Monthly Archives: June 2017
Nintendo Will Support 3DS Beyond 2018
In an interview with IGN at E3, Nintendo of America President and Chief Officer Reggie Fils-Aime said Nintendo plans to support the Nintendo 3DS past 2018.
"The way we continue to make Nintendo 3DS vibrant as a platform is first we continue to innovate from form factor standpoint," Fils-Aime said. "So the New 2DS XL is just the latest for us in having form factor innovation. We know colors are a key differentiator, consumers love the variety of different colors. And also the larger screen and the different form factor in the 2DS family, we think is a going to drive and continue to drive the 3DS platform."
The other major pillar of Nintendo's support is, of course, supporting its handheld with games.
E3 2018 Dates Announced
The dates for E3 2018 have been revealed.
According to a sign on display in the Los Angeles Convention Center, the Electronic Entertainment Expo will return next year and run from June 12-14.
Sign on display at the Los Angeles Convention Center
E3 2017 featured a number of major announcements. Microsoft pulled back the curtain on Xbox One X, Ubisoft offered an early look at Beyond Good & Evil 2, and Nintendo announced that Metroid Prime 4 is in development. In addition, Electronic Arts unveiled BioWare's new game Anthem and Sony announced a remake of Shadow of the Colossus for PS4.
Super Mario Odyssey Co-op Revealed
Super Mario Odysse will feature a co-op mode, where one of the players will control Mario and the other will control his new magical hat, Cappy.
The co-op mode was demoed today during Nintendo's E3 Treehouse Live stream, giving folks who couldn't make it to the expo a chance to see Mario and Cappy in action for themselves.
In single-player mode, Mario's hat is integral because it can be used to capture objects and enemies. During co-op mode, a prompt appears onscreen to show players how to control Mario and Cappy independently.
Playing as Mario remains roughly the same as it has always been, as he's able to run and jump as usual. Meanwhile, with Cappy, players can fly around, attack enemies, and perform actions that Mario can't otherwise do. Additionally, Cappy is invincible, which means you can play as the magical hat without any concern about getting hurt.
First Arms DLC Character Revealed
Nintendo revealed the first DLC character for Arms during its Treehouse livestream today at E3.
The new character is Max Brass, who's been the top fighter for years, and has the ability to avoid flinching while taking attacks when his arms are charged up. Nintendo shared a few images of the new fighter on Twitter, which you can check out in the gallery below:
Much like Spring Man, Max Brass' arms are permanently charged when his health reaches below 20 percent.
The new fighter won't make it in time for Arms' launch on June 16 and, as a result, Max Brass will be available as a free DLC character sometime next month. Nintendo also revealed that, following Arms' release, the game will receive a Spectator Mode as a free update in June.
Xbox on Sony’s Reasoning for No Minecraft PS4 Cross-Play
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer doesn't agree with Sony's explanation for why there's no PlayStation 4 cross-play for Minecraft.
Sony Interactive Entertainment global sales and marketing head Jim Ryan defended PS4's lack of cross-play support for Minecraft, saying that while Sony has "no philosophical stance against cross-play at all" it's concerned with its players' safety on non-PlayStation platforms. In an interview with Giant Bomb, Spencer disagreed, saying Ryan's comments don't "seem healthy for anyone.”
Why Coco Is Playable in Crash Bandicoot Remakes
Activision and developer Vicarious Visions announced Crash's younger sister Coco as a playable character in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy during E3 2017. And, for those wondering, the team has an actual, narrative reason, to allow Coco to appear in all three games — even before she was created.
During a demo at E3, Producer Kara Massie told IGN that the team was able to justify Coco's inclusion thanks to Crash Bandicoot: Warped's use of time travel. Showcasing the save/load screen of Warped, with Coco standing next to it, Massie described how the younger Bandicoot can be fully playable in Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.
Detroit: Become Human’s Revolution Can Become Violent
In a demo session of Detroit: Become Human at E3 today, Quantic Dream asked a simple question: How far is too far?
Like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls before it, Detroit: Become Human is an examination of the choices we make. Every decision carries weight, and every action has consequences. How far is too far? Looking upon the burning remains of a section of the city, it’s a question worth asking.
Our demo focused on Markus, the newly-revealed third protagonist of Detroit: Become Human, another self-aware android who joins the previously-revealed playable characters Connor and Kara. Markus is a deviant, and he’s converting other androids, waking them up and recruiting them as part of his cause: he’s going to send humanity a message.
Sony Offers More Details on Shadow of the Colossus PS4
Shadow of Colossus for PlayStation 4 will indeed be a remake with new visuals and updated controls, Sony has confirmed.
In an interview with Famitsu (translation via Siliconera), Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida clarified that the upcoming PS4 game is not merely a remaster. "It is a remake," he said. "The game content is the same as the original version, but all the assets are being remade."
With regard to the game's content, Yoshida said everything from the PS2 original will be included, confirming, "it's the same." That said, the controls of Shadow of Colossus are being updated for PS4 to offer a modern feel. "Player preferences for controls and such change over time, so we're working on implementing a more modernized way to play," he said.
Adam West Finished Batman Recordings Before His Death
The late actor Adam West, who died last week at the age of 88, will portray the Caped Crusader one final time in the forthcoming DC animated film, Batman vs. Two-Face.
IGN has confirmed with Warner Bros. that West had finished recording his vocals for the film months prior to his passing.
A sequel to 2016's Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Batman vs. Two-Face also brings back Burt Ward as the voice of Robin and Julie Newmar as the voice of Catwoman.
Two-Face (voiced by William Shatner) and Batman (voiced by Adam West).
Chao Will Not be Featured in Sonic Forces
The producer of Sonic Forces, Shun Nakamura, and head of the Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, both confirmed in an interview with IGN at E3 that Chao will not be featured in Sonic Forces.
Chao Garden from Sonic Adventure 2
Chao made their first appearance in Sonic Adventure, but took on an even bigger role in Sonic Adventure 2. Culminating to dozens of hours of extra content, the cute creatures had stats to raise, levels to achieve, races to win, and different evolutionary paths based on the the player's interactions with them. The Chao have since been featured sparingly in few Sonic games, having only received cameo appearances in background billboards or dialogue.