We often see Nintendo Wii games come with PS2 versions, but make no mistake: porting from one console to another is no cakewalk. That's what we learned after Ready at Dawn discussed about the difficulties of porting Konami and Clover Studio's Okami to the Wii. You'll understand why by reading the full article.

Fans of Clover Studio's Okami will now finally have something to chew on. Christian Svensson of Capcom finally released some much-needed information about the Ninendo Wii port of the game, such as its progress, when we can expect some hands-on preview, and the like. Do hit the full article to check them out.

After running into the montage of Legend of Zelda commercials Skullkid700 put together which has been popular recently, we felt the urge to look back and enjoy other amusing Japanese video game TV spots that can only come from the ingenious Japanese minds. With all the laughs these ads give, it's only fair to share to you guys so nobody misses out on the great stuff they watch in the land of the rising sun. If you're ready for hilarious commercials, brace for impact and check the videos out at the full article!

Keiji Inafune was recently interviewed by Game Informer about his new position in Capcom and other videogaming-related issues. One of the most interesting highlights of the discussions is when the Mega Man-designer was asked about the possibility of having critically-acclaimed PS2 title Okami on Wii.

First and foremost, Keiji Inafune clarified that he is no longer directly making games. He was promoted to oversee all production at Capcom, meaning he has to make sure that games under them follow quality standards. Basically, his new job is to make sure that Capcom remains a force to reckon with in the gaming industry.

The discussion then shipped to Clover Studio and its departure from Capcom. Despite this, Inafune mentioned that Viewtiful Joe and Okami are still owned by Capcom so a sequel is possible should they want it. When asked if fans will ever have Okami on Wii, he answered,

Of course that's something that I've personally thought about, but it's easier said than done. It's a cliche, but it's not just saying, "Okay, let's port it over here." There's technology, controls, and then people to make the game, whether it’s scheduling or knowing the hardware you want to take it to. It's not out of the realm of possibility.

Despite that, the renowned designer shared as well that Capcom is not considering sequels right now. And on a personal note, Inafune added,

Something like Okami, you can't really have another company make a sequel or other people make a sequel - that's something that only the people who made Okami, it's so unique to them, it wouldn't be a sequel, it would be something else.

Near the start of this year, a glimmer of hope appeared for many a Clover Studio fan in the guise of the newly formed SEEDS Inc. development house. And while the studio kept its quiet for these past few months while it gathered strength - we spotted recruitment feelers on their site during our last visit - SEEDS seems to be making preparation for a new game.

There aren't much details on what this new title will look like, although info snippets taken from Famitsu indicate it's being planned for a multiplatform release for the next-gen (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii) and portable (PSP, NDS) consoles.

This new project is further expected to be headed by Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya. Inaba was the former head of Clover Studio, while Kamiya is known for directing Capcom titles such as Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami. That's all the info we've got for the moment, although we're certainly hoping this new project bears fruit.

This is quite different from the Keiji Inafune we reported about a couple of days ago. It would be remembered that the Head of Capcom Production Studio 2, during a lecture at the Game Developer Conference (GDC), seemed to still have some harsh and melancholic feelings towards the closure of subsidiary company Clover Studio.

Inafune was asked if the engines for Xbox 360 video games Lost Planet: Extreme Condition and Dead Rising would be used for future projects on other platforms. The Capcom official answered that the engines were, in fact, developed for multi-platform usage. However, Mr. Inafune reiterated that they wouldn't work on the Wii.

On a more positive note, Keiji Inafune announced that Capcom is looking to use the Resident Evil 4 engine for some future Wii projects. He then added that they will be making an announcement soon concerning a potential new franchise, but they didn't clarify if it's going to be for Nintendo's new console.

What Inafune clarified is the fact that he's not buying into this whole photo-realism hoopla the whole next-gen scene is riding on. He shared that he is still interested on making iconic mascots such as Mega Man and Wii is a most suitable avenue.

It should be remembered that back in February another Capcom bigwig, Christian Svensson, remarked that their company will not be making any mature titles soon, because gamers of this generation are getting younger and more casual. Inafune curiously rebuffed this and commented that all next-gen systems will get their share of mature projects.

He even commented that Nintendo's current stance provides a better opportunity for developing mature games as compared to the one the video game maker had during the GameCube (GC) days.

Ouch.

Kotaku reports on a GDC 2007 Q&A session with Lost Planet producer Keiji Inafune, and when he was asked about the closure of avant-garde Clover Studio, he had one thing to say. Bluntly. They didn't sell, therefore...

Keiji clarified that he DID think that Viewtiful Joe and Okami were great games (heck, critical acclaim agrees with him there). The problem was that "Games are not a work of art... it's a product... a commodity" (heck, sales of Okami sadly agree with that perspective. So do Lost Planet sales).

