[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; End Game

We're almost done! The fifth, and final, installment of this editorial of mine on the Wii U. Exactly how does Nintendo expect to win over their long-time fans, those they swooned with the Wii, and the developers they desperately need to create invigorating experiences? Where can Nintendo go from here, and how can they make sure they utilize their one year's head start and keep Microsoft and Sony off of their heels? Keep reading to find out...

Over the years, Nintendo has never really been known for having powerful hardware, but more of having a powerful library of IPs and franchises they could put on that hardware. Between their top franchises - Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few - Nintendo has a very compelling catalog. Asides from the already announced New Super Mario Bros. U, along side Pikmin 3, they are the only "main" Nintendo properties on the system announced thus far. It's assumed we'll see Link in Hyrule Field soon enough (whether or not it'll be similar to the HD demo we've seen is yet to be known, so don't go believing rumors quite yet), and we're hoping for a new Metroid and StarFox entry within a reasonable time. We haven't gotten wind of what's going on, but that's OK. What concerns me the most is that, despite Nintendo already having a fairly solid lineup for the system, their third parties are only content with bringing ports, and the Wii U needs more than that.

This is not enough to get me to buy the Wii U version.

Having Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City - the two power-house third-party games - on the system is great; the crowds were almost over-gasped when they announced them. Arkham City was a great game, but it's a year old. Assassin's Creed III is bound to be a fantastic entry, but it's a month and a half after it's initial release on other systems that people already own. I've yet to meet someone who is holding out for the Wii U versions of these games. We don't need ports that restructure the game and make it appear "tailored" to the Wii U; remember back to Sony saying they don't want Wii ports for the Move. There needs to be fresh experiences, and being exclusive helps.

Two prime examples are ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Coincidentally, they're both from Ubisoft, who has stated they don't plan on investing too much into the system, but after the purported shit-storm Nintendo caused between themselves and EA over using the Nintendo Network as an Origin platform, it looks more like Ubisoft and Nintendo are best buds. I don't expect too much from EA, as the gimped Madden 13 doesn't speak well for their integrity with their Wii U releases, but there are plenty of other third party developers Nintendo can woo.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Installment 04

We're back with part 4 of this massive editorial, focusing on Nintendo's direction competition: Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, and what they have geared up for their respective futures. Nintendo has a conference coming up on September 13, where the final bits of news is expected to be released. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

This year, we see Nintendo not only initiate the eighth generation of home consoles, but this is the first time in Nintendo's history since the NES that they've released a console before their competition. Not only is this an incredibly bold move by Nintendo, but it's also naive. They're allowing their competition know how they're handling their new system, giving them a deep insight to their plans, and adjust accordingly. Assuming the Wii U lands in November, that gives Microsoft and Sony 7 months between then and E3 next year to tweak their battle plans and come out swinging. That is, if Nintendo is tight-lipped on pertinent info that won't come to light until the release; otherwise, if this upcoming press conference is much more info than just pricing and release date, that makes it 9 months. Seven to nine months is enough time to tweak just about anything they need to; if Microsoft can take SmartGlass from initial on-paper design to displayable prototype to the masses in twelve months, then three-fourths of that time is ample.

* * *

To date, Microsoft hasn't said shit on the Xbox Next (or Durango, Xbox 720, Xbox Infinite, what have you). If you recall that document leak back in June, Microsoft actually confirmed it to be legitimate, even if it was "out-dated" by their measures. Regardless, it's interesting information. Things such as Project Fortaleza (or "Kinect Glasses") seems to bridge Kinect elements with Google Glasses concepts. Halo 5 isn't billed as a launch title, but it's coming shortly after. The Kinect 2 appears to want to talk to Xbox controllers for further integration. The system itself is to be $200-300, the same price range it's at now. There's a lot going on in there, but the juiciest information is right above. 

Microsoft's back catalog of games needs some love, especially Rare. They've been on the front lines lately, with the various Kinect Sports games, and the minds behind Avatars. Despite this pivotal piece for Microsoft, Rare hasn't done shit with their respective properties since Banjo-Kajooie: Nuts & Bolts. What about Killer Instinct 3? Where the hell has Joanna Dark been? My most important question is "why hasn't Rare made a new IP?". That question may be answered with the next generation; hell, we may even get to see that realistic Kameo sequel. If you unleash Rare, the last few ounces of faith I have in them tells me that, since they've been away from their original IPs over the course of the 00s, they can very well come back with a slew of fresh ideas for Banjo, Perfect Dark, and Kameo.

