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Overheard at Comic-Con: The battle for Seth Killian
During the "Titans of Fighting Games" panel on Friday afternoon at Comic-Con 2012, PlayStation All-Stars director Omar Kendall was introduced on stage just after Street Fighter creator Yoshinori Ono left it, and he cleverly joked as Ono departed that developer SuperBot was happy to have Seth Killian on board, who of course came from Ono's team at Capcom. "If anyone else is looking for a job," poked Kendall, "you can email us."Later in the panel, Kendall remarked to fellow panelist Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada that he was happy to have Tekken's Heihachi in PS All-Stars as a playable character, and he added that if Ono was in fact still in the room, he'd also be happy to have a character from Street Fighter included. The characteristically goofy Ono returned to appear at the Q&A mic later on, and his first question, in the middle of a laughing crowd, was to Kendall."Yes, can you give me back Seth Killian?" he asked in accented English, and the panel broke out laughing."If you give me Chun Li," Kendall joked back, "I'll give you back Seth Killian." Ono considered that a moment, and then replied, though he was barely heard by the cheering crowd: "Deal."But Harada, who was on the panel to also talk about Tekken Tag Tournament 2, was having none of it. "Ono, go home," he also said in English. "We don't have time for this."
Capcom announces Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD, coming to PSN and XBLA August 21/22
An HD remake of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was just announced during a Capcom panel at the San Diego Comic-Con. The remake features both the original graphics and a high-def reskin, as well as online multiplayer capabilities. Reliving one of the craziest fighting games ever made will run you $19.99/1600 MSP when the game launches on PSN and XBLA August 21 and 22, respectively.Hints of this remake were uncovered just three days ago by Xbox360Achievements, though this announcement failed to confirm speculation that CyberConnect2 would be handling the HD conversion. CC2 is making the new 3D fighting game for Namco, and its name also showed up on Xbox360Achievements as the developer for HD Ver., possibly erroneously.If you're mystified and confused, let us fill in the gaps: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure was a Capcom-developed fighting game released in Japanese and North American arcades in 1998, and on the PlayStation and Dreamcast in 1999 and 2000. The exceedingly eccentric fighting game, based on an equally eccentric manga, was developed by the team at Capcom responsible for the Street Fighter III series.
High Moon's Deadpool game announced, coming 2013 [Update: Now with trailer!]
That Deadpool game we caught wind of earlier today has been officially announced during a Marvel panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision, the game looks to be an action shooter and is expected to launch on undisclosed platforms sometime in 2013.Marvel's T.Q. Jefferson was cagey during the panel's Q&A session, unable to specifically answer questions from audience members regarding the game's expected platforms and genre. "There will be lots more to come," he said. Nolan North will be reprising his role as the assassin, having previously portrayed him in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, and that Hulk vs. cartoon.%Gallery-160452%
Mortal Kombat: Legacy Season 2 announced
Kevin Tancharoen's fatality-focused webseries Mortal Kombat: Legacy will be coming back for a second season, according to the exceptionally hokey announcement video above. Having wrapped up most of the important origin stories in season one, season two will focus on the Mortal Kombat tournament itself.Tancharoen aims to deliver "more fighting, more action" and "more visual effects," things that vocal fans of the first season have apparently been clamoring for. The entire season has been written, although there's no word yet on when the first episode is expected to debut, or whether cast members such as Jeri Ryan will be reprising their roles from the first season.
Sonic Adventure 2 coming to PSN/XBLA this fall
An XBLA/PSN port of Dreamcast classic Sonic Adventure 2 was announced during Sega's Sonic Boom event at this week's San Diego Comic-Con. While details remain sparse, the shaky-cam footage above shows the port as part of an ongoing Sega Heritage initiative and gives the game a "fall" launch window. It also shows a massive crowd of Sonic fans freaking out, which is incredible on several levels.Should this be the same Sonic Adventure 2 port that briefly showed up on the Xbox Marketplace last month, it'll be an HD remake, rather than a straight port, though the logo seen in the video above lacks any sort of HD branding. We'll update as soon as an official missive arrives from Sega with more information.
