Gadgets and Video Games

Sony may have a 10 year plan for PS3, and Microsoft may be extending the life of the 360 with Project Natal — heck, even Nintendo has repeatedly stated it’s sticking with the Wii — but Square Enix is reading between the lines and gearing up for the next generation of gaming regardless. IGN spotted a listing over at the official Square Enix website that seeks a variety of technical positions “in anticipation of the appearance of next generation platforms.” From 3D graphics core programmers to technical artists (and pretty much everything in between), the new hires will be charged with development of a “new generation game engine development project” — presumably the next iteration of the company’s Crystal Tools game engine. Square notes the intention of this early development as “for competing beyond the level of the world’s powerful developers,” though we should note that you kinda sorta have to move to Tokyo if you’re interested in applying for such a lofty position

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Square Enix job listing reveals preparation for ‘next generation platforms’

Namco Bandai’s God Eater debuted to strong sales in Japan upon its release on February 4. Namco Bandai — or rather, its subsidiary, D3 Publisher — has wasted no time in announcing a localized version of the PSP action RPG. The Monster Hunter -like God Eater , targeted for a Q3 2010 release, puts players in control of “God Eaters,” people fighting against the monsters that have overtaken the modern world. They do this with transforming magical weapons called Jinki — giant weapons that become beast-like when powered up. While you wait for Q3 to arrive, why not try the game right now?

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D3 serving God Eater to North America in Q3 2010

Sony’s taking a fairly unconventional approach to putting a stop to piracy on the PSP platform. The recently released handheld shooter, SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 , comes bundled with a code which, once redeemed through the PlayStation Network, allows the player to access the game’s online modes. Folks who purchase the game directly through the PSN are automatically online-enabled — but those who nab the game illicitly won’t have access to the code, and will have to shell out $20 to unlock a license which lets them play online. Sony’s John Koller recently spoke to IGN about the activation procedure, saying it’s “a trial run for a new initiative we are exploring for the platform.” Obviously, it’s going to be very effective at sticking it to software pirates worldwide.

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SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 requires PSN activation for online play

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If you want to pick up the Torne PS3 DVR unit, March 18 is the day to do that. If you’re buying a PS3 for the first time and hoping to get the bundle, you should know that the package (which includes a PS3 with a 250GB hard drive and the Torne unit for

Speaking to the Telegraph at Microsoft’s X10 event, Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux has called on the UK government to give tax breaks to local game studios. Said Molyneux, “It is just crazy that the British government does not recognize the games industry as a creative industry in the way it recognizes others,” noting that Canada recently replaced the UK as the third largest games industry in the world. He noted that many measures taken by Canada have been proven to be “financially sensible.” Molyneux’s words contribute to escalating pleas for government support in the UK. Over the past year, the issue has been consistently pursued by the industry, with developers calling for tax breaks , and the government in turn asking for evidence of how such breaks would culturally enrich the country. Meanwhile, an August report noted that the production of original IP was declining and suggested that developers might be willing to take risks on original ideas with tax cuts in place.

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Molyneux calls on UK government to support games industry

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Though we’re confident Capcom wouldn’t leave Okamiden , the DS followup to the critically acclaimed Okami , in Japan, it’s nice to have some supporting evidence. Siliconera spotted a trademark for Okamiden on the European trademark database , suggesting that Capcom plans to publish it in Europe. And if Capcom Europe is picking it up, it’s a sure enough bet that Capcom USA will as well. We look forward to playing it for more than a few minutes! We’re going to celebrate the impending localization by first asking Capcom about it, and then staring dreamily at the character art of Chibiterasu

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Okamiden trademarked in Europe

[ GAME Watch ] During an acceptance speech at the Japan Media Arts Festival this past weekend, Shigeru Miyamoto casually referred to unannounced Nintendo hardware and at least one new Wii project he’s working on, which uses the MotionPlus peripheral. Of course, since Miyamoto wasn’t making any formal announcements, that’s all he said on those fronts, according to Andriasang ’s summary of a 4Gamer report. Miyamoto was onstage accepting a Special Achievement Prize when he revealed that, in addition to Zelda , he’s working on an unspecified number of other projects that use MotionPlus. While unconfirmed, the “Special Achievement” might have been awarded for Miyamoto’s work in the field of vague announcements. [Via Andriasang ] Miyamoto mentions new hardware, new MotionPlus games originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:02:00 EST.

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Miyamoto mentions new hardware, new MotionPlus games