Most of the aesthetic attention paid to Okami centered on its beautiful, brush-painting inspired visual motif, but I hope we don’t overlook its music. The score is actually what made the game really stand out for the ages in my mind: at once sweepingly grand and surprisingly intimate, blending the traditional and contemporary, it draws upon a tremendous range of sources and associations over the course of the player’s journey.

“To be certain, this is the penultimate hardcore game.”

– GameShark on Metal Gear Solid 4.

Thanks due to Adam Siry for the link.

Mad Doc Software becomes Rockstar New England
Just as when Irrational was re-dubbed 2K Boston, which I decried earlier, another Boston-area developer has been subsumed into a larger conglomerate. There was nothing particularly remarkable about “Mad Doc” (in my experience, people often misheard it and called them Mad Dog), but at least it carried a personal touch, being a reference to the studio’s founder.

Cranky Pants becomes Sandblast
Do people associate fun games with being blasted with sand? I am skeptical. “Cranky Pants” was up there with the goofiest of them (maybe surpassed only by Deep Fried Entertainment), but at least it was unique and memorable. Perhaps it was also reference to the studio’s founder? And “Sandblast” represents what happened to those early hopes and dreams? Nah... too convenient.

Z-Axis becomes Underground Development
Z-Axis brings to mind the third dimension, maybe, but not much else. The name was changed to the equally nondescript Underground Development, a portent of things to come as Activision subsequently buried them.