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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Hideo Kojima will still make MGS if the fans want it
Hideo Kojima’s “left” the Metal Gear Solid more times than I’ve had hot dinners, but the esteemed dev just can’t seem to keep away from his beloved sneak-‘em-up series. Indeed, this week Kojima-san put the cards on the table as it were, confirming he’d be quite happy to make more games in the franchise as long as the fans want it. More interestingly, however, he also said he’d like to see his beloved franchise continue after he’s kicked the bucket. No matter which way you slice it, it sounds like we’re going to be subjected to more hiding in cardboard boxes and digesting convoluted plotlines for the foreseeable future – and in my book, that’s a good thing. As for Kojima, he also mentioned the fact he’d like to stretch his wings a little beyond the MGS franchise, and I think this is something most of us would like to see; after all, a man has to cut the apron strings sometime, right? And hopefully the scissors will come in the shape of a new Zone of the Enders game.
BioWare reveals 4-player co-op for Mass Effect 3
So there we have it. After months of rumors, BioWare has finally confirmed – via OXM and PCplay – that multiplayer is coming to its eagerly anticipated sci-fi extravaganza, Mass Effect 3. Yep, Galaxy at War is the name of the game, and it’ll feature four-player co-op. The fact multiplayer has been confirmed for the game isn’t really that much of a surprise, though hopefully BioWare will be able to do something interesting with it, rather than shoehorn it in like Visceral Games did with Dead Space 2 – I mean, was it really necessary to include multiplayer in that game? I’m sure many people will argue that Shepard’s swan-song doesn’t need any online mode, although then again, the prospect of teaming up with a mate and taking the fight to the Reapers does sound quite intriguing. Regardless, as long as the main campaign doesn’t suffer in any way and rounds off the narrative in spectacular fashion, I’m a happy camper.
Sony looking into UMD download service for PS Vita
PSP owners were understandably flustered when Sony confirmed that Vita won’t support the UMD format, putting into question what will become of all those juicy portable pleasures that gamers have accumulated over the past five years or so. Fear not though, as it seems the electronics giant has a cunning plan: a download service allowing punters to purchase PSP games for an as yet unannounced fee. Obviously since Vita doesn’t utilize UMDs this is the only viable option to get those classic games on Sony’s swanky new handheld, though hopefully the company will see fit not to charge an arm and a leg for the games.
Jak & Daxter HD Collection confirmed
HD Collections certainly seem to be talk of the town as of late, with 2011 alone seeing the release of several high profile, past-gen gems arrive on PS3 with a 1080p makeover. Looking ahead however, it seems Sony is looking to augment its remastered back catalogue with the release of the Jak & Daxter HD Collection, which includes the first three games in the celebrated Naughty Dog platform series. Previously outed via a South African retailer, the Collection now appears to be the real deal after the House of Nathan Drake allegedly confirmed the bundle’s existence during an Uncharted 3 event in Oslo, Norway. Nothing official has been announced as of yet, but it’s certainly looking likely, and would make a great choice for PS3’s HD Collection line-up.
Valkyria Chronicles III isn’t coming West anytime soon
SEGA’s Valkyria Chronicles franchise hasn’t had much luck outside of its native Japan in terms of sales, but that hasn’t stopped the Japanese giant from bringing them to western shores nonetheless. Well, not until now, that is. Unfortunately, the third entry in the tactical RPG series, released in Japan last year on PSP, won’t be making the trip overseas. SEGA’s attributed poor sales of the previous game, Valkyria Chronicles II, as the primary reason for holding off on a U.S./European release, though that doesn’t take the sting out of the news – after all, the games may not sell that well, but they’re some of the most polished portable offerings to have graced Sony’s slab. However, one thing you can say about SEGA is that they listen to their fans; after all, the firm rolled the PS3 Yakuza games west after much demand, so hopefully a little prodding from Valkyria fanatics will yield a similar result.