I've already talked my head off of how SmartGlass may very well become something great; I'm not going to banter on any further. I will, however, drop this nugget in here: if they really wanted to be sly enough, release the SmartGlass app on the 3DS and the Vita.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Thrice

If you caught the subtle music reference, good on you.

In this third installment, we're all about how you interact with the Wii U, primarily, the GamePad. We're gearing up for the September 13 conference Nintendo is holding. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

The biggest hurdle that Nintendo has in this generation, asides from not knowing a fucking thing that Sony and Microsoft are doing, is convincing people - customers and developers - that the GamePad is worth the investment. The GamePad, in itself, is an amalgamation of various technology knick-knacks we've grown accustomed to over the years. One part tablet, one part controller, squeeze in some social networking, add a touch of NFC (Near-Field Communication), and you've got a clusterfuck of gizmos.

By and large, it's main goal is to be a controller. In reality, it's nothing more than a gigantic, single-screened DS. Think about it: your TV would be the top screen, delivering the goodies to your noodle, while the controller's screen - a touch enabled screen, mind you - is where you interact with the game, with menu inputs, maps, inventory management...all the shit we've seen in DS games over the past 8 years. If the GamePad is allowing you to play the Wii U games on the controller, what's the point of the 3DS?

Between the 3DS, the GamePad, and the Wii U, cross-play gaming should be a no-brainer. Sega, of all companies, started the whole cross-play aspect with the Dreamcast and the Visual Memory Unit (or the VMU); sadly, it didn't catch on like it should have, as the technology then was severely limiting it. Then, Nintendo caught on with the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance, and the connection using the Link Cable; this was a hindrance, as some games (such as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles) didn't suggest using the GBA, it was almost forced. Next up to the plate was Sony, and while the PSP was a great move forward with interlinking home console and portable system, the Vita is where it took off, as your game saves could go back and forth, making the Vita a true "portable PlayStation", despite some severe limitations. Where Sega started, Nintendo innovated, and Sony took on full-force.

* * *

A fantastic idea.
Also, the worst infographic ever.

The Vita, despite having sluggish sales and a poor library thus far (with a few gems), the connection there between it and the PS3 is fairly remarkable. I recently picked up WipEout 2048 on the Vita, but only after it was announced that WipEout HD's content was going to be a free download for anyone who owns both versions. It was a great step forward for the cross-compatibility, but there are huge hurdles that need to be gotten rid of. Main point? Why the fuck do I need to own a copy on both systems in order to bring it over? Much like Digital Copy and Ultraviolet for DVDs, or even ripping my CDs to my computer and dumping them on my iPhone, why in the name of fuck can't I get a digital download of the Vita version if I buy the PS3 version? Thankfully, Sony has recently unveiled their Cross Buy platform at Gamescom, where if you buy the PS3 version, you get the Vita version for free. They've yet to detail the program - Can I buy the Vita version and get the PS3 verison? Is it a digital version of the Vita game? - but Sony has some big games lined up for the service, and is definitely a welcomed addition.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Part Deux

Here's part two of my mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

A powerful system cannot be the only crutch Nintendo can lean on. They need help, and they need to make people know they're still innovating. Sadly, their own innovation may be their own downfall, as others are quick on their heels, even before they get out the door...

Since the GameCube, Nintendo has been showing its age. When the Wii launched, many gave Nintendo hell, referring to it as the "GameCube 1.5", as it didn't have the technical glitz nor glamour as the Xbox 360 or the PS3; it was only slightly more powerful than the Xbox. Yes, the GameCube could do [insert advantage here] and the PS2 could do [insert another one here], but the Xbox was often regarded as the powerhouse of the last generation.

Despite the lack of power, the Wii held its own while completely ignoring HDMI and (at the very least) 720p, two modern entertainment staples. Microsoft even caught itself in a fault, and added HDMI to the Xbox 360 mid-life-cycle, something fans and critics alike had hoped for in a revised Wii HD. Regardless, Nintendo skipped the revision and came full force with the Wii U (much like how they skipped on bringing the Wii Remote to the GameCube and made it less of an afterthought and more of the main attraction), including many missed opportunities the Wii left behind. It has been reported by third parties that the Wii U will be drastically underpowered compared to the Xbox Next and PS4/Orbis; Epic says that Unreal Engine 4-powered games won't find life on the Wii U past the first generation without being severely dumbed down.

Best joke ever!
Image credit: http://www.roboawesome.com/?p=16875

Fortunately, that may not be the case...

