Iwata would only consider it if he stopped caring for the company

Nintendo should go third party, they say. "Nintendo should have their IP on every platform," they say. No matter how many times CEO Satoru Iwata or anybody in Nintendo management have repeated themselves, there's always some new chucklehead with the brilliant idea that putting Nintendo games on other consoles wil??l result in a massive influx of revenue.

You should be happy to know that Satoru Iwata agrees with you! Nintendo would make a lot of money... in the short term,?? that is.

In a discussion with CVG, Iwata made himself as clear as possible: "If I was to take responsibility for the company for just the next one or? two years, and if I was not concerned about the long-term future of Nintendo at all, it might make sense for us to provide our important franchises for other platforms, ?and then we might be able to gain some short-term profit. However, I'm really responsible for the long-term future of Nintendo as well, so I would never think about providing our precious resources for other platforms at all."

B-b-b-but iOS! But the Wii U's flagging sales!

B-b-b-but NOTHING!

"What I believe is that Nintendo is a very unique company, because it does its business by designing and introducing people to hardware and software -- by integrating them, we can be unique. And because we ??have hardware and software developers in the same building, they stimulate each other. And those kinds of conditions have enabled us to create something that no other companies can create."

Some people just refuse to accept the truth. The reason Nintendo has been as successful as it has in the past is because of its level of control over every production phase, from the hardware itself to the games. Just because its current ho?me console is doing less than stellar and might never achieve the kind of success Ninten??do would like doesn't mean it should do something drastic like give up its valuable stable of properties.

Imagine if Nintendo had gone third party following the GameCube. Does anybody here honestly believe the company would have done better financially publishing on the PS3 and 360? instead of going forward with the Wii? If you do, please check yourself into a nearby clinic, because you've lost touch with reality.

There is no logical reason why Nintendo should jump out of the hardware business or, even worse, simultaneousl??y publish games on other platforms and its own. I'd love to keep hearing what people come up with, though. It makes for great entertainment!

Iwata: Nintendo games on rival platforms w??ould only be a short-term fix [CVG]

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Remember when your parents told you Pokemon was just a fad? Oh how wrong they were. Sixteen years later, and Pokemon Black & White 2 is still selling like hotcakes.

A recent report suggests that there were 1.16 million pre-orders for Black & White 2 in Japan. The first Black & White iterations also garnered roughly the same amount of pre-orders, and eventually sold 14.71 million units. This is a good sign of things to come for the franchise, which will be coming out later this year in regions other than Japan.

The realization that Pokemon came out over fifteen years ago also makes me feel extremely old, because I remember getting Pokemon Red the day it came out, and erasing my save after a few hours of play, thinking there were multiple slots. Young Chris Carter; why you so stupid?

Pokemon B?lack &; White 2 pre-orders top a million [Gematsu]

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During my time with the Vita last week (more on that later), I managed to dig up some interesting little nuggets regarding Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Resistance: Burning Skies. Now, these may seem like no brainers, but I fe?el like they're worth sharing with t??he class.

When I asked one of the developers regarding multiplayer for Uncharted, he said that we should expect "something different", and that an official announcement will be coming soon. Now, what that "something different" was, he wouldn't say. If I were a betting man, some kind of co-op would be interesting and di?fferent for the series.

The Resistance dev I chatted up seemed adamant about recreating the console experience for the Vita. So that can ??only mean favorites like Chain Reaction, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag are all making a return with this latest entry.&??nbsp;

The post ??PSVita Uncharted and Resistance to get multiplayer appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo of Europe has posted a banner ad on their home page for the upcoming Metallic Red 3DS model. In addition to sporting a fiery finish, this latest 3DS also comes packed with some incredible new features. Not only can you now play your entire DS software library in glorious 2D, you can even turn the 3D effect OFF on 3DS titles! Whoooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

This new marketing push is meant to clear up confusion about what the 3DS can and cannot do, specifically that you don't need to have 3D on and that old DS games won't magically develop a third dimension. I understand that Nintendo is t??rying to get hardware moving, but it's gotta be super embarrassing -- not to mention pretty hilarious -- to have to basically shake each and every one of your customers and say, "You are doing it wrong, dingus!"

