This week is liable to be packed with hype, fresh game details, and hyperbole. That’s right, it’s the week of E3! We’ll be giving our own spin on the more interesting details to emerge, and you can bet Jon will have a boatload of shit to dump in his Random Setting on Friday. But, for the time being, we’re caught at the nexus of rumormongering, as the anticipation builds to wholly indefensible levels.
So, what else is going on? Well, LucasArts have been hinting about a Star Wars game on the Wii that will take advantage of the remote for lightsaber duelling. Sounds exactly like what people have been asking for since the Wii controller was revealed, right? Sort of. As the rumors get more refined, it looks as if this lightsaber action will be included in LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I suspect this is a good move for LucasArts, since the LEGO Star Wars games can afford to be a little less… expressive with their combat sequences, and the Wii remote hasn’t demonstrated an ability to handle something like the Duel of the Fates. If LucasArts refines their code based on what they learn from The Complete Saga, though, it’s not unthinkable that we may get a chance to participate in a more serious, complex lightsaber duel in the future.
In the last Bit Players Roundtable, on our most anticipated games, the PS3 and its lineup were barely mentioned. A well-timed marketing video of Heavenly Sword could be what it takes to get us to reconsider. Especially since it’s about twenty minutes long, and doesn’t skimp on the gameplay examples. The more expansive war scenes look kind of repetitive, as happened with Ninety-Nine Nights, but no denying the thing looks smooth and satisfying. Plus, the hints at the mythology and story of the game are encouraging, differentiating themselves from the trappings of high fantasy. There are a few minor spoilers in the video, so be careful if you care about that sort of thing. Weirdo.
The rumored PS3 price drop is now official. The 60GB model will drop $100 down to $499 in the US. Don’t feel sorry for that poor, abandoned $599 price point, though; a new 80GB model is being introduced to fill that void, bundled with a copy of Motorstorm. This is great news for, uh… Sony?
A few small details have emerged about a pair of games that Steven Spielburg has invested his name in. These games are kind of in a conceptual space right now, though they’re being actively developed. What I mean is that now is the time when the developers relay their hopes and dreams, which tend to be transformed by the alchemy of game development into tears and failure. The first game is being described as an "action-puzzle simulator" for the Wii in the vein of Jenga and other games that use blocks of stuff. The second game actually has a narrative, though it sounds more like a critical mass of cool shit right now. Check the link for the Newsweek summary.
Pure hilarity, or intimations of good things to come? When an Electronic Arts executive says that sequels are stifling the industry, it’s anybody’s guess.
All games released this week will feel inadequate compared to the avalanche at E3. Mostly with good reason.
PC:
Jewels of Cleopatra
Sword of the New World: Granado Espada
Xbox 360:
Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception
Virtual Console:
Air "Zonk"
Mach Rider
Yoshi
PSP:
Smash Court Tennis 3
Riviera: The Promised Land
DS:
Vegas Casino: High 5