Video Game Quick Hits 2/6/13

Let’s start with a few things you may have missed this past week on Big Shiny Robot!:

    Sony apparently has a big announcement coming soon. PS4? Probably.
    The excellent Zen Pinball 2 is apparently set to get some Star Wars tables very soon.
    The 12th annual NAVGTR awards have received their nominees.

Something else you may have missed this week is EA shelving the Medal of Honor series. According to Peter Moore, COO, “Critics were polarized and gave the game scores which were, frankly, lower than it deserved. This one is behind us now. We are taking Medal of Honor out of the rotation and have a plan to bring year-over-year continuity to our shooter offerings.” Poor news for fans of the franchise, but good news for fans of Battlefield. EA is doing quite well by the way, posting a net revenue of $1.18 billion, though it is slightly below their estimated budget of $1.25-1.35 billion. Of course, they blame MoH for the shortfall.

On a related note, EA says fans should expect some information for Battlefield 4 in “about 90 days.” If I were a gambling ‘bot, and I am, I’d wager that timeframe allows for the PS4 and neXtBox announcements first. There’s probably a good reason for that.

I can’t help but theorize another connection to the next-gen announcements when I hear that Rockstar has delayed Grand Theft Auto V. Originally slated for May, it’s now been pushed back to September 2013. I think that’s a bit early for the next-gen consoles, but maybe not. Rockstar’s official line is the standardized “additional development time.” For Sony and Microsoft, a high-profile title like this could be a system seller. On the other hand, GTA: San Andreas came near the end of the last generation and certainly benefited from the large install base for the consoles. Probably no connection, but the delay is still noteworthy.

Early in the week, “leaked” images of an planned new IP from Ubisoft hit the internet, alongside stories of the Prince of Persia franchise being put on hiatus. It didn’t take long for Ubisoft to confirm both, with caveats. The successful Prince of Persia IP is on pause, for now. I realize this is kind of strange coming from the studio that releases an Assassin’s Creed title every year, but they feel the Prince has run his course for the moment. The franchise isn’t dead, it just isn’t active in the immediate future. Meanwhile, the images from the Egyptian themed Osiris were legit, but the game isn’t actually coming. It actually never even made it past the early design stages. A shame really, an ancient Egypt game with magic and creepy gods has potential. Then again, Ubisoft is pretty good at making games. If they decided not to take it any further, I’ m going to trust they knew what they were doing.

The BSR! “bull pen” debated whether or not we needed to run another article about the relationship between games and gun violence when Sen. Lamar Alexander (R, TN) made an ass of himself on MSNBC’s The Rundown, but decided we had pretty well said everything we needed to say. However, it is news, so here’s the quote:

“I think video games is [sic] a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people.

“But the First Amendment limits what we can do about video games and the Second Amendment to the constitution limits what we can do about guns.”

At least two bills have been introduced since the Newtown massacre in December seeking funding for research into the games and violence relationship. President Obama has also asked Congress to arrange such funding. An independent, scientific analysis is probably warranted, but it’s doubtful that’s what would actually come from one of these bills. Our highly partisan Congress is much more likely to ask a research team to find a link between the two, as opposed to asking them to find out if there is a link.

Few names is gaming hold as much credibility with a certain crowd than Suda51 and his Grasshopper Manufacture team. The latest from the Japanese developer is apparently coming west to the US courtesy of a deal with XSeed. Killer is Dead sets the player as Mondo Zappa, an executioner that will make full use of his katana and Go-Go Gadget left arm. If you were a fan of Suda51’s Killer 7 or No More Heroes, keep an eye on this one.

If you’ve somehow missed out on the incredible God of War series because you haven’t owned a PS3, Sony is going to make this real easy for you. Coming March 12, 2013 is a new bundle that will include a 500 GB red PS3 Super Slim, red controller, God of War: Ascension, God of War Saga (God of War III, plus HD versions of PS2’s first two games in the series and PSP’s Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta), and a 30 day trial of PlayStation Plus for only $350. That’s enough content that even long-time owners looking for an upgrade should probably consider it.

Arguably one of the most anticipated upcoming games for the BSR! writers is High Moon’s Deadpool. We’ve been eagerly anticipating more information about the game since its announcement, but it’s been slow in coming. Finally, two additional characters were announced and they’re great inclusions. Deadpool’s sometimes comic co-star Cable, AKA Scott Summers’ son from the future, will be making an appearance. As will the merc-with-a-mouth’s somewhat awkward love interest, Death. Which is all well and good, but it only makes me more excited and I still don’t have a release date.

Dead Space 3 just released yesterday, but EA’s already talking about their first DLC expansion. In “Awakened,” “gamers will experience some of the most disturbing content they have ever seen in a Dead Space game,” according to Steve Papoutsis of Visceral Games. The content will be coming in March for $10.

In what is fast becoming a recurring segment of VGQH, this week’s next-gen rumor watch:

The latest reports indicate Sony’s PlayStation 4 will be more powerful than its Microsoft counterpart and will feature a new controller. The controller is supposedly designed to be very similar in size and feel to the DualShock 3, but will feature a WiiU/PS Vita style touch screen where the current Start, Select, and PS button reside. Additionally, a share button on the touch screen will allow players to record, edit, and post video of the last 15 minutes of game play straight from their controller. An upgrade to the PlayStation Eye is also expected, which will still be compatible with the Move. The rumors are unclear whether this will be a standard inclusion or an add-on device. Release is expected for Japan and the US by Christmas 2013, with a European release to follow in early 2014. Early rumors also point to possible launch titles coming from Guerilla Games (Killzone) and a new racer from Evolution Studios (MotorStorm).

Oddly enough, those Sony rumors are of the good or bad quality depending on your temperament. Rumors on the Microsoft neXtBox are a little more negative. And yes, I’m still calling it that until they announce an official name, despite how awkward it is to type. According to the latest reports, the new system’s games will require an XBox Live connection, meaning every console will have to be online to function. Furthermore, rumors that the console will block used games are also being supported. Microsoft is not a small or stupid company, so their decision to go online only is likely very well-informed and recognizes the lost potential for players without internet. They’ve just determined that those players aren’t numerous enough to make a difference. Killing the used game market though? On the surface it makes good business sense for the publisher, but are there long-term consequences that aren’t being considered?