Appa?rently, this is limited to the countries under the umbrella of Nintendo of Europe. As far as I can tell, the American and Japanese branches still treat their consumers as having some semblance of brain function.

(Great tip, Isshak!)

The post Mind blown! You can play games in 2D on a 3DS! appeared first on Destructoid.

In a twist that is a unsurprising as James Bond not dying at the end of a movie, Assassin's Creed: Revelations' lead writer Darby McDevitt ("It's DeWitt!") has told CVG that the upcoming game "won't ?answer everything because Desmond's story continues. But fans will definitely know most of the important details of Ezio and Altair's lives, and how they fit into the grand scheme."

The game's creative director Alexandre Amancio has said before that "We're closing all the loops that have been started, [those] that have been left in suspense. And we're going to reveal not only a lot of stuff about the first civilization plotline, but we're also going to conclude the Ezio and Altair storylines." I guess they are not closing all the loops after all.

Still no word on whether or not Ezio will actually survive his appearance in the supposedly final Assassin's Creed game he'll be starring in (they'll need to put him in handheld and mobile games after all), but McDevitt w??as willing to say that ??"hardcore fans know the logic of the Animus prevents us from seeing certain things in a character's life -- but we also know how to pull a few devious tricks. Just wait and see."

I hope they'll be using that "logic of the Animus" to explain to the hardcore fans exactly how any Assassin's Creed game is going to work after December 21st, 2012.

Assassin's Creed Revelations 'won't an?swer everything,' teases writer [CVG]

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Sega has announced today that Chris Evans, the star of the upcoming Captain America film, wi?ll voice and lend his likeness to the character in the upcoming game. That is, of course, if you hadn't already made this?? assumption when you saw Evans' face in the game's screenshots last year.

"Signing Chris to star in Captain America: Super Soldier deliv??ers the cinematic quality and emotional drive that fans expect," says Sega's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Gary Knight??. "Chris will help fuel the character's missions as he battles through the enormous Hydra castle full of legendary villains in a completely original story."

I think most fans of Evans probably just want to hear the potentially er?otic damage noises he'll be forced to make in a voice ove??r booth.

Captain America: Super Soldier is out this year for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. I had a chance to check out the 360 version at Comic Con last year, and was even nice enough to grab some video of the game for you. You're welcome!

The post Chris Evans to vo?ice, look l??ike Captain America in game appeared first on Destructoid.

This seems like a bit of a Captain Obvious post, but everybody's treating Masahiro Sakurai's comments like a big deal, so you might want to know. Basically, the Kid Icarus Uprising d?irector has stated that you'll want a set of steady hands in order to get the most out of your 3DS' visuals. 

Since the 3D effect only works ??from a fixed position, Sakurai says that your hands will need to be kept free of exaggerated movements, which could spoil the illusion. He thinks the 3DS should be played with your hands planted on your lap, or using a peripheral that docks the system on a flat surface. 

We more or less figured already that the 3D effect won't pop out from anywhere like the hologram chess in Star Wars, but here's a little reminder for you. The 3DS' visual trickery is pretty amazing, but I hope people aren't expecting Arnold J. Rimmer to pop out at them.

Kid Icarus Designer Suggests Steady Hands for 3DS [andriasang]

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A SEGA marketing ape has loosened his jaw in the latest Game Informer to reveal that "two of three" big Sonic the Hedgehog announcements are coming in the? early portions of 2011. SEGA with some Sonic news ... what a unique concept!

"We're looking to improve the quality and focus of a pure Sonic platform gaming experience. We have released Sonic 4 digitally, which has reviewed very well," says marketing VP Alan Pritchard. "Free Riders was really about being a part of the launch of Kinect. Then, we have Colors, which is our pure Sonic gaming experience. That's had some high score??s. It's also the highest pre-selling pure Sonic title we've ever had.

