I didn’t expect a huge update this week, but it just kept getting bigger. So let’s get right to it with the bad news first (though there’s some more bad news later for some gamers).
I always hate to hear about layoffs, especially when so many are already struggling. The big cut this week comes from Silicone Knights. The developer behind X-Men Destiny suffered a heavy blow when they laid off 75% of their workforce. This massive house-cleaning comes after the Canadian government had already issued a $3million grant to the company. The developer had recently completed a project set for publication by Activision that was cancelled at the last minute from the “high corporate level.” No reason for the cancellation was given, but Activision is known for very high critical and commercial standards from their developers. X-Men Destiny scored a very low 53/100 on Metacritic with sales figures to match.
In other financial and business news, Ubisoft has acquired another development studio, RedLynx. This is the studio responbile for Trials HD on XBLA, and its upcoming sequel, Trials Evolution. For RedLynx, they’ll now have more publishing power, making multiplatform releases more of a reality. For Ubisoft, this acquisition expands their online and physics expertise. This seems to be a good match. We’ll be keeping an eye out for what this team can bring to the table for gamers.
Techland recently released Dead Island to widespread praise. Gamers seem to love the first person melee combat with heavy RPG elements and pervasive co-op mode. And with that strong of a fan base, you have to know a sequel is coming. Or at least it appears that way. The developer recently filed a US trademark for Dead World. Good news for fans, but I kind of hate the name. It just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. But it could also be an early indication that the sequel will expand beyond the fictional island of Banoi.
Have you seen the Grand Theft Auto V trailer yet? If not, go watch it now. Wow. Change your pants, then come back to read the rest. To me, it actually feels very much like an opening sequence instead of a trailer. It doesn’t address the rumor of multiple playable characters but it definitely takes place in Rockstar’s fictional Los Angeles. While the trailer isn’t specific, it has been confirmed that it’s just Los Santos and its surrounding countryside, not the full state of San Andreas. The trailer does show a few aircraft (including a blimp!!!) but there is no confirmation that you’ll actually be able to pilot them. The one other bit Rockstar has confirmed is the return of multiplayer. This should be no surprise to anyone. I just hope it’s a little better than GTA IV‘s. Now, can I get a release date please? Maybe, like, next week? Please? Pretty, pretty please?
I wouldn’t even consider this news, seeing as how everyone saw it coming, except Bethesda actually issued a press release about it and announced a date so I might as well. The Ultimate Edition of Fallout: New Vegas, featuring all of the DLC right in the box will be releasing on Febraury 7, 2012. If you’ve been waiting a year to play this just so you could get this version, it will be a good use of your Christmas gift cards. It’s pretty glitchy on PS3, but it’s a fantastic game in one of the best gaming universes I’ve ever explored.
Also getting a special edition re-release is Sony and Quantic Dream’s noir thriller Heavy Rain. This Director’s Cut will include the full game, “The Taxidermist” DLC, the complete score by Normand Corbeil, new menu interface with Move support, eight “Making of” bonus videos, three dynamic themes, 15 pieces of additional concept art, and two bonus trailers. Ultimately this looks more like the type of extra content you’d find on a DVD release of a movie, not a special edition of a video game. But, honestly, this game doesn’t need more bells and whistles. It is incredibly different from what you’d typically expect of a third person “action” game, but this was a serious contender for my game of the year in 2010. That’s not an easy task for something that released in February. You seriously owe it to yourself to challenge your expectations of a game by playing this one. If you do decide to skip this (shame on you), you can still download the Heavy Rain Crime Scene Dynamic Theme for free to celebrate its release on November 8th.
Ridge Racer: Unbounded has been given a release date of March 6, 2012. This franchise has been around forever (and led to a hilarious sound bite at a Sony E3 press conference a few years ago) but is making some heavy changes for this iteration to keep up with the times. First, smashing into other cars and through walls is not only possible, but encouraged. Second, user created tracks are now a major feature. We’ll have to wait until March to see the track building interface, but I think it’s exciting. I’ve loved playing user-created tracks in ModNation Racers. I’m excited to see that mechanic hit a more realistic racing game, instead of a kart racer.
Also announced for release is another entry in a popular series, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6 Patriots. Of course, the only information we have right now is a 2013 release. Check the Chrismas issue of Official XBox Magazine on November 30th to get the first details.
