New Toy Get!

I kind of stopped doing Pick-Up Posts a while back, but with Chance's recent awesome purchases and my coincidental splurging, it was just too hard to pass up.  Apologies as always for the lackluster picture quality as my Vita is my best camera since I don't care much for pictures until I get into situations where I need to take pictures.  One of these days, I'll fix that.  Maybe.  Probably.  Anyway, as you can see above, I have bought myself two things that promise to offer hours upon hours of entertainment between the two of them.  I'll start with the more obvious one first, however.

Riddick:  The Complete Collection packs all four movies starring Richard B. Riddick into one nice little package (spanning three disks) and was only recently released alongside the standalone release of Riddick.  As in Riddick, the movie that just came out last year that was a return-to-form of Pitch Black, rather than the over-the-top action of Chronicles of Riddick.  Or at least, that's what it was billed as - I don't know for sure since I haven't watched it just yet.  However it's the single movie that I bought the collection for, as I already own the other three movies.  Is that a bit overboard?  Yes.  Did I mostly buy it because they just didn't have Riddick for stand-alone purchase?  Mostly!  But more than that, they deserve my money for Pitch Black and Chronicles (maybe not Dark Fury) and thus, I'm throwing good money at Riddick and betting on a winner, while still having the other two movies to fall back on regardless.

The other thing is my brand new Kindle Fire HD (7" display, I didn't splurge for the HDX or the bigger HD) to assist in my goal of "actually starting to read books again".  I had realized sometime last year that most of my reading was done on websites and such, none of it actual novels or publications and that was kind of bad.  Though not in a snobby way or anything, just, you know, we all need to read books sometimes.  A friend of mine has been bugging me about a particular book, Blood Song by Anthony Ryan, and with the recent purchase of a Kindle Fire HD for my father for Christmas (with which I had to fight tooth and nail to get it to work correctly) I decided two aim for two birds.  Having harnessed Amazon's black magic and mentality from my wrestling with my dad's Kindle, I went into my own experience knowing exactly what to do, and as such, set-up was a breeze for myself.

The main thing about Kindles and Amazon is that they pretty much stand ever-vigilant with hands outstretched for a Credit Card if they do not have one from you currently.  Sure, you can use a Kindle without one attached to your account, but nothing, not even attaching Gift Cards to it, will allow you to buy anything.  You can get free apps without one because otherwise that would be silly as hell, but that's about it.  So if you're someone like my dad who just wants it to look at the internet every now and then and to play some free games?  It's perfect.  Otherwise, you're more or less over a barrel.  However, there is an option for paranoid loonies such as myself, in the form of pre-paid credit cards, and I'm happy to report that Amazon accepts that just as easily as anything else, even though mine only has a cushion balance of $50.  Combined with a $50 Amazon Card for -actual- purchases, and yes, I did spend a little bit this day, but it's going to be quite worth it.

While my Vita has been -more- than serviceable as a media hub with Netflix and Youtube (which I'll still have to use it for that, imagine that one) the lack of a dedicated Hulu Plus app has been particularly damning, especially with my interest in Kill la Kill that lead to actually watching it through one of the very few Anime Streaming sites that actually supports MP4.  Yes, I understand that Hulu Plus is the devil with its insane amount of ads (meaning any when it's a goddamn paid service) and such, but it also just -has- the episodes (plus the entirety of South Park, I believe, or at least a bulk of it) and I want to just be able to sit down and watch shit sometimes without going on a scavenger hunt through the entirety of the internet for it.  A larger screen doesn't hurt matters any either, especially not the Kindle Fire HD's crisp LCD (no, not OLED, which means the Vita still has a leg-up) 1280x800 screen.  So, while not perfect, I do think I'll be able to comfortably split my non-game media time with my Vita and my new Kindle.

Speaking of games, while I'm not a fan of Mobile Games, there are a select few out there that are apparently things to experience, and luckily my purchase will allow me to do just that now.  I've had my eye on Star Wars:  Tiny Death Star since I heard about it, and I'm sure there are a few other games that I'll enjoy.  (I'm actually downloading EA's Theme Park as we speak I type now because I have fond memories of that game from the Genesis, and goddamnit, I need some management games in my life)  Scouring the free games, at least, should prove entertaining, and should I decide to browse the actual paid games (doubtful, my money is more than likely going to books first...aside from the ~$20 I spent on a case that will be shipped here Tuesday, apparently), well, there has to be -something- good there, yeah?  Should there be something, well, at least I have an outlet to inform others of as much.

Perhaps a little retail therapy, a little something that'll let me do a little more than I'm doing now, is just what the doctor ordered for my mood lately.  It's a bit early to tell, of course, but the old saying goes "Hope springs eternal" and it's definitely true.  Though "Hope and two quarters'll get you fifty cents" jumps to mind as well.  At least, I think that's how Sully says it.  I know leaning back in my chair and reading Blood Song filled me with a sense of "this is awesome" and "this is the fucking future" (because Star Trek, yes, that is me, I am that person) which is pleasant, and even now as it plays K-Pop through Pandora Radio next to me while I type this, I still steal glances at it in wonder and amusement.  I quite like it, I suppose is my point, and I can't wait to start getting a little more mileage out of it by binging on Netflix.  I've been meaning to watch Breaking Bad, after all...

seriously, the thing is Star Trek thin and I'm just like "yes yes yes, this is what I wanted when I watched the show as a kid"

Good News and Bad News for Zone of the Enders

So remember when the Zone of the Enders HD Collection was announced and I was all "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee~" because it's friggin' Zone of the Enders in HD?  And then remember when it came out and was, er...less than well-received because of speed and framerate issues which are absolutely debilitating to fast-paced action games like this?  And then it was...largely unspoken of from any angle as they just went ahead and did other things?  Well, there's where the good news comes in, as there's a patch for the game in the works.  For the PS3 version.  And....maybe don't click that link just yet.  It'll become a little obvious as to why in a few minutes here, so just bear with me.

In reality, the article makes it seem like the patch is already more or less 'done' and they're just testing it out and such before it's released.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection’s transition from 30 FPS to 60 was not as smooth as Kojima had hoped for. While it wasn’t as noticeable to first-time players, those who enjoyed the original seamless fast-paced games were able to feel the choppiness. (For a comparison, check out Spencer’s playtest.) Kojima believes that such action-heavy games deserve nothing but the smoothest gameplay to fully enjoy. Due to this problem, Kojima and his team have re-programmed the entire game, and will release a free PlayStation 3 patch that should fix the problem and greatly enhance its performance. There won’t be a patch for the Xbox 360 version for the time being.

It's hard to tell if the 360 version won't be patched for the same "technical reasons" as the Silent Hill HD Collection or if it's just because it didn't sell well at all, but in either case, I'm not too sure there'll be the same Konami out-reach for people who have purchased the 360 version.  Which is a shame, of course, and I might be wrong, but it's reasonable enough to think as much considering how low-profile this whole thing really is coming across as.  And to be fair, I'm not quite sure the extent of the issues with the ZoE Collection versus the Silent Hill HD Collection, while knowing that the latter has been described as 'dire' at times.  Which is, you know, a Bad Thing™.  Still, issues are issues and I haven't personally played my copy of the ZoE HD Collection (that I literally picked up for the REVENGEANCE demo and then never played), but knowledge that it might become 'flawless' in comparison to the originals sparks an excitement in me that only the original announcement managed to get.