"But to your point, we have some announcements in the e??arly part of next year that will further support and add to this strategy. There will be two of three big Sonic announcements in the early part of next calendar year."

One of those announcements will surely be Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Two, and I'm guessing that the other major one will be Sonic Anniversary, the rumored collection of remade Sonic levels. That just leaves the annual Wii game, which would more than likely capitalize on the success of Colors. 

Looks like I've got these announcements all sewn up?. Does that mean I'm a games analyst n??ow?

3 major Sonic announcements in early 2011 [CVG]

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"Janco Partners" analyst Mike Hickey gave some predictions for Take-Two today. Why? Because he believes the publisher will make enough money to remain profitable even if a new GTA doesn't come out during the n??ext fiscal year (April 1 2011 - March 31 2012).

He believes GTA V will sell a lot of copies! I know, it's the strangest thing. Hickey expects the game to sell upward of 16 million copies for a good old $750 million. Take-Two should be just fine with Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire on the way for the next fiscal year. He also thinks BioShock Infinite will be a 2012 title that will sell 4 ??million copies for $182 million.

An estimate of 41 million Xbox 360s and PS3s by the end of 2010, compared to 14 million units when GTA IV came out in 2008, is apparently one of the reasons for the high estimate. I guess that falls in line with Black Ops selling more than Modern Warfare 2 on day one.

GTA IV was announced at E3 2006, one year before its release. There was no GTA V this E3. So there won't be a GTA V in 2011. And Max Payne 3 without Remedy at the helm might not do as well as this guy predits. Or ma??ybe it will, because it's by Rockstar Vancouver! There you go. Analysis done, now pay me the big bucks.

[Gamespot]

The post Analyst believes GTA V “likely” in 2012 appeared first on Destructoid.

After having it bluntly confirmed that GoldenEye 007 would indeed have no DLC whatsoever, I struggled with whether or not to top this story off with our intrepid hero, Captain Obvious. On the one hand games on the Wii just don't get DLC, but on the other it isn't impossible for them to get it and that means there's always that chance. Thus putting Ca??ptain Obvious up there is basically saying that a Wii game not having DLC is a foregone conclusion, which is saddening.

However, since this story basically backs up that conclusion we have Captain Obvious above and the short response I got from Julian Widdows, Executive Producer at Activison Blizzard UK, when I asked him what the chances were, if any, of GoldenEye 007 getting DLC right here: "None. Sorry."

Sad to hear it, but considering the fact that I played the original (and still do on occasion) over and over with the exact same l?evels and no idea what DLC meant?? (Double Large Cranberry?) I think I'm going to be just fine without it this time around too.

Anyone surprised by this?

The post No DLC for GoldenEye 007 appeared first on Destructoid.

Bethesda's Fallout 3 set the bar for post-release support in this console generation with its robust package of five add-ons: "Operation: Anchorage," "The Pitt," "Broken Steel," "Point Lookout," and "Mothership Zeta." When I asked Fallout: New Vegas senior produce??r Jason Bergman if DLC would be coming for that g??ame, too, here was his excited-but-short-on-details reply: "Yes! Yes, we do! That is the answer to that question!"

He wouldn't go into specifics, except to assure me that Obsidian and Bethesda are "working on getting the game out the door first." But in case you were wondering, plans are certainly in place to put out New Vegas add-ons "after the fact."

We likely won't have to wait too long after the game's October 19th release for the first DLC to hit. When I guessed out loud that New Vegas add-ons would be coming "way down the line," Bergman corrected me: "Not way down the line, but down the line." So if you're worried about running out of New Vegas content to explore, don't be. If anything, if you complete the game quickly, you can try a second play-through on Hardcore Mode to fill the gap.

The post Obsidia??n planning Fallout: New Vegas downloadable content appeared first on Destructoid.

It seems that there is demand for Obsidian's Fallout: New Vegas, so much so that the pre-orders for the post-apocalyptic role-playing game are far exceeding those for the series' previous title, Fallout 3. That's what MCV is reporting from an interview with Bethesda's marketing director, Sarah ????????????????????????????Seaby.

