Kotaku

Review Round-Up: Assassin's Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, Indiana Lego 2, And More [List]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:09 -0700

We reviewed a bunch of games this week on Kotaku and dare I note that the sequels had a better batting average than the originals?

EyePet Review: His Master's Voice
In which Luke Plunkett's furniture and lighting fail to meet Sony standards.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert Micro-Review: Palm-Size Power Trip
In which freelancer Matt Cabral forgives a key omission.

Left 4 Dead 2 Review: We Don't Care How You Did It Up North
In which Michael McWhertor no longer worries about the corny and the hokey.

Assassin's Creed II Review: A Season For Masterpieces
In which I praise, among many other things, the game's infidelity joke.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Review: Nuke The Mini-fig
In which Brian Crecente finds a silver lining to a Crystal Skull.

Asphalt 5 Micro-Review: Pedal to the iPhone
In which Cabral is driven to temporarily dislike one of his favorite bands.

Torchlight Review: The Fate Of DiabloCraft
In which Michael Fahey is on the verge of laughing — but holds back.

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Review: Deja Vu in Space
In which Brian Ashcraft fires the Ion Cannon a tad too much.

Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games
In which I praise a game that can be played on shaky boats, wobbly subways and other unstable places.

Square Enix Already Rolling Out Paid Gyromancer DLC [Dlc]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:40:00 -0700

In the grand tradition of My Life as a Dark Lord for WiiWare, Square Enix releases a batch of tiny paid downloadable content for two-day old puzzle RPG Gyromancer.

To be fair, the downloadable content for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord came out the same day the game was released on WiiWare, and Square Enix waited a whole two days before releasing paid DLC for Gyromancer, but much of it is every bit as ridiculous.

Like Dark Lord's paid DLC, four of the seven items available for Gyromancer are items to use in battle to earn you an advantage over a foe. For 40 Microsoft points apiece, or $.50, you can purchase the Magic Key, Remedy, Magick Mirror, or Hock of Meat items, each having some sort of beneficial effect on the game board.

Microtransactions don't get much more micro than this, folks.

A bit more useful are the three new maps Square Enix has released for 240 points apiece. Each of the three maps - Dragon's Haven, Rivel's Trial, and The Four - include new monsters you can add to your stable of fighting beasts. In the Four, you must defeat three guardian monsters before facing off against the strongest monster in the game. Well, the strongest monster in the game once you spend $3 at least.

I'm all for downloadable content, but when it comes this soon after a game's release and offers relatively little value it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The new maps and packs for Gyromancer are now available on Xbox Live and Steam.

Mysterious New 2K Games Shooter Teased By Spike [Clips]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:20:36 -0700

The Spike TV Video Game Awards will once again double as as an autumnal E3 as new games are revealed, new trailers unveiled. Halo: Reach is coming. As is whatever this game is, teased first on Kotaku in video below.

Thoughts? Theories? Is it Ken Levine's new game? Is it BioShock 3? Is it related to anything that shows up in Google when you type in 2K Games and Dubai? We here at Kotaku can only speculate about the secrets the VGA people are holding onto. They won't tell us anything.

The name of the game and gameplay will premiere during the VGAs on December 12 at 8pmET/PT on Spike. A Halo: Reach trailer is also scheduled for the broadcast.

Kotaku Game Club: Modern Warfare 2 Discussion Resumes.. NOW (Levels 13-15) [Modern Warfare 2]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:01 -0700

Outer space and betrayal are a part of the fourth (of five) Game Club meetings about the Modern Warfare 2 campaign. Thoughts on the penultimate batch of levels?

We're covering:

-Second Sun (Goodbye, space station)
-Whiskey Hotel (Goodbye, Oval Office - almost!)
-Loose Ends (Goodbye ~~Ramirez~~ Roach and Ghost)

Those of you who didn't exactly follow Game Club protocol already began to spoil that the levels we're discussing today would include a plot twist. Once teased, it was obvious what the twist would be.

So let's talk about plot twists... We just had one in Modern Warfare 2. Have the twists been done well in this game, compared to, say the twists in the first Modern Warfare or other games with big surprises such as Knights of the Old Republic? (When you answer, please show some restraint about spoiling too many other games.)

Also, what do folks think of territory-defense levels like Loose Ends? I was frustrated in the 90s with GoldenEye's late-game level like this. But I rather liked the one near the end of the first Gears of War. I believe MW2's was another success, offering the player to make tactical decisions, something the campaign otherwise seldom permitted.

NOTE - The next Game Club meeting will be on Monday, same time as this one, 2pm Kotaku Time, 4pm ET. We'll be covering the game's final campaign levels.

What Are You Playing This Weekend? [Lazy Sundays]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:40:28 -0700

I'm making this weekend a Demon's Souls weekend. Now that the holiday review season is dying down, it's time to play a little catch up.

So into the Nexus I will go, armed with my Knight and a heavy dose of fear, as I harvest souls for the long-delayed Kotaku review of From Software's PlayStation 3 sleeper hit. As a chaser, I plan to let go with a little more Left 4 Dead 2, my multiplayer game of choice. I've enjoyed my time with Modern Warfare 2, but I like laying waste to zombies with my friends.

How about yourself? Will you leave any helpful warnings for me in Demon's Souls? Perhaps be the Ellis to my Coach? Or do you have alternate gaming plans this weekend?

Star Wars Galaxies Fans Generate 3 Million Works Of Fan Fiction [Sony Online Entertainment]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:20:00 -0700

In just over a month since the release of Star Wars Galaxies Chronicle Master mission creation tool, fans have created more than three million pieces of interactive Star Wars fiction.

The Chronicle Master system works much like City of Heroes Mission Architect, allowing players to use in-game tools to create their own missions and share them with the community. Since Sony Online Entertainment implemented the feature last month, players have been sharing the hell out of some missions. SOE cites one player who has already created more than 6,000 playable quests, all by himself. That's relatively insane.

