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Soul Calibur III to (not) come to the 360?
In the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, it was rumored that Soul Calibur III would be making its way to the Xbox 360 as a special edition next spring, with "prettier scenery... and at least one or two exclusive characters," but probably no online play. (What-even with next-gen Live?) Contrary to this hearsay, however, comes word from netjak.com that Namco reps who have spoken to the series creator specifically about this issue have denied any plans for a 360 version of SCIII, special edition or not. Rumors are rumors, but prospective 360 owners who love their 3D fighters are hoping the Soul series creator is seriously out of touch this time (or simply very good at keeping secrets). SCIV wouldn't be a bad consolation prize, though. [Thanks, Martez]
The skinny on Soul Calibur III's music man
Pro-G recently scored a Q&A session with Junichi Nakatsuru, the sound director for Soul Calibur III. They discuss everything from playing trombone in a high school brass band to the future of gaming music. The highlight of course, is when Nakatsuru reveals his most embarrassing musical moment... playing the air keyboard at a live concert after his equipment malfunctioned. [Thanks, JamesO]
Namco launches Soul Calibur III site
Namco have launched the official site for their latest game in the Soul Calibur series, Soul Calibur III. The flash site gives a rundown of the game's story (obviously not the biggest concern for fighting games), custom character creation function as well as video clips of the game in action. The title will be available exclusively on the PlayStation 2 platform from October 25th this year. So if you wanted to know Soul Calibur fighter Taki's height and favorite weapon (it's two ninja swords by the way) then get on over to the flashy flash site.
Soul Calibur III non-exclusive?
UPDATE: As of 10:13 or so, GameStop has taken down the link. So the mysterious, I suppose will linger on a bit longer until an official announcement is made. Thanks, CapAmerica for the tip. A few very observant readers have noted that GameStop is now accepting pre-orders for Soul Calibur III on the Xbox (which, it claims, will be playable on Xbox Live). No release date is set (though the PlayStation 2 version is still scheduled for October 25th), and there is no confirmation from Namco on whether or not this is true or just wishful thinking on GameStop's part. I'd bet it's true, since the game sold pretty well on all three consoles (no word on a GameCube port just yet) and Namco is a company, so naturally it's going to want a profit. Sony might get an exclusive on the game for a few months, but never fear - sooner or later it's bound to hit at least one other console. [Thanks, master x 24 and Efren Abrego]
Soul Calibur 3 details on the official site
The news is buried in a Japanese interview, so we must depend on Game Informer's crack-team of translators to do the dirty work. Apparently, the game's producer, Hiroaki Yotoriyama, verified the Playstation 2 exclusivity. He also said there won't be any "extra" characters, so you Michael Jackson fans can just put your hopes away in that dark drawer over there. Oh, and no online play. Great news all around!
Soul Calibur 3 revealed on Gamespot
It's been verified. The best fighter of all time will soon have a third chapter. Soul Calibur 3 will introduce a slew of new characters, new modes, a new story that may actually make sense this time (hey, we can hope) and an exclusive home. That's right, as we posted earlier, Soul Calibur 3 will be a Playstation 2 title only. At least at first. It's surprising to see a sequel so soon after the second installment. It makes us wonder how well the last one did on the shelves. Anyone have an idea?
Soul Calibur III to be PS2 exclusive?
Sorry, Link/Spawn, you're gonna have to sit this one out. Apparently, an article in GamePro magazine has reported that Sony and Namco have arranged for the third iteration of the brilliant Soul Calibur franchise to be solely exclusive to the PlayStation 2. There had been rumors prior to this that Dante would show up for duty as a playable character for the PS2 version of Soul Calibur III (no offense, Heihachi), though there have also been rumors that a version of Soul Calibur for Nintendo DS was in the works. Of course, there's a chance that all of these rumors may be correct. After all, nowadays when developers label a game as "exclusive," the footnotes usually read "for about the next six months or so." There's a chance that Namco may just be making Xbox, Gamecube, DS, and perhaps even PSP owners wait until 2006 for their daily recommended amount of fighting game goodness. Aside from that, the article also divulged a few other details concerning Soul Calibur III. According to reports, the game will feature around 25 playable characters, three of them totally new to the franchise. On top of this, the game may also feature a full-fledged character creator. Two other modes, Soul Arena mode and Museum mode, were also announced, though their respective functions are anyone's guess. There's also a murmur that the title may not feature online compatibility, though Namco'd be hard pressed to include one should an Xbox version of Soul Calibur III surface. Come to think of it, an energy sword-wielding Master Chief would make such a kickass exclusive character.
Dante joins the Soul Calibur 3 lineup
According to a recent interview with Namco producer, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Devil May Cry's leading man, Dante, could wind up in Soul Calibur 3 for the PS2. Reportedly, Capcom borrowed the Soul Calibur 2 engine for a boss fight in the upcoming Devil May Cry 3. In return, Namco requested the rights to use Dante in the next Soul Calibur sequel to "appease" fans. We could be wrong, but we're assuming PS2 owners will find that Dante is an infinitely more rewarding bonus character than-no disrespect-Heihachi. [Thanks, Don]
