Uploaded: ICO Sketches

I have uploaded a set of 11 sketches from the ICO PAL manual. They come from the ICO Press Disc. You may find some more photos of the press kit below - courtesy of Luminosa.

Sketch Pack - Link

Press Kit Photo 1 - Here
Press Kit Photo 2 - Here
Press Kit Photo 3 - Here

News: Seventh, secret Kotobukiya Figure Revealed

The final and secret figure in the new set by Kotobukiya has been revealed. As it has been speculated it is indeed Mono, placed on the altar:

Photo: Here

It also turns out that the special packaging is very 'special' indeed. You'll find some teasing photos below:

Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5

Uploaded: Photos of Shadow's launch in Japan

Sony's promotion for Shadow of the Colossus in Japan was far from subtle; on a much grander scale than the one used for ICO. Huge posters were attached to buildings and promotional boxes containing bonus items were sold, as you can see from the photos below:

Photo 1
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 4
Photo 5
Photo 6

A Closer Look At: The new Kotobukiya Figures

Attention to detail. That's what you get from looking at the new Kotobukiya figures, as the images in the pack below show:

Kotobukiya One Coin Grande Figure Collection Image Pack: Link

Images, courtesy of GAGraphic

Did you Know: That the developers went horse-riding?

While Agro was programmed entirely without using actual horses as models, those members of the team that never had the chance to ride a horse did go horse-riding to get a feel of how riding a horse works. This helped the team make Agro respond like a real-life horse would do. Proof of this is the photo linked below:

Link to photo - Here

Uploaded: Tsutaya Shadow wallpapers and screensaver

Here are some more Shadow of the Colossus wallpapers and yet another screensaver. This time they're from Tsutaya Online.

Wallpaper 1: Link
Wallpaper 2: Link
Wallpaper 3: Link

Screensaver: Link

Courtesy of the Tsutaya Online Shadow of the Colossus page

Uploaded: ICO Hi-res Screenpack

Below you may find a zipped pack of 20 hi-res screenshots coming from the ICO Press Disc.

Link to Pack: Here

All screenshots are of a resolution of (or higher than) 1024x768, so they can be also used as desktop wallpapers.

Uploaded: Team ICO Photo and Profile

I just came back from my trip to Frankfurt and decided to check my letterbox to find a nice shiny CD from Jonathon Skipper. It contains a lot of material about ICO, its release and creation... like the team photo and profile you may find below:

Team ICO - Photo: Link
Team ICO - Profile: Link

*On a personal Note* - Frankfurt

I'll be going to Frankfurt for the weekend, which means I won't be able to post for a couple of days. I'll be back Sunday night, so on Monday expect some huge update to make up for the short break (hint: Shadow of the Colossus PAL Anniversary).

In the meantime I've added a couple of songs to the radio.blog (at the bottom of the page): "You were There" from the ICO soundtrack and "The Opened Way" from the Shadow of the Colossus music score.

I'm also very happy to announce that today, being a month since the journal went live, we went over the 5000 page views. This number far exceeds my expectations and gives me greater enthusiasm to continue what I started. A big thank you to everyone.

That said, have a great weekend and see you on Monday!

Added Radio.Blog + Gave a new look

If you go to the very bottom of the page you'll now find Radio.Blog, which, for those who don't know lets you stream songs on a website. So, choose a track, turn on your speakers and enjoy. (If the crossfader starts to annoy you just turn it off by clicking the little blue box at the bottom right corner.)

I've also given the journal a new look. Brownish goes well with the ICO and Shadow of the Colossus theme. I hope everyone likes it.

Uploaded: More official ICO and Shadow Wallpapers and Screensavers

I was missing some ICO and Shadow wallpapers and screensavers from the European/International and US websites. You'll find them by following the links below:

ICO Wallapapers

European Wallpaper 1: Link
European Wallpaper 2: Link
European Wallpaper 3: Link
European Wallpaper 4: Link
US Wallpaper 1: Link
US Wallpaper 2: Link
US Wallpaper 3: Link
US Wallpaper 4: Link

Shadow of the Colossus Wallpapers

US Exclusive Wallpaper 1: Link
US Exclusive Wallpaper 2: Link
US Exclusive Wallpaper 3: Link

Shadow of the Colossus Screensavers

US Screensaver 1: Link
US Screensaver 2: Link

A big thank you to Ian Moody for the heads up!

