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Atsushi Inaba wants to work with Nintendo platforms
Fans of the Viewtiful Joe franchise (or anything from Clover, really) will likely know the name Atsushi Inaba. The closing of Clover was very sad, but eventually led to SEEDS and, now, Platinum Games. So, just what interests Inuba and co. lately?Why, the DS and Wii, of course. When asked by 1UP on which platforms were desirable launching pads for a new title, Inaba said "Of course the Wii and DS are attractive platforms; they're platforms that aren't competing by way of the graphics. It's more about the gameplay." We couldn't agree more, because playing is believing with the Wii. Immediate releases from Platinum Games might not be on the horizon, however, as Inaba stated "we do want to create games on Wii and DS. But we have staff that has been creating games on the newest technology, like the PS3 and Xbox 360, so we are not interested in cutting that out."But, this interview is supposedly a bit late hitting the net, so there's also that to consider.[Via Go Nintendo]
Europe to wait for Okami, reckons insider
In news that caused us to throw our heads back and howl loudly at the moon, an "inside source" close to Eurogamer has informed the site that Europeans will have to wait until summer for Okami. According to the latest schedule, the game is still set to appear in the U.S. on March 25th.It's not the first time this has happened with one of Capcom's Wii releases -- Europe may have had only ten days to wait for Resident Evil 4, but Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure took its sweet time getting here, and only launched last week. Then again, the Wii hardly sells in Europe, does it?Aussies, it's not confirmed, but recent history suggests you might be in the same boat. Can you feel the love? Can you?
Okami Wii-ports for duty on March 25
You people should be thanking Ready at Dawn for providing you with a means of escape from the unforgiving and surprisingly creative torture we had planned for all Okami skippers. By purchasing the "exact" Wii port of Clover Studios' beautiful swan song when it releases on March 25th (the date Capcom says it's "currently driving towards"), you'll earn yourself a chance at redemption. And by the time you're actually playing it on March 26th (the intro is a bit on the long side), you'll thank us for pointing you to the best Zelda game in years.
Nintendo dates Wii & DS games for first half of '08
Nintendo dumped a load of dates on us today – 148 to be exact. These dates (some specific, some general) correspond to 65 Wii and 83 DS titles that are scheduled to be released in the first half of 2008. While its obvious that many third-party publishers will continue to shovel their filth onto the systems this year, we've been able to excavate a decent collection of potential gems from an otherwise smoldering pile of manure: Okami (Wii) dated March 25 Wii Fit scheduled for Q2 Pokemon Mystery Dungeon sequels scheduled for Q2 Crosswords DS dated May 5 Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword dated March 25 Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS) dated Feb. 10 LEGO: Indiana Jones (Wii/DS) scheduled for Spring Super Dodgeball Brawlers (DS) scheduled for April Bangai-O Spirits (DS) scheduled for Q2 Rondo of Swords (DS) scheduled for April and thus far unannounced by Atlus USA [Note: we haven't listed titles with previously confirmed dates (e.g., Mario Kart, Advance Wars, No More Heroes, etc.).] The full list of releases is posted after the break. [Via DS Fanboy]
For the fans, some Okami swag
As we all sit up straight and proper in anticipation for Capcom's port of Okami for the Wii, the folks at the official Capcom blog have decided to snap up some pictures of random things about their offices. Too bad they don't travel around the entire office, because then we wouldn't get so few pictures of so few things. Hit up past the break to see the other side of the fan, as well as a piece of swag from another Capcom game.
Ready at Dawn drawn to current-gen consoles
With work on God of War: Chains of Olympus coming to an end in March, developer Ready at Dawn is already planning an excursion beyond the PSP's portable realm. In a lengthy interview with 1UP, the studio discusses how easily the Greek-on-the-go got the green light thanks to the hard work put into the well-received Daxter. "The first meeting just went like 'we should make a God of War PSP game' and they were like 'yeah you should.' And that was pretty much it," quipped the game's director, Ru Weerasuriya.Once Kratos is out of the way, Ready at Dawn hopes to put on a similarly impressive show on that system you currently have chained to your television. "This team is ready to move onto something pretty big, and we've [been] planning it for quite a while, and this team needs to show what they're capable of doing on next-gen or current-gen." Expect to hear more about Something Pretty Big as soon as the team gives Okami its deserved second chance on the Wii. [Via PSP Fanboy]
How Okami got to the Wii
Christian Svensson, Capcom's VP of Strategic Planning and Business Development, posted on the Capcom blog about the process by which a PS2 non-starter ended up being earmarked for a high-profile Wii port. Really, it makes total sense to people like us, but on the face of it, porting a poor-selling game like Okami is kind of strange business.But as Svensson tells it, the Okami Wii port is born almost entirely out of fan demand. After seeing the outcry for a Wii version (before, during, and after the original game's release), Svensson started discussing the idea with Capcom in Japan. They realized that a release of the game on a system that was not at the end of its lifecycle may do better, and decided it may be a good move to give Clover's adventure another shot.We love getting to look behind the curtain a bit at the inner workings of game companies. The post actually goes into a bit of detail about dealing with Ready at Dawn and the state of Okami's code.
