Gaming News: 01/03/10 - 07/03/10

Monday:

Owners of the "fat" PlayStation 3 (i.e. not the newer PS3 Slim) had to take a day off from gaming due to a crippling bug in the console. In true Millennium Bug style, the PS3's calendar apparently couldn't handle the beginning of March, causing users to be unable to connect to the PlayStation Network. Sony apologised to its customers but advised them not to turn on their systems as this could cause some trophies which had be earned to be lost as well as other data that might be impossible to restore. The problem was fixed with an update on Tuesday morning. If you lost any trophies, check out this fix.

Final Fantasy fans will soon find themselves spoilt for choice. As if the Final Fantasy XIII release on 9th March wasn't enough, Square Enix is inviting selected players of Final Fantasy XI to take part in early testing of their next MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, starting on 11th March.

News on upcoming games conferences also appeared today. First, the organisers of the Game Developer Conference revealed that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo would not deliver keynotes at this year's event in San Fransisco. They want to return the focus to the developers, giving them the recognition they deserve and allowing them to share ideas to make better games, rather than simply offering a platform for big game announcements. Second, the dates for the Tokyo Game Show 2010 have been announced. The event will begin on Thursday 16th September and end on Sunday 19th. This event also marks 20 years since the first TGS.

Tuesday:

Jason West (president) and Vince Zampella (studio head) were sacked from developer Infinity Ward today by publishing giant Activision, which owns the studio. The pair were forcibly removed from the company's offices by "bouncer-type" security. These events are apparently the result of "an internal human resources inquiry into breaches of contract and insubordination" by the former IW employees. It is rumoured that this "insubordination" may be related to secret discussions between West and Zampella and rival publishers. Since IW still partially owns the rights to the Call of Duty title, and the studio's contractual obligation to Activision ends in October, it is possible that all of this is Activision's way of ensuring it doesn't lose the hugely successful series. Many sources also stated that Infinity Ward has not received any of Activision's $1billion earnings from Modern Warfare 2 in royalties, though it isn't clear whether there was anything in the contract saying that they should. This is all rather confusing but it shows that, behind the seemingly laid back form of entertainment, the games industry is as serious and dramatic as any other.

Wednesday:

It's all about Activision again today, as they reveal their plans to significantly expand the Call of Duty franchise. We already knew Treyarch's next installment is coming this Autumn, with rumours claiming it will be set during the Vietnam War. However, the press release also confirmed the development of at least one title in 2011. "The company is also for the first time announcing that a new game in the Call of Duty series is expected to be released in 2011 and that Sledgehammer Games, a newly formed, wholly owned studio, is in development on a Call of Duty game that will extend the franchise into the action-adventure genre." Whether the 2011 game is the same as the one being developed by Sledgehammer Games isn't certain, but it sounds more like they are two separate titles. If this is the case, the recent patter would suggest that we'll see Modern Warfare 2 developed by Infinity Ward for a 2011 release, but yesterday's events may jeopardise that! Activision also promised "high-margin digital online content", "new geographies" (including Asia), "new genres", and "new digital business models". The action-adventure from Sledgehammer is one new genre which might work well with the franchise, but could we see even more in the future? Perhaps a Call of Duty MMO? Only time will tell!

Thursday:

Fans of one of the biggest hits of 2009, Batman: Arkham Asylum, will be happy to know that a Game of the Year edition is being released on 26th March for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. It will include the full game and all six DLC challenge maps on the disc. What's really exciting, though, is the news that the console versions of the game will have the option to play in 3D! This isn't restricted to expensive state of the art TVs like Avatar was, either. The included 3D glasses will allow gamers with regular TVs to experience the Joker's twisted world in a whole new way, promising "a far more immersive gaming experience".

Also in the news (again!) today were Jason West and Vince Zampella, formerly of Infinity Ward. They're suing Activision for unfair dismissal and unpaid royalties. According to a statement released through their lawyers, "Activision terminated their employment weeks before they were to be paid substantial royalty payments as part of their existing contracts for Modern Warfare 2". The pair also want the rights to "Modern Warfare-branded games" which, unless they take it to another studio, could be very bad news for the millions of players of the successful series.

Friday:

Valva have announced the sequel to the unique action puzzler Portal. Portal 2 is coming to PC, Mac (a first for Valve) and Xbox 360 this Christmas. The first game was surprisingly well received for something so short and casual - possibly even more so than Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Team Fortress 2, with which it was packaged in The Orange Box.

Sony has revealed that MAG developer Zipper Interactive is making SOCOM 4 exclusively for the PS3. Read the full press release here.

I've reported recently about the upcoming shutdown of the Xbox Live servers for Xbox Original games, and how Bungie plans to thank fans of Halo 2. Well now Microsoft is also offering some rewards to the game's most "loyal" players. These gifts include 3 months free Xbox Live Gold subscription, 400 Microsoft points and - best of all - an invite to the Halo: Reach beta, previously reserved for Halo 3: ODST owners. It's not clear who Microsoft classes as "loyal", but the lucky few will find out soon via e-mail.

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