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Platinum is making a 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' game
It's been a bit since we had a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game and an even longer time since we had a good one. But that could soon change when Platinum Games unleashes TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan this summer on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Yeah, that's right: the rumors that swirled around last month are true. Over on the PlayStation Blog, Platinum's Robert Cooper says that if you've played any of the studio's previous action games that you shouldn't have a lot of trouble getting comfortable in the solo and co-op campaign here.
Xbox One exclusive 'Scalebound' delayed to 2017
We're not even a week into 2016 and already video games are being bumped to next year. PlatinumGames has announced that its Devil May Cry-meets-dragons RPG Scalebound has been pushed back to 2017 in order to deliver "all the innovative features and thrilling gameplay experiences" the team has planned. The title was previously slated for "fall 2016," meaning fans of Kamiya and Platinum's action-focused spectacles -- like Bayonetta, Vanquish and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance -- will have to wait a little longer. At least the Xbox One has some other exclusives to fall back on this year, like Quantum Break, ReCore and Crackdown 3.
'Nier: Automata' is hack-and-slash the Platinum way
A Nier sequel was one of the last things we expected to see at E3 this year -- which is why it was such a surprise when Square Enix showed off a proof-of-concept trailer for an upcoming PS4 sequel. Today, the company gives us something more substantial: the game's full name (Nier: Automata), a new gameplay trailer focusing on Platinum Games' combat engine and a bit of backstory.
A game about a dude and his dragon is my Xbox One must-have
PlatinumGames is on a roll. The Japan-based studio is less than a decade old, but already it's put out a string of critically acclaimed titles such as Bayonetta, Vanquish and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. It's built a reputation on fast-paced action and deep, rewarding combat, and now it wants to prove it can deliver a compelling RPG experience too. Scalebound, the studio's Xbox One exclusive, is scheduled for release in 2016 and until recently, we've seen little of the game beyond a short CG teaser. At Gamescom, the studio revealed a glimpse of its gameplay and now, after watching an extended demo, I've decided Scalebound is the Xbox exclusive I'm most excited about.
Platinum Games is working on a new 'NieR' game for PS4
It's been five years since NieR last arrived on consoles, but at today's Square Enix E3 press conference, the publisher announced that a new title is in-development for the PlayStation 4. Fans of the franchise will be pleased to know that Platinum Games is handling the development of this new title and, as producer Atsushi Inaba mentioned onstage, there'll be a heavy focus on action. Though we were treated to a short "sneak peek," the company stressed that this footage was merely a proof of concept, and that we could expect to hear more this fall. Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Bayonetta 2' on Wii U! (update: game over!)
Nintendo's big exclusive game for its Wii U home console is Bayonetta 2. It was Nintendo's big coup announcement ahead of the Wii U's launch. Bayonetta's notable not just for being good -- the first game is critically-acclaimed -- but also for being made by a developer other than Nintendo. And hey, it's October, so that means games are being released into the wild. Among them is Platinum Games' Bayonetta 2, featuring the stylishly appointed, combat-ready Rapunzel-alike you see above. The series is known for its over-the-top, goofy-yet-calculated style, and we're gonna put the latest one through its paces in a stream for you just below starting at 4PM ET.
MadWorld director joins Shinji Mikami's Tango studio
Even as work progresses on Shinji Mikami's Vanquish for Platinum Games, Mikami's own studio, Tango, is growing toward Mikami's stated goal of around 100 staffers. Platinum's Hideki Kamiya revealed via Twitter that Shigenori Nishikawa, who directed MadWorld for Platinum and did design work on Resident Evil 4 and Dino Crisis 2 and 3 at Capcom, has left Platinum for Tango. Nishikawa was one of the founders of Platinum. Nishikawa will join former Grasshopper Manufacture sound director Masafumi Takada and art directors Ryosuke Kaiba and Naoki Katakai at Tango. The new studio has yet to announce any projects. [Via Develop]
Final Fantasy XIII, Bayonetta, Modern Warfare 2, more for $30 each at Kmart
Kmart isn't a name we turn to often for game deals, but the retailer has made a pretty strong case for our continued attention, with a bunch of limited-time deals that are, frankly, a little ridiculous. How about paying for just the good half of Final Fantasy XIII? At $30, that's essentially what Kmart is offering. Time-release RPGs not for you? How about Bayonetta, Metro 2033, or Modern Warfare 2 for $30 each? Even Nier's been marked down to $44.99, though that game is ridiculous on its own merits. These deals are only available through May 10, and can be found both online and in-store. See the full list of weekly discounts after the break. [Via Slickdeals]
Sega: we can 'sequel-ise' Bayonetta, AvP, Alpha Protocol
In a recent interview with CVG, Sega West president Mike Hayes spoke briefly on the future of the company's portfolio of intellectual properties. Hayes explained, "If you think about it, we can sequel-ise Bayonetta, AvP, Alpha Protocol and we can make a hit of something like Vanquish." Those are some mighty bold plans, considering only two of those games have actually been released. We're fairly unsurprised by Sega's interest in a follow-up to Bayonetta. Not only because it's been a commercial success for the company, but also because the developers need another chance to do all the crazy action sequences they couldn't fit in the first game. Like, for instance, throwing a church at a dragon. Wait, they did that in Bayonetta? How about riding a motorcycle in space? Really, that too? Well, then ... we're stumped.
