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IGN said:

Nintendo's Divided Divisions



How Europe has caught up to, matched and surpassed North America. Is it time to start importing again?

The localization process used to make so much more sense to me. Japan got every Nintendo game first, which was understandable since that's the company's home country. Then America would get each game next, needing only a translation into English and a fresh manufacturing run to get going here.




Then, last of all, would be Europe. That whole conglomeration of different nations, each with a different language, would of course be the place games would take the longest to reach. Fans living there were always months and sometimes years behind us in receiving the latest and greatest Big N masterpieces. It sucks to be them, I thought.




Well, now it kind of sucks to be us.




Though Nintendo's process of localization is a lot more complicated than my simplistic, American-superior reasoning made it seem for years on end, the last decade or so has slowly, finally begun to shift my addled mind toward the truth – America, and Nintendo of America, aren't superior. We haven't been for a while, actually, as Europe and its own division of the company have steadily been closing the old time-delay gap in release schedule between regions and, even more shockingly, have begun to reverse the trend, pushing past NOA to actually start receiving games before we do.

More here

Pretty decent read, Europe got Doshin the Giant in the GC era, but America got Baiten Kaitos Origins which Europe didn't get. Funny how europe missed a Monolithsoft RPG and now it's reversed.

America also got gba WarioWare Twisted! and Drill Dozer while Europe didn't. While europe got  Kuru Kuru Kururin and Hamtaro Rainbow Rescue.

On the DS Europe localized two highly-anticipated titles that NOA ignored – Jam with the Band, an addictive multiplayer music maker, and Last Window: The Secret of Cape West. Remember though that DS games are region free and its easy to import.

On Wii the USA received a Mario baseball sequel and Excitebots, while NOE is on its way to delivering seven different Wii exclusives for its fans.

They include Another Code R, Disaster: Day of Crisis, New Play Control! Pikmin 2, Wii Chess - Yoda.


Xenoblade Chronicles is shipping in just a couple of months, complete with a special edition Classic Controller bundle. The Last Story is very likely to follow if statements by Nintendo's own European employees prove trustworthy, and Pandora's Tower.

So no one picked up on this from yesterday, I think it's pretty significant.

Ubisoft said:

Splinter Cell and Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft is "extremely limited" by the current generation of consoles.


"Our challenge with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox [360] is that we're extremely limited in what we can do," Yves Jacquier, Ubisoft's executive director of production services at Ubisoft Montreal, told Eurogamer sister site Gamesindustry.biz.


"It's a challenge for the engineers to provide nice graphics and nice AI and nice sound with a very small amount of memory and computation time."


AI, Jacquier said, "has always been the real battleground", and it's here that Ubisoft hopes to see significant improvement when it makes the jump to the inevitable next Xbox and PlayStation.


"The challenge is that, if you see an AI coming, you've failed. And that's a problem we have to overcome as we create the impression of flawless, seamless worlds.


"In general the industry expects that graphics will not be a strong feature any more... Obviously, graphics are better for marketing purposes because you can show things. AI you can't show.


"We think that the next generation of consoles won't have these limits any more. Games might have more realistic graphics and more on-screen, but what's the value of making something more realistic and better animated if you have poor AI?"

This is the first I've heard about developers having any kind of significant limitations with the current gen's power model. Extremely limited isn't a wishy washy statement either. From the tone of the rest of the interview the guy made it sound like resources were being dedicated to the game looking good, rather than on things that make the game play better, like A.I.

It also raises the question of the Wii U, if it's only 50% more powerful than PS3 as rumoured, it might not be able to keep up with the Jones' once MS and Sony launch their next machines? Digitimes spoke to the taiwanese component manurfacturers and confirmed that PS4 would release next year and 2K today speculated that MS and Sony weren't putting off new hardware, merely experimenting with their own motion controls before intergrating it into their next machines. Foxconn, makers of the PS3 confirmed that PS4 would have Kinect like functionality built in - or we should say Eyetoy.

Nintnendo Europe has kicked the fucking shit out of the US this generation. But I think it has more to do with NOA being WAY too into their casual successes than anything else.

So there is a new preview up on the second wave of Kinect games.

