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'Soul Calibur VI' hits Steam, PS4 and Xbox One in 2018
The next, long-awaited entry in the Soul Calibur franchise is on its way. Soul Calibur VI is scheduled to land on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2018, Bandai Namco announced tonight during The Game Awards. The new fighting game is all about that fancy swordplay, and the debut trailer showcases some potential new mechanics, as weapons power up in different ways throughout the fight.
Xbox One grabs 360 games 'Halo Wars' and 'Soul Calibur 2 HD'
The Xbox One is beefing up its library via backwards compatibility, allowing players to boot up some of their favorite games from the Xbox 360. This week, Xbox One users get Halo Wars, Soul Calibur 2 HD Online and The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match. It's a fighting game fiasco with a side of real-time alien-shooting strategy.
PlayStation 3's free-to-play 'Soul Calibur' shuts down in November
There was a brief period when Bandai Namco was trying a free-to-play model for its bigger franchises like the venerable Soul Calibur fighting series and its arcadey Ridge Racer. The latter shut down in 2014, and the former will suffer a similar fate pretty soon. Come November 30th, the PlayStation 3 exclusive Soul Calibur Lost Swords closes its virtual doors while sales of in-game items stop about a month prior on October 27th, according to GamesIndustry.biz. From September 16th to September 30th though, Bandai Namco is hosting some commemorative "ranking quests" to mark the occasion. Are you among the game's over two million players and are already mourning its passing? Let us know in the comments. And hey, who knows, this could point toward a Soul Calibur hitting modern consoles sometime soon -- possible silver lining and all that.
Soulcalibur: Lost Swords back online following launch issues
As quickly as it appeared, Bandai Namco's free to play, singleplayer Soulcalibur: Lost Swords vanished in a cloud of bug reports and uncooperative servers. Now, Soulcalibur: Lost Swords has returned, and the publisher claims things are "running smoothly." Last week, on the day Soulcalibur: Lost Swords should have made its debut, we described the game as mechanically similar to Soulcalbur 5, though noted that Lost Swords is packed with typical free to play gimmicks. Players may only choose a single fighter from a relatively paltry initial handful, and can only battle foes until their pool of in-game currency runs low or they opt to spend real-world cash to squeeze in a few more fights. Unfortunately for would-be combatants, this entire system relies on constant connectivity with Bandai Namco's servers. When Soulcalibur: Lost Swords launched alongside a rash of connectivity errors, the publisher had no choice but to delay the game's debut. Though the announcement posted to the Bandai Namco Facebook page makes no mention of what previously crippled the fighter, the publisher claims everything is now up and running on the PlayStation Network, urging players to report any future connectivity issues they might experience. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Soul Calibur 2 HD Online looks sharp in new combat trailer
It's difficult to decide which is more appealing in this new gameplay trailer for Soul Calibur 2 HD Online: The overwhelming wave of nostalgia it generates for 3D fighting games circa the turn of the last century, or the enhanced visual fidelity which ushers these decade-old character models into the modern age.
Namco Bandai trademarks 'Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul'
"Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul" has been trademarked by Namco Bandai in Europe, suggesting that the publisher has an as yet unrevealed Soulcalibur game in the works. Reading through the trademark application tells us little about what Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Soul might be. Its approved uses suggest that this will be a new video game (or potentially an online service) but beyond that details are scarce. We've reached out to Namco Bandai for more information, but the company was unwilling to comment. If Soulcalibur: Unbreakable Souls is indeed a new Soulcalibur game, it would mark the third such project currently in progress at Namco Bandai. Not only is the publisher developing a high-definition remake of fan-favorite Soul Calibur II, but it's also working on the free-to-play fighter Soulcalibur Lost Swords.
Seen@Namco Bandai HQ: Harada and Hoshino's business tactics
Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada (right) and SoulCalibur series producer Masaaki Hoshino (left) were both heavily armed during our group interview session at Namco Bandai HQ this week. While neither of them explicitly said so, we figure it had something to do with fighting game rival and Street Fighter producer, Yoshinori Ono.
'Soulcalibur Lost Swords' trademark enters the stage
Namco Bandai has filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for Soulcalibur Lost Swords, a potential new entry in the storied fighting franchise. The trademark was filed last week on July 11 and specifically mentions a game "that may be accessed network-wide by network users via mobile phones and computers; providing computer games via network between communications networks and computers." No other information is provided in the Soulcalibur Lost Swords trademark filing. Soulcalibur V launched on the PS3 and Xbox 360 early last year. It's a game that our review said is "simultaneously one of the best Soul Calibur games ever made, as well as the worst Soul Calibur game ever made" due to its strong fighting mechanics and less-than-stellar production values.