PlatinumGames' Infinite Space docking in Europe on March 26th
Infinite Space, the upcoming DS space RPG from Platinum Games, has gotten itself a European release date in the form of March 26th (or as you might call it in Bangladesh, "Independence Day"). Strangely, we still haven't heard an official US date yet -- the closest we've got is Spring 2010, which despite all of the snow you might be seeing lately, is approaching quite quickly. Assuming that the EU and US dates aren't too far off from each other, by the end of March you too might be saying, "I'm... in space!" just like the wince-worthy voice acting we've experienced so far.
Bayonetta moves 1.1m units in Sega fiscal Q3 2010 results
After surviving harrowing losses of ¥22.8 billion (nearly $254.8 million) during its fiscal year 2009, Sega Sammy Holdings (parent company to Sega, which you've probably sussed out) has managed to revive its faltering bottom line. According to the company's latest financial report, Sega Sammy brought in a net income of ¥16.9 billion ($189.5 million) during the first nine months of its fiscal 2010 (April–December 2009). This income came in spite of the fact that Sega's total game sales had dropped 13 percent from the same 9-month period the previous fiscal year -- however, thanks to the company's massive restructuring last February, operating income skyrocketed to ¥28.8 billion (about $323 million), which more than softened the blow. The company's highest-selling title was, alarmingly, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, with 5.6 million units sold (and probably counting). Bayonetta, which was only available in Japan (released October 29) during the period covered by the report, came in a distant second with 1.1 million units sold. It looks like the company's managed to recover from an extremely painful fiscal 2009 -- at a cost.
Bayonetta PS3 patch available worldwide today
If you've been playing Bayonetta on PS3, there's a chance you've been making sandwiches just as often as you've been vanquishing virtual angels. We admire your productivity during the loading screens, but perhaps it's time to accept the aid of Sega and Platinum Games. The developer has confirmed the worldwide availability of a title update that allows the game to be installed to the hard drive. All you have to do is boot up your game and you'll be prompted to download the update. Of course, you've also been known to make sandwiches during installations, so ... well, they must be really delicious at this point. That's a win, no matter what.
Bayonetta PS3 patch adds hard drive installation option
Sega of Japan announced that it will release an update for the PS3 version of Bayonetta tomorrow, which adds an "Install" item to the game's main menu. The patch, first tentatively announced in November, is intended to cut down the long load times that have perturbed Bayonetta's PS3 players. The update doesn't mean the PS3 game will have achieved total parity with the Xbox 360 version -- visual discrepancies, like frame rate issues, will still persist -- but at least Sega has now taken one step towards improving the experience on PS3. The Bayonetta update has only been confirmed for Japan, but its release just happens to fall on this Thursday, when the PlayStation Store updates worldwide, so we wouldn't be shocked to see it arrive everywhere tomorrow. [Thanks, Copland]
Kamiya keen on returning to Bayonetta, considering spin-off
Speaking to Game Informer, Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya discussed the possibility of a sequel to Bayonetta. Kamiya noted that the Bayonetta team has "love" for the game, saying, "I don't see anything wrong with Bayonetta 2." (If you're reading this, Mr. Kamiya, neither do we.) He elaborated that he'd like to approach a sequel "from a different angle, in the form of a spin-off." Game Informer goes on to speculate that a sequel could star Bayonetta's rival, Jeanne. Honestly, we don't care who stars in the sequel. As long as the action is just as solid as it is in the first game, it really doesn't matter. As long as someone is kicking ass in a stylish, intuitive way, we're sold.