News: Play-Asia restocks Kotobukiya Figures

Good news. Play-Asia replenished their stock and now have the figures up for grabs again. Good luck on getting yours (and remember they're a limited release, which means they won't be available again once stocks end!).

Play-Asia Link: Here

News: Shadow, "Game of the Year" at 2006 PlayStation Community Forum Awards

After the counting of thousands of votes, uk.PlayStation.com has announced the winners of last year and Agro couldn't be happier to know that Shadow of the Colossus was awarded "Game of the Year" and came runner-up in two other categories: "Most Innovative Game" and "Best Art & Design".

Link: Here

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus Weakspot Symbols

Below you may find three variations of the weakspot symbol in Shadow of the Colossus. All come from official Japanese merchandise like the Original Soundtrack and the guidebook.

Symbol 1: Link
Symbol 2: Link
Symbol 3: Link

Uploaded: Colossi Size Comparision Table

I've used the size chart from the official Japanese guide to Shadow of the Colossus and measured how tall / long all colossi are. I assumed Wander to be approximately 1.70m tall and then multiplied that to get the results you see in the PDF document. Height is available in both Meters and Feet.

Link: Here

Ebay Listings: Japanese Shadow of the Colossus Guidebook

It's going for a hefty price but it's more than worth it. Containing a full guide to the game, various concept artwork, unused colossi and an exclusive interview with the developers this is a must have for all Shadow of the Colossus fans. (That sounded like I'm the one who's selling the book.)

Listing: Here

Also: The same seller is listing another white Shadow shirt...

News: The new Kotobukiya Figures are being Shipped

Play-Asia just sent me a confirmation e-mail that the new figure set by Kotobukiya is being shipped to those who did a pre-order. But checking their page for the figures it seems the first batch was not sufficient to meet demand and remaining customers will receive their set as soon as stock is replenished. Further updates as something new comes up.

Ebay Listings *Update*: Japanese Limited Edition Shadow of the Colossus Premium Box

It might be incredible but at just 2 hours before the auction ends, the Shadow Premium Box listed on Ebay is going for over $1000... Now I'm feeling lucky I got it for half that money...

Image: Shadow Box going for $1000+
Link to Listing: Here

Goodies Sunday #1: ICO Posters, photos and much more

Seeing I focused on Shadow of the Colossus for the past few days I decided to make up for it. Below you'll find a variety of ICO downloads. Consider it my way to say sorry to those who like ICO more than Shadow.

Game Logo - Link - The official "ICO" logo in hi-resolution
Official Screenshot Pack - Link - Shots taken from the official Japanese press release
Korean Wallpaper Pack - Link - 10 wallpapers in 3 different sizes each
ICO Screensaver - Link - One of the best official ICO screensavers available on the internet
Korean Game Poster #1 - Link - The first poster that was used to promote the game in Korea
Korean Game Poster #2 - Link - The second poster used to promote the game
Japanese Release Day Photo Pack - Link - Some photos from the release day event in Japan

Courtesy of: The Official ICO Korean Site and Impress Watch

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus PAL Art Cards

In a similar fashion to the PAL release of ICO, SCEE released Shadow of the Colossus brimmed with extra content (making of featurette, art gallery and a special ICO trailer) in a special carton packaging complete with four exclusive art cards. Below you may find a scanned image of each:

Art Card 1 - Link
Art Card 2 - Link
Art Card 3 - Link
Art Card 4 - Link

Uploaded: ICO Press Material - Q&A and Press Release

Bundled with the promotional version of ICO came an extra disk called "ICO - Press Material Spring 2002" which contained lots of material related to the PAL release of the game. Among these - a press release and a Question and Answer session with the folks at SCEE.

