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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L.A. Noire won’t get a Collector’s Edition release
I’m a little surprised Rockstar’s opted not to give us a Collector’s Edition of L.A. Noire. After all, the game’s been in the works for over five years now, and has consistently remained one of the most anticipated efforts for current-gen machines. As such, you would have thought a release of this calibre would deserve a meatier reception than your bog-standard retail release, but apparently not. Still, at least there’s the option of bagging some tasty pre-order treats.
Capcom showing off Street Fighter x Tekken next month?
Looks like Ono-san wasn’t pulling our leg when he said Street Fighter x Tekken would show its face after the US launch of the 3DS. Can’t say I’m surprised that Captivate is apparently the venue of choice, either, with many of Capcom’s past heavy hitters having shown up at the annual games fest over the past few years. Of course, this is all conjecture at present, with no official confirmation having spilled out of Capcom HQ as of yet. Nonetheless, it does seem highly likely so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully this time Capcom will offer us a butcher’s at some more of the brawler’s character line-up, as I’m eager to see if the likes of Heihachi and King will be able to duke it out with Ryu, Ken and chums. In particular, King should be an interesting choice given us nature as a wrestler, and I’m curious to see that, if included, he’ll pack in those meaty, health-destroying chain throws that he’s become so synonymous with. Bring it on.
No PS Move support for BioShock Infinite, says Levine
Mr Levine’s preaching to the choir as far as I’m concerned. After all, what’s the point in including motion-controls unless you genuinely have something to offer for the tech? I mean, take his example of waggling Sony’s wand-like controller to harvest a Little Sister – would it really prove more compelling than simply pressing a button? More importantly, is it really needed? In my opinion, the answer is an unequivocal no. And as Levine pointed out, gamers aren’t a daft bunch; they know when they’re being shafted, and can discern the difference between a game that offers superficial Move controls and one that does not. Indeed, in this case, leaving Move out of the equation seems like the right decision.
Modder hacks Kinect to run PS3 XMB and Killzone 3
Blimey, some people evidently have way too much time on their hands. Still, at the same time, you have to doff your cap to these folks; hacking Kinect to run PlayStation 3’s XMB and Killzone 3 must require a certain degree of technical wizardry on the user’s part. Nonetheless, whenever I hear the word hacker, I can’t help but automatically be reminded of a certain Mr Hotz, who Sony is currently dragging through the courts…
Rumor: Uncharted 3 gets split-screen co-op?
Rumblings that Uncharted 3 would incorporate co-op date back to the game’s unveiling last December, specifically when retail websites listed the campaign for 1-2 players. And, while this shaky footage is a far cry from an official confirmation of the feature, it certainly gives the rumors a little more clout than before. To be honest, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if split-screen co-op did put in an appearance in cheeky chappie Nathan Drake’s latest adventure. After all, developer Naughty Dog’s pledged to beef out the series’ multiplayer offerings with the much-anticipated third instalment, and let’s face it; campaign co-op is rapidly becoming the norm these days for many triple-A offerings. Killzone 3 is the most recent example of a PS3 exclusive to bring the feature to the table on the back of legions of fan requests, after many were cheesed off that it wasn’t included in Killzone 2. Plus, with Drake apparently being accompanied by best mate Scully throughout his adventure, Uncharted 3 sounds perfectly tailored for the co-op experience. Still, we’ll have to wait and see.
Sony confirms new MotorStorm: Apocalypse UK date
Crikey, that was quick. Having announced the delay of Evolution Studios’ anticipated racer just last week, I didn’t expect a new date to be slapped on the off-road romp so quickly. But that’s exactly what’s happened, with March 31 the new date to plonk in your diaries. No word yet on when North America and Japan will receive the title, but I suspect the latter may not get it for some time given the sensitivity of the whole case in light of the tragic earthquake and tsunami disaster that hit the region just under a fortnight ago. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the game never saw the light of day in Japan, especially given a number of titles in the region have been outright cancelled, such as Disaster Report 4. And with Apocalypse having players plough straight from a tsunami in one of its levels, you could hardly blame them if this were the case. Stay tuned. I don’t know about you lot, but I won’t ever be able to look at Apocalypse in the quite the same way again.