It's even more insane when you take into account estimated subscription numbers for the game. MMO Data has Star Wars Galaxies' subscriber list estimated at around 50,000 players. Even if they were off by half and it was 100k, that's still 30 user-created quests per player. I suppose it helps that completing player-made quests earns you special in-game loot, but still, that's a pretty impressive ratio.

It just goes to show that players who've stuck with Star Wars Galaxies this long are really, really into Star Wars.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Multiplayer Preview: Spreading The Phantom [Preview]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0700

It seems like nobody noticed (except of course the developers) that Link's newest adventure has a multiplayer mode. Too busy paying attention to trains and a ghostly Zelda along with Link for the ride, I guess.

But anyway, Spirit Tracks has multiplayer. Boy does it ever have multiplayer, and boy did we ever play it. Here's what we liked:

What Is It?
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks' multiplayer mode is akin to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures for the GameCube – four people each control one color-coded Link and move around the same map as the other Links. The difference in Spirit Tracks is that instead of trying to help each other, you're racing each other to collect Power Gems and trying to royally screw each other up on the way.

Note: It's local-only.

What We Saw
I played two matches against a developer and two publicists at Nintendo's Redwood City office after finally getting my hands on the singleplayer mode.

How Far Along Is It?
Spirit Tracks it out December 7. I was playing on a normal-sized cartridge that may have been a final version.

What Needs Improvement?
Little Bit Laggy: When dashing around the dungeon map, things start off steady and the Power Gem drops are few and far between. As the match picks up pace, however, and players start falling into traps or getting sliced up the Phantoms, huge amounts of Gems will suddenly spill out onto the map. That plus all four players frantically running to that point to scavenge Gems caused a couple of super-laggy moments in an otherwise smooth experience.

Trap Door Confusion: There are trap doors in every map that are either random or triggered by switches. I honestly couldn't tell you which, though, because sometimes I'd press a switch and a trap door would open and sometimes the door seemed to open and shut in a kind of rhythm. It was confusing – and that much more frustrating when I fell into one because I didn't know if I should blame somebody for it.

What Should Stay The Same?
Spreading The Phantom: Numerous Phantoms – those big guys in helmets from the last Zelda DS game, Phantom Hourglass – wander the maps, prowling for Links. When one spots you, a little icon pops up above your head, indicating that it's got a bead on you. If you fail to run for your life, the Phantom will speed toward you and cut you – costing you precious Power Gems and precious seconds as you scramble to get up and recover them before the other players get there. The fun part about this mechanic is the bit where you can pass the Phantom's bead onto other players you run by – like spreading Chlamydia. It's amusing.

The Invisible Zone: One map we tried out had a patch of water in the center that rendered players invisible when they ran in. You could still see ripples where their feet landed in the water – and if you look closely, the ripples are color coded like the Links – but with all four players running around in there and Phantoms bearing down on one or more of them, it was blind panic. And freaking awesome.

Mario Kart-style Pick-ups: Occasionally, an orb with a question mark on it will fall from the sky. Players that snag this pick-up are treated to several things like a random Gem drop, invisibility or a lightning strike that you can inflict on other players. It keeps things interesting and can be the salve to the wound of a player who just went from 51 Gems to two after a string of Phantom infections.

Single Cartridge Play: I am so happy that it doesn't require four people to actually buy the game to enjoy this mode.

Final Thoughts
The multiplayer mode in Spirit Tracks certainly isn't the main attractions of the game – but it's a solid addition that deserves to be played if you can tear yourself away from trains and princesses for a little while.

Left 4 Dead Campaigns Now (Unofficially) Work In Left 4 Dead 2 [Hacks]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Left 4 Dead 2 fans longing not for Francis, Bill, Zoey and Louis but for Dead Air, No Mercy, Death Toll and Blood Harvest have one more reason to go for the PC version of the zombie apocalypse shooter.

Industrious Left 4 Dead modders have devised a not-exactly-simple workaround to bring the original game's four campaigns into the sequel. The very unofficial, multi-step hack requires ownership of Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, ample patience and better than basic knowledge of editing PAK files. But, hey, it works.

Well, it mostly works. The list of issues includes numerous crashes, limitations and a dependency on console commands, but if you're desperate to play No Mercy with Spitters and baseball bats, you now have the option. Will Valve offer a sanctioned version of this? At the risk of pissing off the Left 4 Dead owner further, we sure hope it does.

How to Resurrect the Original Left 4 Dead [L4D Mods]

Who Is Beating Up Chun-Li? [A New Challenger]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0700

An update to the official Japanese Super Street Fighter IV blog teases a new character reveal for Super Street Fighter IV next week. Who could possibly be the source of so much Chun-Li pain?

Capcom US posted a link to the Japanese site today with the headline "New Super Street Fighter IV Art and... A New Challenger?", leading us to believe that's exactly what Nakky is talking about. According to a translation of the post by Azrael from the Shoryuken forums, the post teases big news that will also be appearing in next week's issue of Japanese video game publication Famitsu, with a promotional video going up on the Capcom site around the same time.

Yes, it's an announcement of an announcement, but at least we have a nice picture to dissect between now and next week.

ドリームチーム枠！ [Super Street Fighter IV Official Blog via Capcom Unity]

Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games [Review]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:40:38 -0700

I'm sure opera, movies and cave paintings are fine forms of entertainment, but can any of them derive fun from such a mundane activity as directing traffic?

After a several weeks of inactivity, the Art Style series has returned to North America's DSiWare shop with Digidrive, an abstract puzzle game about directing traffic that can sit along side Art Style: Boxlife, a wonderful game about folding boxes in a factory, as a suggestion that Art Style games are downloadable because, were they sold in stores, the descriptions on the back of their boxes would scare people away.

This game is a remake of Bit Generations: Digidrive, a 2006 Japan-only Game Boy Advance game from Q Games, the studio known best these days for making the PixelJunk series on the PS3 and less-well-known for programming the PS3's background ribbon thing. And, yes, their take on directing traffic, virtually, is fantastic.

