Everybody knows what happened to Okami. It was a critically acclaimed game by Clover Studios, but no matter how much respect and praise it won for its beautiful art style and interesting gameplay, the mainstream consumer didn't give a crap and the game suffered an injustice of sales. What is now Platinum Games has continued to make great titles that don't become hits, and Q's Tetsuya Mizuguchi believes games like Okami and MadWorld need more respect.

"It’s actually a coincidence that I mention two games by Clover/Platinum, but it’s a shame that unique games like this aren’t embraced by the public more," said the man responsible for Space Channel 5 and Rez while talking to 1UP.

MadWorld really didn't sell that terribly, but it certainly wasn't the big success that Sega was hoping for, and there's no denying that Platinum Games, formerly Clover, doesn't get enough attention from the average consumer, despite producing some pretty damn good games.

Everybody knows what happened to Okami. It was a critically acclaimed game by Clover Studios, but no matter how much respect and praise it won for its beautiful art style and interesting gameplay, the mainstream consumer didn't give a crap and the game suffered an injustice of sales. What is now Platinum Games has continued to make great titles that don't become hits, and Q's Tetsuya Mizuguchi believes games like Okami and MadWorld need more respect.

"It’s actually a coincidence that I mention two games by Clover/Platinum, but it’s a shame that unique games like this aren’t embraced by the public more," said the man responsible for Space Channel 5 and Rez while talking to 1UP.

MadWorld really didn't sell that terribly, but it certainly wasn't the big success that Sega was hoping for, and there's no denying that Platinum Games, formerly Clover, doesn't get enough attention from the average consumer, despite producing some pretty damn good games.

There are 60,000 or so of you out there who get to watch the video below. That's because you went out and bought MadWorld and loved how awesome it was. Maybe, like me, you're still trying to figure out the perfect combination of stop signs through the neck, trash cans over the head and spikes through the chest that get you the greatest high score. The rest of you get your act together, go buy the game and stop giving excuses why you aren't. It's $30 now, and you all know you've paid far more for far worse. I see you shuffling around in the back there, pretending like you need that 30 bucks to eat. Lame excuse. Eating is overrated!

Sorry, I just get passionate about things I like (I believe the popular nomenclature is "fanboy"). Anyway, I'm calm now so I can talk about the brief video below the jump. It features Jack, MadWorld's badass protagonist, pulling off a finishing move that was deemed too obscene for the game. Those of you who have played the game are probably wondering what in God's name that could be. Well I'm not going to ruin the surprise, but I will say this: "Ouch."

[Via GoNintendo]

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Just this past weekend, I picked up a used copy of MadWorld. I had played the game briefly and come away feeling not that impressed. Thinking I may have simply not given it the opportunity to impress me, I thought I should give it another shot and I have to say that I'm pretty glad I did. Eviscerating street punks is an excellent way to improve on a crappy day.

If I had waited until today, I could have saved myself a little bit of green for my black-and-white-and red-all-over carnage. Amazon has the stylized gorefest on sale for $19.99 today only. At that price, I might just pick up another copy to give as a gift. 

Just remember that you only have until the end of the day or until Amazon's stock runs out to buy it. I won't say that I expect this to sell out (sales of the game being fairly weak overall), but I'm often surprised by what's no longer on offer by mid-afternoon. I wouldn't waste time, were I you.

If you liked the violent, three-colored world of MadWorld, you may want to check out the official soundtrack, coming to us by way of Sumthing Else Music Works. Now availabe on both iTunes and the Something Else store, this album contains twenty songs by PlatinumGames composer Naoto Tanaka, who worked with hiphop and rap artists for the soundtrack.

"There are a total of 20 tracks on the MadWorld soundtrack and they are all original songs that we produced especially for the game," said composer and soundtrack producer Naoto Tanaka. "I would make the backing tracks and then we would hand them off to these talented artists to get their performances. It was a pretty big challenge, especially as it was my first time with this kind of collaboration, but I think luck was on my side and it turned out to be extremely successful."

You can check out samples of the disc here. I like "You Don't Know Me" and "Crazy" best.

MadWorld is a fun game and one of the best parts of the game, to me, was the outstanding soundtrack. The music is so over the top with different styles yet it's all blended together beautifully. The soundtrack was originally only available to people that pre-ordered the game, but due to a high demand, Platinum Games will now be selling the CD.

The soundtrack is made up of 20 original songs from several different artists. It'll go on sale June 30 for $15.99 and you can purchase a physical copy or download the soundtrack through Sumthing Distribution. 

Hit the jump to get a sampling of the songs you can expect to hear when you get the CD. Be sure to check out this post on the Platinum Games Web site for more info on the soundtrack straight from MadWorld's composer, Naoto Tanaka.

