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

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...

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'.

I Have to Do News

Even though I could go on and on and on about my Vita and how I got Dynasty Warriors Next today and played it and spent entirely too much money also buying the starter kit from GameStop that includes a cleaning cloth, card case for eight games and two memory sticks, a slip-case for the Vita, ear buds that I will never use and screen protectors, I shouldn't.  To cement that fact, I want to do one of these mish-mashy 'here's a few news stories' posts because 1.) Not only is there not a whole lot of news (imagine that!) but, 2.) I need to catch up on posting things that aren't, roughly translated OHMYGODTHEVITAEEEEEEEEE!".  Roughly.  Very roughly.  So throwing down a few things to contemplate will likely help, even if they're just little bits of news.

The above image is a picture tweeted by Hideo Kojima himself to confirm to everyone that, much like with the MGS HD Collection that had Metal Gear Solid 3:  Subsistence, the version of Zone of the Enders 2 included in the ZoE HD Collection will be the "Special Edition" that never saw release in the states.  The Special Edition apparently saw the addition of extra difficulty options (I imagine one is the "European Extreme" equivalent), some more cutscenes and story, and some more missions to play.  The only downside to this that I can foresee is the possibility of having to -play- Zone of the Enders on a really really hard difficulty to appease the trophy gods which I really wouldn't look forward to.  At the same time, there is no other occasion where I would -not- look forward to playing Zone of the Enders 1 and/or 2 (Especially on my Vita, sorry, had to do that one) so more game is much more appreciated.

Some more information on this all would be nice, like when we can expect to buy and play the game for instance, but any news is good news.  Some stylish giant robot action will be exceptional but I don't know when I'll be able to fit it in, as this is officially the year of too many games.  I have two Vita games that I've barely played, three more to buy during the summer, and three PS3 games in the near-immediate future that I have to buy.  You know that I average about 12 games a year, at least games -from- that year, and already I have eight on my plate, technically speaking, before I've even started the year proper!  But there is always time for Zone of the Enders and that's why I'm excited for the Vita version since, as a basic fact, I just have more time with the hand-held.  It is, in fact, sitting right in front of me as I type, eagerly awaiting a push of the PS button so I can rip away the lock screen to play again.  Which reminds me - Note to self:  Look for Zone of the Enders Wallpapers.

Speaking of this being the year of too many games, Sega of America has teased the next Dreamcast game to receive the PSN/XBLA port treatment.  With no title.  No characters.  No Release date.  Really no information at all.  So why are people excited for it?  Because it is very obviously motherfucking Jet Set Grind Radio for the Dreamcast.  It doesn't need to be said in anything beyond what was offered in the video.  Funky beats, stylistic approach of visuals and, the tell-tale of all tell-tales, the character boombox at the end from Jet Grind Radio, these are all of the things that point to this thing of beauty becoming an actuality, an answer to so many dreams and hopes.

At least....a possible one.  I don't mean to harsh any buzzes, especially my own, but we did have another game, fairly famous for its soundtrack, having that stripped out when it was re-released because of licensing issues.  I imagine that's the main reason a lot of people have held off on Crazy Taxi, and I should certainly hope that the issue with it is not one with JGR as well, since that will most likely kill a -lot- of desire surrounding it.  About 26 songs (version dependent) is a lot, and while I don't remember if Crazy Taxi saw the majority of the songs taken out or, in fact, all of them, you can bet that if even a one is missing, you will not hear the end of it from the internet.

Still, starting the next group of Dreamcast titles to be released with JGR, music or no, is a hell of a move and makes one wonder just what could possibly be next.  Will the try and top it with the game that will never be finished in Shenmue?  Or the game we never wanted to end in Skies of Arcadia?  Or will they pretend Sonic Adventure 2 was important beyond a few of the stages with fantastic music and pretend it's a bigger deal?  Smart money is probably on the latter of the options, but it's more than possible that all three games will see a release on at least one of these fancy digital platforms before all is said and done.  And let's just hope that if they re-release them all combined on a disk, they don't lock it to 360 and PC only because, damnit, I would've bought it, I don't even care.  Sonic Adventure and the (gimped) Crazy Taxi are more than worth it.