Loved
Terrific Traffic Trope: The gameplay in Digidrive is as solid and simple as it gets. Thank goodness, you know, that game designers consider waiting tables and taxi-driving and other often un-delightful real life activities as subjects for games. Here, being a one-man traffic light is a joy. What you've got is a gradually sped up relentless flow of color-coded cars approaching the center of a four-way intersection from four sides. With either the d-pad or the stylus players can direct the cars to one of the three lanes that branch from the road on which they are entering the playing field. Your directive is to park like-colored cars behind each other, which banks fuel. Doing this well and then cashing in that fuel by letting a siren-blaring emergency vehicle drive into that section of parked cars, provides force to a puck on the bottom of the screen. That's important, because you are hoping to push that puck away from a plunger that is creeping up on it.

Yes, that's weird. And no, that's not how directing traffic works in real life. But it's fun, because of a few smart twists: Going into a high-speed Overdrive mode if you have at least five cars successfully parked in all four lanes helps you bank a lot of cars. Also, a clever but risky technique lets you double your reserves if you sacrifice one of the rows of parked cars. Timid players will never park many cars and keep cashing in to bump that puck forward nudge by nudge. Bold players will bank more and more cars, doubling and re-doubling their reserves, waiting until the last possible minute and than cashing in to ignite a major push of the puck. Hey, trust me, okay?

Abstract Art: The techno soundtrack is good. Better is the iconography of the graphics. A less interesting development team would have used numbers to represent the number of cars successfully being parked at the end of a lane. Q Games uses shapes. Park five cars and you get a triangle. Park a bunch more and that triangle fills up and becomes a square. Repeat until the square becomes a pentagon, then a hexagon (if you haven't messed up by this point and had the puck hit by the plunger), and then the hexagon becomes a circle. I like ammo counters and flashing words too, but I'll take a game that signals success with shapes.

Hated
Touch Options: Hated is a strong word, but I found no great advantage from playing the DS version's new touch mode. It allows players not just to direct the game's cars with a tap of the screen but to tap the shapes of banked cars to cash them in, rather than waiting for — or sending out into the roadway — an emergency vehicle. This seemed to make the game simpler without making it better. I preferred the d-pad controls which allow me to play this game even when I'm standing on the subway, holding onto a railing for support with my other hand. Many portable games require you to play while sitting, leaning or standing still. Praise Digidrive for allowing us portable gaming on unsteady platforms, but, if you do, don't try those touch controls.

It's hard to express the quality of a puzzle game when just putting it in your hands would prove that the balance and flow here is good. Don't be deterred by the traffic-directing subject matter. In fact, I hope that kind of oddity emboldens you to try this game. It was fantastic on the GBA and makes the transition to DSiWare well.

Art Style Digidrive was developed by Q Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSiWare downloadable store on November 16. Retails for 500 Nintendo Points ($5.00 USD). Played three difficulty levels in single-player, tried touch mode, tried two-player Vs Mode against the computer, and had trouble looking at the traffic in the intersections of Manhattan without wanting to get involved.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

World Of Warcraft Celebrates Thanksgiving [Blizzard]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:20:00 -0700

World of Warcraft finally adds a virtual Thanksgiving celebration to it's lineup of seasonal holidays, and just like the real Thanksgiving, Pilgrim's Bounty is mainly about cooking and eating.

I knew something was missing from World of Warcraft. If I am going to be nearly comatose from eating brown food, then my WoW character should be too. During the Pilgrim's Bounty celebration, which runs from November 22nd through the 28th, Bountiful Tables will be popping up outside of major towns and cities in Azeroth, allowing players to sit, eat, and share food until their armor no longer fits. Each table features five different chairs - The Sweet Potato Chair, The Turkey Chair, The Stuffing Chair, The Cranberry Chair, and The Pie Chair - with the player sitting at each chair responsible for sharing his or her bounty with the rest of the class. Eating five helpings of anything grants you a buff. Eating five helpings of everything grants you an hour long 10% reputation gain buff, reflecting the spirit of the season.

I am just tickled that there's something called The Pie Chair. I need one of these chairs.

As I said, the holiday is also about cooking, and Pilgrim's Bounty features five recipes that can take a player from skill level 1 to skill level 340, along with daily cooking quests that result in the prize of a Turkey Caller, which sounds like a pet to me.

Check out the Pilgrim's Bounty page on the World of Warcraft website for more on this gluttonous new holiday.

GameStop Throwing "World's Largest" Mordern Warfare 2 Tourney [GameStop]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0700

You remember when "tournament" used to mean knights in armor and jousting and stuff? Of course you don't. Everyone knows "tournament" means "chess" or "video games" now.

GameStop announced today that it would hold the "world's largest" Modern Warfare 2 tournament kicking off Nov. 20 both online and at 2,900+ US GameStop locations that might be near you. I wonder if the fact that it's the world's only Modern Warfare 2 tournament makes it the world's largest...?

There are actually three different tourneys. The first is the US-only Xbox 360 one on one tourney where Round I takes place in-store, Round II takes it to Xbox Live and the finals go down in some as-yet undecided location — grand prize is $5,000. Then there are the International four on four tourneys for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, which you can find at gamebattles.com/gamestop. The top four teams from each platform will go to the finals to duke it out for a $10,000 grand prize.

Get more details here.

Image Cred

Halo Waypoint Saturday Feature: The Duel [Halo Legends]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:40:00 -0700

Every Saturday is video day in Halo Waypoint, and this week features the debut of "The Duel," the next episode from The Halo Legends anime anthology.

"The Duel" takes us back in time thousands of years to the dawn of the Covenant, where a shamed Elite defies his Arbiter fate and embarks on a mission of revenge against those that have wrong him. It all sounds so very Halo 2, doesn't it?

"The Duel" features a striking classic watercolor anime look, courtesy of Production I.G, the studio behind Blood: The Last Vampire, Ghost in the Shell, and FLCL.

Remember, the episode will only be available for 24 hours, so once Saturday ends, so does your chance to see it. Check out the full video schedule below to help plan out your next two months of Saturdays.

