It’s been difficult to predict what to expect from Nintendo with so many rumors floating around. Nintendo wants to surprise us, but maybe we know more than we think we do.

Recent footage of the sequel to Rayman: Origins shows the Wii U functioning similar to the Portal of Power peripheral device from Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. The inclusion of this technology in the Wii U was mentioned before, but the new footage shows Rayman figures (and an Assassin’s Creed figure!) being used exactly like Skylanders - drop them in and watch them appear on-screen.

Digital download games have also been announced as a major feature for Wii U and 3DS as mentioned here on Platform Nation, cementing Nintendo’s position that it’s not afraid to adopt a modern online system like Xbox Live and PSN. Mario and Pikmin games have also been announced for E3 2012, which could possibly be sold as downloads as well as physical copies.

All questions (well, mostly) about Wii U will be answered on June 5th at 9:00 am PT. I’m ready.

Source: IGN

(we have) started making a variety of movements for the new title(s) in the series (and we will) be able to make an announcement pretty soon.

Nomura offered some fuel for speculation by ruling out a sequel to 2010′s PSP release Birth by Sleep and also confirmed that there are no plans to release a Final Mix version of Kingdom Hearts 3D,which has been common in previous games in the series. However this doesn’t necessarily mean Kingdom Hearts 3 is in developement, as it could as easily be another Nintendo Handheld game, a new title and the first on the PS Vita, an iOS title or perhaps even a launch title for the Wii U?

Since the Kingdom Hearts first launched 10 years ago there have been several new Disney franchises launched(Pirates of the Caribbean, High School Musical etc) as well as new major company acquisitions like Pixar in 2006 and Marvel last year.  This opens a whole new realm of possibilities,  just as Kingdom Hearts has levels based around Disney movies, this new game could have levels based around comics; a level for X-men, Spider-Man. Avengers, Fantastic Four etc each with their own villains. You could easily just re-skin the first two games with Marvel characters and it would sell.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is out in July 2012 in both UK and North America.

Source: DigitalSpy, CVG

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing was an enjoyable racing title from two years ago. Notable for combining SEGA mainstays like Sonic the Hedgehog and AiAi with some forgotten heroes like the crew of Shenmue and Jet Set Radio, it was SEGA’s answer to Mario Kart. Eventually, the Mario Kart franchise left the ground, with Mario Kart 7 adding flight and submersible vehicles to the roster. Looks like it’s a week for copying the successful Nintendo formula. Following on the heels of Sony’s Smash Bros. game, SEGA has announced Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.

Hitting Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PC, and Nintendo 3DS later this year, the sequel to the relatively-hit SEGA title adds sea and air racing to its roster.

Following on from the huge success of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, the characters now have their own unique transforming vehicles designed to take advantage of the varying terrain.  The line up on the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed grid sees SEGA favorites – including Sonic the Hedgehog, Dr Eggman and AiAi – return to battle against newcomers that include Gilius Thunderhead of Golden Axe and Vyse of Skies of Arcadia.  The brand new dynamic environments and tracks in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed are once again inspired by SEGA’s illustrious gaming history. When the road falls away beneath you on Super Monkey Ball’s Temple Trouble track your car transforms into a boat and speeds down the rivers and rapids, whilst the Panzer Dragoon inspired track, Dragon Canyon, takes you into the sky in complete control of your plane, barrel rolling to out-maneuvre rivals and obstacles before transforming back into a car and racing to the finish line.

Notably, the WiiU, Wii, PSP, and DS are left out in the cold this time. Chances are, SEGA will announce a WiiU version down the race track when more info about the WiiU comes out; it’s a sign that the Wii, PSP, and DS are definitely on their last legs.

Source: SEGA

Source: My Nintendo News

Fall 2012 is setting up to be a big release window for gaming – many major titles already have release dates. Fall is usually a big time for video games, especially last year which boasted Skyrim, Skyward Sword, and many more (which you already played… right?). This year’s line up is already shaping up nicely, even without knowledge of Wii U’s launch titles.

October

Resident Evil 6 is currently October 2012′s first huge release. The game which was seemingly announced out-of-nowhere has been making headlines around gaming news sites for its return to zombies and the inclusion of two series protagonists – Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy. Fans have been wanting to see these two team up for a while. Surprisingly for fans, it looks like the game will have them battle instead! Because the only thing better than being friends is a fight to the death.

Two weeks after Resident Evil 6 sends us through zombie hell, BioShock Infinite will take us to the floating city of Columbia. It sounds like a relief, but if you’ve played BioShock you know that everyone will try to kill you. Like its predecessors, BioShock Infinite has developed a rich world inspired by historical events and literary works. The game was announced almost two years ago, so hopefully has spent enough in development to be one of fall 2012′s stand out releases.

A steady stream of Assassin’s Creed games have been released since Assassin’s Creed II, but finally the third entry in the series proper is being released. Assassin’s Creed III has been making gaming headlines on Platform Nation for its showing at PAX East. The game’s unique setting and the series’ immense popularity should make sure it easily stands up to veterans like Resident Evil at retail.

