by Here’s the top gaming news for the week of January 23rd, 2012, brought to you by Yell! Magazine
Resident Evil 6
According to the Resident Evil 6 game page on Xbox.com, the upcoming game will supposedly feature 6 player online cooperative play. Two player story co-op was fun in Resident Evil 5. Having six players play a story based mission sounds unwieldily, but intriguing. They can make it work if it’s a separate mode, with separate missions tailor made for six friends. I hope this isn’t some kind of typo, or just an objective based multiplayer mode, because I’ve had enough of those. Resident Evil 6 is still slated to be released on November 20th. Come back for all your Resident Evil news here at Yell! Magazine.
BioShock Infinite
Irrational Games Creative Director Ken Levine unveiled Bioshock Infinite’s 1999 Mode. This enhanced level of difficulty mode was named after the year the studios released its equally changing game System Shock 2. In infinite’s “normal” modes, you get a pretty standard experience, with enough health and ammo to get through the adventure, and no way to build a character in way that hinders the players enjoyment and progress. However, in 1999 Mode, health becomes a hot commodity, you’ll be counting every single bullet you use, and you can only pick one set of abilities. Once you’re locked into a choice, you’re in for the long haul. Clearly this mode isn’t for everyone. It’s for those who are tired of games holding their hand when they play. This makes the game more akin to the old Resident Evil and Silent Hill games. A time when ammo was scarce, and enemies were unfair. Realistically, like most I’ll give it a shot, but only after a thorough playthrough on one of the “normal” modes.
Xbox Live Arcade House Party
The dates and prices for all of Microsoft’s House Party guests have been announced. The yearly event kicks off on February 15th with Warp by EA / Trapdoor for $10, followed by the highly anticipated follow-up by Remedy, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare on February 22nd for $15. Then it’s THQ’s turn with first-person shooter Nexuiz on February 29th for $10. The last game will be I Am Alive by Ubisoft on March 7th for $15. If you’re planning to buy all of them to get the full House Party experience, you’ll be awarded $10 in Microsoft Points directly to your account, as a thank you for coming to the party. Every time Microsoft rolls out one of these multi-week game release promotions, there’s usually one or two games really worth getting, and I don’t think this time is any different. I for one can’t wait to get my hands on some more Alan Wake.
Microsoft Points
Speaking of Microsoft Points, there’s a rumor floating around that the company will start phasing out the use of the funny money by the end of this year. Instead of points, people will be able to use this thing called money, apparently it’s pretty popular. Joking aside, Microsoft has been pricing their more pricey items in their online store with the dollar sign, like full downloadable console releases. It’s about time! I always feel ripped off when I buy something using Points on my Xbox.
Jak and Daxter Collection
It’s been awhile since there’s been news of a new high definition rerelease. Well Jak and Daxter is bring that to an abrupt end with Jak and Daxter Collection. Like Sony’s other HD remaster jobs, you get a lot of bang for your buck. You get all three J&D games rendered in high definition, each game with individual trophies, and there’s some 3D support thrown in there for good measure. All this for the low low price of $39.99. If you’ve never experienced these games the first time around, this is a great way to fight off those Winter blues. Jax and Daxter Collection will be out on the Playstation 3 on February 7th.
Xbox
It’s been a week full of rumors it seems. Reports have surfaced that the next Xbox will be released sometime around October or November of next year. Apparently the chips are already being made and are based on the Radeon HD 6670 chipset (pictured below), extensibly bumping up the Xbox’s current graphical power sixfold. The chip for the system, codename “Odan”, has apparently already began production late last year. Other sources also indicate the use of Blu-ray media, and Kinect 2. Nothing wrong with using higher capacity storage media, and updating Kinect functionality. The most interesting revelation from all these rumors is Microsofts intention to implement some kind of way to prevent the playback of used games on the new system. I’m not sure how I feel about this. I buy my fair share of used games, and losing that relative money saving option would suck. However, I see the need to support game developers by buying games new. So I’m torn. The middle ground would be the need of “game passes” like we currently have for most modern multiplayer focused games. Completely removing the option of buying a used games, or even borrowing a game from a friend seems a tad excessive. If any of this news is true, more will be revealed at this years Electronic Entertainment Expo. When that day comes, check back here at Yell! Magazine.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The nine month tentative release schedule for all the downloadable content for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was revealed. Check it out here. There are few details on what you get, but at least you’ll know ahead of time whether you are getting a map, a co-op mission, or a fancy new mode. By the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting any kind of single player content.
Nintendo / Wii U
President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata told Reuters this week that their new console, the Wii U, will be released this holiday season. North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia will all get a chance to buy the next Wii in time for Christmas.
A new feature for both the 3DS and the Wii U will be Nintendo Network support. It’s basically their version of Xbox Live Marketplace. It will be a way for them to consolidate their digital distribution of games and content to both systems. Nintendo’s never been great with anything Internet related ever since the Gamecube. Hopefully third times the charm.
Be sure to check back next weekend for the latest gaming news at Yell! Magazine.
Resident Evil 6
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