Thanks to Jonathon Skipper, these can now make their way to everyone:

SCEE Press Release - Dowload PDF
Q&A Session - Download PDF

Images: Courtesy of Jonathon Skipper

Uploaded: ICO PAL Art Cards

The original PAL release of ICO was endowed with a plethora of extras. Among these were four art cards, bundled with a special carton packaging. Below you may find an image of each:

Art Card 1 - Link
Art Card 2 - Link
Art Card 3 - Link
Art Card 4 - Link

Uploaded: ICO Hi-Res Japanese Box Art

Uploaded a hi-res image of the ICO Japanese Box Art.

Link: Here

News: Tokyo Game Show 2007 Dated

The Tokyo Game Show 2007 will be held from the 21st September to the 23rd September at the MAKUHARI Messe. The exhibition details will be announced in early March. Here's hoping we get some news related to the next game from Department #1 by then.

Link to the official TGS website: http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/english

Did you know: There were many colossi left unused?

Although Shadow of the Colossus features sixteen colossi, there were many others which did not make it in the game. While a few were simply concept forms of the colossi we know, many others were entirely new creatures - with their own weaknesses and attacks. Below you'll find a few scanned pages from the Japanese Shadow of the Colossus guide which show these unused colossi.

Unused Colossi - Page 1
Unused Colossi - Page 2
Unused Colossi - Page 3
Unused Colossi - Page 4

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus Intro Storyboards

As many of you know, directors usually build up storyboards before developing scenes (this happens for both games and movies) and Fumito Ueda is no exception. Below you'll find 4 storyboards, all of which come from the intro scene that plays before the game starts:

Storyboard 1: Link
Storyboard 2: Link
Storyboard 3: Link
Storyboard 4: Link

Did you know: There were 2 concept title designs for "Wander and the Colossus"?

As with so many things in the development cycle, the title design for "Wander and the Colossus" went through some colourful changes before becoming the one we have today. Below you may find a link to two concept designs, scanned from the official Japanese guide of Shadow of the Colossus.

Link: Concept Title Designs

Uploaded: Dormin Concept Image

If you're curious and would like to see how Dormin looked in concept form, this image, coming straight from the Japanese Shadow of the Colossus guide, will whet your appetite.

Link to Image: Here

Uploaded: Colossi Size Chart

I have uploaded the Colossi Size Chart from the official Japanese guide.

Link: Here

Uploaded: Maps of the Forbidden Lands

You'll now find two maps of the Forbidden Lands in Shadow of the Colossus. The first map is simple and shows the lands without the clouds. The second map shows all the locations where the colossi are found.

Link Map 1
Link Map 2

Getting to Know: Kazuhiro Nakata

Name: Kazuhiro Nakata
Birth Date: 19th March 1958
Born in: Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Height: 180cm
Weight: 77kg
Blood Type: B
Occupation: Voice Actor
Graduated from: Fukuoka University
Also known as: Hiroshi Nakatawa
Decided to become a voice actor: During his university days when he was assigned to be a chairman of a radio drama production
Role: Dormin (Male) in Shadow of the Colossus
Other Works: Various anime like Cowboy Bebop, Great Teacher Onizuka and Bleach. He also dubbed Agent Smith in the Japanese version of the Matrix trilogy

Link to Voice Sample
Photo: Here

Getting to Know: Kyoko Hikami

Name: Kyoko Hikami
Birth Date: 11th January 1969
Blood Type: A
Home Town: Kobe, Japan
Job: Voice Actor
Works For: Ezaki Productions
Forms part of: Seiyū Trio: Furil, which also consists of voice actors Yuko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami. They have also released the CD "Wedding Peach Furil".
Role: Dormin (Female) in Shadow of the Colossus
Other Works: Videogames such as Battle Arena Toshinden, Breath of Fire and the Japanese version of Jak and Daxter

Links to Photos: 1 & 2

News: Kotobukiya changes new figures' release date

It appears Kotobukiya is, after all, bringing out its new figure collection this month instead of February... Meanwhile Play-Asia (where I placed my order) still does not have an exact date of when the seven-figure set will ship...