Based on this quote of Inafune's response, it seems that there must have been a clash of perspectives, and on approaches to promoting a game, between Clover and Capcom:

... the producer didn't do his work. The producers work is to make the team make good games and then sell those games. The producer has to do the promotion... Certainly to get good reviews is part of his job. However, the producer has to make sure the game sells [on par with the review]. I think the producer dropped the ball there. Capcom said they would do it, but Clover said "Oh, we'll do it ourselves." And I think this was a failure.

To paraphrase: it doesn't matter if you're the great Picasso, you STILL need a market-savvy marketer if you wanna make mad money (well, that definitely means advertising majors have their job secure in the gaming industry). A sad commentary in a mass-market industry, or the harsh Darwinian reality of the economics and psychology of gaming?

Verily, a company does sit on its bottom line, but where lies the line between the bottom line and racing for the bottom?

At this year's Game Developers Choice Awards, Gears of War stood head and huge padded shoulders over other nominees as it took home the Best Game award. Epic Studios' hit next gen videogame title also bagged awards for Visual Arts and Technology.

Clover Studio's PS2 title Okami and Nintendo's Wii Sports also got high accolades. Both games took home an award each for Innovation along with Bostjan Cadez's Flash title Line Rider. Okami also got an award for Character Design, while Wii Sports bagged a Game Design award.

Other major award winners included Harmonix and RedOctane's Guitar Hero II, which won an award for Audio. Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess walked away with the Writing award and Titan Quest developer Iron Lore Entertainment picked up the award for New Studio.

The Game Developers Awards are the only peer-based, open nomination awards program in the videogame industry today. Nominations are open to all members of the International Game Developers Association. The finalists chosen by the Choice Awards Advisory Board and the winners are finally voted on by IGDA members.

Just recently, we posted an article which says that the much-awaited title Super Paper Mario will be arriving by April 9. Well, we only had some character art back then, but now, Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have released a more comprehensive fact sheet which spills the details we have long been waiting for.

The Story: Bowser and Princess Peach are both kidnapped by this top-hat-wearing bat villain who forces them to be joined in matrimony. However, this union creates a rift of dark energy which is threatening to rip the whole universe into pieces. Enter Mario, to save the day, but he'll be needing some help this time around.

Playable Characters: Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser, all with their own sets of skills and moves. Mario's unique ability is that he is able to flip between dimensions. Meanwhile, Princess Peach can glide across gaps with her parasol, while Bowser has his fire breath.

Controls: The Wiimote can either be held sideways, like a Classic Controller, or it can also be pointed at the screen to get hints, or it can be shook in order to pull off some moves or break out of ice.

Gameplay: The game starts out in 2D, but later, Mario will gain the ability to flip between the 2D and 3D dimensions. This ability is central to the game as it helps the player to get across pits, find hidden passages, and uncover coins, items and Pixls, which are only visible in the 3D dimension. Also, other characters will later join Mario as the game progresses, and it will be necessary to swap between characters in order to solve puzzles or defeat enemies (those who played Clover Studio's Viewtiful Joe 2 should be quite familiar with this system).

Leveling: The player's character gains points for every enemy they stomp, every block they break, as well as every item they find and pick up. Enough points eventually gets the character to level up, thus gaining more HP and attack power.

Pixls: These allies called "Pixls" are hidden in various places throughout the game. It is important to find these as they give any of the characters access to special abilities, such as the ability to become paper-thin, and the ability to grab and toss enemies.

Items: Items are similar to those that can be found in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Mushrooms and Shooting Stars are, of course, present.

Capcom may have closed Clover Studio, the studio that developed Okami, the cel-shaded video game for the PlayStation 2. This beautiful game tells the story of how Nippon was saved by Amaterasu the wolf. The visual style of the multiple-award-winning game is amazing.

Now it seems that the Wii might be giving Capcom some pangs of guilt. A "not flat-out denied" rumor came up at IGN saying that Capcom might think about giving Okami's Amaterasu a Wiimote to go forth and paint with (by the way, IGN gave the game six awards in 2006, including Overall Game of the Year).

"Not flat-out denied." That's how IGN described Capcom UK's reaction when they asked the company's British offices about a Wii-fied, sensorized, gesture-control sumi-e-ied Okami (sumi-e: traditional Japanese artwork characterized by Okami).

The exact words used were:

Officially we have no plans for Okami on Wii at this time. Research and development are always looking at possibilities but given Clover is now closed for business, I think it highly unlikely a Wii version would be possible.

According to Capcom's PR, Clover was closed so Capcom could align itself more closely to its strong points (e.g., ¥¥¥, perhaps) but the Wii could use a little arthouse, too. Besides, Okami rocked the ratings charts, if not the sales charts.

Many of us are hoping that this rumor is true. Or can be made true. Petition time, perhaps?