Welcome to another instalment in our weekly news digest where the team at PSU Towers picks our favourite slices of gaming gossip from the past seven days, before proceeding to offer our two cents on each story for good measure.
See below for the past week’s top stories.
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PS Move is no.1 reason to buy a PS3, says Koller
Sit down, have a cuppa and put your thinking caps on with us for a second. What would you say, unequivocally, is THE reason to invest in Sony’s black box for the remainder of the year? Gran Turismo 5? Past classics such as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, MGS4: Guns of the Patriots and Killzone 2? PS Home? Well, according to Sony’s John Koller, it’s actually PlayStation Move. Yep, studies reveal that Sony’s wand-waggling peripheral has beaten out every other conceivable choice as the number one reason to make the transition to HD gaming on PS3. We don’t know about you, but we’re slightly baffled by this revelation, especially in light of Polyphony Digital’s racer snagging a release date for this November – after all, GT5 will no doubt prove a system seller. Still, to the casual punter, Move may seem like the second coming of god – look at what happened with the Wii, after all. We imagine a substantial chunk of hardcore gamers would disagree, though. How about you lot?
Modern Warfare 2 is now the UK’s biggest selling game of all time
We think it’s fair to assume that most people have been anticipating this announcement for quite some time. In fact, we’re slightly surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Regardless of your affiliation with the Call of Duty brand (after all, it’s like marmite – you either love or hate it), the series generates big bucks with each iteration, and we happen to bloody love it. As such, we offer a hearty pat on the back to Infinity Ward, Activision and Captain Price and co. for netting such a prestigious honor.
TGS reveal for Suda51/Mikami horror title?
We’re crossing all our fingers and toes that this juicy morsel turns out to be the real deal. And, just in case you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, allow us to run you by some rudimentary gaming arithmetic: Goichi Suda + Shinji Mikami x horror = a sure fire hit. Originally confirmed back in 2008, the Japanese duo’s horror collaboration has kept a low profile ever since, with little to no information released to quell our insatiable appetites. With EA suggesting that a September reveal for the game in Japan makes sense and is possible, all fingers point to a Tokyo Game Show announcement. Make it happen, folks.
Square says Parasite Eve 1 & 2 PSN releases are being looked at
Square’s classic survival horror/RPG duo remains one of the most sought after classics to make the transition to PSN here at PSU Towers, and from the look of things, we might just get our wish. With PSP spin-off The 3rd Birthday on the horizon and company bigwigs Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase both dropping mammoth-sized hints about the original PSone titles getting a digital re-release, it’s surely only a matter of time before gamers can once again step in to the nimble shoes of voluptuous heroine Aya Brea and take on the ghastly creatures of New York City. Fingers crossed, eh?
Rumor: This is Vegas cancelled
To be frank, you’d be forgiven for thinking Midway’s action-gambling outing had already been shelved months ago; after all, This is Vegas has remained under the radar in development hell for quite some time now. While the game has continuously piqued our curiosity whenever it did manage to pop its head up for a quick update, it’s been difficult to get too attached to the project given just how little we’ve been hearing as of late, and subsequently we’re just glad to have gotten an update on the matter. Indeed, while it’s never comforting to hear of a game’s cancellation, it’s more of a tragedy when you look at just how much development costs the project has racked up after all this time – a whopping $43 USD million. Talk about a wasted opportunity.
PlayStation Plus subscribers getting discounted Protection Plan
PlayStation Plus didn’t exactly tickle our taste buds during its initial unveiling, but it’s incentives like this that has us particularly convinced Sony offers punters a worthwhile investment with the new service. After all, the hardware manufacturer is now offering subscribers the chance to bag a two-year PS3 plan for the price of one ($49.99 USD), which sounds like a solid deal to us. And as we all know, accidents tend to happen when we least expect them to, so why not cover your beloved black beast just in case it happens to take a tumble down the stairs or gets the dreaded ‘yellow light of death’?
Square “can’t commit” to 2011 release for Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Blimey, is it just us or does Final Fantasy Versus XIII seem to be caught in a state of perpetual doom and gloom? Indeed, it’s no exaggeration that virtually every tidbit on the elusive PS3 action-RPG as of late seems shrouded in negativity, from talk of delays to confirmation of the title missing out on yet another industry event (GamesCom and E3 being the most recent offenders). Fortunately though, it IS going to be turning up at the Toyo Game Show next month, albeit only briefly. Still, right now, we’ll take whatever mouth-watering screen grabs or video snippets we can feast our eyes on.
Resistance 3 out in 2011, won’t be at PAX Prime
We think it’s fair to say 2011 is certainly shaping up to be one cracker of a year in terms of triple-A gaming releases. First Killzone 3 and now Resistance 3 arriving in the same year? We haven’t felt this spoilt for choice in quite some time. Well, ok, early 2010 was mighty impressive too, but to keep up this level of consistency is nothing short of impressive. While a 2011 release for Resistance 3 is a fairly obvious choice (especially when you consider the billboard spotted on the film set of Battle: Los Angeles indicated it would be out that year) we’ve been eager to have it down in writing ever since we clapped eyes on its decidedly ambiguous debut trailer at GamesCom last week. Slightly more disappointing, however, is the news that the Chimera shooter won’t be popping its head up at PAX Prime next weekend, though the chaps at Insomniac are treating us to Ratchet & Clank: All4One instead, which is more than an adequate substitute. The question is, will Nathan Hale make a return or will we find ourselves in the shoes of a new protagonist? Colour us intrigued.
Treyarch admits it is unlikely to go back to WWII for Call of Duty
We imagine a substantial chunk of readers will be pleased as punch after hearing a return to WWII isn’t on the cards anytime soon for CoD. Nonetheless, while we’re more than thrilled to see the series make the transition to a new era of combat (that is, as far as Treyarch is concerned), we’ll concede that the WWII setting has remained a strong favourite here at PSU Towers, and it’d be disingenuous of us to suggest we’d be none to fussed if it never showed up again. After all, there’s still an ample amount of areas to cover, including some of the lesser-known – yet equally crucial – conflicts from the war. Either way, Black Ops is shaping up to be a stellar looking outing, and we’re pumped for it. Bring it on.