How Okam-Wii came to be
The Capcom blog has laid out the history of how Okami came to the Wii. We don't know if the blog and message board format brings out the best in Capcom's VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development, Christian Svensson (or if it's a ghost writer), but when he's not being all real life "market speak professional," he's quite enjoyable. Capcom really has done a great job in giving a behind-the-scenes look at how Okami came to the Wii while appearing relatively honest in the process.The story starts out laying out that Okami may have been a critical darling, but didn't do so well in sales. Then the second section goes straight into community feedback about Okami coming to the Wii -- Capcom has also done a great job in developing community feedback to its blog. Then the story really starts and gives a good idea about how things happen in the video game industry (and yes, it involves alcohol). A great read for anyone who wants a deeper and less sanitized version of life on the inside.
Okami might not be a straight port now?
Despite Ready at Dawn stating that Okami would be an exact port of the PS2 game, Capcom's Senior director of strategy Christian Svensson doesn't want us to fret that this will be a "quick and dirty" port. He assures us that Ready at Dawn will be doing their best to make sure this game stands out from the PS2 version.Of course, that doesn't mean he's ready to discuss possible additions to the Wii version. First priority is to get the game up and running, as he states "The game is enormous. If after we have everything working correctly, cleanly and as desired so as not to "break" the amazing experience that is Okami, we will worry about potential enhancements." That time could be a ways off, however, as he further adds "As we are NOT at that point in the process yet, we are loathe to even mention any potential changes or enhancements for fear of disappointing the fans/media."What would you guys like to see make it into the game? What kind of improvements and/or changes would make the title more desirable on the Wii for yourself?[Via Siliconera]
Wii Sports cleans up at BAFTAs
The entertainment awards competition with the most enjoyable name, the BAFTAs*, have come and gone, leaving Nintendo ordering a new trophy case for Wii Sports. Their flagship title took home six awards, more than any other game. In fact, the only category in which Wii Sports was nominated, but didn't win was Best Game, which went to Bioshock.The other big winner that Wii fans should be happy about is actually a PS2 game (for now). Clover Studio's brilliant Okami was awarded in the categories of Artistic Achievement and Original Score, both of which are well-deserved. We can gladly concede those categories to Okami over Wii Sports without much controversy.Check after the break for the full list of nominees and winners!*British Academy of Film and Television Arts; we didn't know without looking, either.
No frills to be found in Okami's Wii port
If you were hoping that the recently announced Wii version of Okami would lure you back into its beautiful world with new environments, bosses, weapons and so forth, you're about to have your somewhat optimistic viewpoint obscured by one Didier Malenfant. In an interview with IGN, the president of Ready At Dawn explains that Okam-Wii (see what we did there?) will be an "exact port of the PS2 version," save for the magical brush strokes which will now correspond to motions of the Wiimote. Malenfant argues that messing with the game in any form would simply draw ire from Clover devotees.Strangely, the same crowd is currently wagging their fingers at Ready At Dawn for failing to pretty up the port in some way. While Malenfant's reasoning may appear to hide some reticence to retool, one has to consider that the game in question tanked on the platform with the largest install base. The Wii version isn't aimed at gamers who bought and enjoyed Okami -- it's aimed at the millions of idiots people who didn't. If anything, we think Clover's masterpiece would be better served by having some of that bloat excised. [Via Wii Fanboy]
Okami Wii an 'exact port' of PS2 game
Okami on the Wii was confirmed by Capcom just a few days ago, along with the news that Daxter developer Ready at Dawn would get the game up-and-running on Nintendo's system. Men roared their approval and punched the air, women wept and howled with joy, and all was well with the world. As anybody who's played it will know, Okami is all kinds of awesome. But Okami with Wiimote-engineered brushstrokes? Finally, we could die happy.But hold the hearse, because here's Ready At Dawn president Didier Malenfant on what else will be new in the Wii version: "The game on Wii is going to be an exact port of the PS2 version and I think that's what fans of the franchise want to see. This game has such a huge following throughout the world that people would probably send us death-threats if we messed it up by trying to add things that don't have their place in the Okami universe."An "exact port," he says, and you know how we feel about those, so immediately there are important questions raised by this. Questions such as: if you've completed the PS2 game, will the promise of added Wiimote functionality alone lure you back? Is it ungrateful to expect a little more than "just" Wiimote brushstrokes (as excellent as that addition might be)? And did Didier really just put "Okami" and "huge following" in the same sentence?[Via Siliconera]
Wii Warm Up: Let's talk more Okami
So, after a string of denials, Okami was finally confirmed for the Wii. Since it's consistently been one of the most-asked-for titles, we shouldn't be too surprised, and yet, we are ... at least a little. With Clover having gone the way of the dodo, at least in that form, and Capcom saying "no, no, no ... well, probably not" for so long, we really didn't think we would hear about Okami -- at least, not this soon. Were you surprised? What do you think of the team handling the port, Ready at Dawn?
