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Silent Hill: Downpour studio Vatra Games 'under review' for closure, 'no decisions have yet been made'
Silent Hill: Downpour's Czech Republic-based developer Vatra Games is "under review," according to a statement from UK-based parent company Kuju Entertainment. The statement comes after a damning tweet from former 2K Czech employee David Semik stated, "Vatra Games RIP," though Kuju contends that "at this stage, no decisions have yet been made."Vatra is said to be working on a non-Silent Hill game following this year's Downpour. Eurogamer Czech was told the project is akin to Darksiders or God of War-style action games. It's unclear if that project will continue, or how long Vatra has before hearing of its fate. Downpour received mixed reactions from critics. The studio's only other game thus far has been Rush 'n Attack: Ex-Patriot. It was formed by several ex-2K Czech employees in 2009.
Chime Super Deluxe headed to PSN
Good news for music-infused puzzle game fans, as it looks like Zoë Mode is giving Chime another go. According to both the Australian Classification Board and the German USK, Chime Super Deluxe was recently classified (December 10, according to the Aussie board). It looks like this version will not be published by the One Big Game charity label, but rather Zoë Mode's parent company, Kuju Entertainment. The USK lists the title for the PS3 (likely the PSN), while the Classification Board notes the game is for multiple platforms. We contacted Zoë mode for clarification and were told that the multi platform listing was a "mistake," implying that Chime Super Deluxe will indeed be exclusive to PSN. The company added that the title "will be fully announced in the new year." Without being too presumptuous, we're going to guess it will be more "super" and "deluxe" than the previous version.
Kuju closes Manila branch, integrates kid-focused studio
UK-based Kuju Entertainment has confirmed to Develop the closure of its Manila studio and the integration of another studio into its Zoë Mode brand. The studio in the Philippines had developed Circus Games for the Wii, but it appears the big top wasn't expected to make big money, as the publisher concluded that "prospects for further titles of this type are limited." Kuju's kid-friendly studio, Nik Nak, which opened in late 2007, has been "integrated" into Zoë Mode, which has offices in Brighton, London and San Francisco. The Nik Nak studio had produced Dragonology, originally intended as a Wii title, which was then "remade as a DS title." Mega break-out studios these were not. Source -- Kuju confirms Nik Nak studio merger [Develop] Source -- Kuju to close Manila studio [Develop]
Burn Zombie Burn dev praises PSN for allowing closer consumer communication
Open for nearly two years at this point, Kuju-owned, digital distribution-focused doublesix studios has begun to get a foothold in the burgeoning digital landscape. Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz this week, studio head James Brooksby said he and his studio prefer the direct consumer communication offered when working with the PlayStation Network over Microsoft's Xbox Live."We listened to what people were saying and ... it will have features that people have asked for ... [when] we do our first expansion pack [it'll be] actually tailored according to what people are looking for," Brooksby said, noting, in his work with XBLA on the upcoming Southpark game, that Microsoft handles the community communication all by it's lonesome. "We're developing it for them and it's their relationship to take to the consumer and carry on," Brooksby says of the company. Though considering the recent closing of Microsoft's Gamerscore Blog, we're betting that relationship will fall more into the hands of the developer/publisher as time moves forward.
Kuju Entertainment confirms staff layoffs
(For the sake of the blogging community, we're going to set up a template for posts describing gaming industry firings, a topic which has depressingly comprised about one-third of everyone's news coverage as of late. By copying and pasting the following paragraph and swapping in the appropriate company name, information and nautical metaphors, we'll save time and effort which we can spend on more uplifting endeavors.)Representatives from [Kuju Entertainment], [developer] of [Batallion Wars 2 and Geometry Wars: Galaxies], confirmed today that they have laid off [a number of employees] across a few of their studios, including [Kuju America, Chemistry, and their corporate headquarters]. In addition, [ten] employees at their subsidiary, [Zoë Mode], the minds behind [You're in the Movies and Rock Revolution], are ["at-risk"]. As always, we wish the recently unemployed the best of luck, and hope that [Kuju Entertainment] can [stay afloat in these tumultuous economic waters].
Economy Wars: Galaxies
We fear that this deal will sell out in the time it takes for us to get the post up, but it's a risk we're going to have to take! Geometry Wars: Galaxies is Amazon's Deal of the Day, dropping for today only to ten damn dollars. In these harsh times, we understand that some of us can't drop even ten dollars on unexpected impulse purchases. If you are safely in possession of enough disposable income to bring some awesome shooty action home -- and if you've got plenty saved up -- you could do a lot worse than to throw a little bit of money towards some awesome portable shooty action! Our post image is an encore from a previous Geo Wars sale post. Eric's image was just so perfect that we wanted to highlight it once again! %Gallery-11043%
Rumor: Kuju zombie shooter 'Redwood Falls' shelved
Infected monkeys not withstanding, games about the undead are all the rage, which is why we're puzzled at UK-based Kuju Entertainment's apparent decision to shelve Redwood Falls. According to PlayStation Universe, the Battalion Wars dev has taken a shotgun to the upcoming PS3-exclusive zombie shooter, a representative from the company reportedly telling the site that "the game itself is on hold."First demoed during the Japanese Play UK event in 2006, Redwood Fall's chief gimmick was the ability to rip opponents to shreds with gunfire, with bodies reacting in a believable manner to being torn apart. Honestly, we'd like to be more broken up over this news, had the game not completely fallen off of our radar like a dismembered limb. Even so, we're following up with Kuju, and will update if we find out more.
