| The big interview: Sony's Jim Ryan Posted: 14 Jun 2017 02:00 AM PDT  It's hard to argue with Sony's first half of 2017. The PlayStation 4 has enjoyed a number of exciting console exclusives, including Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nier Automata, Persona 5 and Nioh. But after watching Sony's E3 2017 media briefing this week, I couldn't help but feel the next six months look decidedly pedestrian in comparison. Rather than show off games due out in time for Christmas 2017, Sony focused on games due out in 2018 and, potentially, beyond. Under normal circumstances, this approach would have got the blood of the hundreds of thousands watching online pumping, but most of the games on show had already been announced. Sure, we got the announcement of a Horizon expansion, but Sony's briefing sparked the same question as Microsoft's: where were the big, triple-A blockbuster console exclusive game announcements? That wasn't the only hot topic to follow Sony's press conference. One of the stories that developed over the course of E3 week had to do with Sony's apparent refusal to play ball with other console makers for cross-platform play. Microsoft scored a PR win when it announced Minecraft would be playable cross-platform on PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Then Nintendo announced Rocket League with cross-platform play between PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Sony, it seems, doesn't want anything to do with it. Read more… |
| Sonic Forces lets you create your own anthropomorphic avatar Posted: 13 Jun 2017 05:00 PM PDT  Sonic Forces will reprise Sonic Generations' mix of old and new Sonic with the blue blur's contemporary model dashing through 3D courses while his rounder retro counterpart zips through side-scrolling stages. What's new this time around is you'll be able to create your own character in addition to the two versions of Sonic. The trailer below scrolls though the character creator pretty quickly, but it looks rather robust with options to change your upper, middle, and lower headgear, along with your gloves, shoes, body, body suit, and skin colour. We also catch a brief glimpse of Sonic's new nemesis at the end of this E3 trailer. It looks like some sort of... rat, maybe? Whatever it is, it's glowing red, levitates, and has a lightning bolt patch over one eye, so you know they mean business. Read more… |
| Life is Strange prequel's Max-based bonus episode is a Deluxe Edition exclusive Posted: 13 Jun 2017 02:58 PM PDT  Life is Strange's three-part episodic prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, will feature a bonus episode where you play as the first season's protagonist Max Caulfield. The bad news: this chapter will only be available to those who buy the game's Deluxe Edition. "We will still be giving you one final chance to play as Max through the self-contained bonus 'Farewell' episode, which takes place long before the events of Before the Storm," developer Deck Nine announced. "This stand-alone bonus episode, will release after episode 3, and is only available as part of the Deluxe Edition of Life is Strange: Before the Storm." Indeed, even the Complete Season and Season Pass (episodes two and three) won't include this flashback epilogue. Read more… |
| Level-5 acquires Keiji Inafune's company Comcept Posted: 13 Jun 2017 01:11 PM PDT  Ni No Kuni and Professor Layton developer Level-5 has acquired Comcept, the company founded by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune that co-developed such titles as Mighty No. 9, ReCore, and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. As reported by Famitsu (translated via Gematsu), the acquisition has led Inafune's company to rebrand itself as Level-5 Comcept. What this means is that Level-5 Comcept is a subsidiary of Level-5, effectively becoming its Osaka studio. Right now the team consists of about 15 people, though it's looking to recruit more, and the studio said it will work collaboratively with Level-5 CEO and president Akihiro Hino. Read more… |
| Sony defends decision to block PS4 cross-play with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch Posted: 13 Jun 2017 12:29 PM PDT  Sony has defended its decision to block cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One after coming under fire from gamers this week. During its E3 2017 media briefing, Microsoft announced that cross-platform play is coming to Minecraft, one of the biggest games in the world. It means Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC, mobile and VR Minecraft players can all play together. And today, Nintendo announced Rocket League, another of the world's biggest games, is coming to Nintendo Switch, and developer Psyonix confirmed cross-platform play between Xbox One, Switch and Steam. Read more… |
| Dawn of War 3 starts over with traditional RTS mode, turrets, and free skins Posted: 13 Jun 2017 11:27 AM PDT  About a month and a half after launch, Dawn of War 3 is making something of an about-turn. In an announcement made to the community forums, Relic has outlined a pretty drastic change of plans for its online play: the game will now feature an Annihilation mode - just like the first Dawn of War - which requires you to completely wipe out your opponent's key structures for victory; plus constructible turrets unique to each faction; a new map designed specifically for the mode; and some free skins, too. The update will go live on Tuesday, June 20th. In fact there are two Annihilation modes: Annihilation Classic, and Annihilation with Defenses. Classic is the traditionally vanilla RTS experience, whilst with Defenses will see turrets already constructed at various strategic points on the map, which should delight the turtlers out there. Read more… |
| Elite Dangerous will get 4K patch for Xbox One X launch Posted: 13 Jun 2017 08:58 AM PDT  Space-faring game Elite Dangerous will get a 4K patch for the Xbox One X's launch on 7th November. The game is being shown here in Los Angeles at E3, where Xbox One X was debuted just two days ago. "We will of course be embracing it at Frontier," Elite Dangerous director David Braben said in a statement to Eurogamer. "Elite Dangerous runs very well on the Xbox One X, in 1080p and in 4K, at launch." Read more… |
| Nightmare Before Christmas director bringing Little Nightmares to TV Posted: 13 Jun 2017 08:40 AM PDT  The director who brought stylised stop-motion films The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline to life, Henry Selick, will direct a pilot for a television series adaptation of video game Little Nightmares. Little Nightmares is the creepy platformer about a tiny girl navigating a big ship full of grotesque horrors. "A masterpiece of meat and malice," we wrote in our Little Nightmares review, "swiftly consumed but with a lingering aftertaste." According to the Hollywood Reporter, big shots Anthony and Joe Russo - the filmmakers behind the recent Captain America films and the upcoming Avengers film - will team with Henry Selick for the TV pilot. Selick may direct episodes beyond the pilot too. Sounds like a very good match! Read more… |
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