Remember when DC Universe Online came out and you thought it looked awesome but couldn’t convince yourself that $15 a month to play a console game was worth it? What if it were free? Ta-da. On Tuesday the game went up on PSN with three new levels of player involvement. You can actually now play the game completely free (after you download the crazy huge file that won’t work in the background, meaning your console’s tied up for 5-7 hours depending on your internet connection). Of course, like most free to play models, this experience is limited. You’re level-capped and have limited inventory slots. But you can still fight alongside or against your favorite heroes and villains – including Batman, Superman, the Joker, and more. Buying $5 or more in DLC (including the new “Fight for the Light”) will permanently upgrade you to premium status, getting you more character and inventory slots. For the full experience, including the ability to earn PSN trophies, you’ll need to join the ranks of monthly subscribers with Legendary status. If you decide to cancel your monthly subscription later, you’ll revert back to Premium status automatically. Former subscribers that have left the game are already Premium members. This is great news if you’ve been wanting to get in on this MMO. Personally, I’m resisting. “Free to Play” doesn’t accurately describe the costs of addiction and divorce.
The Strategy RPG genre seems to be slowly dying on the modern consoles. But Sidequest Studios, makers of Soldner-X, aren’t ready to bury it yet. The studio will be releasing Rainbow Moon, a PSN-exclusive with 20-30 hours of quest and 100+ hours of side missions, in the first quarter of 2012. No major details have been released yet, but it certainly has a nice art style and the soundtrack from Rafael Dyll has a lot of promise. If you’ve been missing this genre, this is definitely a game to watch. I’ll continue to cover more updates as I see them.
Another intriguing upcoming PSN-exclusive, this time a “mini,” will be coming November 22nd (November 8th and free for PS+ subscribers). Where is my Heart? is a side-scrolling, puzzle platformer with a unique twist. The basic idea for the game comes from Bernie Schulenburg being lost in the woods with his parents. As he faced his family’s personal and relationship issues in the face of adversity he slowly designed a game with an incredibly unique twist on the platforming genre. It’s best to let him describe it. Suffice to say it looks cool, I’m excited to se how it plays.
“I was interested in expressing the sense of being lost and without orientation via pure game mechanics. The approach I decided for, was to take the regular platform puzzle game and split up the screen into many separate panels (or little windows into the game world, if you prefer). The game then shuffles these panels and places them back into the screen at unnatural positions. Therefore, as a player you don’t know exactly where in the game world your monster is located. The challenge is on you to find your way.”
Despite all of these exclusives, Sony is still managing to burn customers and anger their user base. Currently, any content purchased from PSN can be activated on up to five consoles or five PSPs. Yes, this sometimes leads to game sharing (downloading content your friend bought on his/her account for your system, or vice versa). But their changes coming on November 18th seem a bit extreme to combat the problem. Beginning on that date, all purchased content will be valid on only two devices. I’m still checking to see if minis or PSOne Classics can be activated on two of each, or two total. This shouldn’t affect most people, assuming you don’t game share. Certainly there are individuals with more than two PS3s in their home (or multiple homes) and this is unfair to them. However, it is possible to deactivate content from a system, then reactivate it on another one. Also, Sony will be launching a website to allow you to deactivate from your PC. This last bit is long overdue, as I can’t currently download video to my PS3, being that my first, YLOD system is the only activated device I’m allowed. Also note, any content purchased prior to November 18th will still have the five system cap. The new rules apply only to new content after November 18th.
[Update: Sony has confirmed to me that items purchased can be activated on a total of two PS3 systems and two PSP systems. That is four systems total for minis or other multi-use items if you use two of each.]
Finally, just to keep us from hating Sony a little too much, Square Enix has announced their “Winter of RPGs” on PSN. Starting November 8th, this season long event will bring you some great RPG classics from the company. Chrono Cross is the first to hit, followed by Final Fantasy V on November 22nd, and Final Fantasy VI on December 6th. It appears all three games are ports of the PSOne release that gave us the recent PSN version of Chrono Trigger. All three are great games, but I’m most excited for Final Fantasy VI. Old farts like me still give this one the occasional time-sucking run on their Super Nintendos or Retro-Duos (as Final Fantasy III). Seriously, how many grinding battles have you run just to make sure all of your characters have the Ultima spell with only a x1 Esper? And how many out of control savage battles have you won or lost while laughing your ass off because your team consisted of Gau, Mog, Yeti, and Mimic? Yeah, I’m getting this one. If for no other reason than to have it on my PSP.
And that’s it for the first week of November. There are some great titles coming. Sony is simultaneously disappointing and thrilling me. The holiday season looks to keep me flush with top shelf games. Not only am I getting hyped for 2012, but I’m already seeing titles I’m itching to play and I have to wait clear to 2013. Wow. But that’s enough for now. Check back Tuesday for more updates.