Gaming News 18/03/12 - 25/03/12
Nintendo
- Even more Wii u rumours
More speculation and rumours about the Wii U have come from a member of the popular gaming forum Neogaf. The forum member claims that 720p appears to be the best resolution for games that use the Wii U second screen intensively, and that the controller displays games at a maximum resolution of 480p.
- 720p seems to be the sweet spot for definition with games running Wii U controller-intensive visuals
- Wii U controller handles 480p
- Wii U controller allows for viewing of on-TV action from another angle in some games
- Seems that there are some third-party ports using this idea for gameplay
- V5 dev kit is a little more powerful than V4, but doesn't make for 1080p in these situations
- Games can benefit from a slight visual boost over 360/PS3 and may run at a higher resolution
- More simple titles may be able to run 1080p in conjunction with the controller
- Ghost Recon Online will have plenty of DLC
A member of the development team behind Ghost Recon for Wii U has stated that fans can expect to see plenty of downloadable content when the game launches alongside Wii U sometime after June this year. The game features a store with items that you can buy with in-game currency, or alternatively you can buy “Ghost Coins” with real-world money. The developer also mentioned that you can instantly switch your weapons and gear between respawns using the Wii U controller.
- Here is the first sixteen minuets + Nobunaga’s Ambition for Nintendo DS
Mesut from Nintendomination has rather kindly uploaded the first sixteen minutes of the forthcoming Pokemon + Nobunga's Ambition for your viewing pleasure. Nintendo has yet to confirm whether or not we will be seeing the game over here in the West. Pokemon + Nobunga's Ambition went on sale for the Nintendo DS earlier this week in Japan.
- World of Warcraft and Counter Strike and others coming to Wii U eShop
This is only a roumor but, Dual Pixels is under the impression that a source close to Nintendo has told them the games that will be available on the Wii U eShop when it launches alongside the console later this year. Among the games on offer are World of Warcraft and Counter Strike. Here’s the full list:
Nintendo Wii U eShop Titles In Development:
Level 5
- Professor Layton Chronicles (Level 5)
Activision
- Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD-Complete (Activision) (Launch)
- Goldeneye 007: Reloaded (Activison) (Launch)
- World of Warcraft (Activison) (Launch)
Capcom
- Resident Evil: The Mercenaries Bio Ops (Capcom)
- Okamiden HD (Capcom) (Launch)
Electronic Arts (EA)
- Boom Blox Wii U (EA)
- NFL Blitz Touchdown (EA)
- Burnout: Rush Hour (EA) (Launch)
- Shank 2 (EA) (Launch)
- Crysis (EA) (Launch)
Gaijan Games
- Bit Trip Runner 2 (Gaijan Games) (Launch)
Namco Bandai
- Tank! Tank! Tank! (Namco Bandai)
- Meteos (Namco Bandai)
- Pac-Man Battle Royal (Namco Bandai) (Launch)
Nexon
- Dragon Nest (Nexon)
Nintendo
- Big Brain University (Nintendo) (Launch)
- Super Mario Strikers Unlimited (Nintendo) (Launch)
- Fluidity: Toxic (Nintendo) (Launch)
Sabarasa
- Protocol (Sabarasa) (Launch)
SEGA
- Rodea the Sky Soldier (SEGA)
- Renegade Ops 2 (SEGA)
- Phantasy Star Online 2 (SEGA) (Launch)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 (SEGA) (Launch)
Spicy Horse
- Big Head Bash (Spicy Horse) (Launch)
Square Enix
- Demon’s Score (Square Enix/Epic)
- Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Wii U (Square Enix)
Telltale Games
- The Walking Dead (Telltale Games) (Launch)
Ubisoft
- UbiArt Presents: Sketchtarium
- Red Steel 2: Locked a Reloaded (Ubisoft)
- I Am Alive (Ubisoft) (Launch)
Valve
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve) (Launch)
- DotA 2 (Valve)
- Tobacco style warning labels for games being discussed
A bill has been proposed in North America that would require violent games to carry a warning label similar to those that are currently seen on packets of tobacco. The two congressmen who have proposed the bill want a message that reads "Warning: Exposure to violent video games has been linked to aggressive behavior" on video game packaging.
"Just as we warn smokers of the health consequences of tobacco, we should warn parents — and children — about the growing scientific evidence demonstrating a relationship between violent video games and violent behaviour."
- Virginia Representative and the bill's co-sponsor Frank Wolf
- Pokémon dominates the software charts in Japan
Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition has unsurprisingly topped the Japanese software chart. The game managed to sell 172,000 units which was enough to fend off Shining Blade, the latest PSP entry in Sega's Shining series, which sold 122,000 units in its first week. Here's the top 10 Media Create sales chart, covering March 12th through March 18th.