Halo Waypoint Saturday Video Schedule:

"The Duel" Nov. 21, 2009
Making of "The Duel" Nov. 28, 2009
"The Package" Part 1 Dec. 5, 2009
"The Package" Part 2 Dec. 12, 2009
Making of "The Package" Dec. 19, 200
"Origins" Part 1 Jan. 2, 2010
Making of "Origins" Jan. 9, 2010
Trailers of upcoming episodes Feb. 2, 2010

Try Jurassic: The Hunted Before You Stare At It Quizzically On Store Shelves [Demo]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0700

Activision sprung Jurassic: The Hunted on us only a month ago, barely giving folks time to see it, much less find out how it played. Perhaps an Xbox 360 demo will shed some light.

Jurassic: The Hunted, developed by Cauldron HQ and released two weeks after it was announced on the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PS2, is a budget first-person shooter involving weapons and survival expert Craig Dylan, trapped on an island inhabited by dinosaurs. The screenshots looked nice enough, but there's just something about a game going from official announcement to release in under a month that doesn't generate confidence. Now releasing a demo, on the other hand, either speaks of Activision's confidence in the title, or its hope that the few people who would enjoy this sort of thing realize it exists. One of those.

The Jurassic: The Hunted demo is now available to Gold Xbox Live members in the U.S. Give it a go, and report back your findings.

Command & Conquer Producer Says His Audience is Unbalanced [Say What?]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Speaking to Edge Magazine in an interview about his upcoming game, Command & Conquer 4, Producer Raj Joshi laments that real time strategy gamers get their kicks "entirely ... from smashing another human in a videogame."

The full Joshi quote as pulled by Gamerzines reads: "RTS players are great people but some of them have very little balance in their life. So their enjoyment is entirely derived from smashing another human in a videogame."

On the one hand, I want to disagree because I like RTS games and consider myself a level-headed person who enjoys all kinds of balanced things like butterflies and nail polish, etc. But, yeah, I enjoy smashing another human player in a competitive video game — that's kind of the point, isn't it?

On the other hand, I do agree with Joshi because I once watched a friend fling his expensive keyboard across a room during a total rout in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. "Unbalanced" just about sums him up.

And on a third hand that I don't physically have, couldn't you say that by Joshi's logic all gamers who get off on crushing other players in any genre are unbalanced? Why pick on his own audience when there are so many other worthy targets to choose from (*cough* first-person shooters *cough*)?

Oh, but here's another Joshi tidbit to sink your teeth into: "Now the gameplay is no longer tailored to beating the opponent's base and having that be the source of victory. It's now about capturing objectives. So there's less of that head-to-head 'I'm going to crush you' mentality going on."

I'll let you handle the arguments behind that one, commenters.

RTS players "have very little balance in their life" - C&C4 Producer [Gamerzines]

Darksiders: Instruments Of Destruction [Clips]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:40:00 -0700

In this video, titled Darksiders Book One: The Horseman's Road, we get a look at the tools that former apocalyptic horseman War utilizes in his twisted quest for redemption.

I'm liking the look of Darksiders more and more each time I see it. The gameplay does seem derivative of other action platformer titles, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't mind if a game looks or plays like another one, as long as it is entertaining. If we avoided things only because they looked like other things then we never would have had that crush on the girl at the record shop who looked like a punky version of Cameron Diaz, and then where would we be?

Note that this is the UK version of the video, and Darksiders hits North America on January 5th.

Rock Band Next Week: Tom Petty And Kelly Clarkson [Harmonix]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:20:00 -0700

With the recent release of LEGO Rock Band, you're just going to have to get used to seeing names like Kelly Clarkson popping up in our weekly Rock Band update posts. We apologize.

Not only does next week's Rock Band Music Store update bring six live tracks from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it also gives us insight into what Harmonix feels is family friendly. For instance, "Refugee," "A Thing About You," and "Here Comes My Girl" are all available for LEGO Rock Band as well as the normal version, while "American Girl," "Even the Losers," and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" are not. All of the tracks are from The Live Anthology, in stores November 24th.

Kelly Clarkson makes her Rock Band / LEGO Rock Band debut with "Miss Independent,", rounding out a non-Petty, family-friendly trio that includes the Go-Go's "Our Lips Are Sealed" and Pink's "Who Knew."

Things can only get worse.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Nov. 24) and PlayStation 3 system (Nov. 26):

· Go-Go's – "Our Lips Are Sealed" +
· Kelly Clarkson – "Miss Independent" +
· P!nk – "Who Knew" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "A Thing About You (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "American Girl (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Even the Losers (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Here Comes My Girl (live)" +
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Mary Jane's Last Dance (live)"
· Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – "Refugee (live)" +

Nintendo Takes Over Malls Across America [Holiday Shopping]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0700

As if the mall couldn't be any scarier this holiday season, Nintendo is setting a Nintendo Holiday Mall Experience for shoppers to try out mid-mad dash.

The Mall Experience is intended to make "it easier than ever for holiday consumers to sample the year's most sought-after games" for the Wii and DS/DSi. Demo stations will be set up at 35 malls all over the country starting next week to let people play games like The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (~~which will be hot stuff~~ which won't be available 'til it goes on sale Dec. 7), Style Savvy (whose ads on MTV cause me physical pain), Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (yay!), New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit Plus.

Hm. I hope they're set up next to the food court.