It’s hard to believe Uncharted 3 will be on store shelves in less than a month, but that’s the reality of it. Right now, the hotly-anticipated adventurer is winging its way to manufacturing, but the news the game has gone gold was only the appetiser for Sony’s blog post this week. Nope, most intriguing is the fact all retail copies of Drake’s latest outing will contain access codes to Starhawk’s beta. The LightBox-developed shooter is due out in early 2012, so this should prove more than a worthy taster for the Warhawk successor. Elsewhere, Uncharted 3 will also pack in a plethora of behind-the-scenes goodies on disc, rounding out a rather sumptuous package. While I’m sure a lot of you are forking out for the special edition of the Naughty Dog sequel, these extras make even the bog-standard retail release that much more tantalizing. Then again, it’s not as if you should need any other excuse to plonk down the cash for Drake’s desert-bound spectacle, right? Thought not.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations PS3 will have 3D support, new features
3D gaming is a bit like marmite: you either love it or loathe it. Regardless, Sony is doing its best to trumpet the tech with an array of first-party titles supporting the feature, not to mention its new, ‘budget priced’ 3D TV. However, third parties are also getting in on the act, with Ubisoft confirming this week that Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will support 3D viewing. I’m not fussed on the tech myself, but boy I’d love to see Ezio and chums majestically pull off one of those epic Leap of Faith moves while wearing those dodgy glasses. Are you guys still on the fence about 3D? Or perhaps you’re already on board? Let us know in the comments section below.
PlayStation Move ships 8.3 million worldwide
Sony has been keeping mum as to how many PlayStation Move’s have been sold to consumers for some time now, though it has been quick to champion shipments. This week, it issued another update on it waggle stick, confirming the device has shipped 8.3 million units to retailers around the globe. Now, the thing is, we’re not quite sure what constitutes as a ‘unit’ when it comes to Move – does that mean the PS Move controller itself, or the navigation pad too? Furthermore, Sony said back in April that Move had shipped eight million units worldwide, with this latest figure marking an increase of just 300,000. Not exactly a huge improvement. Honestly, I’d like to have a gander at the exact sales figures for Move, and draw comparison between Sony’s peripheral and Microsoft’s own Kinect. We do know that Kinect has sold pretty well, and has been battering Move in terms of performance, though I’d still like to see just how many of those 8.3 million Moves have found their way into the hands of eager consumers. Wouldn’t you?
PS3 sees ‘double-digit growth’ in September
Sony’s stance on the sales of PS3 in the U.S. is that it likes to trumpet significant growth as the months roll by, but keeps the actual figures close to its chest. Much like the situation with PS Move, we’re none the wiser as to exactly how many PS3s find their way into the hands of consumers, though for all intends and purposes, September 2011 proved a healthy month for the system, with Sony observing “double-digit growth” for its flagship console. Again, quite how many PS3s were flogged remains to be seen, but nonetheless it’s still encouraging news. Still, the best is yet to come, and with Uncharted 3 due to launch on November 1, hopefully Sony will be able to supplant Microsoft’s Xbox 360 as the highest-selling home console for the month after all this time. Of course, it’s not surprising 360 left boot marks all over the competition; Gears of War III launched last month, marking what is easily the biggest exclusive to hit Microsoft’s console in some time.
Uncharted 3 won’t get single-player DLC
Naughty Dog revealed this week that it won’t be augmenting Uncharted 3’s single-player component with some post-launch pleasures, though it has apparently got quite the DLC line-up in store for the multiplayer mode. Fans of Uncharted 2 will be pleased about this no doubt, which received substantial post-launch support following its release almost exactly two years ago (blimey doesn’t time fly?). Personally I’m a little disappointed that we won’t see any single-player DLC, as the campaign is the sole reason I’m in the Uncharted experience; I didn’t indulge in Uncharted 2’s multiplayer at all, and its inclusion honestly didn’t make me bat an eyelid. However, the great thing about Naughty Dog is they always deliver a fantastic solo effort – sort of like a full course meal without leaving you with enough room for pudding, so to speak. As long as Drake’s latest treasure hunt is as compelling and satisfying as previous games, then I suppose the lack of solo DLC won’t really matter. And let’s face it, besides a boring old git like me, everyone else is going to be tucking into the multiplayer once they’re done with the campaign anyway.