Late Night Consoling

In a recent GameSpy interview, Will Wright claimed that his upcoming sim-everything game Spore (PC) is in development for not just PC, but "all platforms," though the PC version will be released first. Presumably, since the game is not expected until 2007, this means it will appear on the next generation platforms (which, by that time, we can finally refer to as "current generation platforms" or, even better, "platforms") PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. However, given publisher EA's general multiplatform tendencies as well as the high expectations no doubt accompanying a new game by the maker of the phenominally successful The Sims, it may be in development for current generation systems as well.

In related news, several months ago, a job listing surfaced, calling for a designer to supervise portable versions of Spore. This almost certainly refers to DS and PSP, as well as potentially GBA. Wright noted that the game is coming to cell phones in some form as well.

Here's a bit of news that came out last week during the hustle and bustle of E3, that you may have missed (I did! Whoops.). Atari announced that it has acquired the "online and handheld rights" to the classic platforming character Earthworm Jim, originally developed by Shiny Entertainment in the mid-90s. The press release is quite vague about just which platforms are included in those rights, at some point implying next-generation home consoles and at other points not. Atari expects to develop several games in the franchise over the next five years. First up is a game for "next-generation handheld systems" (PSP? DS? N-Gage? Gizmondo?) being developed by Shiny.

After massive corporate restructuring, publisher Majesco stated that it will be shifting its focus to portable gaming, but it seems that it will be making a few exceptions. In an extremely short press release, Majesco announced that it will be releasing a Bust-A-Move (aka Puzzle Bobble) game for Wii in early 2007. The game is called Bust-A-Move Revolution, hanging onto the former codename of Nintendo's upcoming system. Bust-A-Move's gameplay, which hinges on precision aiming, seems well suited to the system's pointer-like controller.

This upcoming game is described as the "first of several titles" from Majesco for Wii, though no others are named.

Speaking of Shiny Entertainment, founder Dave Perry left the studio earlier this year in an attempt to drum up interest on the part of another publisher to buy Shiny from current owner Atari. In the meantime, it looks like's decided to start up a consulting firm. GameConsultants.COM, billed as providing "Executive Video Game Industry Advice," is apparently already talking with investment companies and hardware and software developers as to "how to position strategic projects for the US market."

In a recent interview, Grasshopper Manufacture head Goichi Suda revealed that his game for Wii, which had been previously mentioned but not revealed in any way, is currently going by the name Heroes. Rumors prior to E3 suggested that the game would be shown at E3 in trailer form, and it appears even Suda himself thought that was to be the case; in the interview, he admits he is not sure why the game was absent. A trailer should be forthcoming this summer.

Suda and Grasshopper are best known for the unapologetically insane Killer7 (PS2, GCN) as well as the recent Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked (PS2) and the upcoming Contact (NDS).

IGN chats with three developers on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii), director Mark Pacini, manager Kensuke Tanabe, and senior producer Bryan Walker.

On the previews front, everybody is still finishing up assorted E3 coverage. If you're interested, check that out at Game Informer, GameSpot, Eurogamer, IGN, GameSpy, and surely others.