Eurogamer.net cites a tweet from
George Broussard reporting a rumor that 35 staff have been cut at Danish developer IO Interactive, with GB also using his 140 characters to say an IO game cancellation is at the root of the firings. Broussard's
last such tweet about job losses at EA turned out to be accurate, as does this one, as while the game cancellation remains a rumor,
Kotaku confirms job losses with Square Enix: "I can confirm that we have made some internal changes at IO Interactive which has regrettably resulted in the loss of some jobs," a rep tells them. "This is a natural part of any studio's existence when you ramp-up and ramp-down on projects to ensure you have the right level of resource and expertise within the studio. We genuinely wish those who have been affected by this, the best of luck for the future."
To Hell with Johnny is an action/platformer game with a hellish theme appropriate to its Halloween release (the Windows version is available today, the OS X version is taking a bit longer. They offer
a teaser trailer from the game, which they describe as "an action-packed and devilishly addictive 2D platformer inspired by the horror movies of old." Though it's not mentioned on the website, the game is offered as shareware, and you are encouraged to install it to ensure you it works on your system before you commit to a purchase.
Independent Argentinean developer NGD Studios announces
Bunch of Heroes, a new entry in the burgeoning co-op zombie shooter genre, though these undead are alien zombies, which present their own challenges. The top-down shooter is expected via digital distribution in Q2 of next year. The
Bunch of Heroes Website offers a gameplay trailer, here are
some screenshots showing its "stylized cartoon artwork," and here's a bit from
the announcement: "Play as Agent Liu, Jared Joe, El Comandante or Captain Smith as humanity’s last line of defense. Survive by any means wielding a huge arsenal including flame throwers, rail guns and gravity bombs. Or charge over-the-top super powers that will annihilate your enemies! Cooperate online with up to 4 players, level up and improve your attributes & skills."
Telltale Games announces that in celebration of Halloween,
Sam & Max - Night of the Raving Dead is being offered for free this weekend. Here's word on the deal, which is only good through tomorrow: "All you have to do to take advantage of this hair-raising offer is direct your browser to our
Night of the Raving Dead homepage and add the free episode to your account! If you're new to Telltale, just sign up for a free account (it's a quick and painless process, I promise) and you'll be all set." Thanks
Big Download.
The
Interview with Notch on VideoSift talks with Markus Persson, aka Notch, about
Minecraft, the sandbox zombie game
that's taken the PC gaming world by storm. The conversation is in Swedish, but turning on the closed captioning offers an English translation. Thanks
Ant.
Happy Halloween! For those planning on looking out for the Great Pumpkin tonight, here's hoping your pumpkin patch is exceedingly sincere. For a while it looked like we had hit the wall this year for dressing up the dogs, as it is rarely easy to find good get-ups for them, though we are also a little self-conscious because of annual photo galleries of costumed pets with captions describing how embarrassed the animals are and how embarrassed their owners should be. However, MrsBlue found a couple of costumes in a giveaway pile at work which were designed for children, but turned out to fit the dogs better than a lot of pet-specific costumes, so it looks like the pups will be the mismatched superhero team of Superman and Robin tonight. Embarrassment aside, it's all for the best, as the kids delight in seeing the dogs dressed up, and the dogs delight in the attention from the kids.
R.I.P.:
'Sopranos' actress dies at 46. Thanks nin.
R.I.P.:
Rocky and Bullwinkle Creator Alex Anderson Dies. Thanks
Ant.
Twitter 