Link: One Coin Grande Figure Collection Official Page

Getting to Know: Hitomi Nabatame

Name: Hitomi Nabatame
Date of Birth: 4th August 1976
Place of Birth: Yokohama, Japan
Height: 161cm
Blood Type: B
Occupation: Voice Actor
Role: Mono in Shadow of the Colossus
Other Works: Various videogames and TV shows like Samurai Showdown and Bleach

Link to: "Nabatame Hitomi desu" mp3 file (Her, saying her name and other voice acting stuff)
Photo, courtesy of www.world-art.ru
Official Website: http://naba.chu.jp

News: Top Spot for Shadow in OPS2 UK Top 50 Games of 2006

The Official PlayStation2 Magazine (UK) declares Shadow of the Colossus best game for 2006:

From OPS2 UK (Issue 81, January 2007)

"The spiritual successor to ICO, this one had it all. A unique premise that saw your little horse-riding David go up against 16 intricately detailed Goliaths; meaty combat that required deft skill and serious intelligence; a story to stir your emotions and more visual beauty than a sextet of vestal virgins with the face of Cheryl Tweedy and the body of, well, Cheryl Tweedy. We could list every superlative in the dictionary and still not come close to fully encapsulating the majesty of Shadow of the Colossus with mere words. Number one and deservedly so, this will be a hard act for next year's releases to follow, let alone beat."

In Issue 68, OPS2 UK gave Shadow a 9 out of 10.

Ebay Listings: Japanese Limited Edition Shadow of the Colossus Premium Box

This listing is worthy of an entry of its own.

All of you who've been looking for the Limited Edition Shadow of the Colossus Premium Box now have the chance to get it... I got mine from the same seller a few months back... bidding went up as high as $500... but it was worth it.

The box, only available in limited quantities to Japanese gamers who made the pre-order, contains the JP version of the game, the NICO Special DVD, an exclusive shirt and a necklace, both featuring Quadratus. Bundled with the box, the seller is also giving away the exclusive Shadow of the Colossus bag, which has the same art as that on the JP game box.

Listing: Here

Ebay Listings: Shadow of the Colossus Art Cards & NTSC Demo Disc

Art Cards

If you happen to want the art cards included in the PAL version of Shadow of the Colossus, here's your chance to get them. There's no game. Just the cards. They're going for cheap and it's only a few hours till the auction ends... Hurry Up!

Listing: Here

NTSC Demo Disc

There's also a listing for the NTSC Demo Disc of Shadow of the Colossus. Unfortunately the seller ships only to the United States... still, a great opportunity to all US players.

Listing: Here

Getting to Know: Kenji Nojima

Name: Kenji Nojima
Date of Birth: 16th March 1976
Home Town: Tokyo, Japan
Job: Voice Actor
Works for: Aoni Production, a Japanese voice-talent agency
Family: Son of veteran voice actor Akio Nojima, younger brother of voice actor Hirofumi Nojima, married to voice actor Chie Sawaguchi
Role: Wander in Shadow of the Colossus
Other Works: Various anime such as Trigun, Mobile Suite Gundam Seed Destiny, One Piece

Photo: Link (Courtesy of NojimaKenji.com)
Official Website: http://www.nojimakenji.com

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus Credits

I have just uploaded the Credits for Shadow of the Colossus.

You may download the PDF document here.

The Eminence Orchestra Performs "The Opened Way"

Thanks to the Eminence Orchestra and the sixty talents who dedicate so much of their time promoting a different side of orchestrated music and bringing so many emotions to life we're able to see one of the most inspiring tracks used in Shadow of the Colossus - "The Opened Way" - performed live...

About the Eminence Orchestra (From Eminence Online)

Eminence is about changing the perceptions of symphonic music. It is about opening orchestras up to a wider audience, challenging the notions of classical music and reviving its popularity. Eminence is a doorway and opportunity for skilful young musicians who can’t find work without going overseas. Eminence is what is needed in today’s music industry.

Link: "The Opened Way" by Kow Otani, performed by the Eminence Orchestra during "A Night in Fantasia 2006"

50th Post & other Amazing Stuff

Shadow of the Colossus in "Reign Over Me"

Adam Sandler's forthcoming film, "Reign Over Me" features an unexpected cameo: Shadow of the Colossus. Watch the trailer to see Avion plunging down on Wander right here.

