Headline RePLAY – 5.31.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Activision v. West ends before going to court, the rumored Star Fox – Metroid: Fusion Saga game is debunked and a DC fighting game brought to you by the makers of Mortal Kombat.

Following leaked documents of corporate espionage, trial delays, the bitter showdown between Activision and the creators of the Call of Duty franchise

“All parties have reached a settlement in the dispute, the terms of which are strictly confidential,” said Robert Schwartz, the attorney representing Call of Duty creators Jason West and Vincent Zampella.

The settlement ends two years of litigation after Activision fired West and Zampella, which prompted the developers to sue Activision for “wrongful termination.” The publisher then countersued, accusing West and Zampella of being “disloyal.” A separate lawsuit was filed by a group of over 40 Infinity Ward developers, led by Todd Alderman, alleging that Activision denied them millions in bonus payments and royalties.

“Activision Blizzard, Inc. (ATVI) today announced that all parties to the litigation have reached a settlement of the dispute, the terms of which are strictly confidential,” said Activision in a released statement.

EA, the publisher that Activision dropped its countersuit against last week, weighed in on the settlement: “Activision’s refusal to pay their talent and attempt to blame EA were absurd. This settlement is a vindication of Vince and Jason, and the right of creative artists to collect the rewards due for their hard work.”

|Source: LA Times, Joystiq

The incredible rumor of a Star Fox and Metroid crossover for the Wii U that surfaced last week is put to rest today by the very source that brought it to light, citing new information.

“This game [Star Fox – Metroid: Fusion Saga] is not what Retro Studios is currently working on and it will not make an appearance at E3 next week,” said Paul, writer and owner of Paul Gale Network. “Now depending on what side of the fence you were on in regards to whether or not you wanted this game to be real is where this news might personally good or bad to you. If you hated the idea, then rest assured that the game isn’t happening. If you liked the idea, then at least I can leave you with a bit of cushioning.”

According to Paul’s source, at one time the crossover was indeed a proposal, as it represented a “more unified Nintendo universe” and one of “several potential team-up projects” that Nintendo has been considering.

|Source: Paul Gale Network

From Warner Bros., DC Entertainment and the creators of Mortal Kombat comes Injustice: Gods Among Us, a fighting game that pits DC heroes and villains against each other.

In a serious case of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe déjà vu, Injustice features iconic characters like Batman, Harley Quinn, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and Solomon Grundy duking it out in interactive arenas with over the top moves that only superheroes can do (i.e. upper-cutting the Flash into space).

All its missing is the brightly-colored ninjas and Fatalities!

Injustice is slated for release sometime in 2013.

|Source: Injustice

Headline RePLAY – 5.24.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Only a minority of players were affected by the Diablo III hacks, details on Castlevania’s rumored reveal at E3 and GameStop’s annual Expo conference opens up to the public.

In an update to the Diablo III community, Blizzard assured fans today that Battle.net and Diablo III servers have not been compromised by hackers and only an “extremely small” number of players have been affected.

“First and foremost, we want to make it clear that the Battle.net and Diablo III servers have not been compromised,” wrote Blizzard Community Manager Danielle “Nethaera” Vanderlip. “In addition, the number of Diablo III players who’ve contacted customer service to report a potential compromise of their personal account has been extremely small.

“In all of the individual Diablo III-related compromise cases we’ve investigated, none have occurred after a physical Battle.net Authenticator or Battle.net Mobile Authenticator app was attached to the player’s account,” she continued, “and we have yet to find any situation where a Diablo III player’s account was accessed outside of “traditional” compromise methods (i.e. someone logging using an account’s login email and password).”

Nethaera rejects speculation that “session spoofing” was used as a method to hijack a player’s identity after he or she joins a public game, but assures fans that despite the “technical impossibility” of it occurring Blizzard will continue to investigate reports of such incidences.

"To that end, we’ve also seen discussions regarding the possibility of account compromises occurring in ways that didn’t involve these “traditional” methods—for example, by “session spoofing” a player’s identity after he or she joins a public game," she continued. "Regarding this specific example, we’ve looked into the issue and found no evidence to indicate compromises are occurring in this fashion, and we’ve determined the methods being suggested to do so are technically impossible. However, you have our assurance that we’ll continue to investigate reports such as these and keep you informed of important updates.”

|Source: Blizzard

Details on Castlevania’s return are materializing from the mists of rumor prior to its E3 2012 debut much like Dracula’s Castle does every century.