So that's the good news.  But, as stated, there is bad news and....well, bad news might be under-stating things a bit here.  In similar fashion to the good news, remember when The Enders Project was announced?  As in the threequel in the Zone of the Enders series where actual, literal models of the robots were being made and then scanned into computers and rendered with the FOX Engine to look badass as all hell while also being fully-functional and such as a regular model?  Well, er...okay, now you can click the link above (or this re-link).  Maybe also sit down if you're not already.  Because, well, The Enders Project might just be cancelled.  Or at least postponed for a while which...might ultimately lead to the same fate as that sometimes happens.  Regardless of the future of it, the present of it is that the game has entered a period of re-evaluation, which is never a good statement to hear.

Not only has this incident prompted Kojima to work on a patch to fix the problem, but it has also put a halt to the Enders’s Project which was announced last year as a Zone of the Enders sequel. The entire team behind the project has been dismantled, as Kojima would like to re-evaluate the franchise before moving forward, he says. Furthermore, he also wants to re-evaluate fans by asking once more, whether they would still like to see a Zone of the Enders sequel.

Obviously the most worrying piece of that is the statement "The entire team behind the project has been dismantled" as that really hammers in the idea that it's just out-and-out done.  Yet, as the eternal optimist, I can't help but say that maybe it was just dismantled to be...you know, reassembled, reconfigured at a later date once they know for sure whether or not they're going to go forward with the project.  Which will most likely be once more work on The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes has been done, since, well, I can't imagine Kojima Productions has enough manpower for three AAA-Quality games to be worked on simultaneously, or at least not to the degree of quality that we expect from the studio.  Because, especially with the FOX Engine involved in all three projects, it's likely a bit tasking to work on all three games, no matter how many people are around (though it's likely not enough, as stated).

Yet another piece of optimism that I can't help but attempt at is wondering if this realization of the HD Collections issues, and the subsequent work in re-programming the entire game, has been the reason for the radio silence on the announced Vita version of the collection.  Obviously, it's easier to say that it's just been quietly cancelled and that could very well be the truth to it, but the issue was likely apparent right from release and the programming work probably didn't start right away, but as soon as it was feasible, meaning a 'hold off' order on the Vita version for the...ahem, very busy High Voltage Software, if they, indeed, were even tapped to work on that version as well.  Or if anyone had been tapped by that point.  Basically what I'm saying is now that the PS3 version has been entirely re-programmed and it's apparently very easy to port from PS3 to Vita that perhaps the game -will- see a release on the handheld, given Kojima's support for it, if nothing else.

Unfortunately, this is something that we might not ever really 'know' about, in the realm of it actually being announced.  If the game actually comes out on the Vita eventually, well, we'll know, but if 2014 rolls around and there's still no word on it...then, well, we'll probably know that way as well.  Still, it doesn't hurt to have some -hope- for something like this, as a portable version of Zone of the Enders:  2nd Runner is always something to hold out hope for.  Without an official statement, it'll be something that I'll consider a possibility for a time yet, and it'll only be when the time for 'timely' release has come and gone and left the house cold that I'll accept anything less.  Since, as stated, a fully-functional version of the HD Collection on PS3 (as well as the very loose release window of it) could very well mean good things and a simultaneous announcement.  We'll just have to see how KojiPro handles it, really, but the patch is certainly something to look forward to for PS3 owners.

in all seriousness, I will choke a bitch for ZoE HD Vita

Jak and Daxter Probably Coming to Vita

Woah woah, don't get all excited now.  It's probably just the HD Collection, which was outed through an ESRB rating, though I shouldn't say 'just' the HD Collection.  By all means, if this is true (which, it probably is, really) then that's pretty impressive and will actually give us a look into the sort of PS2 HD games on Vita thing that we haven't really -seen- despite wanting it pretty hard.  There was Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, yes, but has there been many other examples, really?  The Ico/Shadow of the Colossus remote play kind of counts, but not natively (Which is something that needs to be rectified soon-like) and...well, that's really about it.  Unfortunately.

While it does feed the "Hurr durr ports are dumb" crowd, it -does- mean that there's more things to play on your Vita which, at the end of the day, is pretty much all anyone cares about.  Or should care about, at least.  While it's not a brand new game or even a 'new' game by any means, it's still -something- and could hopefully help usher in a few other things as well.  People clamoring for good portable Sly games might be able to dream a dream for the Sly Collection, we can all hold out a little hope for the Ratchet and Clank one, and so on and so forth.  God help me if Yakuza 1&2 HD Collection becomes a thing that happens in the West on Vita because it could be download-only (and not largehuge on Vita) and save Sega some costs.  Because I wouldn't put my Vita down for months if so.

It's more for those reasons that I brought it up, as I don't have a real personal connection to the Jak and Daxter series of games.  Indeed, I haven't even played them, nor grabbed the HD collection because I...really don't need to add three new games to my backlog that is already overfull and counts at least two JRPGs among them, meaning I won't want for games for the rest of the year, most likely.  I'll -buy- new games, of course, because I am a terrible person with money and such, but I won't -need- them.  Except for Last of Us.  ...and Tearaway.  That's not the point, though.  The point is that it's worth a mention because of what it could signify, as I already stated.

Another thing that could be telling is just how this is priced and handled.  The Collection on PS3 is officially $20 now, (it is, check it out on the online store or the PS3 store) and this seems like a bit of work to just release it for $20 as well, though there doesn't seem to be any 'added value' to bring the price back up to $30 just for the Vita version either.  The up-cost would cover the things needed to be changed about to fit the Vita's control scheme, of course, but that doesn't translate well to consumers.  "Why is this $20 and this $30?"  "Because this one is portable."  "Oh." is not a conversation that will end with said person buying the Vita version, is my point.  Aside from that, will all three games even fit on a Vita cart?  Are we going to see a multi-cart release this early?  Or will this possibly be a digital-only affair to keep the price at $20 for it?

These are all questions to consider with this being a thing that is likely to happen.  Something else to wonder about is whether or not folks who already own the Collection on PS3 will see some sort of benefit in doing so.  Things like whether or not it ends up being Cross-buy (which would be a bit ridiculous, but I wouldn't mind), if it'll support Cross-Saves (which should be expected) and the like.  If it ends up Cross-Buy, do you only get the Vita version if you bought the Collection digitally?  I don't see how it could be done otherwise, to be honest, but that's very likely a -very- small market of people initially.  It might spur some more digital sales, but it'd probably be a grumbling-point for folks.

I might be getting ahead of myself here though.  After all, the only thing we know is that the ESRB Listing specifically states PS Vita as a platform, which leaves little wiggle-room for understanding.  It is likely that the Collection -is- hitting the portable device since it doesn't really lend itself to misinterpretation, being a new listing and all.  The how, the why, the when and other logistics are the only things up in the air and, as I said, they're worth paying attention to, since they could set the flow for other such collections that may or may not come out in the following.  Depending on how it's handled, I might just pick it up despite the inherent lack of need to do so, because I can't say that I'm -not- curious about the games.  And hell, I love playing things on my Vita, so it all works out.

Ffffff- A Hundred and Fifty -What-?

I stole this picture from you Chance.  Sorry!