A recent report from BGR says that the Xbox Next (or Durango; what have you) will be running an eight-core CPU with 8 GB of RAM. Despite this sounding fairly powerful, this same report puts it at six times more powerful than the 360. If this report is true - which I'm taking it with the largest grain of salt known to man - then that means it's only marginally more powerful than the Wii U, which has been described as "definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3" by 5th Cell (the guys behind Scribblenauts). This puts the Wii U at about 2-4 times more powerful than the Xbox 360.

This becomes a contradiction with a recent statement from Sumo Digital's executive producer Steve Lycett (Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) saying the Wii U "looks as good any of the HD platforms". He quickly brings our hopes back up with this number: "The Wii U has way more memory, so we can take advantage of that with less compression on elements and textures, so [Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed] will look all lovely and shiny."

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be asking "how many more times" is one system more powerful than another, but used as a general rule of thumb; despite the GameCube being regarded as an inferior system, it could still do things better than the PS2 and Xbox, something I'm hoping repeats itself with the Wii U.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U

The Next Big Innovation?

What you're witnessing is the first part of a planned five for a mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

May we look at Nintendo's competitors - or their own history - as inspiration for the Wii U's success? What about where they look for inspiration? What proof do we currently have that the Wii U may, or may not, be successful?

It's coming. It's inevitable. We stand on the precipice of a new generation's step forward into the spotlight. Nintendo is ushering in the eighth generation at the end of this year, and with it brings another flurry of criticisms and skepticisms. We saw it when Nintendo showed off the Wii's controller, unveiled the system as the 'Wii', and when they laid out technical specs on the system; just Google around for it, and you'll see it around the internet. Hell, it even happened with the GameCube (what with it's purple lunchbox attire) and the Nintendo 64 with it's cartridge-based games; Nintendo always receives criticism when a new system comes out.

When Nintendo first showed us the (then named) Revolution's controller, I, myself, was taken aback. It was a radical approach to a growing problem: lack of innovation. Nintendo broke conventional means of controller design they themselves created in the mid-80s, and every other console manufacturer stuck to since. Nintendo gave us some fine examples of what the controller could do, what with the pointer acting as an excellent approach to first-person games, or the accelerometers acting as their own method of input; Nintendo was ready to reinvent, or out-right create, new genres. The most ludicrous - or, dare I say, crazy - part about the entire endeavor? They knew people would buy it, and ended up ushering in the fitness craze in video games with their own Wii Fit, and others followed suit. The (purely) motion controlled games such as the pack-in Wii Sports - where there was minimal button pressing, and actually acting out what you wanted to do - was groundbreaking at the time; Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator in this field.

Six years later, Nintendo is in full pre-production of the Wii U, getting it's brand new system geared up for the holiday release. The Wii proved successful, because it hadn't been done before. One factor Nintendo is banking on to encourage customers to buy into their name all over again is the backwards compatibility. Not with just the games, but with every accessory made for the Wii, including games, downloaded or not; Nintendo could easily market this as "buy the new system, keep all of your old shit". The Wii U, on the other hand, is building off of two things: the established success of the Wii by keeping the name - falling victim to "sequelitis", much like the Xbox and PlayStation - and the booming success of the tablet craze Apple ushered in with the iPad.

Yes, I'm saying it: Nintendo is looking to Apple for ideas.

[REVIEWS] Mini Reviews, Round 3!

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Release Date: November 1, 2011
System Reviewed: PlayStation 3

What's Great: Absolutely fantastic video game. Story, visuals, gameplay, the way our voice/motion-capture actors portray their characters...everything comes together in a fantastic experience.

What's (Not So) Great: It doesn't surpass Uncharted 2 in terms of quality. Don't get me wrong, this is still a fan-fucking-tastic game. It's, simply put, not as good. It may just be me, but my expectations may have been set too high, considering how much better Uncharted 2 was than the first. It could be that Naughty Dog felt that they were riding on the curtails of the previous game, and could skirt a few things here and there. Whatever it is, I feel Naughty Dog should take a break and focus on a new IP. Oh wait, well, hello there, The Last of Us! How are you?

Bottom Line: The Uncharted series, in my eyes, is something that should be experiences by the masses. Just because it's not better than the previous game doesn't mean you should skip it. Play this game.

Grade: B+

[BEAT IT] Uncharted 3 and Batman Are Back on the Shelf

And just in time for Assassin's Creed, too.

