Wow. The inaugural Salt Lake Comic Con was an amazing experience. Big Shiny Robot! was there in force and you can read more about our team’s highlights here, here, here, and here. From a gaming perspective I was a little disappointed as Ubisoft was prominently featured as having a booth but it was actually just a few of their logos and some sort of off-brand PC games that looked to be made by students. If that was the case, I’m glad the students had their games exposed and I’m sure they were probably enjoyable. But if Ubisoft just wanted advertising space I’m sure that could have been arranged without creating the misconception that they would have an actual booth. Definitely a minor quibble for what was otherwise a massively successful event. However, while I was gawking at cos-players and listening to Lou Ferrigno outing Schwarzenegger about smoking pot during the filming of Pumping Iron, video game news moved on without me. Time to catch up:
One of the features dropped from the XBox One when they reversed course on the “always online” requirement was game sharing. This feature would have allowed you to digitally share a title you owned with up to ten family members. It still hasn’t been made completely clear what this digital sharing would have meant, but it’s been in high demand by customers planning to buy the system. The latest information from Microsoft on the feature is that it “has to be part of the experience” but only if they can “find the right way to bring it back.” Speaking to Gamespot, XBox director Albert Pinello explained sharing
“was one of the places that [they] were actually trying to pioneer. [They] were trying to implement the ability to trade [and] loan digital games with your friends which is something that no one else was doing.” They’re now “focused on launch and [have] switched the program back to discs, because that’s what customers wanted.” He gets “a lot of mails saying ‘god, please bring back the family sharing.'” Penello says “We’d love to figure out how to bring that back. I still think it was a good idea. Maybe it was a little too soon for some people, but I still think there were a lot of good ideas in there. And we’ll bring it back when the time is right.”
I’d still like to know more about the sharing as I simply can’t see them providing ten full digital licenses with one purchase. Rumors are that it would be a limited time trial, while others have indicated that you’d limit your own ability to play the game if your family member was using their copy. This may be a story worth following as it develops, but until we hear some concret information the whole issue just looks like various parties holding grudges.
A feature never intended for inclusion in the XBox One may actually be possible due to the power of the Cloud. Backwards Compatibility for the system may be possible after all. Still speaking with GameSpot, Albert Penello again clarifies how this could work, “There are so many things that the servers can do. Using our Azure cloud servers, sometimes it’s things like voice processing. It could be more complicated things like rendering full games like a Gaikai and delivering it to the box. We just have to figure out how, over time, how much does that cost to deliver, how good is the experience.” Gaikai is the online game delivery service purchased by Sony and now set to provide backwards compatible game streaming to the PS4 sometime after launch. It’s improtant to note that Penello merely says the operation is possible. Whether or not it actually happens is undecided. Backwards compatibility is always a hot topic when a console launches, but it rarely gets used beyond the first few months of release. If either manufacturer intends to include in any function, they should strike while the iron is hot. The more games you release for the system before you allow backwards compatibility, the less likely people will be willing to pay for it.
PS4 may be releasing in November, but we haven’t seen all of its possible accessories. Rumor is that Sony’s Virtual Reality headset was to debut at Gamescom but was delayed to Tokyo Game Show in a couple of weeks. Other sources are saying this won’t be officially announced until after the system’s launch, so as not to distract from the initial hype. Assuming any of this is true, which I’m not, the headset works with the next-gen Eye camera to track head movement and is more accurate than its toughest PC competitor, Oculus Rift. Evolution Studios may be working with the device to create a cockpit mode for DriveClub. Release date, again rumored, would be Fall 2014. This device, if real, is not connected to Sony’s HDTV Personal 3D Viewer, which looks like a VR headset.
If you were looking to enjoy Rayman Legends on the PS Vita then you’ve likely heard the foofaraw about the missing levels. Citing a “longer development time than expected,” Ubisoft communications manager, Gary Steinman, says they “couldn’t initially include the Invasion Mode” in the retail release. “However,” continues Steinman, “we can confirm that the Invasion Mode will be added via a free patch, at a later date.” No word on exactly when, but you can pick it up now if you want to scratch that Rayman itch. Hopefully the more difficult, remixed levels will be ready for release by the time you’re ready to play them.
