Amid rumors that EA is set to reveal Battlefield 4 at GDC next week, we have received some sideways confirmation of that happening via a “leaked” promotional image. The image isn’t going to spoil much for you, it’s just a well-armed man running through the rain with military ordnance and a cityscape behind him. The city probably suggests that there will be a return of urban warfare, but I would bank on that until the official reveal. Coincidentally, EA’s Vine is also looping a short clip suggesting we “Prepare 4 Battle” and the date of 3/27 – all but confirming the announcement next week.
Retro fans have something to look forward to on PSN and XBLA “soon.” Despite carrying the Dungeons & Dragons name, Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara aren’t actually RPGs. In classic 1990s fashion, they’re sidescrolling beat-em-ups with RPG archetypes. For those of us that grew up in arcades 20 years ago, games just don’t get much better. No word yet on price or a solid release date, but I’m expecting somewhere around $6/piece or $10 for the double pack and releasing before month’s end.
That’s not the only piece of Capcom’s back catalog you can expect to see re-released soon. Strider, the action platformer that hit arcades in late 1980s (and consoles in the early 1990s), looks to soon have a revival on PC, PSN, and XBLA. Unfortunately, there are basically no details since this comes from a reliable leak rather than an official announcement. Capcom reportedly has plans to announce two new releases at PAX East this week. This may be one of them.
Despite lackluster sales and a poor critical showing, Disney has one last trick up its sleeve for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. The original console release was developed by Junction Point, who has since shut their doors. The announcement didn’t mention who will be developing the Vita port. A release date was also not included, but it was slated for later this year.
Current CEO of Electronic Arts, John Riccitiello, has announced his plans to step down on March 30th. Larry Probst will stand as the Executive Chairman while the board looks for a permanent replacement. Riccitiello has been in the CEO role since 2007. Details behind this “mutually agreed… transition” haven’t been forthcoming, and I wouldn’t expect much either. EA has done well under Riccitiello’s leadership, though they have suffered economic losses along with the rest of the world. The resignation announcement also included a note indicating “revenues and earnings per share for the current quarter will be at the low end of, or slightly below previously issued guidance.” Which sound like they’re operating near budget forecasts, if not as well as they hoped. In this industry, right now, that’s not bad.
You may have already heard about Microsoft’s XBox Entertainment Awards, which will allow fans to vote on the best in television, film, and games over the past year. It’s new, but it’s nothing groundbreaking. What makes this newsworthy is that the voting website was only up for a short time before being taken down to resolve technical issues: visibly posting the email addresses for over 3,000 users and allowing visitors to edit or delete votes already cast. Yeah, good job on that one Microsoft.
That takes care of our early edition. Check back on Friday for more gaming goodness from the rest of the week.