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TGS 2009: Sony adding motion to existing titles, new RE5 with motion coming Spring 2010 [update]

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 24th 2009 at 1:30AM }

During Sony's second press conference at the Tokyo Game Show, Capcom's Jun Takeuchi took the stage to demo the PlayStation 3's new motion controller with his game, Resident Evil 5. That's right, Sony will be bringing motion control to a handful of existing titles, including a re-released RE5 in Resident Evil 5: Director's Cut this coming Spring.

Sony also showed off LittleBigPlanet being controlled by two people, one wielding a motion wand while the other used a DualShock 3. Apparently a mess of other titles will be getting the motion treatment -- 13 in total (~~seen here, mostly in Japanese~~ see update below) -- with Flower and Pain standing out as notable examples.

Update: We've got the full list right here.

Gallery: Sony 2 gallery

thatgamecompany's third Sony project is 'something you've never experienced before'

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 15th 2009 at 10:00PM }

thatgamecompany, aside from giving us a chance to start this paragraph off with a lowercase letter for once, is currently hard at work on its third contractual Sony project. At the Develop Conference in the UK this morning, tgc's Jenova Chen had a handful of artfully abstract information to drop on conference attendees regarding the upcoming game. He said the project "feels like a natural progression" from the company's other titles and will be "something you've never experienced before." So, Flowest confirmed? Not quite.

"In the future there's a lot of feelings that video games haven't explored that are open for us to find," Chen said -- he specifically cited God of War as "a really good game about hatred." As Eurogamer points out in its coverage of the conference, Chen repeatedly cited the iteration time necessary for a game concept to go into full production -- he says that the concept for Flower took about two years -- and as such, may very well not have any solid information to talk about regarding his company's next game. Have you considered the fourth dimension, Mr. Chen? Hmm?

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ZEN Pinball is top downloaded PSN game in May

by Andrew Yoon { Jun 24th 2009 at 12:00PM }

Looks like our glowing preview of ZEN Pinball paid off for Zen Studios. The first (and only) pinball game on the PlayStation Network met an incredible debut, taking the top spot in May. Perhaps the free demo, which showcased the game's solid physics engine and graphics, convinced gamers to go for the full version?

According to GamerBytes, Zen Studios' Pinball FX did "similarly well" on Xbox Live Arcade. That game went on to sell 250,000 units over time -- perhaps ZEN Pinball can meet an equally favorable fate? In addition to ZEN, the rest of the top 5 included many PSN mainstays:

ZEN Pinball
Worms
Mortal Kombat II
Wheel of Fortune
Flower

For the rest of the top 10, and more analysis of PSN sales, check out GamerBytes.

Boom Blox producer leaves EA, joins thatgamecompany

by Andrew Yoon { May 21st 2009 at 8:15PM }

thatgamecompany, the studio behind flOw and Flower, has managed to sweep away former EA developer Robin Hunickle. Hunickle worked as the lead designer behind MySims, and produced the two Wii Boom Blox titles. In a statement to Kotaku, Hunickle explains that she wants "to reach new people, with new experiences, via the medium of games and the language of game design" in her new position. With both flOw and Flower completed, Hunickle says thatgamecompany is "at the forefront of the indie movement."

It's currently unknown what position Hunickle will serve at thatgamecompany or what project she will be working on. The team is still contractually obligated to develop at least one more game for PlayStation Network.

You gotta believe Masaya Matsuura and Jenova Chen will speak at Develop Conference

by JC Fletcher { May 12th 2009 at 7:45PM }

Develop has just announced the addition of two speakers to the Develop Conference's 2009 lineup, both respected game designers whose works tend to be more than a little unconventional.

Parappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura, whose last game was the Wii marching adventure Major Minor's Majestic March, will present "It's Time for Music Games 2.0," in which the developer will "map out unexplored gaming possibilities and reinvent our understanding of the genre." thatgamecompany's Jenova Chen will present a retrospective about flOw and Flower, and "explore the relationship between games, entertainment and art."

