All three major players are going to play very aggressive hard ball starting in Summer 2013 right before E3. Both Sony and Microsoft are attempting to court in developers to next gen engines in attempt to starve Nintendo and mobile developers. However Nintendo is banking on the argument that the other two jumped too soon to upgrade, with only the top tier of the triple A studios such as Infinity Ward, Crystal Dynamics, ect only having next-gen level technology with most being stuck on very advanced Unreal Engine 3 level tech.
– Nintendo is hoping to play it’s cards right with new hardware add ons and a huge first party push next year where they will reveal games for both holiday 2013 and 2014, a total of 1/3rd of their internal development software. Nintendo has also been shopping around for third party developers where instead of buying them outright, either funds projects or their marketing/localization to make them exclusive or feature packed for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS. Expect more projects like Bayonetta 2 to be announced next year including a partnership that will cause huge shocks when it’s announced even worse than Bayonetta 2. My sources do not think it’s the wildly talked about Devil’s Third being a Wii U exclusive because most people have been buzzing about that and Nintendo is "keeping it extremely close to it’s chest".
– Nintendo’s core first party line up for E3 will be the next 3D Mario game that will be out by Holiday 2013, a next Zelda adventure for the Nintendo 3DS, a double dose of Kirby with the return of Tilt ‘n Tumble for Wii U and Kirby’s Pop Up Pannick for Nintendo 3DS, a new HD Yoshi’s Island game, Donkey Kong Land Returns for Nintendo 3DS, new Fatal Frame for Wii U, the new Retro Studios title which may or may not make Holiday 2013 and two new IPs.
– There was a pitch at Retro Studios for a new Metroid game that I have no idea if was scrapped or if it was made into a full game. I do know the pitch was an FPA like the Prime games and it took in between Other M and Fusion. It was suppose to deal with an entire planet that in a conflict between the good guys and the Space Pirates caused a fracture in time that allowed half of the dead planet to come back to life including the dead Chozoo colony. It was suppose to deal with the mystery of the Chozoo, Samus upbringing and that the Chozoo were more war like than imagined. It was also suppose to feature Wii Motion Plus control along with two player co-op with the new Chozoo partner on the gamepad, allowing more crazy exploration and puzzle solving. Being isolated, together was the theme. Multiplayer is also planned. Besides working on that internal next-gen engine for Wii U and a smaller team for Donkey Kong Land Returns, we know that some of the pitches included an entirely new IP based around the GamePad, a revival of Raven Blade and a reboot of Mach Rider.
– Mainline 3DS Pokemon game needs roughly two more years before it’s released. Uses a full 3D engine and will have a story dealing with a world wide crisis. A new Pokemon type will be introduced (has not been done since Gold and Silver) and while not as many new Pokemon as in past gens older Pokemon will get new abilities and forms. Will maximize the Nintendo 3DS use of 3D, StreetPass and online connectivity. The first NFC game for Wii U will be a next gen Battrio game coming out in all regions.
– Sony is near the middle end part of their Project Orbis, their next generation PS4. It will not be called Playstation 4, teams have started to call the final name as Omni. Omni will reflect their new hardware and content delivery philosophy. Omni will be "very capable" of doing modern day graphics compared to a Direct X 11 level of technology like Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 2. Compared to Wii U, it is better, but not the biggest leap in the world according to developer friends of mine. The key is the Omniviewer, a thin, lite and slick head mounted autosteroptic display that can track the users head and presents a 360 image view with semi transparent AMOLED screens. This can turn any TV into a 3D TV, as well as add extra augmented reality information outside of the TV screen. One application from an entertainment perspective seeing movies in 2k, 4k or IMAX resolutions as their original size where you have to move your head to look at the full picture being displayed. Can also synch with the Vita. The new controllers weather it’s the Duo-Moves or the Classic DuoShock will have pulse sensors in the grips for biofeedback gameplay. Plans are a Basic Unit with 160 gigs and just the system with controller at $350-$399 and one with the Omniviewer and a pack-in game for $450-$499. Aims are for a September 2013 launch.
– Omni is also part of their philosophy with the new OmniCloud, the new version of Gaktai. This service will not only cloud stream PS1, PS2 and select PS3 games to Playstation Certified devices but will also allow every digital and retail purchase to have access to a copy on the cloud. Basically, you buy one game, you can use it on any Plyastation device. Direct hardware Backwards Compatibility will be available by a $70 – $99 dongle that is plugged into the Omni that contains a PS3 on a chip with Cell to run games.
– Known first party games in development for Playstation Omni are: Next Gen Uncharted, Next Gen Siren, The Boydguard, Wipeout Omni, Bump In the Night, Killzone 4, Gran Turismo Prologue, Next Gen Media Molecule, Omni Fitness.
