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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Resident Evil 6 to go back to the series’ roots?
This has been talked to death before, but honestly, Capcom injecting a little more survival horror into Resident Evil is the best thing that can happen to the franchise. The past few games were fine thrill-a-minute action romps, but speaking strictly as RE games, they feel short of the mark in my humble opinion. It seems I’m not alone in this either, as a lot of old time fans have been clamouring for a return to the series’ roots ever since muscle-bound Chris Redfield’s African excursion back in early 2009. Frankly, there’s no reason why RE can’t go back to the pant-wetting horror antics of yesteryear either; Capcom’s acutely demonstrated what it can do in this regards with the Lost in Nightmares DLC, not to mention the superb-looking RE: Revelations on 3DS. The latter is a fully-fledged core entry too, not a spin-off. All they have to do is bring that experience to home consoles and we’re Happy as Larry. Speaking as a salivating RE aficionado since 1997, i’d like to see a potential RE6 to incorporate the following core elements: claustrophobic halls, limited ammunition, classic BOWS (zombies especially) and a realistic arsenal that doesn’t turn the protagonist into a tank with meat legs. Throw in the over-the-shoulder mechanic made popular in RE4, and it’s a perfect match.
CD Projekt ‘would love’ to bring The Witcher II to PS3
Currently available only on PC, CD Projekt’s fantasy extravaganza The Witcher II will be making the jump to 360 later this year, and from the sound of things, the developers are keen to get it out on Sony’s black beast while they’re at it. This is a good thing. For those of you who are wondering what all the hullabaloo is, The Witcher II is probably the finest slice of modern fantasy RPG gaming this side of the impending Skyrim, so the fact it will most likely see the light of day on PS3 should be met with unanimous joy. It’s a cheeky bugger too, poking fun at Assassin’s Creed in the form of a dead Altair-looking chap sprawled on the floor next to a bale of hay. Well, it made me chuckle. But that’s beside the point; this is one game you don’t want to miss out on if you claim to have a penchant for fantasy realms or just RPG gaming in general. Keep an eye on this chaps.
Tekken Tag 2 probably won’t hit consoles until 2012
A PS3 port of buddy-based brawler Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is inevitable; every major Tekken game to date has arrived on a Sony platform, and in recent years has also made the transition to other formats. However, up until this point Namco has kept mum on the matter. Still, with the Tekken series looking to reach new, ubiquitous heights in the near future thanks to a deluge of fresh offerings, it isn’t a surprise they’ve finally broached the subject. Specifically, Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada has said that TTT2 will likely be the first new game out the door, with the title due in Japanese arcades later this year. More importantly, he confirmed that the game would also come to home consoles, though most probably not until next year. Still, it’s nice to hear an update on the subject, and there’s always the original, HD-powered TTT to tide us over until the sequel shows up.
PS3 “stronger than ever,” sales up 14% year-over-year
Microsoft may be nabbing the monthly hardware sales crown in the U.S., but things are still looking rosy for the PlayStation brand as Sony announces its flagship console has bagged yet another month of year-over-year growth. Even more impressive is the fact it’s PS3’s fourth consecutive month of growth to boot. Still, I won’t beat around the bush; it would be nice to actually take a gander at just how many PS3s are finding their way into homes across the pond each month, but at least the adoption rates are continuing to strengthen. I would expect no less either, as PS3 hasn’t exactly been short on exclusive content since the beginning of the year. Nonetheless, I’m a little surprised to see that 360 has managed to trump its competitors for much of the year, as it’s no secret that Microsoft’s box has been lacking in exclusives as of late, with the bulk of the triple-A offerings coming out in the back half of the year. It’ll be interesting to see how the likes of Resistance 3 and Gears of War 3 will influence sales of both platforms come this fall.
PS Vita ‘blew me away,’ says Epic Games’ Mark Rein
Vita has been turning quite a few heads since its initial unveiling back in January, though E3 proved a significant milestone for Sony’s latest pocket brick thanks to one crucial announcement – the price. Needless to say, this immediately set tongues wagging about Vita all over again, attracting fresh commentary from industry folk, this time in the shape of Mark Rein of Epic Games fame. In direct contrast to id Software legend John Carmack’s remarks earlier in the week, Rein couldn’t have been more optimistic about Vita, going so far as to say he’s “lusting” after the device. Personally I’d rather lust after something a little less plastic such as Eliza Dushku, but whatever floats your boat, Rein. Still, the pertinent point is, Rein’s giddy for Vita, and Epic is exactly the type of developer Sony wants on board for the new handheld. It’s also refreshing to see someone poo-poo the notion that Vita will prove redundant in a market saturated with cheap n’ cheerful smartphone content. I can’t speak for anyone else, but personally, I could care less about mobile content. As a hardcore gamer, Vita is where you’re going to get those immersive, triple-A treats, and there will always be an appetite for that type of exclusive content.
