While in the past, game saves and downloadable content would be lost at the end of a console cycle, Nintendo has revealed that won’t be the case with the Wii U at this year’s Developer Roundtable.
According to Katsuya Eguchi, hardware producer of the Wii U, the company is currently readying a system to transfer game saves, WiiWare and Virtual Console purchases from the Wii to the new Wii U. Considering the fact that file transfers aren’t currently possible from Wii-to-Wii, this is pretty impressive.
It is not known how the file transfer system will be implemented, although there is speculation it will involve the recently rumored cloud storage app for the upcoming console.
E3 saw the release of more footage from Naughty Dog’s much anticipated new game The Last of Us, and boy was it brutal. Although initially it looks very similar to the Uncharted series, as the trailer progresses it has a distinct feel, conjuring up the tension and eeriness of I Am Legend or “The Walking Dead.” Joel certainly has a touch of Sheriff Rick Grimes about him.
The trailer sees Joel and Ellie attempting to reach a bridge and escape the city. They are strangers in this territory, controlled by scavenging hunters. The player remains in control of Joel, and the level felt reminiscent of the French Villa chapter in Uncharted 3, with Sully offering banter and, later on, support.
However, the game itself seems to flow smoother than Drake’s last outing, and whereas that world took some liberties with the action, The Last of Us looks to be more grounded in reality. There are no funny quips here. This is survival, kill or be killed. The game seems to have more of a focus on stealth, but once discovered, Joel has no alternative than to kill a group of hunters in order to protect himself and Ellie. AT one point he even uses a hunter as a human shield. Ellie helps out when Joel runs out of bullets; although it was unclear whether this was an automatic reaction by the companion AI, or whether it was an action directed by the player.
The other main distinction from the Uncharted series is the lack of ammunition and reliance on hand-to-hand combat or improvisation. After Joel has run out of bullets, we see him create a Molotov cocktail from items in his backpack, and setting fire to one of the hunters, before wrestling the last one for a shotgun and blowing his face off as he begs for his life. This is not merely a shooter; there is a gravity to the killing here, you can hear the regret in Troy Baker’s voice acting.
This, coupled with the foreboding musical score by double Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla makes The Last of Us all the more compelling, and my most anticipated title for 2012 (or maybe 2013).
Microsoft has two games ready to be added to the Xbox Live Arcade for today’s E3 week update.
The spotlight game this week is likely Sega’s Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown. It’s been priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) and is considered the ultimate revision of the fifth game in the fighting franchise:
Reignite your inner fighter and prepare for the ultimate showdown! Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is the definitive version of the Virtua Fighter 5 series that incorporates all the enhancements Sega has rolled out since 2007 with some brand new features.
Also available this week is Bang Bang Racing, a top-down racer that, at a price of 800 Microsoft Points ($10), is “perfect for the whole family”:
Put the pedal to the metal with Bang Bang Racing, a brand new top-down arcade car racer perfect for every speed demon in the family! Choose from 20 sleek cars in four different categories (muscle cars, Evo GT, Protech and open-wheel formula cars), eight different skins and nine exotic, reversible and variable tracks around the world. Cones and exploding barrels will challenge your driving skills on snow, water, sand and oil covered tracks. You can also take the race to 4-player split-screen multiplayer to show your friends or family who the daddy is!
UPDATE: A Sega spokesperson told us “We’re still nailing down the Wii U release date.” So I guess February 12 is only the official date for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions as of now.
When Sega set the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of Aliens: Colonial Marines for release on February 12, 2013, they said that the Wii U launch date would be announced “at a later time.”
That later time appears to be today as Nintendo has gone ahead and revealed, courtesy of their E3 2012 Hub, that the Wii U version of the game will also launch on February 12, 2013.
Of course, it’s not real until Sega says so. So we’ve contacted the publisher for confirmation on the February 12 release date.
Nintendo’s E3 Hub is an interesting place. In addition to hosting screenshots and video for most of the Wii U’s announced titles, the site also includes an early glimpse at the console’s launch lineup, which currently numbers 17.
There’s even a pair of previously unannounced games:
Project P-100, a Nintendo-published superhero game from Platinum Games!
Game & Wario, a WarioWare-like experience for the Wii U.
Nintendo has split the Wii U’s launch lineup into “Launch” titles, “Launch Window” titles, and “Holiday 2012” titles. Hit the jump to see which game landed where and which games will make it out in 2013.
Agni’s Philosophy is not a game. Instead, it’s a mini-movie, produced by Square Enix, depicting what is possible on next-generation consoles and PCs. Like the Final Fantasy VII technical demo they created to showcase the PS3’s processing power, Agni’s Philosophy was designed to give gamers their first taste of the Luminous Engine, Square Enix’s multiplatform game creation tool.
Agni’s Philosophy includes many of the hallmarks of the Final Fantasy series inclduing a plucky young protagonist, Summons, crystals, and an ancient order that protects them. New to the series is an almost post-apocalyptic look to the world including modern trucks and terrorists wielding AK-47s.
There’s little chance that Agni’s Philosophy will enter full production for the PS4, Xbox 720 or Wii U (in fact, Square Enix’s history with tech demos almost assures it won’t), but it’s also a stunning piece of video with some nifty smoke, fire, and water effects.
In addition to announcing the “Instant Game Collection” for PlayStation Plus subscribers, Sony added a quartet of new games to the PlayStation Store late last night.
These new releases include Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, the revamped fighting game from Sega; Bang Bang Racing, a top-down racer for the whole family; Madagascar 3, the video game tie-in to this weekend’s new movie; and LittleBigPlanet 2, Sackboy’s most recent adventure.
More details on all of those games, as well as this week’s new game add-ons, can be found at the PlayStation Blog.
Get all your Weekend At Bernie’s jokes ready, because the dead will walk on an island paradise again in Dead Island: Riptide.
Publisher Deep Silver didn’t reveal much about the sequel, but they did confirm that the game will be available on “consoles and PCs” and that Techland is once again handling the development duties. A more complete reveal is planned for later this Summer.
And don’t forget, the Dead Island: Game of the Year Edition will also be available later this Summer. On June 26 to be exact.
In addition to announcing the “
Get all your Weekend At Bernie’s jokes ready, because the dead will walk on an island paradise again in Dead Island: Riptide.
