E3 2012 RePLAY – 6.7.12

Today on E3 2012 RePLAY: Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime stays mum on Retro Studio’s mysterious project, gameplay details on Final Fantasy Dimensions and Sony isn’t worried about the Wii U’s head start.

If Retro Studios is not working on a Star Fox and Metroid crossover, what are they working on? IGN had the opportunity to ask Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime at E3 and—he is decidedly mum about it, but wanted to assure fans that the developer is “hard at work.”

“If I disclosed what Retro is doing, I would have the president of Retro literally calling me right now saying, ‘Reggie, what are you doing?’” Fils-Aime told IGN. “We love that people are interested. We love surprising people. I remember getting the questions before we announced Donkey Kong Country Returns. And I loved unveiling that. So… Rest assured, the team is hard at work. But I’m not gonna tell you what they’re working on.”

When asked about any upcoming news, Fils-Aime said, “Likely not.”

|Source: IGN

A throwback to the 16-bit glory days of yore, Final Fantasy Dimensions embraces everything that made the SNES iterations great: charming sprites, a classic story, the return of the Final Fantasy V job system and random battles! Maybe not so much on the random battles, in retrospect.

Made by Final Fantasy IV designer Takashi Tokita, Final Fantasy Dimensions covers the story of the Light and Dark Warriors, who can fulfill different roles in battle via the job system. The Warriors can switch to classic jobs like the Knight, White/Black/Red Mages, Thief and Monk. Due to the episodic nature of the game, however, advanced classes like the Dancer, Bard, and Magus are unlocked in later episodes.  

While Dimensions has the classic Final Fantasy flair to it, the title is solely controlled by touch screen or virtual D-pad.

|Source: IGN

The Wii U is way ahead of its competition in the next-gen console race with its holiday 2012 release, but Sony isn’t concerned about Nintendo’s head start.

“Not at all. That’s the simple answer,” SCEA senior VP of product development and Worldwide Studios Scott Rohde told Joystiq.

“We have a very strong vision in what we believe we’re gonna do for the next generation,” he said. “And we’re not talking about it at all yet.”

But when will Sony start talking about its next-generation game plan? “The reality is let’s build a great machine. And we’ll talk about it then.”

Fair enough.

|Source: Joystiq

E3 2012 RePLAY – 6.6.12

Today on E3 2012 RePLAY: A new graphics engine by Square-Enix, Sony explains the lack of The Last Guardian at E3 and a slew of new Castlevania: Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate details.

Square-Enix showed gamers a glimpse of the future: the “Luminous Studio” engine. Drawing on their flagship Final Fantasy series as a theme, the publisher showcased the engine with “Agni’s Philosophy,” a short film that tantalizingly promises what gamers can expect in the next-generation.

Luminous Studio will be used for “creating next generation quality games,” and can depict “real time computer graphics” on the same level as “pre-rendered computer graphics.”

|Source: Kotaku

Sony wants to assure fans that just because The Last Guardian is notably absent at E3 that it’s something to be concerned about.

“It just wasn’t appropriate for us to give an update,” Scott Rohde told Joystiq, SCEA’s senior VP of product development and Worldwide Studios. “That’s just how it worked out.”

Rohde explains that The Last Guardian’s absence was more of a time issue during the press conference and Sony’s approach to internal development.

“Almost more than any game that Worldwide Studios develops, it’s all about the emotion and the experience that’s crafted in what the team can deliver,” he said. “And there’s a vision that must be upheld. And until it can be upheld, it’s not gonna ship.”

|Source: Joystiq

Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, the 3DS part of the Lords of Shadow duet, made by developer MercurySteam has a slew of new details revealed during Nintendo’s 3DS Software Showcase Event.

• 2.5D side-scrolling gameplay, 3D adds a sense of depth.
• Combat similar to the console-based Castlevania: Lords of Shadow with a standard attack button and area of effect attack with another.
• Trevor uses the Combat Cross, Light & Shadow magic; Simon has the Vampire Killer whip, axes, burning oil and elemental spirits.  
• “Metroidvania”-style of gameplay returns with castle exploration and backtracking.
• Set 25 years after the main events of the first game; not after the surprise ending.
• Alucard is confirmed as a playable character.
• Release set for late 2012.

|Source: Destructoid, Kotaku