The Develop Conference will be held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Brighton from July 14th through July 16th. If you're flying there and the pilot looks like this guy, get off and wait for the next plane.

Flower remains best-selling PSN game in March

by Andrew Yoon { Apr 15th 2009 at 9:30PM }

It appears thatgamecompany has yet another hit on its hands. Flower, the PSN-exclusive follow up to flOw, has remained atop the PSN sales charts for a second month in a row. We're glad to see gamers embrace the innovative downloadable game and its 200 thousand blades of grass. The full list:

Flower
Wheel of Fortune
Noby Noby Boy
Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty
Mortal Kombat II
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
3 on 3 NHL Arcade
Red Baron Arcade
Age of Booty
Linger in Shadows

Wheel of Fortune's brand name gave it a great debut (although the game itself is rubbish). Noby Noby Boy continues to confuse gamers, and Quest for Booty's discount price gave it a rather sizable sales boost. GamerBytes rightfully points out the absence of Watchmen: The End is Nigh from the list. Looks like poor reviews and a $20 price tag shunned gamers from the high-profile beat-em-up.

Flower's power exclusive to PS3: 200k grass blades and counting

by Majed Athab { Mar 18th 2009 at 2:30PM }

We suppose grass might not be very exciting, but that doesn't mean it's any easier to put into games than anything else, especially considering the sheer amount of it needed in a game like Flower. In fact, Flower has coded 200,000 blades of grass to simultaneously move and sway in the wind, and co-founder / president of ThatGameCompany Kellee Santiago said this could only be possible on the PS3.

"It really would be impossible to make it look the same on any other system," she said in an interview with Gamezine. The developers say rendering Flower's detailed and free-flowing grass "leverages the PS3" and makes good use of the system's advanced SPU. So, the next time someone disses Flower for being a sissy casual title, let them know how hardcore it really is.

[Via CVG]

Flower is top downloaded PSN game in February

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 13th 2009 at 12:00AM }

Looks like PS3 fans are willing to give experimental gaming a chance. The PSN-exclusives Flower and Noby Noby Boy both take the top spots in February. These innovative games take gaming in new directions, and we're glad to see gamers have embraced them.

Flower
Noby Noby Boy
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
3 on 3 NHL Arcade
Savage Moon
Mortal Kombat II
Bejeweled 2
Burnout Paradise
Linger in Shadows
Magic Ball

It's amazing to see the longevity some of these downloads have. Mortal Kombat II still rakes in the sales, despite being one of the earliest downloads to launch on PSN. The PSN version of Burnout Paradise takes the #8 position more than a year after its initial retail release. See? DLC really can make a game that much more attractive. See the top 10 movies, after the break.

Continued →

Flower composer talks about game's soundtrack

by Majed Athab { Feb 25th 2009 at 9:30PM }

Intelligent use of visuals and sound is one of the reasons that makes Flower such a surreal experience, and it was the job of composer Vincent Diamante to manifest this PSN dream world through music. He recently spoke with GameSetWatch to discuss his work in Flower, revealing some interesting bits on how the music not only affected the atmosphere of the game but also the design.

Diamante mentioned that the Sixaxis controls influenced the way he wrote his music. He called it a "soft type of control" and that "you can feel that there is a texture to the way you fly through the air." This texture, he added, would determine how he'd write music for "the winds." Conversely, Diamante also influenced the game design: "I had the opportunity to talk with the artists about the arrangement of flowers: tightening up lines of flowers or stretching them out, replacing red flowers with white flowers, and so forth so that the sound would work."

Lastly, those gamers looking to score a soundtrack might be in some luck. Diamante revealed he's in talks with Sony to put out an album; though, he does say the music lends itself more to the game experience over that of an album experience. Have a read of the full interview here.

