Games Delayed, Disaster Report 4 Canceled In Japan
Yakuza: Of The EndTwo titles have been delayed in Japan, and one is flat-out canceled.
According to sources citing "various circumstances," Sony and Sega have announced delays for MotorStorm: Apocalypse and Yakuza: Of The End, and Irem has canceled Disaster Report 4. The latest Yakuza entry now has a vague "TBA" date for Japan, as does Apocalypse, which had been expected to launch on March 17. Nobody said anything about the troubles afflicting the Land of the Rising Sun, but the influence seems obvious; all the games in question feature disaster themes of some sort. In other news that relates to the Japanese crisis, Square-Enix has announced they've temporarily shut down the servers for Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV. As for the new MotorStorm, it also seems the European relaese is "under discussion," so it may or may not arrive in that region this week. For the record, the game will arrive in North America on April 12.
We doubt anybody is going to complain. There are much bigger things going on in the world right now.
Tags: yakuza of the end, disaster report 4, motorstorm apocalypse
3/14/2011 12:00:21 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (66 posts)
Highlander
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:26:22 PM
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Obviously we can all help with charitable giving to relief agencies, but we should also consider that our game and other hobby purchasing can have a direct benefit to Japan as well. So supporting Japanese gaming companies through your purchases is a great thing to do as well, continued economic activity in Japan is as important in the long run as any immediate relief aid is. Some will say that we should concentrate on our own economy first. Perhaps so, but in this interconnected world Supporting Japan at this time is essentially the same as supporting ourselves.
Either way, delays to games are natural at a time like this, all it does is give us time and reason to find the special pre-order editions of these games.
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kraygen
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:27:37 PM
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Highlander
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:27:04 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html?hp
The last image at this link is terrifying, it shows two towns that have been washed away to the point where all that remains are ancient stream beds;
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan-quake-2011/beforeafter.htm
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coverton341
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:33:08 PM
Not to incite a riot among certain individuals, but as an American that felt tremendous emotion for 9/11, I think the tragedy visited upon Japan is much worse than that.
It's almost unbelievable how much the entire country has been damaged.
5 up, 1 down
JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:40:58 PM
But the point is we are all human, we all feel pain.
Last edited by JMO_INDY on 3/14/2011 1:42:29 PM
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coverton341
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:01:11 PM
Were the lives lost to 9/11 worth more that the lives lost in the natural disaster, simply because 9/11 was planned by men?
Like I said I don't want to incite hard feelings and I don't want to minimise the tragedy of 9/11, I just think the death toll and destruction from this earthquake far outstrip what happened to us and I hope that they can persevere through.
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:18:16 PM
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coverton341
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:20:55 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:26:08 PM
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JSwayze
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:48:04 PM
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Kiryu
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:55:33 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:10:23 PM
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A2K78
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:56:51 PM
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Last edited by A2K78 on 3/14/2011 12:59:06 PM
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slugga_status
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:10:52 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:11:22 PM
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10 up, 1 down
Zorigo
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:17:27 PM
But that said, apart from giving money theres not muuuuch else i can do to help is there. i cant fly out and help em myself. so yeah, donate money and what not, by hell they need it, but whats wrong with prayer and empathy, christian or any other form.
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:22:16 PM
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maxpontiac
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 3:20:14 PM
Faith without action is dead.
Last edited by maxpontiac on 3/14/2011 3:24:17 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 5:27:40 PM
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Underdog15
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 6:00:57 PM
Equally so, actions without faith, is also useless.
Wondering if we got that from the same source. ;)
@JMO
I read a book once called "God does not believe in the atheist." lol good book.
This is incredibly off-topic, but it would be wise instead to label yourself an "agnostic", since there is absolutely no way to be 100% sure there ISN'T a god, just as there is no way to be 100% the other way. You must make a decision to believe God does not exist. By definition, you are placing your faith, belief in the uncertain, unseen, or unknown, in the hope that there isn't a God. In other words, you believe there's no God, despite there being no way to prove it, and so, atheism is a faith based belief in and of itself, and therefore a contradiction.
Atheism = Belief in nothing... except you believe in believing in nothing. It is a paradox of sorts. It is far better from an academic standpoint to consider yourself an "agnostic" - without knowledge. Since you cannot prove one way or the other, you must conclude there is no way of knowing. From there you can decide to either try to learn more about the possibilities, or simply decide it is one of those things you are happy simply not knowing for sure. We all must be happy not knowing some things. You merely just pick which types of knowledge are most important to you. For example, I don't care one bit that I know next to nothing about theoretical physics.
