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Shadows of the Damned 2 being considered by Grasshopper
Grasshopper Manufacture is considering a sequel to Shadows of the Damned, which is easily going to be this year's "damn the numbers!" moment if it becomes official. Eurogamer reports that Grasshopper chief creative officer Akira Yamaoka is thinking of a sequel, and believes EA -- which left the original IP to die at retail last time -- would "probably" be interested, before saying that "well, yes" it would.We adored Shadows of the Damned, which actually made the seventh spot on our top games of 2011, but critical acclaim isn't the same as sales. The game debuted at 31 on the UK charts and sold a measly 24,000 units in its first month in the States. We'll keep hope alive that Garcia Hotspur's Johnson will rise again. [Pixinity via Shutterstock]
Joystiq Top 10 of 2011: Shadows of the Damned
This sojourn in hell inspires the most intense evangelism, and that makes me think nobody in EA's marketing department bothered to play Shadows of the Damned. Even those who acted as envoys for the game's off-kilter charms, those people who were unpaid but still rewarded, might have gotten stuck on the easy marquee description: "It's the unfathomable oddness of Suda 51, paired with Shinji Mikami sensibility and an Akira Yamaoka soundtrack!" The summation is accurate (if a bit unfair to the major input from design lead Massimo Guarini, who left Grasshopper Manufacture in 2011), but hardly a detailed message for those unfamiliar with star Japanese designers. At least Shadows of the Damned had no troubles conveying its obvious qualities: a surprising and properly grotesque vision of post-life limbo, a protagonist passionate to a fault and a hilarious skull-on-a-stick to guide him.
The Damned collaboration: How Shadows of the Damned found its closing act
It takes a lot of people a lot of time to license a track for a video game. Among other things, that's what The Damned drummer Andrew "Pinch" Pinching learned in the fall of 2010 when he worked with Grasshopper Manufacture composer Akira Yamaoka on the title track from this year's grindhouse-inspired third-person shooter, Shadows of the Damned. According to Pinch, it took "about a hundred emails" before an agreement was even reached regarding the collaboration. "I kid you not, they are VERY thorough," Pinch explained to me via email earlier this summer. He was speaking to the GhM side of the partnership, which he described as "treading a different path in the games industry" from other dev studios. "I did a bit of research and found out about Suda51 and No More Heroes," Pinch added. "[He] was regarded as a bit of an edgy rebel, which appealed to me immensely. It didn't hurt that his games looked great as well." The end product of the collaboration was, as we now know, the excellent (and if I may say so myself, rockin') final track from Shadows of the Damned. But that wasn't always the plan, as Pinch told me. "Initially, they [GhM] wanted what everyone wants -- an old Damned track. In this instance, a track called 'Love Song,' which in hindsight would have fitted the theme of the game rather nicely." But "Love Song" wasn't meant to be, and The Damned pushed to create an original track for the game.
Shadows of the Damned soundtrack coming to Japan [update: available now internationally]
Grasshopper Manufacture announced the very welcome news that it will release a soundtrack CD containing Akira Yamaoka's full score on Shadows of the Damned. The pre-order soundtrack was nice, but incomplete; this disc will have all 21 tracks, including "Shadows of the Damned," performed with The Damned. In addition, GHM will release a guide book called "Kurayami Magazine," named after an earlier iteration of the game. It features a long interview with Suda 51 and original character designs. Both items are listed on the Japanese GHM store website, with the soundtrack available tomorrow and the book on September 9. Neither has been posted on the American store yet, and we're asking-slash-begging Grasshopper for more information. Update: GHM is selling the soundtrack on its international site now, limited to 1,000 copies. The first 300 will be signed by Akira Yamaoka!
High-profile voice actors for Shadows of the Damned in Japan
Grasshopper Manufacture's Shadows of the Damned is set to infuse Japan with its Hot Boner this September. To help ensure that Japanese fans of grindhouse gore gravitate towards the product, it's enlisted some real-world celebrities to accompany the already extensive list of gaming celebrities attached to the title. Tadanobu Asano, best known for his role as Kakihara in Ichi the Killer, will be lending his pipes to Shadows' profanity-proficient protagonist Garcia. Chiaki Kuriyama of Kill Bill: Vol 1 and Battle Royale fame will voice Garcia's kidnapped girlfriend, Paula, and Miyazaki veteran Tatsuya Gashûin will give voice to Johnson, Garcia's phallic freudian friend/weapon. Man, you'd think this was a Guitar Hero post on account of all this star power.
