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Ready At Dawn's next game is an 'Xbox 360 / PS3 original title' [Update: Didier responds!]
John Enricco, a lighting artist at Ready At Dawn, has updated his LinkedIn profile to reflect the fact that the company is now working on an original title for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Yeah, multiplatform. Many were expecting Ready At Dawn's first current-generation title to be a PS3 exclusive, considering its relationship with Sony during PSP development. According to Ready At Dawn's website, this is just one of two projects currently being worked on.The fact that it's an "original title" also indicates that this is a new IP, marking the first time the studio has designed its own game from scratch. Judging from the quality of Ready At Dawn's PSP titles (Daxter, God of War: Chains of Olympus), we're expecting technically great things from this new project. As for whether the game's premise is any good, we have nothing to base our expectations on. One thing's for sure, though; we can't wait to sink our teeth into more details.[Update: We reached out to Didier Malenfant, co-founder of Ready At Dawn, who told us: "We are working on two projects at this time, codenamed R6 and R8, but haven't officially announced platforms, genres or publishers for that matter. The third version of our engine is up and running on all current-gen platforms and looks awesome while version 2.0 is still arguably the best tech around on PSP so we've got all our bases covered. Oh and by the way, we're hiring :) ][Thanks David, Via PlayStationLifestyle.net]
Ready at Dawn: 'Maybe we should reconsider' PSP development
We've heard of buyer's remorse. Even seller's remorse. But mailer's remorse? That could be afflicting developer Ready at Dawn, as the company jokes that it might have been too hasty when it turned its back on Sony's portable and marked all of its PSP dev kits 'return to sender.' The company announced in June that it was "officially done with PSP development," but after seeing both Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus among the top 5 PSP games sold on Amazon last week, the studio is cheekily patting its own back."Maybe we should reconsider this whole 'no more PSP games' thing because we seem to be pretty good at it," reads a post on Ready at Dawn's blog. We're inclined to agree, even if it is in jest. With a few more studios like you around, maybe the PSP wouldn't need a life raft to stay afloat.
Ready at Dawn: 'Maybe we should reconsider' PSP dev
Remember Ready at Dawn? They're the guys that gave us those little games. Y'know. God of War and Daxter. Citing continued sales of these two titles, the Ready at Dawn team posted on their official site: "Maybe we should reconsider this whole 'no more PSP games' thing because we seem to be doing pretty good at it."We're not bitter about you saying you'll leave us forever and ever. Just come back to us, and we'll pretend this whole "abandonment" thing never happened. Heck, we won't even charge you for our therapy bills. Okay?[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Check the mail: Okami covers finally ship
Just in time for you to have traded the game in three weeks ago, the replacement covers for the Wii version of Okami have finally shipped. If you can cast your minds back to late April, you'll recall when the video game blogging gods tricked Capcom into accidentally hiding the IGN logo on the box art for the game. Though Capcom made quick work of announcing a fix, the replacement covers haven't been so speedy, but, thankfully, jilted fans should be receiving them any day now. %Gallery-30569%
Okami replacement covers shipping with bonus!
Hey, remember ordering replacement boxart for your copy of Okami? To make up for the unsightly blemish on the covers that came with the game (sorry, IGN), Capcom offered a selection of replacement art ranging from "the real cover, but IGN-free" to completely new, unconventional box designs, and we all got to pick one. We've had to wait a bit, but it turns out that we'll get all of them! According to Capcom's Colin Ferris, "Each cover sheet features the cleaned cover art on one side, and the two different new designs on the other." The covers are now on their way out, ready to adorn those copies of Okami that you forgot about or traded in.If you didn't order a replacement cover, perhaps because you didn't yet own Okami and are an honest person, you can still find the high-quality images available for printing.%Gallery-16485%
Japan readies for God of War by throwing party
God of War: Chains of Olympus is on its way to Japan on July 10. To help get the game into the minds of PSP gamers -- and peel them away from Monster Hunter -- a special event was held last Friday in Tokyo. There were 15 booths where people could try out the game, tons of free swag such as keychains and t-shirts, and specially crafted drinks made from goat blood, harpy milk, and cyclops sweat were served. Japanese hip-hop group YOU THE ROCK??? was also around to keep things lively. See photos of the event here.As Chains of Olympus devs Ready at Dawn have let their sun set on the PSP, this summer's release for Chains will be the final game on the system from the crew. In that respect, this event was not only the celebration for kicking off the PSP God of War game in Japan, but also, an unintentional farewell. We only hope the game does well in Japan because it really deserves the love.