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, the 3DS title, is reportedly a 2D adventure that stars two different playable characters and co-op play much like Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin for the DS. Unlike its DS cousin, Mirror of Fate allegedly utilizes the 3DS’ cameras as some sort of mirror or as a new puzzle-solving mechanic.

On the official front, Konami has released a teaser site at thedragonreturns.com. Not only does the site contain Castlevania-esque artwork the web address refers to the name of Vlad Dracul, or Vlad the “Dragon” in Romanian, the basis of the Dracula legend.

|Source: IGN

GameStop is opening its annual Expo conference to consumers—an event that was previously exclusive to the retail chain’s managers and members of the game industry.

The Expo conference serves to introduce GameStop managers to upcoming game titles and a preview of products that will be sold during the holiday season. And now in what is likely a public relations move, consumers will get an inside look into what games will be released, meet video game publishers and see special guests.

Price for admission is $35, or $100 for VIP admission. VIP passes will be able to attend presentations by major game companies. Tickets are only sold to members of GameStop’s PowerUp Rewards loyalty program.

The conference will be held at San Antonio, Texas on August 29th, two days before PAX 2012 in Seattle.

|Source: Gamasutra

Headline RePLAY – 4.2.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Yet more rumors about the next Xbox, Sony wants first dibs on marketing their next-gen console and Capcom responds to Better Business Bureau complaints about Street Fighter X Tekken.

Not to be outdone by the wave of PlayStation 4 (a.k.a. the “Orbis”) news, new but contradictory details about the next Xbox have emerged:

In contradiction to recent reports that Microsoft’s next-gen console is going digital, VG247 claims that it will have a Blu-ray drive. Despite the inclusion of a Blu-ray drive, however, the console will require a constant internet connection.

According to VG247, the specs of the machine include two GPUs. One of VG247’s sources said, “It’s like two PCs taped together.”

Additionally, it will have “four or six” cores to its CPU: one reserved for the built-in Kinect and another for the console’s OS.

*Source: VG247

Hot off the heels of all the PlayStation 4 coverage last week, rumors suggest that Sony is seeking to beat Microsoft to the punch in marketing the next-gen console.

“Sony [is] completely in the belief that they have the jump on Microsoft this time,” sources told VG247. “You should be watching the timing of next year’s E3 keynotes, and who’s going to go first.”

One such source tells VG247 that Sony is “confident” that it “will have the console at market ahead of the next generation Xbox next Christmas.”

*Source: VG247

The Street Fighter X Tekken on-disc DLC drama continues: after receiving complaints from consumers via the Better Business Bureau, Capcom responds that they see little difference in the medium that DLC is delivered.

Capcom recites their official stance that the company believes on-disc DLC provides “more flexible” and “efficient gameplay” for the game’s lifecycle. However, the kicker comes in when Capcom observes there is no distinction between on-disc DLC and DLC delivered later as a download:

“There is effectively no distinction between the DLC being “locked” behind the disc and available for unlocking at a later date, or being available through a full download at a later date, other than delivery mechanism.”

Apparently, to Capcom, completed content that is on disc is equivalent to content released post-launch received through a server, which begs the question: what is legitimate DLC and what was content cut from games to be released at a later date?

*Source: Gaming BLEND

Headline RePLAY – 3.9.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Microsoft’s next gen-console could be disc-less, Capcom misspells its own name and scrapped Super Mario Land 3D ideas are revealed.  

It looks like the next Xbox console is going digital, if MCV’s anonymous source that is under the “strictest NDA” is to be believed.

According to the source, Microsoft has been telling partners that the next Xbox will not include a disc drive. It will, however, provide compatibility via some sort of “interchangeable solid-state card storage.”

MCV has also confirmed that the console will launch in 2013, but it remains unknown when Microsoft intends to unveil the hardware or release date.

Microsoft’s response to the rumor is a curious one. The obligatory “we do not comment on rumors or speculation” is there, but preceding it they said, “We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention.”

If Microsoft is intending to go with the digital model, the effects on videogame retailers that rely on selling hard copies could be a negative one.  

