It’s obvious to speculate that this new title will be Dead Space 3, but there have been several small stories lately to suggest this. In April, South African retailer BT Games started taking preorders for Dead Space 3. While this may sound like misinformation or a desperate plea for preorders, BT Games has taken preorders for games prior to their announcement before (which were revealed shortly after). E3 is right around the corner…

Suppose this new Dead Space game is NOT the third installment, but instead a spin-off like Dead Space: Extraction. Between animated films, novels, and comics, Dead Space has been constantly trying to expand as a ‘franchise’, so a deviation from the main series would fit in nicely. But what could it be? A team based survival game? A sequel to Extraction? Dead Space: Party?

All questions about this new Dead Space game should be answered at E3 2012; in particular, “What is it?”

Source: Joystiq

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

Nintendo! It’s great to have you here with us in fabulous 2012, where the internet is generally recognized as really, really convenient. Yes, Nintendo is planning to release Wii U games and new 3DS games as both hard copies in the usual retail locations and as downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop.

Or at least, “the majority” of them. (Cue suspicion?)

Downloaded The Legend of Zelda: Four Twilight Skyward Swords for Wii U the instant it released? Want to show it off to (and rub it in the face of) little cousin Johnny who won’t get his copy until Christmas morning? Too bad, says Nintendo.

The downloadable games will use the same 16-digit codes as the 3DS games already available for download at the eShop. And like the 3DS downloadable content, they will unfortunately only be playable on one gaming system. So no sharing among friends and family, unless everybody’s willing to come to your house. Better start vacuuming out the couch.

Source: Joystiq

I won’t try to pretend this article is anything more than praise for one of my favorite games, but Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is the type of game people share. The game is easily one of the Gamecube’s most memorable titles, yet many never picked it up.

For a Nintendo exclusive, Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem is… well, dark. In game, you play as multiple characters throughout history such as a Roman centurion and a WWI field reporter, all who have fateful encounters with the undead. Their stories are immortalized in the skin-bound ‘Tome of Eternal Darkness’, which protagonist Alex Roivas finds hidden in her murdered grandfather’s mansion. It’s all pretty compelling stuff, especially for a video game nearly a decade old.

Combat sees you use a variety of weapons relevent to the time period of your character. Dark magic written in the Tome of Eternal Darkness can also be used to infuse your weapons with power. You’ll need it to take on the game’s otherworldly horrors and creatures, greatly inspired by the literary works of H.P. Lovecraft. These monstrous enemies do more than make you bleed – they will literally drive you insane.

Eternal Darkness’ claim to fame is its patented (yes, that’s right) Sanity Meter. When your character encounters a frightening enemy, their Sanity Meter will deplete, much like a life or magic meter (the game has those too). Rather than just tormenting your character, the game instead goes after you. A large number of ‘sanity effects’ occur to unnerve the player, including but not limited to bleeding walls, locked doors, and turning off the volume on your TV. Yikes! The Sanity Meter has such potential, you would think Nintendo would want to bring it to the next generation.

Wii U is going to need to bring out the guns the Wii never had. Sure we got Skyward Sword and Mario Galaxy, but those were expected. A new Eternal Darkness would turn heads. I try to think of the possibilities a Wii U sequel could bring with the combination of the console’s tablet controller and sanity effects. It would be pretty exciting if the screen on your Wii U controller went black or starting malfunctioning; all clever tricks played by the game.  The tablet could even be the Tome of Eternal Darkness; every touch on the screen revealing another bloody page. I might just have to put it down sometimes. If ‘core gamers’ are one of Wii U’s primary targets, what better way to win them over than with macabre horror in HD and a controller programmed to mess with you? Or is Nintendo too afraid to reenter the dark?

XSEED Games is bringing The Last Story to America. GameStop and Nintendo brought Xenoblade Chronicles to the states. With this love for Japanese RPGs for the Wii that looked dim, one game is left out. Pandora’s Tower, insofar unannounced for America, would complete the trilogy of games if it were to be released. Australia and Europe have received it… but America has not.

Operation Rainfall, the organization trying their damndest to get these three games in America, have a new tactic. They’re appealing to six publishers of Japanese-focused games; Aksys Games, ATLUS, NIS America, Rising Star, UTV Ignition, and XSEED Games JKS.

Since we are pitching the game directly to publishers, with the hope that they will approach Nintendo to publish Pandora’s Tower, we want to make sure the kits contain everything the publisher needs to evaluate the benefits of localizing the game. Some items the staff are deciding to include are: A physical copy of the PAL version of the game, hi-res printouts of concept art for the game, printed copies of the many glowing reviews for the game, and possibly even a full printout of our original Operation Rainfall petition.

