"Final Fantasy XIII may not be out in North America and Europe yet, but the development team is in full "victory lap" mode in Japan. At least, that's how it seemed when noted industry figure Jem Alexander interviewed producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Motomu Toriyama for the European PlayStation Blog. Asked about the state of the Japanese game industry, the two (no individual attribution was given to the speakers) said that FFXIII was going to fix it."

Twin_Master via joystiq.com »

UGDB has an interview with Mathieu Girard, Senior Producer at Ubisoft, regarding the potential multiplatform strategy hit RUSE. Some of the highlights are: will it be possible to play the game with a touchscreens like the shown in the announcement trailer, how long is the solo campaign, how many CGI scenes we can expect, new information for ISISZOOM engine, and more...

Anarcrothe via ugdb.com »

"He also downplays God of War questions, claiming many titles influenced the game from the early stages. "The thing that was important was to build a really great and responsive combat system. It's a video game at the end of the day, and we wanted to make sure the combat felt great."

It was important for the system to be responsive, to flow from move to move with plenty of cancelling so you were never locked into long attack animations. "When you do something with the controller, the hero ..."

hustlegaming via arstechnica.com »

"The Electric Playground crew took a few minutes to talk to Kramez about one of our biggest games releasing this year, Monster Hunter Tri. Kramer gives a run down of some of the big ways we're changing Monster Hunter, and how that experience is making the most of the Wii. Everything from tons of customization, beautiful and huge environments, awesome monsters, and fully loaded online play."

Twin_Master via capcom-unity.com »

"When Quantic Dream CEO and co-founder David Cage watches movies or television, he dreams of the day when game designers can have the same liberties. Cage, whose mature interactive drama Heavy Rain hits stores later this month, says he feels that censorship in games is "probably the strictest in all the entertainment industry.""

ThreeTwoFiveSix via destructoid.com »

Brett Martin holds the 2009 Guinness world record for the largest collection of video game merchandise. The Kartel had the privilege of talking with Brett and got the scoop on the origins of his collection, advice for other collectors, his favorite items and IPs, and even some insight on his new role as a gamer AND a parent.

kghapa via thekartel.com »

This famous PS3 smashing video has already become an internet classic. With countless questions and theories posted in web forums about the video, the aftermath, and the couples' current status, we managed to score an interview with the creator of the video to quench our thirst for gossip.

kghapa via thekartel.com »

"The sequel to 2K's epic BioShock is set to launch next week, and we had the opportunity to hear just what's going on with the game. At this roundtable discussion of sorts, we sat down with Creative Director Jordan Thomas, Lead Designer Zak McClendon, Lead Environment Artist Hogarth De la Plante, and two guys from Digital Extremes -- Art Director Mat Tremblay and Lead Programmer Jesse Attard -- who developed the multiplayer component.

It was one of 2K's bigger (biggest?) interviews, so prep..."

chautemoc via neoseeker.com »

"Here, Nomura shared a surprising secret about Sora's birth. The character's original design was more beast-like -- somewhat like a mix of a lion and human. He had a tail and beast-like ears. Instead of his keyblade weapon, he used a chainsaw. These beast-like features were implemented in order to make the character match the Disney characters.

In the end, the tail was removed because Final Fantasy IX's Zidane character already had a tail. After consulting with Disney's staff, the character..."

ThreeTwoFiveSix via andriasang.com »

With a protagonist change, online multiplayer, and added fragments to an already engaging story, Bioshock 2 should easily live up as one of the best games of the year. The dev team discusses its numerous refinements to the world of Rapture and discusses the game's biggest new features inside.

almehdaaol via thekartel.com »

"If ever a gaming genre has become a lightning rod for brow-knotting aphorisms, it’s real-time strategy. Conventional wisdom dictates that RTS has failed to crack the console market in this or any other generation, despite repeated attempts from talented teams, and its native PC home has been relentlessly attacked by pirates in recent years. It’s a two-pronged assault to which even the biggest names in games have apparently no answer, say the worriers."

Dark Arcanine via vg247.com »

Tim Jones, head of Art and Design at Rebellion shares with the Kartel info on the new melee combat system, the tricky balancing act between the three species, and why this is the most accurate AvP game to date.

kghapa via thekartel.com »

The Sonic everyone knows and loves is back in the first true sequel to the original series since 1994 (though the story is said to actually pick up after Sonic & Knuckles).

Gamespot gets the scoop; a teaser trailer is here, too.

ThreeTwoFiveSix via gamespot.com »

Regardless of who your favourite character is, everyone cannot help but enjoy listening to Ellis' crazy stories (with Keith!). GamesRader talks with Chet Faliszek, main scriptwriter for Valve, and we learn about the process involved in creating the characters and certain aspects of the game, as well as the reasons why Ellis has turned into one of Valve's most loved individuals in the Left 4 Dead series.

