Microsoft to announce two new IPs?
2008 was a great year for the Xbox 360, with great sales in America and Europe, and Japan finally warming up to the console with increasing sales throughout the year. Third party publishers showed amazing software sales, with games such as Call of Duty: World at War and Guitar Hero: World Tour, and big-name exclusives sold millions and gained great critical success with the likes of Fable 2 and the monster sequel Gears of War 2 leading the way. The question that is on everyone’s lips, though, is what has Microsoft got up its sleeve for 2009? With Sony having an amazing looking range of exclusives, what has MS got to counter them? We all know about Halo Wars and Halo ODST but neither will pack the punch of a full and proper Halo game e.g. Halo 4. With Alan Wake’s release still shrouded in as much mystery as the game itself, MS hasn’t really got anything to say to potential consumers to entice them. As Microsoft has always said, the company only shows games when they’re nearly ready, and it looks like they may be announcing two new games very soon.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, MS has at least two new properties that have been in development for quite some time. “We’ve always focused our attention in the year of operation concerned, I would safely say that our community will see at least two new games being announced exclusive to the Xbox 360 console by the end of Q1 2009.”
What these games are at the moment is anyone’s guess but according some diggin done by v4vg.com one game could be an online fighter based on a very popular franchise, and the other is rumoured to be an action/adventure game from one of their internal teams. Now when it comes to the fighting game, only one name pops into my mind straight away. I’m almost afraid to say it to avoid getting everyone’s hopes up, but Microsoft has been looking for a Killer game, and going by my Instinct we could be getting a very popular reveal very soon. Did you see what I did there? We have had this certain game in Rumor Killers a few times, each with more and more convincing evidence that it could be real. Screw it I’m just going to come out and say it…Killer Instinct 3! Please let this be true; if this were the only MS release all year I would be happy. As for the action/adventure, we don’t know what it is or which team is working on it, but it seems Microsoft wants its own Uncharted-like game. Who blames them? Uncharted is still one of the best games on the PS3.
There is no denying that MS needs to announce some exclusive games to keep gamers and potential buyers happy and there is no denying that MS will announce them soon. What they are is still anyone’s guess but as I mentioned above, all our hopes are on a Killer reveal. Expect these announcements at GDC 2009, just as Gears 2 was announced last year.
TGR Rating: Highly Likely
Is Sony readying a new Syphon Filter for PS3?
Syphon Filter is one of many gems that graced Sony’s PlayStation back in 1999. Developed by Eidetic, now named Sony Bend Studios, this third-person action game had players take control of Gabriel Logan while he tries to take down Erich Rhoemer, an international terrorist. The game was released with much critical success back then and has since spawned multiple releases across the PS1, PS2, and most recently, the PSP. Lately we haven’t heard much around the Syphon Filter universe, because Bend Studios has been busy developing Resistance Retribution for the PSP…until now, that is.
While doing my weekly browsing over on the very informative Gamasutra job listings, I noticed something very interesting. Sony Computer Entertainment is looking for a Senior Game Tools Programmer to join their Bend Studios team, of Syphon Filter heritage. Now you could say this could just be for another PSP game (and usually you would be right), but this time it’s definitely for the PlayStation 3. How do we know that, you ask? They are asking for “PS3 or Xbox 360 experience” meaning they are finally going to make the jump to current gen technology. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be developing Syphon Filter PS3, but with the studio’s past development closely tied with that universe, it would be wise to think that this could be the game.
This would be awesome news if it was to come true, and we are betting that it will. The only problem is that it won’t be around for a while, probably late 2010, due to the company’s involvement with the Resistance PSP spin-off title. We have a strong feeling about this one and you can expect an announcement regarding this at this year’s E3.
TGR Rating: Highly Likely
SOCOM: Confrontation to receive DLC Soon?
SOCOM: Confrontation was touted as a great online-only PSN title when in development. Many people, including myself, had high hopes for this game. When I got into the private beta I couldn’t wait to get into the action. Sadly the beta was horrible, scaring me from getting the game. Reviews weren’t holding back, blasting the game for lacking features it promised, for horrible lag while playing, and for the inability to actually find a game; sadly, it was a mess around launch time last October. Thankfully, the game has been receiving loads of much-needed updates since then that have finally gotten the game fixed to the point it should have been upon launch.
But enough about the past; we here at TGR look at the future, and SOCOM: Confrontation’s future looks very promising. Why? Well, according to Ripten.com, a reliable source has filled them in on some possible DLC information for the online-only game. According to this source, the alleged DLC will include five new maps — three that are new to Confrontation, but not the SOCOM universe, and two that are new altogether. It will also contain new weapons, new attachments, and a new faction, which will be the Russians. That’s not all, either. They will be adding turrets to the maps, new character models, and two new game modes that are just for the new maps.
This isn’t a confirmation yet, but it does indeed seem very promising. One thing doesn’t seem right, though: why release DLC when they haven’t even released the game in Europe yet? European gamers haven’t even been able to play the game, 5 months after its release in America. We would rather see the core game released in Europe than have DLC just yet.
TGR Rating: Likely
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