Some of you might remember the year of Amnesia:  The Dark Descent as "When did that come out?", but I'm guessing the vast majority of the internet remembers Frictional Games' horrific first-person romp with some perverse combination of wistful adoration and sheer terror.  So the news that a sequel is being made is likely good and awful news for all since it means another Amnesia game.  This is one of those cases where you can say the exact same thing like "Oh god, Amnesia Sequel!" and the inflection is what makes the case for the joke, but this is the internet and text, so just imagine your own internal dialogue for that.  Because there are certainly things there.

You might wonder about the video I linked above and it's purely for convenience and a point of reference.  I've talked about Helloween4545 several times for the pure simple fact that he is really really entertaining.  That he has a Let's Play of Amnesia:  The Dark Descent is not only expected (given that he's a horror-LPer) but welcome for the obvious facts of topical-ness as well as that it's just absolutely wonderful.  Despite it being hilarious, it allows for moments where you actually can genuinely be frightened by the game.  And that's precisely what The Dark Descent tries to pull from you, that fear and terror you have - it yearns to drag it to the surface and revel as you don't know what to do with it.  It is, actually, a lofty goal that A Machine of Pigs seeks to surpass by not only hitting that bar again (with new tricks, since gamers are likely immune to the ones The Dark Descent employed) but by evoking more feelings than just fear.  I have faith that they'll be able to do just that, though what feelings they're going for, I can't be sure.

While the game is a sequel, it will not be a direct one and the only connection will be that it takes place in the same universe as the first game, though several decades later, bringing it up to 1899.  The Victorian Age will be in full swing in the game, and, if the title is anything to go by, there will likely be heavy usage of machinery and industrialization.  Not only in the puzzle elements of the game, but the driving force behind it - this apparent machine that is 'fit only for pigs. Fit for the slaughtering of pigs.'  I'm not sure just what that means, but I think I'm already getting the chills at the considerations.  With any luck, the game will be out right before Halloween to be perfectly timed for everyone involved.

Too Many Games

 

It's about that time again.  Fall time, that is; when everyone starts staying inside more and more, and as such, game developers release more games to give you more reasons to stay inside.  And I am just....just not ready at all.  I had wanted to start a backloggery for the longest time to get this all sorted, but for a while there, it was unavailable for new registrants while the guy running it updated the servers and dealt with some health issues at the same time.  I imagine he's gotten over them, as a little while ago, I noticed the site was back, but I hadn't ever bothered to register.

Well, at least until about five minutes or so ago.  Off the top of my head, I could think of 18 19 21 22 (would you believe that I've thought of more games this many times during the typing of this post?) games which are shown in my profile I have to finish, and that's without really going and looking at my stack.  That....that is a lot of gaming.  I might change a couple of those to Null (Like PSP2) since I'll likely be playing them for a time longer without really figuring on a 'complete' goal, but for the most part, these are games that I haven't even started, much less put anything resembling completion into.

It's.....it's difficult.  My main issue right now, in all honesty, is my PS3.  I do not trust the thing.  I feel like it's on its last legs for some reason (most of that being that whenever I turn it off after playing Darksiders, it does the three-beep "I was still doing stuff, you jerk" turn off, which, no, it is -not- doing stuff, the light isn't blinking) and honestly, if it breaks, I don't know what the hell I'll do.  I don't really have the cash to shell out for another $170 replacement, much less spend $250 on a brand-new one.  If I had $250 to spend, it'd be in an account labeled "Playstation Vita" anyways.  Given that I've been jerked around by a YLOD already and the bullshit accompanying it, it's not a thing I would like to go through again, and with summer being as hot as it is, I don't want to tempt that fate once more.

Is it any more avoidable by not enjoying my PS3 for the simple pleasure of looking at it and saying "Well, it's not broken at the moment"?  I'm not willing to say it is, really, since I hate not playing it.  And while I've had a few bouts of "Fuck it, come what may", with the fall/holiday crunch coming up, I can't really afford to be that gung-ho.  But on the other hand, I can't exactly afford to just let all these games that I paid for sit unplayed when there's just going to be more coming out that I will buy and, I guess, not play.  Thus, the Sisyphus image above.