I am shocked -- shocked, I say -- to discover that people are securing copies of one of the most-anticipated?? sequels this year. It's so terribly surprising that more people are interested in the series now that it's coming off the heels of an iteration that outsold all its predecessors combined than they were when it had been a decade between releases. My God, my entire perception of the universe has completely come undone.

This game has me far more concerned over the fate of the series than Fallout 3 did. Returning to the west, bringing an organization like the New California Republic back in to the story, there are myriad more ways ??they could screw this up than with the cobbled-together Capital Wasteland. But it's Obsidian and the pedigree is strong enough that I've plunked down for my copy already. Guess I'm part of the problem here.

Are you amongst the unexpectedly ??large number of people who ?have pre-ordered?

New Vegas pre-orders outgun Fallout 3 [MCV via MTV Multiplayer]

The post Fallout: New Veg??as drawing more pre-orders than Fallout 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

With the upcoming release of Green Day: Rock Band this June, you'd think that maybe MTV and Activision would give the single-band game thing a rest. Of course, you'd be sorely mistaken. Destructoid reader Dexter345 sent us a screencap of this NPD survey, which asks about artists that you'd like to see in their own music game. It's worth mentioning that the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on the list of candidates, and a previous survey already mentioned them for a band-specific Guitar Hero game.

As much as I'd like for Harmoni??x and Neversoft to stick to DLC songs, I must admit that I'd instantly buy a music game featuring Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, or The Who (probably Springsteen, MJ, and the Chili Peppers, too). So maybe I'm part of the probl?em: put one of my favorite artists in a game, and I'll bite. How many of you would just check the "None of the above" box?

Come on, Harmonix. Led Zeppelin: Rock Band -- let's make it happen. Please. You have no idea how much I want to try the guitar part in "Since I??'ve Been Loving You" on Expert. (Not the vocals, though. I sure as hell couldn't pull off a Robert Plant-li?ke wail.)

[Thanks, Dexter345!]

The post N??PD survey suggests more band-specific music games coming appeared first on Destructoid.

As production on Just Cause 2 wraps up, the team at Avalanche Studios has begun dedicating more and more time to an upcoming proje?ct. Speaking to IncGamers, lead designer Peter Johansson was willing to let a few minor details slip.

"We're already working on other stuff at the moment," he says. Just Cause 2 "is owned by Square Enix so we'll see what happens in the future." So, it's not Just Cause 2, then? Okay, cool.

When asked if this new Avalanche game would be another open-world affair, Johansson responded with "not necessarily ... we'll see what happens." About all we know of this mysterious project is that it's not a puzzle game.

*This is the part where you furiously?? spit out ?your drink in surprise*

Shocking, I know! A developer who is not traditionally known for puzzl??e games is ??indeed following up its latest work with something that's not a puzzle game.

Avalanche Hard At Work On Next Game [IncGamers]

The post Breaking: Avalanche not working on a puzzle game appeared first on Destructoid.

A lot of publishers have been having trouble figuring out how to make more money off their Wii games. We've heard from some folks at Capcom say that "hardcore" gamers have moved on from the Wii, or that there was never an consistent audience for "good" games on the console to begin with. Keep in mind, the people making these statements generally don't make videogames; they just publish them. They're the guys who hire the artists and designers to create games; the money men who are generally more concerned with tracking trends and chasing demographics than actually making anything.

Ask an actual developer at Capcom what he thinks of the situation, and?? you'll get a different answer. When I asked Ryota Niistuma (producer of multiple Wii games for Capcom) about the process of designing a game for the Wii, his answer was simple. First, he tries to think of a good idea for a game. Then, if it looks like it's going to be a Wii title, then he tries to think of ways to use the Wii's unique features to the game's advantage.

Crazy, right? Why does he ?go about it this way? Why doesn't he start from the ground up with to??ns of specific gimmicks and tricks? Well, I guess it's because "good games will sell, regardless of what console their on."

