The man responsible for the visual design of all Sony's PlayStation consoles, Teiyu Goto, has revealed the story behind that boomerang-shaped controller which was mocked by the world and his dog at E3 in 2005. You couldn't escape the comedy jpegs of batman holding the pad either.

"President Kutaragi wanted something different for the controller," Goto told Official PlayStation Magazine. "Quite frankly, we had set aside the ergonomic aspect in favour of the image it conjured up. We wanted to present an avant-garde model for the show, running a risk of being criticised."

It's safe to say that the criticism quickly followed. When asked about his personal thoughts on the controller and if he liked it, Goto replied, "It was very futuristic visually, but practically speaking you only had to hold it to realise how it compared to the Dual Shock 2. You know there are so many players who are used to the PlayStation controller; it's like a car steering wheel and it's not easy to change people's habits."

But the design was dropped and the Sony reverted back to the Dual Shock 2 model, which eventually became SixAxis. "The desire for change for there, but the legacy of the PlayStation was stronger - the slightest change to the controller could annoy players and the risk wasn't worth taking. Also PS2 and PS3 provide backwards compatibility; the ergonomics should be the same when you play games from the previous generation but without having to bring out the 'wired' controllers. It is for these reasons that we reverted to the shape of the classic controller."

You can read the full interview in Issue 005 of Official PlayStation Magazine, on sale now.

via cvg ...

Xbox 360's action game of magic and guns Bullet Witch can now be boosted with new content available to download from Xbox Live Marketplace.

Bullet Witch lead character Alicia can now be decked out in a White Witch costume for free - see attached pic - and a brand new mission Dynamite Beauty can be yours for 20 Microsoft Points.

In addition, new versions of the 'Clad in Streaming Black' mission', one featuring 'Great Spells' unlocked and the other a heightened level of difficulty are available for 20 Microsoft Points.

Plus, a Bullet Witch Xbox 360 Theme pack is available for nowt.

What's been released is only the first wave of planned download content for Bullet Witch.

The game's publisher, Atari, has informed that further free costumes for Alicia (Mummy, Schoolgirl, Secretary and Pixie outfits), four brand new missions - 20 MP each - and enhanced versions of five existing missions (20 MP each) will be released over the coming weeks.

via cvg ...

Sonic and the Secret Rings producer, Yojiro Ogawa, has backed the graphical capabilities of Wii, saying that achieving good graphics "comes down to the techniques that the developer has".

In an interview with the Official Nintendo Magazine UK, Ogawa said: "The powers of the PS3 and 360 are great, but the way to get the most out of a console comes down to the techniques that the developer has."

He went on to philosophise: "If a designer has 256 coloured pencils and another only has 16, depending on the way the designers use the colours, what will come out can be very different.

"Even though someone may only have 16 colours, what they create can be impressive," he added.

Ogawa also briefly discussed the prospect of Sonic appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in Wii. "It would be great," he enthused, "but sadly it's nothing to do with me.

You can read the full interview in issue 15 of Nintendo Official Magazine UK, which is on sale now.

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Last month Ubisoft announced that Player's Pack Red Edition, new download content for Rainbow Six: Vegas on Xbox 360, would be released at the end of March and we're now here - so where is it?

Still in the development bowels of publisher headquarters, that's where, Ubisoft confirming that it's been delayed. A little late on the announcement there, but it's promised that it'll "communicate on its new release date as soon as we can".

Content featuring in the download hasn't changed since its announcement, the company added.

Player's Pack Red Edition includes three brand new multiplayer maps, two 'relit' multiplayer maps and two new multiplayer game modes.

via cvg ...

Resi fans hold on to your bowels, because according to US retailer Gamestop one of the greatest games of the last few years Resident Evil 4 is getting a new Wii-powered update.

Mysteriously the listing has now vanished from the Gamestop website, but if you were to have caught it a few hours ago you would've seen the Wii version of the Capcom Classic listed for release in the US on June 25 for the handsome sum of $29.99 USD (£15.20 GBP).

Usually news of yet another port coming to Nintendo's console would pass by unnoticed, but frankly we had such a fantastic time playing through the fourth Resi that we'd happily do it all over again on the Wii, and probably have a fantastic time battering crazy village folk with the Wii Remote as well.

Of course this isn't the first time online retailers accidentally revealed the existence of a new title. One notable example is game vendor EBGames, who listed the PSP version of Rachet and Clank long before Sony uttered a word about it.