So, I was checking around on places last night as I do, and I checked over at The Games of Chance (which I do a lot) and saw this little tidbit of information.  There was much rejoicing and table-flipping all at the same time which is an odd thing, let me tell you, and at the time, I didn't quite know what to do with this information.  I sat down and I thought about it for a bit, weighed it, and I've been doing that on-and-off today between bouts of playing Final Fantasy XIII and...well, yeah, that's pretty much all I did today.  Well, did that was of note, of course, since I also did mundane things as we all do in a normal day.  Anyways, the point is that I've been thinking about this Limited Edition and whether or not I want it, and the answer is yes, of course I want it, but the sub-question is, as chance put it, do I hundred-and-fifty-dollar want it?  That has been what has plaguing me since last night and I fear it will continue to do so until Persona 4 Golden drops and I'm in GameStop again with the option to upgrade my pre-order to the LE.

I mean, I -am- working now, and I can swing it financially, I believe.  Which is....honestly very odd to even consider, but good as well.  But the barebones of it, in pure financials, is that it boils down to the lamp, the obvious draw in this, being a $60-70 item.  If you consider the game itself is $60, as they usually are, and then take the others into consideration - soundtrack at $15-ish if it's physical which it won't be, so $10 for digital, and the steel case is, what, $10 more?  Maybe $15 itself? - and end up with $80-90 before the lamp.  So the rest of that, the entire game still between REVENGEANCE and the LE pricetag is specifically towards an admittedly really fucking cool lamp that, to be honest, I don't know if I'm ever going to plug in.  I mean, I -probably- will, but I don't know.  Depending on the quality, I might decide just to keep it in its box or whatever, always telling myself that I'll display it at a later date even though you and I both know I'm never going to get around to displaying it.  So the -real- question is whether or not I will ever regret getting it, and I just....don't know if I would.  I've never actually used the Messenger Bag I got from the inFamous 2 Hero Edition, but that was still goddamn worth it, so who knows?

Regardless of what I will be getting with my copy of REVENGEANCE, I will, for sure, be getting the game.  My hype for it has remained at a fairly high state, and a constant one at that, because of what has been shown in the way of 'cutting shit' and also 'slicing bitches' which is tantalizing to me.  I long to experience Raiden slicing a potentially robot soldier into 17 bits simply because I can even though it's very obvious that that is overkill of the highest order.  Even now, with an admittedly dour mood that I'm trying to fight back, I am able to do so with the twinge of excitement that burns at just the thought of running and cutting support beams as has been shown in previous footage to bring an entire roof down on some mook heads.  For once, here is a game that gives you a sword which can cut things well and truly beyond the scope of what most swords even dream to be able to cut, much less video game swords which can apparently strike flesh a dozen times without drawing even a drip of blood, or, in some cases, produce it by the buckets without actually rending a foe in twain.

So great has my desire been that I have given serious consideration into purchasing the Zone of the Enders HD Collection simply for the physical demo that the package has to offer.  "But Mogs," you say, "I thought you were excited for Zone of the Enders HD Collection?!"  I was, dear friend.  I was.  I awaited it as a child awaits Christmas morn, and as a parent awaits those happy exclamations and excitement from said children.  But this Christmas morning only saw boxes of socks, it seems, so there is very little to celebrate, much less rejoice in.  To say that the HD Collection is shoddy is apparently generous, though whether that's from the everyman or the ultra-focused hardcore among us that can tell the difference between 60 frames per second and 58 is uncertain.  Regardless, it is not a claim you want to hear, and the issues the collection has are specifically the only issues you would not want associated with a series like Zone of the Enders.  For a game that relies on its pace, its action and its grip on your reflexes, to hear that there are significant Frame drops when the action gets packed is a death knell, plain and simple. 

In these days of patching, it -is- tempting regardless, as one can always hope that complaints are overblown and/or they will be things of the past at some point in the future, but we can never be too sure.  Konami doesn't have a great track record with these Collections, in releasing nor supporting them in the days, weeks and months that follow their journey into the masses.  Being that Kojima Productions wasn't involved with the porting for....whatever reason, it's hard to say if the man himself will step in and right this wrong or at least motivate someone, anyone, to do it in his stead and, really, who's to say it's something that -can- be fixed?  It's a sobering thought, that some classics just have to stay that way, in the past, but for all sorts of reasons, some games are just that, unbending to the constant flexibility needs the future weighs in with.  Still, I feel like loyalty, if nothing else, compels me to grab this Collection sometime, and my hunger for the REVENGEANCE demo within is certainly not helping.  Decisions, decisions...

Happy Trilogy Day!

That is apparently what today is, as there were two rather high-profile trilogy sets announced in roughly the same period of time, and it would only be better if there were, in fact, three trilogies announced.  Because that's...you know.  Thematic.  And fitting.  And stuff.  Anyways, the two that were announced were kind of important, so I'm going to do a little talking about them since that is sort of what I do.  And enjoy doing.  Interestingly enough, there are a few parallels between the two of them which I will point out when I get that far, but first, I suppose I need to stop stalling because I can't think of a more proper way to introduce the post and I just really like introductions in my posts, since they're supposed to set the mood, but this is setting up a scattered and terribly-done mood and oh god.  But maybe that's the point, eh?  Maybe it's some sort of commentary that I am doing to be clev-okay, it's not, I'm just bad at writing tonight.

Anyways, as you can see above, the first mentioned trilogy is the Assassin's Creed:  Ezio Trilogy which, unsurprisingly, has three games in it that star Ezio.  I say this, because it is apparently a surprise to some people and these people, I just don't know about.  In the comments for the Playstation Blog post announcing the Trilogy (as it's apparently PS3-exclusive in North America.....for a little while maybe) I saw no less than a few comments asking about, yes, you guessed it (or maybe you didn't) whether or not Assassin's Creed 1 would be included.  Now....okay.  I can kind of almost maybe sort of understand why it might be something of a thought that might perhaps cross your mind, since AC1 was included on PS3 copies of the Revelations disc because Ubisoft said "eh, why not" and thus associated it with the game.  But I am just confused, my gast has been flabbered, if you will, as to why people would assume that AC1 would be included in a disk that says very clearly Ezio Trilogy.  It literally means a Trio of Ezio.  Three Ezio.  Three games with Ezio in them.  AC1?  Altair.  Who is not Ezio.  Who is not Ezio at all.

Not only are people confused over this, people are angry over this, suggesting that the trilogy is, in fact, worthless without AC1 which continues to boggle my mind and smack my gob and other such general similar statements for being absolutely confused.  These are people whose brains I will never understand because I think that they do have a layer of stupidtanium surrounding it or -something-.  I mean, I understand very well the desire to be able to get an entire -thing- in a single purchase of a single item, but I also understand that if I am buying a box of Captain Crunch, I will not be angry and indignant when there are no corn flakes in my box.  Other complaints are only slightly more valid in that the post lists that AC2 will include the two DLC chapters, but no mention is made of Brotherhood or Revelations DLC, since well, that is more or less just trying to squeeze a little more value out of that, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that.  Regardless, I think what has been said about it is what we're going to get, and as someone who owns all three games already, I don't feel the need to rush out and get this.  Especially when it releases in November, which is -after- AC3 comes out, but I can certainly understand who this is for.

The Mass Effect Trilogy, which is something much more pertinent to my interests is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin.  Er....cardboard.  Plastic?  I don't know what the hell that box is going to end up being made of, but whatever, it says Mass Effect Trilogy and is just that - the three Mass Effect games, on disks, in a single package.  What's important about all this, you might ask yourself, since it is pretty much just a rereleasing of games that are already out and have been out for anywhere to some months to five years.  Well, it is for reasons that I have littered purposefully in the opening sentences of this paragraph.  And for one big point that I didn't mention, but is also kind of hinted at, if you know me and what I game on, thus why I would even consider this somewhat important.  So, think on it for a moment.  Really, go ahead, I've got nothing to do but listen to Deep Crimson Foe over and over again because my ears demand it.

