The AIAS announces 2003 nominees The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences today revealed the nominees for the 2003 Interactive Achievement Awards. Finalists for Game of the Year include Animal Crossing, Battlefield 1942, Rachet & Clank, Metroid Prime, and the bastion of hype known as GTA: Vice City. Kingdom Hearts was nominated for console RPG of the year. Link
Depressed roommate hitting the Gamecube pretty hard WEST LAFAYETTE, IN?Despondent over a recent breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Purdue University graduate student Tim Mahaffey, 27, has been hitting the Nintendo GameCube "pretty hard," roommates reported Monday. TheOnion.com
Working Designs considering GBA development Although Working Designs has previously dismissed development for any cartridge-based platform, president Vic Ireland has said that Gameboy Advance devlopment is being "seriously considered" and that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is "really fucking sexy." gamesarefun.com
North America gets Origins after Europe; Rahul makes shameless fun Square EA has set the release date for the Final Fantasy I-II PSOne remakes, known as Final Fantasy Origins in NA and Europe, for 8th April 2003. The same title will be released two weeks earlier in Europe, according to recent (unconfirmed) reports; both varieties can be picked up for around US$/Euro 30,-. Bahahahahaha! Gamefront
Dude, you got busted! "Benjamin Curtis, better known as the "Dell Dude" from the computer company's television commercials, was arrested Sunday while he allegedly attempted to buy marijuana on Manhattan's Lower East Side." CNN.com
SCE overestimates self-importance Sony Computer Entertainment has put together this TV commercial thingy, where they kindly ask the world: "No war. Please." and scroll a bunch of "peaceful" images of the Getaway and GTA:VC. Makes games, not war! In other news, no one cares about a videogame publisher's perspective on the current Iraqi crisis. It was a nice thought, though. Gamers unite! Eurogamer
Square Enix to focus on PlayOnline? At a shareholder's meeting today, Yoichi Wada indicated that Square Enix would be focusing on the role of the player community as an important aspect of gaming and that they plan to develop titles akin to Final Fantasy XI for release in 2005. There was no information given as to what platform(s) these games would be launched for, but speculation suggests the next generation of online-oriented consoles like PS3 and Xbox Next might be the targets. Gamefront
Ludicrous Chrono Break rumours back for more "D'apr?s certaines rumeurs, Chrono Break sortirait sur Game Boy Advance et Chrono Trigger 2 sortirait sur GameCube cet ?t? au Japon. A confirmer. Merci ? NecFan pour l'info.", says Newtechnix.
Namco spotted resorting to cheap marketing tactics "Do you have a fansite or know a friend or two who does? [...] place the banner(s) on your website or ask a friend to place it on their site. Get the banner(s) placed on two websites by Sunday, March 2nd and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a Xenosaga prize pack [...]"
Oh wow! This means we all have to link to team Xenosaga from our websites!
Or we could just send massive amounts of spam email telling them to sod off. Shitty Marketing Campaign
Wonderswan discontinued Reports from Japan indicate that Bandai will be slowing production of Wonderswan hardware - producing only as much as there are orders for - and will soon discontinue production completely. Bandai will reportedly begin Gameboy Advance development soon and will have three or four titles available this fall. Gamers.com