Capcom's UK operation is just getting out of bed, but we'll let you know what they have to say on the matter once the PR department is done buttering their toast.

via cvg ...

The latest Wii Virtual Console update has just hit PAL machines, bringing with it three new additions to the Wii Shop's ever-growing retro roster.

The biggest title in today's batch is classic NES bruiser Punch Out! Which in case you're unaware (and shame on you if you are) has you fighting as a boxing rookie, rising through the ranks and eventually twatting Mike Tyson in his big smug face. Punch Out! Is yours for 500 Wii Points, and well worth the purchase.

Second in line is Konami's SNES offering The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, which much to our disappointment has nothing to do with Goeman. According to our mate Wikipedia, it's a 2-player action game which has you controlling Kid Ying and Dr. Yang (popular names in the Far East) on their quest to rescue a (videogame convention alert!) kidnapped princess. This one's yours for 800 points.

Last but not least is token TurboGrafx offering Dragon's Curse, which follows the story of some bloke who has an unfortunate encounter with a dragon and then for some reason turns into Lizard Man. The object of the game is to battle bosses and retrieve the Salamander Cross, which will return your scaly arse back to its pasty human form. Yours for 600 points.

Not a terrible bunch then - hopefully the short absence of massive first-party games means we'll be getting something extra special next week. We'll keep you posted.

via cvg ...

via ign

When Square Enix announced the Ivalice Alliance project late last year, Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings and the PSP port of the original Final Fantasy Tactics were joined by a more mysterious title, Final Fantasy Tactics A2. The true nature of this third game in the series has at last come to light via the latest issue of Jump Magazine.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is indeed a sequel to the Game Boy Advance Final Fantasy Tactics. Judging by the screenshots in Jump (no, we don't have any shots to share with you just yet), the game retains the 2D grid-based battles that have made the series famous. But alas, specifics on the new strategic gameplay systems Square Enix is cooking up for the title are nowhere to be found in the magazine.

Instead, the magazine shares first details on the two main characters, Adel and Luso. Adel is a young girl who lives her life as a hunter. She's known amongst fellow hunters as "Cat Adel." Luso is a school boy who happens to hate ghosts. He's the type of boy who always gets into trouble with the teacher.

These characters meet when they enter the strange world of Ivalice. Yes, like its predecessor, FFTA2 has its main characters travel from the real world into a fantasy world in order to experience their true adventure.

Will a snowball fight in the real world once again be used to explain the intricacies of the battle system this round? We'll find out soon enough, as FFTA2 is set for Japanese release later this year. We're hoping for a surprise appearance at the Square Enix Party in May. ...

via ign

Ninja Gaiden DS was just one of a number of DS titles announced by Tecmo in the latest issue of Japan's Weekly Famitsu. The publisher also shared first details on an all new DS entry in the Monster Rancher series. We've translated everything for you right here.

As we've come to expect from the now decade old series (the original game hit the PlayStation in 1997), Monster Rancher DS (or, as its called in Japan, Monster Farm DS) is a simulation game where players create and raise their own monsters, then face them off against CPU and human-controlled opponents.

Tecmo is using putting the DS to full use, primarily in how you go about creating your new friends. You can use the stylus to draw patterns, which are then converted into monsters. You can shout thing into the microphone to create another set of monsters. Or, if you still have Game Boy Advance carts about, these can be inserted into the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot for even more monsters; this takes the place of the CDs that were used to generate monsters in previous Monster Rancher games.

Once you've created a monster, you have a number of ways to train it. New to the DS version is a board game which you can play to raise your monster. Alternatively, you can select training options the old fashioned way, from a menu. Eventually, you'll be able to merge multiple monsters into a super monster and beign climbing the ranks of a monster tournament.

This first DS entry in the Monster Rancher series will feature Wi-Fi Connection compatibility. We presume this means you'll be able to challenge far-off friends to monster duels.

Monster Rancher hits the Japanese DS on 7/12. A US release has yet to be announced. ...

via ign

It's time to slap on your chaps, and un-holster your stylus. Today, Majesco announced the development of The Wild West for Nintendo DS. Developed by Happy Happening, The Wild West will offer a variety of touch screen shoot-out challenges.

The Wild West features a mixture of 2D and 3D levels, letting players choose between two different animal characters, each with its own storyline. The game is supposed to feature a number of "gritty adventures," such as train robberies and stagecoach chases. Successful completion of the game's mini-games will unlock special weapons for use in Story Mode.

The Wild West is scheduled for a summer release at a suggested price of $19.99. ...