Gaming to Go: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Who knew Bizarre Creations had a hit on its hands when it created the original Geometry Wars so many moons ago? I certainly didn't, though that might be due in part to my complete lack of one of those other consoles. Since its original inception on Microsoft soil, the Geometry Wars series has seen a number of different incarnations, a particularly enjoyable one of which is available for everyone's favorite handheld. Geometry Wars: Galaxies also saw a release on Nintendo's white waggle box, though the infinitely more portable version is what I'll be covering in this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Haven't experienced the geometrical madness yet? Come along and see why playing with shapes on a two-dimensional grid is far more entertaining than it sounds. %Gallery-11043%
Geometry Wars: Galaxies price's volume decreases by a third
We've gone over why Geometry Wars: Galaxies was worth its full $30 price several times already despite its cheaper Xbox Live Arcade predecessor -- portability, a robust campaign, a cooperative mode, touchscreen support, drones, etc. Now that the game has seen a universal price drop, bringing its retail price to $19.99, right in that budget-title range, you'll have a tougher time arguing that the added features aren't worth the price. Basically, if you're a fan of multi-directional shooters and if you have twenty bucks just laying around, pick this up! %Gallery-11043% See also: DS Fanboy Review: Geometry Wars: Galaxies [Via CAG] Read - Geometry Wars: Galaxies at GameStop Read - Geometry Wars: Galaxies at Amazon
Geometry Wars: Galaxies drops to $20
Even with its new multiplayer mode, single-player campaign, and game-changing features (e.g. customizable drone), Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a hard sell for the people comparing the DS's $30 update to the original $5 download on XBLA. Meijer's $19.99 online sale for Galaxies is still a lot more expensive than five bucks, but when you consider all the extra content Kuju Entertainment threw in, that price doesn't sound bad at all. Besides, the DS version has a huge advantage over the old and crusty XBLA release that you shouldn't forget: portability! [Via CAG]
Possibly the most impressive Geometry Wars video you'll ever see
Bill Tangeman clearly has a pretty high tolerance of cramp, if his highest score on Geometry Wars: Galaxies is anything to go by. But what really gets us about the above video is that he could have gone on and on and on and on and Ariston, until he developed Carpal tunnel syndrome reached whatever score he damn well pleased. As it happened, he was happy to settle for a piffling 5,000,000,000, a total that saw Bill top the regional Galaxies leaderboard. We're slightly dismayed to learn there's a difficulty ceiling in the game, but it's safe to say that we're quite a distance from breaking it. [Via Aeropause]
More Geometry Wars on the Wii is a possibility
Roger Carpenter, the Senior Producer at Vivendi Games, recently talked about the future of Geometry Wars (and whether it involved the Wii) in an interview with Cubed3. Carpenter said the decision to make a new Geometry Wars for the Wii would depend on "how much the public liked [Geometry Wars: Galaxies]," which we assume is a euphemism for "how well the game sells." Wii Ware is also a possibility for a new Geometry Wars, but Carpenter wants to wait and see how successful the service becomes before considering that option. For those of you who like Geometry Wars, would you want to see another version for the Wii? Or do you prefer the game on the DS and XBLA? [Via GoNintendo]
Five gifts that PAL gamers should import this Christmas
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Five_gifts_that_PAL_gamers_should_import_this_Christmas'; Gaming sites are inundated with holiday gift guides at the end of the year, listing the best and most popular games that everyone pretty much already has (or knows about). Well, we're not going in for that this year. Our gift guide will help you find the best gifts in categories the other sites won't cover -- because we just made them up. Nintendo's indifference towards PAL regions is infamous, but there's arguably less room for complaining when it comes to the DS. See, the DS is (and we do not use this phrase lightly) an importer's dream. It doesn't faff around with region-specific software, there's a huge library of diverse and interesting NTSC-only titles, and the games themselves are cheap. As in, cheaper than they'll be when they arrive in the UK/Europe/Australia six months from now. Frankly, we can't think of a good reason for you not to import. Which brings us to our latest anti-guide, featuring the five DS-related gifts that PAL regions won't be seeing until 2008 at the earliest -- if ever. All deserve to be imported without hesitation, so read on fellow PAL folk, and prep that credit card!
