Wednesday News Roundup
The Sims 2 Nightlife expansion, Front Mission Online dated in Japan, writer Noboru Sugimura passes away.
Fans of The Sims 2 - and we understand a few people did buy it - will be pleased though totally unsurprised to learn that another expansion is planned to follow next Friday's release of The Sims 2 University. In fact, news actually comes to us from the back of University's American packaging, which declares: "BRING on the NIGHT! Send your Sims out for a night on the town in The Sims 2 Nightlife Expansion Pack. Will they stay out late on a romantic dinner date or dance 'til dawn at a nightclub? Find out what else the night has to offer starting Fall 2005!" EA has yet to respond to our requests for comment, but we weren't really that interested anyway if we're honest...
Square Enix is planning to launch PlayStation 2 online title Front Mission Online in Japan this 12th May with a monthly subscription fee of 1,280 yen - the same as the firm's other PS2 Online title, Final Fantasy XI. The chances of the game appearing in this country are slimmer than the breathing space between a mech's foot and the ground, but if we don't mention it we'll get an email tomorrow asking us why. And we'll send one back saying "Because the chances of the game appearing in this country are slimmer than the breathing space between a mech's foot and the ground." But will they listen? No.
Finally, it emerged this week that Noboru Sugimura, cofounder of developer Flagship with Capcom's Yoshiki Okamoto, has died. Sugimura-san contributed to many Capcom titles including games in the Onimusha series, Clock Tower 3 and Resident Evil 2 - probably this writer's favourite instalment in the survival-horror series. The veteran writer also worked on several Japanese films including Kamen Rider ZO and Ninja Sentai Kaku-Ranger. Okamoto-san, president and CEO of Game Republic, described his former colleague as "an extremely energetic person" in his online journal. "I've met with Sugimura even after I left Capcom and cut my ties with Flagship. I had recently asked him to do a new script for an upcoming game from Game Republic and I was looking forward to working with him again."