MadWorld release date announced + new trailer

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http://platinumgames.com/2009/02/06/madworld-release-date-and-new-york-comic-con/

If you live in North America, get ready to paint the black and white town red on March 10!

That’s the day you can march into stores and purchase PlatinumGames’s first title, MADWORLD!

Pseudo-new trailer, actually (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORXYKZXKmEQ&fmt=18).

It seems to me like it's a combination of No More Heroes style of waggle with God Hand. Hopefully it doesn't get too repetitive.

[azurestormgod]

There is only one way to describe this game for the wii: Win

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EPIC NEWS (http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/madworld/news.html?sid=6204717)

One special point of interest is that Madworld's story was developed with help from Yasumi Matsuno (the game designer behind Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII [RT's note: and Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre]) who, it turns out, was tapped by his friend Atsushi Inaba of Platinum to work on the game's scenarios. Given all the experience at Platinum, as well as the experience that Matsuno brings to the table, we're anxious to see how this craziness is going to play out.

It all makes sense now. He was trying to escape from the Square Enix ninja, so what does he do? Hide inside a brand new company and work unnoticed from the shadows.

Oh God I just fucking pre-ordered this game.

[Kim]

I want to do dirty and inappropriate things to this game, and it isn't even out yet.

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This is like finding out that Jesus called up his friend Buddha for a quick hard rock jam session of pure awesome.

Seriously, Platinum Games if full of talent.

[Kim]

I think the only thing that could make me love them more is if they called up Suda 51 and had him come lend some awesome to their projects.

[phil_]

I had a big ol' post here about how this game seems less and less interesting as more gameplay videos come out, but then I realized that it would either be seen as trolling or ignored.

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Let me guess: your worries stem out from the fact that in every single video the enemies don't seem to impose any challenge, and you have your doubts about how well will outrageous killings keep their wow factor for the length of the game?

Because, yeah, you got sort of got a point there, but then I remember that God Hand seemed to have the same problem in every trailer and that turned out great.

[Donomni]

At first I wasn't sure having a guy who's done RPG's would add much to this, but then I remembered the word scenario.

This story is gonna be insane and serious/awesome at the same time.

My PS3 fund is gonna be seriously lacking $50 soon, methinks. :/

[Magus]

Quite a leap for Matsuno as far as scenario goes, but if anyone can pull it off it's him.

He also needs to write another freaking Ogre Battle/any other RPG immediately thereafter, however.

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Some plot details (http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/954/954570p1.html):

"It's certainly true that Jack is a man of many mysteries," says MadWorld director Shigenori Nishikawa. "What I can say is that he isn't someone that you could call a hero in the typical sense."

We're forced to agree. After all, we can't recall any heroes who unflinchingly chainsaw their enemies in half, slam them anus-first onto rusty spikes or lock their heads to the ground with a firm foot and then swing away with a golf club. But Jack is a hero all the same -- one who finds himself competing in a gruesome sport whose roots stretch back thousands of years.

Varrigan City has been taken over by a secret organization. All exits have been blocked off -- there's no way in or out. And when the local police department tries to intervene, its helicopters are shot down in a bold show of force. In a public speech, the President addresses the issue, saying only that operatives have been made aware of the situation and that actions have been taken, but with no specifics and seemingly no immediate help on the horizon, the innocent civilians of Varrigan City are left to fend for themselves.

To make matters worse, the city's new keepers have no pity for those left stranded. They talk of a game called Death Watch -- a fight to the very end for all inhabitants. They encourage all residents to take arms and begin murdering those around them for notoriety. Family members and close friends, they add, are good starting points. And why should anybody take part in such reprehensible acts of violence? Well, because they'll have to if they want to live. Death Watch organizers reveal that they have released a deadly virus into the city and that everybody is infected. Only those who compete in the game will be given the antidote.

"The Death Watch show has a long history, but it is a shady underground event much like back-room wrestling. The organizer's identity has not been revealed," says Nishikawa.

Jack emerges from the darkness, a cigarette in his mouth, and punches out a potential game participant without a second's hesitation. It's here that he meets XIII, who represents the sponsor of the same number. Nothing is known about XIII or his backers, but he knows the rules of Death Watch and sets the musclebound Jack on his way.

Meanwhile, crude commentators details Jack's every move, adding color and humor whenever possible. Who are these commentators and will Jack ever encounter them?

"The commentators will not meet with Jack directly," says Nishikawa. "Why? Because the commentators are viewing the show at a different location via network feeds. For that reason, Jack has no idea what people are saying about him, nor does he care."

As we've played through MadWorld, we've found ourselves continually surprised by the storyline, which is more layered and complex than we had suspected it might be. And according to Nishikawa, there are more twists to come.

"With any story, one should expect the unexpected," he says. "The theme for MadWorld is to challenge the limits, and that challenge extends to our story. Count on it!"

That sounds right up to Matsuno's alley, yeah.

He also needs to write another freaking Ogre Battle/any other RPG immediately thereafter, however.

There will never be another Ogre Battle. Quest was absorbed by Enix a long time ago, which then merged with Square and, as we all know, Yoichi Wada injected cancer into Yasumi Matsuno's eyes.