VIDEO: “Resident Evil: Revelations” Shares Its Wii U-Specific Features

Nintendo’s console gets some extra use on May 21

Joseph Luster

May 07, 2013

(from crunchyroll.com)

Here’s a good reason to fire up that Wii U. As you may know, the version of Resident Evil: Revelations on Nintendo’s console sports some special features, from using the GamePad to interact with the environment to giving enemies special voices via Miiverse messages. Now Capcom has a trailer to show the various additions that make it unique.

Resident Evil: Revelations—which was originally released for Nintendo 3DS—makes the leap to PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U in North America on May 21. It hits Europe a few days later on May 24.

“Peanuts” Art Exhibition In Japan Features 40 Japanese Artisans

Move over Hello Kitty, the American beagle is stepping into the world of collaborations

Yomimaid

May 05, 2013

(from crunchyroll.com)

Ms. Hello Kitty has pretty much monopolized the unexpected collaboration market so far, but she is not the only one that shines with interpretations by artists in different fields of art. The “SNOOPY JAPANESQUE: Snoopy x Japanese Artisan” exhibition currently underway at Matsuya Ginza in Japan is exhibiting about 100 art pieces of Peanuts characters interpreted by Japanese artisans of traditional art, such as lacquer-ware, porcelain, and Japanese painting.

GameStop Ending PlayStation 2 Trade-Ins in June (Updated)

Sony ended new US console sales in January

Humberto Saabedra

May 05, 2013

(from crunchyroll.com)

Much maligned retailer GameStop has confirmed via front counter placards posted at all locations that it will end PlayStation 2 trade-ins and future console sales on June 1st. Since being launched in 2000, the console was responsible for ushering in the DVD home video era as well as outselling the Dreamcast to the point that Sega was forced to end console and hardware development in both the US and Japan.

Image via Reddit

 

GameStop is officially ending trade-ins after 13 years, which saw the company grow along with the console, as a large percentage of sales volume for the chain was built on the strength of the console’s massive library of titles, which included the Metal Gear series, Gran Turismo, Killzone, Jak and Daxter, Sly Cooper and the equally massive library of RPGs from such publishers such as Square-Enix, Atlus, Namco Bandai and smaller publishers.

 

 

That GameStop is ending Playstation 2 trade-ins and sales shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the last new game to be released for the system in the US was released last year and new consoles were discontinued in January to prepare for the PlayStation 4 and to clear out the distribution channels of old inventory ahead of its release later this year. My fondest memories in gaming were aided by the PS2 so this change marks the end of an era for me.

 

Now I ask you, the reader what your fondest memories of gaming on the PS2 as a result of a trade-in at GameStop or even your best haul after gaming the system to get the most out of their trade-in specials? Better yet, anyone remember the Great Memory Card Shortage of 2002-03 that forced the chain to import memory cards from Japan?

 

Update: GameStop has issued the following statement on the ending of trade-ins and has confirmed that sales of available stock will continue.

 

“We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades. We know that the 12 year old system is a popular one and for many gamers, GameStop is the only place to find a great selection of its games. We will still offer a wide selection of the PS2 hardware, accessories and games in many of our stores and online for several months, based on remaining stock from trades.

We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall.”

Special Effects Legend Ray Harryhausen Passes Away

FX artist was renowned for his stop-motion work in feature films

Joseph Luster

May 07, 2013

(from crunchyroll.com)

If you enjoy special effects in film, no matter the genre, take a moment out of today to tip your hat to the great Ray Harryhausen. The effects legend—who pioneered the practice and was known for his bold use of stop-motion in films ranging from It Came from Beneath the Sea toJason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans, and much more—has passed away at the age of 92.

 

Harryhausen’s passing was announced by his family via Facebook, citing the long-standing influence the artist had over the history of Hollywood, with recent quotes and tributes from many famous filmmakers. He certainly had a spirited and storied run, and it’s one that the film industry would be very different without.

 

Whether you feel like reminiscing, or need an introduction to some of what made Harryhausen special, here’s a look at some of the colossal creatures he brought to life:

Long live Dynamation.

EA Signs Exclusive Deal with Disney to Make “Star Wars” Games

Dev teams such as DICE and Visceral to work on new games

Joseph Luster

May 06, 2013

(from crunchyroll.com)

The next major play after Disney’s acquisition of the Star Wars franchise has been revealed. Following the recent closure of Lucasarts, the Walt Disney Company officially signed an exclusive multi-year deal with Electronic Arts to develop and publish games based on Star Wars.

 

A press release was issued to announce the agreement, but not too many details have been divulged at this point. EA Labels President Frank Gibeau followed up with a post over at EA’s site, shedding a little bit of light on the developers we can expect to see handling the franchise.

 

While we don’t have any details to share today on specific titles, our development teams are already brimming with design ideas. The EA Studios that will develop these games are some of the most innovative and popular creative teams in the world, and include DICE and Visceral, in addition to the BioWare team, which is already developing for the Star Wars franchise. These imaginative teams will make games that may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories. Powering it all will be the Frostbite 3 development engine – guaranteeing incredible graphic fidelity, environments and characters.

 

EA’s publishing deal covers all interactive platforms and “most popular game genres.” A dollar amount for the agreement wasn’t publicized, but one would imagine it ranged anywhere between “a whole lot of money” to “seriously, a ton of money.”