The Week in Review

This week games talk about porn, developers spouses speak out, blue people hurt Ubisoft, Heavy Rain box art inspires exactly no one, and some English guy opens a bar in Australia.

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

If you’re looking forward to Heavy Rain so you can get your interactive mac on, you’re in for a disappointment as Quantic Dream CEO David Cage has made it clear that the sex scenes in the game are not gratuitous. “It’s definitely not porn,” he said. “We don’t intend to push the boundaries and be ultra-realistic in every detail. It’s about real characters having emotions and doing what adults do when they fall in love.” Which leads us to… (link)

David Cage is Sometimes Hard to Believe

David Cage may claim that Heavy Rain isn’t about boobies, but the North American box art for the game suggests otherwise. Featuring an attractive woman in a very tight tank top vest thing very prominently in the center of the box, three guys, some water and an origami duck – or possibly a horse – the art is busy, confusing and uninspiring, with the European version being a lot simpler and more evocative. Sorry North America, looks like you were unlucky on this one. (link)

Avatar Hates Ubisoft

What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander, not if the gander is Ubisoft and we’re taking about Avatar. James Cameron might be making a killing from the the movie, but the spin-off game seems to be killing the French publisher, so much so that it is mentioned specifically in a third quarter fiscal update where the company significantly revised its projected sales targets for the year, probably of the heading “Whoops, that could have gone better”.(link)

Yahtzee’s Mana Potions Taste Like Rum!

Along with a few friends, The Escapist’s own Yahtzee is opening up a bar in Brisbane where the games are free, even if the drinks themselves are not. Called ‘The Mana Bar’ the establishment will run competitions and host guest speakers from the world of gaming. With its fairly small, fifty person capacity, the Mana Bar is likely to be a crowded place on most nights, especially considering Yahtzee’s very large fan base. Hit the link for a video of the man himself talking about the place. (link)

Rockstar Wives Speak Out

Apparently channelling EA from six years ago, Rockstar San Diego is allegedly treating its workers rather badly, at least according to their significant others. In an open letter from the “Determined Devoted Wives of Rockstar San Diego Employees”, the Rockstar employees are working increasingly long hours with very little management support. While the letter contains no specific demands, but promises legal action should the sitaution remain unchanged. (link)