Ultra Combo News Report 03.15.10: Playstation Move Info, DS 2 In The Works, Dragon Age II Release Date and More!
Posted by Armando Rodriguez on 03.15.2010
Plus, Green Day: Rock Band gets release date, Torchlight is coming to consoles and the weekly Gaming Babe!
Hey gang and welcome to another Ultra Combo News Report. This week we will cover some of the juicy bits of info coming out of the Game Developers Conference, although to be honest, very few of this is actually relevant, the rest is basically a collection of "how to make games" reports. This week my time has been consumed by Battlefield Bad Company 2 online and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on the DS. Borrowing a DS has been great and it has allowed me to play some awesome games I have missed. I also started playing Trauma Center, which is quite good. Battlefield however, has become an addiction. I play for hours on end and I am still trying to beat my own score. My best score so far was 2,510 playing with the medic. Sure, I had six revives and a ton of heals to back up my 9 kills and I hope I can beat that some time. The closest I have come is 2,300 as it seems I am unable to score with another class. Something that really pisses me off: Campers. Not playing against them, playing WITH them. I hate when my team loses a Conquest game because it was composed of campers who did not move to capture flags. I have seen 6-7 snipers camping IN THE SAME BUILDING without moving. They are fighting over meager kills instead of, you know, moving around and winning the game. But enough shenanigans and let's get straight to the action!
Nintendo DS 2 in the works?
One of the most persistent rumors coming out of the GDC is that Nintendo will reveal the successor to the DS at E3 and that it might launch before the holidays this year! Well, in Japan at least. Among the features of this DS successor include an accelerometer that will allow players to tilt the screens and move them around, much like the iPhone. Also the gap between the two screens will be much smaller, allowing them to be used as a single big screen. Finally, it will have power equivalent to a Gamecube. A portable Gamecube sure sounds nice! The development kit will also be similar to the Gamecube, which Nintendo hopes will make developing for the DS2 (or whatever it is named) easier since devs will be familiar with the kit. The rumors also state that this development kits are already being passed around and that developers are already working on games for it.
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: Well, if this is true, I hope they wait until the holidays of NEXT year to release the new DS. Why? Because it would be unfair for the suckers who spend their $180 on the "new" DSi XL only for Nintendo to slap them in the face by releasing a superior and brand new system a couple of months later. The Nintendo DS has a ton of great games and I don't think developers have reached the "peak" of what the system can do. The sales are still strong and they are not slowing down at all, so Nintendo should wait until the DS stops rolling before stopping the train themselves. That would be a waste of money, I mean, if your current stuff is raking in the dough, why compete against yourself?
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Free DLC Dated
For those who purchased the Limited Edition of Bad Company 2 and cashed in your VIP access codes (which should be everyone who purchased the game new) the next batch of free DLC maps arrives on March 30th for the Xbox 360 and PS3. The maps are not new however. Instead the Africa Harbor map, available in Rush mode, will be converted into a Conquest Mode map and the Laguna Presa map, available in Conquest mode, will be turned into a Rush Mode map. In essence, the two maps will be available on both games modes. EA has plans of releasing premium downloadable content at some point, but apparently they won't be new maps. A DICE rep stated that "we will focus on expanding other areas of the gameplay experience other than the selection of maps available". New game modes anyone?
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: Well, I am not disappointed, but I am not terribly satisfied either. We are not getting anything new really, just two old maps converted to new games modes. That is not bad at all, but I wish they would give us ALL the maps available on all game modes. Or maybe they could have released some of the original Bad Company's maps for the new game? Either way I feel like I should not complain about getting something free, but I feel like this is not anything super awesome to reward our loyalty.
Torchlight Coming to Consoles
On his appearance in The Rumble Pack, Runic CEO Max Schaefer said that "We are putting some serious effort into it- pretty quick- getting Torchlight into consoles". Torchlight was released last year on the PC and it is a hack/slash dungeon crawler in the same line as Diablo and Fate.
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: Before my PC crapped on me, Torchlight was one of the games that I was playing the most. It is basically a Diablo clone, but with better graphics and some humor thrown into the mix. It has some steampunk elements as well, with robots sporadically seen thought the adventure. Sure, the plot and side quests were just excuses to get you hacking and slashing, but when the fight is good, the loot is good and the customization system is good, nothing else matters! If you want something to hold your attention until Diablo III, I really recommend you give Torchlight a try.