Wii Fanboy Review: Geometry Wars Galaxies
There's a war going on out there. It's not one fought by men and women aligning themselves to countries or territories, battling over land or future prospects. No, this is a very different war, one which takes place between shapes in a fantastic space environment. The weapons are different, the combatants are different, but the principal has remained the same: survive to see your enemy's demise. %Gallery-4778%
DS Fanboy Review: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
Geometry Wars is one of those games that shows up on every system possible, and yet it always manages to be a little bit different in every iteration. And if you played it first on Xbox Live (let's all raise our hands), then you might be wondering -- as I was -- just how the game, which worked so well with a dual analog setup, would translate instead to dual screens. The result not only plays and controls better than expected, but ends up being just as much fun as the original ... if a little tougher on the ol' hands. The real question here is: how do you take a cheap downloadable title and turn it into a full game? This is a question a lot of DS games have faced, and with Geometry Wars: Galaxies, there's plenty of added content that makes the shooter feel fully expanded. The lower price on the DS title (as compared to the Wii version) surely never hurts, though! %Gallery-11043%
Metareview: Geometry Wars: Galaxies
There aren't many reviews out just yet for the newly-released DS version of Geometry Wars: Galaxies, but so far, it seems like a solid take on the XBLA title. The only real problem? Those sneaky hand cramps that accompany some DS titles. Gamespot -- 70%: "... Geometry Wars: Galaxies proves its worth. This isn't just the same $5 game all over again for a higher price. The content added with the galaxies mode and the multiplayer functionality adds a lot of depth to the experience, and the control changes to both versions, while not as spot-on as a straight-up dual-analog control setup, work well enough to be not only playable, but fun as well. If you were a fan of the original game or just like intense shooters, Geometry Wars: Galaxies fits the bill." Games Radar -- 80%: "Piloting your ship with the D-pad and directing your fire with the stylus feels surprisingly accurate. But the pad isn't as easy on your thumb as an analog stick, and you may find your left hand cramping up as you frantically apply pressure to keep your ship on the move. You can enjoy a cramp-free round of Galaxies once you learn to relax your death grip and move with gentler taps, but this will take a bit of getting used to ... But even strangers to the series will be hard pressed to find a shooter as satisfying as Galaxies on the DS." %Gallery-11043%
Geometry Wars: Galaxies slips ... everywhere
Slowly but surely, the threat of European wallets being completely stripped clean before the start of December is diminishing. In fact, we might even have cash remaining (though hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves). Only a few days ago, we received the unhappy news that Zack & Wiki will miss the holidays in Europe, and Kuju's purdy Geometry Wars: Galaxies has now joined it. The shape-based shmup (try saying that quickly), once the cause of many a bleary-eyed, late-night session on the Xbox Live Arcade for this writer, will instead arrive on January 18th. Meanwhile, the US will also be waiting a little longer for the game, but the delay is far less severe -- just one week, according to GameStop, which means the title will now launch on November 20th. The DS version, it's worth noting, is still due on the 27th.
Geometry Wars: Galaxies delayed to 2008 in Europe
Originally scheduled for holiday 2007 releases, it seems that both the Nintendo Wii and DS versions of Geometry Wars: Galaxies have been pushed back to next year in Europe, according to publisher Sierra Entertainment. Now scheduled for release on January 18, the newly-expanded versions of the Xbox Live Arcade classic feature more than 60 planets on which to shoot and evade hostile shapes. Uniquely, both versions also support the ability to wirelessly beam the full version of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved to a Nintendo DS portable. It's worth noting that these delays only affect the European releases; the Wii and DS versions in North America are still scheduled for release on November 20th and 27th, respectively. Sorry, Europe. We'll let you know how it is.
Geometry Wars: Galaxies ad is out of this world
Sierra's deviant advertising campaign for Geometry Wars: Galaxies, LOLcats and a "Particle Man" music video, was undeniably effective at grabbing the attention of online gamers, so it only makes sense that the publisher would carry over the same offbeat approach to the land of print. EGM's latest issue features one of the most ridiculous full-page ads we've seen since the mid-90s, promoting the multi-directional shooter as "Asteroids on steroids" and emphasizing that abstract with a beefy, curled-lip ape of a man gripping a Wii remote and nunchuck. Jump past the break for the complete, glorious Geometry Wars: Galaxies ad.
Geometry Wars direct-feed video looks ... good!
We've been skeptical about the DS version of Geometry Wars Galaxies, based on so-so impressions and the seeming unsuitability of the platform for the game, but two recent developments have caused us to embrace the possibility that it may be okay after all: Bangai-O Spirits made us believe that tiny-sprite shooters are possible on the DS. If Treasure thinks it's a good idea, we think it's a very good idea. This video, titled "Maseis," came out and looked neat. Watch the video yourself and see if frantic, abstract shooting has a place on the DS. The only concession we can see to the size of the system is a smaller level, and that may just be this one level. [Via Kotaku]