Silent Hill: Downpour 'not missing out' without Yamaoka, says Vatra dev
Vatra Games design director Brian Gomez doesn't feel that his studio's upcoming survival-horror title, Silent Hill: Downpour, is being too adversely affected by the absence of longtime series composer Akira Yamaoka. "I was worried when we lost him, we lost him really early on in Downpour. But I was a big fan of Dexter already, so I'm happy we got Daniel Licht," Gomez told me this morning after a GDC Europe panel on the SH franchise. "It was the closest to Akira but also brought something new to it," he added. Back in 2009, Downpour producer (at Konami) Tomm Hulett told us, "If Akira's music isn't there, it just doesn't sound quite right. And I'm sure that there are people out there who could emulate the sound and try to get it close, but there would be something missing." But time heals all wounds, and Gomez thinks the game will still fall in line with the franchise's established standard of audio. "As much as I would've loved the honor of working with Akira, I don't feel that we're missing out by not having him." That said, it's clear that Gomez wants Yamaoka back at Konami, and back on the Silent Hill franchise. Speaking to the ongoing friction between Yamaoka and his formeremployer, Gomez added, "I think this whole feud between he and Konami is just fucking stupid. Everyone needs to calm down, and bring him back in, and do something." Gomez had yet to play Yamaoka's latest work, the critically acclaimed (but commercially ignored) Shadows of the Damned from Grasshopper Manufacture and EA. "I've just been too busy with Downpour, unfortunately."
Shadows of the Damned director Guarini leaves Grasshopper, forms Ovosonico
Though the marquee names associated with Shadows of the Damned were Suda 51, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka, it was Massimo Guarini who actually directed the stylish shooter for Grasshopper Manufacture. He'll have a chance to amend that crediting oversight with his new studio, the just revealed Ovosonico Productions. Grasshopper confirmed to us that Guarini has left Suda 51's camp-heavy dev house. GameSpot noticed the site and dug through its source code, which revealed the slogan "Games, Music, Films with an attitude" -- not exactly a surprise given Guarini's multi-disciplined media production past. The main site also characterizes the company's work as "The sound of bold ideas," ambiguously hinting at its future. It's not exactly a huge surprise that Guarini left, given the depressingly low initial sales numbers of the excellent Shadows of the Damned, but it is a surprise he's starting his own studio -- Guarini's worked for a variety of studios across the industry, originally getting his start at Ubisoft. It's currently unclear where Ovosonico is based, but we've followed up for more info.
Akira Yamaoka 'tag-teaming with Suda 51' on game development
Akira Yamaoka's business card may identify him as Grasshopper Manufacture's "Chief Sound Officer," but the leather-bound composer's new job embodies more than just audio. During an interview at the 8-4 Play podcast, Yamaoka detailed his role. "At Grasshopper, I'm creating sound, but not only sound," he said. "I'm the leader of the development team, so I'm tag-teaming with Suda 51, and I'm actually involved with game creation as well as sound." He then went on to tease "a few titles we're going to announce soon, so stay tuned." Listen to the whole podcast to learn more about Yamaoka and his career -- including why he planned to quit Konami after his first week.
The Joystiq Show - 003: Localization of the Damned
This week, the Joystiq Show talks localization. From the cry of gamers wanting Nintendo to bring niche Japanese games stateside, to inside information straight from the localizers themselves, we have the topic covered from all angles. Is Catherine the first game from Atlus to include underwear in a special edition? You'll have to listen to find out. Also, stick around after the main show as Mark MacDonald from 8-4 joins a lengthy Spoiled Rotten roundtable on Shadows of the Damned. Part 1 (2:50) - Operation Rainfall Part 2 (15:10) - Atlus on Catherine Part 3 (28:40) - Mark MacDonald of 8-4 Part 4 (52:30) - Spoiled Rotten: Shadows of the Damned Let us know what you think of the show in comments. Also, we still need some sweeter than sweet art for The Joystiq Show, so you creative types should get on it! Note: Most game clips from Audio Atrocities. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Host: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Guests: Chris Ward, Aram Jabbari, Clayton S. Chan, Mike Meeker and Mark MacDonald Producer: Jonathan Downin (@jonathandownin - Game Thing Daily) Production Coordinator: Richard Mitchell (@SenseiRAM) Music: Trash80 and Broke For Free. See the full guest list, and stream the show, after the break.
Zelda sold well in June, Child of Eden and Shadows of the Damned did not
Three major Japanese-developed games came out in North America in June: one of which performed really well, the other two ... not so much. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D showed up at #5 on the software top ten chart yesterday. Nintendo subsequently announced that it sold "more than 283,000 units," making it the second best-selling game on a single platform, right behind Infamous 2. It's the first 3DS exclusive to chart on the top ten. Meanwhile, two games weirder than Zelda attracted far more exclusive audiences. Child of Eden, the NPD told Joystiq, sold approximately 34,000 units in its debut month, ranking at number 83. At the same time, Shadows of the Damned managed to sell 24,000 copies, combined, on PS3 and Xbox 360. Damn.
