EA has picked up Luis Ubiñas to sit on its board of directors. Ubiñas is president of the Ford Foundation, which gives grants and starts projects all over the world. Previously, he worked at a consulting firm called McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in working with media and wireless technology companies.
In what is probably a complete coincidence, players of The Sims 3 are all getting Ford Fiestas for free. The virtual kind, that is -- you can head over to the Sims website right now to pick up a downloadable pack which includes a Fiesta hatchback or sedan for your Sims' garage, and a bevy of other brand-related virtual items to use and play with.
That news probably has nothing at all to do with Ubiñas' new or old job titles, but we figured we'd let you know anyway.
#industry
We hear a lot from Japanese developers (and Western pundits) about how the Japanese development scene is dead, but what about a Western developer who works for a Japanese publisher? What does he think? More »
#pressplay
Enimen's "Won't Back Down" was the soundtrack to Black Ops' American trailer. While the hip-hop star has a following in The Land of the Rising Sun, the Japanese version gets homegrown talent. More »
In the latest Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom dev diary video, composer Sahashi Toshihiko discusses the process of creating music for Game Republic's buddy game. It turns out that before the Forsaken Kingdom, he had experience in the Magic Kingdom -- he created music for Tokyo Disneyland.
Above, you can find the eight images representing Achievements in the upcoming Steam version of Super Meat Boy, revealed via the @SuperMeatBoy Twitter account. The mesmerizing exercise in frustration and pleasure in attempting to safely escort a small meat object to its own fascination is one many are enjoying on the Xbox 360 right now. Eventually, it will come to the PC, boasting additional characters and levels, but also 30+ Achievements to unlock on Steam, "most rejected by MS for their difficulty."
Today, the @SuperMeatBoy account revealed the above image, asking fans to guess which each represents, but didn't stop there. A later tweet provided clues for unrevealed characters and a following tweet even offered hope of a Steam launch date "sometime" next week.
#shinjimikami
Shinji Mikami is responsible for one of the most successful game franchises ever, horror series Resident Evil. It's not just the games that are scary. Mikami's own childhood sounds horrific. More »
MMO publisher Gazillion Entertainment, which recently launched Lego Universe and c
urrently has at least three other MMOs in development, has raised another $60 million in its latest round of funding. Gamasutra reports the funding is intended to assist the company as it enters "a key phase of expansion."
Gazillion's next release should be Marvel Super Hero Squad Online sometime in 2011. The company is also working on Marvel Universe and the interminably (not terminally) delayed Jumpgate Evolution.
#culturesmash
Popularity is a fickle thing. Some people are loved, adored. Some are not. Most never become accurately aware of what the masses think of us. Shizuka Oya did earlier this month. More »
#clips
Is it sad that the closest video games are able to come to commemorating Veteran's/Armistice/Remembrance Day is the poppy flower featuring in the intro to 1993's Amiga classic Cannon Fodder? More »
It’s time to take a second look at how the game industry has handled the ‘noir’ approach to telling a story, or providing interesting gameplay mechanics. Noir isn’t just one set idea, it’s a combination of various details and expressions. There have been plenty of games over the years to approach a noir-like [...]
In a kind of brilliant move, O-Games is promoting its racing game by giving away copies of another company's racing game. Starting this Friday, November 12, the company will hold weekly leaderboard challenges in its PSN game Superstars V8 Racing. Each week's winner will receive a copy of Gran Turismo 5. This means, if you're way, way awesome at Superstars V8 Racing, this is a way to get GT5 for just twenty bucks -- the cost of V8 Racing. Complete details of the contest will be posted on the game's Facebook page.
Of course, there's a unique problem with offering Gran Turismo 5 as a prize. "Exactly when we can ship GT5 is anybody's guess," O-Games Greg Lanz said in the announcement of the contest. "But rest assured, we will send out prizes whenever it hits retail shelves."
#a2m
Wet developers Behaviour used to be known as Artificial Mind & Movement. Then they changed it to A2M (NSFW). And that's why they're now known as Behaviour. More »
BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka announced at an EA Games showcase event in San Francisco this evening that Electronic Arts is assuming all publishing duties for the developer's forthcoming Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic. In a press release, EA stated that "certain publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities previously designated to LucasArts will shift to EA, so that all publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities can be centralized for efficiency," something that Muzyka expounded on when we spoke with him.
"There's not going to be any obvious change for gamers," Muzyka said of the immediate implications of the deal, adding that, "It makes things easier for us to have everything under one roof, and that will eventually benefit players." How so? Customer service was one example given. As for the role LucasArts will have in the game's development going forward, Muzyka told Joystiq that the company will still be "very involved" in ensuring that the final experience is 100 percent Star Wars in content and tone.
What Muzyka wouldn't tell us: When we can expect Star Wars: The Old Republic to ship. Canadians, it turns out, are not susceptible to Jedi mind tricks.
#apple
Apple's App Store is flooded with short burst games to play... but what if you don't feel like paying for the privilege? Here's a selection of some of the best free gaming the iPhone and iPod touch have to offer. More »
#clips
What if you took New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS and hacked a complete recreation of Super Mario 3 into the thing? Well, why stop there? Why not put some Metroid and Legend of Zelda in there too? More »
#microsoft
With a (mostly) disappointing launch lineup and some niggling problems, it's easy to get down on Microsoft's Kinect. Try sparing a thought, though, for the parents of a four year-old autistic boy, for which it's been a revelation. More »
More pics here
Just incase you were wondering, we have some information on some of the supporting characters that pop up in the DS version of Sonic Colors. Remember, these characters are not in the Wii version, but have been included in the DS outing.
Charmy, Silver, Blaze, Rouge, Cream, Cheese, Big, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and [...]
Super Meat Boy is tough. It's like those sitcom staples, where the playboy character type agrees to take out two attractive young ladies on the same night and tries to juggle both dates at the same time, ultimately failing -- just, you know, instead of dates it's all about jumping past saw blades and instead of attractive human beings, it's about a little gross block of meat who wants to make out with (?) a living bandage. You still with us?
Good, because we'd like to tell you that your Gamerscore in Super Meat Boy on Xbox 360 is poppycock. When the game is ported to the PC, it'll not only have additional characters and levels to go through, but also 30+ Achievements to unlock on Steam, "most rejected by MS for their difficulty," the @SuperMeatBoy Twitter account states. It's a good thing, too: we'd just started getting our self-esteem and confidence back!
Sure, the Prince of Persia Trilogy HD collection may be inexplicably limited to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa while leaving good ol' North America out in the cold, but you know what's not so limited: the internet. So go ahead, head on past the break for a 9-minute peek, thanks to YouTube.
- McDonalds and Konami teamed up
- game now features McDonalds themed items for characters
- must visit a McDonalds’ location
- connect to the Mac de DS service to get three sets of McDonalds themed items
- available between November 12th to 29th
- first set of items includes an employee uniform, visor, and a McDonalds sign
- second set [...]
#screengrab
Britain's hedgehog population is in crisis, with many falling victim to roadkill. Sega staged a "hedgehog road crossing" to raise awareness of the creatures, and, of course, Sonic Colors. Here one's fitted with red booties. Seen via Daily Mail. More »