ProjectNICO hits 50 posts and 2000 page views

After a few quiet days the journal is now becoming even more popular: 50 posts in less than a month, visitors from 35 countries and over a 100 page views each day. A big thank you to everyone.

Ebay Listings: Shadow of the Colossus OST

Here's a great offer for anyone that loves the music in Shadow of the Colossus. A legit copy of the soundtrack going for cheap!

Link to Listing: Here

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus Screensavers (PC)

The official Shadow of the Colossus screensavers (for PC) are now available for download:

Screensaver 1: Download
Screensaver 2: Download
Screensaver 3: Download

Thanks to the Official Shadow of the Colossus US Website

Uploaded: 5 New Shadow of the Colossus Wallpapers (US)

Five new Shadow of the Colossus wallpapers are up for grabs:

Wallpaper 1: Link
Wallpaper 2: Link
Wallpaper 3: Link
Wallpaper 4: Link
Wallpaper 5: Link

Courtesy of Official Shadow of the Colossus Site (US)

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus NTA & HTA Times and Rewards

I have uploaded a list of the Time Attack times and items for Shadow of the Colossus.

The file is available from here.

Shadowofthecolossus.com - SECRET 03

The Black Tendrils

1. Go to www.shadowofthecolossus.com
2. Head to the Colossi Section
3. Click on all questions and wait for a couple of seconds
4. Black tendrils will come out of Pelagia
5. Click on them and a window will pop up, containing a wallpaper pack

Shadowofthecolossus.com - SECRET 02

Fallen Pelagia

1. Go to www.shadowofthecolossus.com
2. Point your sword and head towards the World Section
3. Click on Pelagia, on the right side of the screen
4. A window will pop up, containing a Making Of video

Shadowofthecolossus.com - SECRET 01

The White-tailed Lizard

1. Go to www.shadowofthecolossus.com
2. Point the sword towards the Characters Section
3. Click on each question and wait for a couple of seconds...
4. A white-tailed lizard will appear at the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on it.
5. A window will pop up, containing a bonus trailer

Uploaded: ICO Screensaver (x2)

Here are two more screensavers for PC users. They come from the Japanese ICO website:

Screensaver 1: Link
Screensaver 2: Link

Uploaded: ICO Screensaver (PC & MAC)

Playing the first two levels of the minigame at icothegame.com gives you a reward: an exclusive ICO screensaver... I had fun playing the game and unlocked the prize. You can do the same, but if you'd like to download the screensaver right away, click the link below:

PC Version: Download
MAC Version: Download

Uploaded: People v.s Shadow of the Colossus Interview

When Shadow of the Colossus was released in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions last February, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe ran a competition where players could ask Fumito Ueda a question related to the game. Nine questions were selected and those lucky enough to have their question answered (mine is the first one) won a promotional shadowofthecolossus.com shirt or notebook.

Download Interview (PDF): Link

1000 Views in 13 Days

I'm someone who *loves* numbers. So it's with great appreciation that I share the news. The journal has received over 1000 page views in just 13 days (not counting mine, of course). Cheers to all those who decide to spend some of their precious time browsing through these pages and thank you to those who even decide to come back looking for more.

Uploaded: ICO Castle Map

You can now find the ICO Castle map here.

Uploaded: ICO Japanese Cover

Both sides of the ICO Japanese cover are now available for download:

Front: Link
Back: Link

Did you know: How many copies of ICO were sold?

ICO, although one of the most praised games of its generation did not receive the attention it deserved. Worldwide sales were of approximately 650,000 copies.

Breakdown:

America - Released: 26/9/2001 - Sold : 250,000 copies
Japan - Released: 6/12/2001 - Sold: 160,000 copies
Europe - Released: 20/3/2002 - Sold: 200,000 copies
Asia - Released: 13/1/2002 - Sold: 20,000 copies
Korea - Released: 22/2/2002 - Sold: 20,000 copies

Did you know: How much Shadow of the Colossus scored on Weekly Famitsu?