[NDS] Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition
[PSP] Shining Blade
[PSP] Madoka Magika Portable
[PS3] One Piece Pirate Musou
[PSP] Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side Premium 3rd Story
[3DS] Hatsune Miku and Future Stars Project Mirai
[3DS] If I Were in a Sealed Room with a Girl I'd Probably XXX
[3DS] Mario Kart 7
[3DS] Monster Hunter 3G
[3DS] Mario & Sonic at London Olympics
- Nintendo 3DS update detailed?
A source apparently close to online gaming site Max Console has informed the publication what to expect from the next Nintendo 3DS firmware update which is known as 3.0.0-7x. Nintendo themselves haven't announced the firmware update, so this is all just speculation and rumour. Here's what the source claims will be in the next 3DS update:
- Ability to access Nintendo eShop account from other internet enabled devices including computers and smartphones.
- This system update will allow users to take pictures of QR codes with the 3DS from the other device’s screen to redeem purchased content.
- This update will add the application "Nintendo Network" to the 3DS.
- Ability to update physical Nintendo 3DS Games via Nintendo Shop (DLC feature).
- A "Game Preview" Mode for the Nintendo 3DS system Nintendo Shop.
- Enhances the speed of the handheld.
- Increases the system security with automatic security updates.
- Nintendo Zone will be automatically added to European 3DS owners.
Sony
- Metal gear has sold 31 million
Konami Japan has confirmed that the Metal Gear franchise has moved 31 million sales globally since its inception in 1987. Created by Hideo Kojima, the stealth-action franchise debuted on MSX2 a whopping 25 years ago, and following a sequel in the early 90s was reborn on PlayStation in 1998 with Metal Gear Solid. The last full-fledged sequel, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, arrived in 2008 on PlayStation 3, with Konami recently remastering Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 and Peace Walker in high-definition for PS3 and 360.
As for the future, Kojima-san has indicated he will begin working on MGS5 at some point, and some concept art has leaked depicting what appears to be Big Boss in the company of a bloodhound. Still, nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
- PS vita wins esteemed quality
Out of 4,500 different hardware applicants, the PlayStation Vita won the Red Dot Award for exceptional design quality.
The Red Dot Award is an internationally-recognized award from Germany's Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, and it's awarded by judges in fields of product design, communication design, and design concepts. For more information on the Red Dot Award, and its sources and influences, checkout its official website.
Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America, had this to say: "To be recognized for our commitment to product design by leading industry experts is a fantastic achievement for SCE. We are particularly thrilled with the reaction and expectation to the recently launched PS Vita in North America, and Europe, the ultimate portable entertainment system, especially the introduction of innovative new ways to play and interact. Winning a red dot award for product design further establishes PS Vita as the must-have portable entertainment system across the world."
- I am Alive SOE release date revealed
Ubisoft announced that its upcoming post-apocalyptic action adventure game will be available for download on Sony Entertainment Network on April 4.
On top of this release date news, Ubisoft also announced that PlayStation Plus subscribers that buy I Am Alive within the first two weeks will save 20%. It also released a launch trailer, and it shows off some of the gameplay elements and previews one man's search for his family that is assumed dead.
- Mass Effect DLC confirmed for FFXIII-2
Japanese gaming bible Famitsu has confirmed that Final Fantasy XIII-2 will receive Mass Effect-themed downloadable content later this month. As reported by Andriasang and Siliconera, the content is scheduled for release in Japan on March 27, and will take the form of a pair of costumes for protagonists Noel and Serah. Elsewhere, the game will also get Final Fantasy VI-themed content in the shape of new colosseum battles and recruitable party members Ultros Typhon. This won’t be the first time crossover DLC has featured in the RPG sequel, either. Earlier this year, the Square Enix-developed title also received costumes based on Ubisoft’s popular Assassin’s Creed franchise.
- Epic Mickey: The Power of 2 is confirmed
Epic Mickey producer Warren Spector has revealed that Epic Mickey: The Power of Two is coming to the Wii, as well as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and will be a musical. Spector confirmed that Jim Dooley and Mike Himelstein, the composer and lyricist who wrote the music for the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz, are crafting original tunes for Epic Mickey 2. Here’s what Warren Spector had to say about the game:
“I’m such a geek about musicals. I love the co-op and next-gen stuff, but for me, when a character breaks into song, which they do on a regular basis in this game, it’s magic.”
“It’s drop-in, drop-out co-op. You can sit down at any time with a friend who is playing as Mickey, and you can take control of Oswald. If you’re playing as a single player, Oswald will be there every second of the game. He’s not just a multiplayer character. He’s a helper, whether you’re playing alone or with a friend or family member.”
“We’ve had a team working on the camera from literally the day we finished the first game. They’ll be working on it until the day we ship the second game. (There have been) over 1,000 specific changes made to the camera. Our goal is that you will not have to touch the manual camera controls even once to play through the main story path of this game.”
- Little Big planet karting offers new ways to play, create and share
Sony’s confirmed that the previously-leaked LittleBigPlanet Karting will be released exclusively on PlayStation 3 this year. Developed by United Front Games and based on the multi-million dollar selling Media Molecule franchise, LBP Karting promises to provide gamers with new ways to Play, Create and Share in the kart racing mould.
