Are you just so excited for the PS4 that you just absolutely want to devour as much information as possible as soon as it arrives? If so, you should check out this nice video Sony put together to introduce the new DualShock 4 controller. If you want the story behind the new design, it’s intriguing, even if I had did have trouble with the buffering and audio sync.
On the neXtBox front, Microsoft has confirmed that the reveal will be happening at a May 21st press event. The event will reportedly ring in “the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment.” That quote confirms to me the reports that Microsoft is looking to expand ever further into being your complete entertainment source, not just your gaming console. But, will that mean their next-gen box will have all those extra media options, or does it confirm the rumors of a “mini-XBox” that will function like a Hulked out Roku box? We should know all of this in less than a month.
The latest rumors, and they are just rumors, is that Batman: Arkham Origins will have a multiplayer component. It’s not clear what that component may be, but the rumor mill suggests you’ll be playing as a member of Joker’s or Bane’s gangs and trying to take down Batman and Robin. Which, frankly, would be the only reasonable form of multiplayer for a game like this. A Batman and Robin co-op mode could be interesting, but it would be an odd fit for the pacing of the previous two titles. I kind of like the concept of one player as Batman (and Robin, possibly) versus an army of player-controlled Joker goons, but the balancing for something like that would just be obscene. Hopefully we’ll get confirmation from Warner Bros. Montreal about available modes soon. The game is scheduled for October 25, 2013.
2K Marin has confirmed today that their XCOM shooter has been slightly rebranded, but it’s still part of the same shared universe. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (as it is now called) is scheduled for August 20, 2013. The third-person shooter will be a prequel of sorts, taking place in 1962 and portraying the establishment of the XCOM organization. Tactical decisions and permanent squad member death will also be rearing their brutal heads once again.
The delayed, formerly-WiiU-exclusive Rayman Legends from Ubisoft has finally been given a firm release date. The game will now be releasing August 27, 2013 for WiiU, PS3, and XBox 360. A Vita version has also been rumored, but remains unconfirmed, for that date or any other.
A translated tweet from the official Okami feed indicates there will be some major announcement next week. The rumor mill doesn’t even have a consensus on it will be. Here’s the translated text [note: Golden Week is a collection of Japanese holidays, April 29-May 5]:
Hello, this is Okami news. Sorry I’ve been kind of out of touch lately, but I have the feeling we’ll be able to drop a fresh announcement like WHAM! around the beginning of Golden Week, so please look forward to it. Right now we’re on track with preparations.
The release date for Battlefield 4 has been rumored as October 31, 2013 for a while but is still officially unconfirmed. The latest promotional poster at EB Games may have made the confirmation unnecessary. It also reveals some of the features we can expect to see:
Rockstar apparently has plans for three new Grand Theft Auto V trailers next week. Unless their promo is deliberately misleading, each trailer will focus on one of the three main protagonists. If you’re excited for this one, watch for the trailers next Tuesday, April 30th.
If you’re the type that likes to be a little late to the party on major titles to insure you get all of the DLC, you’ll be glad to know your Legendary Edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is on its way. As expected, this version will include the main campaign, all current updates, and all previously released DLC. It will retail at launch for $60 and is set for release June 4, 2013.
A pair of newly released images for Activision’s upcoming Deadpool game reveal two new characters we’ll see in the game. One of them might even get our own Scarlett Robotica interested in playing, as she has a bizarre fascination with Mister Sinister. The other reveal is Psylocke, the hot European chick that somehow became a hot Asian chick in what passed for 1990’s X-Men storytelling. Things are shaping up nicely for this June 25th release.