Note that he did not say "You need to track demographics and sales data of other games to figure out exactly what sells and what doesn't, then try to make a game that will definitely make you ten times what you spent on it." If he did think like that, I seriously doubt he'd have produced a game like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and I'd also seriously doubt that I'd like?? his games so much.

The post Capcom: ‘If you make a good game, people will buy it’ appeared first on Destructoid.

What’s left for Kratos after God of War III? It looks like the spirited man who spits in the faces of gods and titans will resume his role as the spirited man who spits in the faces of gods ?and titans.

In a not-so-recent interview with Gamervision, Sony Santa Monica director of project development John Hight revealed that the God of War series is set to continue after God of War III is released.

"This is not the end of God of War,” Hight said during the video interview. “This is definitely the end of the trilogy, but we're going to continue to do God of War games.

&??ldquo;We're going to be very careful about what we do. We're the keepers of the franchise and we don't want t?o see it ruined or polluted."

I assume that Kratos will resume his role in the next God of War, but it’s possible that another protagonist could step into the picture -- and that’s not a bad thing if you chew on it real nice and slow. I’m all about controlling Kratos’ mini-game bastard child in an epic adventure to find his father. Or, a gryffon flight sim. That'd be rad.

Interview: God of War III Director of Product Deve??lopment John Hight [Gamervision, via Video Gamer]

The post Captain Obvious: God of War IV will happen appeared first on Destructoid.

Every now and then, we need somebody to tell us something we already knew, and that somebody right now is Bob Jacob, Cinemaware co-founder. Jacob blames the business model of a licensed game, wherein it has to be rushed to coincide with the release of the film. Well, duh. 

"As far as ga??mes and movies, there are inherent problems. The basic reason why so many bad games have been made on film licenses is simply because of a business reality that no one has been able to overcome yet," explains ?Jacob. "That reality is that the time it takes a film to [hit theaters after being green-lit] is never more than a year. What kind of a game can you do in a year? Generally a piece of crap.

"EA can get around that a little bit by throwing a few hundred guys at a project. But for the most part, it's been a pretty sorry history, and until we can solve the basic timing issues it's g?oing to be tough."

Jacob is obviously correct when he says that you can't expect many games to be of AAA quality with less than a year of development. However, when I look at slapdash garbage like Avatar: The Game, there really is no excuse. Even in a year, you can at least borrow game engines and mechanics to create a serviceable, if generic, title. The quality of licensed games should be better with the wealth of resources available. However, there is one major problem th??at Jacob didn't hit upon that I feel will never be overcome. 

The fact that developers don't give a sh*t.

Interview: Bob Jacob On The Cinemaware Era [Gamasutra via CVG]

The post Captain Obvious: Mov?ie tie-ins generally a piece of crap appeared first on Destructoid.

There have been plenty of stories over the years that Captain Obvious has posted, but I feel this might be his greatest achievement. Yes, the power to state the obvious has been granted to Activison and they've used it with great skill. Hold on to your hats, because here it comes: next year will have more Guitar Hero and Call of Duty games. Activision stated as much during a recent earnings call. We can only imagine that the announcement was followed by a slow clap building into a roaring applause as all the participants realised they were in the presence of the mos??t obvious statement ever.

Also announced in this cavalcade of obvious was a new Spider-Man game and a new Shrek game. The latter of which is most likely based on next year's new Shrek film. We don't know much else at all about any of the games other than their impending release in the next year, but it's pretty clear that the new Call of Duty will move away from WWII and into a new time period with awesome music.

The post More Call of Duty and Guitar Hero coming in 2010 appeared first on Destructoid.

Yesterday, a video trailer for The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings was leaked online, prompting plenty of speculation and rudderless gossip about a followup to the well regarded PC RPG. Realizing that what has been seen cannot be unseen, developer CD Projekt RED has been forced to confirm the sequel.

"Of course, we can’t and won’t try to deny the facts," confirms said Adam Kicinski, CEO of CD Projekt RED. "The movie that appeared on the various sites yesterday presents our newest project, The Witcher 2, which we’ve been worki??ng on for some tim?e.