So, this is where fans come in. Operation Rainfall asked for a donation of $5 or $10 (or any amount, really), with the former netting gamers wallpaper, and the latter the wallpaper and a collector’s box to bundle all three titles.

Asked? They’ve already reached their goal. Gamers can still donate for the rewards. Here’s to hoping they succeed.

Source: Tiny Cartridge

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

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

Operation Rainfall

Within the last year, an online petition called Operation Rainfall has been making gaming headlines on every major site – chances are you know what it’s about (you can skip ahead). Operation Rainfall is a fan-made petition to localize three Japanese RPGs for North America – Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower. Though available in Japan, Nintendo of America made no announcement of releasing these games in North America. Operation Rainfall began in response.

Simply going beyond forum wish listing, Operation Rainfall focused their operations on sending emails, Facebook, and Twitter comments to Nintendo of America along with other more unique efforts, such as pre-ordering the games on Amazon, even when they haven’t been announced for North America. As reported on Platform Nation almost a year ago, Nintendo responded, appreciating the interest from fans but set the record straight - there were no plans to release the games in North America.

Jump ahead less than a year later and Operation Rainfall has been a success – Xenoblade Chronicles is due to be released this week on April 6th. The Last Story isn’t far behind, with a June 19th release date. Pandora’s Tower has yet to be announced for North America, but its European localization this month is a good sign. Congrats Operation Rainfall.

People demanded the North American release of three Japanese games and two of them are almost here. Whether Nintendo of America planned to release the games all along is irrelevant. The internet banded together and it looks like they’ll be getting what they want. Maybe there is hope for Mother 3.

The movement has even inspired the cleverly dubbed Operation Moonfall, an online petition meant to persuade Nintendo to produce a The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3DS remake. While no Majora’s Mask 3D has been announced, even Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma has acknowledged Moonfall’s demands, giving hope for a 3D remake.

Retake Mass Effect 3

This is the one you’ve been hearing the most about, even on Platform Nation. Many fans were disappointed by the ending of Mass Effect 3 and banded together on the internet, forming the Retake Mass Effect 3 campaign. It’s been such big news that even non-gaming sites like International Business Times reported on how some believe the recent two-week drop in EA’s stocks is a result of Retake Mass Effect.

Similar to Operation Rainfall, the campaign sent emails, messages, and even cupcakes to get their voices heard. Continuing the inventiveness started by Operation Rainfall, Retake Mass Effect also spread their cause by donating to the Child’s Play charity. While Child’s Play is no longer accepting donations from Retake Mass Effect, the campaign can call it good - in response to fan outcries, Bioware co-founder Ray Muzyka has stated  that his company is hard at work on a number of game content initiatives that will help answer the questions, providing more clarity for those seeking further closure to their journey.” This comment suggests that we will receive DLC to clarify the game’s ending, although what that content entails is anyone’s guess.

With Retake Mass Effect 3, all eyes were on Bioware and their inevitable response. The campaign and subsequent media attention forced them to make a decision about the game’s ending. For better or worse, Retake Mass Effect and Bioware’s response will be looked upon for years when examining game developer/gamer relations.

The Power of Protest

Comparing Operation Rainfall and Retake Mass Effect is all about the internet; thousands of  dissatisfied consumers created a demand and made their voices heard. The internet gives these consumers easy access to each other so they may combine and focus their efforts on specific goals, whether they’re requesting the localization of Japanese games or attempting to reverse a game developer’s creative decision. So what does this say for the gaming industry today? Don’t be afraid to make your voice heard – game developers are listening. Or at least we are forcing them to.

A message has been sent to gamers – the internet works.

Source: International Business Times, BioWare

After entering administration last week a deal has been brokered which could save the struggling GAME brand.

A deal has been officially reached with investment firm OpCapita. OpCapita reportedly had to amended their original bid after it was declined. It is believedthat the deal is similar to a previous deal they made for electronics store Comet where they paid £2 to acquire the brand.

OpCapita have only purchased sections that are based within the UK leaving the overseas side of the business for another suitor.

It has also been announced that Martyn Gibbs former managing  director of GameStation( a competitor that the Game Group purchased in 2007) will take the helm of the group.

This news means that for the moment all of GAME’s remaining 333 stores and 2,800+ staff will will stay, however none of the closed stores will be reopened

Source: DigitalSpy

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