News
Left for Dead 2 not planned for PS3
Project Lead prefers Xbox community
Chet Faliszek of Valve has voiced his reasoning for not releasing the upcoming Left for Dead 2 on the PS3 to CVG, and its all about community.
"Right now for Left 4 Dead 2 we're looking at PC and 360 because the community aspects really fit the game - it's all about playing with your friends, Offered Faliszek.
In hooking up with your friends and the community aspects, I think the Xbox 360 is head and shoulders above the PS3. The 360 and PC are on par, right?
So for now we will not be seeing a port for PS3, but well keep you updated as more develops.
Rock Band 3 will be your next music instructor
New control setup for old favorite
As we all probably already assumed, there will be a third installment of the Rock Band series. That was a safe bet. What we can't divine so easily are the details of its development. But thats okay; Dhani Harrison can enlighten us.
The son of the former Beatle, who lends a hand to the development of the Rock Band series, was recently featured in The Chicago Tribune and offered the following tidbit:
"I'm working on 'Rock Band 3' and making the controllers more real so people can actually learn how to play music while playing the game. Give me a couple years, it's going to happen."
What this means for the overall design of the controls is currently unclear, but we will keep you informed as we learn more.
No Wii HD planned by Nintendo
Fils-Aime plays down rumours
Last week speculation reached us that Nintendo could be on the brink of unveiling a brand new, HD-version of the Wii console, an initiative denied by the platform holder's US boss today.
Speaking with GTTV, Reggie Fils-Aime has said that there is definitely no HiDef version of the Wii in the works, while he played down talk of a new Wii console anytime soon in general.
"Michael [Pachter] continues to be the only one that believes this is going to happen. I don't know how forcefully we can say that there is no Wii HD," Fils-Aime told host Geoff Keghley.
More on this idle gossip as we get it.
Carmack: No dedicated servers for Rage
id man sees server-less future
Addressing the controversy surrounding Infinity Ward's decision to opt against dedicated servers for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, id Software boss John Carmack has said that Rage is unlikely to offer dedicated servers either.
"It's not cast in stone yet, but at this point no, we don't think we will have dedicated servers," Carmack told Variety.
"The great thing is we won't have to be a pioneer on that. We'll see how it works out for everyone else."
PC gamers have signed a petition against Infinity Ward's move in their droves, although it is unclear if Carmack and co's news will be similarly received.
O'Connor worried about Halo over-saturation
Exec wants to keep IP usage in check
343 Industries boss Frank O'Connor has said it is the job of this newly formed Microsoft entity to ensure that Halo is not over-saturated, and that players don't get sick of the Xbox 360's flagship IP.
While all kinds of novelties may have sprung up surrounding the adventures of Master Chief, O'Connor says that he fears for the brand if things go to far.
"I worry about that constantly," Joystiq were told by the executive.
"All of that stuff has existed in the past, and it exists because of one simple reason, which is demand. We wouldn't make it if we weren't continually being asked for it. We obviously turn down almost infinitely more stuff than we actually produce, but when we produce it there's a good reason and a good plan and a strong demand."
More Halo news soon.
Halo: Reach images leak online?
Forums awash with excitement
Rumours abound this morning that images purportedly from Halo: Reach have been leaked online.
Said snaps are very blurry indeed, while Microsoft have opted "not to comment on rumour or speculation". While the quality is poor, the snaps do sport trademark Halo elements.
The NeoGAF forums are of course the home of this titillation, one forum poster citing new hologram and cloaking abilities, not to mention squad-based combat.
Make your own mind up about the authenticity of these snaps. Now.
Hefty WoW update looms
Blizzard promise new content soon
Blizzard have revealed this morning that a brand new update is in the works for World of Warcraft, with a release earmarked for the coming weeks.
New dungeons and maps will be added via the imminent update, although the developer haven't gone into any detail on their plans.
Whether this new content will come in patch-form, or via the newly confirmed Cataclysm expansion is still unclear.
Blizzard are presently in the process of moving WoW players over to Battle.net accounts - part of a process also linked to the release of StarCraft II next year.
GoG offers Psychonauts on the cheap
New games online now
Classic games retail site GoG.com (Good Old Games) has added at least one bona fide classic to its range of older titles - sold for the PC as part of a digital distribution model.
Double Fine's excellent Psychonauts can be yours for 9.99 USD, while lavish Majesco space romp Advent Rising can also be yours for 5.99 USD, if you wish.
BloodRayne and its sequel will also be added to the platform in the coming weeks, we're told.
"One of GOG.com's main goals is to bring games that were overlooked back into the spotlight. Games like Psychonauts perfectly embody the 'Good Old Game' and we're thrilled to be bringing that game, along with other quality titles, to a new audience," managing director Adam Oldakowski enthuses.
Mass Effect 2 to feature new firefight dynamic
Say goodbye to overheating
BioWare's second installment of Mass Effect debuts in January. This means that we have almost three months left to be saturated with mouth-watering content previews before we get the full game.
The most recent of these tidbits, recently detailed by Kotaku, gives us a closer look at the combat of the game. It seems BioWare has done away with the regulatory overheating feature of the first installment in an attempt to smooth out the gun fight experience.
The developers said they felt the old system "...disrupted the flow of a good firefight." In its place will be an ammunition-based system.
In addition, BioWare has improved the graphics in the areas of frame-rate and background quality, specifically.
We will keep you up to date as more develops.
Final Fantasy XIII pushes for West by April 2010
Square Enix alludes to release plans
Japan, the lucky devils, will be getting their copies of Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII this December. But where does that leave the rest of us? Well, that's exactly what Yoichi Wada commented on in a financial briefing.
As reported by Kotaku, Wada, while discussing localization of the game, stated that, progress is good. He went on to say that it is possible to get the game to international shores by the end of the financial year, April 2010.
Wada also noted that game development is not the only factor to consider for release.
Square Enix will release an official statement on the subject at a later time, at which point you can count on us to keep you informed.