Alright, got it sorted?  Well, alright then.  You see, the big deal is that this Trilogy pack, with all three games on disk format, is coming on November 6th for PC and 360 with, wait for it, a PS3 version to follow at an undecided date.  As in, a PS3 version of the Trilogy where Mass Effect 1, previously the only game of the series not on the console, will be on the console in playable form.  That's right, five years later those of us who have put off buying a 360 and/or a gaming PC, who haven't gotten into Mass Effect 2 or 3 because it is a very story-centric game and we'll be damned if we buy into 2/3rds of a story, all four of us, can finally have our very own chance at owning Mass Effect 1 on our console of choice.  Will it be worth it?  Almost decidedly not.  The game will probably not stand up against all the different ideas that have been implemented in the five years since its release.  It is most likely one of those nostalgia-fueled games, even at this short juncture, but the important thing is that I will be able to suffer through it with the Shepard of my choice to soldier on into Mass Effect 2 and 3.  I will be able to get the full experience, finally, and that is decidedly what matters.

Much like the Ezio Trilogy, DLC is sort of a sticking point with this collection without so much as a hint from EA and/or Bioware as to the actuality of its release.  Well, perhaps -a- hint, in that in the bullet points, no DLC is listed whatsoever, and when you consider that Mass Effect 3 is still getting DLC....it's pretty telling, I should think, but I can -hope- as well, considering that the amount of DLC spanning the three games is likely in the triple digits, money-wise, and I do not have $60 for the trilogy as well as money on top of that for after-bits, even the 'essentials'.  I can certainly -hope- that I will not get the base games for $60, but I can't say that I would feel ripped off if I did, since the Mass Effect games are touted for their all-around greatness, their length, and richness, and I am sure that I will get my moneys worth out of one game alone, and certainly twice over in the entire trilogy, but I'm sure what I -don't- have will be tantalizing, and I have not the willpower to resist.

These are some pretty neat things, whether or not I will be getting them (which, I will likely be getting the latter only), and I really wanted to bring them up.  It -would- have been nice if there was another one announced, or I suppose I could have used one of the more recent collections to talk about in contrast, but that seems a little wacky.  Still, I would like to have something to close this on, so with that in mind, I would like to formally announce that I am re-imagining Journey's Fall in LittleBigPlanet Vita and it will likely span over three levels, or in other words, be a trilogy.  Isn't that fantastic?  And topical!  Now it's just up to you to believe if I'm joking or not.  Because I could be joking.  I could very well be joking.  Or making empty promises.  I do that sometimes.  I guess we'll just have to see!

Konami Won't Patch Silent Hill HD Collection on 360, But...

The Silent Hill HD Collection has, in all honesty, kind of been a ridiculously news-worthy thing ever since it was first announced as a PS3 Exclusive which obviously didn't pan out, but may just have been an omen now that we have the joy of hindsight.  From there, the game went on to have a whole snafu about voiceovers, get delayed several times, release in a rather buggy-state, and then get panned by Silent Hill's art director.  All this in the scant few months since it was released back in March, and it's still not done coming up in bits of news here and there.  The latest, however, is a bit of a doozy when compared to the rest of it, which should tip you off, considering the latest news is that the PS3 version of the game will be the only one patched.  While I've been lead to believe that the PS3 version was, initially, buggier than the 360 version (which I whole-heartedly believe) and that the 360 version is actually playable, it's still kind of a big deal.  As is what Konami is doing about it.

This isn't the first time a game on the 360 has been completely refused a patch to fix it, and that process alone is just as bad as it was when Polytron decided they needed the money more than they needed to have a fully-working game out there.  I'm sure it won't be the last time it happens either.  And I'm also sure that people won't connect the dots because we don't learn when these types of things happen.  I'm sure that at least a percentage of the very same people excusing Polytron because "wah wah, money" are openly shitting on Konami for doing the very same thing for what could be a legitimate problem.  They are citing "Technical Issues" for the reason why the 360 cannot get the patch and as vague as that is, it could be completely legit.  These HD Collections are games simply being tooled to work on the consoles we have now, rather than being completely rebuilt, so it's entirely possible that some things have simply been held together with the equivalent of duct tape and chewed gum, so trying to introduce something else might just bring it all down.  Is that a valid excuse?  No, of course not.  Is it possible that "Technical Issues" means simply that there aren't enough 360 copies out there to pay for what will likely be patch after patch?  Of course.  We will never know, so not coming out and saying that it is flat-out about the money is a good move for Konami.

What also helps their case is that instead of just saying "Well, it sucks but thanks for the money!", they are offering an opportunity to exchange your game for another Konami product and while there's not an -official- list anywhere that I could find, it seems that it is rather large.  If you've had your eye on the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection or Castlevania:  Lords of Shadow (Limited Edition, even) and don't already have it, you might be able to grab one of those up (for PS3 or 360), as well as being able to trade across for the Collection on PS3 to get the one that'll get 'fixed'.  Or any of two dozen other titles for the PS3, 360 all the way back to the PSP and original XBox if you are so inclined.  I'm basing this off a list cross-posted from a forum, which is why I'm not linking it, so take it with a grain of salt, but the exchange bit, at the very least, is very true.  All it takes is a little bit of talking to customer service and presenting the receipt which serves as another reminder as to why you should always keep those things.

Konami is likely going to lose money over this, if not with the straight-exchanges, than the obvious loss of business they'll get from the move for as long as attention spans hold out.  Which is to say probably the next few games they put out won't sell so great, but after that, it'll go back to business as usual for the most part.  For the obvious parallels that I drew to the Fez situations, I can't say that the situation is exactly the same, however which is why, despite how bad a move it is, I can't hold the same ire with Konami that I can with Polytron, and that has everything to do with the size of both 'companies'.  Where buying/not buying a Polytron game affects them directly (or close to it), doing the same with Konami is not affecting the people who make these decisions and is likely only going to burden the people on the bottom.  I imagine the team that put the ports together is being dismantled currently and scattered to different parts of the company where they will hopefully do better work, but any money lost for Konami as a whole is going to come out of the pockets of the people just trying to put together games long before it comes out of the executives.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  This is pretty much why 'I'll never buy another (company) (product) again' doesn't do a whole lot of positive in the long run.

So if the smart thing to do is to just buy what you want to buy, ignoring who has 'wronged you' personally (which is by-and-large the smart thing to do) instead of carrying on with these boycotts, then what are you to do?  Well....the sensible thing, really.  If you own the game, take them up on this exchange offer if you're so inclined or just try to enjoy the game you put down money on.  Do anything you can to make sure the monetary investment isn't something that you come to really regret.  Whatever the case, if you feel the need, just exercise a little more selective purchasing in the future; waiting til it's out to find some reviews speaking to its technical quality before you take the plunge.  It seems entirely too level-headed a move to do, I agree, but like I said, where I could direct my ire at exactly the people who would be effected at Polytron, the same cannot be said for Konami using the same methods.  So while we can decry their decisions, that will just have to suffice for now.