Sony boasting strong numbers for 3D support, PS3 leading the way in 2011
Sony’s push into 3D territory has been something of a slow burner in terms of consumer adoption rates (hardly a surprise given the price of 3D-compatible tellies, I think you’ll agree) but it seems the hardware manufacturer’s only just getting started. This week, the firm rolled out some eye-opening figures for the swanky tech, confirming that PS3 will receive a whopping 30 Stereoscopic 3D-compatible titles by the end of the year. Apparently, Sports Illustrated Swim Suit 2011: The 3D Experience proved quite the hit with punters, netting 83,000 downloads in its first week on sale. Gee, I wonder why that could be? Anyway, with such a meaty 3D line-up heading our way, Sony’s fortunes in this avenue are looking pretty rosy. If the cost of TVs could come down by a few hundred quid, there’s no doubt in my mind that adoption rates would get a much-needed shot in the arm. One thing’s for sure though – its competitors are going to have to play a serious game of catch-up if they want to match Sony’s furious 3D onslaught.
Resident Evil Revival Selection outed in Famitsu leak
If this is Capcom’s way of acknowledging the 15th anniversary of its venerable survival horror series, then colour me disappointed. I mean, don’t get me wrong; I’m a huge fan of the franchise, and will pretty much invest in anything Capcom churns out regardless of whether I actually ‘need’ it. However, cobbling together yet another batch of ports seems decidedly half-arsed. It’s as if Capcom couldn’t be fussed to celebrate RE’s birthday in style anymore unlike previous years, and instead arbitrarily decided to whip together a quick cash-in to satisfy salivating Resi nuts. And would you Adam and Eve it, they’ve plumped for the saw-it-coming-a-mile-off effort of revamping RE4 in HD, as well as the more surprising inclusion of Code: Veronica. Personal gripes aside however, I’ll concede this is a brilliant move for newcomers. After all, RE4 is considered among many to be one of the finest slices of last-gen entertainment around, and those that jumped on board the Resi boat with RE5 would do well to see what all the fuss is about. However, it might be something of a culture shock for newbies to the make the transition to Code: Veronica, which adheres firmly to the series’ slower-paced, survival horror paradigm – a strike contrast to RE4 and 5’s relentless, action-packed spectacle. From the first batch of scans that have popped up online, RE4 has benefited rather nicely from a fresh coat of paint, while Code: Veronica appears to have received the addition of real-time shadow effects, a feature that was noticeably absent in the original version. Having said that, come on Capcom – isn’t it about time to lift the lid on RE6?
Rumor: Hideo Kojima planning two game reveals for E3
Fans have been clamouring for fresh news on whatever Kojima-san’s been chiselling away at all this time, and from the look of things, all eyes point to E3 for a long-awaited reveal. Well, that’s according to the latest murmurs, anyway. Specifically, it seems that the Metal Gear Solid maestro is set to lift the lid on two projects at the summer extravaganza, which PSM3 seems convinced is some sort of expansion to an existing game, as well as the small matter of MGS5. The latter is particularly intriguing, since Kojima’s pledged that MGS4 was to be his last title. Then again, he said that about Snake Eater, and then ended up doing not only Guns of the Patriots, but the PSP outing MGS: Peace Walker to boot. Yep, it seems Kojima just keeps going back on his word – which only bodes well for us fans. Regardless of what he has up his sleeves, there’s no doubt in my mind it’ll be nothing short of the usual brilliance we’ve come to expect from the Kojima Productions boss over the years, be it Zone of the Enders 3 (we can live in hope), that mystery ‘taboo’ title or an NGP game. What are you lot hoping for? Let us know in the comments section below.
David Cage reckons PS3 is the ‘best platform out there’
What’s this? The developer behind one of the PlayStation 3’s most lauded exclusives reckons Sony’s black box is the best thing since sliced bread. Who would have thought it? Still, it’s worth remembering that prior to Heavy Rain, David Cage and co at Quantic Dream adopted a more platform agonistic approach to game development, releasing the cult hit Fahrenheit on PS2, Xbox and PC. It’s only with the acclaimed thriller that they’ve been flying the Sony flag, which is hardly surprising since the hardware manufacturer partly funded the project and invested greatly in its marketing campaign. And let’s face it – Heavy Rain was a stonking effort, so if Cage and chums are sticking with ship Sony for the foreseeable future, then we’re in for a right treat.
Duke Nukem Forever bites a delay bullet
Given that Duke’s comeback has taken roughly a decade and a half to come into fruition, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if news of its delay from May to June barely caused fans to bat an eyelid. Sure, I want to see our favourite bubble gum-chewing alien arse kicker on shelves asap, but as far as DNF goes, delays have become part and parcel of the arduous waiting process. Props to Gearbox to coming up with a slightly more imaginative way of announcing the decision rather than your bog-standard press release, though – I certainly had a good chuckle out of it, at least.