LBP Karting boasts massive arena battles, split-screen and online multiplayer, plus a host of other distractions including boss battles, mini-games and objective-based missions. All this will be presented in lush, 3D environments in the Craftworld universe. Players can look forward to customizing a wealth of elements in the game, including their own personal SackBoy character and race kart.
Furthermore, a level editor will allow you to craft your own racing experience by cobbling together your own tracks, rules, weapons and more. Players will also be able to share their creations with other fans online.
Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) Senior Vice President of PlayStation Brand Marketing, Guy, Longworth, commented:
"Since the launch of LittleBigPlanet, our community has provided incredible support, which can be seen in the more than six million levels and games that have been created and shared online through PlayStation Network, a truly wonderful accomplishment.”
"Now, we're thrilled to bring PlayStation 3 owners the next Play, Create, Share experience, LittleBigPlanet Karting, a brand new competitive karting adventure that is sure to move this genre forward, providing endless entertainment for fans and newcomers, while resonating with every member of the family, young and old."
- Resident Evil “needs to head in an action-orientated direction”
Capcom has indicated that a perpetuation of Resident Evil’s more action-oriented route is likely for the series going forward, especially in North America. Speaking to Gamasutra, Masachika Kawata, producer on Resident Evil Revelations, believes the series’ survival horror origins just isn’t a viable option anymore, and wouldn’t generate sufficient numbers in a market dominated by blockbuster action games like Call of Duty.
"Especially for the North American market, I think the series needs to head in that [action-oriented] direction," said Kawata-san.
"RE4 started in that direction, and RE5 kept going in that direction. And I think that especially for the North American market, we need to keep going in that direction, and take that a step further.
"Looking at the marketing data [for survival horror games] ... the market is small, compared to the number of units Call of Duty and all those action games sell," he observed. "A 'survival horror' Resident Evil doesn't seem like it'd be able to sell those kind of numbers."
Xbox
- BBC iplayer launches on Xbox live
The BBC's iPlayer service will roll out from today on Xbox Live, Microsoft has announced, though it may take "a couple of days" to reach everybody. It'll be freely available to both Xbox Live Gold and Silver subscribers, and supports Kinect throughout.
We had the pleasure of laying eyes on the service at a Microsoft event in London yesterday. The front end is made up along the same lines as other Metro tile-based apps - a large image slot for hot content with four smaller satellite windows.
There are Featured, Most Popular, Favourites, Search, Channels and Categories sections along the bottom, between which you can flip using gestures or voice commands (or a pad, if you must). The search functionality is predictive, after the example of Bing search elsewhere on the dashboard: type in a few letters and it'll do the rest for you.
Content is identical with other versions of iPlayer, covering BBC HD, BBC 1, CBeebies and more. The Channels section lets you Catch up on shows you've missed.
Xbox Live product manager Pav Bhardwaj touted the growth of video consumption on Xbox Live following last year's Dashboard relaunch, but was careful to state that it hadn't come at the expense of online gaming time. There's been a threefold increase in video consumption since the new Dashboard apps arrived, and 42 per cent of Xbox Live customers now watch one hour of video a day.
- Assassins creed 4 could take place before Assassins creed 3
Assassin's Creed 4 won't necessarily be set after the events of Assassin's Creed 3, according to Ubisoft producer Francois Pelland. The franchise's grounding in 'genetic memories' means it can leap around the timeline at whim, which is good news for those who consider Colonial America one fast-forward too many.
"It's a question we've been getting a lot," Pelland told the Metro at a preview event. "It's not a moving forward thing, it's all based on lineage and on DNA and therefore it has nothing to do with time. The next game could easily go backwards as much as forward, no problem."
- Game Finaly files for administration
High street retail chain GAME has finally announced that it has filed for administration, but the company says it will continue to trade for the time being. MCV reported yesterday that GAME were going to close its GameStation stores and start a new company, but GAME told the publication that this wasn’t true. Time to use up your left-over rewards and gift cards people.
“Further to this morning’s announcement of the suspension of trading in shares of GAME Group plc, the board has concluded that its discussions with all stakeholders and other parties have not made sufficient progress in the time available to offer a realistic prospect for a solvent solution for the business.”
- Minecraft Xbox 360 release dates revealed
Mojang ABhas announced that Minecraft will hit Xbox Live on 9th May for 1600 MP. Have some of that, DIY specialists. The news comes care of PlayXBLA, which also hints at an unannounced Signal Studios project. Last we heard, Minecraft was slated for release on Xbox Live Arcade this year.
- New Assassins creed 3 screenshots
Ubisoft has unleashed a wealth of stunning Assassin’s Creed 3 screenshots which show off the game’s gorgeous new engine. Assassin’s Creed 3 is coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
Sources: http://mynintendonews.com