Shadows of the Damned promoted internationally with 'Playbox' magazine, Trivium album
When you think of Shadows of the Damned, your mind might linger on the music ... of Orlando-based metal band Trivium. At least, that might be the case in Germany, where EA is engaging in an unlikely cross-promotion, giving away copies of Trivium's album "In Waves" on its website in a contest tied in with Shadows. In Japan, the promotions aren't quite as random. There, Shadows of the Damned will come with a code to download the soundtrack (as offered in the US by Amazon), along with a "Playbox" magazine featuring cover art of Garcia's girlfriend Paula, and interviews with Suda, Shinji Mikami, and Akira Yamaoka. This isn't the first time Grasshopper Manufacture has mocked (and mocked-up) Playboy Magazine to promote one of its games; in 2007, it posted images of idols dressed as No More Heroes' Sylvia Christel and called the series "PLAYSYLVIA."
Sega distributing EA games in Japan, starting with Shadows of the Damned
Garcia Hotspur is passing through Japan in order to make a little money on his way to Hell, and he's got an unlikely guide: Sega. The Japanese publisher has taken on Japanese distribution duties for EA games, starting in August. The first title to be released under this agreement, as alluded earlier, is Grasshopper Manufacture's Shadows of the Damned. It'll be out in Japan on September 22. EA and Sega are also planning to release Battlefield 3 and FIFA in Japan, according to an excerpt of the announcement posted at Famitsu. EA has leaned on Japanese companies to boost its profile before; in 1998, EA and Square both opened cooperative publishing operations in the US and Japan, called Square Electronic Arts and Electronic Arts Square, respectively.
Zumba Fitness stays atop UK charts for fifth week, LA Noire brings up second place
It seems that 505 Games' Zumba Fitness motion game is destined to occupy every living room in the UK, as it was the UK's highest selling title last week -- even after 31 weeks of availability. Regaining a place in the top five, Rockstar's LA Noire took second place, though it saw a 15 percent dip in sales. Here's where things get really depressing: Suda 51 and Shinji Mikami's excellent Shadows of the Damned debuted on the charts at number 31, beaten not only by the likes of recently released stinkfest Duke Nukem Forever, but even older titles like Art Academy and EA Sports Active 2. FEAR 3 faced a starkly different reception, landing the number three spot just below LA Noire. We're not mad, UK readers and EA marketers -- just, ya know, disappointed.
Your emergency dose of Shadows of the Damned
If you crave more footage of Garcia Hotspur shooting things and cursing in two languages -- but you have yet to receive your copy of Shadows of the Damned -- you might consider today's trailer an adequate stopgap. It's nonstop shooting and polyglot obscenity. There's even a dick joke!
Shadows of the Damned review: Hell and back
Of all the gags in Shadows of the Damned, the biggest may be that it's rated "M for Mature." Believe me, the game is anything but. Over the course of its narrative, I wielded a weapon called the "Hot Boner," shoved any number of revolting things into a wailing infant's mouth and sprinted across a giant, mostly naked woman's body (including a breast roughly the size of a gazebo). And the dick jokes -- so many dick jokes. In short, Shadows of the Damned is insensitive, puerile, gross, incredibly profane and ... kind of wonderful. %Gallery-124633%
Shadows of the Damned dev diary examines the sounds of Hell
Another developer diary for Shadows of the Damned is out, this time featuring Suda 51 and the game's composer, Akira Yamaoka. Once again, rather than opt for boring translators, each creator is given a dramatic -- and goofy -- voice over. Appropriate, given the game's over-the-top presentation.
Shadows of the Damned trailer shows who's boss
Were we to face off against an ugly demon who erupted into a Hellish bird monster, we'd scream, run ... maybe pee. We are not Garcia Hotspur from Shadows of the Damned. Without flinching, he just calls the monster a pendejo and starts shooting. Check it out after the break. If you're inspired by this display of stupid machismo, you can bear your appreciation of Shadows of the Damned on your desktop. GHM posted three new wallpapers to Facebook, promising to post more every day until the June 21 launch.
Shadows of the Damned preview: Do not go quietly into the night
Last week, we got to spend some quality time with the first three acts of Shadows of the Damned. Rather than force you to sift through a mound of words, we've compiled our impressions into one convenient video. Check it out after the break. Keep in mind that, by the nature of the game itself, it's mildly not safe for work.
Shadows of the Damned screens show Hell from a new perspective
The latest screens from Shadows of the Damned include things we've come to expect (by which we mean total horrors) -- as well as something we didn't. The screen above shows a stylized, side-scrolling 2D segment that kind of looks like And Yet It Moves moved to Hell.
Shadows of the Damned trailer is very subtle
The Shadows of the Damned trailer after the jump shows off the game's unique weapon upgrade system -- but unfortunately, it's titled "Enlarge Your Johnson." Check it out if you'd like to learn how to properly bolster your armaments; just make sure your browser doesn't spam-block us in the process.
