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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U.K. Charts: Max Payne 3 shoots to the top
Three years after its announcement and after an eight+ year absence for the franchise, Max Payne proves he’s lost none of his appeal as the latest entry in the series tops the U.K. Charts upon release. The game notched up around 8,000 more sales than its nearest competitor Diablo III, which proves just how popular Blizzard’s game is when you consider the fact it’s a PC game and Payne’s latest outing is multi-format. Nonetheless, as Vin Diesel says in Fast and the Furious, winning’s winning. Don’t ask where that came from, but you get the point. But perhaps Max Payne 3’s biggest accomplishment is the fact it has beaten Mass Effect 3 to become the biggest software launch of 2012 so far. Interestingly, BioWare’s sci-fi epic itself was booted out of the top ten to 11 for the first time since its launch in March, though EA’s ubiquitous FIFA games still manage to cling on to top five supremacy.
Aliens: Colonial Marines delayed
The delays just keep on coming this week, as another of 2012’s biggest hitters – the perpetually delayed Aliens: Colonial Marines – has been pushed back to early 2013. Specifically, the game will now launch globally on February 12, having previously been scheduled to ship this fall. It’s the fans I feel sorry for, who have been waiting for the game to arrive on shelves for over five years now; just when things seem to be coming along, Gearbox pushes it back again. However, the team is obviously committed to bringing the best Aliens experience possible, and it sounds like things are shaping up nicely. Plus, every cloud has a silver lining and in this case, you get a quality triple-A Q1 2013 line-up that includes the likes of BioShock: Infinite and Tomb Raider to boot.
Capcom officially dates Devil May Cry, reveals new character
What’s this, yet another one of 2012’s big hitters shoved into the New Year? I’ll be damned. In this case, Capcom’s slapped a January 2013 release date on Ninja Theory’s stylish Devil May Cry reboot, while also confirming a PC version is in the works for release later next year. DmC had been scheduled to ship in 2012, and while a concrete launch date was never pinned down, it was expected to supplement the busy Q4 2012 season, though for one reason or another it didn’t quite make the cut. Still, early next year is looking mighty fine indeed, and DmC itself – despite the controversial aesthetical shake-up for hero Dante – displays all the main ingredients of a cracking and stylish hack-‘em-up. Dante will be joined in his exploits this time round by a female named Kat, presumably cooked up by Ninja Theory to fill the void for Lady or Trish. Bring it on.
Tekken Tag 2’s been out in arcades for a while now, but the home console version will finally arrive in mid-September, Namco Bandai has confirmed this week. Fortunately there’s no whiff of any delays, and everything seems to be on track. Tekken fans are in for a treat with this game, boasting the most extensive character roster in the series’ entire history. Furthermore, there’s also some neat day-one DLC on offer for those who pre-order the tag-team brawler, including Michelle and Kunimitsu, who haven’t been seen since the original Tekken Tag way back in 2000. The game itself is everything you’d expect from Tekken, though with the added advantage of combining the might of your partner to help duff up your opponent. This element has also evolved somewhat from the days of its predecessor, as you can now unleash powerful tag-based combos, and even have one-on-two battles to see who really has what it takes to claim the title of King of the Iron Fist. Get ready for the next battle.
Report: PS Vita U.K. sales hit 100k in 10 weeks
There’s been a few rumblings on how much PlayStation Vita has managed to sell in the U.K. since its launch back in February, and all indications aren’t too positive. However, this week, Pocket Gamer got hold of some pretty firm figures for the Sony handheld via Gfk Chart-Track, which claim the device has sold just 100,000 units in 10 weeks. Unfortunately, that’s not too hot, especially when you consider the fact its predecessor, PSP, notched up some 350,000 units in the same time period back in 2005. However, it’s important to consider the price of both units: the average punter is paying £232 for a PS Vita, while PSP cost around £178. Not a massive gap, but every penny counts as they say. Still, it’s pretty gutting news for Sony’s new handheld, and not exactly the big start we here at PSU were hoping for. It’s got the tech, it’s had a solid launch line-up, but then again, it’s also competing with the monster success that is 3DS (nearing 1 million sales since March 2011) plus the ever-increasing popularity of smartphones.
Starhawk lands in LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet is one of those games that keeps giving, even well over a year after its release – how many games can boast that amount of dedication to DLC? Not many, that’s for sure. In this case, Sony has confirmed that it’s keeping up the theme of sci-fi costume packs, with Starhawk-inspired goodies following hot on the heels of the Men in Black content. As you might have expected, the Starhawk mini pack gives you three costumes inspired by the Lightbox-developed actioner, and that’s about all you need to know. No date yet, other than it’ll be made available “soon.” Stay tuned.