I beat Batman a little under a week ago (a fantastically stellar game), and today I beat Uncharted 3. I must say, Uncharted 3, while not as great as it's predecessor, is still a fantastic game in it's own. The attention to detail throughout the game is something that Naughty Dog has maintained throughout the story, and while the "weird fucking creatures at the end of the game" mantra of theirs is not as profound as the previous games, it's still annoying as shit.

Oh, and the twist? The goddamn twist near the end? Yes, you'll love it, too.

My hat's off to you, Naughty Dog. You've made another hell of a game.

If I had to do a quick review, I'd say I'd give Batman a B+ and Uncharted 3 would sit well at an A-.

Goodbye, DualShock 3! Hello...Xbox Controller?

For ages, those who HATE the DualShock 3 - for a better term, let's use "absolutely fucking despise" - there's only been a few third-party solutions while we wait for Sony to revise their controller design from 15 years ago. You've got Nyko's Raven and Power A's PS3 Pro Elite, among a smorgasbord of bullshit that others think can do the Xbox controller justice. Power A's controller (above) has been deemed "the best PlayStation 3 controller right now, precisely because it's not shaped like a PS3 controller." Well said, Gizmodo. Well said.

For those who feel the Xbox 360 controller is the best controller on the market (this guy does, among many), the only solution we've had for actually using an Xbox controller on the PS3 was Ben Heck's sexy amalgamation that gutted the Xbox wireless controller, crammed in the DualShock 3's innards, sprinkled some magic and unicorn blood in it and got this wonderful beauty you see on your left.


This is, by far, the best option in terms of form and functionality (if you don't have the cunning, or cash, don't even bother). However, I lack the soldering/bread boarding skills that Ben has and the cash that anyone that's not working for retail has themselves.


I did, however, find this:

[UPDATED] Who Want's an Uncharted 3 Beta Code?

[UPDATED] Sorry folks, the code's been claimed!

I've got one, I'm not going to use it, so I'll give it to whoever wants it.

How will you get it? Like Destroyed Controller on Facebook, post on the wall, and I'll send it to the first person who does post. 

How's that?

The Original Crysis Coming to Consoles Next Month

Yes, you're reading that right: Crysis is coming to consoles (Xbox 360 and PS3 via download) next month. EA is promising "new lighting and effects" as well as new Nanosuit controls in the rerelease. 

What didn't they promise? A reprisal of "Can it run Crysis?" jokes.

Via True Achievements

Why You Should Buy Resistance 3's Doomsday Edition

I've been putting off buying Resistance 3 for a number of reasons (primarily, I have Deus Ex, a full-time student's worth of classes and assignments, Dead Island on the way from GameFly and work), but after seeing what the Doomsday Edition offers, I've convinced myself that it's definitely worth the price.

The Doomsday Edition is $150. With that, you get:

• Resistance 3
• Sharpshooter Gun chassis
• PlayStation Eye
• Move Motion Controller
• Move Navigation Controller

If you were to buy them separately, you'd be spending $210. Already, you're saving $60; that's basically Sony giving you the goddamned game for free. 

Sure, it only works for those who don't have anything Move related, but have been wanting to get into the fray (this guy) for a while now. I've heard some bad things about the sharpshooter gun attachment, but given time, the learning curve subsides. 

I may not pick it up immediately (specifically for the reasons above), but for anyone even thinking about buying it, then you should be walking out of the store Tuesday morning with one nestled under your arm.

Sony Updates PS3 to 3.7, Restricts New Functionality to PS+ Members

Here's the thing: Sony has finally released a PS3 update that isn't absolute horseshit.

Version 3.7 will give players the ability to auto-upload save files for their games, auto-sync your Trophy data (finally), and auto-download new system updates so you're not powering on your system after a month not playing anything worthwhile, only to find out Sony has pushed out 14 "security updates", to which you have to wait 40 minutes for the update to download and 15 minutes to install, to which you've forgotten about the game you're wanting to play.

OH! I almost forgot the most important thing: all of this is exclusive to PlayStation Plus members. The service that gets you absolutely nothing except discounts on a ton of shit on the Store - with barely any of it being worth the bandwidth - and free shit that, again, is hardly worth it that will barely help you break even on the price of the subscription service. The über shitty part about this service? If you cancel forget to renew, Sony will restrict your system from accessing the free content until you do renew.

A reminder, PlayStation Plus is $50 and month ($18 for a 3-month span).

On the other side of the spectrum, Xbox Live ($60 a year, $25 for 3 months or $10 for a month) gets you online multiplayer (a much more stable service), plus access to ESPN, Hulu plus, Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and last.fm, with the later two possibly being the only things you would use asides form multiplayer, plus Gold-exclusive demos, discounts, offers and the whatnot.