Here's the list of malls they're hitting up between Nov. 23 and Dec. 20:

• Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Ariz.
• Westfield Culver City in Culver City, Calif.
• Westfield Parkway in El Cajon, Calif.
• Ontario Mills in Ontario, Calif.
• Westfield San Francisco Centre in San Francisco
• Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Conn.
• Orange Park Mall in Orange Park, Fla.
• Florida Mall in Orlando, Fla.
• Tyrone Square in St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Lenox Square in Atlanta
• River Oaks Center in Calumet City, Ill.
• Greenwood Park in Greenwood, Ind.
• Arundel Mills in Hanover, Md.
• South Shore Plaza in Braintree, Mass.
• Burlington Mall in Burlington, Mass.
• Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.
• Southdale Center in Edina, Minn.
• Deptford Mall in Deptford, N.J.
• Queens Center in Elmhurst, N.Y.
• Roosevelt Field in Garden City, N.Y.
• Galleria of White Plains in White Plains, N.Y.
• The Mall at Tuttle Crossing in Dublin, Ohio
• Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City
• Franklin Mills in Philadelphia
• Wolfchase Galleria in Memphis, Tenn.
• Grapevine Mills in Grapevine, Texas
• Irving Mall in Irving, Texas
• Ingram Park Mall in San Antonio
• Chesapeake Square in Chesapeake, Va.
• Virginia Center Commons in Glen Allen, Va.
• Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Va.
• Potomac Mills in Prince William, Va.
• Northgate Mall in Seattle
• Westfield Southcenter in Seattle
• Southridge Mall in Greendale, Wisc.

Image Cred — and I so wanted that game for Hanukkah as a kid!

Need For Speed Shift Goes Team-Based [Dlc]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:00 -0700

Come December, it isn't all about you anymore. EA is releasing a Team Racing pack for Need for Speed Shift, a free update that brings team tactics and five legendary vehicles to the game.

Team Racing is an all-new mode for Need for Speed Shift that pits two teams of up to six racers against each other. In team-based races, winning isn't simply about crossing the finish line. You'll have to coordinate with your teammates, work out strategies, and yes...sometimes you'll have to lose in order to win. It's a difficult concept for some to grasp. I'd suggest watching Talladega Nights for inspiration. If you bought a launch PlayStation 3 you should have a copy. It's all about the Shake N' Bake.

The Team Racing pack also comes with five renowned racing cars:

1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 427
1967 Shelby GT-500
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
1998 Toyota Supra Mark IV

The Team Racing pack will be available worldwide for the Xbox 360 on December 1st, December 3rd for European PS3 consoles, and December 10th for the North American PS3.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Brings The Online Multiplayer In February [Release Date]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:20:00 -0700

Koei has announced a February release date for Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the first game in the series to feature online multiplayer, as well as Ninja Gaiden guest stars.

An upgraded version of the PSP game for console players, Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce brings the battle for ancient China online, allowing up to four players to participate in raids, take on giant enemies, or simply battle it out competitively. Strikeforce also features new Fury transformations, drastically changing the look of your character, granting them new powers, enhanced speed, and the ability to fly. It almost sounds like they've taken a page from Dynasty Warriors: Gundam.

The console version features more than 40 exclusive missions, an enemy Hyperbreak gauge, command of up to three AI-controlled officers in single player mode, a new character, and the ability to trade officers online with other players.

Now how much would you pay? But wait, there's more!

Both versions of the game will feature exclusive guest characters, with the PlayStation 3 version scoring folks from Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and characters from Warriors Orochi 2 for the 360 version. Completing challenges with these guest characters allows players to use their signature weapons in combat.

All of this, plus planned DLC to keep the game fresh for a long time coming. It sounds like a Dynasty Warriors fan's dream come true.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce hits store shelves on February 16th.

British Government Agency To Run Xbox Live Recruitment Ads [News]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0700

This morning, British publication The Guardian reports that Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is going run ads in Xbox Live "including Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed, to attract quick-thinking 18- to 34-year-olds to its ranks."

The Guardian goes on to report that the campaign will run for six weeks, using games like Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 to gauge players' skills in quick-thinking, problem solving and team work.

In which case, they really don't want me. When I'm not leaving my teammates to die in Left 4 Dead 2, I'm busy getting lost in airplane fuselages in Modern Warfare 2 until somebody's good enough to come knife me. And I haven't even bought Assassin's Creed II yet. Oh, and I'm American.

Here's what the British government has to say of its campaign:

"As well as tackling 'traditional threats' GCHQ's work is also about helping government departments, such as the Ministry of Defence, to protect their information and communication systems," said a GCHQ spokeswoman.

"This means we can offer excellent training and careers for people with specialist technical skills. However, the fact remains that many potential candidates remain unaware of GCHQ and what we do. Using video on Xbox LIVE helps carry our message to the right people in a creative and innovative manner," she added.

Government intelligence organisation targets recruits with Xbox Live ads [The Guardian]

Thanks for the tip, Josh!

Talk Amongst Yourselves [Official Kotaku Forum]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:40:04 -0700

Did you have something you wanted to say about video games? Say it here.

Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.

Funds Raised! [Note]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:20:00 -0700

To: Crecente
From: Luke

Reader Phillip was kind enough to send some photos in of the big do last night. Looked like a blast! Hope you kids all had a good time.

Me, well, it hit 40 degrees here (over 100 American degrees) then rained dust. I know where I'd rather have been.

Here's what you missed while drinking drinks and raising money:

The Mortal Kombat That Should Have Been
Modern Warfare 2 Could Have Had Aliens, Zombies
Google's New OS Runs On Metal Gear
Xbox Live Bannings Summon Class Action Lawsuit
NY Testing Emergency Broadcasts Over Gaming Networks
Make Preparations For More Shadow Complex

Rumor: New MW2 Game Modes Uncovered [Clips]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Take this with a grain of salt, but this clip sure looks like it's revealing some new multiplayer modes for Modern Warfare 2, found lurking somewhere in the game's code.

There are three modes in total: VIP (just like Counter-Strike), Capture The Flag (with a single flag between two teams) and Global Thermonuclear War, which one side has to capture. Once captured, the thing goes off, killing everybody.

If you squint through all the garbage written on-screen, you can make out allegations that these modes are all tucked away on the disc waiting to be unlocked as DLC. Makes sense on a basic level, but the bonkers language isn't helping their cause.

[via VG247]

King Of Games Go Spelunking [T-shirts]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Japan's King of Games - our second favourite outfitter of gaming shirts - will this week be adding some more good stuff to their line of Irem clothing. And where there's Irem, there's R-Type, and there's Spelunker.