Yakuza HD Collection a Possibility

So, Joystiq brought it to my attention (almost personally, it feels like) that the possibility of an HD Collection of Yakuza 1 and 2 is a thing that could happen.  Listed for a brief moment on a Sega Japan Release Schedule, the Yakuza 1&2 HD Edition leaves little to the imagination, suggesting that it is simply HD Editions of Yakuza 1 & 2 (Presumably sold separately, since Japan seems to be finnicky about bundling games, as is referenced by the Ico/SotC Collection, and Peace Walker HD).  Of course, I saw this Joystiq post and proceeded to immediately lose all of my shit.  Look around, do you see things that shouldn't be there?  Yeah.  It's my shit.  Because I lost it.  For a moment that was entirely too sweet, entirely too brief, I experienced what I can only describe as ecstasy unlike any I have experienced in recent memory at the mere thought of being able to re-visit Yakuza 1 and 2, older and wiser and more well-versed in the series as I am now without plugging in my PS2 and dicking around with Memory cards and all that we have more or less sworn off since the days of the PS2.  To see Kamurocho as it started in a resolution that isn't torture on the eyes, even if it will not be as detailed as 3 and 4's (seen above) offerings.

For that all-too-brief moment, life was amazing and everything was wonderful.

And then I had that reality check that I'm sure you have already been thinking of since you read the title of this post.  Sega is in the shit.  It makes perfect sense to start doing things like this, up-porting old games for a quick buck that has fairly little spending associated with it.  It makes sense to do this and release it to a public that absolutely loves the Yakuza series where the sales numbers shows as much.  And that all happens.....in Japan.  Not so much here in the States.  So that sort of makes one think that the Collection just might not make it over here because Sega doesn't want to part with the paltry cost of localization.  And if they do, then the chances of them doing it on an actual disk are pretty much incomprehensibly infinitesimal.  Which for me more or less means that they shouldn't bother localizing it at all since I'll never be able to play the fucking things.  So this whole thing has the potential to be bittersweet at best, and infinitely disappointing at worst unless Sega just kind of magically does the awesome thing with money that they presumably don't have.

That means there's really not a whole lot I can do or say alongside this, honestly.  If this happens to play out and get localized on-disk, I'll be a very happy man, but if it doesn't, or if it's DD-only, I don't know what I'll do.  I'll probably buy them anyway just to throw Sega the $30-40 and the support, even if I won't be able to feasibly play the games by any stretch of the imagination.  (It takes me a ridiculous amount of time to download shit.  Like, three hours to download a 500 MB game at best ridiculous.  Not so much an issue on Portables since they're not about to explode or anything, but my PS3?  Nah.)  But goddamn if I won't be bitter as -fuck- about it the whole time and for quite a time thereafter.  It's pretty much this sort of scenario that I was basing an entire "Digital Distribution is Not the Answer to Every Fucking Problem" article around and never got around to writing because I just started to lose a little bit of the venom I had with it.  The thing is, I'm not anywhere near alone in the "I have shit internet and I must scream" territory, but it just doesn't seem to matter one bit since way of the future and other such utter fucking nonsense.  In a world of data caps and shit internet infrastructure not to mention shoddy internet security (From everyone, not just Sony don't even -start-) we can't just throw every fucking thing on the internet and do Jazz Hands until magic happens, people.

It's honestly a little more than depressing to have that realization weigh-in like that.  At first, I thought that maybe the Collection, should it exist and come out, could be an example of Sega's willingness to give physical media for the Yakuza one last shot, despite it not being one of the 'key' franchises that they're basing their physical releases on.  But it's hard to think of a scenario where I could realistically expect them on-disk, which means I still don't know what to think of Yakuza 5.  Even though I'm in the camp that says it would be the worst fucking idea imaginable to go DD-only with Yakuza 5, I can't realistically say it's not a possibility.  And one that'll be all the more real if the sales numbers of the theoretical DD-only Collection run more or less along the lines as they would expect it to, meaning the people who buy the series are still -there- and willing to buy it no matter what.  I guess I am over-thinking it more than a little bit, but as I've made it perfectly clear more than once here, the Yakuza series is that series for me, and it sucks that the reality for it is as negative as it is.

With any luck, all my sudden sullenness and negativity will be for naught and we'll get some good news from the whole scenario.  It's wholly unlikely, of course, but Sega does so love proving me wrong (I figured they would've announced a new Phantasy Star for Vita - PSO2 doesn't count - by now, I figured something would happen with the two Yakuza:  Black Panther games for us, figured we'd hear -something- about VC3 in the west, I could go on and on) so that does leave a slight window open.  I can say with some certainty that if they -do- prove me wrong and throw us a disk, I will probably be buying several copies of the game if just to send the message that physical games will still sell, I assure you.  So there's at least some incentive there.  Only thing left is to see it play out, I suppose, which will likely be more painful than several things that I'm not going to bother to explain because I'm sure you can think of painful things.

Update!:  Aaaand it's official.  For Japan, at least.  I'm sure we'll get localization news....uhh....sometime.

Maybe.

Please give us this, Sega.

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.

Zone of the Enders 3 Is a Thing In Development

Now, while it might not officially be called Zone of the Enders 3, as ZoE 2 was simply called Zone of the Enders:  Second Runner, the game that is in development is likely a third game in the main ZoE series.  Well, okay not -likely-, as the above image of the newly re-designed Jehuty means definitely and I just....I couldn't be happier about it.  I contemplated actually writing about it yesterday because that's when the news of it broke, but I held off because I imagined that something like this was outside of the realm of possibility, an impossibility if you will, and figured that it would come out that this is all just for something else, but nothing of the sort has been mentioned and in fact it just looks more and more like a reality.  Just the way the situation unfolded seems like one of those things you talk about with your buddies and say "Wouldn't it be cool if" and then talk about how a company, in anticipation for something, announces something related to it to build off the hype because it actually makes sense.  Yet it never happens.  Except, well, this time it did.

As it's simply an announcement of development being started, there is practically zero information about it, but at this stage, the fact that it exists is quite enough for now.  Semi-officially, the game is being called simply the "Enders Project" for now and whether that will end up being the game's subtitle or have nothing at all to do with what the game is called (aside from having Enders in it) is up in the air because of the lack of outside information.  That means platforms, time-frames, setting, all of that is just non-existant at this point, which makes it hard to write down anything other than "Eeeeeeeeeee!" and other such exclamations of excitement.  On the other hand, I don't want to just bullet-point the two pieces of information on the game and then run off, since that just won't do.

They did state that the game might potentially be developed using the Fox Engine which does mean a few things as a base, of course.  First off, I would suggest that this is your first reason (if you didn't have one already) to be excited for the next round of consoles (that likely won't come out til 2014, not counting the WiiU) since the Fox Engine has been stated as a 'High-spec' engine, which cuts a few things out right off, like the 3DS and the Wii if not more.  Considering that the game was just officially announced as being a thing and thus will likely be in development for a few years, I wouldn't expect it on the PS3 or 360 since those consoles aren't likely to be kicking around for -that- much longer.  Second off, that sort of explains the above picture of a sculpted model of a Jehuty with a slightly new look to him.  For the Fox Engine (not specific to all projects, but at least with this one) they're making models of the Mechs used to be scanned in as a base to work off of for the animation and modeling.  Which is just....-awesome-.

That's pretty much the entire gist of it, unfortunately.  "Enders Project" is a Zone of the Enders project that features Jehuty and is almost definitely a third game in the proper Zone of the Enders series.  (We don't count Fist of Mars)  It's almost certainly going to use the Fox Engine (slight editorial on my part, but -come on-) and as a first step towards that, they're crafting models of the Mechs to be scanned in so they can be worked with in-engine.  With all the foresight in the world, they decided to announce this right alongside a release window of "Fall" for the Zone of the Enders HD Collection (for the Consoles, at least, apparently the Vita version might not be same-day unfortunately) and now I'm just looking forward to getting my hands on the Vita version (sometime) and playing the hell out of it whilst I wait for more information on all this.

