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Need for Speed: Most Wanted coming to Wii U in 2013
Criterion Studio's fuel-injected, open-world playground in Need for Speed: Most Wanted has joined the likes of Batman: Arkham City and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 as yet another current-gen title that will also make its way to the Wii U."In 2013, Nintendo fans will be able to experience what it means to be Most Wanted amongst their friends on the Wii U," EA told Polygon. The announcement came after the game was spotted in a list of pending European Wii U titles, tucked inside Nintendo's recent financial statement. No further information regarding potential Wii U-exclusive features was available, nor was a more specific release window. Think someone will make a WiiPad steering wheel?
Linden Lab preps four releases for November
The boys and girls of Linden Lab are expanding their operation. Rapidly expanding, as it turns out. The Second Life studio announced that it has not one, not two, not three, but four titles scheduled for release in November. We've already heard about the first, which is the Minecraft-wannabe Patterns, but the others are just now being revealed. The second is the iPad-only (for now) Creatorverse, which allows users to draw shapes, have them interact via physics, and then share them on the cloud. The final two are Dio, a room creator, and Versu, a storytelling toolset. Linden Lab CEO Rod Humble affirmed that Second Life will remain important to the studio, but it will need to make room for all of the new children coming into the family.
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD gets weird on Vita by 'mid-November'
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is scheduled to hit Vita in mid-November at the latest, Just Add Water tells Eurogamer. Stranger's Wrath HD was initially set to launch in June, but by August was delayed to "very soon."The HD version of Abe's Oddysee – now titled New 'n' Tasty – is planned for launch in Q4 2013, headed for Xbox Live and PSN, with a PC version later on.
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R coming to Japanese Vitas in 2013
Either Arc System Works is reinvigorating the public's awareness of its Guilty Gear brand for some nefarious purpose, or someone over there must have started reading all of my letters. At any rate, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R will be coming to the PlayStation Vita sometime in 2013.Not to be confused with Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, which is coming to Japanese PS3 and XBLA sometime this October, Accent Core Plus R is the revised version of Accent Core Plus will hit Japanese arcades near the end of this month.I played a quick round of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R while visiting Arc System Works' booth at the Tokyo Game Show and am thrilled to report that the port feels very solid. Framerates were consistent and my old Sol Badguy bread-and-butter combos came off without a hitch. As is the case with Guilty Gear announcements these days, no information was available regarding a North American launch. Time to write another letter, I guess.%Gallery-166132%
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus hits Japanese PSN/XBLA this Oct.
During a visit to the Arc System Works booth at the Tokyo Game Show, we discovered that the XBLA and PSN versions of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus will be launching sometime in October, provided you live in Japan.This revamped re-release -- of a revamped re-release of a revamped re-release -- will be available for ¥1,500/1,200 MS Points, depending on your platform of preference. Our booth visit also yielded this collection of screenshots, which conjures up nostalgic memories of after-school Grave Digger loops, mini-Faust hijinks and I-No's provocative finishing pose.%Gallery-166123%
Shin Megami Tensei IV coming to 3DS in 2013, here's its debut trailer
You wouldn't know it from looking at it, but that video up there is actually off-screen handicam footage of a 3DS' screen. Right? As it turns out, the debut trailer for Shin Megami Tensei IV was tucked away inside the 3DS re-release of Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, which doesn't actually come out in Japan for a couple more days.Things look bleak in SMTIV, what with all the destruction and desolation and chilly-lookin' weather and everything, but gameplay and/or story details remain scarce on account of our inability to speak or read Japanese. At any rate, we do at least know that the game will be out sometime next year.
Battlefield 3 'Aftermath' DLC in December, 'End Game' in March
Battlefield 3's "Aftermath" DLC pack, leaked way back when and then finally confirmed but a day ago, will find itself in the hands of capable soldiers the world over come December, according to this Battlefield Premium hype page.The site's calendar also officially acknowledges and dates BF3's "End Game" DLC pack for March of 2013. Both packs are said to contain four new maps, new unspecified weapons, equally new and equally unspecified vehicles, and "more." While Battlefield Premium subscribers gain access to DLC content two weeks earlier than regular folk, we expect the December and March launch windows to apply to both categories of people, provided the Premium launches aren't near the tail end of either month.
Phantasy Star Online 2 coming to NA and EU early next year [update: it's official!]
