I'll go ahead and say it up front: Ratchet & Clank is right up at the top of my list of greatest video game franchises of all time. Since the very first installment back in 2002. the series has consistently delivered engaging stories, hilarious characters, beautiful graphics, and - most importantly - amazingly solid and intuitive gameplay. Having recently brought the series to PlayStation 3 with Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Insomniac decided to ease the pain of the cliffhanger ending of that title by giving us Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, a small, downloadable nugget of a game meant to bridge the gap between Tools and the upcoming 2009 sequel. A noble gesture, but can a series known for its epic scope be condensed into a four-hour experience without losing some of its polish? I spent an evening with everyone's favorite (and only) Lombax in order to find out.

Loved
Good Old Gameplay: As essentially an extension of Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty retains the same solid gameplay we've come to expect from the series, easy and intuitive from the get-go.

New Mechanics: The new tether ability of Ratchet's Omniwrench adds a fun new gameplay element to the mix, and the ability to pick things up and hurl them with the tool makes for some rather entertaining platforming puzzles.

Super Fuzzy Graphics: Quest for Booty uses the same graphics engine as Tools of Destruction, which means it is also one of the best looking games on the system, with graphics approaching CGI cartoon quality.

The Big Reveal: I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't already heard. I'll just say that the revelation at the end of the game regarding Ratchet's whereabouts may have elicited a tiny, girlish squeal. Don't go looking it up on the internet, just find out for yourself first hand.

Hated
A Little Short For A Lombax: Four hours just doesn't feel like enough time to spend in the Ratchet & Clank universe. I hate to say it, but I almost wish they'd just make me wait for the next game. I know the game is only $15, but for $15 I could go pick up a copy of one of the earlier, longer adventures and replay that instead.

Lack Of Variety: You won't find any side games in Quest for Booty. Just standard R&C; gameplay with a few new mechanics thrown in and countless pirates to kill. There are a few monsters to kill and some entertaining bosses, but for the most part it's prates, pirates, and more pirates.

A good game should leave you wanting more, but it also needs to give you a sense of fulfillment to counterbalance that want. While I thoroughly enjoyed the four hours I spent playing Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, I feel like all I accomplished was trading one cliffhanger ending for another cliffhanger ending. Instead of being its own game, it feels more like a really long teaser trailer for the next title in the series.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is an enjoyable but far-too-brief look at what's next in one of gaming's greatest platform franchises.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, developed by Insomniac, published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released Aug. 21 on the PlayStation Network. Retails for $15.00. Played through entire game on normal difficulty.

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Back in the beginning of July I wrote up the announcement of GoLive2's Wii remote-aping PC peripheral Stix, a device that would allow PC gamers to play specific web-based games using motion sensing controls, and then just as quickly forgot all about it. Lo and behold, the week before I leave for the Games Convention a package arrives on my doorstep. Well, on my mother's doorstep, addressed to Chris Fahey, but close enough. Inside was the Stix 200 combo pack, which I excitedly ran home with, setting it on my coffee table before leaving for the airport. Now I've finally gotten a chance to crack them open and play through some of their game offerings, and I have to say that this is exactly the sort of Christmas present parents who can't get their hands on a Wii should get their children to make them cry.

As you can see from the packaging, GoLive2 really wanted to emphasize that kids are going to have fun with their Stix product. The boy is obviously having the time of his life, while the girl gets so overwhelmed with emotion on the back of the box she jumps, even though there are no games for the Stix 200 that require it. She's just that damn happy about being on a box cover. It's the little things.

The Nintendo similarities begin right when you open the box. Inside the box is another box, the sort of pleasant light blue you might find inside a Wii package. Opening that box reveals the two Stix 200 units, some batteries, the USB faux charging cradle, and a manual.

Let's look at the Stix compared to the Wii remote, shall we? As you can see, the design aesthetic is essentially the same. The trigger depression is a bit different, but otherwise the shape is pretty similar, if a bit larger than the Wii remote. The real difference is the face of the controller. They call it a touchscreen, but really it's just a touch-sensitive panel with LED lights behind it. Even the strap bears a striking resemblance to the Wii remote strap, going as far as having the fastener at the top sharing the same rectangular shape with the cut-off corner.

Once you have the whole kit out of the package, you connect the USB "dock" to the computer, a driver installs, and you are prompted to download some software from a website, which once again reminds you that you are about to have so much fun you won't know what to do with yourself.