Wii Warm Up: My style is impetuous
Yes, it's true: Capcom answers prayers. At least, when those prayers concern porting their games to other consoles. They've made a lot of Nintendo fans happy by announcing a Wii version of their underappreciated, underselling PS2 game Okami. But, to us at least, they've picked the wrong Clover Studio game. Don't get us wrong-- we think Okami is great, and we'll be happy to play it on WIi-- but in Clover Studio's short lifespan they produced one absolutely perfect game, and it's not about a wolf.It's about a dude, and his arm. We'd love to see someone take a crack at messing with God Hand's controls for a Wii game; we've got the real thing, after all, so if it didn't work out, we could just not buy it. But today's discussion isn't just about how amazingly awesome God Hand is, though we really wouldn't mind if that's where the discussion went. We want to know which Clover game you'd rather play on the Wii: any of the Viewtiful Joe games, Okami (which kind of wins by default) or God Hand. And if that's too limiting, feel free to branch out and consider any Capcom releases of the last couple of generations!
Ready at Dawn raises sun on Okami for Wii
The rumors were true and Capcom is porting PS2 gem Okami to the Wii, now it's time for some details. 1UP reports that Ready at Dawn, developers of the depressingly pseudo-delayed God of War: Chains of Olympus, will handle the porting. Capcom was looking for a developer to port Okami to the Wii last year as "the PS2 release suffered from shipping amidst the flurry of next-generation consoles." At GDC '07 execs from Ready at Dawn expressed their admiration for the game to Capcom's senior director of research and strategic planning -- they got the offer within a week.There's no word if additional content will be created for the Wii version; Capcom says that all depends if Ready at Dawn gets the primary game finished in time (they can use extra time to add stuff). Okami is expected in the first half of '08.
Ready at Dawn working on non-PSP project
Ready at Dawn is viewed as a hero of sorts for PSP owners. With both Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus under their belt, the team has been praised for its ability to bring console-styled gameplay and technology to the handheld.Well, it looks like the team is looking upward and onward, moving towards a new project. Unfortunately, it's not a PSP game ... it's a Wii one! Ready at Dawn is working with Capcom to produce Okami on Wii. It's a fantastic game that deserved more notice, and we're confident that the studio will bring something truly magical to Nintendo's platform.Congrats on the move to the consoles, guys! Don't forget us too, okay?[Via Joystiq]
Get your brush ready: Okami's on the way
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Okami_headed_to_Wii'; After the rumors started rumbling yesterday, more and more sites are piling on this morning to assure everyone that Okami has indeed been confirmed for the Wii by Capcom. It won't be long before we see it, either, if early reports are correct; the game is currently scheduled for a spring release, and full motion-control functionality is planned.Word is that footage from the game -- at least in the form of screencaps -- will be available as early as today, so we should soon see just how the under-appreciated PS2 title will look on the Nintendo console.[Update: Check after the jump for a slide from Capcom's event that reveals the development team and more.]
Okami confirmed for Wii, reports Eurogamer & MCV
One headline, two reliable British sites. Read: "Okami confirmed for Wii." Following the Capcom Gamer's Day event in London yesterday and a subsequent resurgence of the Okami Wii rumor, comes frank -- and frankly bare -- confirmation from Eurogamer and MCV of the long-anticipated port. Capcom apparently announced Okami for Wii to the Gamer's Day audience, adding that the release is expected by next spring. We're anticipating more details tomorrow, as Capcom has hinted at additional announcements planned for Friday. Read – MCV Read – Eurogamer
Rumorang: Okami on Wii
Sure, we've heard this one come around before – most recently an issue of EGM had rumors of a Wii version of Okami in development by Capcom – but with all this Capcom Gamer's Day excitement going on, we're inclined to give this rumor the time of day. The Wii would appear to be a perfect fit for the brushstroke gameplay in Okami and Capcom did port over Resident "Wii"-vil 4; both supporting rationales which keep this rumor coming back.Now, according to French website Jeuxactu.com, Capcom's Okami has been "confirmé" for the Nintendo Wii. The site goes on to say -- in our machine-translated copy -- that the game is expected in early 2008, although no source for the information is given.
Okami returns -- as a rumor
It's the rumor that just won't die -- and now it's back for a second round. Or maybe it's more like sixth by now. Some blogs are rumbling that Capcom announced a long-awaited and much-hoped-for port of the PS2 title Okami to the Wii at their London event. It's being called confirmed, but after everything that's been said about the possibility of the port in the past, we're waiting for an official press release before we chime in ourselves ... or better yet, a copy of the game in our hot little hands. Hell, we'll settle for screens or video. We're easy to please. Other sources are reporting the opposite, but Capcom's Christian Svensson said to expect more announcements later this week, so grab your popcorn and we'll see how this one plays out. What are you wishing for, while we're tossing around possible ideas? Anyone up for a little God Hand?