Of course, since Kojima seems in the mood to make dreams come true, I'm just going to float the idea of Metal Gear Ac!d 3 on the Vita (or digital versions of 1 and 2 or an updated twin-pack or -something-) and doing something video game related with Snatcher.  You know.  Just leaving those two things on the table here, feel free to do whatever you want with them, Kojima.

Just sayin'.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for Vita Has a Release Date

So, another sort of weird title in the future of the Vita officially has a release date and, unsurprisingly, it's the date that was leaked a little bit ago:  June 12th.  And also unsurprisingly, nobody is going to acknowledge that it's a fairly big boon for the system for several reasons, the most of which being that it's just a Vita title and anywhere you look will have you believe that they simply don't exist, because that gets in the way of the doom-saying and rhetoric and all.  Of course, there are a few valid points of contention to have with the Vita version of the Port which I'll get to eventually.  I will say, however, right up that the MGS HD Collection for the Vita is simply not a game that I'm going to invest money into this year.  It's rather unfortunate since I have, actually, been looking forward to the prospect of re-familiarizing myself with Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 in portable form, mostly for the convenience factor of course, but, well, therein lies the problem with the game:  It's only Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3.

"Only" is a pretty misleading word, of course, as both titles are the 'enhanced' versions of themselves, meaning Metal Gear Solid 2 is a game and a half with VR missions and Snake Tales, and Metal Gear Solid 3 is actually three games with Snake Eater as well as Metal Gear 1 and 2 - The 'good' versions, even.  I mean, any way you look at it, the game is full to the brim with content, but the problem here is comparative envy.  As we all know, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection's appearance on the Vita is not its first - it first appeared on the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 with the content outlined above as well as Metal Gear Solid:  Peace Walker, the port of a portable game, remastered in HD.  And therein lies the rub; the portable port of a collection of ports does not have the portable port ported in the collection of ports.  (Ports)  It boggles my mind in bad ways that you could release a collection of Metal Gear Solid games for a portable console and exclude the game that was made explicitly for portable gaming.

So, knowing that there is an entire game missing, one has to go on and wonder -why- and the answer is....well, pretty sloppy, really.  The 'fan' answer is that there's probably not enough room on a Vita cart because that's not actually a bad idea, and from my little digging, I don't know the min-max space of a Vita cart.  But in that case, you could just throw in a voucher code for Peace Walker and call it a day, right?  You still get all three games for your $40 (which, s'far as we can tell, is how much MGS HD Vita is going to cost, the exact same as the PS3/360 versions) and everything's all spiffy.  Of course, that's not the official response, as the official response is:  'Why port it? It's already on the PSN for download, and the Vita touches it up already'.  Which is...uh....well, first off, that's a less-than-friendly way about it, and second off, it's not.  I have my Vita right in front of me and I cannot look up Peace Walker for purchase nor download.  Yes, you can get it on the PS3 and transfer it over, but that's not the point at all.

Maybe they assume the people who want to play Peace Walker on Vita already have the HD Collection on PS3 (since everyone who owns a Vita owns a PS3, clearly) which came with a download code for Peace Walker's PSP version to make use of the Transfarring feature.  So they want to pay another $40 for two of the games on the go because clearly in the -months- that the Collection's been out on the PS3 and 360, they haven't beaten it yet and they really really need that 'on-the-go' factor.  So they figure "Hey, they have Peace Walker HD on PS3 already, and a code for Peace Walker on PSP, they'll download it to their Vita and go and be awesome."  Which is....where the second problem comes in.  The second problem being that Peace Walker can't Transfar to the Vita.  So if you follow everything as is, buy both versions of the Collection and play the PSP version of Peace Walker on the Vita 'as intended' (to prevent from using resources that are so vital elsewhere) you don't get to enjoy the -one- feature that is -most- important for the Portable game that isn't in the portable collection.

This is some pretty gigantic fumbling going on here, unfortunately.  Fumbling enough that's it's dutifully pushed the game off my radar which seemed pretty impossible honestly.  On one hand, I'm pretty relieved by that, since that's $40 that I can spend elsewhere, but on the other hand, I really wanted to play Metal Gear Solid 3 on my Vita sometime soon.  I still will -someday-, but I can only hope that E3 brings about some happy Vita news from Konami to kind of make up for this.  Since it's just a bad look no matter which way you go at it.  Regardless, someone without access to a PS3 or 360 would probably be best served picking the game up if they desire; like I said, it's not exactly lacking for content, so much as it's simply lacking for the content of its big brother version.

Ratchet and Clank Collection is Official!

So, it's been rumored for a while and expected for longer, but the Ratchet and Clank Collection is officially a thing.  Confirmed by both the North American and PAL Playstation Blogs, the first three Ratchet and Clank games which have all sorts of names depending on what country you were from, apparently, where all three will be locked at 60 Frames Per Second, render in 1080p (or 720p for 3D) and have a separate Trophy List for each game, with each one having a Platinum Trophy as is expected.  That's all standard stuff for these collections and, while they're greatly appreciated, there's nothing new and exciting to talk about with that.  But, well, we are covered with that as well, since the multiplayer mode from the third game (Either Ratchet and Clank 3 or Ratchet and Clank:  Up Your Arsenal, again, dependent on where you're from) that I didn't know anything about will be included and playable in the collection.  Clearly, as an online mode for a PS2 game, it didn't get to see much usage when it was originally released but nowadays it shouldn't have any problems getting off the ground.

The Collection is the first step in the 10th Anniversary of Ratchet and Clank celebration, with more things promised to come, yet obviously unannounced just yet.  It's not too hard to guess at just what these could be, however, especially when you take a look at the comments and replies of the American Announcement Post.

+ anonymus212 on March 15th, 2012 at 4:11 pm said:
“This option was considered [Deadlocked]. We had our reasons for this way, but don’t think we didn’t think of it”
“Again, everything should be available to all”
“You will definitely want to pre-order if you’re in North America :-)”
If my intuition isn’t failing me, I would make a strong guess, due to these comments, that :
Deadlocked will be released on the PS Store as a stand-alone HD remaster and North Americans, should they pre-order, as a result of waiting, will get it free of charge. Europeans will also get it, but will have to pay.
That would be my best guess for the 10th ANNIVERSARY SURPRISE.

+ James Stevenson on March 15th, 2012 at 4:31 pm said:
That would be crafty of us, wouldn’t it?
That’s not the big 10th Anniversary Surprise though :-)

While ruled out as a possible "Big Surprise" for the Anniversary, it certainly wasn't ruled out as a possibility, nor was it even hinted against happening.  As stated in the quoted, the same rep responded to quite a few people with something along the lines of "You will want to make sure you pre-order!" in a very light-hearted, but pointed manner.  Whether the reason you'll want to pre-order is because of a possible Deadlocked HD or not, whatever this bonus is, it's probably going to be big considering the urging here.  Yet it also might not be the "Big Surprise" that's in store for all of us.  While you might think it's only for North American buyers if you read both posts, I would imagine that it will be for PAL as well, given the number of times they said "Everyone is going to get everything".