Once the software controller loads you're free to head over to the GoLive2 Stix website, create an account, fire up one of dozens of free online games, and realize you are holding in your hand the most expensive replacement for a set of arrow keys ever.

See, the Stix 200 only features 2D movement. That means up and down, left and right. It is essentially a set of arrow keys with some extra buttons tacked on top. Let me clarify: it is essentially a set of slightly unresponsive, highly inconvenient arrow keys. GoLive2 does make a 3D version of the accessory - the Stix 400 - but seeing as I don't have that one, here we are. As for the games themselves... A truly horrible assortment of shovelware mini-games awaits you on the GoLive2 games page, mainly consisting of clones of already existing web games with the fun sucked out by requiring you to use this silly peripheral. I did manage to enjoy one game on the site for nearly 20 minutes, but that was the excellent flash classic Fancy Pants Adventures, which I could only play after giving up on the Stix controller and using keyboard controls instead.

The Stix 200 is a cheap imitation of the Wii remote that is trying to capitalize on the Nintendo system's popularity by allowing PC gamers to move themselves about the screen with a stick. Perhaps the 3D Stix 400 is a much better product, but after spending time with the cheaper model I'm not sure I would ever even consider giving it a go. I'd say nice try, but frankly it just wasn't.

Earlier today, we first broke the news that Square Enix had plans to takeover beleaguered game company Tecmo. At the ensuing press conference, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada revealed that this friendly takeover offer wasn't as sudden as it appears.

According to Wada, there have been discussions since May with former Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda and Tecmo Chairman of the Board (and current president) Yasuharu Kakihara. Yasuda has recently resigned in wake of a slew of labor dispute legal trouble with Team Ninja and Dead or Alive member Tomonobu Itagaki. Wada admits that he was "concerned" what would happen regarding those discussions when Yasuda resigned.

This, said Wada, is the same as when Square and Enix merged, adding: "In entertainment, games are the equal of the film and television industry, and growth is strong. But, now the Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor that it did previously... This is a worldwide battle."

As we broke earlier, the Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4th to approve the offer. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). But if Tecmo does accept the offer, what will happen to Tecmo? It will fall under a holding company umbrella, said the exec. But regarding the actual Tecmo brand, Wada stated, "To either be affiliated and losing the brand or possibly merging with Taito, that's totally different." Square Enix acquired Taito in 2005.

Wada was keen to point out how important (and attractive) Tecmo's IPs were. Not only that, he praised the company's ability to produce top quality titles — most notably Tecmo's fighting and action games. Wada also lauded the company's success abroad. The Square Enix exec pointed out that talented teams are needed to make games. "While it looks like the games are made by a single, talented genius, games are made by teams," said Wada. When asked about the Itagaki labor dispute, Wada replied: "I don't know anything of the concrete details of this particular case."

"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Wada. "I hope."

和田氏「TOBはこれから。目的はグループとして一緒にやっていくこと」 [Game Watch Impress]

Earlier today, we first broke the news that Square Enix had plans to takeover beleaguered game company Tecmo. At the ensuing press conference, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada revealed that this friendly takeover offer wasn't as sudden as it appears.

According to Wada, there have been discussions since May with former Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda and Tecmo Chairman of the Board (and current president) Yasuharu Kakihara. Yasuda has recently resigned in wake of a slew of labor dispute legal trouble with Team Ninja and Dead or Alive member Tomonobu Itagaki. Wada admits that he was "concerned" what would happen regarding those discussions when Yasuda resigned.

This, said Wada, is the same as when Square and Enix merged, adding: "In entertainment, games are the equal of the film and television industry, and growth is strong. But, now the Japanese game industry isn't leading with the same vigor that it did previously... This is a worldwide battle."

As we broke earlier, the Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4th to approve the offer. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). But if Tecmo does accept the offer, what will happen to Tecmo? It will fall under a holding company umbrella, said the exec. But regarding the actual Tecmo brand, Wada stated, "To either be affiliated and losing the brand or possibly merging with Taito, that's the big difference." Square Enix acquired Taito in 2005.

Wada was keen to point out how important (and attractive) Tecmo's IPs were. Not only that, he praised the company's ability to produce top quality titles — most notably Tecmo's fighting and action games. Wada also lauded the company's success abroad. The Square Enix exec pointed out that talented teams are needed to make games. "While it looks like the games are made by a single, talented genius, games are made by teams," said Wada. When asked about the Itagaki labor dispute, Wada replied: "I don't know anything of the concrete details of this particular case."

