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The Witcher 3 on consoles can simulate world states, can't import Witcher 2 saves
On PC, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can import a Witcher 2 save file to "impact your playthrough" of the third entry, but on consoles CD Projekt is taking a different approach. In a roundtable interview Level Designer Miles Tost told Joystiq that The Witcher 3 will look to simulate world states based on decisions taken in an in-game conversation. "The way how it works is that the game on the consoles will ask you whether you want to simulate a specific state of the world, coming from previous games," Tost explained. "If you choose 'yes,' then you will get a special conversation at one part of the game - I don't want to spoil where it happens. It's basically a conversation with a character and the conversation is about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. And you can basically deny or confirm whatever [the character] has heard of whatever tales of [Geralt.] It's actually kind of a cute mechanic. If you don't want to simulate the state then this conversation doesn't take place."
On track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
There's an immediate intimacy to my first three or so hours with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and no, I don't mean the bare buttocks I see in one of the opening cut scenes. The third entry in CD Projekt's fantasy RPG series may offer a new open world that's umpteen times bigger than previous entries. Yet, following a story-driven tutorial, I end up losing myself to the very first landmark, the peasant village of White Orchard. It's a small riverside muddle of hovels, taverns and fields, its warm hues belying the deeper, darker stories within. There's the impulse to call my horse and gallop towards the horizon, but I find the village's multitude of side quests as welcoming as they are distracting, and certainly meaty enough to steer me away from temptation. Eventually I drag myself to the main quest and my first wild hunt of The Witcher 3, as I track and take on a huge, bloodthirsty griffin. But before all that, let's return to those buttocks...
Drive through this Project Cars trailer
Bandai Namco offered a new trailer for Project Cars today, the upcoming racing game from World of Speed and Need for Speed: Shift developer Slightly Mad Studios. In development for PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U, the game features both competitive and asynchronous online multiplayer as well as a "freeform career mode" in which players sign endorsements and complete historical challenges. It also supports Oculus Rift, the nVidia Shield and Sony's Project Morpheus on PC and PS4, respectively. Project Cars was delayed in October to March 2015 following a number of changes to the game's destined platform choices. Its Wii U version was revealed in January 2012, then Project Cars' Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were scrapped in November 2013. The PC, PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game are confirmed to launch on March 17 in North America and March 20 in Europe and Australasian regions, with the Wii U game set to arrive sometime this year. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dark Souls 2 prepares for expansion with free update
To prepare existing copies of Dark Souls 2 for the additions coming to the dark fantasy game in the Scholar of the First Sin expanded re-release, From Software will issue a free update on February 5. The list of changes included in the update is immense, but highlights include improved loading times on the PlayStation 3, longer-lived white phantoms, more consistently useful rewards during multiplayer combat, new item flavor text and the addition of the titular Scholar of the First Sin character. For a comprehensive list, see Bandai Namco's Tumblr. Since there are so many changes included in this update, the Dark Souls 2 servers will be brought down for maintenance on February 4 at 9AM EST. Barring any technical problems, the servers should be back up and running by 12PM EST. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin is scheduled to launch on April 7. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dragon Ball Xenoverse delayed to late February in Europe
Bandai Namco's self-insert fanfiction brawler Dragon Ball Xenoverse has shifted to a late February release date in Europe in an effort "to ensure the highest possible gameplay experience for our fans," the publisher states. In Dragon Ball Xenoverse, players guide a custom-created character through the Dragon Ball timeline, righting past wrongs and experiencing alternate takes on landmark series events. By fighting alongside familiar series characters, you'll unlock their moves and outfits for use in Xenoverse's campaign, and the characters themselves are playable in other included gameplay modes. Xenoverse is still on track to launch for the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PS3, and PC platforms via Steam in North America on February 17. A European release will follow on February 27. [Video: Bandai Namco]
Tekken 7 may allow two characters to fight from the same side
In a recent tweet, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada revealed a new feature being tested for Bandai Namco's upcoming 3D fighter Tekken 7. "BETA TESTING NOW> New Rendering Camera System "Both players can play on LEFT SIDE (or RIGHT SIDE) for TEKKEN7," Harada tweeted. Initially this idea seems confusing, but the image Harada included - which can be seen, in part, above - makes the new feature clear. Harada's team has linked two Tekken 7 arcade cabinets and programmed the game to rendered mirrored images centering on the two fighters for each display. The effect is that both players are fighting from the same side in the same, real-time match with data being shared between the two cabinets, hopefully with very little lag. However, the utility of this feature is questionable, especially for anyone outside of Japan. Players who prefer to fight from one side or the other may embrace the option (assuming it makes its way successfully through beta testing), but as the system requires an elaborate grafting of two undoubtedly pricey Tekken 7 arcade machines it will only appear in larger, well-funded arcades. Given the collapse of the arcade market in the West, this effectively renders the mirrored system exclusive to Japan and a few locations scattered throughout North America that might buy the system purely for its novelty. [Image: @Harada_Tekken]
