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The Week in Review news piece summarizes and highlights the most important gaming related news and rumors over the past week. This weekly article will keep you plugged in and in-tune. Kicking things off, Rockstar exec Dan Houser made it known that the highly anticipated 360 DLC release for GTA IV likely will not make it to Xbox LIVE this holiday. Specifically, Houser stated that “We [Rockstar] don’t know a date. We’re more focused on quality than dates, always have been. But the development is going really good. It’s shaping up to be something we’re very proud of.” Epic Games’ president Mike Capps gave us a glimpse into the calculating corporate minds behind the gaming industry. Specifically, Capps commented on curtailing the buying and selling of used games through ridiculous DLC add-ons. “I think DLC will be increasing in scope just because in the US we really need to make strides against the second-hand market. The secondary market is a huge issue in the United States. Our primary retailer makes the majority of its money off of secondary sales, and so you’re starting to see games taking proactive steps toward that by… if you buy the retail version you get the unlock code. I’ve talked to some developers who are saying ‘If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay $20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free. ’ We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used – way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it.” Richard Garriott, famed designer of Ultima and Tabula Rasa, has given notice to fans of the Tabula Rasa MMO on the game’s official site that he is leaving NCSoft in order to pursue other interests. After coming back from a 12 day cruise in Earth’s orbit and spearheading Operation Immortality (sending digitized gamer DNA to be housed in the international space station), Garriott has decided that there are other projects he would like to tackle. Whether those projects are gaming related or otherwise is yet to be fleshed out. We’ll have to wait and see. Mario and Luigi are getting back together in the third installment of Mario & Luigi RPG. The game will be available in Japan on February 11, 2009. No date has been identified for a U.S. release. Halo 3: Recon was detailed as being closer to a content expansion rather than a full retail release. The new campaign will run around five hours. As such, the game will retail for an as-of-yet to be decided price, however, Bungie hints that it will be something less than $60 plus tax. Also, players will be able to finally get their hands on the coveted Recon armor by getting through the Vidmaster Challenge achievements. Blood of Bahamut was confirmed by Square Enix . The title is an RPG for DS that will offer four-player cooperative play. “The game is set in a world in which people have built their cities on the backs of sleeping giant beasts. Suddenly, the beasts wake up and people find that their home towns are now their enemies.” The game is set to be more fully detailed at a press event in December. In recognition of the upcoming NXE on November 19th, the folks at Xbox LIVE have announced that they are giving away 1,000,000 MS points. In order to be eligible to win, consumers have to make a qualified purchase (movies, TV shows, full arcade games, Xbox Originals, add-ons, and music videos) via XBL between 6:01 AM PST on November 19th, and 11:59 PM PST on November 23rd. Click HERE for the prize breakdown. On the rumor front, LittleBig Planet will likely be getting the PSP treatment, though Media Molecule may not be at the helm. Media Molecule may also be setting their gaze a bit further afield by creating MMORPGs, and developers BottleRocket, currently working on Namco’s Splatterhouse, are working on a new “The Flash” superhero game. Click HERE for more details. Thanks so much everyone and we will see you next week!</ |