Yes, I'm fully aware that Sony doles out free multiplayer, but has anyone had a truly fun experience while playing online on a PS3? I've had absolute garbage service while playing online. At least on my 360, my updates come few and far between, but they come with shit worth the update, downloads in seconds, and installs in seconds, without paying extra.

And my multiplayer is stable.

I'll probably get a slew of people saying that I just justified the PS+ price by pointing out Microsoft does the same damned thing, but Microsoft has you pay for features, not functionality. They're not going to make you pay extra for auto-uploading your save files to the cloud when the updates rolls out later this year, Achievements are auto-synced to their service, regardless of your LIVE tier (and have been doing so since the fucking system released 6 years ago), and updates download/install in a fraction of the time Sony's system does.

I guess being forced to download 3.7 for the PS3 to be restricted from all of the new console functionality until I pay for it is Sony's way of bringing new customers to their platform as well as keeping their customers loyal.


[Via PlayStation.blog]

[REVIEW] A Lot of Games, Volume 2, Part 4

Look familiar, right? You're looking at a series of six posts in the second volume where I gather 
together a bunch of games I haven't talked about, write mini-reviews on them, and serve them straight to your noggin. Sure, they may not get the attention they deserve, but I get my point across fairly well. This time, I start way back in September and work my way up until early March. We're looking at a solid 24 games to be reviewed here. Be sure to brush up on the Review FAQ to make sure you understand my scoring before you whirl-up a bitch-fest.



And we're back! I'm making double-damned sure Blogger is (auto) saving my blog posts to avoid the debacle that was the last entry.

Sony's "Welcome Back" Package Detailed for North America

After nearly a month of inactivity, Sony finally kicked the PSN back on late last week. Today, Sony has announced their oft-hinted at "welcome back" package for North America:

ALL PlayStation Network account holders will be able to choose 2 of the following PS3 titles:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

...and 2 from the following PSP titles.

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation 

Any title downloaded will be yours forever, and you have within 30 days of the "Welcome Back" package going live. As well as getting 4 free games, you can also score all of this, as well (taken verbatim from Sony's announcement):

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon.
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game.

Sony hasn't given an exact date as to when you can get all of the goodies, but it will be available once the PlayStation Store comes back to life, which is one of the later phases of Sony's planned roadmap to restore the PSN.

[Via Sony's PlayStation.blog]

[REVIEW] A Lot of Games, Volume 2, Part 3

Look familiar, right? You're looking at a series of six posts in the second volume where I gather together a bunch of games I haven't talked about, write mini-reviews on them, and serve them straight to your noggin. Sure, they may not get the attention they deserve, but I get my point across fairly well. This time, I start way back in September and work my way up until early March. We're looking at a solid 24 games to be reviewed here. Be sure to brush up on the Review FAQ to make sure you understand my scoring before you whirl-up a bitch-fest.

Again, again, more reviews. This time, we've got a few sequels, a collection of games and zombies. Lots and lots of zombies. Let's do this.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Announced [UPDATED]

UPDATE: Amazon has posted what appears to be a stand-in box art for the game, which simply uses the artwork available in the press kit, and is nothing more than the panoramic shot with the PS3 box art template thrown around it. Remember, Uncharted 2's box art was created using artwork that was released when the game was announced as well. Check it after the break.

Original Story: Oh yea. This is what I'm talking about. Sony, on their PlayStation.blog, just announced Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and that it will take place in the Arabian Deserts (along with a teaser video). Following the path of Indiana Jones, eh?

This time around, Naughty Dog "wanted to deal with the challenge of animating the fluid landscape", as to why they chose the desert setting. They're not just going with the desert to test their skills, oh ho ho ho, Drake & Co. will be searching for the "Atlantis of the Desert", or Iram (which has many different names). Sully will apparently be getting a bigger goddamned role, which has me gitty for more interlaced blasphemous deliciousness.

Naughty Dog will be on hand on Jimmy Fallon's late night show on Monday, December 13, to give a live demo of the game. Entertainment Weekly's December 17 issue will also feature "a ton of additional details on UNCHARTED 3 and the new art shown above in glorious, full color print."

The game doesn't have a projected release window, but judging by the other games (and seeing as it's announced at the tail end of this year), I'm assuming a Fall 2011 release date.

I will kill myself before the game comes out, the anticipation is that bad. In the meantime, check out a glorious artwork panoramic of Drake and another crashed plane.