As many of you know Weekly Famitsu is considered the most respected video game news magazine in Japan. It is also known for being extremely hard when grading video games. Games are graded by a panel of four reviewers. Each of these gives the game a score from one to ten (one being lowest, ten being best). The four scores are then added up with a possible score or forty. Having said that, it's not surprising that Shadow of the Colossus did fairly well. Not surprising, considering the game is an amazing work of art.

Shadow of the Colossus Weekly Famitsu Score - 10 / 9 / 8 / 10 - (37/40)

Uploaded: NTSC ICO Instruction Manual (PDF)

For all those who've never seen the NTSC version of the ICO instruction manual: here's your chance to do so.

Thanks to PlayStation.com.

Uploaded: ICO PAL Wallpapers

The atmospheric ICO wallpapers (from the official PAL website) are now available for download.

Wallpaper 1: Download
Wallpaper 2: Download
Wallpaper 3: Download
Wallpaper 4: Download
Wallpaper 5: Download
Wallpaper 6: Download

Courtesy of Icothegame.com

Uploaded: Shadow of the Colossus Video Interview

This one video interview contains so much about Shadow of the Colossus, even if it dates back to November 2004, one year before the game's Japanese release. Fumito Ueda and Kenji Kaido share their vision and talk about bringing to life a game like no other; the challenges and the dreams...

The video may be downloaded from here.

If you'd like to share this interview, I'd appreciate you'll link to this post instead of the direct link.

Decompression Password: projectnico

Courtesy of Kikizo.com

Uploaded: ICO Paper-folding Pieces

Straight from the Japanese ICO website, the ICO paper-folding pieces are one of those things many ICO fans have seen, but cannot find again. Any of you who do try to get these done, take a picture and send it to alexrowe@projectnico.net. I'll post them right away! (I'll try to do them myself, as well...)

Piece 1 (Box): http://www.projectnico.net/paperfolding/paper01.jpg
Piece 2 (Sofa): http://www.projectnico.net/paperfolding/paper02.jpg
Piece 3 (Idol): http://www.projectnico.net/paperfolding/paper03.jpg
Piece 4 (Ico): http://www.projectnico.net/paperfolding/paper04.jpg
Piece 5 (Yorda): http://www.projectnico.net/paperfolding/paper05.jpg

ProjectNICO around the world *again*

The journal has been online for a week now, and the list of countries it has reached has become twice as impressive.

So, hello to the newcomers (in bold) and a thank you to everyone who stumbled upon this journal and comes back looking for more:

United States
Canada
England
Belgium
Thailand
France
Sweden
Portugal
Australia
Philippines
Japan
Germany
Spain
Brazil
Netherlands
Mexico
New Zealand
Denmark
Hungary

Uploaded: ICO Development Video

The ICO development video is now available for download.

Featuring a horned Yorda escaping a minefield and a pixellated Ico using a poor-man's "Cloth of Desperation", the video shows what ICO looked like when it was aimed to be released on the PlayStation.

The video is available here, and if you'd like to share this video I'd appreciate you'd link to this post instead of the direct link.

Decompression Password: projectnico

ProjectNICO Feature: Making Shadow of the Colossus

Impress Watch have a very interesting article about the development process of Shadow of the Colossus. Unfortunately it is in Japanese and because it's about development intricacies, Google Translate won't do any good. But luckily I managed to track down a translation from a now non-exisitent website. The problem is that the document needs heavy reconstructing and it takes time. Nonetheless I've uploaded the first part, and the rest is to follow shortly.

Original (Japanese) version: Link
Translated (Raw) version: Link
Restored (Translated) version: Link (Part 1)

Please remember that this is still a work in progress. There will be several changes before it is completed.

Uploaded: ICO Commercials

To celebrate the new year I've uploaded two Japanese ICO commercials which were broadcasted before the game's release in 2001.

ICO Short Commercial - Download
ICO "Feather" Commercial - Download

The decompression password (for both) is projectnico.

As always, I'd appreciate that if you'll want to share these videos you'd link to this post instead of the direct links.

Happy new year everyone!

Just using some of the very first seconds of 2007 to wish everyone a happy new year, which hopefully will enlighten us on what to expect next from Fumito Ueda and the rest of Department #1.

Tomorrow I'll upload two new videos... both of which have to do with ICO.

Goodnight!