The single R-Type shirt has actually been available for a while, but we're showing it anyway. Not because you can't buy it outside of Japan (none of it is on the English site) and that it's sold out, but because it's so great.

The new stuff, however, is part of KoG's Spelunker line, and adds to the existing t-shirt by introducing a range of hoodies (top). And "Weakest Explorer" aside, they're as refined, subtle and tasteful as you'd expect from such a pricey outfit.

アイレムから発売された名作スペランカー、R-TYPE をフューチャー！ [KoG]

Stardock: Steam Has 70% Of PC Download Market [PC]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Just about everybody involved with digital distribution is coy when it comes to sales numbers. Nobody wants to give the game away. But that doesn't stop some - like publishers/online retailers Stardock - from trying to guess!

Stardock boss Brad Wardell says "Our estimation is that Steam - as the current market leader - enjoys approximately 70 percent of the overall digital distribution market with Impulse at 10 percent and all others combined at 20 percent in terms of actual dollars generated per month".

While we have our doubts that Stardock's Impulse service is at #2 (surely Direct2Drive is bigger?), Steam's 70% figure is - if it checks out - both interesting and frightening at the same time. That's about the same level of market domination Apple enjoys in the music player scene.

Quick: name another portable music device that's not an iPod. Off the top of your head. Now tell me how many people you know own an iPod compared to a portable music device that's not an iPod.

Exactly.

[via Gamasutra]

PAL PlayStation Store: Critters, Snakes & Dragons [Europe]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Where last week's PAL store update was as bleak as can be imagined, this week's is certain to please, if only because it finally contains the re-release of Metal Gear Solid.

Yes, better late than never, we know. Still, earlier is better than late.

Also of note this week is the release of the addictive/adorable Critter Crunch, LittleBigPlanet's digital release on PSP, some other great PSP releases (Disgaea, some Darkstalkers) and some Dragon Age DLC.

PS3 STORE

Special Offers
(from 19th November until the 3rd of December)
Buzz! Brain Bender (PSP) (was – £19.99/€29.99 now – £9.99/€14.99)
EA Replay (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes (PSP) (was – £9.99/€14.99 now – £7.99/€9.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP) (was – £14.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)
Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)

Downloadable Game
Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao (£9.99/€12.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
Gravity Crash Released on Tuesday the 24th of November Rating: PEGI 7+(£6.29/€7.99)

PSone Classic
Metal Gear Solid (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 18+

Trial & Unlock Key
Critter Crunch (Trial free, Unlock Key £4.49/€5.49) Rating: PEGI 7+

Demo
Smash Cars Demo Rating: PEGI 3+

Add-On Game Content
Dragon Age:Origins
o Warden's Keep (£5.49/€6.99)
o The Stone Prisoner (£11.99/€14.99)

LittleBigPlanet
o Assassin's Creed II Ezio Auditore Costume Released on Tuesday the 24th of November (£1.59/€1.99)
o Thanksgiving Costume (only available for one week) (free)

Pain
o Flavor Flav Pack (£1.19/€1.49)Rating: PEGI 16+

EyePet
o Medieval Styling Pack (£2.39/€2.99)
o Lucky Dip Styling Pack 4 (free)

High Velocity Bowling
o Psychedelic 60's Ball Pack (£0.79/€0.99)
o Techno Modern Ball Pack (£0.79/€0.99)

Beatles: Rock Band
o A Day in the Life (£0.99/€1.49)
o Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite (£0.99/€1.49)
o Fixing a Hole (£0.99/€1.49)
o Lovely Rita (£0.99/€1.49)
o Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (£0.99/€1.49)
o She's Leaving Home (£0.99/€1.49)
o When I'm Sixty-Four (£0.99/€1.49)
o Within You Without You (£0.99/€1.49)
o Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Album) (this pack contains the all tracks listed above) (£7.49/€8.99)

Guitar Hero 5
o I Was Made For Loving You by KISS (£1.59/€1.99)
o Lick by KISS (£1.59/€1.99)
o Modern Day Delilah by KISS (£1.59/€1.99)
o KISS Track Pack (£4.39/€5.49)

Videos
Final Fantasy XIII Announcement Trailer
DC Universe Brian Stevens Interview
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Space Trailer
Army of Two: 40th Day Sniper Trailer
Dante's Inferno Greed Dev Trailer

Premium Themes
Wise Father Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
Yuefeng Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
King Zumo Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
Cavalier Warrior Theme (£1.19/€1.49)

PSP STORE

Special Offers
Buzz! Brain Bender (PSP) (was – £19.99/€29.99 now – £9.99/€14.99)
EA Replay (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes (PSP) (was – £9.99/€14.99 now – £7.99/€9.99)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP) (was – £14.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)
Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover (PSP) (was – £15.99/€19.99 now – £11.99/€14.99)

Downloadable Games
LittleBigPlanet (£21.99/€36.99) Rating: PEGI 7+
Assassin's Creed Bloodlines (£23.99/€29.99) Rating: PEGI 16+
Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier (£21.99/€36.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
The Warriors (£9.99/€12.99) Rating: PEGI 18+
Star Wars Battlefront II (£15.99/€19.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
NBA 2K10 (£15.99/€19.99) Rating: PEGI 3+
Mercury Meltdown (£4.79/€5.99) Rating: PEGI 3+
Megaman Maverick Hunter X (£13.99/€17.99) Rating: PEGI 3+
Capcom Puzzle World (£13.99/€17.99) Rating: PEGI 3+
Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (£13.99/€17.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (£11.99/€14.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
Mana Khemia: Student Alliance (£19.99/€24.99) Rating: PEGI 12+
Williams Pinball Classics (£11.99/€14.99) Rating: PEGI 3+

minis
Echoes (£2.49/€2.99) Rating: PEGI 3+
Pinball Dreams (£3.99/€4.99) Rating: PEGI 7+

Demo
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge Demo (free) Rating: PEGI 12+
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe Demo (free) Rating: PEGI 3+

Add-On Game Content
Rock Band Unplugged
o California Über Alles by Dead Kennedys (£0.99/€1.49)
o You're No Rock and Roll Fun by Sleater-Kinney (£0.99/€1.49)

Danish Group Asks You To "Hit The Bitch" [Hot Flashes]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Denmark's Children Exposed to Violence at Home is a group dedicated towards the prevention of domestic violence. It's a noble cause! Pity their latest "ad" - a flash game involving woman-slapping - lacks the same nobility.