Anything Bayonetta can do, Mega64 does better
We were unbelievers at the beginning of this new Bayonetta ad (after the break), in which Mega64's Rocco Botte insisted that he could emulate -- nay -- top any of the titular action star's moves. But he's definitely shooting bullets with his feet and he promises repeatedly that his hair is a demon, so now whose face has got egg on it? That's right: Ours. ... Hey, he wouldn't lie about his hair being a demon, would he? No, of course not. Who would lie about that? We're probably just being paranoid.
Review: Bayonetta
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/review-bayonetta/'; The first thing you should know about Bayonetta is that the story is entirely unimportant. It makes no sense. At all. Period. There's something about two warring clans, one of witches and one of sages (Light vs. Dark -- yada yada yada). There's a "journalist" who inexplicably carries a grappling hook; an ancient god that's being resurrected; and, at one point, there's even a dance-off. Now, forget about all of that. You'll be skipping through it on your second playthrough anyway. And that's really the point. If you like action games in the vein of Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden, you'll probably start your second playthrough of Bayonetta exactly when I did: immediately after the first. %Gallery-22955%
Metareview: Bayonetta
We may still have a few more weeks before the hair-based weapon wielding Bayonetta arrives on US shores, but that doesn't mean that reviewers haven't gotten their hands on the region-free, fully translated PlayStation 3 Japanese release (and the lucky folks at Official Xbox Magazine seem to have secured an extra early Xbox 360 review copy). Regardless of the downright silly nature of the game's story and characters, Bayonetta has thus far received universal acclaim from the critics. Here's what some had to say. Edge (100/100): "A beautiful and graceful fighting game that lets imagination loose, and winks before slapping Dante, Kratos and every other hero back to the drawing board." Eurogamer (9/10): "It's in combat that Bayonetta's splendour is fully revealed ... a blast of creative brilliance, both technically accomplished, strategically deep and infused with rare imagination, Bayonetta represents the pinnacle of its chosen niche." Official Xbox Magazine (90/100): "Every one of these dazzling battles is thrilling without overstaying its welcome - and also challenges you without being cheap" Play.tm (95%): "Bayonetta could - and should - breathe fresh life into the ailing Japanese action genre ... an unrivalled showcase of imagination and creativity." Source 1 - Metacritic PS3 Source 2 - Metacritic Xbox 360 %Gallery-22955%
Bayonetta trailer invents unsettling new term: 'hair moves'
Thus far, Bayonetta has exposed us to a litany of disturbing oddities. First we were exposed to the expression "non-stop climax action." Then came the uncomfortable revelation of Bayonetta's "sexy" dancing. And now, we must forever live with the term "hair moves." As the ancient Egyptians figured out long ago, hair is gross. Short of the occasional Rita Hayworth hair toss, hair really shouldn't be moving at all. And it certainly shouldn't be transforming into giant boots, fists or demons. Alas, this is the proposition you face should you desire to play Bayonetta. You've been warned.
Watch Bayonetta nab enemy weapons, add insult to injury
Being the stylish, fashion-way-forward gal she is, Bayonetta (of, um, Bayonetta) likes to accessorize. Sometimes she gets tired of having guns for shoes and hair that can take the form of giant demons, so she politely barrows steals weapons from her enemies, to use against ... her enemies. In this short-but-sweet clip from next month's Platinum Games action spectacle, we get to watch her do just that -- nabbing a giant mace (not of the "spray into a mugger's eyes" type) and use a very long, forcefully procured spear to pole-dance-kick the hell out of heavenly foes. Best of all, the clip is narrated by a velvety-voiced English woman who sounds just like Bayonetta, if she were real. Which she's not -- so please, stop calling Sega asking for her number. Yes, we're onto you.
Bayonetta's dancing is really 'sexy'
Did you think the footage of Bayonetta summoning intricate torture devices was disturbing? Wait until you see this context-free prototype dancing footage, featuring everyone's favorite giant witch cutting a motion-captured rug (after the break). We don't know if it's the fact that the animations have yet to be finalized in this sequence, or if it's the idea of Bayonetta taking a break from her brutal revenge quest to get down, or if it's simply Bayonetta's flagrantly inhuman body proportions, but yikes. What kind of touch-ups did Platinum do after this prototype stage? " ... on Kamiya-san's orders," animator Uchi says, "we accentuated the movements of her waist and butt to make it over-the-top in the sexiness department." You'd have to accentuate the hell out of those movements to go from that to "sexy."
