No DLC, but the chocobo behind him will soon be KFC.
SquareEnix’s Neverending Circle-Jerk
This week, two of the Squeenix producers frustrated their devout Final Fantasy fans for what seems like the billionth time. At the end of January, Tetsuya Nomura of Final Fantasy VII fame declared that the hallmark of the series will not be receiving a remake, despite the deafening fanboy screams after the PS3 technical demo several years ago. But this week, Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the ill-fated Final Fantasy XIII, said that he was very interested in the idea of a FFVII remake. Unfortunately, the same interview yielded yet another nail in the coffin for FFXIII, completely striking out the idea of any DLC. This comes after claims that the mind-numbing linearity of the game was due to the difficulty in making towns for an HD-console, but Kitase rebutts that his tunnel vision was inspired by movies that feature an opening period of character development before any actual plot starts. He did not comment on the other damning claims made this week that screenshots were faked to make the game look better than it actually does, so much to the chagrin of the internet, the fevered thrashing of PS3 versus XBox 360 fanboys will continue until the game releases outside of Japan. This will be March for North America, Europe, and Australia, followed by May for the rest of Asia.
She wants you! ...To give her all your money, and maybe your soul.
The Obscene Riches of Suzumiya Haruhi
Despite the turbulent second season that enraged many fans, notoriously dubbed the Endless Eight for its protracted and confusing release, this week proved that fans of the anime goddess Haruhi Suzumiya are either very loyal, very stupid, very insane, or some combination of the three. Despite only releasing on twenty-four screens throughout Japan, the movie took in 200 million yen (approximately US $2.2 million) in its first week, and this past week took in yet another approximately US $567,000. This movie, titled The Vanishment of Suzumiya Haruhi, is shaping up to be the second largest non-Ghibli anime movie out there, beaten only by last year’s Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. If the movie itself is not enough Haruhi Suzumiya action for you, or if you are wondering why this anime blurb is on a video gaming blog, then whip out your iPhone and find out a way to get iTunes Japan to work in your region, because you can now download the video game that was played in the series, Day of Sagittarius III. Released Tuesday, the game is a space shooter based on the same one played in episode thirteen, and looks to be overly simplified from what was in the series, but possibly worth a play. I am still waiting for the Haruhi Suzumiya Phoenix Wright game based on the episode where they parodied the spiky-haired lawyer, but I think I will be left waiting for a long, long while.
Clearly not phallic at all.
When a Daddy Wii and a Mommy PS3 Love Each Other Very Much…
That’s how peripheral babby is formed! Sony is currently pregnant the yet-unnamed device that, like Project Natal for the 360, seeks to duplicate the motion detection properties of the Wii, and like any good parents, they have some names tentatively picked out. The 2010 DICE (Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) Summit opened in Las Vegas this week with Disney Interactive Media Group’s president Steve Wadsworth mentioning the Sony Gem in connection with several games they will be releasing. Its other tentative name has been the Arc, so we can only assume they’re waiting to see what gender the babby is when its born. That release date is yet unknown, but previous whisperings point to Holiday 2010. Wadsworth went on to talk about the highly-anticipated Epic Mickey game and the possibility of development for the PS3 and 360 rather than Wii exclusivity, with fellow executive Graham Hopper hinting that the new motion detection systems are most likely the reason for the change of heart. Just like the peripheral babby, Disney’s Tim-Burton-Meets-Mickey-Mouse game also has no confirmed or projected release dates at this time.
"WTF is this shit?! I wanted strawberry, you asshole!"
Because Nerds Need Love Too
If you hate calenders, the commercial world, and the mere idea of romance, then you are possibly one of the few that didn’t realize this past Sunday was Valentine’s Day. This would also make you the only one, as even pathetically lonely nerds in Japan acknowledged the pink-and-red holiday. The inhabitants of 2ch this week posted the pictures of their lonely weekend, and shockingly, it was not pictures of them and their favored hand. It was far more depressing than that. Figurines of popular anime girls were given boxes of chocolate, special cards, and in the case of the captioned picture, cake. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he has offered a cake…to his computer screen. So if you spent this Valentine’s Day weeping that you are alone, comfort yourself with the knowledge that you didn’t bake pastries for your electronics. And if you did…wow man, just…wow.
Posted by Jenifer 