While the previously mentioned titles all have set release dates, other titles will surely be announced for October despite a seemingly crowed schedule (you might be spending $200+ in October). Skylanders: Giants has been said to receive an October release date, without too much competition from Resident Evil, BioShock, and Assassin’s Creed – Skylanders is its own kind of monster with a very different demographic (well, mostly). If the new figures become pre-orderable, start your Christmas shopping in October – your kids will thank you.

November

October 2012 is going to be big for gaming, but November is ushering in a new generation. Halo 4 arrives early in November and sees the return of Master Chief to the series. Halo 4 may very well be the end of an era – the next Halo game seems poised to be developed for the ‘Xbox 720′. In the meantime, Halo 4 will have to compete with October’s other massive sequels on the current generation of consoles – a generation soon about to end.

Wii U has been rumored to have a November 18th release date. Its release begins the next generation of consoles, as well as opens up whole new possibilities for fall releases. Shigeru Miyamoto has already revealed that Pikmin 3 and a new Mario game will debut at E3 2012, both of which could be launch titles. Nintendo has admitted to their mistake of releasing the 3DS without any major first-party titles. With Wii U, Pikmin or Mario could prevent a disappointing launch.

Still Waiting on Release Dates

By April, we already have plenty of release dates for fall, but many titles are still planned to be released. Games like Pokemon Black and White 2 remind you of the good ol’ days when Japan got to play everything before you. While the game drops in June for Japan, the rest of the world will have to wait until fall. Pokemon Black and White 2 will be curiously released on DS, which admittedly won’t have much competition on that platform, but will still have to contend with the other massive releases this fall.

Although the series has seen less popularity in recent times, Tomb Raider will try to revitalize the series with a reboot this fall. The results look promising, delivering an origins games that thankfully appears more concerned with telling a story than having a sexualized protagonist. Perhaps the new Tomb Raider will see a rebirth of the series, heightening its popularity to that of Uncharted.

Plenty of other games will also see release this fall, but chances are you will be hearing about these ones. With so many major releases on the horizon, it’s hard not to be excited about being a gamer. Which titles are you most excited for? Basically, fall 2012′s release schedule boils down to one thing – you’re gonna be broke.

Release Dates

Resident Evil 6 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) October 2nd

BioShock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) October 16th

Assassin’s Creed III (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, WiiU in the future) October 30th

Halo 4 (Xbox 360) November 6th

Source: IGN

Information on Pokémon Black and White 2 is starting to show up online. With the game’s Japanese release forecasted for June, more information should be revealed soon.

The games are again set in the Unova region. However, portions of Unova have been covered in ice, presumably because of Kyurem – the Ice-type dragon featured on the cover art. I’m really hoping these frozen areas are still accessible, as an abandoned city covered in ice would be an awesome place to catch Pokémon. In addition to returning cities from Pokémon Black and White, the sequels will feature some new locations.

The games also feature a brand new story with fresh characters, albeit ones that exist in every Pokémon game (professor, rival, gym leaders). There are also new designs for the player characters, both male and female.

These designs unfortunately show no sign of making your own trainer, something fans have been wanting for years. I don’t need character creation as detailed as Skyrim or Mass Effect, but I should at least be able to pick some normal hair. Hopefully more details on the games will reveal some degree of character customization.

A mix of old and new Pokémon will populate the game, including classics like Psyduck and fairly new additions such as Riolu. No news on the starter Pokémon has come in, although a mix of generations would be pretty exciting. Who would you chose between Charmander, Totodile, and Treecko?

Other than the new forms of Kyurem, there doesn’t seem to be any brand new Pokémon in the game. However, there are several 5th generation legendary Pokémon that were unavailable in Black and White, such as Keldeo, Meloetta, and Genesect. Perhaps these three will make an appearance in Black and White 2.

With what little we know about Pokémon Black and White 2, are you excited? Or does this one seem too similar to the previous entries in the Pokémon series?

Source: Serebii

When you said “portable gaming” to someone a 5 years ago, they had a pretty clear picture of what you meant; a Lynx, PSP, Game Gear or GameBoy of some variety.  Maybe even an old Game & Watch or other LCD and LED games. A few years ago, this concept of portable gaming expanded to cover mobile devices, such as iPod Touch, or various phones.  Now we have a much more diluted picture when it comes to portable gaming, what with tablets, phones and actual gaming systems all vying for your eyes while riding on a train, plane, or automobile (hopefully not while driving).  The need for mobile games to be more pick-up-and-go lends itself well to casual games, which gives tablets and phones a leg-up, but even more engrossing games such as RPGs or 3D platformers are starting to become quite robust on non-traditional devices.  Throw in services like OnLive being able to be played on tablets, and you have full fledged games being played on things other than traditional hand held gaming systems.  As systems like the PlayStation Vita scramble to integrate social media aspects into their gaming, and link the at-home gaming experience to your on the go gaming, other mobile platforms, such as Windows Phone 7, are doing the same.  It seems like every device is trying to be your social media, gaming, internet browsing, phone call making buddy all in one.  I’m convinced that where you find the best games, you’ll find the gamers, so it brings us to this week’s question:

What mobile device are you giving most of your portable gaming time to?

