Does Killzone 2 have a release date?
While the original Killzone may not have been the "Halo killer" some overzealous chaps had predicted it to be, it was still a solid shooter which deserves to get the franchise treatment. We’ve all been eagerly awaiting the announcement of a release date for the hotly anticipated Killzone 2, but thus far both Sony and Guerilla Games have kept quiet on the details. The cone of silence may be lifting though, as word is starting to circulate that we should all look forward to the game on February 17.
The first hint on the release date of Killzone 2 was casually tossed out during a recent On the Spot episode (fast forward to 32 minutes to get the goods). GameSpot’s premonition seems to be backed up by GameStop, who also have the game slated for a Feb 17 release. There is a dissenter in the ranks though, as Amazon has pegged the game for an earlier release, citing February 1 as the magic day.
So far, the only thing Sony is willing to cop to is that they are "eyeing" a February release for the game, but won’t divulge a specific date. Still, signs strongly point to the game dropping on the 17th, so you may want to circle that one on your calendars. Of course, that’s the same day Street Fighter IV comes out, so make sure you’ve saved up enough cash to buy at least two games on that fateful day.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Very Likely
Is Sony stealing user ideas for LittleBigPlanet?
The main tenets behind the PS3 exclusive LittleBigPlanet are creativity and community. Sony and Media Molecule see the game as a sort of open platform where users can come and let their imaginations run wild, then share their masterpieces with the world. To further encourage this spirit of getting everyone in on the action, Sony sponsored a costume contest before the game was released, with the winners seeing their creations digitized and released for the game itself as free DLC. All is not well in the LittleBigPlanet garden though, as now Sony is facing charges of theft from members of the community.
At issue is the recently released Shark suit, which users are claiming looks an awful lot like one of the non-winning contest entries, and that Sony is now simply culling the supplied entrants for ideas they can rip off without any form of compensation or acknowledgement. The costume at issue is detailed here, and there seem to be some distinct similarities if I do say so myself.
Sony, of course, denies any wrongdoing and claims the whole thing is simply coincidence. Their stance is that due to the sheer volume of entries received in the costume contest, some would surely overlap with what the company had already been planning to do on their own. Furthermore, Mr. PR Man assures the community that if Sony were to ever "draw inspiration" from one of the user-submitted costumes then the person responsible would receive the proper recognition.
So who do you believe here? We’re honestly pretty torn about this one, as both sides have valid arguments. Still, we’re going to side with the little guy this time, because Sony doesn’t really need our pity.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Somewhat Likely
Are GameStop and EA planning a subscription games service?
Do you love sports games? I mean really love them? Are you such a devoted fan that you buy every NFL, PGA, NCAA, MLB, NBA, and NASCAR game every year, regardless of how marginal the improvements are from year to year? If so, then you may be interested in the new subscription service EA and GameStop seem to be mulling over.
According to the source, the gigantic publisher and retail titan are teaming up to create a "Season Pass" card which, for $20 up front, will grant you a 33% discount on all new EA Sports titles purchased that same year. That’s a savings of roughly $20 per game (assuming you buy the PS3 or Xbox 360 versions at $60 a pop), so if you buy two sports games in a given year you’ve already come out ahead. Sounds like you can’t lose.
Actually, it’s the fact that this seems too good to be true that makes us believe it likely is. Thus far, the program only exists in the form of market research, so it’s hard telling if anyone is actually giving any serious thought to the program. Furthermore, I can’t imagine a retailer and publisher being this generous with a discount program, not when I already pay $15 for an Edge card and still only get 10% off used games. While this could ultimately be a pretty sweet deal for sports gamers, we’ll believe it when we see it.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Unlikely
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