Gran Turismo 6 appears on Sony CV
Gran Turismo 5 had a particularly arduous development cycle, and one that we can safely assume Sony isn’t keen on repeating for the next inevitable instalment. Of course, GT6 hasn’t officially been announced yet, though it’s been made abundantly clear by series father Kazunori Yamauchi that it’s in the works, though for what platform remains unknown. However, further evidence supporting the fact the game’s in development has materialised this week, with the title popping up on a Sony America employee’s online CV. The listing was quickly pulled, as we weren’t obviously meant to see it, which speaks volume in itself. GT6 is definitely on the way, but Sony wants to keep it under wraps for now. PS4 launch title perhaps? PS3 swansong? Either option is conceivable, though we certainly hope it won’t take another half a decade or so to arrive.
Capcom unveils Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set
Remember back when PSU attended PAX and we caught wind of a Street Fighter 25th anniversary bundle of some description? Well, Capcom confirmed this week that those whispers weren’t just idol gossip – Street Fighter is receiving a feature-heavy 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition later this year. Due out on September 18 for PS3 and 360, the bundle will retail for $149.99 and packs a wealth of goodies, including four titles (Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition included), tons of Blu-ray movie content, a replica of Ryu’s belt, CD soundtrack and much more. In short it’s the ultimate SF aficionados’ gift set, and a must-have for anyone who considers themselves a hardcore fan of this venerable fighting franchise. Hit the link for the full skinny and a snapshot of the Collector’s Set itself. Better get your pre-orders in, as they’re only available as a limited edition.
Shadow of the Colossus film has a director
The Shadow of the Colossus film adaptation has kicked up a notch this week, with the movie attracting a director in the form of Josh Trank. A producer has also been lined up in the shape of Kevin Misher, and Sony Pictures is currently having a chinwag with various candidates in view to taking on aboard a writer. Trank himself has an impressive pedigree, having directed Chronicles and is also working on Fantastic Four and Spider-Man spin-off Venom. More importantly, he’s a fan of the Team ICO classic, so hopefully we’ll be getting a faithful big-screen recreation of the sprawling adventure.
Capcom aiming for shorter dev cycles
Hold your horses, there’s no fear of Capcom pumping out Resident Evil or Lost Planet 3 every year. However, by shorter development cycles, the Japanese giant is hoping to tighten game development to 2.5 years for its biggest series. For reference, Lost Planet 3 is apparently on track to meet this target, though by comparison Resident Evil 6 – due out in October – will arrive roughly 3.5 years after its predecessor. In particular, Capcom outlined Devil May Cry, which will arrive nearly five years since the last game, 2008’s DMC4. As such, the company is keen to shorten this development cycle for future entries, though it’s worth remembering the reason this latest game has spent so long in the oven is due to the switch to a western studio, namely the folks at Ninja Theory.
New Mass Effect 3 DLC detailed, includes new characters
It’s a pity the controversy surrounding Mass Effect 3’s ending has pretty much overshadowed everything else regarding BioWare’s epic sci-fi sequel, because the post-launch support for the game so far has been pretty meaty. While most of us are probably waiting for the Extended Cut, BioWare is busy keeping the multiplayer side of things fresh with various DLC packs, the latest of which, Rebellion, is due out next week. Free to those who redeemed their online pass, the DLC offers a host of new features, including new characters and weapons, such as the Quarian engineer and Vorcha soldier. We were quite fond of ME3’s multiplayer, which already caters to a wide range of playing styles, and these extra characters only further supplement an impressive roster of all shapes and sizes. If like us you’re still digging into the multiplayer, then be sure to snap this up to augment your galactic co-op efforts.
New Zone of the Enders project teased by Hideo Kojima
Zone of the Enders may have been lobbed into the ‘cult’ category, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a legion of more devoted fans than those following Hideo Kojima’s acclaimed mech combat romp. It’s been nearly a decade since the last core game – 2003’s Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – hit stores, and fans have been understandably crying out for a sequel ever since. And, after hinting for the past couple of years that he’d like to do one, Kojima-san has seemingly lifted the lid off a brand new instalment in the franchise during a recent ZoE HD Collection event. Apparently, it’ll be set in an ancient civilisation, though nothing else is known at present, other than it’s a full-fledged sequel. For most fans however, I imagine that’s more than enough to blow the roof off with joy. Will the game ever materialise or is it just Kojima being overly enthusiastic? Hopefully we won’t have long to find out.
Rumor: EA planning to blow up E3 2012 with Dead Space 3 demo
Dead Space 3 has officially been confirmed, that much we know. However, we haven’t caught wind of any proper details on the game as of yet, at least nothing beyond the usual rumors. From the sound of things though, EA plans on lifting the lid on its survival horror sequel at E3 with a massive info blowout, and we’ve got all the details for your consumption. Hit the link above for the full scoop.
The Best of the Rest…
Just Cause 3 & 4 domains registered by Square Enix
Rumor: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 for E3 reveal
Dead Island Game of the Year Edition announced
Uncharted 1 & 2, free DLC coming to PlayStation Network