Deadpool game coming from High Moon Studios
Normally we refrain from running countdown sites, but this one is unusually informative: deadpoolgame.com is counting down to the official unveiling of a Deadpool game, developed by High Moon Studios for Activision. A splatter of street art on the side of an Amazing Spider-Man poster at San Diego Comic-Con teases the game and website, as seen above.The countdown elapses just after today's Marvel Video Games panel at San Diego Comic-Con, so we expect to hear the first details – and plenty of hilarious one-liners from everyone's favorite psychotic superhero assassin guy – there.We're now wondering if High Moon's Hit Monkey game is also happening, or if that was a decoy.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Obisidian goes obscene with South Park: The Stick of Truth
Way back at the beginning of 2011, Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart hinted that his company was about to work on a huge licensed title it didn't dare pass up. "It's a license that you would go, well you gotta do it," he told us at the time. "It's not a license where it's, 'Ok, we'll take that and we can do something with it.' It's more like, well that's once in a lifetime." Urquhart didn't budge at the time on what the license was, but he was visibly excited about being able to make it happen, whatever it was.That licensed turned out to be none other than Matt Stone and Trey Parker's South Park, and the game turned out to be South Park: The Stick of Truth. It combines Obsidian's talent for grindy fantasy RPGs with Stone and Parker's warped sense of humor (and construction paper production values) to make a mix that's one of a kind.%Gallery-156913%
Third time's the charm: Live-action Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist series announced
Because it was such a good idea the first couple of times, the powers that be (in this case, Capcom itself) have decided that the world is ready for a third official attempt at a live-action anything set in the Street Fighter universe.Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is a forthcoming live-action series (presumably web series) from Capcom and Assassin's Fist Limited, a production company composed of the core team responsible for the live-action Street Fighter: Legacy fan film. The show will follow Ken and Ryu's formative years as they study under the tutelage of Gouken, master of a modified version of Ansatsuken martial arts. At some point we expect Akuma to show up and shout "Messatsu!"The script will be penned by Christian Howard (Ken in Street Fighter: Legacy) and director Joey Ansah. Global release is expected sometime in 2013.
Hands-on with the Nintendo 3DS XL
If initial impressions are any indication at all, those who held out for a bigger version of Nintendo's 3DS will find the wait worth it. We just got to play with the Nintendo 3DS XL here at Comic-Con in San Diego, and its big screen really impressed us. The picture is clearer and brighter than the current 3DS (at least in the dark ballroom where we played Super Mario 3D Land), and the 3D is much better. There is still a sweet spot to get your eyes in, but once you're there, the much larger screen makes it easier to focus in, and the 3D just seems more effective as a result.There aren't any significant differences to the rest of the device. The control stick, buttons, and other controls all feel like the 3DS. The larger unit might be a little unwieldy for small hands, but the stick and buttons are close enough to the edges that pushing them around shouldn't be an issue. On the whole, the device is more rounded off than the previous system. From the top, while closed, it looks more like a clamshell than a rectangle.The larger size makes it a very sturdy device indeed. Sitting on the table in front of you, it's almost like a small laptop. The Start, Select, Home, and Power buttons have all lost their white touches, so that top screen just dominates the device. Nintendo's making a serious statement here, and it's that bigger should be better.We're hesitant to get too hyperbolic about the 3DS XL until we're able to really run it through its paces, but yes, on first touch, it's gorgeous. This is not a device designed to fit in your pocket, though it certainly seems like the best way to play Nintendo's growing 3DS library. Below, you can see a gallery of hands-on pictures (including a PSP comparison -- that's the only device we had in the bag at the time).The 3DS XL arrives on August 19, so if you were planning to buy a 3DS you might want to wait until then.%Gallery-160306%
Epic Mickey 2 also coming to PC and Mac on Nov. 18
The plan is for Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two to launch on Xbox 360, PS3 with Move, Wii, PC and Mac on November 18, Junction Point founder Warren Spector said today at San Diego Comic-Con. The launch date was previously confirmed for consoles alone, including the 3DS tie-in title, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Illusion, which is also slated to drop on November 18.The Power of Illusion will pay homage to forgotten and rejected gaming features, drawing inspiration from 16-bit graphics and the 1990 Sega game, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse.Spector said it was "totally dumb" that he had none of the characters speak in the first Epic Mickey, and he's rectifying that by having characters not only talk, but sing in Epic Mickey 2. Actor Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) voices Gus, while Frank Welker (Nibbler in Futurama, at least one character in every cartoon you ever loved) plays Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.Epic Mickey 2 is mature on a level comparable to one of Spector's earlier titles, Deus Ex, backed up by the fact that 54 percent of Epic Mickey players were 18 or older, he said.A second iteration of the Epic Mickey digital graphic novel series, penned by comic veteran Peter David (The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man 2099), is due out this fall.