I guess the upside is that my list of games I'm looking forward to with any sort of certainty of purchasing is rather short at the moment.  Then again, I haven't done a lot of research.  But I know that I'll have to track down Dynasty Warriors 7:  Xtreme Legends, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection, and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.  Of course, the Zone of the Enders HD Collection is on my radar as well, but it's release seems a little less tangibly close than MGS'.  I'm sure there's plenty of other games that I want, but I'm reasonably sure, out of all the releases coming out relatively soon that these are the ones I 'need'.

And of course, this is neglecting the fact that there are games already out there that I 'need', off the top of my head, Dead Space 2 and Catherine, which I -would- like to purchase and play at least one of those before the end of the year, as my list of games that I've played from 2011 is....well, not up to par, and doing a top ten Games of the Year for 2011 series of posts will be a little difficult if I don't have 10 games from 2011 played!  (I think I'm up to six or seven currently.  Btw, did you know Ghost Trick was released this year?  I didn't, until I started thinking about the games I'd played this year.  I have -no- idea where it's going to place.)

There are worse things to complain about, I suppose.  But still, this is rather unfortunate!  Hopefully with the backloggery and Fall (and with it, colder temperatures) coming, I'll be able to kick my gaming into a higher gear and get through this list.  And now that you have the link, you'll be able to follow along as well!  I guess.  If...y'know, that interests you.

Transfarring, Transfarring, Transfarring

Okay.  I think I can go without spelling it wrong anymore.  Kojima said recently that 'all future games of his will feature Transfarring in some way.  Which, well, is mighty cool.  If you don't know what Transfarring is, well, I have cleverly given you a link to the actual official page on it, which might help shed some light on this three-phase project.  Yes, three phases.  Phases is probably the wrong term, though, because it's really just three different styles to implement Transfarring, which you probably know of already.

Style 1:  Transfering Transfarring your PSP and PS3 game saves for PSP Remaster games between each console.  (The example given, obviously, is Metal Gear Solid:  Peace Walker.)  So, start a game on your PSP while you're out, get home, transfarr (Yes, I'm going to keep doing this) your save to PS3 and resume!  Since the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection will feature a downloadable version of Peace Walker PSP, there's actually no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of this.  For those of us who've already bought the game, well, free code to share with a buddy, I suppose.  Or, if you bought a UMD version (like me), then now you don't have to rebuy it for Vita.

Style 2:  Transfarring between PS3 and Vita for PS2 Remastered games.  Listed as an example is the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, which, this Style is the one that is the most confusing to everyone so far, since Konami's been fairly tight-lipped about it.  Does this mean the Metal Gear Solid/Zone of the Enders (Possibly Silent Hill) Collections will also be available on the Vita?  That.....seems like it would be the only case given the context of Transfarring (Swap your saves to play on the go and/or at home), but being able to play Zone of the Enders 2 -anywhere- is a dream I dare not dream lightly.  So I'm going to wait for official word on that before I get my hopes up.

Style 3:  Transfarring between PS3 and Vita for....PS3/Vita games.  Listed here is the still-unannounced 'Fox Engine' game.  This is the one that's pretty much what we've seen already with the title Ruin that claims you'll be able to stop playing the game on your PS3 or Vita (after saving), pick up whatever you weren't playing it on, and resuming from right (or about) where you left off.  Which is fascinating technology, of course, if it works (which it didn't quite seem to do in the E3 Keynote, unfortunately.  Maybe it was just all the nervousness though.  The Ruin guys were just not prepared at all, poor dudes.) and I have no doubt that there will be -some- way to make it work.

Curiously, a lot of games weren't mentioned, but key of all is the already announced but on rocky waters Metal Gear Rising.  Metal Gear Rising would certainly be considered an "Upcoming title" and, with the touchscreens on the Vita, it would seem a natural candidate for the precise cutting the game has been shown to offer.  If the 360 version gets Kinect support (which, well, -was- announced, of course), it's possible the PS3 might get Move support as well and if all works out like it seems, then we just might get to cut watermelons on the go.  (Also support structures and soldiers.)  Perhaps that's even been what's holding the game up.