Either way, agnosticism is far more academic than atheism. And as a future agnostic, it would be wise to consider the possibility that a prayer could very well be much more than a mere thought and it would be mature to be thanking people for doing what they "know" to be helpful. Even if you're pretty sure it won't help, since there's no way of knowing. Especially when they are done with good intentions. Although, I agree, that if the opportunity arises, it is better to act (since one could argue, one's own answer to prayer is the opportunity to help). But if prayer is all you have, then I "beleive" it should be encouraged! It certainly can't hurt anything! lol
Anyways, to me, while I 100% agree that ignoring an opportunity to help through physical action with the excuse of "prayer" is really stupid, I can't help but think outright discouraging prayer or putting it down as a mere "thought" is born out of misdirected bitterness towards religions in general, and potentially does far more harm than good... to you and those you discourage.
Like I said... what can honest prayer hurt if it's all one has to give?
EDIT: Sorry for the late edit. Started adding more then got a phone call...
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/14/2011 6:53:52 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:29:14 PM
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maxpontiac
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:15:59 AM
However, when it comes to prayer, all I am going to say is this --
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 (NIV)
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Lawless SXE
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:12:53 PM
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Peace.
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CHAOS THEORY X
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:24:05 PM
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maxpontiac
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:36:56 PM
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Last edited by maxpontiac on 3/14/2011 1:40:37 PM
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Ludicrous_Liam
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 1:53:12 PM
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just2skillf00l
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:01:50 PM
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Geobaldi
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:18:23 PM
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Zorigo
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:19:01 PM
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Excelsior1
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 3:01:02 PM
anyways, they will get through this in time.
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coverton341
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 4:29:32 PM
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Alienange
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:52:47 PM
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Danny007
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 2:53:21 PM
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LimitedVertigo
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 3:42:14 PM
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Did I miss something?
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coverton341
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 4:19:42 PM
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Lairfan
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 8:36:20 PM
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LimitedVertigo
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 10:10:53 PM
Way to look foolish LairFan. You're a meanie pants.
Oh and it was a huge sandwich. Meatballs, salami, onions, peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil. HMMMM HMMM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 10:20:40 PM
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Ludicrous_Liam
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 2:00:46 AM
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Pandacastro
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 2:24:36 AM
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Snaaaake
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 5:06:17 PM
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That's too bad, I watched a developer interview on a Japanese channel once and it looked fun.
Mother nature can be cruel sometimes but what can we do?
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booze925
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 5:14:20 PM
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in 2011, the mongols had their revenge.
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JMO_INDY
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 5:43:41 PM
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Ergi
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 6:48:02 PM
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I guess it's easier said than done and I just lack knowledge on the topic.
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Jed
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:00:45 PM
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Ergi
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:08:56 PM
I don't know, I just felt like tech should be able to predict by now but there's isn't much point in that train of thought. And now you say there is really no way and they just use probability, and I didn't know about the buildings.
Thanks for your answer.
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Jed
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:12:32 PM
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Jed
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:09:44 PM
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I would like to encourage everybody to do whatever you can to help with supplies and money to help the victims.
Also, watch out for scams on the Internet, there are some animals out there that will set up fake charities in situations like this.
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BikerSaint
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 7:57:27 PM
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Taken from the Kotaku site.....
Earthquake Relief, 99 Cents At a Time
Brian Crecente
At a Time It was like a freight train hit the building.
Wil McLellan was in the boardroom of New Zealand game developers Stickmen Studios when he felt the room start to vibrate. Then it whipped to the side.
"People were thrown from chairs and the rooms without windows went pitch dark as the power went out," McLellan said. "The noise was immense—lights falling, glass smashing, crashing bookcases—and the rumbling roar of the quake itself. We were all aware that this was far worse than the last large earthquake a few months previously and I think it fair to say everyone was just hoping the building would survive."
Once the quake subsided, the team of developers made their way through the dim light and dust, working their way down the stairs and out of the building. As the team walked out into Cathedral Square, in Christchurch, New Zealand, a second tremor hit and buildings began to collapse around them.
Thousands stood in that town center watching the city shake in what would become the second most devastating earthquake to hit the country. The final death toll of the 6.3-magnitude earthquake is expected to be more than 200, and the cost to rebuild the city could be as high as $30 billion NZD, or about a third of the country's gross national product.
