I was browsing the clothing and accessory outlet Urban Outfitters in my local mall earlier today (Happy Mother’s Day!) and I came across this Space Invaders — or rather Space “Intruders” — multi-tool keychain. At $14, it comes complete with a keyring, bottle-opener and not one, but two types of screwdrivers. Because you can never have enough screwdrivers when you’re on-the-move, apparently.
BioShock Infinite was first announced on August 2010, but it wasn’t slated to come out until the next two years in 2012. But earlier this week, Infinite’s creative dirctor Ken Levine announced that the game was going to be delayed … to 2013.
Specifically, Infinite will now be released on Feb. 26, 2013 instead of the original date of Oct. 16, 2012, making the agonizing two-year wait turn into a two-and-a-half-year wait. Clearly, the game was revealed way too soon, and this delay is pretty bad news as the hype surrounding Infinite is seriously starting to dwindle (arguably, it already has).
Levine, though, says the extra time is being used to make the game better. In a blog post on the game’s official website, he writes:
When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing.
Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.
I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco.
The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.
What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite. The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity. Irrational Games is one of those rare developers lucky enough to ask the people who sign the checks: “Hey, can we have a few more of those checks?”
We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and GamesCom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February.
Well, at least it’s good to know they’re working hard on the game. And hey, at least we know when the game’s coming out and what the hell’s going on with it unlike Final Fantasy Versus XIII. That game still exists, right?
The last major, proper Kingdom Hearts game for home consoles was Kingdom Hearts II, which was released on the PlayStation 2 way back in 2005/2006. Ever since then though, all we’ve been getting are KH portable games that, quite frankly, no one really cares about (I know I don’t).
So after over half a decade of KH handheld titles, isn’t it about time we saw the series back on the home console? KH director Tetsuya Nomura seems to think so. While talking to Game Informer about the PlayStation Vita, Nomura briefly said, “I also feel that it’s about time that Kingdom Hearts should go back to being on a console,” reports The Silent Chief.
Nomura also reportedly expressed “interest” in doing KH HD re-releases as he’s “currently researching them.” Not only that, he “would like to do something about the series being spread over so many different consoles, too,” adding “I am thinking a lot about the future.“
Undoubtedly, that future includes the loooong overdue KH 3, so before thinking about anything else Nomura, please hurry up and finish KH 3 first! Pretty please with sea salt on top!
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Electronic Arts recently revealed how many copies of Battlefield 3 its sold shipped so far, while also praising the game’s accomplishment against Modern Warfare 3.
During an earnings call earlier this week, EA said that 15 million copies of BF 3 were shipped to retailers since launch, reports MP1st. The number of units actually sold was not mentioned, but in February, EA said they sold 10 million copies of its military first-person shooter. In comparison, BF 3’s main competitor MW 3 managed to sell 9.3 million copies worldwide on just its first day, according to VGChartz.
EA’s CEO John Riccitiello also took the time to mention how BF 3 accomplished its mission against MW 3 (*rolls eyes*). “We did what we said we’d do with Battlefield. Battlefield 3 took [a] very significant share from the leading competitor on its way to being one of the biggest selling titles in EA history,” said Riccitiello, adding “There will be exciting new developments for the Battlefield brand as FY13 progresses.”
It was announced today that a new Family Guy game titled Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse is in the works.
Getting released on “gaming consoles” this fall from Twentieth Century Fox and Activision, the aptly-named Back to the Multiverse is inspired by Family Guy’s “Road to the Multiverse” episode which had Brian and Stewie traveling to parallel universes like The Flinstones cartoon and a world where humans are dogs. (Great episode, by the way!)
“Fans of Family Guy will love that we’ve taken some of the series’ most iconic and memorable moments and built them into an impressive and uncensored video game,” said Activision’s executive vice president David Oxford. “Anyone who watches the show will appreciate how much we have adhered to its rich and twisted universe and characters.”
Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products president Jeffrey Godsick added that “Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse will utilize the source material, including the talented voice cast and writers, authentic humor and subversive spirit of the series, giving fans a whole new way to interact with their favorite show.”
Of course, we can also probably expect lots of cultural references like in Road to the Multiverse. And seeing as how this game is being handled by Activision, I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll be seeing something related to a certain military first-person shooter that rhymes will Wall of Ruby.
Activision Publishing And Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products To Debut New Family Guy Video Game This Fall [PRNewswire]
The sequel to 2006’s critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes strategy game is in development and will be out in “early” 2013 for the PC, THQ announced today.
Being developed by Relic Entertainment, Company of Heroes 2 will take place in World War II, this time on the Eastern Front as players control the Soviet Union to fight off Russia-invading Nazis.
The game will utilize Relic’s Essence 3.0 Engine which will provide new elements like “Dynamic Battle Tactics, increased graphical fidelity and new environmental destruction.” CoH 2 will also have new Commander Abilities, as well as a new TrueSight system that makes units visible if they’re in line of sight.
According to CoH 2’s official website, competitive and co-op multiplayer will be returning, and as Core Games’ executive vice president Danny Bilson said in a statement, there will be a “strong post-launch digital content plan.”
“Company of Heroes 2 is a true successor, introducing a new front, new protagonists and new technology while retaining the unique mix of strategic gameplay and competitive multiplayer that made the original Company of Heroes such a success,” said Relic’s producer Greg Wilson.
Company of Heroes® 2 Invades the Eastern Front [BusinessWire]
Company of Heroes 2 Details [Company of Heroes' official website]