Carmack: PS4, Xbox 720 to be 10 times more powerful than current-gen
Funny I should mention Carmack above, as he’s been flapping his gums on quite a few topics this week. Perhaps the most interesting is his views on the impending next-generation of consoles, which he feels will arrive in just a few years. Not only that, but he reckons the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 (or whatever they may end up being called) will be a whopping ten times as powerful as their predecessors. I’m no technical wiz kid on this sort of thing, but I should think Sony and Microsoft’s new platforms will pack a hell of a lot more clout under their hood than current-gen machines. Whether it’ll be ten times as much remains to be seen, but they’re going to have to be pretty spectacular to attract new adopters, and more importantly, give punters a reason to give up their PS3s and 360s. Next-gen chatter has stepped up a gear quite a lot lately thanks to rumors of Microsoft gearing up for a Next-Box announcement for E3 2012, though as far as Sony’s concerned the PS3 still has plenty of legroom. In fact, SCEE chief Andrew House reiterated this week that the company expects its flagship box to last at least a decade. I wouldn’t like to place bets on the arrival of next-gen hardware, but like many folk I can’t see anything materialising until at least 2014, and judging by the support they’re pumping into PS3, I reckon Sony will be last out the door this time around.
Devil May Cry 10th Anniversary Collection outed?
Capcom’s remaining tight-lipped about a DMC HD bundle (we attempted to contact them a few weeks ago for response to rumors that the pack would be announced at E3 to no avail, though obviously it didn’t happen), but from the look of things, it’s only a matter of time before they pull the curtain back on this. HD revamps certainly seems to be the ‘thing to do’ for 2011, with ICO & Shadow of the Colossus and Silent Hill also receiving the PS3-makeover treatment. Still, with Dante’s celebrated hack-em-up series, it’s less a case of Capcom arbitrarily churning out a money-making machine and more a justified cause to commemorate the series’ 10th anniversary this fall, and that’s fine with me. Of course, the elephant in the room in this case is Devil May Cry 2, Dante’s heavily-panned 2002 effort, but fans would be insane to miss up the stonking original and its accompanying prequel, Dante’s Awakening. Fingers crossed this turns out to be the real deal.
More HD Collections where ‘there’s demand,’ says SCEE boss
Can you ever have too much of a good thing? Possibly. In the case of HD revamps for PlayStation 3, I’d certainly welcome many of the PlayStation brand’s most prolific entries of yesteryear receive a shiny HD paintjob, but not to the point of excessive brand milking. That’s what Sony’s got in mind too, thankfully, with SCEE chief Andrew House saying the platform holder will release more HD Collections, but only under the right circumstances. Specifically, when there’s demand for them, and a ‘sense of franchise.’ To date, the HD revamps we’ve seen certainly justify the price tag, and forthcoming releases in the Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and ICO/Shadow of the Colossus brands certainly carry enough clout to justify a makeover. In addition, I myself have yet to play games such as the aforementioned Team ICO duo, and as such would be more than happy to plonk down the cash for them come release day. Trophy support and 1080p visuals are just the icing on the cake, mind. While pretty much all the re-releases thus far have been money-making juggernauts, I’d personally like to see a few more underdogs receive the HD treatment, ala the recent Beyond Good & Evil HD effort. Zone of the Enders is a good start, but how about Resident Evil Outbreak 1 & 2, complete with full online functionality? Or how about Okami HD?
First Battlefield 3 PS3 gamepaly footage unveiled
Battlefield 3 has consistently impressed onlookers with its scrumptious visuals and epic set-pieces since its initial unveiling some time ago, though one thing still remained a curiosity among console owners – how does the game look compared to its PC counterpart? It’s been some wait, but finally, developer DICE gave salivating FPS fans a first glimpse at the game running in real-time on PS3 hardware on U.S. chat show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. How does it look? Well, see for yourself – hit the link above in the heading to check it out.
No next-gen PlayStation for ‘quite some time,’ says Tretton
Sony has stated on numerous occasions on how it aims to keep PS3 on the market for at least a decade, and as such has dismissed rumblings pertaining to an immediate successor. This week, U.S. PlayStation boss Jack Tretton again pledged that it will be backing its flagship console for a good while yet, not to mention getting firmly behind the upcoming PS Vita handheld. As such, Tretton poured cold water on any hope of seeing a PS4 in the near future, saying chatting on a next-gen machine wouldn’t materialise ‘for quite some time.’ This shouldn’t really come as a surprise, and hopefully it’ll shut the lid on any more talk of a PS4 for a good while. After all, PS3 is only just approaching the half-way point in terms of its market life, and with the console constantly being upgraded with fresh tech (such as the introduction of 3D, numerous additions to PSN and others) there’s no reason to shove a successor out the door anytime soon. Okay, sure, PS4 would obviously offer something new from a visual perspective, but as Tretton points out, PS3 still packs a mean punch tech-wise. As a console owner, I wouldn’t feel comfortable forking out for a new PlayStation for a good few years yet, and I’m perfectly happy to keep my trusty old black behemoth sitting next to my TV for the foreseeable future. Plus, with the advancements developers such as Naughty Dog are making with triple-A gameplay experiences, there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.