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.
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Skyrim takes the crown for the Christmas no.1
Well, time for me to gobble down a suitable amount of humble pie. Back when Modern Warfare 3 rifle-butted its way to the top of U.K. Charts last month, I didn’t think for one second that we’d be looking at a Christmas no.1 without Activision sitting at the throne. However, thanks to a swift price cut, Bethesda’s acclaimed fantasy romp The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim managed to muscle in on the military shooter’s quest for Christmas domination, bagging its second consecutive week at number one and claiming the number one spot for the festive period. And well-deserved it is too. However, the accolade is even more impressive considering this marks the first time in eight years that the Christmas no.1 spot hasn’t gone to a title published by either Electronic Arts or Activision. Bravo Skyrim, bravo.
PS Vita shifts over 300k in launch weekend
After months of speculation, an official reveal and a meaty E3/TGS tease, Sony’s swanky new handheld, PlayStation Vita, finally arrived on Japanese shelves last Saturday. Early launch figures indicate a positive reception for the portable device, with Vita shifting just north of 321,000 units in just two days. This wasn’t enough to topple 3DS, though considering Vita only had two days to make its mark – appearing at the tail end of the latest hardware charts – it’s a pretty healthy start. Unsurprisingly, Uncharted: Golden Abyss was one of the most successful titles at launch, next to the ever-popular Everybody’s Golf. Sadly, no Vita games cracked the Top 5, but the handheld hasn’t had time to gather pace yet.
Hideo Kojima’s Project Ogre is an open-world game
Hideo Kojima’s finally offered the most substantial teaser yet on his upcoming project, codenamed Project Ogre. During a chinwag with CNN, the Metal Gear Solid father confirmed that the game will take the form of an open-world title, marking a rapid departure from the linear, cinematic confines of Solid Snake’s sneaky endeavours. Not much else was revealed, but the fact players will apparently be able to find things to do in the game even after spending 100 hours on it certainly sounds promising. This sounds like a great move to me, and as much as I’d love to see MGS5 (particular if it’s the prequel idea featuring The Boss and the Cobra), I think it’s time Kojima-san spread his wings a little and did something totally disparate to his acclaimed stealth-action franchise. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments section below.
Early 2012 is already shaping up to be pretty meaty in terms of triple-A releases, with the likes of Mass Effect 3 and Twisted Metal all due to show up by March. SSX, the hotly-anticipated snowboarding reboot from EA, is among the first games out the door next year, though will now be arriving slightly later than expected. Originally due to share the bill with Twisted Metal on February 14, the fast-paced title will now arrive on February 28 in the U.S., while slipping to early March everywhere else. Still, if it means we get a solid title at launch, then that’s all that count. After all, the SSX franchise has always proven an incredibly polished affair, so it’s no surprise the developers behind this latest entry want to adhere to the same high standards as its predecessors.
PS Vita sells 300,000 software units in two days
PlayStation Vita software managed to drum up 300,000 sales over its launch weekend, representing a retail attach rate of 0.92 per handheld. Apparently this has ‘underwhelmed’ some, seeing as how 3DS boasted an attach rate of 0.95 when it hit stores earlier this year. However, we have to remember Vita’s sales only account for two days, not to mention the fact they don’t consider sales from digital downloads.
The Best of the Rest…
Naughty Dog says the jump to next-gen is a ‘double-edged sword’
New PSP Dual Packs hitting in January