Those of you following the Wii U have no doubt seen the absolutely stunning Legend of Zelda tech demo that Nintendo showed off. While we don’t know if this is what the next Zelda will for sure look like (after all, look at the tech demo for the Gamecube and compare that to Wind Waker), an unnamed source has come forward saying that they have seen the game in action. And according to them, the new Zelda title will use the Wii U’s increased graphical capabilities to their fullest and have huge worlds similar to those seen in Rockstar’s GTA series.

“It’s a 4-year development cycle with a new console, new technology, new engine,” the source explained. “It’ll end up being the most expensive game they’ve made to date. It’s a huge investment for [Nintendo] in money and manpower, this is Rockstar/GTA territory.”

The report lists a few ways that the series will be different than other entries in the series, but the apparent size of the game is the main talking point. The source told Wii U Daily about seeing the first dungeon, which according to the source is a forest area like most of the first dungeons in the series. ”The dungeon was bigger than the Hyrule field in Ocarina, and the whole thing is one dungeon. You use the GamePad to navigate, avoid traps, follow clues etc. It’s dark, lush, with a ton of trees, foliage, some which you have to cut your way through. Its scope and details are unlike anything you’ve seen in a Zelda game.” The source also talks about the tablet controller, and how each aspect of the controller is not only utilized but utilized well.

While this screams of fangasm, Nintendo hasn’t come out denying any of the rumors yet so some or all of this may be true. However we won’t get to see for ourselves for a while yet if this is to be believed: according to the source, this new adventure for Link won’t be seen in the slightest until 2014.

According to a gaming accessory maker, the Nintendo Wii U might be released on November 18. This info was leaked at the Gamestop Manager’s convention in Texas. Apparently a representative for PDP (Performance Designed Products) was showing their fall lineup and in the presentation he accidentally mentioned that the peripherals would be available just ahead of the Wii U’s November 18 release.

A November release would interesting and sort of expected considering that it would be right on time with the holiday season. If true chances are that Nintendo and Performance Designed Products will deny this rumor.

We will have to wait and see what happens with this one, but if I had to guess the Wii U will probably be released sometime in 2013.

On the left you can see the photo of the actual development kit courtesy of eBay. Click on the photo to make it bigger for a better view.

[Link to the auction page]

According to a photo found at a Spanish based gaming forum, Crash Bandicoot could be making it’s way to the upcoming PlayStation All-Star Battle Royale. This would be interesting to see considering that Crash was PlayStation’s version of Super Mario and it’s been a while since we have seen him in anything. Another thing to remember is that Naughty Dog was the developer of Crash, so one could wonder what the possibilities are with a new Crash Bandicoot game on the PS3.

As usual with rumors or photo leaks there is always a chance that anything could be fake, but the image up top could be real. Keep checking with us as more news comes on whether or not Crash is going to be on PlayStation All-Star Battle Royale.

[3D Juegos ]

Below is an old trailer promising release in 2012.

According to a report by Variety, game developer Rocksteady is apparently working on a prequel of the Batman Series. This is certainly expected considering that Batman Arkham city and Arkham Asylum did really well in sales. Check out some of things mentioned in that Variety Article:

Variety has learned that WBIE is expected to reteam some of the characters in some form for the next installment in Rocksteady Studios’ gritty vidgame series that began with “Batman: Arkham Asylum” and “Arkham City.”

New, highly stylized title is being developed as a prequel that revolves around Batman’s first meeting with the Joker. It’s based on the Silver Age of DC’s comicbooks from the 1950s when the Caped Crusader teamed with other heroes like Superman and founded the Justice League of America.

We will have to wait and see what happens with this one, but chances are that if this game is already in the works, it will probably make it our way in 2014. Keep checking with us as more details come our way and also be sure to check out that Variety article in the link below.

[Variety Article]

The other day we reported on a Microsoft strategy document that has leaked and seemed quite legit. The 56 page document revealed a lot details of things to come for the XBOX 720 as well as other awesome and interesting things that Microsoft could have in the works. What really made this document stand out is the whole Blu-Ray support thing as well as the 3D glasses,  newly improved Kinect System and Microsoft using cloud based gaming.

Recently EuroGamer got in touch with Microsoft and sort of asked them on validity of the document and here’s what they had to say.

“We understand there is great interest and anticipation for what comes next for Xbox and we are lucky to have customers who are so passionate about the platform.

“Today, there has never been a better time to own an Xbox 360 console. We have found new ways to extend the console lifecycle by introducing controller-free experiences with Kinect and we’ve re-invented the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships.

“We are continually thinking about the future of the platform and when we have something to share, we will.”

As you can see Microsoft didn’t really say much of the document or the XBOX 720, but they are talking of the future.  It would be nice to see them announce the next console possibly at E3 2013, but that’s just wishful thinking at our end here.

[EuroGamer]

Below you can see a diagram that was in the document and from the looks of things this new XBOX will be about 8 times faster than the current generation 360.

In addition to the diagram up top, the document shows what appears to be Microsoft’s plans for the next 3 years. In 2013 this new XBOX will be the only box needed for next-gen gaming and entertainment. It also talks about XTV, STB and a new version of the sensor technology Kinect. You can also see that Microsoft is taking that whole smartphone/tablet feature serious and with that the possibilities are endless.

The other interesting thing here is the Fortaleza Glasses, which bring in a whole new experience to gaming in the living room. These glasses will connect to the new XBOX via wi-fi and if true will probably take down the Wii U and anything that sony is planning with the PlayStation 4.

With these things it is best to put them in the rumor section. As of now Microsoft has not announced anything that even suggest a new console, but certain things have made us suspicious on their plans. Let’s hope that this document is real and that these things get announce at E3 next year.

[Scribd] [Gamer Blahhhg] [NeoGaf Forums] [Download the full document]

According to a reliable source of Kotaku, Microsoft is planing to make it possible for phones to stream games with a new feature called XBOX Live Companion. Not to confuse it with the social marketplace app, XBOX Companion. this is a whole new feature that will allow you to stream content directly to your Android, Ipad or Windows live devices. Below are some of the details coming from Kotaku.

Xbox Live Companion would work like this: owners of iOS, Android or Windows phones (or tablets) download the Xbox Live Companion application to their devices. Then, developers of console games will have the option of coding in features that would allow those games to send content to the app while the game was running, transforming it into a personalised “companion” of the title being played.

An example we heard from this source was Halo 4: start playing the game on Xbox 360 and, if you’ve got XBLC on your phone or tablet, it will become a Halo 4 companion application. Turn the game off and switch to something else that the app supports and it suddenly becomes your companion for that game.

As with any rumors, we will have to wait and see what happens over at E3. Microsoft has to get into the mobile gaming market somehow if it’s to compete with Sony and the PlayStation Vita. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.

[Kotaku]