Weekly Video Game News & Trailers – 06/23/2012
By Patrick Newman
Metal Gear Solid 5
At this point in gaming’s history, one thing devoted players can bet on is if there’s a dollar to be made in continuing the story of an established franchise, a sequel is all but inevitable. In that vein, Metal Gear Solid is being picked up again after a four-year hiatus, and will be using Kojima Productions’ in-house Fox Engine. In an interview with IG Magazine, series mastermind Hideo Kojima was expectedly vague about Metal Gear Solid 5’s content, but hinted that the game’s stealth/infiltration component will be out in full force, as well as social interaction reminiscent of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Kojima coyly told the magazine, “If I say more about it, the ninja PR woman behind the door will chop me into pieces.”
Changes atop THQ
Teri Manby, the Vice President of gaming juggernaut THQ resigned this week, a development made apparent by a publicized document from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rose Cunningham, a 7-year veteran of the company was promoted to take her place in a company that has seen a good share of corporate hardship lately. Recent financial setbacks include THQ’s decision to lay off hundreds of employees in a bid to exit the market for children’s licensed gaming, and its dismantling of Enter the Dominatrix, an expansion pack for Saints Row: The Third. Canceling the project will reportedly cost THQ an estimated $20 million this fiscal year.
Halo 4 – Infinity Multiplayer Trailer
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Wii U Release Details
Though it’s been established that the Wii U will be reaching stores this holiday season, an official release date is yet to surface. However, a posting on Amazon Germany reveals that Nintendo’s first high definition console is due on December 21st for the speculative price of €399, or roughly $500. This estimation runs contrary to a recent report by Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who believed that the cost of the Wii U would hover around $300.
Adult Swim & Valve
Developer Valve and Cartoon Network are joining forces on a yet-undetermined project that will be announced next week on the Adult Swim website. Though the nature of the collaboration is being kept under wraps for the time being, it will likely have something to do with Team Fortress 2, the free-to-play team-based shooter that has art adorning the web page featuring the announcement. The charming statement by Adult Swim reads: “Adult Swim & Valve are teaming up for something that you’ll probably enjoy,” the site promises. “To learn how their video game peanut butter will be getting in our network’s chocolate, come back next week.”
Fan-Selected EA SPORTS NHL 13 Cover Athlete Trailer
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Need For Speed in Theatres
The gobbling of film rights to popular gaming franchises continues, with Need For Speed being purchased this week by DreamWorks Studios. Unlike Splinter Cell, which is still in its base stages of development, Need For Speed already has a director attached in Scott Waugh, the director of the popular Navy Seal-starring action film Act of Valor. Need For Speed publisher EA released a statement brimming with optimism regarding the film, describing it as “a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the ’70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise.”
Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC News
Once the new Super Mario Bros. 2 drops on August 19th, fans can expect a paid DLC pack to follow soon after. The DLC will be an expansion of Super Mario 2’s Coin Rush mode, which has been described by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime as a competitive race for coins in randomly selected levels. Fils-Aime reassures gamers that the stand-alone Super Mario 2 experience will be a complete one. In his Nintendo Direct online broadcast, he elaborated that “”Make no mistake, out of the box this is a full-featured Mario game as full-featured as we’ve ever made.”
Tour de France 2012 – Launch Trailer
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3DS XL on August 19th
Nintendo is putting yet another permutation of the 3DS on the market, this time with the 3DS XL. This new portable system will feature larger screens than its predecessor, as well as a longer battery life and larger console body. The system will hit stores on August 19th in North America ($200), and July 28th in Europe (pricing TBD) and Japan (¥18,900).
Okami coming to the PS3
The innovative Japanese PlayStation 2 game Okami is being re-mastered for the PlayStation 3, with new graphics, 1080p resolution, and PlayStation Move support. The motion-control aspect is especially exciting, as the celestial brush powers of the game can be manipulated by it. A physical copy of the game is being released in Japan on November 1st for ¥3,990, while North American and European editions will be released digitally for $19.99/£15.99, respectively.
Spec Ops – Behind the Line Part 1 Trailer
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From the PunchDrunkGamer Forums:
* DC Universe Online Multiplayer-Focused DLC Pack, The Last Laugh, Now Available
* DOOM 3 BFG Edition Release Date Announced
* Ragnarok Online Throws Down for Annual PvP Championship Tournament
* Air Conflicts: Secret Wars hits the Sony PlayStation Network
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