*Source: MCV

Apparently, Capcom needs to take remedial spelling lessons, or at least heed spellcheck. After misspelling “Revelations” on the spine of Resident Evil: Revelations and “challenges” on the back of Asura’s Wrath, Capcom is caught botching their own name in a trailer for Steel Battalion.

At the end of the trailer Capcom is typed out as “Capcpom.” How embarrassing!

*Source: ScrewAttack

Nintendo’s ideas for Super Mario Land 3D were quite strange in the early brainstorming stages, Nintendo EAD’s Koichi Hayashida revealed at GDC 2012.

While speaking at GDC yesterday, Hayashida brought a number of crude post-it note sketches that he saved from pre-production to illustrate what sort of ideas were floating around. One of them had a giant Mario where only the plumber’s legs were seen and a stretched Mario with freaky long limbs.

Other ideas included “Pro Skater Mario” where the plumber is riding a Koopa shell down a half pipe, enemy cockroaches to be squashed via slamming the 3DS shut and replacing Princess Peach’s face with a friend’s.

Hayashida emphasized that not all of the ideas shown were seriously considered, but added how important brainstorming was in making games.  

“It reminds me of something important. We must always consider ideas outside the normal range from what people expect from a Mario game,” stressed Hayashida. “We must make others laugh with strange new ideas. We have to keep a feeling of joy in the development process.”

*Source: Eurogamer

Headline RePLAY – 1.3.11

Today on Headline RePLAY: the ESA explains its support for SOPA, the 3DS makes a rebound and rumor has it that Nintendo’s Wii U is also an e-reader!

 

Even though major publishers like Nintendo, Sony and Electronic Arts jumped ship last week from supporting the Stop Online Piracy act, the Entertainment Software Association stands firm with its backing for the bill and released a statement today explaining why:

“As an industry of innovators and creators, we understand the importance of both technological innovation and content protection, and do not believe the two are mutually exclusive. Rogue websites – those singularly devoted to profiting from their blatant illegal piracy – restrict demand for legitimate video game products and services, thereby costing jobs. Our industry needs effective remedies to address this specific problem, and we support the House and Senate proposals to achieve this objective. We are mindful of concerns raised about a negative impact on innovation. We look forward to working with the House and Senate, and all interested parties, to find the right balance and define useful remedies to combat willful wrongdoers that do not impede lawful product and business model innovation.”

Additionally, the ESA is aware of objections against SOPA, and responded:

“We are mindful of concerns raised about a negative impact on innovation. We look forward to working with the House and Senate, and all interested parties, to find the right balance and define useful remedies to combat willful wrongdoers that do not impede lawful product and business model innovation.”

The ESA is a video game trade group that is responsible for organizing the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo and its defense of video games as protected speech in the U.S. Supreme Court.  A lot of major publishers are members of the ESA, and therefore, despite their withdrawal from SOPA, are still supporting the bill by proxy.

SOPA’s critics assert that SOPA authorizes content owners to effectively shut down internet websites on the basis of copyright infringement, which includes:

·         Mods

·         “Let’s Play” videos

·         Video replays

·         Video reviews and commentary

·         Unofficial game guides

·         The taking, hosting, and sharing of screenshots, artistic or otherwise

·         Image forums (Reddit, 4chan)

*Source: Kotaku

Nintendo sure knows how to make a miraculous comeback. After dismal sales numbers, a major price cut in less than six months, and anxious investors— Nintendo is celebrating the new year with news that that the 3DS crossed over the 4 million units mark.  

According to Nintendo, the 3DS sold more than the Wii did in its first nine months. No doubt the sales jump was attributed to the massive price cut and the release of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.

Needless to say, predictions of the 3DS’s death were highly exaggerated.

*Source: BusinessWire

Nintendo’s Wii U was met with a lot of comparisons to tablet PCs— and if this rumor of it being an e-reader is true, it will be a dead-on contrast.

According to Forget the Box, Nintendo is planning on making the Wii U into a Kindle or Nook equivalent with the ability to download or stream books, magazines, newspapers or other publications.

But to lend some credence to the rumor, Forget the Box adds that Nintendo is looking into making electronic strategy guides and instruction booklets available for download too.

Considering what we’ve seen of the Wii U, the rumor sounds plausible. However, it is just a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt.

*Source:  Forget the Box via Game Informer