[via The Tanooki]

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Imagine this: you wake up on Easter morning and instead of a chocolate bunny in your basket is a six and three quarter inch tall action figure of Jack from MadWorld. You'd be thanking the Easter Bunny for decades to come. That is until you realized that to complete the whole MadWorld theme he also covered your entire house in blood and threw your dog into a wood chippper. Then it would be all about vengeance.

But first you'd have to play with your awesome new action figure that ebooze over at deviantART made. Not only does this sucker look like one of the better custom made action figures out there, but it also has an interchangeable chainsaw -- one for when you don't want blood on it and one for when you do. Plus, when you aren't in the mood for chainsaws there is an attachment for when the blade is retracted. Hopefully, some day ebooze will design a stand for it that has button which spits out deep and thoughtful curse words.

Now, back to that bastard bunny. He'll pay for what he did. All I need is a shotgun, a chainsaw and the nerd-balls to go toe-to-toe with toughest rabbit you've ever seen. 

[Via TorontoThumbs]

 

Have you played MadWorld yet? You know, the superviolent, superstylized action game that fulfills the Wii's annual "over-the-top game where the Wiimote is used as some sort of dismemberment device" quota?

If you have, you've probably noticed, for better or for worse, the audio commentary by one Greg "Oh, and there goes Quadranero's power coupling" Proops and one John "More like ten sh*tloads" DiMaggio. Crass, unsophisticated, and frequently appealing to the lowest common denominator, their color commentary is rife with penis references, ex-wife jokes, and other forms of humor too risque for anyone above the age of seven and too unsophisticated for anyone over the age of sixteen.

And it's goddamned brilliant.

You see, MadWorld tells two stories -- in one, the player is a force of uncompromising bloodthirstiness who yearns, above all else, to paint the entire black-and-white world crimson with the bodies of his decapitated, dismembered, and humiliated foes. In the other, the player is portraying some dude named Jack who is out to kill a bunch of "bad guys" and somehow make the world a slightly better place through his over-the-top violence. 

One of these narratives is told by the actual game mechanics; the other is poorly force-fed to the player through cut scenes. The game itself is a completely unapologetic celebration of violence as mindless catharsis, while the cut scene-driven storyline awkwardly desires to be something more. Only one noninteractive aspect of the game design successfully supports the mood and themes of the gameplay itself, and that's the commentary by Proops and DiMaggio. 

How is it that MadWorld's random wang and fart jokes ended up more insightful, relevant, and well-integrated than its "real" storyline? Hit the jump to find out. Spoilers ensue.

 

 

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It's been a while since some gang of whiny pussies moaned about the Nintendo Wii daring to have a bit of variety on its system with Sega's M-rated MadWorld, but luckily The National Institute on Media and the Family is here to redress the balance and present an utterly pathetic little bitch fest about the brutal brawler.

Crying over the fact that the "once family-friendly" Wii has "opened its doors to the violent videogame genre," Dr. David Walsh arrogantly attacks Nintendo as if it was somehow the God-given right of families to have sole playing rights on the console. 

The release of MadWorld for the Wii brings violent videogames to a once family-friendly platform. In MadWorld, gamers use the Wii Remote to make the necessary physical actions to chainsaw an opponent in half, impale an enemy with a signpost or decapitate a victim with a golf club. MadWorld is another reminder that parents need to make sure they watch what their kids watch and play what their kids play.

 

In the past, the Wii has successfully sold itself as being the gaming console for the entire family and a way to bring family-game nights back into people's living rooms. Unfortunately, Nintendo opened its doors to the violent videogame genre. The National Institute on Media and the Family hopes that Nintendo does not lose sight of its initial audience and continues to offer quality, family-friendly games.

It's hard to say if I'll want another MadWorld before I've even gotten in any time with the original game, but that's never stopped the ambitious types that plan ahead. Atsushi Inaba, the producer behind MadWorld, had a few choice words about the possibilities in a recent interview with That Videogame Blog:

"Platinum Games has several rights so we'll be developing something new after this, but if there is a lot of interest in MadWorld then maybe we will make another one. "

A maybe is nothing to bank on in the gaming world, but it beats a resounding "hell no". I'd be pleased to see more of the MadWorld universe just because it looks pretty different and I tend to be attracted to such things, but I'd also like to see what Platinum Games has up their sleeve next in terms of new titles, considering the looks of the last few have me licking my lips in anticipation.

[Via Cubed3]

I hardly need any additional excouragement when it comes to preordering MadWorld, as it's been on my radar as one of my most anticipated Wii titles for some time now. However, the Sega Europe blog just updated with some really cool preorder bonuses that ought to motivate you to get your butt out there and reserve your copy.

If you choose to preorder the game through HMV, you can get the official soundtrack for free, which features 20 tracks and I think will be pretty rad. Gamestation will have the black shirt you see in the pic above, which is my favorite of the three items, and Game will have the white shirt you can check out in the gallery.

You guys going to go for any of this? It's tempting to beg a Brit pal to snag me one of those black tees, I have to say...