Fan requests for new Darkstalkers title tops 100k
Now this is an incentive I’d like to see more companies pursue. After all, there’s a myriad of classic franchises out there that have been unceremoniously hung out to dry over the years that I’m sure we’d all like to see given a HD rebirth. Darkstalkers notwithstanding, Capcom themselves have a boatload of old favourites they could bring back if they reached far enough into their retro-filled pockets – Dino Crisis anyone? Onimusha? In the broader sense, how about a next-generation iteration of classic Genesis outing Road Rash or Magic Carpet? The list is endless. Still, props to Yoshinori Ono for giving Darkstalkers fans a modicum of hope that the 90s brawler may yet see a return after all this time, even if they need to bag one million fan requests for Capcom to green light the project. Ono-san reckons that it’ll take around 500,000 requests just to make them sit up and take notice, so for the sake of the series I hope fans continue to shout from the rafters. Make it happen, folks.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City outed in OXM U.S.
At the time of writing we’ve yet to hear official confirmation of the alleged OXM leak of Operation Raccoon City, but the general consensus is it’s the real deal. Frankly, I’m stoked. We’ve already got two 3DS Resi titles on the way plus the HD revamps of Code: Veronica X and RE4, so it’s about time we got a brand new console endeavour. I was hoping for a much-anticipated sixth instalment, but the prospect of finally seeing those iconic Raccoon City locales rendered in full 1080p glory – not to mention the return of the zombies – is more than enough to have me frothing at the mouth like a ravenous zombie hound. Okay, so I was rather hoping for Outbreak File #3 rather than a squad-based shooter, but if executed properly, it should still provide a quintessential Resi experience. The chance to “change the history” of the franchise sounds pretty intriguing, and there’s talk of actually being able to eliminate Leon S. Kennedy among other returning characters. Indeed, playing as members of Umbrella’s Special Forces certainly pits a spin on the typical RE experience, and should offer ample opportunity to expand on the unscrupulous activities of the corporation during the infamous T-Virus outbreak that have been partly fleshed out over the years. Oddly enough, the magazine doesn’t mention anything about the Umbrella Bio-hazard Countermeasure Service (UBCS), who were dispatched into Raccoon City during the outbreak to rescue civilians, yet Umbrella ostensibly sought to use them for live combat data against the marauding bio-weapons. Presumably we’ll see them at some point, as the unit’s Supervisors were tasked specifically with the duty of eliminating evidence – which is exactly what Operation Raccoon City has your Special Forces squad doing. It’s early days yet, and providing the details are accurate, I think Resi fans are in for a massive treat come fall 2011.
Homefront sells one million units
Reviews for US invasion-based shooter Homefront may have been somewhat of a mixed bag, but that obviously hasn’t stopped the game from selling like hotcakes. One million hotcakes, to be exact. Furthermore, publishing powerhouse THQ’s confirmed that a not-too-shabby 2.4 million copies of the FPS have been shipped to retailers worldwide. PSU was certainly impressed with Homefront, with US editor Adam Dolge staple-gunning a 8/10 score on the blaster in his review a couple of weeks back. One million sales is an impressive number in anyone’s book, even more so for developer Kaos however, as they’ll almost certainly be given the green light to cobble together a sequel. As most of you may already know, the studio hasn’t exactly been mincing its words when it comes to the prospect of a follow-up, and has made it abundantly clear they’re eager to get one out the door. The question is, will you lot want it?
Guitar Hero III named highest selling game in U.S. history
I think everyone and his dog was expecting Call of Duty to take the top spot her, and I’ll admit I’m pleasantly surprised to see Guitar Hero III in pole position. Nonetheless, it’s champagne all around for Bobby Kotick and co, with Legends of Rock being one of five Activision-published titles in the list of Top Ten highest grossing games in the U.S. Still, Guitar Hero III better enjoy its time in the limelight. After all, it may have grossed just north of $830 million, but it’s been out since 2007 whereas CoD: Black Ops – currently in second place – sits $30 million behind the music sim and was only released in November 2010. Let’s face it — it’s only a matter of time before the military shooter muscles its way into pole position.
NGP, Xperia Play could win handheld battle, says Divnich
Analysts haven’t really had anything positive to say about Sony’s PSP successor in recent months, particularly Wedbush Morgan mouth Michael Pachter, who reckon’s the pint-sized platform will be “dead on arrival.” Much to my delight however, Jesse Divnich begs to differ, with the analyst feeling both NGP and Xperia Play stand a good chance of topping the 3DS and iPad 2 in the race for portable gaming supremacy. It’s a little too early to make any assumptions yet of course – after all, Sony hasn’t even slapped that all important price on the new device yet – but in terms of raw processing power and the backing of game developers, NGP has every chance of trumping the competition. As mentioned, the price will be the deciding factor for many, and with 3DS now out, the ball’s now in Sony’s court to determine the next stage of the battle, so to speak.