First things first, you really should check out a few stories that warranted their own BSR! articles this week.
First, Zombietron’s got rumors about Rocksteady (Arkham Asylum, Arkham City) making a Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles game. Next, Arse-bot has two articles with rumored specs on the next console from Microsoft here and here – which I’m still hearing “XBox Next” and “XBox 720” equally. Not to be outdone by Microsoft, we’ve also got a rumored release window for Nintendo’s Wii U. Finally, Arse-bot has the trailer for the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock, a game I’m still not sure should even be happening.
As for the rest of the news:
As much as I hate to comment on rumors, this one led me to another discovery that made me laugh so I thought I would share that joy with everyone else. Square Enix has recently trademarked “Sleeping Dogs” for an upcoming game. The rumor is that this will be Kane & Lynch 3. The second game was subtitled “Dog Days” so there is a reason for the rumor. Also, IO Interactive is finishing up Hitman Absolution, so could easily be looking to move on, as evidenced by a job posting indicating they need co-op multiplayer people working on an unannounced third person project. Now why did this make me laugh? Because the theory is supported by the idea that a game release in 2013 will be needed to build on the hype of the movie next year, starring Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx. Maybe that’s not funny to anyone else, but I just can’t take Bruce Willis seriously anymore. The idea that he’s now making video game movies that just trade on his own cliched roles is kind of sad. The fact that he doesn’t see that it’s sad is humorous.
Square Enix has also trademarked Hitman: Sniper Challenge. With Absolution not even scheduled for release yet, what could this be? Is IO Interactive, or another Square Enix studio already working on the next game? Seems like an odd name choice for a retail title. Maybe it’s a downloadable title? I could also see it being a smaller, portable game – maybe 3DS, Vita, or iOS. Until they give us an official announcement it’s all guess work. But, if I were to lay wagers, I’d say that sounds like DLC for Absolution.
The Jak & Daxter HD Collection we’ve been hearing about for a few months has gotten a release date. The $40 trilogy will be hitting retail on February 7th. Each of three games will have sterescopic 3D support and its own platinum trophy (over 100 trophies in all).
So, you know when you’ll be returning to The Precursor Legacy, but when will you get your hands on Inversion? Not as soon as you thought. Namco Bandai’s third person gravity changer has been delayed. Formerly expected in February (actually, originally announced for 2010), it is now expected for March 27th. It looks interesting, but late-term delays tend to make me nervous. I’m definitely waiting for the review chatter before I purchase this one.
Square Enix has been clear that they plan a variety of DLC for Final Fantasy XIII-2, and we’re now seeing what they mean. In addition to their preorder costumes, weapons, and characters, a story pack featuring Lightning of FF XIII has also been leaked. Lightning will be recruitable only after defeating her in a colisseum arena battle and the DLC will provide “secret story epsiodes” according to Famitsu. What isn’t clear is whether Lightning herself is only available from buying the DLC, or if everyone can get her and need to buy the story add-on. Other colisseum matches are planned for additional DLC, including a variety of boss cameos from other games in the long-running series. Personally, I’m hoping to kick Kefka’s maniacally laughing ass again.
Say what you will about Activision, and I’ve said a lot, they are good at providing continued support for their games. And even better at making money by doing it. November’s Modern Warfare 3 has an extensive DLC plan, going all the way to September – just in time for you to buy the next Call of Duty. In addition to the two maps released this month, there are 18 more pieces of DLC coming in the next eight months. Of course, Elite subscribers get first crack, and XBox 360 has a timed exclusive, but here’s the rest of the schedule (and expect to pay a good amount for each piece):
- February: New map
- March: New map, two new Spec Ops missions
- April: Two new maps
- May: New map, new Spec Ops mission
- June: New map, new Spec Ops Mission, new game mode
- July: Two new maps
- August: New map, new Spec Ops mission, new game mode
- September: New map, new Spec Ops mission
Capcom has announced there will be a free, post-release addition to Street Fighter x Tekken (releasing March 6, 2012). The Tournament Support mode is designed to alleviate fan concerns about the gem system being introduced in this game. Assist and Boost gems can make up for character weakness and provide additional advantages in a match. Concerns that this will make competitive matches unfair or unbalanced, especially in tournaments has led Capcom to the patch, which will be available as soon after launch as possible. This seems like a reasonable concession, but I’m a little suprised they didn’t hold it off for the Ultra Quick Happy Sexy Incredible version they’ll be releasing in pieces over the next two years. This is Capcom after all.
