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Another Pokemon Mobile Game Announced, Out Now In Some Regions
From nowhere, The Pokemon Company has announced and released a new mobile game. Named Pokemon Rumble Rush, the free-to-play title is available now in Australia and is “coming soon” to the rest of the world.
Rumble Rush is a mobile entry into the brawler-focused Pokemon Rumble series. It was previously announced in 2017 under a different name–Pokeland–before disappearing into the abyss. The Pokemon Company has now re-revealed it and launched it simultaneously.
It appears Rumble Rush will include live updates, with the game’s official Play Store description stating, “The islands and seas explored during your adventures change every two weeks.” The mobile game is available to download now on Android in Australia; a worldwide release and an iOS version are listed as “coming soon” on the game’s official website.
Rumble Rush is developed by Ambrella, the same studio behind the four previous titles in the Rumble series. This means Rumble Rush is not the same Pokemon mobile game teased by DeNA just recently.
Pokemon Sword and Shield for Nintendo Switch are also due to launch in the next few months; no release date has been announced, but they’re scheduled to be released in 2019. We might learn more during Nintendo’s E3 2019 Direct presentation, which kicks off on June 11 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST (2 AM AET on June 12).
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/another-pokemon-mobile-game-announced-out-now-in-s/1100-6466908/
Horror Mangaka Junji Ito Talks Silent Hills Involvement
Hideo Kojima’s Silent Hills was canceled in March 2015 due to conflicts between Kojima’s team and publisher Konami. While most of the high-profile individuals involved have since offered their two cents on the matter–including filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim), who’s had some choice words for the Japanese publisher–horror manga artist Junji Ito recently discussed his role with the project.
Ito, while at the Toronto Comics Art Festival this past weekend, was asked about his involvement with Silent Hills. His responses come via translation thanks to Twitter user MinovskyArticle.
Junji Ito asked about Silent Hills.
“I don’t know anything about games. I don’t play them. I am afraid if I get into them I’ll miss deadlines. I have never played Silent Hill. I have known Hideo Kojima for 20 years. He is a nice older brother type.”— Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) May 10, 2019
Kojima and Del Toro approached Ito around the time Pacific Rim came out. “I told them I know nothing about games. Kojima told me I would be fine. Del Toro gave me tickets to Pacific Rim. It was excellent.”
— Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) May 10, 2019
“Kojima was at Konami back then. I came to a meeting and Del Toro hugged me. It turns out Del Toro is a big gamer. Del Toro wanted the game to be in one location and keep the horror in the player’s face in that way.”
— Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) May 10, 2019
“Once the Silent Hills meeting was over, we went to karaoke. I didn’t hear anything after that. I heard that the plan got scrapped through outside sources. I have seen Kojima and Del Toro since. I never started designing monsters. Nothing exists. There are no roughs or sketches.”
— Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) May 10, 2019
Though he may not have had the opportunity to contribute his signature brand of body horror to the project, Ito got to see Pacific Rim (for free) and sang his heart out with both del Toro and Kojima.
Silent Hills was announced through 2014’s P.T., a short, free PS4 playable teaser that confirmed Kojima was directing a new Silent Hill entry alongside del Toro and starring Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct) in the lead role. Kojima has since left Konami, pursuing game development under his independent studio Kojima Productions, which he founded in 2005 while still under Konami’s umbrella.
Since publicly splitting from Konami in 2015, Kojima has announced the studio’s first game, Death Stranding. “I’m embarking on a new challenge with a fresh slate,” Kojima said of the split. “But I intend to keep pushing the creative envelope until the day I die.”
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/horror-mangaka-junji-ito-talks-silent-hills-involv/1100-6466860/
Rockstar Games Buys India Studio Dhruva Interactive
The oldest video game company in India, Dhruva Interactive, has been purchased by Rockstar Games from Starbreeze Studios for $7.9 million. According to a post on the company’s official website, Dhruva, which was founded by Rajesh Rao in Bangalore in 1997, “was India’s first ever game development studio.” Starting as a five-man team, the company grew to over 300 employees “specializing in every aspect of art and design.” Since then, Dhruva has contributed to a number of high-profile, AAA games, including Arkane Studios’ Prey, Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man, Rare’s Sea of Thieves, SIE Bend Studio’s Days Gone, and many more.
Dhruva will now get folded into Rockstar India, which houses approximately 500 employees “already working in Bangalore on Rockstar’s ground-breaking games.”
“Dhruva Interactive has been a beacon of Indian game development for decades and we are excited to bring them into the Rockstar family,” said Rockstar India’s studio manager Daniel Smith. “The addition of the Dhruva team to the existing talent at Rockstar India will expand the studio’s capabilities and reinforces our belief in and commitment to the local development community.”
Rao, who serves as the company’s CEO, shares Smith’s sentiment and is excited about the acquisition. “Rockstar Games are the undisputed leaders of innovation and creativity in modern game development,” Rao said. “Dhruva Interactive was founded with the aim of creating a world-class game development community in India, and so bringing the Dhruva team under the Rockstar Games label is further proof that we have succeeded in creating a talented team that can contribute to the best games in the world while helping to create a thriving local game developer community in India.”
Prior to the purchase, Dhruva was acquired by Starbreeze in 2016. Starbreeze is most well-known for 2007’s The Darkness, 2013’s Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and Payday 2, and last year’s OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead.
While the sale is “expected to close in the coming weeks,” whatever projects Dhruva is currently working on will remain unchanged and proceed uninterrupted.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/rockstar-games-buys-india-studio-dhruva-interactiv/1100-6466895/