Twin_Master via gamesradar.com »

"We were recently given the opportunity to ask John Koller, Director of Hardware Marketing, SCEA some questions about the upcoming year. We talk about upcoming games for the Sony motion controller, what kind of support it'll have from Sony and third-party developers, the titles it'll see, and, of course, how will this new device differ from what Microsoft hopes to offer with Project Natal and will it provide an experience that much different from the Nintendo Wii."

MattyF via examiner.com »

"In early January, Asahi reported Iwata as having stating that a DS followup system would need to have high resolution image support and a system in place for detecting player motions. This, according to Iwata, is not actually what he said.

According to Iwata, the reporter conducting the interview asked "The next DS will need to have high resolution graphics and include a motion sensor, wouldn't you say?" Iwata's response was, "Those are naturally considered requirements. However, do you be..."

ShinyMilotic via andriasang.com »

As you may know, the Fatal Frame IV translation patch was released two weeks ago, allowing gamers from all over the world to play the previously Japanese-only game. But who are the people behind the translation project?
Hookedgamers.com hunted them down and discussed how the translation project came to be, the pitfalls the team came across, how thrilled they are that they have created a boost in sales, and what they think of the final product and the game itself.

Go to the source for the ...

Miss Razz via hookedgamers.com »

Well, I'm sure we've all heard about South Australia Attorney General Michael Atkinson by now. If not, this article sums it up nicely. He's the man preventing Australia from getting an R18+ rating for games, and recently he dismissed the upcoming public consultation on the matter as "unfair and biased."

In a recent interview with Gamespot AU, Atkinson revealed that he isn't worried about losing his seat in the next election and that he assumes his competitor Gamers4Croydon's campaign "will...

Miss Razz via au.gamespot.com »

Abigail Elise of examiner.com has typed up an article concerning the new Miss America, Caressa Cameron. It seems the 22 year-old beauty isn't very fond of video games, believing that they create poor standards. But don't worry, she suggests the alternative of playing with sticks like she used to as a kid, so you don't have to feel bad about it if your parents suddenly strip you of your games.

Dark Arcanine via examiner.com »

If you were wondering why Final Fantasy XIII has been in development for so long, wonder no more! Square Enix's Yoshinora Kitase revealed to Dutch OPM that putting Final Fantasy XIII on PS2, then having to start from scratch again on PS3, cost the team about a year and a half.

Kitase also discussed the DLC rumors, facts on the 360 and PS3 versions, and how happy he is that FFXIII is finally finished.

Go to the source for the full interview and scans.

Miss Razz via finalfantasy-xiii.net »

Georgia Van Cuylenburg (better known as Georgia Van C) might not be well known in the States just yet, but expect to see more of her in future.
The bubbly Aussie comedian-cum-writer-cum-actor-cum-producer, perhaps best known for her children's TV show My Magical World, was cast as Final Fantasy XIII's Vanille. In a recent interview with Siliconera, Georgia revealed that she was so eager to play Vanille when she first heard about the role: "She is such a fun character and some of her lines a...

Miss Razz via siliconera.com »

Remember Adrianne Curry? She was the model who revealed that she plays World of Warcraft naked.

In a recent interview with wow.incgamers.com about her bumpy ascension to modelling and her gaming life, Curry expressed interest in voice acting for games and playing a part in the World of Warcraft film.

It looks like she might have to compete with Michele Morrow.

Miss Razz via wow.incgamers.com »

Forget their Dead or Alive series...and their Ninja Gaiden Sigma II breast jiggle feature... and their scantily-clad booth babes. Hell, forget Fatal Frame IV's jiggly breast and ass physics too.

According to Tecmo, they have been making games that appeal to women for the last three to four years.

"We're Tecmo – we're good at female characters!"

Indeed.

Miss Razz via edge-online.com »

"GameZone's Nick Akerman writes: "After years of success with RuneScape, a free-to-play online multiplayer title, Jagex is now ready to deliver another world of adventure with War of Legends. We chat with COO of Jagex, Rob Smith, to get the lowdown.

"Few details have surfaced about War of Legends, could you explain what the game is and what you hope to achieve with it?

"Rob Smith: War of Legends is a browser-based real-time strategy game based on ancient Chinese mythology. Players live o..."

Kyrwolf via gamezone.com »

With suggestive screenshots and a "Really Naughty Limited Edition", it's no wonder so many gamers have mistaken Record Of Agarest War as nothing more than a sex-fest.

But according to Aksys' Cherie Baker, the game doesn't have any more sexual imagery or 'naughty bits' than the average T-rated game. In fact, people who buy the game expecting sex or nudity will be very disappointed.
Baker then goes on to discuss the game's more serious side, its T rating, and what extras the Playstation 3 ...

Miss Razz via kotaku.com »