Tekken 7 director reveals new fighter, tries to clear up Lucky Chloe confusion
A Saudi Arabian fighter by the name of Shaheen will be joining the Tekken 7 roster, according to a tweet made earlier this week by game director Katsuhiro Harada. There's little other information to go on, but Harada also notes that Shaheen's design and name were "inspired by foreign student[s] from Arabic counties and [the] Saudi embassy." If you're worried that negative reaction will keep Shaheen out of the West in the same way that the character Lucky Chloe was driven away, don't be; it turns out Harada was joking about that. Er, maybe. In response to Harada saying Lucky Chloe would be exclusive to EU and Asia regions and that he would make a musclebound skinhead for US players, an angry Twitter user turned out some harsh stereotypes of the Japanese. Harada responded with the following: "Many spammers/haters attacking us (That was an extreme prejudice and tons of dirty words. Of course I hate this happen), then I said just counter 'sarcasm/joke.'" It's hard to tell if Harada means that he was only joking about American stereotypes or if the joke he's referring to is Lucky Chloe's supposed region exclusivity (the language barrier doesn't help). When another Twitter user called him a "silly goose" and thanked him for releasing Lucky Chloe, Harada tweeted a winking smiley face with its tongue sticking out. So ... yes? [Image: Bandai Namco]
'Lords of the Fallen 2' in early stages of development
It looks like Bandai Namco's other brutally punishing action RPG, Lords of the Fallen, is getting a sequel. The news comes by way of developer CI Games executive producer Tomasz Gop, who confirmed on Facebook (and also to Eurogamer) that development on the sequel's "vision and concepts" has begun. Gop refers to the game simply as "Lords of the Fallen 2," though we fully expect a grim subtitle to be tacked on at some point. Lords of the Fallen 2: Dim Spirits, perhaps. Our own review of Lords of the Fallen praised the game's departures from the Dark Souls series, with which it shares a great deal, but ultimately found that "there comes a point at which it has no more tricks up its sleeve." [Image: Bandai Namco]
Praise the Sun: Dark Souls Steamworks update now available
Following a short delay, developer From Software has issued an update for the PC's Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition that replaces its native Games for Windows Live functionality with a full suite of Steamworks components. Additionally, from now until February 16, 2015, players will be able to transfer and update their original Dark Souls saves and achievements from Games for Windows Live to the new Steamworks version of the game. A full walkthrough on how to transfer your existing data is available on Steam. After February 16, the Steamworks version of Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition will become the default version of the game and save transfers will no longer be possible. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Naruto whips up Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 on PS4, Xbox One, PC
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is heading West next year for Xbox One, PS4 and Steam. Bandai Namco Europe described the coming Storm as a "final massive strike" from the cel-shaded brawler series, following last year's two million-selling entry. "The Storm series continues to be one of our most popular franchises and its leap to the new generation of hardware ensures that it won't stop now," said VP of IP Strategy Herve Hoerdt.
Bandai Namco on board with amiibo, One Piece gets Nintendo-themed costumes
Bandai Namco has signed on as the first third-party publisher to offer amiibo support with its recently launched Nintendo 3DS action game One Piece: Super Grand Battle X. Nintendo Everything (via a Shonen Jump magazine magazine scan captured at Arlong Park Forums) reveals that Nintendo's figurines will unlock exclusive costumes within Bandai Namco's manga-based brawler as part of a forthcoming update. Series protagonist Luffy will wear Mario and Luigi costumes after players scan matching amiibo, while Sanji boasts an optional Fox McCloud outfit and Zoro can dress up as Link. Amiibo support is enabled in 3DS games via the NFC-compatible New 3DS hardware revision or a standalone peripheral. North American releases for the New 3DS and One Piece: Super Grand Battle X have not been announced. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Blame the Internet: Tekken 7's cat girl won't visit America
Apparently a human woman dressed in pink cat accessories is too outre for fans of a fighting franchise that stars both a cybernetic Robin Hood and a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves, as the developers behind Tekken 7 have responded to Internet outrage at the game's latest fighter by claiming that she won't appear in American versions of the game. The character, named "Lucky Chloe," was revealed during a recent livestream celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Tekken franchise. Shortly after, series producer Katsuhiro Harada was alerted to a thread on NeoGAF where a number of commenters slam the character design. "God I hate her already," reads a typical comment. Frustrated by the backlash, Harada tweeted, "Are you 'Western' only one bulletin board? Hello small world. I'll make muscular & skinhead character for you," in reference to the stereotypical American love for overtly muscular beefcake male characters. He then stated that American fans don't need to be so upset because Chloe is only one of the game's many characters, and she wasn't included to appeal to Western sensibilities anyway. He then noted that Chloe will be "exclusive" to Europe and East Asian territories. Tweets are not guarantees of future plans, though, especially when made in the heat of the moment. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Tekken montage honors 20 years of the Iron Fist Tournament