E3 - Mostly Over, But How Was It?

Just as Christmas always comes and goes, leaving a bittersweet sense of excitement, glee and satisfaction in its wake, so too much E3 arrive and leave us.  And every year is different and as such is graded differently for what it's brought us to have and to be excited for.  While I can't speak for everyone, of course, I can certainly speak for myself for what I liked, what I didn't, and what I just didn't care about one way or another.

What I Liked:

I could probably just say "Sony's Conference", here, as there was very little about the Sony conference that I didn't like (EA NBA section aside), at least what I can remember.  Sure, a few things are a little less than memorable, like the Move stuff, but what was good was really good.  Uncharted 3, Uncharted:  Golden Abyss, Release dates for Ico/SotC Collection, God of War:  Origins, the new that there's going to be a Bioshock Vita title, there just was a lot to love all around. 

And most of all of the things I liked is, obviously, the Playstation Vita.  As many others around the internet are saying, Playstation Vita is probably the single most exciting thing I got from E3 this year, because I got everything I wanted:  A reasonable price, fantastic graphics and power, interesting looking games (some of which are launch titles s'far as I can tell, also LittleBigPlanet Vita eeeeeeeeeeeeeee), and genuine early support for it.  (I mean, Ken F'ing Levine pulled one out of his pocket to proudly proclaim that a new chapter of Bioshock would unfold on it.)

Of course, the Vita wasn't the only thing to draw from the wells of excitement I have for this hobby of mine.  Konami started everything strong by announcing three different collections that are assured to make a lot of people happy.  And while I'm excited for MGS collection, I'm more excited for the Zone of the Enders Collection, if just for the fact that it's a sign that they're still acknowledging the series exists.  It's hard to say that I'm a super fan of the series, since it's been a long, long time since I touched either game, but to say that I don't have a special connection would be a fallacy.  As with quite a few games in the PS2 era, a demo disk turned me onto the series with Zone of the Enders 2's demo and a quick trip to the neat little brick-and-mortar game store nearby let me find a copy of the original.

But while I was checking out, the lady at the register, who knew me since I'd been in so often, asked if I'd be interested in having a little something extra.  Interested, I asked just what she meant, and she went into the back and came out with two promo boxes, one big, one small, for Zone of the Enders 2, proudly displaying the box art to a T, even going so far as to keep all the text on the back as well.  She said they got a few extra and didn't really have much to do with them so if I wanted them it was no charge.  Of course, free things being free rule, so I took them.  I still have them too; I'll try to get a picture of them sometime.

Despite my annoyances with Nntendo's conference leaving so many questions about the Wii U, I still have to say, the idea of having a HD Wii to play Wii games on is appealing, and the controller, while fairly unwieldy looking, is interesting to say the least.  Hopefully the coming months will give us something more concrete to base our concerns and/or our excitements on, but for now, I'm cautiously optimistic.  There's little doubt that I'll end up with one, at the very least, but how happy I'll be to have one has yet to be determined.

Things I Didn't Like:

-Kobe Bryant trying to play video games. 
-No Valkyria Chronicles 3 Localization announcement. 
-No Yakuza announcements.  (Seriously Sega, what the hell.) 
-All the questions about Nintendo's next console. 
-No real surprises beyond the Ken Levine thing and ZoE HD.  (I -guess- Luigi's Mansion 2, but I haven't played the first, so I'm merely interested)  I guess Cole being in Street Fighter X Tekken counts here as well but...eh.  You all know I love me some gatdamn inFamous, but I can't really be bothered to care about a fighting game just for his inclusion.  Everything in Microsoft's conference was leaked, save for the Minecraft announcement, I believe.  Speaking of which.