Looking forward to getting your grubby mitts on some hot Phantasy Star Online 2 action? Those in the west may have to be patient, but there's now a finish line in sight: Sega announced that PSO2 will hit North America and Europe in early 2013. According to the PR, producer Satoshi Sakai says that the wait will be worth it: "The number one thing we want to provide players in Phantasy Star Online 2 is an adventure that changes every time they log in. Just as great table-top RPG experiences revolve around imaginative and unexpected encounters, we want players to consistently be surprised as they explore dungeons and undertake quests." Phantasy Star Online 2 launched in Japan this past week. [Thanks to Tom for the tip!]
New Monster Hunter 4 trailer outs Spring 2013 Japanese release window
Despite the fact that its monsters have been rather quiet since we first heard about them during last year's Tokyo Game Show, Monster Hunter 4 not only still exists, but it even has a "Spring 2013" Japanese release window, according to Andriasang's translation of Famitsu's breakdown of the above trailer.The trailer also shows off the 3DS title's grand and/or sweeping vistas, dragonish and monkey-esque monsters, gross squishy bugs and adorable little dinosaur guys, as well as all the running, jumping and climbing things that our hero will be doing on his way to kill anything bigger than he is. Sadly, there is still no word on a North American release window.
SimCity building into your personal life February 2013
A press release (available after the break) detailing Electronic Arts' full E3 line-up has revealed a launch window for Maxis' forthcoming reboot of SimCity: February, 2013. Previously, we were left to ponder over a woefully vague "2013" release window for the reboot.Knowing that SimCity's launch won't happen until next year is actually super helpful, as it gives us plenty of time to collaborate with city planners, come up with street names, figure out efficient public transportation solutions and then construct a golden throne from which to watch it all burn.
38 Studios' Project Copernicus to release in June 2013, says RI governor
It is not every day that a U.S. governor is the one to announce the launch window for an MMO, so savor the weirdness while you can: Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee announced at a press conference that 38 Studios will be releasing code-name Project Copernicus next summer. "What I understand is Copernicus is June of '13," Chafee said. He also stated that he thought the financial deal was a "risky enterprise" from the start. 38 Studios Founder and Chairman Curt Schilling said on Facebook that rumors of his using the state funds to repay his personal investment in the company was "not true." In a separate post, Schilling attempted to set an optimistic tone: "We will find a way, and the strength, to endure." We have been following the financial turmoil that 38 Studios is in following its default on paying back Rhode Island for its $75 million loan. The studio and state are looking for options, but in the meanwhile, 38 Studios has been struggling to make payments by holding back employee paychecks and seeking additional capital from private investors.
New Super Mario Bros. 2 also hits North America this August
The Japanese release of New Super Mario Bros. 2 this August will be mirrored by a semi-simultaneous release here in the colonies, according to a press release issued by Nintendo of America after last night's Nintendo Direct event.The full PR, available after the break, calls New Super Mario Bros. 2 a "traditional side-scrolling adventure game" designed "specifically as a pick-up-and-play experience." Judging from these new screenshots below, "traditional" seems like a very apt description – granted, we're intrigued by what appears to be the return of Raccoon Mario, the original flying power up.%Gallery-153735%
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 hits North American consoles in September with over 50 characters
Namco Bandai's punch-filled, alliteration-heavy Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be making its way onto consoles this September, much earlier than the "Holiday 2012" release window originally announced during Spike TV's Video Game Awards last December.The console version will be based on Tekken Unlimited Tag Tournament 2 and will feature some of the additions that game brought to the series, such as one-on-one and one-on-two matches. Additionally, a new "Pair Play" mode will allow four players to participate in the same tag battle, ala Mortal Kombat, while the "Fight Lab" training mode has been designed to teach beginners the basics while providing useful practice tools for series veterans.Beyond new modes of play, the console version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will also launch with over 50 fighters, compared to the 44 available in the arcade version. Here's hoping Gon somehow makes the cut. We miss that little guy.