You can cite bombastic graphics or Bandai Namco's fluid take on 3D, hand-to-hand combat, but let's be honest: People have been playing Tekken for two decades because you just won't see an alcoholic Mexican priest turned jaguar-faced luchador powerbomb a genetically-engineered velociraptor in other fighting games. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Godzilla starts a rumble on PS3 and PS4 in summer 2015
Ohhh no / They say he's got to go (to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4) / Go go Godzilla! Bandai Namco has revealed Godzilla, a game where Toho's King of Monsters will crush buildings, puny human weaponry and other kaiju beneath his sizable heel as he lays waste to the world. A trailer, revealed during last night's Game Awards and viewable above, also reveals that favorites like Mothra, Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah will join the party. (What, no Rodan? No Gigan? No Anguirus?) Gameplay will focus on Big G smashing his way through a landscape, fending off human and kaiju attacks as he seeks to destroy the level's Energy Generator. An associated press release touts that the game will also feature a Diorama Mode so you can pose your favorite monsters for snapshots of destruction, as well as a "Movie-Style Camera Angle System" - though what that means in terms of gameplay is yet to be seen. Godzilla will arrive in summer 2015 on PS3 and PS4. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Bandai taking motorcycles out for a Ride in spring 2015
Bandai Namco reminded us of a universal truth today: Motorcycles are awesome. Hence the reason the publisher announced that Ride, a "complete motorcycle racing simulator," will launch in spring 2015, a good time of year to break out super-cool motorcycles and take them for a spin. The game is in development for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Ride will feature more than 100 bikes from real-life manufacturers usable in four different racing categories: Superbikes, Supersports, Naked and Historical bikes. The game will also allow players to customize their bikes and riders (we're hoping for some sweet leather jackets to wear in-game). Ride is being developed by Milestone Srl, an Italian studio credited with work on the MotoGP and MXGP motorcycle racing series. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Dark Souls' Steam migration delayed, prepare to die next month
Dark Souls PC owners can throw another log on the bonfire, because they have to wait until December for the game to transition over to Steam. Namco Bandai says it's finalizing the nuts and bolts of moving the action-RPG from Games for Windows Live to Steam, and more testing means the company's targeting the transition for next month rather than this one. In its original announcement, Namco said owners will be able to redeem Dark Souls on Steam by using their GFWL tokens at no extra cost. Saves and achievements can survive the journey during a short migration period, but GFWL rankings will be flattened by a figurative cannonball rolling down a metaphorical staircase.
Watch every Final Smash in Smash Bros for Wii U
Smash Bros fans are familiar with two very different games. The first game is, of course, Smash Bros. The second game is waiting for the new Smash Bros to finally come out. Super Smash Bros for Wii U is still over a week away, so we decided to make the wait a little easier by throwing together a video of every single Final Smash attack featured in the game. Enjoy.
Bandai Namco income, sales up in first half of fiscal 2015
Bandai Namco's first half of fiscal year 2015 – April 1, 2014, to September 30, 2014 – is on the up and up: Net income hit 21.3 million yen ($184,000), an increase of 8.5 percent year over year, and net sales hit 259.3 million yen ($2.2 million), an increase of 13.5 percent. Operating income is up 20.8 percent to 31.9 million yen ($276,000), and recurring income increased 16.9 percent to 33.4 million yen ($289,000). So far in the fiscal year, Bandai Namco has shipped 50 games in Japan with 2.6 million unit sales, and 18 games in the US with 2.8 million unit sales. So far in Bandai Namco's 2015, it's sold 65,000 copies of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution in Japan, the US and Europe; 50,000 copies of One Piece Unlimited World Red; 40,000 copies of Sword Art Online Hollow Fragment; and 40,000 copies of Super Robot Wars Z 3 (Japan only). The company switched its name from Namco Bandai to Bandai Namco on April 1, 2014. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Metareview: Lords of the Fallen
It appears reviewers do not take the same masochistic pleasure from Lords of the Fallen as they did from similar games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Critical reception to the game veered mostly toward the lower end of the acceptable spectrum, with reviews noting Lords of the Fallen was a little close to its source material and didn't move the self-flagellation genre forward. Our own review said that "when Lords of the Fallen stops providing the challenge, its other objective flaws are highlighted."
Lords of the Fallen heads to the library in winter DLC pack
The first expansion to Lords of the Fallen will arrive this winter, developer CI Games announced. Going by the name Ancient Labyrinth, the downloadable content will focus on puzzle-solving in a new location known as The Library, which includes the history of the hero Harkyn's world as well as a magical power-shifting Lord to battle. Without getting into specifics, CI Games also revealed that Ancient Labyrinth will feature new NPCs to interact with, side-quests to complete and gear to equip. Since its late October launch, Lords of the Fallen sold over 200,000 and shipped 700,000 copies to retailers, executive producer Tomasz Gop told Eurogamer. The developer also noted that it needed to ship half a million copies in order to break even on its 42m Polish zloty ($12.3 million) development costs. Our review of the Dark Souls-like game did find the game tedious after some time, though there was "definitely satisfaction to be had" with the game. [Image: CI Games]
