The domain registration plot around Deus Ex continues. Last week it was revealed that Deus Ex: Human Defiance had been copyrighted by Square Enix; while this week it was revealed that the name is actually set aside for the CBS Films silver screen adaptation. Now they’ve registered the domain of Deus Ex: the Fall. The sites have been registered in the UK, france, Italy, Germany, and the US .com and .net. Considering we already know the name for the movie, could this be the sequel? Or something else? Hopefully we’ll know soon.
Few games have made as much of an impact in the current market as Mojang’s phenomenon, Minecraft. With its natural home on PC, the title was ported to the XBox 360 in March 2012. According to Jens Bergensten (lead designer, Minecraft Pocket Edition), a PS3 release (but probably not WiiU) may happen after the expiration of Microsoft’s timed exclusivity on console. The length of Microsoft’s timed exclusivity was not mentioned. Still, possibly good news for Sony-exclusive gamers. I think I’d actually be more intrigued if they were looking at a release on Vita.
Development for Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season Two is underway, but it’s running into a snag. The idea has always been to port Season One’s save data, including the fates of many characters, to the next season and maintain continuity. With Sony’s recent announcement of PlayStation 4 (and the expected announcement of neXtBox), where the sequel will likely be released, the possibility of porting that data is being called into question. There are, apparently, technology issues that might prevent your PS3 save from being carried to your PS4. Telltale and Sony are working closely to address this potential issue. They may not succeed, but it’s good to know they’re trying. Other solutions may also present themselves. Hopefully we’ll more on the subject soon.
Gearbox has released a patch for Aliens: Colonial Marines. It’s no longer unplayable, but it still isn’t very fun. Most of the technical glitches have been addressed, if not completely fixed.
If you’re like me, you’re probably a little dismayed to see TV spots for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag already playing when the game doesn’t come out until October. Being that I’m constantly playing two to three months behind the release schedule, I just finished Assassin’s Creed III, one of the lesser regarded entries in the series. [Remember when everyone freaked about Mass Effect 3‘s ending? Where’s the furor over the abrupt and unsatisfying ending to the modern day storyline?] What was once a promising franchise seems to be quickly falling victim to the annual release plague. Which is why it’s refreshing to hear Take Two doesn’t want to make Grand Theft Auto an annual title, or even a bi-annual title. Karl Slatoff, Take Two’s COO, recently spoke to a Wedbush Securities Conference:
“To us, that doesn’t make sense, because Grand Theft Auto, every single time it comes out, is a brand new experience. You can’t possibly do that in two years. And if we did that, our product would fatigue and the franchise would degrade from a value perspective.”
Kudos to Take Two for having pride in their franchise’s continued value. There’s definitely something to be said for a product you can make relatively cheaply and sell to a mass market frequently. It’s good business. But taking the time to design something spectacular that people look forward to for years is also a good thing. Ultimately, you build brand credibility and loyalty, both longer term investments. Grand Theft Auto has been around for 16 years, and it’s been 12 years since they basically invented a genre (third-person, open-world action). There is certainly a contingent who feel GTA IV wasn’t on par with prior entries, but the majority of players still consider it a top notch game and it has not lessened the enthusiasm for the upcoming GTA V. In contrast, Assassin’s Creed first released in 2007, and has since not matched the critical reception of its fantastic second game (Metacritic: AC 81, ACII 91, Brotherhood 90, Revelations 80, ACIII 86).
Sorry to end with an editorial. The yearly model has come under fire recently, while perennial releases of Call of Duty continue to sell millions of copies. What do the readers think? Would you like to see annual GTAs with declining value, or would you prefer a new assassin every three or four years that matches the incredible quality of Ezio’s original appearance?