I can’t say I actually know anyone that’s anxious to play South Park: The Stick of Truth. Surely someone is. If that someone is you, I hope you’re the type that enjoys delayed gratification. The game’s release window was recently changed by Ubisoft from “holiday 2013” to “to be confirmed/announced.” This has to sting a little, but you’ve already seen the delay from March 2013 after THQ collapsed. An indeterminate amount of time for more waiting should be okay, right?
While nothing has been announced worldwide, the slimming redesign of PlayStation Vita has been revealed for a Japanese release. This type of redesign is normal for handhelds and consoles and this one meets all the normal expectations. The new Vita 20% thinner (15mm) and 15% lighter (219g). It also comes with 1GB of internal storage, meaning entry level users may not need a memory card right away. The OLED screen is also being replaced with a 5″, 16:9, 960 x 544 LCD screen, capable of over 16 million colors. The redesign will release in six colors (yellow, pink, white, gray, lime green, and light blue) on October 10th.
In addition to an ultralight Vita, Sony has also announced PlayStation Vita TV. The console is a small box that you plug directly into your television and control with a DualShock 3. How they’re handling touch screen/pad controls and/or camera functions is not clear to me yet. It has slots for PS Vita game and memory cards. Typical apps like Netflix and Hulu will run on this odd piece of hardware. This one is currently only scheduled for Japan (November 14, 2013) “before other regions.” I feel like I’m being a pessimist, but this seems like an unnecessary response to Android consoles like Ouya.
Then again, the Vita has had some good games that might appeal to someone wanting to play them on a TV, rather than a handheld. The first that jumps to my mind is Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. But that clearly won’t be your reason for buying Vita TV, since Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD is coming to current consoles (X360, PS3) next year. Along with the graphical upgrade you’d expect, this version is improving facial animations, audio, and AI. Some of the touch control puzzles are being removed or altered and 15 new missions are being added. The Vita version was a fun but formulaic entry in the series. A female assassin is a nice break for the series, and the meta-story involving the modern fight between the Asssassins and Templars has a nice twist in this one. The biggest departure in this title was Aveline’s persona system that comes with her clothing changes. Certain outfits allow her more freedom of movement in exchange for a higher profile. The most frustrating sequence for me was at the beginning, when I wanted to explore the city but couldn’t climb because Aveline was in a dress.
Financials for games don’t usually get revealed until the game has been out for a bit of time and we find out whether the publisher considers it a success or not. Grand Theft Auto V is changing that routine, possbily because it’s one of the most expensive games ever made. Rockstar/Take Two has reportedly spent over $263 million dollars developing the open world title, expected to clock in with more than 100 hours of play time. Other reports are calculating a similar dollar amount being spent on promotions and advertising. If true, they’ll need to sell nearly nine million copies (at $60/each) to break even, and that’s not including the share console manufacturers will be taking. That doesn’t seem to concern Rockstar though, as they expect to sell $25 million in the first year. The 100 hours of gameplay is what I’m actually finding hardest to swallow. Is that campaign gameplay? Or does that include extraneous elements like collecting cars, skydiving, golfing, SCUBA diving, and shanking hookers? GTA V releases next week.
Sony announced a bunch more titles for various platforms at yesterday’s Asia PlayStation Press Conference. These are all pretty niche, but if you like niche games there’s probably something for you. Release dates and other details are still to come. Here’s the list:
- Lily Bergamo – PS4
- Natural Doctrine – PS3, PS4, Vita
- Soul Sacrifice Delta – Vita
- Phantasy Star Nova – Vita
- Guilty Gear Xrd Sign – PS3, PS4
The new Star Wars Pinball tables are coming this Fall. The “Balance of the Force” pack will bring three tables as DLC for both Star Wars Pinball and Zen Pinball 2. These tables include Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Starfighter Assault, and Darth Vader. Price and specific release date are still to come, but you should expect this to cost about the same as the last pack ($9.99).
That’s it for this week’s early edition. We should be back on a regular publishing schedule for this week. Check back Friday for the late edition, unless something unexpected happens.