Kingdom Hearts 3 Announcement Coming Next Month?
Back when I first played Kingdom Hearts I, like many others, assumed it would be an affront to mankind and would quickly find itself consigned to bargain bins and whatever other place awful game ideas go to die. All the elements sounded awful; Final Fantasy characters melded with Disney mainstays, and combat which featured an over-sized key, a shield, and a duck with a speech impediment casting spells? Seemed like a sure fire flop; all we had to do was sit and wait for the inevitable crash and burn.
But then a funny thing happened and the game actually turned out to be great. All these disparate parts somehow came together to craft a truly memorable experience, which I suppose is a testament to the abilities of Square-Enix and the deep-seeded nostalgia that rests in all our hearts for classic Disney animated films. Ever since that initial success, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has been steamrolling along, producing quality content and massive sales with every new version. Now it looks like Sora and company are ready to strike again, as word has leaked that Sony will be showcasing the game at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show.
According to a brief blurb in this month’s Official Playstation Magazine:
"Kingdom Hearts 3 is currently in development as a PS3-exclusive and will be announced at TGS.”
Short, sweet, and straight to the point, it looks like we’ll be getting our first look at this eagerly anticipated sequel very soon.
Sadly, the tease doesn’t give us any info on how far along the game is in development or a release date, but since this is an initial announcement, it’s likely that we still have a while to go before we see this one on store shelves. Also, don’t forget that Square-Enix is notorious for delays, so even if a release date is announced you probably shouldn’t get your hopes up right away.
As for the rumor itself, this one seems pretty cut-and-dried. Considering this is an announcement from Sony coming out in their official publication, there’s no reason to believe the game won’t be shown at TGS. Kingdom Hearts fans rejoice; juicy details on your drug of choice will be coming very, very soon.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Confirmed
New Achievements for Halo 3?
It’s not like you need any more reason to play Bungie’s magnum opus starring Master Chief, but it looks like that’s what the company may be offering anyway. According to a certain spy at PAX, Bungie is set to roll out a whole slew of new Achievements with the upcoming Mythic update.
The new Achievements would total a whopping 750 points, shattering the typical ceiling of 250 set by Microsoft. Still, if the company is going to break their own rules for any game, you know it’s going to be Halo.
The fact that there is a comprehensive list of the new Achievements is impressive enough, but information like that could be easily dreamed up by a passionate Halo fan and simply written off as wishful thinking. No, this particular spy knew what he (or she) was doing, and managed to snap a few pics to show that this rumor is the real deal. While we still haven’t heard an official statement from Microsoft or Bungie on these suspicious screens, it seems like all the proof is there, and confirming the information is all but a formality now.
Of course, the larger question still remains: what is Mythic?
TGR Verdict: Very, Very Likely
Grand Theft Auto on the Wii?
During the buildup to Grand Theft Auto 4, it was a widely accepted notion that there was no way that game could run on the Wii. Sure, you could have done a stripped-down, neutered version of the saga of Niko Bellic, but it wouldn’t have looked or felt even remotely like the PS3 or Xbox 360 experience. Furthermore, with the Wii’s stigma of being the "casual" console, many thought there was no way a Grand Theft Auto game could ever perform on the system, even considering the console’s popularity and the franchise’s massive fan base.
Still, the two powerhouses might come together after all, as Take-Two CEO Ben Feder hinted in a recent interview that a Wii version just might be in the works. When talking about his company’s partnership with Nintendo on the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Feder stated the following:
“We’ve spent an enormous amount of time and effort working with Nintendo. We’re very proud of the partnership. GTA: Chinatown Wars is an important step [in that partnership]…and we intend to continue to grow that relationship.”
While not an outright promise to make a Wii-themed Grand Theft Auto, how else do you "grow a relationship" with Nintendo other than putting your biggest franchise on their exceptionally hot console? We believe this isn’t a case of if, but rather when a Grand Theft Auto game happens, and the real question will be if it’s a port of Grand Theft Auto 4, or a brand new experience altogether. This rumor may not be confirmed in the traditional sense, but if something doesn’t happen, I’ll be shocked.
TGR Verdict: Very Likely
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