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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Metal Gear Solid 5 due in Konami’s FY2014, says analyst firm
Hideo Kojima has openly admitted that he’ll ‘probably have to make MGS5,’ though apart from that tantalizing tease, the game is pretty much a non-entity at this point. However, Nomura Securities, a Japanese investment analyst company, predicts that the game will see the light of day in the not-too-distant future, specifically during Konami’s FY2014. To be more precise, the firm reckons MGS5 will release any time between April 2013 and May 2014. Of course, this is all just wishful thinking at present, and a far cry from an official announcement. However, it is entirely conceivable Kojima may very well stay true to his prediction that he’ll end up making the game, presumably after Project Ogre has wrapped. After all, the esteemed developer has said multiple times in the past that he’d be leaving the series behind, only to end up working on yet another triple-A sequel. Quite how the game will pan out is anyone’s guess, though personally I’m intrigued by the prospect of Kojima’s idea of having MGS5 be a prequel featuring The Boss and her Cobra crew. Right now though, I’d be chuffed just to know the game will actually see the light of day.
One of 2012’s most anticipated games, Mass Effect 3 looks set to send Commander Shepard off in style as he mounts a final battle against the dastardly Reapers. Of course, by the time you read this you’ll already be able to get a taste of the action yourself thanks to the playable ME3 demo on PSN and Xbox Live. But back to the topic at hand, and BioWare’s confirmed that the sci-fi sequel has gone gold, which basically means development has wrapped and the discs are off to manufacturing in preparation for the game’s early March launch. If you still haven’t hopped on board the Mass Effect bandwagon, do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of ME2 on the cheap and put some hours into it in the next few weeks – you won’t regret it.
Sony sinking $50 million on PS Vita marketing
The launch of a new platform is a pivotal time in any console maker’s lifetime, and PlayStation Vita’s February 22 debut is no exception. As such, it’s perhaps unsurprising to hear that Sony’s dropping a whopping $50 million on the handheld’s marketing efforts, a figure that eclipses all previous console launches in the firm’s history. Of course, today’s handheld marketing is another kettle of fish altogether in comparison to when PSP released back in 2005, with smartphones eating up a substantial chunk of consumers’ interest. Not only that, but 3DS has made its mark after a dodgy start, so it’s fair to say Sony has quite a battle on its hands. Hopefully however, the marketing push will be enough to sell the new device to punters, as let’s face it – Vita really is an impressive piece of kit capable of great things. From the sound of things though, the campaign will be quite a ubiquitous affair, and aims to champion the handheld’s social features, which can’t be a bad thing in this day and age.
Rockstar won’t rule out L.A. Noire sequel
L.A. Noire’s success story is marred only by its beleaguered creator Team Bondi, who shut up shop last year following some decidedly ugly tales from staff members. Nonetheless, the crime caper was a massive success, and one if the biggest-selling new IPs of this generation. The game’s fusion of cinematic storytelling and meticulous visuals resonated with game players and developers alike, with even Hideo Kojima heaping praise on the game’s innovative Motion Scan technology. Considering the game’s success, a sequel seemed inevitable, though this was quickly cast into doubt following Team Bondi’s closure. However, it seems Rockstar hasn’t given up on the IP, and tell us that we shouldn’t count out the possibility of a follow-up. Speaking as someone who hasn’t played the original, I can’t really comment on whether this would be a good thing or not, as I’ve heard decidedly mixed opinion on the game from the PSU staff. At the end of the day though, L.A. Noire made big bucks, so usually that’s enough to warrant a sequel nowadays. However, the question remains who will take the development reins, and more importantly, if they’re up to the task of following in Team Bondi’s footsteps.
God of War IV pops up on yet another online CV
If God of War IV is indeed a reality, then Sony’s not exactly doing a stellar job of keeping things under wraps. After all, chatter on the follow-up has been doing the rounds for over a year now, and this is the second time the game has popped up on a CV only since January. Plus, if we’re to believe the rumors, Kratos’ latest bloodbath will be released in September, so a formal reveal can’t be far away now. Predictably, the latest CV listing has been hastily pulled, but that’s hardly going to put a lid on Internet gossip regarding what is probably one of the worst kept secrets on PS3 to date.
Assassin’s Creed III announced, dated
The fact we’re getting a new Assassin’s Creed game this year should surprise approximately sod all, but the fact we’re getting ACIII is something of a shocker. I for one expected another subtitled edition to conclude Desmond’s saga, as opposed to the third numbered entry in the franchise. After all, the general consensus for III is a proper evolution of the brand as opposed to the incremental updates seen in the annual releases. However, the most interesting part is that Ubisoft has been working on the game for three years, which means it’s been in the works since 2009 – back when ACII came out. That’s some serious development time under the hood, and enough to convince me that we’re not going to see some cut and paste, perfunctory effort come October 30. Nothing else has been revealed on ACIII as of yet, but expect Ubisoft to drip-feed us details in the coming months.
Journey dated for U.S., Europe
Journey’s development has been pretty arduous by all accounts, having been in the oven since 2009 and suffering numerous delays in the process. To be honest, you’d be forgiven for missing it amongst all the other triple-A titles to come and go in the past few years; aesthetically it’s pretty minimalistic, and doesn’t immediately grab you. However, the game’s pedigree speaks volume. After all, it hails from the same code house as Flow and Flower, cult hits developed by the irrelevantly-titled ThatGameCompany. Yep, you know you want it. Fortunately, the game is almost with us, and we’ll be able to pick up Journey in mid-March in both the U.S. and Europe. Pleasingly the game’s launch also just so happens to coincide with SCEA’s Spring Fever promotion, which can’t be a bad thing. We just hope ThatGameCompany’s next project doesn’t take as long to get out the door.
Jack Tretton would be ‘very distracted’ by PS4 reveal
Sony has continued to distance itself from the topic of next-generation hardware this week, with SCEA big cheese Jack Tretton admitting he’d be ‘very distracted’ by a PS4 reveal this year. Frankly he’s not the only one, as PS3 is still chugging along strongly and will continue to do so for the next few years, and PS Vita has only just got out the door – a new console at this point would be foolish. As we’ve constantly reiterated at PSU Towers, people can’t afford to splash out on another expensive piece of tech these days – $40-50 games keep our wallets dry enough as it is – and there’s still enough juice left in current hardware to keep the spotlight on PS3 and Xbox 360. Plus, PS Vita and PS3 share a close relationship with cross play and various other functionality, and to throw another platform into the mix at this point would really put a fly in the ointment, so to speak. Enjoy the current generation and don’t even think about PS4 for another two years.
The Best of the Rest…
Epic Games to preview Unreal Engine 4 this year
Resistance: Burning Skies launch date revealed
Metal Gear Solid Online to close in June
Capcom spills new Resident Evil 6 info