Todd McFarlane says Project Copernicus is coming this year
Gamers got their first look at the Kingdoms of Amalur universe in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning earlier this year, but we here at Massively are still anxiously awaiting more details on 38 Studios' MMO branch of the setting, Project Copernicus. Thankfully, it looks like we won't have to wait too much longer. In an interview with START, comic artist extraordinaire Todd McFarlane, who is providing art design for Copernicus, nonchalantly dropped news that the studio is aiming to release Project Copernicus "later in the year." He doesn't expound any further on when exactly we can expect to get our hands on the game, but with any luck we'll be getting some more details before long, so stay tuned folks. Oh, and the full interview is embedded past the cut in case you'd like to watch the full thing. The relevant quote hits at about the 11:50 mark, but the full interview is definitely worth a watch. [Thanks to John for the tip!]
The Walking Dead to hit a horde of platforms, starting in April
Telltale's The Walking Dead is coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Mac and iOS, with the first episode dropping in April, IGN reports. The Walking Dead will consist of five episodes in total, each following "regularly" after the first launch -- at least, about as regularly as a group of shambling* zombies can be expected to move.*One editor specifically commanded us to not use the word "shambling" in the headline of this story. However, he neglected to say anything about the body copy. Enjoy.
Persona 4 Arena's release window narrowed to August 2012
Persona 4 Arena, Atlus and Arc System Works' confrontational extension of the Persona universe, was announced two weeks ago with a rather vague "summer" release window for its North American launch on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Apparently that meant "the tail end of summer," as Atlus has specified a slightly more specific August, 2012 window on the PlayStation Blog.When it does launch, the game will include the prerequisite Online mode, as well as a console-only Story mode, which Atlus is attempting to populate with the English voice actors used in Persona 3 and Persona 4. In situations where English actors aren't available, we always recommend using Scottish or Welsh actors as a substitute. Their geological proximity to England often gives them a familiarity with local dialects that can be useful when replicating an accent. ... Oh, English.
THQ still planning on WAR40K launch in fiscal 2014
It seems as if the recent brouhaha over THQ's future was a bit overblown, as were concerns about the fate of the firm's Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online MMO. Our sister site reports that DMO is on track for "fiscal 2014 and beyond" based on a THQ earnings report released today. We consulted our corporate-speak decoder rings and determined that fiscal 2014 translates to April 2013, which puts the launch window slightly behind the original target date, according to Joystiq. Last month THQ debunked a rumor tweeted by Kevin Dent that had the firm canceling its entire 2014 catalog and prepping for a firesale. Gamespot, meanwhile, is reporting that THQ is actively seeking publishing partners for the game.
End of Nations not launching in 2011, aiming for 2012
If the end of the world happens in 2012, then End of Nations might be the cause. Or effect. Or just an innocent bystander. In any case, Trion Worlds' MMORTS has moved its projected release window from late 2011 to sometime next year. The news came at this past weekend's Eurogamer Expo 2011, where Trion demoed the game live to an excited crowd. The studio also showed off some of the in-game store options that players have to pick from, including unit colors and skins. End of Nations will be free-to-play with these optional microtransactions, but Trion promises that there will be no way for players to "pay to win." Trion was mum when asked about End of Nations' beta at the expo. The studio announced last month that the title would be going free-to-play from the get-go, a move that it hopes will draw in prospective armchair generals by the droves.
End of Nations to end nations in 2012
2012 is right around the corner, you guys, and as if global pandemics and earth-shattering astronomical events weren't enough to look forward to, Trion has told Eurogamer that we should all expect an End of Nations as well. Originally slated for a 2011 release, Trion's free-to-play meta-MMO/RTS is now set to launch sometime before the end of the world in 2012. This news follows an exhibition of the title at Eurogamer Expo 2011, where Trion also stated that items purchased through microtransactions will be relegated to cosmetic duty, as the title is not "pay to win."
Moonlight Online launching by the end of 2011
All right, fang gang, prepare to get your vamp on -- Moonlight Online is coming to a PC or coffin near you by the end of 2011. Moving to capitalize on the final Twilight films, IGG announced that Moonlight Online will be launching its own version of vampires and werewolves before too long. Moonlight Online isn't just about well-worn horror concepts, but fresh ideas as well, such as strategic empire building, epic love stories, combat on the move, and fantastic creatures. According to the forums, there will also be dynamic weather patterns that will shape the game world, throwing zones from a blizzard to an idyllic summer day as the seasons progress. If you haven't already, make sure to sink your teeth into our dev diary, which gives a good overview of the game. We also have our very first look at in-game screenshots of Moonlight Online, which you can view in the gallery below! %Gallery-107318%