– Microsoft is the most vague out of all of them. It’s slated to be the most powerful out of all the next gen consoles about 4 to 6 times more powerful than Wii U and 2 to 3 times more powerful than Playstation Omni. The project has gone through many name iterations and will not be decided on until shortly before it’s E3 unveiling. Microsoft is also running into manufacturing issues and developers not having games done on time so instead of delaying the launch to Summer 2014, they are thinking of "soft launching" it Holiday November 2013 and then have a full blow out in the summer. All units will come with Kinect 2 built in which can track up to four people, all objects in the living room, clothing, face structure and fingers. It can also understand different voices and has it’s own PPU. In 2014, Microsoft will introduce the "LiveWall", a omni-projection unit that will allow game environments to be projected nearly 360 degrees around the user. Useing Kinect 2, they have two demos of one that is a battlefield RTS and one that is a kung fu game with guys attacking all around. The LiveWall can also project diffrent images on the wall, so people can play different games on different walls. Microsoft is prepared to champion this unit as a cheaper and more effective alternative to wearing a "goofy stupid VR headset" to combat Sony’s Omniviewer while Sony is going to point out the low resolution quality and the lack of privacy. The system is going to be very expensive in the $499 range so Microsoft is planning on using a remolded X-Box Live (Possibly renamed X-Box Life) to offer a Pro (Gold) subscription two or three year contract to sell the unit at $300 – $399. The final goal with the tech is to shrink the system on a chip down enough so it can be put into tablets, PCs and Smart TVs so that all devices are X-Box ready.
– Known first party XBox Next games: Halo Trilogy Remake, Chief Samurai by Rare, Project Gotham Racing, Kinectimals 2, Rise, Carnival Park, Fable 4
– Ni-Oh is being completely remade from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4 exclusive for PlayStation Omni. A special Dynasty Warriors 8 will be released on Wii U and Vita, while a special Dead or Alive 5 will be release on Wii U and Playstation Omni later in 2013. Team Ninja also plans on making a side-scrolling remake of the NES Ninja Gaiden game for Wii U eShop, PSN and XBLA.
– Capcom is going to bring a voice command/dynamic slash version of Monster Hunter to the new X-Box. Ninja Theory is also pitching Capcom an Onimusha sequel for Wii U/Omni/XBoxNext as a "Ookami with guts". Ono after looking at Platinum Game’s relationship is investigating a similar deal with Nintendo to publish Darkstalkers 4: Rebirth as a Wii U exclusive since Capcom is still reluctant to finance it. Sengoku Basara will get current and next gen re-releases at the launch of Next Gen systems. Capcom is also working with Splash Damage to make a new IP FPS for next gen consoles. A special edition of Resident Evil 6 called "Final Hope" will be release with bug & gameplay fixes, new sequel sinario DLC with one involving Claire, modes, asymetrical gamepad play, off TV gamepad play and an HD port of Resident Evil: Revelations. The next Resident Evil Operation game is in the works for PS3, 360, Wii U, Vita and Omni called Terrestrial Fear.
– Square Enix is preparing to bring biofeedback zombie hunting game Judecca to the Omni at launch. Agni Philosophy tech will be shown off as a unique IP game that will be out for Omni/XBoxNext in 2014. Crystal Dynamics plans to resurrect the Legacy of Kain franchise in 2014 built with the Unreal 4 engine. Sleeping Dogs will get an internally made sequel made with an updated engine on Wii U/360/PS3/Vita. Lord of Vermilion for Wii U is planned to use NFC cards. GunSlinger Stratos is planning to come to Wii U and Omni, with the possibility of an XBox Next release.
– Namco-Bandai is working with Sakurai to get a fully working demo at E3 for Smash Bros. Sakurai really took to heart the complaints about the single player game and the online game. He is solving this by making the single player very deep this time done by the Tales series people and is planning to have a Network Beta of the game for download the day of Nintendo’s E3 show. This way they can beta test online for about one year before they ship the game. Star Trek will come out with it’s movie version for Wii U/PS3/360 and have a special version with post movie game content for Omni at launch. Soul Master, a weapon based spin off of the Soul Calibur series for Kinect 2 is being made as well as a special edition of Soul Calibur 5 for Wii U and Omni. Pac-Man VS is planned to be brought over to Wii U eShop and Ouya. Dragon Ball ZENKAI Battle Royale is also looking to being ported over to Wii U and PS3. New IPs are being developers by smaller teams for Wii U, Omni and X-Box Next.
– EA is working with Playground Games with guidance from Chriterion to make an open world racing franchise in the vein of Diddy Kong Racing as their answer to Activision’s Skylanders series. Aimed at older kids and teenagers, NFC enabled cars and performance enhancers will be scannable and will intergrate Origin and social functions like Facebook, Twitter and the like. Will be release on all platforms current (Wii, 360, PS3), handheld (3DS, Vita, iOS NFC, Android NFC, Windows Phone
and Next Gen (Wii U, Omni, X-Box Next, Ouya). EA while limiting the budget will also bring Pulse and Battlefield 4 to the Wii U. Three new IPs for Wii U, Omni and X-Box Next are also being developed on.
– Activison has two teams working on Modern Warfare 4 with Infinity Ward making the Omni/Nextbox version a launch title using (or similar tech to) Unreal Engine 4 and Treyarch working on Wii U/360/PS3/Ouya editions. The Bungie IP will be at E3 2013 even though it won’t release that year and will be hugely ambitious, revealing that the game engine that is so scalable it works on mobile all the way to souped up PCs. It will feature an open world, third person adventure shooting MMO-like game where the players mainly drive and create their own stories, factions and missions with in the game world, a true sand box. This world will be cheap to free to enter and will have it’s building blocks microtrasactioned to gain profit.
to be fair im not 12 or 14, so maybe there's hype around the wii u that exceeds the cube (doubt it), but i remember the cube being that system to cop, hell i remember being in a long line with my moms and buying one right out its shipping crate at toys r us. its besides the point. wii u doesn't have much going for it from what i can see. again it remains to be seen how this plays out, but i think throwing around sales figures is clouding the fact that it really means nothing at the end of the day. wii sold millions and it still died before 360 and ps3.
