With Call of Duty: Ghosts, the word "new" is apparently not in Infinity Ward's vocabulary. That's the impression I gather from Zach Volker, the animation lead, who stated recently that Call of Duty: Ghosts will not be using a new game engine, but will instead be running on an updated version of the IW Engine, the game engine used for Call of Duty games since 2005.
If Microsoft has it their way, Xbox One may be their ticket out of the graphics race. A recent statement by a developer indicated that the Xbox One would not be released with the intention of competing with other consoles' graphics.
If Payday 2 symbolizes anything, it's the gaming industry's willingness to cash in on every little victory. Starbreeze Studios, the proud owners of Payday: The Heist developer Overkill Software since June 2012, have announced their intent to launch Payday 2 in August for PC and consoles. The game's publisher, 505 Games, added that it would not be "limited to digital distribution networks"; retail versions of Payday 2 are planned for PS3 and Xbox 360.
As Ouya's release date approaches, the sense of dread at the system's potential unpreparedness for market continues to build. Further evidence of the console's technical issues emerged late last week when Eric Froemling, an Ouya developer working on the game BombSquad, posted about an issue he had been having with the Ouya controller's analog sticks.
Ouya continues to be an enigma in the industry, with its promise of open-source software for budding developers, cheap retail pricing and a vast wealth of public support being its most relevant selling points. All signs pointed to a smooth release, with an abundance of financial and critical success. Why, then, would the company delay the launch by three weeks, pushing back the console's release to June 25th?
It seemed as though Electronic Arts, one of the industry's super-giant companies, could not possibly lose any more public favour. Yet again, however, the rumour mill turns as EA announced during its most recent conference call that approximately 900 employees had been fired as part of an "organizational restructuring."
Telltale Games seems to have a knack for choosing just the right property at just the right time to develop into an ongoing series, and The Wolf Among Us seems determined to prove that theory. Hot on the heels of The Walking Dead: The Video Game's success comes this prequel tale to the critically acclaimed Fables comic book line from Vertigo, yet despite the sales pitch being reminiscent of Telltale's previous works there's signs that changes are a-coming.