Dragon Age II dated?
Inside the review copies of the upcoming expansion Dragon Age: Awakening, a curious little date appears on top of the dragon that is iconic to the series: February 1, 2011. Not only has that, but the dragon now has two wings, instead of one like on the Dragon Age boxart. Since EA had said that the release date for Dragon Age 2 would be sometime between January and March of 2011, it is a fair guess that February 1, 2011 will mark the release date of the sequel.
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: Dragon Age is still in my "to buy" list, but everything points at the game being amazing and a true successor to the Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate series. Now it seems we have a solid release date for the sequel, but with the game's length and all the extra DLC and expansions that have been released for it, I guess that people will still be playing the first Dragon Age when the sequel rolls around.
Green Day: Rock Band Release Date Set
Green Day: Rock Band will be released on June 8th, 2010. The game will feature 47 Green Day tracks and will retail for $49.99 on the Wii and $59.99 on PS3 and 360. There will be no special instruments or an instrument bundle, like on The Beatles: Rock Band. Much like on The Beatles: Rock Band, players will be able to unlock rare photographs and footage of the band. There will be a special "Plus" edition for the PS3 and 360. The Plus Edition will retail for $69.99 and will include 6 exclusive Green Day tracks (that will be later sold as DLC), the ability to export the songs to other Rock Band games (this feature will be free for those who pre-order at Gamestop) and special packaging.
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: I don't know how well this will sell and I am not terribly excited about it either. Since most of my instruments already broke and I don't think I will spend hundreds of dollars on getting them back any time soon. Seriously, the crappy lasting value of the instruments turned me off from the genre entirely. But Green Day, really? I mean, I don't think they are a bad band or anything; I have enjoyed some of their stuff. But the fact is, in my opinion, they don't have the same mass appeal or name recognition as The Beatles, Metallica, Aerosmith or even Van Halen. I could think of ten better bands that deserve their own Rock Band or Guitar Hero game.
Details on Playstation Move
Sony has officially named its upcoming motion controller the Playstation Move. Sony will treat the launch of the device as a new "virtual" console and will be pushing it heavily with advertising on TV. The controller will come in three separate bundles: A stand-alone controller for those who already own the Playstation Eye (which is required to use the controller), a "Starter's Kit" that bundles a controller, a game and the Playstation Eye in a single package and "The Ultimate Bundle" that will pack a Playstation 3 system, a controller, a game and the Playstation Eye. Sony is targeting the "starter's kit" price to be under $100, although no official prices have been revealed. Big name games like Little Big Planet and SOCOM 4 will use the controller, as well as several new "exclusive" games like Move Party (a mini-game collection in the vibe of WarioWare), Sports Champions (Sony's answer to Wii Sports), Motion Fighters and others.
[Credit: 1up.com]
The Beatdown: Well, I am not terribly excited about this. However, the fact that I already have a Playstation Eye (which I picked up at a bargain bin for $20 with the whole Eye of Judgment deal…of course, I then traded in the crappy card game) and since the starter's kit will be under $100, I expect the Move controller alone will be priced around Dual-Shock range, I might pick it up at some point. Sure, Playstation Move sounds crappy….but better than Playstation Arc or Playstation Gem. Also first impressions from multiple sites have been very positive, Sports Champions is getting good press as a Wii Sports conqueror and Little Big Planet's "create" aspect seems to be easier with the Move controller. Yeah, I am more positive and optimistic now about it than I was when it was first announced, but still, I need to use it and have some hands on time before I decide.
The Quick Hits:
- Capcom will apparently release a new "Double Pack" of updated classics on PSN and XBLA. The Double Pack will feature Final Fight and Magic Sword. Long live the beat-em-up!
- The much-delayed EyePet is now on track to be released at the same time as the Playstation Move.
- One of the features of the Playstation Move controller is that it will allow you to change the color of your light. After seeing so many people open and modify their dual shocks only to get a different colored light at the expense of battery life, this seems like a good feature!
- Valve is claiming that Portal 2 is the best game they have ever done! Coming from the company behind Half-Life, Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress, that is a bold claim!
