The blog's been a little neglected over the past little while, so to make amends here's a few gaming news tidbits, and my take on them, from the past few weeks.
Nintendo 2DS
The house that Mario built is continuing to hammer nails into its own coffin, with it's latest questionable piece of hardware, the 2DS, announced just a few weeks ago. Capable of running both original DS games and 3DS games in 2D mode, the machine is supposed to be an entry level offering for gamers on a budget or young children for whom the 3DS's 3D effect is not recommended. The premise isn't without merit, its just a pity the machine is woefully overpriced at £109.99 and in a horrible, door wedge form factor that inexplicably does away with the DS's traditional clamshell design. The original, non-XL 3DS is available for around £20 more than the 2DS's asking price, and parents of very young children would arguably be wiser to seek out a bargain priced well used original DS.
PS Vita TV
Sony's PS Vita TV is an OUYA-style microconsole that plays supported Vita games, legacy PSP and PSOne titles and also allows access to the usual glut of digital streaming services. Furthermore the unit offers remote access to your PS4 via a shared local network, allowing you to indulge in a spot of Killzone Shadowfall on an upstairs TV while mum catches up with Corrie in the living room. The Vita TV is a truly interesting proposition, and Sony have priced the for the moment Japan-only pint-sized Playstation very aggressively, with the unit and a Dual Shock 3 setting Japanese gamers back around £67. The only potential spanner in the works here, is that judging by the preliminary list of compatible games, it would seem a lot of Vita heavy hitters such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Wipeout 2048 aren't going to be making a big screen appearance in a living room near you any time soon. It would be logical to assume that games absent from the list would be those that rely heavily on the Vita's touchscreen, something that would be difficult to emulate on a traditional TV and controller setup. The potential light at the end of the tunnel here is that the device must compatible with PS4 controllers if it can be used for streaming PS4 gameplay, and PS4 controllers feature a touchpad. It may be possible for Sony to utilise it to ape Vita touch screen actions, thereby removing any barriers to compatibility and bulking out the roster of compatible games. If the device will see release in the US or over here is for the moment unconfirmed.
Diablo III Console Reviews Overwhelmingly Positive
Diablo III's console iterations have been very well received, and the graphical compromises that once marred PC to console ports are notable by their absence. The PC original is to receive an expansion in the form of Reaper of Souls, but Blizzard are remaining evasive about the possibility of the console versions getting the content. I'll throw my hat in the ring right now; I think the upcoming PS4 version may sport the new content as standard, but think the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are unlikely to receive it.
Grand Theft Auto V
To me, Grand Theft Auto has always been style over substance, and I've never cared for the childish gangster nonsense of the setting. There's been a lot of speculation on the possibility of Grand Theft Auto V making the leap from this gen to next, with accidental tweets from Sony HQ saying the game would be 'amazing on PS4' and Amazon's German arm having a PS4 version briefly available for preorder, complete with a poor cut and paste job for box art. I think a Grand Theft Auto V: Game of The Year Edition, Chav Gangster Dickhead Edition, or similar, may make an appearance later next year, but anybody expecting a surprise near simultaneous release is going to be disappointed.
Xbox One and PS4 Launch Dates Nail Bitingly Close Together
They're within a week of each other in all territories, with the Xbox One edging it by a week over here yet the PS4 having a seven day lead in the US. In a telling show of how much the games industry has changed in the past ten years, Japan will be getting neither until 2014. Spare a thought for your local game store's employees, who'll now have two midnight launches to endure in the same seven day period. I wonder how many customers they'll see at both.
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