-Minecraft exclusively for 360/Kinect.  (While this stings, I'm waiting to see just how advanced a version they get.  Suffice to say with the disparity between Minecraft and Minecraft "Pocket", I'm none too sure on what the non-PC version will have.)  And this isn't a fanboy thing, it's just me being frustrated that a game I want to play is growing to be on every platform I can't play without shelling out cash I don't have for.
-I read somewhere the night before E3 started that a Devil May Cry Collection for the anniversary was in the works.  No announcement though.
-Was Final Fantasy Versus XIII spoken of/shown off?  I don't think so.
-Speaking of missing games, where's Grand Theft Auto 5?
-And another God of War, for that matter.
-Seriously, Sega, goddamnit, localize your games and I will buy all of them.

Things I Didn't Care About:

Pretty much the entirety of Microsoft's conference aside from what I mentioned above.  I never liked Halo, I've never tried Kinect yet, and even then, I'm not really too up on the Kinect stuff shown.  Except the Mass Effect 3 stuff.  While I'm skeptical on how well that will work, it -looks- neat, which is sort of what Kinect has had going for it day one.  Sure, it might not work exactly like it should, but it can make some things look really neat.  Two things that weren't even announced in the conference, as far as I remember, were more interesting than what was in it, even:  Cloud Saving/Storage for 360 and the Gears of War 3 Limited Edition bundle.  To the former, why would you not say this?  Were they too afraid of bringing up 'the cloud'?  Like someone in the front row was going to roll his eyes and go "Psh.  'cloud'."?  To the latter, while 85% of people will look at it and say "tacky", I am part of the 15% that say "I would buy that.".  I don't give one bit of shit for Gears of War as a series, but, provided I had cash to burn, I'd pick that 360 up in a heartbeat.

So, a lot of ups, some downs, but overall, this was a good year for E3.  For me, personally, Sony won it with announcing everything for the Vita, where Nintendo could have taken the conference if they'd announced the Wii U's price and it was reasonable.  In fact, they likely should have, because Sony showed they're stepping right up to the plate with the Vita.  Although, realistically, it's entirely possible that Nintendo -doesn't- have a price for the Wii U just yet.  Let's just hope when it is priced, they don't publicly announce a price that is actually kind of unreasonable and then say, "It's mostly because the people at E3 liked it." again.

Konami's attempt at best E3 Line-up is respectable

Do you see this image?  This image right here, above this line?  Yeah.  You see it.  And you better get used to seeing it, because it is officially a thing that is happening.  Contrary to what the tagline says, the Metal Gear Solid Collection (Featuring, as it shows on the image, MGS2, 3 and Peace Walker) will be a multi-platform release on both the PS3 and 360, so not only will 360 owners (who presumably never owned a PS2) be able to play MGS3 without buying a 3DS, but they'll be able to take a swing at Peace Walker as well.  Of course, PS3 owners have the edge, seeing as Konami stated that the version of Peace Walker is 'Transfarrable'.  No, I'm not making that word up.  Anyways, PS3 owners who also own Peace Walker will be able to treat the game as one of the upcoming "PSP Remasters" in that you'll be able to move your save from one game to the other.  If that means PW will be locked out of Trophies/Achievements, I don't know, but we'll see.

Also announced by Konami today was a Silent Hill Collection, which bundles Silent Hill 2 and 3 together.  That's about all that's known about it.  Do you need to know much else, though?  It's Silent Hill 2.  And it's Silent Hill 3.  They are together.  On one disk.  The consoles it'll release on are technically unspecified at the moment, but PS3/360 is expected.

And finally, the third Collection announced was....wait for it...

HELL.

YES.

The Zone of the Enders HD Collection will, obviously, feature Zone of the Enders 1 and 2 (Sorry, no Fist of Mars for the GBA.  Let's all shed a solitary tear.) up-ported in the usual Collection style, etc. etc.  It will be amazing.  Because the games?  They are amazing.  And they will be even more amazing when they're in the Haitch Dees.  The collection also touts another "Transfarring" feature, but just for what, it's hard to say, as it's tied to a "Future announcement".  Say...the Sony E3 conference is in the future...

(I am really, really, really hoping this means a Zone of the Enders game in PSV.  I will buy seven. 

....not really.  I will buy one though.)