Assassin's Creed 3 multiplayer: Domination and Wolfpack modes
A row of eight monitors, back-to-back in two groups of four, lined a long table at Ubisoft's San Diego Comic-Con showcase, all booted up with the first publicly playable versions of Assassin's Creed 3 multiplayer. We played two new modes, Domination and Wolfpack, though lead game designer for Assassin's Creed 3 multiplayer Tim Browne told us there will be "a lot" of familiar modes in the final game.Domination uses the full eight-player limit on multiplayer, with two teams of four playing to capture three separate zones in a snowy frontier setting. Players attempt to blend in with the roaming NPCs to stand in zones long enough to capture them, and then defend those areas by spotting and stunning or killing enemies as they enter and try to do the same. Domination is a quiet, intense derivative of Manhunt mode, with plenty to dissect on-screen in every move, all while making it appear as if your character isn't thinking at all.Wolfpack offers a more intimate multiplayer experience, with up to four players working together to find and take down enemies in a limited amount of time, with extra time added for special kills and cooperation. In a two-player match, the highest we reached was Sequence 7 out of 25 total consecutive, fluid levels -- and that was without talking much over the mics. Browne recommended players converse throughout the match to perfectly sync their kills, which leads to special cutscenes.
Blizzard unveils new products at San Diego Comic-Con 2012
If you like buying things, Blizzard has you covered this year. The product showcase at San Diego Comic-Con revealed a host of new things for us all to buy. Some of them aren't news to us, like the upcoming Mega Bloks sets and the Tides of War novel. Others are new to me, however, such as the plans for a wireless gaming mouse, panda hoodies (yeah, I'll probably get one), a StarCraft 2 novel bridging the events of Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm, and Warcraft Risk. Also mentioned were special items like Jade Pandaren figures for the Mists launch event and a Deathwing statue. Visit Game Shampoo for the full list of items. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
ZombiU footage will terrify U
The latest ZombiU footage is not only incredibly creepy, it also explains why you'll find ammunition and crossbows and stuff out in the streets of England. Being a zombie game, the footage (including a second clip after the break) is also really violent and gory.These clips make it abundantly clear – ZombiU is way better at setting an appropriately creepy atmosphere than you'd expect something called "ZombiU" to be. And a zombie in a big silly hat is still really scary.%Gallery-160357%
How Ellen Page is transported into Beyond: Two Souls
You can get a behind-the-scenes look at the complicated process of turning Ellen Page into virtual Ellen Page for Beyond: Two Souls, in this footage from yesterday's Comic-Con panel. It involves prop suitcases! And prop supine bodies!
Injustice's two newest fighters pulverize (and get pulverized) in Comic-Con trailer
Wondering what Nightwing and ... uh ... that Cyborg dude will play like in NetherRealms' next big game, Injustice: Gods Among Us? Well too bad! Er, rather, you can find out above. Sorry about making you feel bad.