Of course, by "evolution" I mean the painstaking process of taking the ogreish tough guy seen on the left, and transforming him into the ogreish tough guy seen here on the right. Amazing, isn't it?

The dev diary also reveals the reasoning behind the game's black and white look; to prevents players from feeling guilty about taking such pleasure in murdering so many strangers (something most Japanese developers get around by filling their games with ugly zombies). From experience, I can say the black and white "trick" really works. While playing the game at the NY CC '09, I was immediately struck by how un-disturbing it was to see a man's head shoved up his own ass. 

That's not all! There are also some screenshots of an early build of the game, and discussion of the techniques used to make sure the game doesn't hurt the player's eyes; something that many of the non-Wii owning, "sour grapes" types out there have claimed is the reason that they don't really want MadWorld (until it comes out on the 360/PS3, or course).

[Via Gonintendo]

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Sega of America sent us this “Happy Holidays” trailer for Platinum Games’ hyperviolent upcoming action game MadWorld, and they made sure to let us know that it was censored for “graphic content.” That alone was enough to annoy me, but then they rubbed salt in the wound by noting that Sega Europe would be sending out an uncensored version. But we’re only allowed to post the censored version. Fiddlesticks.

Remember how Europe got the uncensored version of The Joker’s Fatality in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe? I could understand the reasoning behind that to a point, since the “teen” rating over there starts at age 15 or 16. But this, I don’t understand -- it’s not like they’re trying to redact content to make a particular rating or anything. And I don’t remember the prior trailer being censored.

Either way, the video is still pretty badass, even though the bloody bits have been plastered over with a gaudy yellow “CENSORED” banner. The game’s protagonist, Jack -- “just Jack” -- is apparently getting his kill on for a chance at a TV show’s $100 million bounty, and really, isn’t that all the story anyone needs?

Be sure to check out the game’s official Web site for all kinds of goodies and information (including tidbits on the multiplayer “Blood Bath Challenges”).

Who else is as surprised as I am to be this excited about a Wii game? Spring 2009 can’t get here fast enough. Oh, by the way, Sega also included a MadWorld-ized version of the classic Christmas poem “The Night Before Christmas” -- you can check it out after the jump.

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Those of us disenchanted with the Wii's lack of "mature" titles have surely got a bone in the pants for Platinum Games' upcoming gorefest Madworld. Described as a game wrapped around the concepts of brutality and exhilaration, I have to admit I have no idea how this title ever got approved to appear on the family-friendly Wii.

I have to admit I never even wondered if the game would have multiplayer (but being more of a solo gamer, I don't really pay any mind to these things), but it looks like people fiending to share the bloodshed with a friend can look forward to it in the form of "Blood Bath Challenges", which are mentioned on the official website.

Looks like I am finally going to be dusting off my Wii and giving it some serious time soon .. and I can invite a friend to the party!

[Via Kotaku]

If MadWorld is anywhere near as glorious as these blood-drenched screenshots, you may not be able to peel yourself away from your Wii once it finally comes out next year. Between this and Bayonetta, Platinum Games has set my Spidey senses into extreme tingle mode -- what other wild and wonderful projects can I expect from them in the future?

Check out the motherlode here and tell me that this isn't the mosy stylish game you've seen all year. Just try to find a way to prove it.

[Via Joystiq]

Being shown MadWorld at this year's E3 was like some sort of moment where time freezes and you can't believe what's happening is actually happening. While a polite group of people from Platinum Games showed Dale North and myself the blood festival that is MadWorld, all we could seem to do was shake our heads in a kind of confused delight.

This newest trailer came on a disc packed with the latest issue of Famitsu, which would have been very difficult to get one's hands on outside of Japan. Luckily we spied it on Gamekyo, and now it's all yours to do with as you will (which likely includes fapping).

As a horror/gore enthusiast, I could not be more eager to see this title come to the Wii, a system that's been far too vanilla for this gamer, outside of No More Heroes. Spray it in blood, Platinum Games!

[Thanks, Joe]

When Chad let us know about the upcoming Wii game Madworld last month, I was honestly pretty surprised. A violent, black and white game where you can paint the environment with the crimson red blood of your foes didn’t sound like something that would be coming to Nintendo’s little white waggle box. I’m certainly glad it is, though.

Sega has released some new screens today, along with a bit of new information. It turns out that Jack, the main character, is stuck in some sort of death game called Death Watch that is organized by a terrorist group know as the Organizers. The premise sort of reminds me of The Club.

During these Death Watch matches we can expect to execute plety of visceral finishing moves with the Wiimote and Nunchuk. Maybe Platinum Games is going for more of a No More Heroes style of fighting? There will also be several monstrous bosses to look forward to along with several minigames to keep you and your friends entertained after the main storyline is over.

Madworld is currently slated to come out sometime during Q1 of next year.

[Update: Added the trailer after the jump.]

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