"I can only believe that our proposal will be accepted," stated Wada. "I hope."

和田氏「TOBはこれから。目的はグループとして一緒にやっていくこと」 [Game Watch Impress]

Yesterday, we broke that Gearbox Director of Technology Corrinne Yu has been hired by Microsoft Game Studios to be Principle Engine Architect for Microsoft's Halo Franchise Team. Microsoft has confirmed to Kotaku that Yu had in fact been hired by Microsoft. "As the Halo franchise continues to flourish, Microsoft Game Studios is growing its internal team to develop future Halo projects," Microsoft stated.

We've been told by several industry sources that Yu was part of a package deal. She, and her husband, Kenneth Scott are both joining Microsoft Game Studios. Scott is an art director at id Software, most recently working on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

But why does it matter that Corrinne Yu is headed for Microsoft Game Studios? Let's look at the tech Gearbox is using and deduce from that. Brothers in Arms, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands all use Unreal Engine 3 — with Borderlands using a heavily modded version of the Unreal Engine 3. Sources tell us that Yu has been staffed to work on the Peter Jackson Halo game, which Microsoft is still in the planning stages of. The company is ready to kick that project into full gear. (Remember this job ad?)

And since Microsoft Game Studios is doing the Peter Jackson Halo game, that means the chances of Microsoft using Bungie's proprietary, in-house "Halo 3 Engine" are slim at best. Though, if she's not bringing her Unreal Engine 3 expertise to Microsoft's internal studio, she could very well be working on a new in-house engine specifically for the Peter Jackson game.

[Pic]

Yesterday, we broke that Gearbox Director of Technology Corrinne Yu has been hired by Microsoft Game Studios to be Principle Engine Architect for Microsoft's Halo Franchise Team. Microsoft has confirmed to Kotaku that Yu had in fact been hired by Microsoft. "As the Halo franchise continues to flourish, Microsoft Game Studios is growing its internal team to develop future Halo projects," Microsoft stated.

We've been told by several industry sources that Yu was part of a package deal. She, and her husband, Kenneth Scott are both joining Microsoft Game Studios. Scott is an art director at id Software, most recently working on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

But why does it matter that Corrinne Yu is headed for Microsoft Game Studios? Let's look at the tech Gearbox is using and deduce from that. Brothers in Arms, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands all use Unreal Engine 3 — with Borderlands using a heavily modded version of the Unreal Engine 3. Sources tell us that Yu has been staffed to work on the Peter Jackson Halo game, which Microsoft is still in the planning stages of. The company is ready to kick that project into full gear. (Remember this job ad?)

And since Microsoft Game Studios is doing the Peter Jackson Halo game, that means the chances of Microsoft using Bungie's proprietary, in-house "Halo 3 Engine" are slim at best. Though, if she's not bringing her Unreal Engine 3 expertise to Microsoft's internal studio, she could very well be working on a new in-house engine specifically for the Peter Jackson game.

[Pic]

Today at 1pm Japan Time, Square Enix will be outlining its plans for a friendly takeover troubled game maker Tecmo. Square Enix's takeover would help the company gain a stronger foothold in the U.S. market with popular Tecmo titles like the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games. What's more, Tecmo's games will help strengthen Square Enix's current portfolio, which is heavily dependent on RPGs.

This isn't the first time Square Enix has moved in on a beleaguered company. In August 2005, Square Enix acquired Taito and wholly owned the company as a subsidiary by September 2005.

Today at 1pm Japan Time, Square Enix will be outlining its plans for a friendly takeover troubled game maker Tecmo. Square Enix's takeover would help the company gain a stronger foothold in the U.S. market with popular Tecmo titles like the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games. What's more, Tecmo's games will help strengthen Square Enix's current portfolio, which is heavily dependent on RPGs.

This isn't the first time Square Enix has moved in on a beleaguered company. In August 2005, Square Enix acquired Taito and wholly owned the company as a subsidiary by September 2005.

Update: Square Enix has released a statement (after the jump) explaining his Tecmo takeover plan. It includes offering to purchase a controlling interest in Tecmo by purchasing shares in that company at 30 percent premium (¥960 a share compared to yesterday's close price of ¥706 a share). The Tecmo Board of Directors has until September 4 to approve or reject this offer. If rejected, Square states, "We will withdraw our offer."