Final Fantasy XIII-2 wanted by Square Enix producer Kitase
A Final Fantasy XIII-2 sequel is definitely something that the developers would love to do, according to a new interview with producer Kitase and director Toriyama.
After an interesting discussion on how they view Final Fantasy XIII as more Western in the sense of drama and linear storytelling (they relate it to Call of Duty) instead of the typical Western-RPG, which is more freeform with open choice, the two FF big-shots are finally asked about the possibility of a sequel to Final Fantasy XIII.
“In the past three years we worked both on the world and on the various systems. Creating these systems isn’t very glamorous and can frankly be a bit boring. If we could do a XIII-2, we could direct all our attention to the story and refine what we have already built.”
“We do not know if there will be a XV. This depends a lot on the success of XIII. Also, it is difficult to pinpoint elements that are typical Final Fantasy. They are mostly invisible: part of the DNA of the game, that everyone recognizes as typical Final Fantasy. But if there is a XV, I hope the way we wrote our characters carries over. We strived to create believable people of flesh and blood. They are not robots. And they are not super heroes. I hope this humanity is something we will see again.”
Read the entire short Final Fantasy XIII interview for more on their thoughts.
No comments »God of War 3 alternate ending might be free DLC
Did you beat God of War 3 yet?
Well according to the developers of the game, the third God of War game actually had a much longer and different ending which had to be cut from the final game. Apparently the ending had way too many enemies and had to be severely trimmed down because it was simply too overwhelming for the development team to implement. Not including the issue of time and resources that would’ve had to be pumped into it to pull it off successfully.
So the end result was to cut the ending, so that they could concentrate those resources on the rest of the project. Speaking to Kotaku Talk Radio podcast, God of War 3’s director, Stig Asmussen, stated:
“There was a pretty large thing that we chopped from the ending that I had regrets about, but then something we added at the end that helps make up for it a little bit, and helps make it be more personal,” Asmussen said, speaking generically to avoid spoilers. “We had titan encounters in the game, we had a pretty big one planned for the end and we got pretty far with it it, but it was just one of those deals where we just had so much.”
Now it seems though, that this original ending might return as an alternate ending downloadable content! What’s more, it will be FREE. This is because the team had already pumped so much resources into it, that they could simply finish it up, and polish it off. And ta-da, new DLC!
“As far as DLC goes, it might be something we might think about getting out there someday,” Asmussen said. “The pieces are in place, the idea is written. If it’s something we put out there it would be something that would be free.”
He went on to say,
“Those things required so many resources and they’re so hard to work on. It was literally the hardest thing I’ve ever been involved with before in my life and we just couldn’t do more. We couldn’t,” Asmussen said. “It was to the point where we had to remove one just to invest time in the other ones that we had in the game, to get those right. We could have had more, and everything else would have suffered.”
Via Kotaku
Halo Reach release date is September 14, 2010?
Halo Reach’s release date may be September 14, 2010. This would be a worldwide release according to CVG.
This would also mark the final Bungie-developed Halo game to arrive two months before Activision’s Call of Duty 7 is expected to hit stores.
“It gives Halo enough time to maximize sales before CoD arrives,” said one senior trade source speaking to CVG. “Xbox 360 is pretty synonymous with Call Of Duty, so it makes commercial sense for Microsoft and Activision to agree both games won’t come out too close to one another.”
This fits nicely with Microsoft previously confirming that Reach would hit in Autumn. Our very own Ferry had guesstimated himself that the worldwide release for Halo: Reach would be around September 21st, as Halo games always get released mid to end September, he says.
Those looking to give Halo: Reach a try before it lands, will be able to do so on May 3rd via the Halo Reach beta. Which Bungie promises will offer Halo players gameplay they’ve never seen before.
Via CVG
Nintendo DS2 to be announced at E3 2010?
Will DS2 be announced at E3 2010?
According to a new article by CrushGear, the system is already in the hands of developers in some form or another. Or at the very least, developers are apparently already working on “DS2″ games. Which means the actual system’s reveal can’t be too far off right?
To quote:
“So here’s a quick rundown on what’s going on with the new Nintendo DS, tentatively called the DS2 but, knowing Nintendo, they’ll probably call it the WiiDSBoard2Screen or something.
The first improvement is an almost bezel-less set of two screens, so close together that they can act as one. It will also have an accelerometer and the dev kit is out and folks are currently working on games with an eye on an announcement at E3 and a 2010 release.
I’d like for Nintendo to move towards the Sony PSP Go model of digital game distribution, but I know better. Nintendo will be the last hardware maker to go that route.”
Via Crushgear
ModNation Racers release date is May 25, 2010, on PS3 and PSP
ModNation Racers has a release date of May 25, 2010 exclusively for PS3 and PSP announced Sony.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the game, ModNation Racers is quite possibly the most exciting kart racing game since Mario Kart, and is the latest game to be labeled “Play. Create. Share.” after LittleBigPlanet.
In the tradition of that game, everything in ModNation Racers is completely customizable and sharable with your friends online, from the karts you race to the characters that drive them to the tracks you race on. And all of it is done in a very slick manner with literally endless possibilities.
Not only was four-player split-screen multipalyer just confirmed as well, but a number of pre-order incentives were also revealed for those anticipating this hot racing game.
