Andrew Prokhorov, the creative director of 4A Games, came out with a statement yesterday in response to semi-criticism from former THQ president Jason Rubin, who wrote a detailed report exposing subpar working conditions after making a visit to 4A’s studio in Kiev, Ukraine.
Not a whole lot to see here today, as Nintendo has released a few more specifics about some games that will be releasing for 3DS and Wii U this summer.
Nintendo showed off some video of the upcoming Sonic and Mario Winter Olympics game for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. They also announced an exclusive deal with Sega for the exclusive next installment of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
Read more on Summer line-up detailed for Nintendo through Direct video…
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is — in a word — difficult.
I’d never had a chance to play through the eponymous ape’s latest quest the first time around on the Wii, But I’ve heard stories — nay, legends — of its ability to make grown men weep under the pressure. Luckily the 3DS version — essentially an updated port of the Wii game — appears to replicate the challenge while making it a bit more accessible to players less tolerant of video game masochism. Oh, and it also adds a few new levels for good measure.
Read more on Going bananas — Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D review…
During today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo Global President Satoru Iwata announced that a new partnership between Nintendo and Sega means that the next entry in the Sonic the Hedgehog series will be exclusive to the Wii U and 3DS. More details about the new game, called Sonic Lost World, will be revealed sometime ahead of E3 2013. This is a rare highlight amidst a string of bad news for Nintendo, as EA confirms that it has no games in development for the Wii U and continued poor sales figures mean that the Wii U is being outsold by its predecessor. From the announcement:
Read more on Nintendo nabs exclusive Sega partnership for Sonic games…
The thing about Stardrive is that it really knows how to draw you in as the latest entry in a struggling 4X genre (in which you eXplore space, eXpand your borders, eXploit your colonies, and eXterminate your adversaries). The debut effort from Portland-based Zero Sum Games stands out from the crowd with it’s beautiful visuals, quirky sense of humor, and promises of unique action-based combat. It isn’t until you spend a few hours in the game that you’ll start to notice the cracks in the facade that ultimately keeps this one from reaching the heights of its idols Galactic Civilization 2 and Masters of Orion 2.
It looks like EA has set its sights elsewhere. In an interview with Kotaku yesterday, EA spokesperson, Jeff Brown, admitted “We have no games in development for the Wii U currently.” This news couldn’t come at a worse time for Nintendo as they’re already suffering from the loss of upcoming titles such as Grand Theft Auto V and their monthly numbers have been disappointing this month.
Harman Kardon is easily one of the top audio shops in the world, and they’ve got a sweet solution for those who want a whole hell of a lot of high-quality sound but don’t want to consume a ton of space. A new product from KH entitled “LUCAS Nano” has been released here in the states, but it’s not just interesting to gamers. Audiophiles, gamers, and semi-pro recording artists, take note – this beast can serve all of you. Portable and powerful, the system has a lot of configurations that just might be up your alley – check it out:
If you’ve purchased an EA title recently, you’re probably familiar with their very unpopular Online Pass system. Players require an Online Pass to access certain game features, like online multiplayer. That’s fine if you purchase a new copy of the game (which includes a pass), but if you purchase a secondhand copy or borrow the game from a friend, you’re forced to buy a new pass before you can play online. Gamers obviously weren’t happy with this arrangement, with many viewing it as a way for EA to still profit from used game sales. Well, EA has listened and according to VentureBeat, they are nixing the Online Pass system:
Well, it looks like the E3 hype train has started chugging, as Nintendo has just announced that they will be hosting a Nintendo Direct video tomorrow at 7 AM PST.
I wouldn’t get too excited, though, as this video looks to focus on upcoming summer releases for the Wii U and 3DS, rather than anything beyond that time frame. Still, Nintendo’s been known to throw in a few surprises here and there, and I’m sure they’ve got something up their sleeve other than some videos for games we’ve already seen.
Are you ready for the teaser trailer that announces the trailer later? Yep, it’s that time again. Welcome to E3 coverage! This morning, Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment released a teaser for the Q4 2013 title, Batman: Arkham Origins. If you’ve been keeping your head down and have missed the news on this title, here’s a little nibble about the upcoming prequel title:
It’s a cloudy, chilly day in San Francisco — gorgeous, really — and Ted Price, CEO of Insomniac Games has spent most of it inside a dimly lit South of Market nightclub, working on the final marketing push for Fuse, their upcoming co-op shooter. It’s the day after the demo has been unleashed on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to a skeptical public, and just a few weeks away from its May 28th release date. He looks visibly tired as the event begins to wind down, as we sit down to discuss Fuse, its development, and the unique set of hurdles it posed for him and his team.
Read more on The Passion of Ted Price: Insomniac, Fuse, and the love of video games…
It’s out with the new and in with the old according to the latest April US sales numbers from Nintendo. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter reports the original Wii console will outsell the Wii U by nearly 20,000 units this month alone. That’s right, it’s been six years and the Wii is still jogging strong with a solid 75,000 units sold this month in the US.