Rise of Nightmares IS NOT on rails. You can move about and here's how:

"Movement's handled by putting your right foot forward and using your shoulders to turn, and you interact with in-game objects - grabbing weapons or opening doors, say - by holding out your right hand."

There are also hands on with Sesame Street and the Star Wars game and Kinect Disneyland Adventures.

"Disneyland itself is far more than just a hub. You'll be able to explore every element of the park, using a neat movement system that sees you pointing at the screen to shuffle around, and your kids can interact with famous Disney characters, many of whom will send them on quests. When that's done, there are always plenty of bonus objects to hunt for and mess around with, and when that's done, remember that it's still Disneyland in your freaking living room. If there isn't a level based on the Haunted Mansion, mind you, I will go absolutely mental."

News said:

Bethesda has announced Dishonored, a new first-person stealth action adventure game.



The developer is Arkane Studios, which was bought by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax in August last year.



Harvey Smith, one of the developers of the first two Deus Ex games, is co-creative director, according to Game Informer.

Viktor Antonov, who designed Half-Life 2's City 17, is also on board.



"Dishonored is the antithesis of a edge-of-your-seat roller-coaster ride," Game Informer said.



"It's a game about assassination where you don't have to kill anyone. It's a game about infiltration where you can set up traps and slaughter the entire garrison of an aristocrat's mansion rather than sneak in. It's a game about brutal violence where you can slip in and out of a fortified barracks with nobody ever knowing you were there. It's a game about morality and player choice where the world you create is based on your actions, not navigating conversation trees."



Bethesda is yet to announce release platforms or a launch window for the game.

3D Pixel Racing Wii screens

Like 3D Dot Game Heroes but with racing

More at the link in todays updates

gamingeek said:

3D Pixel Racing Wii screens

If it had a cool editor letting us make our own blocky cars and tracks, like some blocky Trackmania wannabe, I'd get it. Without, I'd rather give another $5 and get FAST. It doesn't look like shovelware from the trailer though, so that's nice. Presentation is nice and the handling looks alright too.

Yeah, GG framerate is shit on that video but that's because of FRAPS which the modder used to record video. Without it I'd wager FR would be much more stable. FRAPS kills framerate.

gamingeek said:

SteelAttack said:

Yeah, GG framerate is shit on that video but that's because of FRAPS which the modder used to record video. Without it I'd wager FR would be much more stable. FRAPS kills framerate.

Sound like craps. Tee hee.

gamingeek said:

Wiiware

Gameplay


Ark of Sinners is an exploration and adventure game with linear movement in a 3D environment (ie, what is now known as 2.5D). The player takes control of Celia as she walks the streets and corners of the eternal city fighting its dark inhabitants.


To face the dangers that await her, our heroine has an unique fighting style that allows her to perform many different combos, from throwing into the air her enemies and finish them off in flight, to unleash devastating Ki techniques.


Ark City is an open world, where the player may move freely within it and is able to retrace his steps to unlock new sections and districts of the vast metropolis like if it was a big puzzle; all in pursuit to unravel all its hidden secrets.

That pic reminds me of Castlevania 64. A Great game.

SteelAttack said:

Didn't CV 64 suck? Or am I confused?

I never played it, I think it got 75% reviews back in the day. I think the camera was mentioned as a problem.

edgecrusher said:

That pic reminds me of Castlevania 64. A Great game.

Trailer here for Ark of Sinners, does look inspired by Castlevania

Ark. Everything begins and ends in this forgotten city.


While fleeing from their pursuers, Celia and Nemo fall into the depths of the earth to that damned place. All alone, Celia awakens in a location unknown to her, an empty metropolis inhabited only by shadows.


Join Celia in an astounding journey through the fascinating world of the RPG saga Anima Beyond Fantasy, an adventure that will lead to the deepest secrets of the city… and of her own soul.



Explore the huge world of Ark. 21 interconnected stages that will offer you more than 8 hours of gameplay.

Exciting adversaries. 12 enemies and 4 different bosses.

Countless combat movements. Control Celia’s multiple combos and special attacks.

Epic music.

A deep and intricate storyline. Reveal the secrets of Ark through the tales from the Anima Beyond Fantasy series writer Carlos Garcia and the animated cutscenes from the well-known artist Wen Yu Li.