Flower's Jenova Chen doesn't play new games, wants to explore 'feelings'

by Griffin McElroy { Feb 23rd 2009 at 9:00PM }

Jenova Chen, creative director for thatgamecompany and champion for the recently released arboreal PSN title Flower, recently opened up during an interview with GamesIndustry to an extent we rarely see outside of Dr. Phil reruns. During the interview, he reveals that he's interested in making games that elicit emotional responses more effectively than the traditional industry blockbuster, in an attempt to "recapture" the emotions that games used to inspire within him during his formative years.

According to him, this is an area that modern video games (which he admittedly rarely plays) don't really excel at, saying most major releases "fail to educate you on an intellectual level, and the emotions they evoke are relatively primal." To this effect, the self-proclaimed goal of his burgeoning development company is to "push the boundary of what games can communicate." We're not sure what thatgamecompany's next aesthetically pleasing project will be, but one thing's for certain -- it probably won't incorporate any firearms with chainsaws attached to them.

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Gaming renaissance happening now, Flower creator says

by Majed Athab { Feb 19th 2009 at 10:15PM }

"I think right now – in the future, when people look back, I think it's the renaissance of video games." These words were spoken by Jenova Chen – creator of Flower and flOw – to MTV Multiplayer on the role of digital distribution in the industry. Chen believes that digital distribution platforms like PSN, Xbox Live, WiiWare, and Steam are a bastion for new and artistic game designers to flourish.

While larger companies are struggling to maintain higher production costs on "bigger and badder" versions of the same games every year, cheap and unique downloadable titles are doing well for themselves. Games like Flower, Braid and PixelJunk Monsters are noteworthy games that exemplify the "rebirth" of diversity and creativity for the industry. While it's nice to hear that digital distribution has been experiencing a renaissance and pushing boundaries, we can only hope that the rest of the industry catches up and gets pulled out of the dark ages.

[Image credit: Sklathill]

PSN Thursday: Don't be a Qore, give Flower a chance

by Jem Alexander { Feb 12th 2009 at 6:00PM }

Flower is now available to download from the US PSN Store. What are you still doing here? Fine, there is some other stuff, but you should really look into fixing your priorities. Disgaea 3 gets even more DLC today, along with all the normal rhythm games. There's no LittleBigPlanet DLC, despite Europe getting some, but there is a new episode of Qore, which includes a free copy of PS1 classic Syphon Filter, playable on both PS3 and PSP.

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

Continued →

Joystiq review: Flower (PSN)

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 9th 2009 at 9:30AM }

There are a number of challenges a reviewer faces when writing a Flower review. It would be much easier to say "please buy it," but that would be unfair to the reader that demands to know why. The simplicity of Flower's gameplay is already well-documented: tilt the controller and collect flower petals. In regards to the mechanics, there really is nothing more to say that hasn't been said before.

It's tempting to explain the surprises the game hides in its second half. No footage or screenshots of the game's latter half can be found online, and for good reason. The revelations of the second half of the game are so startling that to know anything about them would ruin the game's impact. (Think of Rez's endgame transformation, and you'll have a good idea as to what Flower becomes.)

Perhaps my reluctance to reveal anything about the game's progression reveals that, in spite of its rather unconventional appearance, Flower ultimately follows a very standard blueprint for storytelling and game design. There is a greater "good" and a greater "evil" -- and the conflict that arises between the two becomes the driving force of a rollercoaster of emotions.

Gallery: Flower

Continued →

Trophies: Flower

by Andrew Yoon { Feb 2nd 2009 at 7:30PM }

Flower gets priced in Europe

by Majed Athab { Feb 2nd 2009 at 2:00PM }

How much is Flower worth? If your answer is anywhere near six pounds and 29 pence, then you'd be correct. As confirmed to Eurogamer, that's the price which British players should expect to pay on February 12 (the worldwide release date).

Moreover, a SCEE representative has confirmed to Joystiq that the rest of Europe will get this unique and relaxing PSN title for €7.99. Americans need not worry about pricing, as we already know it's coming our way for $9.99.