(You may need to refresh the page to see the poll)

Important caveat: I’m not asking what mobile device you PREFER, but rather, what’s eating all of your portable gaming minutes right now?  If I was saying what I prefer, it’s be a traditional gaming handheld (a DS at the moment, but I’m eyeballing a Vita), but my Windows Phone is what’s getting my portable gaming minutes right now.  If I had a tablet, that would probably win out as well.  Unfortunately, I see the dedicated gaming handhelds as a dying breed, especially as I see phones being able to do the “play the game at home, save it, then pick up your phone and continue” thing.  This integration between home gaming system and portable gaming system will be key to the next generation of devices, and is something that OnLive can do right now.  I’m not saying dedicated portable gaming devices are dead, but they’re going to need to become defining gaming experiences to differentiate themselves from more dynamic and multi-faceted devices.

What do you think?  Use something other than what’s listed above as your primary portable gaming go-to?  What is most important to you, good games, or ease of use? Vote above, and let us know below!

View previous ASQ: Rock Band Blitz - View next ASQ: Fall 2012 Gaming Releases Showdown – Round 1

A Simple Question (ASQ) is a weekly segment for Platform Nation.  Give a response and let the world know what you think; there is no right or wrong answer here. If you have a suggestion for a question, hit me up on twitter @vttym.

All of the core 32 figures in Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure have been released with this week’s announcement of Camo, Wham Shell, and Warnado. With the final three figures being released now, we only have until this fall to get caught up with our collections before Skylanders: Giants unleashes a whole new wave of plastic monsters on us.

Over a month ago, I reported on three previous Skylanders figures being released. I still have never seen them. Maybe I’ll have better luck finding these three.

Camo is the final Life Skylander with the ability to grow exploding fruits and vegetables. Because he’s a dragon, you might actually feel like you’re playing a Spyro game.

Wham Shell completes the Water Skylanders collection and brings into battle a giant mace that builds up electricity.

And finally, Warnado (who I’ll definitely be searching for) is an Air Skylander who turns into a tornado. And he’s covered in spikes. Awesome.

Skylanders: Giants is still many months away, so Skylanders publisher Activision is finding ways to fill the gap while consumers frantically try to complete their Skylanders collections. They already have several Skylanders books for kids on the release schedule, ranging from a complete novel titled The Machine of Doom to a Skylanders sticker book.

Also this week, Activision released Skylanders: Cloud Patrol for iOS. You fly around as your favorite Skylanders shooting at Trolls to earn points. The character codes included with Skylanders figures can unlock them in Cloud Patrol. Now your Skylanders can be on your iPhone too. They’re everywhere! Well, except Android.

With the final figure releases, an iOS game, and a novelization, what else might Activision have planned for their all-conquering franchise? I grew up in the 90′s, so I fully expect some comic books and a cheesy animated series. Perhaps Activision will lay low for a few months as they prepare to make Skylanders: Giants bigger (no pun intended) and better than the original.

What would you like to see Activision do with Skylanders now that its 32 figures have all been released?

Source: Wired, Apple

Epic Mickey 2 will be hitting European store shelves on September 26th and I’m sure that the North American date will be around that time because I can’t imagine Europe getting the game too long after NA. September puts the release of the game right in the centre of some other big releases, especially for the main two consoles so I’m interested to see how the game does.

Another report this week shows that in addition to the announced Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, the game might also be hitting PC and Mac around the same time too. According to GameSpy, during a London preview event, a Junction Point representative mentioned that PC and Mac versions were planned. I guess we can wait and see if Disney announce these additional platforms sometime soon.

Epic Mickey 2 is due for release in Europe on September 26th on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Stay tuned to Platform Nation for more information on the game as it rolls out.

Source: GameSpy, Destructoid

As of 7:30AM (GMT) today Game Group will no longer be trading on the London stock exchange.

In a statement released on their website the Game Group say;

The Board now considers itself to be unable to assess the business’s financial position, and is of the opinion that there is no equity value left in the Group

Game have been suffering recently with big games like Mass Effect 3, Street Fighter X Tekken  and Fifa Street(which is the number one selling game in the UK) amongst  others being removed from sale.

There are several rumoured suitors for the business including GameStop and Wal-Mart. However it isn’t just a free for all as a bid from OpCapita(owners of UK tech chain Comet) has been reportedly rejected.

Update: It’s official Game had entered administration. A statement released on the website states:

“Further to this morning’s announcement of the suspension of trading in shares of GAME Group plc, the board has concluded that its discussions with all stakeholders and other parties have not made sufficient progress in the time available to offer a realistic prospect for a solvent solution for the business. The board has therefore today filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator.

It’s never good to see another store on the high street shut up shop, but I hope that this process allows for some restructuring and brings back what was once a great store.

Sources: BBC News, VG247, Game Group