Blimey, where does the time go? Another week behind us, and what a stunner it was too. Aside from the beautiful weather (well, it was for us at least – how about you lot?), we got an official confirmation that a sequel to one of last year’s biggest titles – the mighty Dragon Age: Origins – is in the works, along with the shock revelation that Hideo Kojima might actually be working on Metal Gear Solid 5 – that is, if he can make up his mind between that, ZOE 3 or something new. Aside from this, we have the glowing assertion from Sony boss Kaz Hirai that the conglomerate won’t neglect its hardcore fan base which makes us feel all warm and snug inside, plus a couple of other gems. Check out our top picks of the week’s stories below.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
SSFIV ‘nothing’ compared to next project
So, Super Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono has claimed that his celebrated brawler is ‘nothing’ compared to what’s coming next. We find that hard to believe, seeing as how SFIV and its subsequent expansion proved unequivocally one of the greatest beat ‘em ups to grace our screens in what seems like decades. Polished to perfection, boasting a stellar roster, comprehensive moves list and near flawless online component, you’d be hard pressed to find a better brawler this generation. Whatever Ono-san has up his sleeves next will definitely have to be something special to top this breathtaking fighter. Folk have speculated a possible sequel to long lost series Darkstalkers, though nothing has been officially confirmed from the Capcom code house. Watch this space.
Yoshida: Sony working on new hardware
Hold your horses – we won’t be seeing PS4 anytime soon. However, with the industry rife with rumors of a PSP2 reveal at either GamesCom or the Tokyo Game Show, there’s a strong possibility that a successor to Sony’s slab is indeed in the works, and may be with us sooner than we think. Furthermore, given that Yoshida-san commented that Sony was keen to have developers give their two pence on the matter of creating new hardware – plus the fact the corporation has insisted it has ‘learned from past mistakes’ – we think that a PSP2 is the only logical conclusion. Then again, it could be something entirely different altogether. All we can do is wait until September to find out for sure, since it’s unlikely PSP2 would miss such a prestigious occasion for a potential reveal.
Hideo Kojima might work on Metal Gear Solid 5
Blimey, Kojima just doesn’t know when to put an old dog to rest, does he? That’s at least twice the legendary developer has claimed he will be throwing in the towel as far as creating a new Metal Gear is concerned, with previous claims thrown around during MGS3: Snake Eater’s development, and later, MGS4: Guns of the Patriots. Still, who are we to complain? MGS remains one of our all-time favourite series here at PSU Towers, and if Kojima wants to make more of them, then we welcome it. Still, we’re a little perplexed as to how far he can take the story now that Snake is effectively brown bread (or will be in a matter of months after GotP), so we’re curious to see where he could take the franchise next. On the other hand, we’d equally welcome a new ZOE title or a fresh IP.
Dead Space: Ignition announced
Dead Space 2 isn’t even out for another six months or so, but that hasn’t stopped developer Visceral Games from drumming up hype in the form of this downloadable prequel, Dead Space: Ignition. Sure, it’s not quite the Necromorph-dismembering extravaganza we hoped for (since it’s actually a text-based adventure game), but anything to wet our appetite for the inevitable roller coaster that Isaac Clarke will face next January is a plus in our books. To be honest, Ignition is still very much in the dark at the moment, so we don’t quite know what to expect, but color us intrigued nonetheless (the promise of four different ending sounds like a winner to us, though). More on this as it breaks.
Sony won’t neglect hardcore audience, says Hirai
One of the most frequent (and in our opinion, justified) criticisms aimed at the Wii over the past four years has been the lack of hardcore titles in favour of attracting a more casual audience. You only have to look at Nintendo’s dismal E3 2008 performance and the subsequent reactions that followed to get an idea of how the machine has alienated long time hardcore gamers in the past few years. Sure, things seem to be picking up now, but it’s taken a while. This is exactly the kind of predicament we don’t want to see Sony in following the release of Move. Given the very nature of the motion-sensing peripheral and its obvious appeal to the mass market, its entirely conceivable that Sony could turn their back on the hardcore in favour of the wand-waggling pleasures of family fun that has seen the Wii become a haven for grannies and soccer mums across the globe. Kaz Hirai, though, has assured long time PS3 followers that this won’t be the case, and regardless of what they do, the platform holder is committed to hardcore audience “first and foremost.” Fingers crossed, eh?
Rockstar announces 4 new DLC packs for Red Dead Redemption
We loved Red Dead Redemption. You loved Red Dead Redemption. In fact, we haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t like Red Dead Redemption. Any excuse to pull out Rockstar’s celebrated Wild West adventure is always a pleasure, so the fact we’ve got four more DLC packs to sink our teeth in to over the next few months pretty much guarantees we’ll be investing every god given hour in to John Marston’s epic journey.
Dragon Age 2 is a reality
Best news we’ve heard all week? Yeah, pretty much. Dragon Age: Origins was an absolute blast of a game, and we’ve been gagging for a sequel ever since we ploughed through BioWare’s last batch of DLC for the epic RPG. Initial info has already got us pumped to the rafters, namely the fact it’ll feature a story spanning an entire decade in game time, and will be with us in less than a year’s time – March 2011, to be precise. All eyes will be on EA’s press conference at GamesCom this year, when the sequel’s first trailer is set to debut. Bring it on.
Dead Rising 2 Euro Special Edition unveiled
There was a time when us PAL plebs were given the short end of the stick when it came to special edition packages, but fortunately, this isn’t the case anymore, as demonstrated by Capcom’s recent announcement of a swanky Dead Rising 2 Outbreak Pack. While the cost has yet to be determined, the contents has us positively salivating at the lips; not only do you get a copy of Dead Rising 2 in a special box case, you also get a 12” zombie figurine complete with accessories, plus a download token to gain access to a variety of in-game goodies. Sounds like a winner to us. And, while this particular release won’t be making the transition to U.S. shores, Capcom has said that it will be planning something special for the game’s North American launch, so it’s not as if folks across the pond are going to miss out on any zombie-related extras. We’ll be sure to let you know what they have in store as soon as it comes to our attention.