Konami calls it quits on AAA console games, reports say

Konami is shutting down much of its AAA console-game development for the foreseeable future, according to a report on French site Gameblog (as translated by Eurogamer). The only two franchises on Konami’s AAA plate are Metal Gear Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Otherwise, there are no plans to develop additional Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania or other AAA games at Konami, the site says. An additional report on Gameblog claims that Konami Worldwide Technical Director and head of the studio’s Fox Engine, Julien Merceron, has left the company. We’ve reached out to Konami for clarification. These reports play into recent rumblings of unrest at Konami and a shift toward mobile-game development, following a series of odd events at the studio.

One of the first signs of turmoil at Konami came when it canceled Silent Hills, a game that received a ton of positive hype after the release of its teaser, PT, in 2014. It was a collaboration between famed horror-movie director Guillermo del Toro and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, starring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus. Konami never officially announced the cancelation, though del Toro and Reedus have both said it’s canned.

Second, Kojima himself appears to be on the outs at Konami and he’s expected to cut ties with the studio now that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is out. Kojima’s name was removed from the box art for Metal Gear Solid V along with the logo for his studio, Kojima Productions. Plus, it seems that Metal Gear Solid V was originally intended to include a third chapter and more content in general. Konami has recently pledged to focus on mobile development, which ties into the “no more AAA” reports this week.

Source: Eurogamer, Gameblog

Playdate: taking on The Taken King in ‘Destiny’

We’re officially in “year two” of Bungie’s connected shooter Destiny and what better way to celebrate than by streaming its first big expansion pack, “The Taken King” ? Both Sean Buckley and myself are lapsed Destiny players who’ve largely stepped away from the game in pursuit of other, not-grindy experiences. But Bungie’s been touting the changes it’s made as being more welcoming to new folks and those who’ve been overwhelmed by what it took to get the best gear and weapons previously. So join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT for two hours of hot new Guardian action as we discover how accurate the developer’s claims are. As always, you can check out the broadcast right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage, and, if you want to join us in chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re streaming “The Taken King” at 720p on PlayStation 4 through OBS, so rest assured the game looks much prettier on your TV at home.]

Soothe your soul with ‘Panoramical,’ a game of musical manipulation

Panoramical doesn’t fit into an existing game category. It’s not an action game, simulator, point-and-click, FPS or any other traditional gaming genre — but it is magical. Panoramical offers a form of musical meditation, allowing players to manipulate gorgeous 3D landscapes with a gamepad, keyboard and mouse or MIDI controller, all backed by music from David Kanaga (Proteus, Dyad) and overseen by Argentine designer Fernando Ramallo. Plus, it features a host of guest musicians, including LittleBigPlanet 2 co-composer Baiyon, Samurai Gunn composer Doseone and Luftrausers composer Kozilek.Slideshow-321017

“I was pretty overwhelmed by this huge project,” Ramallo tells Engadget. “Having that external push of people I respect and that really believed in my project was essential for me on keeping momentum during the hardest parts of development.”

Panoramical features 15 distinct worlds with 18 different audiovisual dimensions each. Players control each dimension by moving the mouse, joystick or MIDI knobs to create unique, flowing landscapes and songs. It’s a creative experience, and the visual output would fit right in at a nightclub, flashing and waving behind the DJ booth in time with the music.

In fact, Ramallo is marketing Panoramical directly to DJs with the Panoramical Pro license. For $100, DJs get permission to showcase Panoramical in public, support for a video feed and open sound control, an automatic play mode that keeps the visuals moving, all future DLC and updates and a direct line to the developers for questions and suggestions. The game alone, no DJ kit included, is $10 and it’s out now on PC and Mac. There’s also something for hobbyists and Panoramical fiends: a limited-run, $125 MIDI controller specifically designed for the game. Or whatever Panoramical is.

The MIDI controller page describes Panoramical as a “videogame-like interactive experience.” In a YouTube video, Canabalt creator Adam Saltsman describes Panoramical as “a new kind of game” and “an immersive musical adventure through space and time.” Ramallo isn’t entirely sure what to call it, either.

“We don’t have a lot of vocabulary when it comes to describing audiovisual experiences that aren’t about anything in particular except being beautiful or moving,” he says. “The quickest associations people make to these are psychedelia or synesthesia, but Panoramical isn’t trying to replicate any of them.”

It’s difficult to market something that doesn’t have a clear label, Ramallo says. He even had help in the marketing department from Saltsman himself. Panoramical was one of the first games in Saltsman’s Finji incubator program, which helped Ramallo set up contracts and marketing campaigns, and taught him how to talk about the game to peers and press.

“It took us a long time to figure out how to talk about it,” Ramallo says. “It’s hard, because it’s something that you get right away when you’re in front of it, and you twist a knob and see pretty colors and music explode, even for people that don’t play games at all. You move something; pretty stuff happens; and as soon as you realize that’s it, there’s no objective or points or anything, you’re hooked.”

this was so much work. SO MUCH. totally worth it. but wow, so much work.

— Fernando Ramallo (@compositeredfox) September 17, 2015

He found additional, financial support from Indie Fund and Fez studio Polytron Corporation. This allowed Ramallo and Kanaga to work on Panoramical without worrying about contract jobs or releasing a smaller version of the game.

“If Panoramical had existed without this help, it would’ve not had as much of an impact or reach, by far,” Ramallo says. “It was also really good for me personally to feel like part of a team.”

Panoramical might make more sense as a virtual reality experience, since it relies heavily on full-screen, immersive visuals, and Ramallo is open to that idea. “We made a couple of experiments and got a good response, so maybe,” he says.

Overall, he wants people to enjoy Panoramical, regardless of how they play it or what they call it.

“I really hope everyone keeps an open mind about what an interactive experience should be and just give it a shot,” he says. “My biggest hope is that having it out there as a thing anyone can get can make other developers excited to make more beautiful, abstract ‘interactive stuff that feels nice.’”