[Via PlayStation.blog]

Mortal Kombat Getting Platform Specific Characters?

According to a recent Tweet by Cliff Bleszinski, that's what we're all thinking now:

"Clay Carmine for exclusive 360 character in the new MK would be an AWESOME contrast to Kratos."

It would be an awesome contrast to Kratos. Imagine, Carmine from Gears of War beating the shit out of Scorpion, or vice versa.

....

Wait, what?

"AWESOME contrast to Kratos"? Did I just read that right? Since when was Kratos confirmed as a playable character in Mortal Kombat? I did some digging, and apparently, it's the new hot rumor coming from the magazines, this time, Official PlayStation Magazine. There are no scans or images, but the rumor is Kratos is the PS3-exclusive character, similar to how Soul Calibur 2 was handled so many years ago, where Sony pretty much was shitted on, considering they got Heihachi from Tekken ("Hey, let's put a fisti-cuffs guy in a weapons-based fighter! Here here, Joe Bob!").

No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise Coming Stateside in 2011

Earlier this year, Japan got No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise, and HD-ification of the first No More Heroes game. Shortly after it was announced, Ubisoft came out saying they would not publish the title in the US, so a localization immediately stopped there.

Until today.

Konami has come out of the woodwork and has officially announced Heroes' Paradise will be coming to the US, exclusively to the PS3 with Move support (hot damn). This has me very excited, as now, I can sell my Japanese copy, stop trying to play it, and hopefully, it will be better localized with better controls on the DualShock's side of the equation, with Terminex working with them to get rid of all the damned bugs.

No release date is set in stone as of yet, asides from the cryptic "2011". Maybe we'll see a release of it on the anniversary of the Japanese release date, which was April 15. One can only hope...

[Via PlayStation.blog]

Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia HD Trilogies Planned? [UPDATED]

[UPDATE] Amazon France has removed the Splinter Cell Trilogy page (the original trilogy's page for Windows exists, but not the PS3 page). The Prince of Persia page is still active.

[UPDATE 2] And just like that, the Prince of Persia page has disappeared. Gamescon is just around the corner, folks...

Yes, you are thinking correctly. There is evidence towards and HD compilation of the last-gen entries in Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia. This is two off my wanted list.

Entries on Amazon's French page point towards "Splinter Cell Trilogy" and "Prince of Persia Trilogy", both for 40 Euros (about $53 USD), both on November 2, and, the most surprising detail, both exclusive to the PS3.

That's not a typo, both are listed only for the PS3. Splinter Cell has been a multiplatform series up until Conviction, and Prince of Persia has never held any system preference prior. It, honestly, doesn't make sense to release a Splinter Cell HD Trilogy for the PS3 when the PS3 doesn't even have the newest entry (or, this could foreshadow a Conviction PS3 release). Unless Sony paid Ubisoft off, then there really is no need to limit these upconversions to one platform. Then again, each game would probably need it's own disc on the 360, increasing the cost of the game to Ubisoft, which defends the reasoning behind the PS3-exclusivity.

Bringing said entries to a system like the PS3 begins rumors of online multiplayer, but if the God of War and Sly Cooper Collections are anything to compare to, you're just looking at getting pretty graphics and a slew of Trophies. I do love me some Trophies.

I'm not complaining, I have a PS3, and I will buy these, whenever they come out for whichever system I damn well so choose. What I do see is that Sony could be banking on God of War Collection's success and the incredible interest in these HD ports of last-gen's biggest games and create their own line of said HD ports; a sub-brand of the PS3, if you will. By snagging exclusive rights to these collections would definitely secure Sony's interest in creating such a brand.

[Via TheSixthAxis]
[Splinter Cell Trilogy at Amazon.fr, via Google Translate]
[Prince of Persia Trilogy at Amazon.fr, via Google Translate]

[ANALYSIS] Microsoft Prices Out "Cost of Ownership" For Motion Gaming

You've gotta love this one. After Major Nelson posted the official pricing for Kinect, gamers began criticizing Microsoft's expensive approach. Well, Microsoft was quick with the Reggie-style graphs, and cranked out these lovely beauties (originally spotted on Kotaku):

First, we see Microsoft trying to justify the price of Kinect. They say that Kinect is cheaper for a new system owner across all three systems. They undercut Nintendo by $60, and Sony by a whopping $210. That's not all.

Here, they take on existing system owners, which I fall into (for all three). Kinect is just $10 shy of Nintendo, where as Sony is a full next-gen game above Microsoft. Let's delve past through the corporate bullshit and get some rectifying done.