Namco Bandai iOS games on sale through Monday
For those looking to save a few bucks but want some new mobile games to play while waiting in check-out lines on Black Friday, Namco Bandai has you covered. The publisher recently put 20 of its apps on sale on the App Store, giving iPhone and iPad users through Monday, November 19 to cash in on games such as Pac-Man Championship Edition and SoulCalibur.A full list of the games included in the sale can be found after the break.
Soul Calibur iOS update adds multiplayer, subtracts a few dollars
Soul Calibur on iOS is a strange beast -- when it first launched in January, its full price was $15, which is $5 more than the XBLA version, and it didn't offer multiplayer support. Namco Bandai has resolved one of these issues with update 1.1, which adds Bluetooth multiplayer support for "VS Battle" mode.Soul Calibur is on sale for the update, dropped the price of three whole standard apps to $12. Namco warns multiplayer won't work with iPod Touch 4, but it should be compatible with newer iPhones and iPads.
Why Soul Calibur Still (Quietly) Burns After More than a Decade
Soul Calibur has always been the everyman fighter. Of all the major fighting game series on the market, Soul Calibur is the game that you would probably feel most comfortable playing with your non-gaming friends or significant other. And a lot of that has to do with the weapons.The Soul series wasn't the first fighting game to feature weapons, of course. In the early days of the genre, Samurai Shodown distinguished itself with its detailed sprites, gore, and katanas. Battle Arena Toshinden, meanwhile, distinguished itself as the first 3D weapons fighter, close to a year before the original Soul Edge hit the arcades.Soul Edge, for its part, was Namco's way of testing uncharted waters. It was positioned as an alternative to Tekken and Virtua Fighter, which dominated 3D fighting at that time, and its weapons were a big part of its appeal. Apart from feeling smoother than the stiff Tekken, the strategic concept of weapon range was more intuitive than the combo-heavy 3D fighters that had preceded it.The reason it's so easy to understand is that the concept is built into the visual vocabulary of the game. When you look at Siegfried, you see a large knight with a gigantic blade. It's instantly apparent that he has longer reach than, say, the lightweight ninja Taki. And a good player knows how to put that advantage to good use, or to minimize it in its turn.Today, Soul Edge is largely forgotten outside of a small cadre of dedicated fans, but it did its part to lay down the foundation for the series by introducing the story as well as familiar characters like Mitsurugi. Soulcalibur V director Daishi Odashima certainly seems to have some affection for the original game. He even argued in favor of naming the upcoming sequel "Soul Edge 2," but was overruled.
PSA: Soulcalibur now on iOS, is twelve freaking dollars
Soulcalibur has finally arrived on iOS, meaning eager fans can keep the classic fighter on hand at all times. That is, if you're willing to part with enough cash to buy roughly a dozen other iOS titles. Yup, Soulcalibur will currently set you back $11.99 and it's on sale. The normal price will actually be $15. For comparison's sake, the Xbox Live Arcade version costs $10 and features better graphics, more modes (like, an actual versus mode) and physical controls. There are more modes planned for the iOS version but ... really, fifteen dollars?
Namco Bandai site teases 'new chapter,' likely next Soulcalibur
We've known a new Soul Calibur game is coming since back in December and now it would appear that Namco Bandai is finally ready to make a formal announcement. Well, not now now. Like, in two weeks. A site teasing a "new chapter" in something has recently emerged online, counting down to May 11 -- presumably when the identity of said chapter will be announced. Corroborating the mid-May reveal is a tweet from Soul Calibur's "current game director" Daishi Odashima promising "to announce something" at that time. If we were rating the mystery behind this reveal, we'd probably give it an F. Minus. [Thanks, Jaxon]
Soulcalibur series returns to the stage of history
Daishi Odashima, Soul Calibur IV designer, opened a Twitter account on Christmas day, offering the following tease as his gift to fans of the weapons-based fighter series: "SC is BACK! Get ready, fans!" To prove he was serious, he included a picture of himself at his desk, with a drawing of the Soul Calibur sword. With a new Soul Calibur now in the works, that officially brings the number of franchise fighting games on the way from Namco Bandai to three, including Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tekken vs. Street Fighter. Thanks for this fighting game renaissance, Street Fighter IV!