"We made something about half a year ago, to present the first playable version of the game. Currently we are looking?? for a potential publisher (or publishers) for this title, and this leak is an uncontrolled side effect of that process. For today, we are not commenting on anything that concerns the game itself."

I'm st??ill waiting for my damn console version of the first game, but in the meantime, I wish these chaps all the best in getting a publisher for the sequel. We need more solid RPGs coming out of Europe.

The post Capt??ain Obvious: Witch??er 2 confirmed as a real thing appeared first on Destructoid.

For some reason, GameStop has felt the need to announce that its stores will be holding Madden NFL 10 m??idnight launch events at more than 3,000 of its U.S. locations this Thursday, August 13. Uh, surprise? 

The reta??iler is promising "pre-game warm-up challenges" at the events, including playable Madden NFL 10 kiosks, "Ultimate Football Fan" contests, "Tailgate Party Challenges," "End Zone Dance" contests, and in-store tournaments. That's the plan at least.

In all likelihood, it'll be a bunch of hooligans standing in a long line for two hours, with maybe a few whining girlfriend scattered about for good measure. Banter will include uninformed talk about the PlayStation 4, the Xbox 720, baseball salary caps, and how Scarface was an underrated game. Also, someone will mention that they thought 2K Sports' football games were always better, and everyone will start yelling. Also expect poorly a organized trivia contest, and store managers trying to pawn off bags of useless Madden-unrelated-swag?? they've had si??tting around for months to make room for Holiday inventory.

Or, you know, you can just go pick the game up on Friday morning. But if this sounds like your kind of thing, check your local GameStop (or here) to see if it's being forced by GameStop corporate to do a m?idnight opening.

The post GameStop holding Madden midnight launch events appeared first on Destructoid.

I want to be jaded and scowl every time Square Enix makes some sort of announcement in regards to Final Fantasy XIII, but I have to be honest with myself: ever since that Japanese demo came out and I got to watch some video of it I've been more or less drooling Pavlovian-style e?very time I hear the game's name. I know it'll be some time until I can go buy m??y own copy, but I still keep an eye on what's going on with the Japanese release -- after all, the sooner it comes out there the sooner we get it here, right?

Square's Yoichi Wada ??recently announced that in a few weeks they ought to be ready to announce the game's Japanese release date. Gosh, that would put that announcement right around Tokyo Game Show time  ... wait, an announcement of the industry's biggest RPG release at TGS? It's too much to even imagine that you would choose that time to announce it, Square!

Anyway, release date coming at TGS time. Since Destructoid will be there, we'll be sure to keep you posted as soon as we h?ear more details on that. And by "we", I mean "me, panting with excitement".

[Via Kotaku]

The post Final Fantasy XIII’s release date will be announced shortly appeared first on Destructoid.

Lots of things can raise your blood pressure -- traffic jams, stressful days at work, pictures of mostly naked girls writhing on a bed of cherries. Apparently the latest in this list is videogames, according to a study found over at HealthDay News. Here's what they had to say about the topic (Via GamePolitics):

American and Spanish researchers examined the association between sedentary behavior and blood pressure in 111 boys and girls, 3 to 8 years old. For seven days, the children wore a special device that recorded their activity levels. In addition, their parents reported how much time the youngsters spent watching TV, p??laying video games, painting, sitting or doing other low-level activities.

The researchers also measured the children'?s height, weight, ??fat mass and blood pressure...

"The results of this study showed that TV viewing and screen time were associated with elevated blood pressure independent of body composition i?n children," the researchers wrote.

So what you?'re saying is that participating in a form of media that causes children to react will raise their blood pressure? Really? I really don't get these common sense studies, but since they seem to be all the rage I'll keep reading them and wondering when the breaking report that the sun is officially in the sky today is going to hit all the major news outlets.

The post Too much gaming time may raise kids’ blood pressure appeared first on Destructoid.