Depending on where you order from, Kratos, Nathan Drake and Ratchet & Clank will be playable characters for you to race as!
* Pre-order from GameStop and score Kratos and his Kart of Chaos!
* Pre-order from Amazon and race as Ratchet or Clank!
* Pre-order from Best Buy and score Nathan Drake and his Jungle Jeep!
On top of this, each pre-order gets an additional BONUS Mystery Mod and Kart package that include not just a special Mod and Kart, but additional accessories that you can use to make your own creations!
Exciting stuff! I personally cannot wait for this game as it looks like pure, unadulterated FUN!
Via PlayStation Blog
Perfect Dark N64 VS Xbox 360 comparison video
How does Perfect Dark HD Xbox Live compare to Perfect Dark N64? The video below will show you both versions and all the changes that Rare has made from the 2000 64-bit classic to the modern-day Xbox 360 remake.
Perfect Dark for Xbox Live Arcade finally releases today and fans will be overjoyed at all of the miraculous changes that have been made to the game. Finally the original N64 version will be fully realized without all of the limitations that held the game back at the start of the millennium due to the N64 hardware.
Fans of the game will recall not only how blurry and blocky the graphics were, but also how the game was nearly broken and unplayable in a variety of ways due to SEVERE framerate issues that kept most players from getting the most out of the game’s myriad of modes.
Thankfully, ALL of that has been addressed, from a solid 60 FPS framerate to rebuild graphics to online play to EIGHT PLAYER multiplayer, this is truly how the game was MEANT to be played.
In the video below, you can see comparison shots of the N64 version and the HD Xbox 360 version. Kudos to Rare!
Perfect Dark releases on the Xbox Live Marketplace today, March 17, for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).
Tales of Phantasia X announced as PSP remake of the original
The original Tales game, Phantasia, is being remade once again, and like last time, this one is being made for the PSP, revealed the Japanese Shonen Jump magazine.
This latest remake of the RPG classic that was originally released for the SNES, is being entitled Tales of Phantasia X (Tales of Phantasia Narikiri Dungeon X in Japan).
The game will most likely be released sometime this year and is specifically an updated version of the Game Boy Color remake of the original game. Which was released for the handheld way back in 2000.
Hit the link above to head to the official web-site which will give you a taste of the game’s music.
Via VG247
DiRT 3 is in development according to Codemasters
Dirt 3 has been confirmed as in development announced Vice President of publisher Codemasters, Gavin Cheshire, in an interview in which he spoke to Edge magazine.
The interview was discussing the state of the gaming industry today and how Codemasters has become the final big-name publisher out of the United Kingdom, which is definitely a sad state of affairs.
In response to the question, he revealed the existence of a third game in the racing series.
To quote:
“Really, it’s all about letting the teams just innovate. There’s some great stuff coming from Birmingham that’s going into Dirt 3, and obviously you’ve seen Bodycount. I guess in today’s world, every day you’re dealing with people from all over the world. So it’s a British company and the last bastion of British publishing, and there is some pride in that, but it doesn’t take control of your life. It’s about the culture we’ve created and making the best games you can. Dirt 2: brilliant game but it’s all American accents, so maybe we’re a little over the top with those. Maybe we should fly the flag a bit more.”
Via Edge
Torchlight 2 being considered by creators
Torchlight 2 is definitely on the radar say the creators of the first game, which has been a major hit.
Torchlight is an action RPG by developer Runic Games, and was released last October to critical acclaim. At the Game Developer’s Conference 2010, Torchlight picked up the award for “Best Debut Game”, for which two of the creators of the title were onhand to accept the award.
Backstage, Kotaku got to talk to them and during the video interview they made it known that there is DEFINITELY consideration for a sequel to their hit game, which was developed by a small team of about 15. Who have now become successful enough to own a REAL studio.
Definitely great to see small games like Torchlight succeeding. I almost bought it several times on Steam myself.
Via Kotaku
Crackdown 2 release date is July 6, 2010
Crackdown 2 has a release date of July 6, 2010 in the U.S. with dates of July 9th in Europe and July 8th in Asia, Australia and New Zealand; Exclusively for Xbox 360.
In Crackdown 2, Pacific City needs your help. Why? Because a new enemy has overrun the city and it’s time to restore law and order as an Agent by any means necessary in this exhilarating, open-world action game.
Developed by Ruffian Games Crackdown 2 is the sequel to the award-winning 2007 title, “Crackdown.” Offering cutting edge gameplay, Crackdown 2 will take multiplayer gaming to unprecedented heights, providing you and your friends with complete freedom to explore, destroy, and play your way as you restore justice to Pacific City.
To celebrate the road to launch, Ruffian Games invites fans to step into the world of “Crackdown 2” in the first video documentary, titled “Fun with Friends,” from a three-part series exploring different facets of the game.
“Fun with Friends” features interviews with Ruffian Games Creative Director Billy Thomson, Producer James Cope, Senior Engineer David Hynd and Senior Mission Designer Dean Smith as they discuss what it takes to design a living, breathing sandbox world with the most gripping multiplayer experiences yet, including 16-player PVP and 4-player co-op. The video documentary also shines a light on some of the extraordinary antics and mayhem that players can look forward to, including Renegade Orbs and the PVP mode called Rocket Tag, when they bring their personal brand of justice to Pacific City this July.
Here is the “Fun With Friends” documentary video.
