Sunday, June 3, 2012

News Dump - All This Pre-E3 Info

I know there's a whole lot of stuff swirling about that I haven't covered (I'm literally staring at a post-it note with eight bullet points as I type this) and that's simply because, well, E3 time is an adjustment.  Most of the time, you have to get used to scratching at news sites here and there for something, anything palatable enough to spread out over a few paragraphs to have something that you've written out that you're happy with.  But when E3 rolls around, there's just a smorgasbord of topics that you can pick and choose from and the first instinct is to cover all of them as Chance has been doing.  Unfortunately, I just...can't really do that.  I don't have it in me to cast that wide a net and update that many times, because it would take a lot of time and it would set a bar that I know I can't uphold for 99% of the year.  Regardless, assuming that I can find enough topics that I'm not -super- long-winded about, I can bring them up in a News Dump and hit a lot of points at once.  Which is clearly what the intent is here tonight.


First up is the news that the Vita will see a dedicated Youtube App at the end of June which is friggin' music to my ears.  If you spend the minute reading that post, you'll see about two sentences of information followed by a lot of Vita talking-up which is fine by me, since, as you can figure, there's not a whole lot that needs to be said about it.  It's Youtube.  On your Vita.  One of the bits of information states that it'll be the whole 'Youtube experience' straight through your account right there on the Vita which is fine enough, better even, than I would've wanted.  Just something that would've let me watch videos without any other fluff would've been fine enough, but I understand how there has to be the whole account thing everywhere regardless of anything.  However, it does make things a little bit easier if you're allowed to access your playlists of all sorts.

In fact, this alone can finally validate the entire "Watch Later" Playlist function of YouTube that I've never had occasion to use before now.  I know that I'll primarily use the App to keep up on my Let's Plays without relying on the computer so that I can then use that computer time more productively, so I welcome this eagerly and think it can't really come out fast enough.  On top of that, think of all the K-Pop I can discover through Youtube now.  Just think of it all.  And to think, I was considering checking out that Music Unlimited service for it.  Glad I dodged that bullet, huh?  But no, seriously, I can't wait to bring Youtube into my life in a more convenient way, considering the service itself is pretty convenient, if a bit unreliable in my experience.

Something funny to consider for a moment before the realization and full impact of it all hits you and you become blinded with rage is the fact that, until that post, pretty much every Vita specific post (and some ones that weren't) were basically demanding a specific Youtube App.  Or at least some way to support video play on the Web Browser or -something-.  Finally, it gets announced, and a new little nuance appears:  The fact that the description for the App (in all two sentences it's actually talked about) doesn't mention that you can take/upload video to youtube leaves people wondering if you can do that.  And specifically saying that the App will be terrible if it doesn't do that.  Sigh.  It just goes to show that some people, in fact, are never ever happy.


In other news, an Italian games retail site by the name of 16 Games seems to think that Hitman: Blood Money will be packed with two other games for an HD Collection.  I guess the proper way to say that is just to say that there appears to be three Hitman games getting the HD Upscale Bundle treatment, but I (and I imagine a few others) really only care about the Blood Money portion of the game, where Hitman 2 and Contracts seem....well, not like bonuses, but let's just go with extra.  Yes, 'extra' games along with Hitman:  Blood Money HD (which, well, it kind of already was HD because it came out on 360 but details) for the equivalent of $40, roughly.  (About $37 if you want to be real technical about it)  That's pretty much the standard for three game collections, and I'm pretty sure that I might be more than happy to pay that much money for another chance to play Blood Money, and with trophies to boot.

Curiously, the site only lists a spot for Playstation 3, which I suppose would make sense given that, as it is, it's a full upscale Collection, whereas on the 360 it would be upscaling two games and then reprinting the third, but that seems easier, even.  But it's not an HD-ifying thing, it'd just be redoing it/repackaging it, so I guess that's the idea is to...not do that.  Maybe.  I don't know.  I'm not really focusing on anything but being able to explore Blood Money again in prettier visuals while getting rewarded for getting Silent Assassin ranks on the levels and such.  Also partially dreading the idea of playing Hitman 2 simply because I have heard through many facets of the internet that it is...er....a less than ideal game.  And considering I own it for the XBox and have absolutely no memory of playing it, I would have to imagine that I did indeed play it and dislike it unfortunately.

I do admit that, as I have sort of made it clear here, I really don't harbor all that much towards Hitman 2 nor Contracts as I only barely remember playing Contracts (though I think I liked it) and what I already said with 2.  Still, Hitman games are Hitman games and I'll be glad to dip into them when I want to scratch that itch.  Since I don't think I'll be dipping into Absolution right when it comes out, even if I do have a real enjoyment for the games.  Mainly because I am kind of bad at them at first, and I'd rather be able to play that at my leisure than feel like I have to pop it in, kick ass and be ready for the next big game that comes out, since Absolution hits in November where I imagine everything else will hit as well.  That kind of tactical thinking will surely help me when I play the games finally, though.  (Mostly kidding, of course.)


Finally, one of the more "Alright, figured that, but cool to know" bits of news is that Soul Sacrifice is going to be in Non-Japan Countries. While that specifically mentions North America, Europe is getting the game as well, which was confirmed on the PAL blog that I'm not linking to because honestly, just believe me okay.  This is two-fold good news because not only do we just not have to worry if it's getting localized for the long long months between now and release, but it is yet another game that Vita owners can point at for the detractors saying that the Vita isn't getting any 'unique experiences' or 'new IPs'.  Because Soul Sacrifice, while it might be using the 'Souls' name as kind of a spring-board (very loosely if so), is definitely going to be a rather unique experience unless you can point out any other game that will let you rip out your spine and use it as a magic sword until you die.

Of course, this means that more thought will have to be given to the game by myself and people expecting to get it that had the nebulous feeling of "Well, whenever it comes out, I'll have known what the Japanese release was like, etc. etc." where that has now possibly been replaced by the idea of a World release, or at least a quick localization process, leaving not too much time in between.  And it is certainly a game that you'll have to give a little thought to before playing it because, for as unique as it's going to be, it's also a little intimidating since it basically works upon your psyche as you play.  "You -can- use these giant awesome attacks", it whispers to you, "for a priccccccccccce." and unless you know the price or just how it can be integrated into the Single-Player portion of the game (as I'm assuming it has one) it's a real head-scratcher.

Sites and sources and material for the game have already said that the cost of some of the attacks is literally your life.  A last resort attack that you spring because you know you're going to die and choose to go out fighting, as per Excalibur.  Or a spell that you use to give the last bit of your life force to your fellow warriors as a buff.  That's been mentioned, but I don't think something specific has been attached to it.  I also initially heard that Salamander was going to be a spell that has you ignite your character to bring fire and brimstone to your foes at the cost of, again, your life, but apparently it will only cause severe burns.  Or maybe there will be some different prices for Single-Player and Multi-Player versions of the spells?  Maybe!  Again, these are all the questions we'll have to answer before the game actually comes out, but at least we know for sure that it will be coming out.

No comments:

Post a Comment