Here comes some BREAKING news, folks. Get ready for it: a recent study posted on The Hindu report??s that playing games on the Nintendo Wii that require physical movement are better for you than games where you simply sit in front of your computer or TV holding a controller. WOW. From the article:

The study found that playing virtual sports such as boxing and tennis on the Nintendo Wii burned more than 50 percent energy than playing sedentary computer games such as the Xbox.

But wait! There's more

Professor David Dunstan, head of the physical activity lab at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, said; "Interactive games could be useful in helping to increase people's level of activity throughout the day."

The only good thing about this insanely obvious research is that it's great to shove in the faces of people who still insist playing video games is bad for you and rots your brain. Otherwise, we kind of knew. Hey, did you know if you get up and walk to the 7-11 down the street, you burn calories? Incredible, isn't it?

The post Captain Obvious: Wii play healthier th??an sitti??ng on your ass appeared first on Destructoid.

MTV Multiplayer asked Bungie's Brian Jarrard whether the Master Chief would be making an appearnce in Halo ODST. The answer: No. Duh. ODST takes place on Earth in between the events of Halo 2 and 3. The Chief? is off on another Halo in some distant ??galaxy during this time so obviously he won't be appearing in the upcoming sidestory.

If you are wanting some more Master Chief in your life, then you'll just have to wait for Halo Reach. The Chief, or a bunch of other SPARTAN IIs, should have a starring role in Reach. Seriously, go buy the first Halo book. It's really good.  

[Image]

The post Captain Obvious: No Master Chief in Halo ODST appeared first on Destructoid.

So, yesterday, Captain Obvious and I were kicking it real cool. We played some games and went out for drinks. After half a martini, Obvious was spewing all sorts of hot, insider industry news. He told me that Nintendo will develop another Mario title and that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 would have “guns.” But nothing he told me rivals the bombshell Halo franchise developer, Frank O’Connor, dropped on Game Hunters.

He said, “I doubt we have seen the last ??of Master ??Chief.”

Yeah, that’s right. O’Connor spilled the beans. Contrary to no reports, Master Chief will pop up again after Halo Wars and Halo: ODST. This should be exciting news for Halo fans (it was for Captain Obvious, he spit coffee into his receiver when I told him over the pho?ne this morning) as this is a firm indication that Microsoft, or whomever handles the property in non-digital form, will continue pumping out Chief products.

[via Joystiq]

The post Captain Obvious: We’ll see Master Chief again, in something appeared first on Destructoid.

In a brilliant flash of almost Nostradamus-like insight, Famitsu Editor-in-Chief Hirokazu Hamamura has come out and announced that he believes that the upcoming Dragon Quest IX will sell faster than copies of Twilight (yes, it's sickening, but someone is buying that b?o??ok). More from his comments:

"March [DQIX's launch month] will be bigger than the year-end sales war. Even side-stories (such as Dragon Quest Monsters) have sold a million copies, and the previous title in the series (DQVIII) sold 3 million plus. It [DQIX] should be expected to sell from 4 million to 5 million copies." ??

I appreciate mr. Hamamura's expertise, I do, but saying that Dragon Quest is going to sell in Japan is kind of like saying Monster Hunter is going to sell in Japan -- it's kind of obvious, isn't it? At any rate, I'm looking very forward to Dragon Quest IX personally. Perhaps their new IPs are nothing to write home about, but I feel I can still expect an ass-kicking g?ood time from Square's hard??core franchises. 

[Via Kotaku]

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At a recent London event, Atari told MCV that "retail is still a priority," thus the company will continue shipping their games to stores in an attempt to get them in consumers' hands. Awhile back, the publisher was singing a different tune -- one of digital distribution. This has all changed and probably has resulted in Atari's hot new lineup of games. At the event, Ghostbusters, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf, and The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena were announced for next year.

And that’s not all -- there are 11 other titles hanging out in the breeze, all slated for next year. But the new "priority" is still going to coincide with digital distribution. Phil Harrison told those at the event that "Atari is bridging the gap between the physical retail space and advancing the online one" and added tha??t the company were giving developers a chance to publish their games. Captain Obvious wonders how a bridge can be built while the gap is moving around, but believes it is a good thing when developers can publish titles.

