Microsoft current guessing game with it's consumers keeps Kinect a hot topic, Final Fantasy XIV is a no go for Xbox 360 players, and Developer Ancel is still working on the long awaited sequel that was rumored to put on hold "Beyond Good and Evil 2."
All this and more on today's gaming headlines.
What-chu Talkin' about Microsoft?
Earlier this month, Microsoft officially launched the Kinect motion control system for the Xbox 360 but the company has still refused to give a concrete price on the system.
Retailers like Amazon, Gamestop and Wal-Mart all have the system up for pre-order at $150, with the warning that the price is not yet official and is subject to change.
The system seemingly got more official pricing when the Microsoft Store put the system up for sale at $150 also.
Stephen Toulouse, Director of Policy Enforcement for Xbox LIVE, made it clear, however, that the pricing was still not live: "Guys I have nothing to do with Kinect Pricing. All prices now *no matter what the retail source* are placeholders. We've not announced."
Xbox Evolved is posting the latest rumor, this week, citing a Microsoft representative who has said the Kinect will actually sell for $120 USD.
Reads the site: "A Microsoft representative told the employees of a Texas Gamestop that Kinect would be $119."
There is no evidence of the speculation being true, but a $120 price point would certainly bring more on-the-fence consumers into the mix.
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Final Fantasy XIV Not Appearing on Xbox 360 Due to "Closed Environment"
Creator Hiromichi Tanaka says Square Enix couldn't come to an agreement with Microsoft over Xbox Live.
"Microsoft has a different point of view: they want to have a closed environment for Xbox Live. We're still talking to... We couldn't come to an agreement on Xbox Live."
Interestingly, Final Fantasy XI is one of the few MMOs currently available on the Xbox 360. Tanaka didn't elaborate on the differences between the two.
Final Fantasy XIV will be available on the PS3 and PC later this year.
My reaction to this is:
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Acel still working on Beyond Good and Evil 2
Developer tells gaming conference he's keeping the team small to preserve artistic intent for long-awaited sequel, suggests release is still a ways off.
More than two years ago, Ubisoft released the first--and to date, last--trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2. The silence surrounding the project has been so thorough, rumors spread last August that development of the game had been put on indefinite hold.
Eager fans of the series are receiving a bit of good news and a bit of bad news today, as Beyond Good & Evil creator Michel Ancel this week confirmed that the game is still in development, but isn't likely to see release any time soon. According to a Eurogamer translation of a Montpellier in Game conference session (viewable at Crisy.fr), Ancel said he is working on the sequel with a small team "to preserve creativity and so the game doesn't become a commercial product, so that is has soul."
Just as Ubisoft created a tool set that is allowing a team of five to make the 2D platformer Rayman Origins, the publisher has Ancel working on a new toolset that aims to make 3D games viable for small teams. Unfortunately, the process is time-consuming, as Ancel apologized and asked for patience from the audience.
"It takes a bit longer," Ancel said, "but we're very keen to use this system with this game, because it's an ambitious game and we want to create something exceptional."
Released in November of 2003, Beyond Good & Evil won critical acclaim for its mix of traditional action adventure elements with stealth segments, a picture-taking gameplay mechanic, and an engaging story of a young woman pulled into a rebel faction to blow the lid off of an interstellar government conspiracy. Despite the accolades, the game was largely lost in a slate of holiday releases already rich in the action and adventure genres, including Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Jak II, Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, I-Ninja, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Ubisoft's own Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
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Sunday, June 27, 2010
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