Rumorong: Ready at Dawn not going Wii-exclusive
A snippet from the latest issue of GamePro claims that Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus dev Ready at Dawn has ditched PSP development in favor of producing Wii-only titles. Joystiq contacted RAD (pretty cool acronym, huh?) president Didier Malenfant, who was quick to squash the report (although we can't be sure he didn't thwap it with a Wii remote left over from porting Okami to Nintendo's console). Malenfant further tells Joystiq that his company "[doesn't] have any Wii titles currently in development." RAD had previously hinted at plans to create games for current-gen consoles after finishing Okami Wii, and just today confirmed that it has two all-new games underway. So, two new games in development, none for Wii ... rumorong!
Ready at Dawn denies piracy as reason to leave PSP
While Ready at Dawn has established itself as the premiere PSP development team, it recently sent back all of its devkits back to Sony so that it can move to new projects on other systems. Joystiq spoke with Ready at Dawn's president, Didier Malenfant, to see why they left Sony's handheld. According to Malenfant, piracy was not a reason. "We sold over 2.3 millions copies of Daxter and are on track to beat that with Chains of Olympus so we're pretty happy with our sales," he responded. "Could we sell more games if piracy was non-existent? Maybe. But we don't target the market that could be, we target the market that is."He adds, "Good games sell. Who would have thought?"It seems the team is simply looking to do more on another platform, and try something new. They've seemingly pushed the PSP to its limit, and they can work their magic on other platforms. "We feel like we've done everything we wanted to do with the PSP," admitted the exec. "We have new projects on other platforms and we like to focus on one thing at a time."
Ready at Dawn talks abandoning the PSP, piracy and being original
When it comes to developer Ready at Dawn, creating games for the PSP is just so last week. But while the company has closed the book on any PSP aspirations, going so far as to mail its entire stock of dev kits back to Sony, the developer of both Daxter and God of War: Chains of Olympus has played the reason for abandoning PSP development close to its chest.It's a mystery, but mysteries give us headaches, so we tracked down Ready At Dawn's president, Didier Malenfant, to find out why exactly the studio has turned up its nose at developing for Sony's sexed-up portable. "We feel like we've done everything we wanted to do with the PSP," admitted the exec. "We have new projects on other platforms and we like to focus on one thing at a time." Even so, Didier championed the state of PSP development, stating matter-of-factly "Good games sell. Who would have thought?"
Ready at Dawn says goodbye to their PSP devkits
We knew that Daxter and Chains of Olympus developer Ready at Dawn was done with PSP. But, it's still sad to see their PSP devkits placed into storage, to be shipped away to the PSP graveyard. It's the end of an era, alright. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we see their next project -- you may have to check PS3 Fanboy when these guys are ready to make an announcement, though.
Ready at Dawn ceases PSP development
Developer Ready at Dawn has turned its back on Sony's handheld, with a short post on the company's website confirming that the studio is "now officially done with PSP development." Ready at Dawn is best recognized for two of the PSP's more landmark titles, namely Daxter and last year's God of War: Chains of Olympus, though the company's recent success in bringing Capcom's Okami to the Wii may have more than a little to do with the dev's shifting priorities. Calling the decision "the end of an era," the move has an air of finality about it, with Ready at Dawn packing up all of its PSP dev kits and sending them back from whence they came. The news echoes comments from Ready at Dawn's Ru Weerasuriya earlier this year, with the Chains of Olympus director noting back in March that "our work on the PSP has come to an end." As for what the devs have in store for us next, your guess is as good as ours, though we've dispatched Joystiq ninjas to the Santa Ana-based studio for more information.[Via Aeropause]
Special keychains for Japanese God of War event
Need every bit of God of War merchandise ever? Well, this one's going to be hard to get. That is, unless you live in Japan. A special event in Akihabara later this month (June 20th) will promote the still-unreleased God of War: Chains of Olympus, and those in attendance will be able to get this special keychain. In addition, artist YOU THE ROCK will make an appearance. Although the God of War franchise is incredibly successful in America and Europe, it hasn't managed to break through in Japan. God of War II managed to sell about 40k units total on PS2. While PSP is quite the hot system in Japan right now, it's unclear how the Japanese populace will respond to this incredible, but American-developed, game. [Via PSPHyper]
God of War Entertainment Pack available today
The God of War Entertainment Pack is available in stores today (even earlier, if your local Wal-Mart decided to break the street date). For $200, you get the limited edition red PSP system, a copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus, a code to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops, and the UMD version of Superbad. All in all, a terrific value. If for some reason, the color turns you off, you may be interested in the next available PSP Entertainment Pack -- the blue Madden pack. %Gallery-16984%