When everyone is getting these/this game(s) is the real thing here, as PAL's collection is fully dated for May 16th, 2012, whereas the NA version has a nebulous window of "Fall".  Fall doesn't necessarily mean late Fall, early Fall or what, but I would imagine it would be closer to the start.  Of course, the original Ratchet and Clank released on November 4th, and the NA release date seems to have something to do with this big surprise and announcement, so it might be closer to that.  At least, the release date itself, not the announcement.  That is supposed to be "Coming Soon", so we'll just have to see what it is.  Now, I'm not saying smart money is on an official new game in the series, but I wouldn't be surprised by that at all.  Unfortunately, I doubt whatever announcement this is will have anything to do with the Vita, as a very pointed statement of "There are currently no plans for a Vita version. Sorry. :(" from the PAL blog rules that out.

I've stated my interest for a Ratchet and Clank Collection for a while now since these seemed to be real gems from the past that I missed completely.  I don't know why, I can't put my finger on it, but when I was a kid, I just never grabbed up the games despite recognizing them as big, first-party games.  (at least, towards the end of the PS2's lifespan I did.  And had several opportunities to buy into the series that I passed up on.)  With this thing official, I'll finally have a chance to get into the games a bit late, but in arguably the best way possible currently, with better graphics, locked framerate and incentive to explore every nook and cranny of the games as you would -want- to do as a young'n.  So here's looking forward to it!

So Much 'Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!'

So, because I feel the need to counter yesterday's post full of happiness and rainbows to balance the universe, today I'm going to talk about a couple of bits that have just pissed me off.  Like, just straight-up, 'Who pissed in your cornflakes' type of things, because it is very cleansing to just talk about them and get them out there.  One bit because I just found out about it, and the other because I haven't talked about it directly since I found out about it and I figure it's about time I do that.  Because it's really gotten my ire up and I just need to really directly address it to have it out there and make it known.  So let's start, shall we?

The above is an imagine we're likely going to have to get used to because, as far as I can tell, that's the American Box Art for the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection in America.  Take a real good look at it, because there is something that is missing there.  Something that is very obvious, very glaring, and very, very annoying.  Clearly, the thing missing is any hint, nod, or showing of Metal Gear Solid:  Peace Walker which was, indeed, included in the HD Collection for both Playstation 3 and XBox 360.  You would think that, since Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 HD are being ported from their PS3 versions to the Vita, it would be a simple matter to port the PS3 version of Peace Walker to the Vita as well.  It's not really a matter of needing to figure out the way it handles Vita-specific functions, since Metal Gear Solid 3 is already doing that, going so far as to bring in Major Zero's voice actor to record new lines about these new functions.  I can only assume the same will happen for the NA version.

Could the information be false?  Quite possibly.  The only reason I'm not blindly shouting that I think Peace Walker will be included is because of the press release in this Joystiq post which very obviously seems to be American-centric.  Now, the Japanese version of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection only had Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, whereas Peace Walker HD was it's own, separate game.  Why?  I don't know.  I literally have absolutely no idea as of this post and I'm not too fussed to go off and research it.  Unless Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 were on their own disks in Japan, because I believe there's some regulation over there that they can't have more than one game on a disk or something.  Whatever regulation meant that they had to sell Ico HD and Shadow of the Colossus HD 'separately' or together but with their own cases.  If that's the case, then just selling Peace Walker HD on its own makes a little sense for them.  I cannot, nor will I attempt to make a case for why that's even remotely acceptable here when we literally have a product that is everything the Vita version of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is, but then some.  Unless it's a size/space issue, but if that's the case, why isn't there some sort of disclaimer about that?

This raises the question about the price of the Vita's version of the Collection as well, which I've yet to see a solid figure on.  I should hope that if it's only released as both games, we can look forward to a $10 reduction (making both games $15, rather than ~$13, which I can take), but I never take these sort of things at face value.  It also raises the question as to why, at this point in time, it doesn't look like an HD version of a Portable Game is going to be on an HD Portable system.  Like, this is beyond dumb if you look at it for what it is, so I can only hope for some clarification on the whole thing and soon.  I don't think "Just Download Peace Walker, you know, the PSP version" is sufficient as a suggestion either, especially, especially because as of this post, you literally cannot Buy, Download and Play Peace Walker unless you have a PS3, since you have to get it on there and then transfer it to the Vita, as it's not on the Vita's PS Storefront.  So really, I guess the ball is in Konami/Kojima Productions Hands at this point.  Hopefully they'll get us an answer relatively quickly.

So, if you're a faithful reader of this blog, you probably know what's coming because of the above picture.  This isn't new news by any means, but it's news that I need to pass out regardless because I have my own opinions on it and I really need to get them out in a way that is more effective than a couple tweets about it.  For everyone else, the above pictured is something from Warriors Orochi 3, which was something I was so excited about that I made an entire post about it being localized, citing the simple fact that it wasn't going to have English Voiceovers as something that I would just have to get used to because it could, in no way, dampen the excitement I had for the game.  Because I really really like the Warriors Orochi games for the simple fact that the blending of the characters and such makes for a very interesting story, something they're given real free reign on since it's all fantasy.

I was so wrong.  Now, I'm going to just go ahead and state the, er, 'facts' of the matter first off before I really get into my own editorializing and fact-spewing over the whole situation.  In the US, Warriors Orochi 3 is going to be Digital Distribution only for the Playstation 3.  That is the stated fact, nothing going to change it that is exactly, clearly the word as it is.  It will be available as a Retail (meaning on-disk) title for XBox 360 and, quite possibly, also be in their Games on Demand or whatever service; the one that sells full games that isn't Live Arcade.  That's not confirmed, it could be assumed given that it will be available (only) through PSN for PS3, but all we know is that 360 gets a Disk, PS3 does not.  Tecmo-KOEI states the reasoning for this is the 'strict' policy SCEA has about not allowing games to have a Disk Release if there is not English Dub present.  Which KOEI stated it would be without, y'know, hinting that it would cause release troubles.  Of course, SCEE has no policy because it covers too broad an area to restrict languages, so the only region that won't get Warriors Orochi 3 for PS3 on Disk is North America.

So, those are the 'facts'.  Now it is conjecture time and my conjecture is thus:

Bull.  Shit.

That is far fancier looking than I anticipated, but it is what it is.  There are so many goddamn holes I can poke in this line of reasoning that I don't even know where to start.  But I guess the obvious is the best place here:  Yakuza games since number 2 have been released in America, On-Disk, with Promotion, without having English Dubs.  Of course, the stand-by to knock that down is "It doesn't count, it's an exclusive franchise".  Okay, fine - What about Way of the Samurai 3?  Or, as the comments of the above article so helpfully point out, Agarest War Zero and it's sequel?  The PSP games that I assume are bound by the same rules as PS3 games?  All had Japanese Dubs only, (In the case of Way of the Samurai 3, I don't think there was even enough content to count as a 'dub') and all had physical media releases.  There are more, if not just as many, exceptions to the rule provided that it just doesn't count as a rule anymore.  So right there, without any outside interference, I call bullshit.

There is absolutely, positively, no denying that Tecmo-KOEI, specifically the KOEI portion off the company, has a vested interest in Sony.  More of their titles than not are Exclusive to Playstation Systems, by choice rather than regulation, and while it may very well be because Sony has a better market in Japan, it still counts and it's still obvious.  The several disgruntled 360-only people who are fans of KOEI's products will attest to this, seeing as they have gotten shafted out of a lot of games for little reason other than "360 doesn't sell well in Japan".  So, if you're trying to tell me that there is absolutely no way KOEI could use the clout they very obviously have to waive the oh-so-strict rule about No-Dub-No-Disk, then I call bullshit on that too.  At the very least, they could've just sweetened the pot with the DLC trick; keep it exclusive to the PS3 version of the game or at least just timed exclusive.  Bam, incentive to buy it on the PS3 rather than the 360 (which would in turn, give Sony incentive to let them have their game released on disk) is there, quick and easy.