In the end, it is just a lot of talk. I have full faith in Atari’s ability to seek out money from consumers, though, so this retail plan could work. Just not in the way t?he Lawnmower Man probably wants it to.

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Just thinking about violence in videogames and its social ramifications keeps us warm on those cold, wintry days when GTA IV isn’t blamed for some some tragic circumstance. Thankfully, the pundits in the media, as well as politicians, always help to fa?n the fire whenever a controversial videogame comes out. It keeps us interested and it keeps you entertained. Yet, when it comes to games in politics in the upcoming election, where does the majority of the industry stand? Surprisingly, it’s the communist, happy-go-lucky, loose-knit organization called the Democratic Party.

Captain Obvious almost fell out of the sky when he heard the news that the majority of videogame industry contributors have been giving their mon??ey to Barack Obama. GamePolitics went the extra?? mile and made a list of some public contributions. Here are some highlights:

Will Wright (Spore) $3,000 to McCain
Curt Schilling (38 Studios) $2,300 to McCain
Strauss Zelnick (Chairman, Take-Two) $2,000 to Obama
Sam Houser (Rockstar) $4,600 to Obama
John Riccitiello (CEO, EA) $4,600 to Obama
Gabe Newell (President, Valve) $2,300 to Dodd

I would have never guessed that we would live in an alternate reality in which developers and publishers would decide to back the party that best aligns with their interests. Captain Obvious and I are going to go out later and drink on this revelation. We’?ll be back toni??ght to drunk post.

[UPDATE: John Carmack's name has been retracted. Apparently there ?are more than two John Carmack's out there on this vast Earth. Go figure.]

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Instead of just sitting around grumbling about not being able to afford all the great releases coming out in the next few months, GameDaily called up some gamers to listen to them grumble about not being able to afford all the great releases coming out in the next few months. Specifically, they asked console owners how they felt about Xbox 360 and PS3 g??ame prices being set at a default of $60, compared to last gene??ration’s $50. Understandably, not many people were all that happy about it.

Based on the national sample’s res??ponses: 43 percent said that they would wait for games to drop in price before they’d buy them, 30 percent said they’d buy more used games, 23 percent said they would buy fewer games, 17 percent said that they would rent more games, and 17 perc?ent said that they’d pay full price so long as it was for the “right game.”

Along with the above data, GameDaily produced another magical chart that shows purchasing trends based on gender ??and age. It looks like guys are far more likely to shell out $60 for a new release than the ladies are.

How has the ten dollar price hike affected your videogame buying habits? Has it lead you to buy more games for the PC and Wii, where ?they still retain a sub-$50 price tag?

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In an interview with gameindustry.biz, Proper Games CEO (Flock!) Paddy Sinclair was willing to say aloud ??what every executive in the industry only whispers in the vast labyrinth of developer-only smoking rooms underneath the Earth.

Fully aware that he broke the secret whisper oath bound by the ritualistic bloodletting of koala bears, Sinclair bravely stated that Xbox LIVE Arcade needs ?a better categorization system, so that consumers have the opportunity t?o find the games they may enjoy easier. He even went so far as to propose that there are currently “junk” games on XBLA.

At the moment there is a little bi??????????????????????????t too much junk on there - that's not to denigrate the guys who have stuff there, but a way to tier and rate content would be nice. Obviously as we're coming to Xbox LIVE for the first time, it would be nice to be prominent, and we could just get lost in the morass of arcade conversions... So to a certain extent I'm behind?? the concept of de-listing games that aren't selling, aren't well-received, but I think it's a combination of the two.

After nervously looking over his shoulder several times, Sinclair elaborated that he would like to have a few ways of “properly categorizing games” including most downloaded and popular tabs. It’s a good thing that Microsoft will never, ever have a dashboard update desig??ned to reorg?anize content. W??e wish oath-breaker Sincla?ir well in the future, as the developer illuminati close in.

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