Wii's Sunday bargain bin
We love Sundays, as there are always new game sales to look forward to. Luckily, this week there are some sweet deals on a few Wii titles. Scouring through the ad listings at Cheap Ass Gamer, the ones we found of interest include: Okami for $29.99 at Best Buy Boom Blox with a free $10 gift card at Circuit City and Target Speed Racer for $29.99 at Target Keep in mind that while Circuit City offers its deals online, Best Buy and Target's are brick and mortar only. Also, Target deals vary by region, so the ones above may or may not apply to stores near you.[Via CAG]Read: Best Buy ad with Okami for $29.99Read: Boom Blox with free $10 gift card at Circuit City
God of War Entertainment Packs now available for pre-order
You know you want it. The limited edition God of War Entertainment Pack is finally available for pre-order. The package includes an awesome red PSP, a copy of God of War: Chains of Olympus, and a number of other goodies, like Syphon Filter: Combat Ops and Superbad UMD. Entertainment Pack, indeed. The pack releases on June 3rd for $199.99. Check it out at amazon.com. We'll update this post when other retailers begin offering the system as well. %Gallery-16984%
Clover staff credits cut from Okami Wii, original director 'shocked'
Posting on the official blog of his new studio Platinum Games, Okami director Hideki Kamiya, who developed the original PlayStation 2 version with the now defunct Clover Studio, addresses (in English) Capcom's "incredibly disappointing" decision to cut the original credits. Capcom says the cut was made because the original staff roll, which is a pre-rendered movie, contains the Clover logo (at the very, very end), and since Clover was not involved with the Wii port directly, Capcom had "no right" to leave the old logo. Capcom claims it couldn't remove the logo (at the very, very end) because it didn't have the source file. What, couldn't pick up a phone or fire off a few emails? Kamiya explains that it's not simply the removal of his name and the staff names from the credits that upsets him. "Of course, we all have pride in our work; we all want to stand up and say 'I made this!' Yet more importantly, I find it extremely regrettable that the omoi that went into the staff roll is gone from the game as well." (A translator's note explains "omoi" is "best defined as a combination of thoughts, emotions, and messages.") Kamiya stresses the importance of this post-game omoi, specifically describing the relevance of Okami's original credits in relation to the epic length of the game. "It was a special staff roll for a special moment," writes Kamiya. "And now it is gone." Jeez, after the watermark debacle, Wii's Okami seemed transformed into a "comedy of errors." Now it's just a true tragedy, huh? [Via Kotaku]
Zero Punctuation reviews God of War: Chains of Olympus
Yahtzee, popular narrator of the video game review series "Zero Punctuation" has a new review this week for the system-selling Grand Theft Auto IV God of War: Chains of Olympus. PSP fans may be unfamiliar with the host's brutally honest (and hilarious) takes on today's most popular games -- you're in for a treat. Watch, and tell us if you agree. [Thanks, Outinthedark!]
Print your own Okami boxart, IGN watermark optional
In order to share the new replacement Okami boxarts with people outside the U.S. (to whom they can't ship the printed copies), Capcom has made the boxarts available as PDF downloads, in a big, take-it-to-Kinko's resolution. Capcom's one-time blunder is becoming more of a boon to fans every day.We checked the new version of the original design for IGN watermarks, and didn't see one. That means that you can place the IGN watermark wherever you'd like! You now have the power to choose the size, location, and opacity of the IGN logo on your Okami boxart. For that matter, you could use any watermark you like!
Okami guide also IGN'd?
Apparently IGN is the place to go for high-resolution Okami artwork. BradyGames' Okami strategy guide is also marred by IGN branding -- but a different logo, and in a different place. At first, we thought this was a windup from a tricky Kotaku commenter -- then we looked at the cover on the Brady Games website. Not only does the little D-pad-esque IGN logo appear next to Amaterasu's mouth, this watermark also features "IGN," and you can just see the ".COM" at the end there. Okay, so the Kotaku commenter is absolved -- now we kind of think this must be a joke on the part of the person who made the preview image for Brady's website. If not, we can look forward to some decorative slipcovers.[Via Kotaku]
IGN watermark on Okami Wii strategy guide cover
Lightning does strike twice, and by lightning we mean botched cover art. The Okami Wii box cover wasn't the only victim of the IGN watermark, as it turns out the BradyGames strategy guide also proudly displays the blemish. The automatic reaction to this information would be, "Well, duh! They got the cover from Capcom. So, of course, it'll be there too." Funny thing: The watermark is actually in a different spot. However the error occurred is up for speculation. We just hope this little fiasco urges publishers to supply its designers with the assets to do their job properly. Or, designers should feel free to take assets from us with the Joystiq watermark on them. We totally give permission!