Android Dreamcast emulator nullDCe gets early video preview, still a work in progress
Never underestimate the power of Dreamcast to live on long past its intended expiration date (which, if you ask Sega, would have been around September 2007). The final flagship console from the Haus of Sonic is survived by a multitude of emulators propagating across a multitude of platforms... and well, here's another. Drk||Raziel has posted some videos showcasing the work in progress of nullDCe for Android (on what we make out to be a AT&T Samsung Captivate). The footage ranges from buggy (Soul Calibur) to pretty smooth (Crazy Taxi), but again, no one's calling this a finished product. See it for yourself after the break.
Sony Korea: 'You are so Voldo'
In North America, the only way to get the Lilac PSP is in a bundle with Hannah Montana, an offer promoted by the infamous "OMG Lilac PSP" ad. In Korea, you still have to buy a bundle to get it, but the game included is ... Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny. The presence of a large portrait of Ivy on the top of the box suggests that the lilac PSP is intended to match Ivy's costume. Either that or Hannah Montana is confirmed as a playable character in Soul Calibur.It's interesting that Sony Computer Entertainment Korea doesn't seem to be operating under the notion that the Lilac system is just for "girlz." The Soul Calibur PSP Lilac Purple Pack will be out August 28 for 285,000 won ($231).
Namco's iPhone division considering... Tekken?
Actually, I'd play that. Namco recently announced that they were forming an Apple Games division to head up game development for Apple platforms like the iPhone, and in this interview, a producer for them who used to work for Apple says that they're excited to work on bringing great games to the handheld device. Like, for example, Pac-man, Galaga, and... Soulcaliber and Tekken. You heard that right -- fighting games haven't exactly made a splash on the iPhone, as they're primarily a button-based genre, and the iPhone, of course, has no buttons.But that won't stop Namco's guy from putting the old head gears into motion: "It's just the controls that are a challenge. We are thinking about that." Think away, crazy man -- I'd love to pull out Yoshimitsu for a few rounds while waiting at a bus stop. Obviously, the easiest way to try and port these would be to put overlaid buttons on the screen, but that doesn't leave a lot of room for the fighting (and not having the tactile feedback would probably be a problem as well). Maybe some gesture-based accelerometer movement? Sky's the limit, right?. Your call, Namco -- can't wait to see what you come up with.[via Joystiq]
Namco considering Tekken, Soulcalibur for iPhone
Namco Bandai is making a push to capitalize on the iPhone gaming "gold rush," as evidenced by the recent opening of its new Apple Games division. In an interview with Kotaku, Apple Games' recently ordained manager, Jonathan Kromrey, explained exactly how the company was going to win over the mobile gaming crowd -- by bringing arcade heavyweights "like Pac-Man, Galaga, Soulcalibur and Tekken" to Apple's handheld device.Of course, those last two carry with them a substantial barrier: The iPhone and iPod Touch's limited control capabilities. Kromrey explained that Namco was "thinking about" how to make the brawlers work without a controller. We suggest some sort of voice control scheme, but only because we think it'll result in some hilariously awkward subway rides. "Punch! Punch! Kick! Punch! Block! Spinning Frankensteiner!"
'This is on PSP?!' Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny videos shock, inspire awe
When the PSP first launched, did you suspect its games would ever look so good? A few years into the console's life, we're seeing a new generation of graphics on the system. Namco Bandai is really pushing the PSP envelope with Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny. The character models look convincing, many of them featuring the special "bounce" that gamers have come to expect. Destructible environments also return ... but in limited fashion. Watch the videos, and you too will be shocked!
Kratos seeking vengeance in Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny
Namco Bandai must have an entire department dedicated to finding new ways and characters to market with its Soulcalibur brand. Following last year's ballet with the Force, the company has announced that God of War's Kratos will be taking out his frustration on the cast of Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny for the PSP. What with all of his disemboweling and afternoons on the links, we honestly don't know how everyone's favorite Spartan with a chip on his shoulder fits bickering with Soulcalibur brawlers into his busy schedule. Nevertheless, the Ghost of Sparta will appear as a guest character in the miniaturized fighter. We just hope he's on his best behavior while in someone else's house when Broken Destiny ships later this summer. See the trailer after the break.%Gallery-64951%
