apple saying that their order couldn't be authorized. That sounds like an AT&T authorization problem to us, and given the litany of problems that Apple and AT&T had all week dealing with the huge number of pre-orders, we can't say we're too surprised to hear that the chaos continues. Here's the email: Dear Customer, We were unable to complete the authorization process for your iPhone order. As a result, we had to cancel your iPhone order. To complete the purchase of your iPhone, please visit an Apple Retail Store or an AT&T company-owned retail store. We apologize for this inconvenience. Sincerely, Apple Online Store Team Uh, yeah. We're obviously looking into the situation, and we'll let you know what we find out. Update: We're hearing that some people are getting cancellations from AT&T, as well -- curiouser and curiouser. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Portal 2 E3 event cancelled and replaced by a 'surprise'
In one of the most entertaining PR missives we've received recently, an Aperture Science memo (via Valve) has revealed that the Portal 2 event originally scheduled during E3 at Los Angeles' Regal Theater has been canceled. The game itself will still be showcased at Valve's booth, but whatever shenanigans that may have been planned for the event have been put on the back burner. Of course, E3 won't be completely devoid of Portal 2-themed monkeyshines. The memo promises, "the event will be replaced by a surprise," adding, "the cancellation of the event is not THE surprise," and furthermore insisting, "the time, date and content of the actual surprise will only become available as you experience the surprise." After a build-up like that, whatever this surprise might be, it better be awfully surprising.
Denki reevaluates release of 'finished, super polished' XBLA game Quarrel, cuts staff
Having failed to find an appropriate publisher for its "finished, super polished" XBLA word game, Quarrel, developer Denki has announced layoffs of much of its staff. The "major restructuring" -- Develop claims the staff has shrunken from 25 to just 6 -- comes just one week after an exciting new trailer showed off the game's features. The studio hopes to abandon its "old business model" and gain better access to players directly, though it seems the game likely won't be heading to XBLA. Denki's post posits that the game industry, in its reliance on low-risk projects, "doesn't value good games. Players do, but the games industry doesn't." It also notes that the game will still be released in some form "this year -- supposing we have to bring the board game version round each of your houses one-by-one." Keep your tea and biscuits at the ready! Oh, and also, if you're looking for developers, Denki would be happy to hear from you. [Thanks, Steven.]
ECA members cry foul over auto-renewal cancellation hassles [update: Halpin responds]
In an attempt to bolster its ranks with thrifty members of the gaming community, the Entertainment Consumers Association recently partnered with a few online retailers to offer its members some nice deals on video games, including a pretty sweet discount on purchases from Amazon. To accompany these offers, the ECA had its own spectacular deal: One free year of membership, which would normally cost $19.99. All applicants had to do was provide their credit card information, sign up and enjoy the discounts that were being passed along to ECA members. Sadly, this is where the idyllic tale begins to go south. Shortly after the ECA began offering the free year of membership, the Amazon offer mysteriously disappeared. This drew the ire of the group's new members, but would be quickly forgotten when the option to cancel the auto-renewal of the membership fee, through the ECA's website, also vanished without a trace. An ECA forum moderator explained the option only appeared "for some browsers, but it wasn't intended to be there, wasn't a working option and was removed as soon as we became aware." Now, users who were drawn in by these discounts can only cancel their memberships (and subsequent annual $20 fees) by sending a letter directly to the ECA's accounting department (the address is posted after the jump). What's worse, those who canceled their auto-renewal plans with the temporarily available online option could still be locked into the annual fee, if the moderator's claim that it "wasn't a working option" is accurate. We've contacted the ECA to find out if anything is being done to inform these honorable, due-paying members that they're still, you know, due-paying members. Update: ECA president Hal Halpin issued a statement in response to the complaints, the full transcript for which can be found after the jump. He explains that the Amazon deal was taken down due to an exploit the ECA's new members found within the offer. He adds that simultaneously, the ECA updated its site as part of a "long planned for Content Management System upgrade," at which point they found a non-functioning feature which "looked to give some members the option to opt-out of the association." The option, which Halpin claims was never functional, was quickly removed. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
The Daily Grind: The ones you can't forget
Sometimes, you quit a game without really quitting. You cancel your subscription and stop logging in... but you're still checking the official site for news, still talking to friends from the game, still posting on forums. Maybe you're managing to stay totally quiet about it, but you still keep your eyes peeled for news about it, sometimes even saying you're waiting for a specific upgrade or you're just taking a break. But really, you know that you haven't stopped playing for good. You know that it's just a matter of time before you get back into the game all over again, and more than anything you're trying to possibly forestall the inevitable. What games draw you back over and over? Even if you can resist the siren's call of resubscribing, there are probably games where you still find yourself following the news about -- perhaps looking for a reason to go back, or in some cases because you're so annoyed at the game's ultimate direction that you want to see it crash and burn. So what does it for you? (And if you can resist the call altogether, can you let those of us who can't know the secret?)