In the wake of the earthquake, Jos Ruffell, portfolio manager for game app developer PikPok, started to contact other iPhone developers in New Zealand to see what they could do to help out.
They came up with App Appeal.... http://www.appappeal.co.nz/
and donating all proceeds from the sale of a collection of apps and games for the iPhone and iPad to Red Cross to help the quake victimes there.
The fundraiser brought in $22,000 in the first week and sales for the effort will run until March 26.
"I sent emails to several other developers on Thursday morning, (the quake was on the Tuesday, Feb. 22) and within 20 minutes we had a core group of six developers onboard with the idea," Ruffell said. "The reaction so far has been fantastic. We have had developers from all over the world get in touch and pledge their app earnings. Many of the developers supporting the appeal are single developer studios, and the app store represents their entire income, so it's quite overwhelming to receive this level of support."
Among those helping is David Frampton, developer and founder of Majic Jungle Software. Sales of his game Chopper 2 alone raised $5,700 NZD in the first week.
Frampton is based in Wellington, New Zealand, but his mother, Ann Bodkin, works in Christchurch at the six-story PGC House on Cambridge Terrace.
'She was the last person pulled out alive from the rubble. So we are all feeling incredibly lucky.'
"She was caught under her desk in the rubble of the collapsed PGC building," Frampton said. "We didn't hear from her for nearly 24 hours, which was very difficult for us, especially seeing the state of the building. Amazingly, rescuers found her alive and well, and within a few more hours they had got her out with only minor bruising.
"She was the last person pulled out alive from the rubble. So we are all feeling incredibly lucky."
I asked Ruffell, days before the horrific events of Japan's 9.0 magnitude earthquake, whether he would ever consider expanding the effort to help others in need.
"We have certainly seen the power of digital distribution in New Zealand," he said at the time. "It has allowed small developers to create, publish and earn a living making games at essentially the bottom of the world. Matching this to charity efforts that can cross boundaries and reach a global audience is really exciting, and has certainly allowed people to support the cause that we would normally struggle to reach."
Already in Japan, game companies are coming together to try and raise funds to help the reeling country.
Koei Tecmo, Microsoft, Namco Bandai, Nintendo, Sega Sammy and Sony have contributed more than $18 million to earthquake relief efforts, and at least one iPhone game developer is donating all sales to the efforts.
To donate....
App Appeal.... http://www.appappeal.co.nz/
You can also donate directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
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Scarecrow
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 9:10:35 PM
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As far as the games, it's ok. But man I have been waiting for White Knight Chronicles 2 for a while, hope that's still coming...
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Nas Is Like
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 11:12:54 PM
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Either way, I wouldn't be mad or disappointed though. My only thoughts are I hope the country heals quickly, and the people get help as soon as possible. That quake was something else...
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BikerSaint
Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 11:16:24 PM
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Japan's Game Publishers See Sharp Declines in Wake of Tragedy
Games publishers listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange have all seen large sums wiped off their values, with the market falling significantly following Friday's earthquake and tsunami.
(That includes Sony & Nintendo).
Full story here>>>>>
http://www.industrygamers.com/news/japans-game-publishers-see-sharp-declines-in-wake-of-tragedy/
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gunblademaster
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 12:04:22 AM
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To just think that your house, belongings and memories gone in an instant. To actually sit down and think about that happening to you. You feel so grateful.
However the only thing that annoys me is the whole 'end of the world' crap and how this is a sign.
My prayers go out to the Japanese.
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newchef
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 9:49:22 AM
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with that in mind however the first thing i did as a new yorker after the attacks is try to ragain a semblance of normalcy, and maybe for some games may be the normal...i do agree with delaying the apocolypse based games
i understand that whats happening in japan is more life changing than the attacks here, and i could be completely wrong about all of that. and even in that case they still need all the support they can get
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 @ 6:07:40 PM
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If a radiation cloud from Japan’s damaged nuclear reactors eventually reaches the western United States, it could pose a threat to American crops and the people who eat them, nationally known neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock tells Newsmax.
He also says the radiation could pose a cancer risk, and explains steps to take to protect against the damaging effects of radiation exposure.
The full story here....
http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/headline_health/Radiation_Threat_US/2011/03/15/380329.html?s=al&promo_code=BDE5-1
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marcusfrommo
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Monday, March 14, 2011 @ 12:21:14 PM