We can see where they're coming from; something akin to "No Russian" for the domestic violence scene. Make you do something horrible to better confront the horror. But the execution? It's a flash game. Where you do nothing but smack a woman around. Comes across a little tasteless.

As such, it's hard to recommend "Hit the Bitch" over the genre's existing powerhouse.

Anti-Violence Flash Game Lets Users Beat Woman [GamePolitics]
[Hit The Bitch]

Note: at time of publishing, the website has been blocked for IP addresses outside Denmark.

Xbox Live Bannings Summon Class Action Lawsuit [Legal]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0700

The recent spate of Xbox Live bannings - in which as many as one million users were ejected from the service - have attracted the interests of a nationwide law firm by the name of AbingtonIP.

Abington are looking to get a class action lawsuit together, believing Microsoft's actions to be both heavy-handed and suspiciously convenient giving the proximity of the bannings to the release of Modern Warfare 2.

"Microsoft has chosen to use one of the most indiscriminate 'weapons' in its arsenal in an effort to combat piracy — as a result, use of this 'weapon' has resulted in a great deal of collateral damage — many people were affected who had nothing to do with piracy", reads a statement on the firm's website.

As for the conspiracy theory side of the story, Abington reckon that the mass bannings were just an excuse for Micsrosoft, with the release of the year's biggest online title on the horizon, to rack up a few extra Xbox Live subscriptions from those eager to get back onto the service.

Sounds like complete rubbish to me, but then, this is a law firm we're talking about.

Banned Xbox LIVE Users To Sue? [IncGamers]

Saints Row 2, LEGO Indy Go Games On Demand [Xbox 360]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0700

To help Americans celebrate Thanksgiving in a not-that-retro style, Microsoft will next Tuesday be offering two new games for download via their Games on Demand service.

The first will be Saints Row 2, only a few short months after the release of the first Saints Row on GoD. If you didn't get Saints Row 1, get this one, it's much better.

The second is LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, which arrives just in time to undermine the release of LEGO Indy 2, what with the older game blessed with the absence of any Crystal Skull content.

And while they're being offered to celebrate Thanksgiving, those outside the US aren't being overlooked, as both titles will be available most other places on Earth as well.

Google's New OS Runs On Metal Gear [Humor]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In case you missed it, Google unveiled for the first time today their fancy new Chrome operating system. Why do we care? Because its debut trailer managed to sneak in a little Metal Gear, that's why.

Get to around the 1:49 mark of the clip and you'll see that somebody on the Chrome team likes their coffee. And their Kojima Productions crew. And we also find that Snake would be far more punctual, if only he subscribed to Google's particular brand of task management.

[thanks Re-l!]

Silent Hill Movie Sequel Needs To Be "More Accessible" [Movies]

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:00:00 -0700

As pre-production on a sequel to 2006's Silent Hill movie plods along, a few new details are being offered up as to the direction the film is going to take, courtesy of producer Don Carmody.

For starters, Roger Avary - who wrote the first movie - may not return. He's, uh, busy. And while we don't know which cast members, if any, will be returning, Carmody confirms that Christophe Gans won't be back in the director's chair, as he "wants to direct something new".

Carmody then opens up on the course the movie will take, while at the same time addressing some of the complaints fans of the series had over the first film's tone and depiction of familiar characters.

"I think we need to make it a little more accessible to the movie-going public", he told STYD. "Silent Hill is not a blockbuster game like Resident Evil or the other games out there. It's a connoisseurs' game. It has its own, rabid fan base. They're not cheap, these things. You have to appeal not only to the gamers, you have to appeal to a wider audience. So we have to get some story in there that helps explain a bit more. I think that's all happening. Of course, [the story] is going to happen years later and the main character - without giving too much away - is much older and representative to the movie-going public which is in that age group."

EXCL: Producer Updates Us on Silent Hill 2 [STYD]

NY Testing Emergency Broadcasts Over Gaming Networks [Government]

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:00 -0700

In many places, should the unthinkable happen and a serious emergency arise, citizens are alerted via the TV and radio. How 20th century. New York, however, are going a little more modern, and adding gaming networks to the list.

There's currently a trial program in place in the state called "Empire 2.0", which is all about the government extending existing services and means of communication to 21st century outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

Of course, gaming consoles are included in that, and NY are in the process of testing - across Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and the Wii's network - a means of distributing emergency warning messages across those platforms, so anyone with their console on (and TV or radio off) can be reached. NY residents note: they're not live testing yet, just doing some background stuff.

It's a good idea. I actually had the displeasure of hearing the "whoooop whoooop" of an emergency warning back in 2003, but I only heard it - and evacuated my house in time - because it was on both the radio and television. These days, I'd be far more likely to be on Xbox Live or the PSN.

Not that I live in NY, just saying...it's a good idea.

Interop: New York Tests Xbox-Based Alert System [IW, via Gizmodo]

Modern Warfare 2 Could Have Had Aliens, Zombies [Mw2]

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:00 -0700

Absurd excesses aside, Modern Warfare 2 likes to keep thing pretty straight. Real men, real weapons, real countries. But during the game's development cycle, Infinity Ward were open to things of a quirkier nature.

"In the beginning we talked about having things in Modern Warfare 2 like outbreaks, viruses, chemical warfare, and even outlandish things such as aliens and the living dead" says Jesse Stern, one of Modern Warfare 2's writers.

"We worked our way through it before we finally ended up with a more grounded version of the real world as it's depicted in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. And as we were kicking around scenarios for conflict, we kept stumbling into things that were happening in real life, which was honestly unintentional."

The living dead? Where have we seen that before in a Call of Duty game...

