Video Game News Monthly Digest -2012 E3 Edition-

The latest video game news from E3 is here!



Namco Bandai has released a subtitled trailer for the One Piece fighting game.

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Nintendo has posted the specs on its newest console on its website. The hardware contains:

1. Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i
   
2. Compatibility with HDMI, Wii D-Terminal, Wii Component Video, Wii RGB, Wii S-Video Stereo AV and Wii AV
   
3. CPU: IBM Power-based multi-core processor
   
4. GPU: High Definition AMD Radeon
   
5. Internal flash memory, with SD memory card and USB storage support
   
6. Four USB 2.0 slots: two front, two back

The software will include:

1. Miiverse: An online network that allows players to talk, play and interact with one another
   
2. Wii U internet browser
   
3. Video chat online using the Game Pad’s built-in camera
   
4. Access the Nintendo eShop
   
5. Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube will be available

It will also have backward compatibility with Wii games.

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During a Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, showed off the Wii U controllers. First he revealed the finalized version of the Wii U tablet controller. Now called "Wii U Gamepad", it has proper analog sticks instead of the thumb buttons. The back of the controller and the button layout have been fixed to maximize comfort. The NFC reader, which is located on the lower left of the screen, can read data from cards and figures and place it in the game. On the lower right, the "TV" button will change the Gamepad controller into a remote control. It can also be a browser, which allows you to control it that outputs to your TV. Other previous features that were announced are still there.

During its press conference, Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii U can support two Gamepad controllers to assuage concern that it couldn't. However, using two controllers will cause the framerate to drop by half.



Nintendo also introduced the classic controller, Wii U Pro Controller, which is meant for multiplatform games or longer, intense ones.

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The Wii U will also have its own social network called Miiverse, which will be on as soon as you turn on your Wii U. You will see your Mii, your friends' Miis, and other players' Miis if they are playing the same game like you. The social network will be available while you're playing a game as well. You can communicate players via typing or handwriting. Game developers can also integrate the Miiverse into their games.

The Miiverse can be accessed on the Gamepad controller and in the future, the 3DS and future Nintendo devices. Nintendo hopes that its social network will also be available on the PC and mobile devices eventually.

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During its press conference, Nintendo displayed upcoming Wii U and 3DS games:



First, Nintendo announced that Pikmin 3 will be coming to the next-gen console. Players can control the pikmin through the Wii controller and nunchuks or the Wii U gamepad. While the five original pikmins are available, a new one, stone pikmin, can be used to break enemies' hard shells or strong barriers. After completing a stage, players can use the replay option to review their results via the Gamepad or Wii U and determine whether or not to use a different route. In Mission Mode, players will attempt to collect the most treasure in a given time. The game will be out around the Wii U's launch time.



Next, Nintendo revealed New Super Mario Bros. U in which you can play as Mario, Luigi, Toad, or your Mii character. One new special power is Flying Squirrel Mario, in which he can sweep across the stage and cling to wall. Another is to float through the air using the Tiny Balloon Yoshi. The Gamepad will also be useful in the game; for example, it can be used as an extra platform for the players to use to jump on in Boost Mode, which allows cooperative speed runs. The controller can also manipulate enemies during real time.



Another new game announced was Nintendoland, which is similar to an amusement park video game. So far, five game attractions based on Nintendo games have been revealed: Donkey Kong’s Crash Course (you maneuver a fragile cart around an obstacle course), Luigi’s Ghost Mansion (a player acts like a ghost and tries to capture the other players who plays as human with flashlights. The ghost player will win if he captures all four players while the human players win if they manage to deplete the ghost's HP by shining the flashlight on him), Animal Crossing: Sweet Day (players must protect a candy-growing tree from animals), The Legend of Zelda: Battle Quest (the player using the Gamepad is the archer while the others using the Wii Remote Plus controllers are swordsmen who battle enemies), and Takamaru’s Ninja Castle (the player will use the Gamepad to launch ninja stars to attack approaching ninjas). Seven more attractions will be revealed at a later date.



Lastly, two more Nintendo games are coming to the 3DS. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon w aka Luigi's Mansion 2 will have players explore several mansions and solve a variety of puzzles. Before Luigi can use his Poltergust 5000 to suck up the ghosts, he needs to use the new strobe function to stun them. In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Bowser interrupted the Sticker Fest and scattered the six Royal Stickers, which are "magical, mysterious stickers", across the land. Mario, with the aid of the sticker fariy Kersti, will have to find these stickers, which are stuck on Bowser and his goons. Stickers are used as items and attacks; you can get them by finding them in the environment, buying them from the in-game stores, or making your own. Both games will be available this holiday.

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Sony has uploaded E3 trailers featuring upcoming Playstation games in Japan:

Playstation:


PS3:


Vita:


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During its E3 press conference, Sony introduced Wonderbook, which is an interactive book/peripheral. It will use the Playstation Eye camera, which turns the pages into an interactive animations on the TV screen. The first book to use this peripheral will be Book of Spells, which will be written by JK Rowling.

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Sony also announced that PSOne games will be coming to Vita this summer. Some of the announced games are Tomb Raider, Arc the Lad, JetMoto, and Final Fantasy VII.

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Sony has revealed more PS3 games that will be compatible with Vita's Remote Play feature. These games are: Ico, God of War HD, God of War II HD, and Shadow of the Colossus. No date has been announced however.

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In an interview, SCEA senior vice president Scott Rohde confirmed that games are being developed for the next-gen console. However, he declined to say when the new console will be out and stated that Sony felt that revealing the PS4 wasn't important for this year's show.

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Microsoft has announced that two new features will be available for the Xbox 360 and other Microsoft devices. First will be Xbox Music, which is the new music service. It will have a world class library of over 30 million tracks. Second, the company plans to integrate media content between the game console and other Microsoft products (e.g. phone and tablet) through Smartglass. This feature will also use Internet Explorer. Smartglass will be available this fall.

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Atlus has confirmed that the fighting game will give player a choice of either Japanese or English language for the game. The game will also have paid and free DLCs.

Persona 4: Arena will be out in N. America on Aug. 7th

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Konami has posted a story description of the 3DS game:

"Trevor Belmont, a knight of the Brotherhood of Light sets out to avenge the death of his mother, at the hands of his own father, who has now returned from years of exile to take up residence in a mysterious castle. What was once Gabriel Belmont now stands a powerful vampire called Dracula. Dracula has declared war upon the Brotherhood and thus the scene is set for a cataclysmic showdown between Father and Son!"

It is also revealed that Alucard will be in the game as a playable character as well. More detail about him will be available at Gamescon this August.

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SE showed a tech demo, the Final Fantasy-inspired Agni’s Philosophy to display their new next-gen engine, Luminous Studio. The engine will depict “real time computer graphics,” at the same level as “pre-rendered computer graphics,” and the characters will have "life-like human qualities".

In the demo, Agni (the demo's protagonist) lives in a near-futuristic world where magic and science co-exist. One day, he has a life-changing encounter.

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