With all of its financial troubles and shifting focus, THQ has released a new mission statement specifying the company’s goals. This comes after releasing a deal with Disney to publish several children’s titles in an effort to concentrate solely on “core game franchises.” You can read the full release here, but the essentials are that they want to focus on “digital initiatives” (DLC) for existing titles and develop only franchises with a strong financial record. From the standpoint of video games as art, this is a little sad. But THQ was never known for their artistic titles anyway. From a business and investment standpoint, it’s very solid. Hopefully this will see them get back on track and maybe open up their portfolio to risks again once they’ve become solidly profitable. After all, they have Patrice Desilets (creator of Assassin’s Creed) now, and it would be a shame to keep his creativity locked away in games featuring dildo swords. By the way, those solid franchises include Saints’ Row, UFC, WarHammer 40,000, and Darksiders, among others.
If you’ve been itching for more news on Sonic the Hedgehod 4: Episode 2… too bad. There isn’t any. At least, nothing official has come since the teaser trailer just before Christmas. However, the ESRB has rated the game E for Everyone. These ratings require finished product, so the game should have a release date very soon. Being a digital release, as opposed to retail, the game will probably be out on XBLA and PSN within a couple weeks of the announcement. Meaning, I’d expect this by the end of February.
More details are coming to light about post-launch Vita games as we get closer to the system releasing on February 22nd. One of the most interesting is Reality Fighters. As an augmented reality fighting game, it’s name is pretty uninspired. But what it’s actually capable of could be really great. One of the newest details about the game is the in-game “instructor” that teaches you to create a character, learn to fight, and then encourages you with post-match wisdom – whether you won or lost. When it comes to teaching martial arts many of us have a stereotypical sensei in mind, Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid films (not the new one that didn’t actually feature karate). Funny thing, the developers actually have that same stereotype in mind and have made him your in-game instructor. The likeness to the late Noriyuki “Pat” Morita is uncanny. Honestly, my first reaction to this was that it’s terribly inappropriate considering Morita’s death in 2005. But, as I read the PlayStation Blog‘s interview with Mitsuo Hirakawa, I came to accept it. Jim Ward, a veteran voice actor, is providing the dialog for Miyagi and I trust it’s been done in a respectful manner. We’ll know for sure when game releases on March 13th.
AT&T has made some adjustments to the 3G data plan for PS Vita. The lower side hasn’t changed, still $15 for 250MB. The bigger package though has seen an increase in data cap and cost. The cap has gone from 2GB to 3GB and the price went up to $30, only a five dollar increase. Both plans are still month by month with no contract, include access to AT&T’s 29,000+ wi-fi hotspots, and come with a free PSN game when joining.
Aliens: Colonial Marines, the upcoming sci-fi FPS from Gearbox is being delayed from Spring 2012 to Fall 2012. The usual reasons are given, it’s “a process of creativity and invention,” and the “goal is to make a great game, and we are prioritizing this goal over the previously targeted date.” Which is perfectly fine. Except Fall 2011 wasn’t that long ago and I remember the glut of top shelf games that are still clogging my gaming. Unless they expect this game to compete with the likes of the next Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed I expect we’ll see at least one more delay on it, sending it to Spring 2013.
If you’re looking to expand your Soul Calibur V experience (after it releases on January 31st), three pieces of DLC have been announced for release over the next month. These are only confirmed for Europe so far, but I don’t expect the US releases to be much different. The Launch Day pack, presumably coming on launch day, includes nine customization options (bikinis, wings, face paint) and the soundtracks from Soul Blade and Soul Calibur. February 14th will see another pack with nine more customizing items (breast plate, kimono, animal heads) and the soundtracks from Soul Calibur II and III. Nine more items (mask, face paint, camouflage, skull) along with the Soul Calibur IV and Soul Calibur: Broken Destinies soundtracks will be coming February 28th. European pricing is set for €1.99, which I also expect will be similar for North America.
This seems an odd week. The quantity of news isn’t really lacking, but the excitement level is pretty low. There’s just nothing to get pumped about. Oh well. Every week can’t be full of five star thrills. See you next Tuesday.