So I reiterate:  There is absolutely no reason why Warriors Orochi 3 will be PSN-only in North America and it's killed my interest so much that I might literally just skip it.  I've looked into importing it from the UK which won't be -too- costly, but I really really just don't know if I'm willing to bother.  There are entirely too many games to be had this year, I was already wobbly because of no English VA (pretty much purely because I wouldn't get to listen to Jamieson Price as Lu Bu), so any extra hoops added just really start tipping me over.  And, aside from all that, given the way things are priced these days, I have absolutely no reason to think that the PS3 version will be cheaper for the simple fact that there is no physical media to it.  In fact, I would suggest it's rather naive to think that.

So, we'll see.  Regardless, I've gone and made myself extra grumpy now, so it's time to go listen to inappropriate music (K-Pop or something similarly vapid but enjoyable) and just try and relax.

More Collections! Jak and Daxter's Turn

Between the Devil May Cry Collection being announced, the Splinter Cell Collection just releasing recently (after several delays), and the Metal Gear Solid Collection on the horizon, you may be a little sick of hearing about all these collections.  Maybe.  I'm not, I know that much, especially because of the fact that some of these collections include games I've never even touched.  Much like the Sly Collection before it, the Jak and Daxter Collection that was classified by the Korean Ratings Board (that we all knew was coming) will be something completely new to me.  I'm not quite sure -how- I managed to avoid three of Playstation's best franchise series (Sly, Jax and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank) completely, but it happened, and well, now I'm reaping the benefits of it.

Now, one thing outing a game or console has never, ever been concrete evidence of anything, despite being, well, very very accurate in the past, so I may really be jumping the gun here.  With any other game (save a few), I might very well just dismiss it as a rumor, but this is Jak and Daxter; it and Ratchet and Clank are basically the two series left that are very nearly guaranteed to have the Collection treatment.  So what I'm saying here, basically, is that we know it's happening, even if this Korean Ratings Board thing proves to be a false lead.  After this is out and the eventual Ratchet and Clank Collection, it'll be pretty hard to guess what, if anything, comes after that, but I'll certainly be looking forward to anything else.

Again, my exposure to Jak and Daxter is completely non-existent, so trying to find something else to say about all this is a bit trying.  That the games are the predecessors to the Uncharted games (as were the Sly games to the inFamous series) are inspiring but also fill me with a bit of dread thanks to all the parity that's coming of the situation as I consider it.  If you'll recall (I'm not going to link them all, but I had a -lot- of posts about the Sly Collection) my experiences with the Sly series started positively and very slowly started to descend until the third game where it kind of went up and down quite drastically.  I kept going at the games thinking "How did they go on to make inFamous" and I get the sinking feeling that I'm going to take to the Jak games in the same way.  The coincidences are too numerous for me to consider otherwise.

Still, I've been eying the series ever since I saw the PSP spin-off for Daxter (Much the same with Secret Agent Clank and the R&C series), but I've simply deigned to wait for these collections to start off the series and then end up with the two spin-offs on my Vita.  I'm told they're not very good, but, well, I'm just -that kinda guy-, where once I get into a series, I generally have to stick it out unless I really really start to dislike it.  And besides, who doesn't love a good old-school platformer every now and then, what with that genre ending up on the downswing for a while?  It's making a comeback, sure, but it's assuredly not quite the same as it used to be.  If anything, I imagine it'll make me appreciate the advances we've made more than I do already.

Update!:  Well, this one's confirmed by SCEA via Joystiq via IGN or something.  Regardless, it's confirmed, gonna happen, but that's about all the info right now.

Capcom Doing Non-Terrible Things? Buh?

So you might've seen it when Chance let us know about it, but if you haven't, then Capcom finally announced the Devil May Cry Collection.  Now, I openly admit I had my worries about how this exercise was going to play out, figuring that they would, unfortunately simply release all three titles with minimal retouching separately for $15-20 each on the PSN and XBLA services.  I believe I'm fairly well justified in fearing as such, given how Resident Evil 4 HD and Resident Evil Code: Veronica HD turned out, and since Capcom's been on something of a 'downward trend' lately, I believe it was perfectly imaginable.  Luckily, my fears have been put down, as the Collection will actually be on-disk, containing Devil May Cry 1-3 for $40, and be available for both PS3 and 360 which is surprising or unsurprising, depending on your perspective.

While it's the optimal outcome for me personally (and probably a lot of other people as well), I'm sure there already people cringing and grumbling at the thought of even trudging through Devil May Cry 2 once more, but I'm not too fussed.  I survived it once already, I can do it again.  I just hope I find the guide I bought all those years ago for it before I do, because I'll be damned if I put anymore effort into it than is necessary.  Though, to be fair, it's the same way for me with DMC3, since I didn't particularly care for that game, personally.  Though I think it's more about how I couldn't wrap myself around the controls right away, which really punishes you in those first couple areas if you can't absolutely beast it.

That's not all the good news from Capcom either!  Just announced today was the fact that Mega Man Powered up and Mega Man X Maverick Hunter are going to be released as a dual pack along with the PSP Monster Hunters (Specifically Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite) for anyone who couldn't find the former games which became incredibly rare -somehow-, or anyone who still hasn't dipped into the latter.  (Unfortunately, it's been pointed out that one of the games in the dual pack is the other game and -then some-, but still, you can have it for collector's value)  The downside to these would be that they're going to be UMD-Exclusive and, on top of that, GameStop-Exclusive, so they're really only catering to the people who couldn't find them.  (I imagine the Mega Man Pack has a lot to do with the issues surrounding why Mega Man Powered Up isn't on the PSN yet)

While I haven't played Powered Up, I have played Maverick Hunter, and I quite like it.  It's a really competent remake of the original Mega Man X, and even had a lot of extras (including an entire mode where you could play as Vile, who was X's Rival for, er, that one game) and had a really nice style overlayed on it.  Helps that the original X was probably my favorite since it didn't get to over-complicate things, but at the same time, it was a bit -too- simple.  Or maybe it's just because I could mostly remember which bosses were weak against what weapons and didn't have to refer to something else.  Still, it's classic Mega Man X gameplay and it's a shame that Capcom only saw fit to give the remake treatment to the original, when there's at least two more good X games to pick from.  Ah well.

Still, that's a lot of news that came out about Capcom without any real boneheaded moves and I'm really surprised that I don't have a lot of negative to s-Oh.

So, er, remember when Monster Hunter 3G was announced for the 3DS and it was announced alongside that silly slidepad accessory so you could actually play the game on a 3DS instead of anything else?  Remember how the 3DS is supposed to be really trying to support online play and stuff?  Remember how the last few Monster Hunter games have really really flourished on Online Play?  Capcom apparently doesn't.  Monster Hunter 3G for the 3DS is not going to have Online Play and, since it's not on the PSP, there's also really no workaround like Ad-Hoc Party for it either.  So if you're one of those folks who enjoys the MH games for the ability to go online and hunt with your friends, well, here's one less reason to really care.

Still, two out of three ain't bad for Capcom.