Gamersyde told Beyond Good and Evil 2 is 'on hold' - Ubisoft won't comment
Bad news for you Jade and Uncle Pey'J fans out there: Gamersyde was apparently told last week at GamesCom that Beyond Good and Evil 2 is currently in the freezer with no thaw date. Staff writer Colin Solal Cardo tweeted that he received "confirmation" from Ubisoft that the title was "on hold for now." Joystiq's attempts to receive comment from Ubisoft have been met by either silence or a statement that the company will not comment on "rumors and speculation." Well, if no one at Ubisoft told Mr. Cardo that the game was "on hold for now" then why not say as much? Ubisoft's noncommittal aloofness doesn't end there: a couple months ago the company's North American president didn't seem to recognize a sequel was in production; Ubisoft has yet to simply confirm active production of the game it chose to close out its Ubidays 2008 event with. So, Ubisoft gets fans riled up and now won't even offer a simple update on the status of the game's development. Classy!
Rumor: EA cancels Wii Brutal Legend that might not even have existed [update]
[Update: EA's response: "Brütal Legend was never announced for the Wii." That's ... true ...]Remember the rumored Wii version of Brütal Legend? It was rumored that EA planned to release a Wii version of the game, developed by someone other than Double Fine. The very mention of the project made Tim Schafer uncomfortable.According to Destructoid, that Wii release, which we don't even know was real to start with, has been canceled. "Word has it that quality assurance testers who moved from Electronic Arts to Double Fine were recently let go," Destructoid notes, "after the demise of the project left their services unnecessary."Whether the game was real and canceled or never existed at all, the net effect would seem to be the same: no Brütal Legend game on Wii. If it really was so bad that EA decided to cancel the project, we can only feel grateful that the company didn't subject Wii fans to the kind of embarrassment we had to endure whenever a screenshot of the Wii Dead Rising came out.
Square-Enix sued over "hidden fees" in Final Fantasy XI
A class action lawsuit has been filed earlier this week against Square-Enix North America for intentionally deceiving customers regarding hidden penalties and fees associated with the PlayOnline and Final Fantasy XI service.The suit, filed on behalf of Esther Leong of San Francisco, is seeking over 5 million in damages. The suit also goes on to specifically list the penalties for the late payment of fees, the interest charges for unpaid fees, charges that occur while the game account is suspended, termination of game service for unpaid fees, and the termination of game data due to the late payment of fees as the specific causes of this lawsuit.In Square-Enix's defense, however, the suit also lists the standard monthly subscription as being intentionally decieving. Final Fantasy XI's case does, in fact, say that additional online fees would be required and it also has a large sticker announcing "Free subscription for 30 days!" on the front of the box -- something more than most online games provide regarding their subscriptions.We have contacted Square-Enix, and are currently waiting for their response to this matter.[Via IGN.com]
Model 2+ production seen as "unlikely," says OQO exec
The chances of seeing Model 2+'s release seems dimmer and dimmer, as online retailer Build Your UMPC has joined eXpansys in canceling pre-orders for the Model 2+. OQO's senior VP Bob Rosin confirmed bad news, saying a firm shipping date was partly the reason behind the vendor's decision. Furthermore, he said that it was "unlikely" any more Model 2+ units would be produced, though not indicating how many were currently manufactured and ready to go. Worried about the company's future? Yeah, us, too.
Famitsu: Devil May Cry for PSP canceled
File this under the "unsurprising" category. After years of silence, it looks like the PSP version of Devil May Cry has been canned, indicated by the latest issue of Japanese mag Famitsu finally removing the title from its release list and noting the title's demise. IGN notes that Famitsu has been wrong about these kinds of things in the past, but we're inclined to believe it this time.The news is disappointing, especially considering the incredible popularity of PSP in Japan. A Devil May Cry game for the handheld would've made quite a bit of cash, we think.
Forum post of the day: Check please
As evidenced by zombies and Necropoli, the time of the Lich King is nearly upon us. Most players who intend to have a copy of the game preordered have already done so. Soon we'll be zipping open our prized expansion and ready to install. Well, most of us anyway.Zachriel of Kirin Tor found a surprise today when he checked the status of his preordered game. Without notification the complete order of two collectors editions and two regular Wrath packages had been canclled. He was upset that he did not receive any communication that his ordered had been canceled. Some suggested that it may have been an issue with a credit card or some other technical problem. Most of the posters indicated that their orders were still active. But it's time for Tuesday maintenance; could it really hurt to peek at your order status?