The above quote was pulled from a longer interview over at GamePro. If you want to read more serious, thoughtful words from a man responsible for Russian paratroopers in a burger store in Virginia, hit the link below.

Modern Warfare 2 writer: "the airport level was a risk we had to take" [GamePro]

The Mortal Kombat That Should Have Been [Midway]

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:40:00 -0700

Ex-Midway artist Vincent Proce went back to the drawing board for a pitched, but ultimately rejected visual reboot of the developer's venerable Mortal Kombat franchise, posting the results of that back-to-basics design plan on his personal blog.

Proce, who contributed to Midway's final fighting game (Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe) before being snapped up by Warner Bros, wrote that the re-imagining of the MK franchise proposed "mixing modern muti-player and dismemberment game design with the original fighting mechanic." The artist's take on four Mortal Kombat mainstays—Raiden, Kano, Scorpion and Sonya Blade—are dramatic, gritty and, for the most part, a welcome change.

Proce describes his Scorpion as "a wraith wearing the yellow blood of the demon" that resurrected him, his Kano as "half Japanese half US military bad ass." His Sonya, which will likely draw the most criticism, was redesigned as "the daughter of a Texas Ranger who's sex appeal weakens her opponents while her Special Forces training kicks their asses." Finally, his Raiden pitch portrays "a god [whose] feet rarely touch the ground."

We're not sure what direction the Mortal Kombat team is taking the series at its new home, but I'm personally hoping it's more along these lines—a darker, more dramatic, less comic book-like treatment with a pared down cast—than what we got with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. I enjoyed that game as much as the next guy, but I like my MK with a little less Wonder Woman.

Here are the never before seen Mortal Kombat characters... [Vincent Proce Art Blog via GameSetWatch/SRK Forums]

Make Preparations For More Shadow Complex [Epic]

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:20:00 -0700

You like Shadow Complex? Then you'll be side-scrolled to hear that developers Epic are looking at bringing you more games based in the retro-tinted universe.

A job advertisement for Microsoft Game Studios is looking for somebody to work "with an experienced team at MGS and the world-class developers at Epic to drive the success of Gears of War and Shadow Complex in the highly competitive and fascinating world of interactive entertainment".

Exciting. We'd have pointed out the Gears part too, but news of more Gears of War games is like news of the sun's rising.

Microsoft hunts producer for new Epic games [Develop]

Lacrosse Title Debuts on Xbox Live Indie Channel [Indie]

Owen Good — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Absolutely, it's an exciting and physical sport. But even lacrosse fans admit the game has a niche following. But lacrosse does have its own video game now, which just went up on Xbox Live yesterday. Suck on that, water polo!

Inside Lacrosse College Lacrosse 2010 hit the Indie Games channel. While it does not feature actual, licensed college lacrosse teams, it does have the title sponsorship of the sport's top magazine in the United States. The game costs 400 Microsoft points, and lets you choose from 60 teams (or create your own side) in single-play action or in a simulated season of up to 14 games with a two-round championship. It features Xbox Live and LAN support, stats tracking and more.

"In the 12 years we've been publishing Inside Lacrosse, there is one topic that's been addressed in letters to the editor, probably more than all the other individual topics combined: When is someone going to produce a lacrosse video game?" Bob Carpenter, the Inside Lacrosse founder, said in a statement announcing the game. "Producing a multi-million dollar game just isn't going to happen for a sport our size, so this Indie format – particularly when it can be played online against others – is the way to go."

The game is the product of a year's worth of development begun by Dundee, Scotland studio Triple B Games and Carlo Sunseri, a Pittsburgh-area businessman and lacrosse coach. College Lacrosse 2010.

Free-to-Play Madden Alternative Inks Four More Celebs [Sports]

Owen Good — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0700

Quick Hit Football, the free-to-play online fantasy sports/RPG hybrid Kotaku profiled two months ago, has signed agreements with four more coaches to use their likenesses as opposing AIs within the game.

Marty Schottenheimer, Jerry Glanville, Marv Levy and Herm "You Play to Win the Game" Edwards join the opposing cast in Quick Hit, which focuses on game preparation, playcalling, and player and franchise advancement as opposed to arcade running and passing action.

The coaches will head teams whose personnel and tactics conform to the types of teams they led in the NFL. Levy and Glanville, for example, would probably direct fast-paced offenses, the run and shoot for Glanville and a no-huddle pro set for Levy. Herm Edwards just plays to win the game. Hello?

OK, kidding. Quick Hit has had to put together more than 100 individual deals, the vast majority of them past players. (It's limited to using five current players by the NFLPA). These four coaches will add depth to the season simulation, said Jeffrey Anderson, the Quick Hit founder and former CEO of Turbine.

"Our users tell us they love testing their football skills against the true style of real coaches. We're all about coaching and strategy, and these four new coaches will bring even more authenticity to the single player experience," said Jeffrey Anderson, CEO at Quick Hit.

The game is free and open for signup to the general public.

PlayStation Hardware Continues Pie Dominance In Japan [Console Taisen]

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:20:00 -0700

Avid readers of The Japanese Hardware Chart weekly updates won't be surprised—especially after reading about the PlayStation family's software dominance—that Sony hardware is selling better than the competition in Japan. No change this week.

Scratch that. There was a slight change. PSP sales jumped up, PlayStation 3 sales dropped down and the two platforms switched positions from the week prior.

With PSP games and PS3 games selling well, sometimes better than their Nintendo DS and Wii rivals, it's not much of a surprise to see Sony's current generation platforms reaping the benefits of a larger install base. With Final Fantasy XIII due to hit the PS3 in Japan in less than a month, expect those increases to continue.

This is Japan's bestselling hardware for the week of November 9 to 15, courtesy of Media Create.

PSP - 38,770
PlayStation 3 - 38,498
Nintendo DSi - 33,749
Wii - 26,764
PSP go - 6,427
Nintendo DS Lite - 5,036
Xbox 360 - 4,124
PlayStation 2 - 2,031