Cedrick Delmax dashed dreams of a next-gen Xbox announcement at E3 this year. In an interview with Lepoint.fr, the marketing director of Microsoft France noted that “Xbox 360’s cycle is not at all finished”. He adds that “E3 is still premature” and that it’s “certain… that there’ll be nothing new in 2012.”
Delmax also addressed the Wii U, pointing out that Nintendo has put itself in an entirely different cycle. Microsoft will not counter the Wii U with any Xbox announcements, and they’re not in any hurry to rush to the market either.
According to several rumors going around lately, the successor to Xbox 360 is set to be revealed at E3 2012. But that doesn’t look likely right now. Sony has also noted that they are not done with the PS3, adding that they might be “last” to the market. Meanwhile, Nintendo is expected to re-unveil the Wii U at this year’s E3, with a launch planned for Christmas.
There haven’t been many playable demos for PC lately, so it’s nice and refreshing to see studios still cater for the platform seriously. Having said that, Crypstone Games has released a demo for Star Prospector, their recently released real-time strategy title.
It offers full access to the title’s features, and opens up all missions that are available in the first star system. Those looking for replayability won’t be disappointed: all the missions are randomly generated.
The developer offers regular download links, but you can save their bandwidth by grabbing the 156MB demo through this torrent. It’s hosted on a fast seedbox, so you won’t be disappointed. Seeding is highly appreciated.
The next-gen race is starting to heat up, but it appears Sony may be late to the party. Talking to OPM, Philippe Cardone, head of Sony France, stated that the company will likely be the “last” in announcing its plans for the next-generation console race.
Cardone points out that Nintendo rushed the Wii U announcement because “it’s in decline.” He adds that Sony is under a “lot less pressure”, and that they might be the last to announce the successor to the PS3.
Lots of rumors have been going around lately regarding the successors to Xbox 360 and PS3. However, it seems the PS4 is a long ways off, and we shouldn’t expect any announcements from Sony at this year’s E3.
DICE seems to be taking anti-cheating measures even more seriously after attacks on PunkBuster resulted in innocent players being banned from Battlefield 3 multiplayer servers. They have posted a job listing for an “Anti-Cheat Administrator”.
The position calls for an individual who is “internet-savvy” and interested in keeping the developer’s game free from cheaters. If you feel you are up for the job, check out the job requirements and apply.
A video of Shoreditch, London being given a Soul Calibur V-themed makeover was released today. Namco hired Jim Rockwell to create a graffiti mural in East London to celebrate the game’s release. The following time-lapse video shows off the entire process.
The game is due out on PS3 and Xbox 360 tomorrow in the US and Friday in the UK.
Sony’s Playstation Network has faced a lot of hurdles since its inception. But that hasn’t stopped the online service from gaining 77 million registered users worldwide. Susan Panico, the woman behind it all, has now left the company, hopefully for even greener pastures.
Panico was the head of PSN in North America. Sony has yet to comment on who is going to replace her. It was during her time that PSN grew to its massive userbase; the service was also hacked during her tenure.
PSN suffered an unprecedented six-week outage last year. Lots of gamers were angered at being unable to login. Sony has since then put up special offers and free games to bring users back on to the platform.
Ubisoft has already mentioned that Altair and Ezio’s stories have met their endgames in Assassin’s Creed Revelations. So, it isn’t surprising that they are ready to bring on a new face to represent the series. The only question was who and when it would be.
It seems the answer may be out: CVG is reporting that a ‘source close to the project’ has told them that the upcoming game will be set during the American Revolution. They offer no further elaboration.
The interesting thing about this setting is that it could be possible. As it stands, the ‘Da Vinci Disappearance’ DLC for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood gave players a set of coordinates that leads to New York, USA. The ending for Revelations also focused on the US. Most important of all, however, is the fact that Ubisoft itself has asked gamers through a survey if they would like the “American Revolution” setting.
If the above setting does come to fruition then it could be a very engaging game. Players could meet notable figures such as George Washington, Henry Knox, Benjamin Franklin, and many others. The era is also suitable for the free-running and combat aspects of the series.
Other settings Ubisoft has hinted at include ancient Egypt, feudal Japan, Victorian England, and medieval China.
A proper announcement regarding the game is expected soon.
Capcom unveiled the fifth Ace Attorney game today at a special event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the series in Japan.
No details are known at the moment; the company hasn’t made any official announcements for other regions yet. Only the game’s logo was revealed through a surprise announcement at the aforementioned event.
Here are a few new screenshots from Grand Slam Tennis 2, EA’s upcoming balls-smashing simulator. It is due out next month on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Now that the new Hitman game is well on its way, Square Enix has launched a new community portal known as Barcode Society. It will provide the latest news on the series, as well as glimpses of the game during its development. On top of that, there will be competitions, goodies, assets, and more.
Hitman Absolution is due out later this year for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. Additionally, Square Enix Montreal is working on another Hitman project for next-gen systems.
A new cinematic trailer for Aliens: Colonial Marines is now out. In development at Gearbox, the game was originally slated for release in spring. However, the game has now been delayed to fall instead.
It is in development for PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U.
Microsoft’s Kinect add-on for Xbox 360 has long been a favorite among PC hackers. Now that it is making its way to Windows devices, a new report from The Daily claims that Microsoft may be looking to integrate the technology in future Windows laptops.
The publication claims that there are two prototypes of laptops that feature two small Kinect sensors. The prototypes are Asus-based notebooks that are running Windows 8. Apparently, they are officially sanctioned by Microsoft, too, which makes it an official add-on if the report turns out to be true.
Kinect is also expected to make its way to set-top box for HDTVs, according to other rumors. There have also been murmurs about the technology being improved and integrated in the next-gen successor to Xbox 360.
Diablo 3 has been going through a lot of changes since it entered beta. Blizzard is polishing the game as I write this, and they seem to be changing the game quite radically.
The current version of the game does not feature companion scrolls; it has also cut scrolls of reforging. Companion scrolls would summon an ‘adorable’ minion that would run around and loot gold in your name. The problem lies in the fact that it is ‘adorable’, apparently. Blizzard community manager Nethaera said: “The companion pets felt like they were mandatory to maximize play efficiency and some pets were too cutesy for the gritty, dark world of Sanctuary.”
As for the Scrolls of Reforging, Blizzard felt they were “underdeveloped”. It would have allowed players to change the properties of an item. The studio knows that these are big omissions, but notes that they want to “close in on a release date… not move further away.”
That is not to say these features won’t make appearances in the future. The company thinks that companion pets can be turned into a “much cooler system”, and reforging can be made more “meaningful”. As it stands, they might make their way into a post-release patch, or maybe become parts of DLC.
Aching for a physics-based puzzle game? Konami has a treat for you. They have released Puddle, a winner in the 2010 GDC Indie Games Festival, on Xbox Live Arcade. You can grab it for 800 Microsoft points.
The project was initially a project from six students from ENJMIN, a French game development school. It was eventually picked up by Neko Entertainment and was developed further. The game highlights the various basics of physics – momentum, friction, etc. You’ll need to work your way through fires, rifts, spells, and more without evaporating away.
Puddle is expected to be released on PlayStation Network on January 31 for $9.99.
There’s a new video out for Mass Effect 3 that shows off the game’s multiplayer in action. It also showcases races and classes available as “Special Forces”.
The game is due out on March 6 and 9 in US and Europe, respectively, on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
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