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 hitting NA in Spring 2013
Come Spring 2013, North America will find itself directly in the path of another ninja-infused meteorological phenomenon. Namco Bandai has confirmed an English version of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and has set up the first playable version at this week's San Diego Comic-Con.Once again developed by the world's biggest Naruto fans at CyberConnect 2, this latest installment in the over-the-top fighting series pushes further into the story laid down by the popular manga, its sequel, and approximately 9,856 anime episodes.Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is the first in the series to pair the gorgeous cel-shaded art with 3D display support – "for the ultimate Ninja immersion experience," it says here. If you've been following the franchise for a while, however, you're probably wondering how 3D could happen before anti-aliasing. %Gallery-160280%
PS3 Street Fighter Anniversary Collector's Set throws in even more games
The Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector's Set is packed with content, only a little of which is a belt. Today, at Comic-Con, Capcom revealed even more stuff for the PS3 version, and since it's digital it doesn't take any more room in the box.In addition to the games and materials already announced, the PS3 version includes downloads for the PSOne Classics versions of all three Street Fighter Alphas, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max on PSP, the DLC for Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike Online, and 175 PSN avatars. Why not?The collection will be out on September 18 for $150.
Beyond: Two Souls features 160 actors, Ellen Page in a submarine
Watching a video of herself in a full performance-capture suit and reclined in a bucket seat on the set of Beyond: Two Souls, Ellen Page announced to the audience at Quantic Dream's San Diego Comic-Con panel, "And that's the submarine. Oh, shit."Quantic Dream founder David Cage laughed off the flub and Page continued to describe her experience with Beyond as "incredible" and "completely fulfilling.""My brain didn't even know how to process this opportunity," Page said. Once she met Cage at a bar in L.A. to read his script, however, her mind was made up, and filming turned out to be an incredible experience, she said. "It completely exceeded my expectations and was completely fulfilling as an actor."Beyond took 10 months and 160 actors to film, and that's after Cage spent one year writing the script. During that year, he referenced a photograph of Page with a shaved head from Mouth to Mouth, a movie she did when she was 16, for the main character, Jodie Holmes. He ended up using Page in later movies as models for Jodie as she aged through the game. By the time he finished writing he said he couldn't picture another actress in Page's place.Page seemed satisfied with Cage's decision as well: "What David has written is so powerful and so beautiful," she said. Beyond: Two Souls is due out in 2013 for PS3.
Willem Dafoe not starring in Beyond: Two Souls, Kadeem Hardison is
Actor Willem Dafoe is definitely not starring in Beyond: Two Souls, Quantic Dream's David Cage confirmed to Joystiq after a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. "Nice try," Cage said, shaking his head.Dafoe was previously rumored to be co-starring in Beyond alongside Inception's Ellen Page, who made an appearance at the Quantic Dream panel. Kadeem Hardison, best known for playing Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, was also at the panel to reveal his own role: a paranormal investigator who "raises" Jodie Holmes, Page's character.Video at the panel showed off Page with another actor, Eric Winter, both in full performance-capture suits and in a range of scenarios, from conversing around a dinner table to maneuvering in what appeared to be an earthquake. The identity of Winter's character has not been disclosed.
Bleszinski: Fortnite on PC 'primary and first,' other platforms not ruled out
Having announced Fortnite as Epic Games' first Unreal Engine 4 game, "exclusively for the PC," Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski took to Twitter this afternoon to make some breathing room. "We wouldn't rule out the possibility of other platforms later," he wrote. That is, while Fortnite will be "primary and first" on PC, it may not be exclusive to the platform forever.Given that Fortnite is built using UE4, it stands to reason that those "other platforms" won't be of the current generation (none of Microsoft's, Sony's, or Nintendo's current hardware can run UE4-based games). What might they be, then? We'll have to wait until the next console generation to find out, it sounds like.%Gallery-160290%
