Not being a huge fan of first person shooters, I’m one of the four gamers in the U.S. that hasn’t played a Bioshock game. But I get a little more entranced with the world of Bioshock Infinite every time I see something new from it. The latest batch of screen shots seems designed specifically to draw me in. Well, me and Swankmotron (who is likely one of the other three). I’ll admit, at first glance, this appeared fake. But I have reasonable assurance this is a legit release from Irrational and 2k.
If you’re like me, and FPS just doesn’t do it for you, try this one. Details on the Move pack for Little Big Planet 2 have finally surfaced. The pack is officially being called “The Rise of the Cakeling” and is scheduled for release September 13, though pricing is yet to be confirmed. This is not a small pack of DLC either. In fact, Media Molecule is saying this will be the largest add-on to date. The Cakeling is the new villain being introduced, along with 14 new levels (5 levels, 7 minigames, and 2 cut scenes actually), and the Brain Crane (that apparently gives Sackpeople telekinesis). In addition, you’ll get plenty of new stickers, sounds, pins, and other gadgets. Oh yeah, 11 more trophies too. This will also make the entirety of LBP2’s story levels, and user-generated content, Move-compatible. Special tools requiring the Move will be available in Create mode as well. As far as I’m concerned, anything that can expand or extend my Sack play is a good thing.
The soap opera feud between Activision and EA didn’t get any better at Gamescom last week. These guys make professional wrestlers look like classy dudes. Activision Publishing’s CEO, Eric Hirshberg, took the time to address a recent comment from EA’s John Riccitiello, who said he hoped Call of Duty would “rot from the core.” Hirshberg indicated he had tried to avoid reacting to the comment but had been asked about it often enough that he had to respond: “Can you imagine the head of Dreamworks animation coming out with a new movie and going to the press and saying that he wants Toy Story to ‘rot from the core’? It’s kind of hard to imagine, right?” Hirshberg further elaborated that he enjoys competition and thinks it drives the industry to greater heights. While he definitely wants to see CoD win, he doesn’t necessarily want to see it happen from EA’s Battlefield 3 failing. Frankly, I’m sure he’s lying, but at least he’s being an outwardly good sport. EA’s response, through Jeff Brown (Corporate Communications Manager): “Welcome to the big leagues, Eric.” Brown went on to say he expected CoD to continue losing market share over the next few years, eventually becoming as available as a new Tony Hawk or Guitar Hero game. I’m not a fan of Activision, or their business practices. But in this exchange, I have to shake my head at EA. They seemed to be the pencil-necked geeks of Gamescom.
Things seem to be on an upswing on the video game front on the other side of the world. In addition to Australia’s recent approval for an 18+ game rating they’re also getting an exclusive version of of Saints’ Row: The Third. The “Smooth Criminal Edition” will be available exclusively at Australian EB Games for $128AU. What’s included? The obvious special packaing and a soundtrack, of course. But, you’ll also score a pair of sunglasses, Saints’ logo cufflinks (who still wears a french cuff nowadays?), and a bullet-shaped ice cube tray. All pretty worthless actually, but I wouldn’t mind some ice bullets. This should be great fuel for those who opposed the new rating. Not only do they get excessively violent games now, they come with tools to make “untraceable bullets.” Hah!!!
I haven’t heard much about SEGA’s upcoming Binary Domain, but it now has a release date. If you’re too much of a video game junkie to have a significant other with whom to spend Valentine’s Day, this is your date. The game will release on February 14, 2012. The futuristic, squad-based shooter places a heavy emphasis on trusting your teammates. Your actions can betray or encourage that trust. Selfish decisions mean they could care less whether you live or die. Heroic actions increase loyalty, encouraging your team to help you out of tight spots. With that mechanic, maybe this is a perfect fit for Valentine’s Day?
In other news on the SEGA front, Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is headed to PSN and XBLA next summer. This is said to be the definitive version of the game with tweaks to the mechanics, balancing and animations, as well as new modes, two new fighters, dynamic arenas, and character customization items. Good news for fighting fans.
Basketball fans also get a special treat today. The full Legends roster for NBA 2k12 has been announced. These old school superstars will be useable in the “NBA’s Greatest Mode” and al have unique animations and movesets. I’m surprised Stockton and Malone made the list. Not because they don’t deserve it, but because you really can’t take one without the other, and I wouldn’t expect the developers would want two Jazz players from the same era. Then again, they’ve included Jordan (duh) and Pippen. Here’s the full list:
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Larry Bird
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Julius Erving
- Patrick Ewing
- Magic Johnson
- Michael Jordan
- Karl Malone
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Scottie Pippen
- Oscar Robertson
- Bill Russell
- John Stockton
- Isiah Thomas
- Jerry West
As I like to do when it’s worth the effort, I have saved the best for last. We all know that Robin will be a playable character in Batman: Arkham City, assuming you’ve got your preorder at Best Buy (or other locations internationally). We’ve also seen some concept art for Rocksteady’s vision of the character. Now, we get to see three separate skins for the character. The picture shows, from left to right, the Tim Drake / Red Robin costume, Rocksteady’s official version, and the Batman: The Animated Series inspired version. The last one doesn’t seem to fit the scheme well, but all three do match well with the various Batman skins available (shown below).
And that’s it for Tuesday’s edition. Check back on Friday for what will surely be another big update.