JOE’s Gaming Round-up features the first possible news of an Xbox successor, the release of Dragon Age II and Bungie’s clarification of their next project.
Welcome to another week of JOE’s videogame round-up. As always, we’re looking to provide you with up-to-the-minute news, download reviews, weekly charts and forthcoming release dates on a weekly basis.
So if there’s anything you think we’re leaving out, or would like us to shine a spotlight on, feel free to leave a comment below.
News
Microsoft job listing point towards next-gen Xbox
It won’t look like this, obviously
With the Nintendo 3DS and Sony NGP heralding a new handheld console battle and rumours of a Wii HD as persistent as ever, we’re actually surprised it took this long to get the first rumours of a new Microsoft console.
Microsoft is pushing ahead with a recruitment drive for what appears to be a successor to the Xbox 360, with three high-profile job listings on LinkedIn.
The first role is that of a Graphics Hardware Architect, “responsible for defining and delivering next-generation console architectures from conception through implementation”, while Microsoft are also seeking a Senior Architect and Performance Engineer for the Xbox Console Architecture Group and Senior Hardware Design Verification Engineer, responsible for elements of development in both Xbox 360 and its next-gen successor.
Bungie admits online MMO statement was a ‘joke’
Bungie’s Halo adventures appear at an end
Ever since Halo Reach, the games industry has been feverishly sniffing for any prospective news on Bungie’s next franchise, with rumours of an MMO reaching fever pitch at last week’s Game Developer’s Conference. One slide during Bungie engineer David Aldridge’s GDC presentation apparently revealed that the company were hard at work on a “massively multiplayer action game”.
Sadly, Bungie’s official blog has stated that the slide was a ‘joke’ that got out of hand. “Now, in rehearsal Aldridge was convinced that everybody got the joke. It was all in the delivery, he assured us, and he was certain it was clear that he was playfully riffing off of the recent rumors,” it says.
“Unfortunately, most people can’t figure David out – they can’t process him”. What a japester, eh? Although, don’t expect those MMO rumours to dissipate nonetheless.
Purchase/Download of the Week
Bit.Trip Flux (800 WiiWare Pts)
Trust us, it’s more fun than it looks
As the premier WiiWare franchise, Bit.Trip‘s final outing has a lot to prove, yet reviews have been more than kind to Gaijin’s pixel shooter, with some proclaiming Flux as the top title in the six-game series.
If you’re already a giant Bit.Trip fan then you won’t need much encouragement, though newcomers may want to begin a little further back in the series’ anthology. Where does the WiiWare shop go from here?
Friday Releases 11/03/11
What a bloody mess
Dragon Age II is hoping to do what developer Bioware Mass Effect 2 did to its predecessor – win over newcomers with a more action-packed gameplay focus and gobble up as many Game of the Year awards come December 2011.
With potentially hundreds of hours to lose yourself, not to mention the coolest video game beard of all time (DA II hero Hawk, above), we’ll know a lot more when our reviews hit next week, though after Dead Space 2 and Bulletstorm, publishers EA are setting one hell of a benchmark for 2011.
Out this Friday:
Xbox 360
Dragon Age II
PopCap Hits! Volume 2
Torchlight (XBLA)
Yoostar 2
Playstation 3
Brunswick Pro Bowling
Dragon Age II
Yoostar 2
Wii
None
Nintendo DS
Challenge Me: Word Puzzles
PSP
None
PC
Dragon Age II
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