BitSnark

I know…

*Sob*.

This info comes straight from the horse’s mouth as can be seen below:

Still, at least it’s looking nice ‘n’ sharp.

Roll on early 2010!

Yes, yes and yes!

No that isn’t a soundbite from a crude 80’s era adult movie but instead a fraction of the elation that Yakuza fans are feeling at the moment.

With hopes initially seemingly dashed by the Yakuza 2’s poor sales numbers, it seemed like that we would never get to see a localisation of the critically acclaimed gangster RPG threequel in the West.

Recently, speculation and rumour began running rampant that localisation on the title had been completed and fans suspected it was only a matter of time until the title headed West.

Well, here we are. Sega have confirmed that Yakuza 3 will be released in Western territories sometime in Spring 2010 exclusively on PS3. Instead of a cheesy/crappy localised dub, we’re also getting full Japanese voice acting with subtitles.

As nature intended.

A doff of the cap to you Sega, you done good.

See, games companies DO listen to fans. Now Sega, about that other free-roaming RPG title that you guys did for the Dreamcast that needs a sequel…

After months of speculation, trademark filings and rumour, EA today has finally confirmed the existence of a sequel to 2008’s original IP hit Dead Space.

Dead Space 2 will arrive on the big three HD platforms at a date to be announced. No gameplay features have been revealed outside of the revelation that hero Isaac will have more tools to ‘slice and dismember’ the Necromorph menace that he is taking the fight to.

Taking the fight to the Necromorphs huh? I wonder if that means we’ll get to the see their homeworld?

Either way, the announcement of Dead Space 2 will invariably raise more questions than we had before its existence was confirmed.

Now where is that Mirrors Edge sequel EA?

The official press release is below:

EA ANNOUNCES DEAD SPACE 2
=========================

Sequel to Award-Winning Horror Game Delivers Intense, Personal Saga that Sends Chills through Deep Space

Guildford, UK – December 7, 2009 – Visceral Games, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio announced today that the award-winning Dead Space™ franchise will continue to frighten gamers with its stunning sequel, Dead Space 2. Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. New tools to gruesomely slice and dismember the Necromorphs complement Isaac’s signature plasma cutter, empowering him as he meets new characters, explores epic zero-G environments, and fights against a relentless Necromorph onslaught. Survival isn’t the only thing on Isaac’s mind in Dead Space 2 – this time, he calls the shots.

“Like so many gamers worldwide, we love the Dead Space franchise and are very excited to announce a new game in the series,” said Nick Earl, Senior VP and Group General Manager at EA. “Visceral Games is quickly becoming known for delivering high-quality, action-packed games. Dead Space 2 is on target to deliver a jaw-dropping experience gamers won’t soon forget.”

“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey,” added Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of Necromorphs that need killing. In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”

Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space quickly became one of EA’s top rated wholly-owned intellectual properties. With close to 100 industry awards and an average critic score of 89*, Dead Space became a hit with horror and videogame fans worldwide. In 2009, EA launched Dead Space Extraction for the Wii™, a prequel to the original Dead Space that expanded the fiction and brought the franchise to a new audience.

Dead Space 2 is being developed for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and on PC. This product has not yet rated by PEGI. Follow us on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/isaacclarke. Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deadspace. For additional information and news, visit http://www.deadspacegame.com

The next installment in Ubisoft’s Prince Of Persia franchise has now been officially announced to hit 360, PS3 and Wii platforms in May next year.

Billed as a continuation of the ‘Sands’ trilogy that started with the excellent PoP: The Sands Of Time way back when in 2002, the title is billed to feature elements pulled from the original trilogy as well as some ‘new and exciting features’.

No other details are available at this point, but the timing of this release to coincide with the release of the Jake Gyllenhaal starring movie adaptation is quite interesting, (and hopefully not indicative of any tie-in shenanigans).

The first episode of Team 17’s Alien Breed remake for the next generation, simply known as ‘Alien Breed’, will receive a release on the 360 on the 16th of this month at the bargain price point of 800 MSP.

PS3 and PC owners will recieve their own version of the title sometime in early 2010.

Set aside points for this one folks.

To coincide with the GT Academy competition that starts on the 17th of this month, Sony and developers Polyphony Digital have confirmed that a demo of the forthcoming fifth instalment in the Gran Turismo series, (PSP version non-withstanding) will arrive at roughly the same time.

Konami have today confirmed that the highly anticipated next installment in the legendary stealth franchise, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, will hit the PSP in the UK on May 28th; only some two months after its Japanese release.

Whoa, first Final Fantasy and now this. Seems like localisation times really are getting trimmed down, let’s just hope the quality is still there.

Locailisation concerns aside however, MGS: Peace Walker should be one of the definitive titles for the PSP in 2010 boasting some of the finest visuals seen on the system, four player co-op all wrapped up in traditional MGS gameplay.

EA has announced that a version of Mirror’s Edge will arrive on the Apple iPhone sometime in January 2010.

Rather than being a side story or sequel/prequel, the title is in fact aiming to replicate the fourteen levels seen in the original release. Aesthetically speaking, the title appears to be a 3D side scrolling platformer that ably captures the stark, primary-colour palette that was so striking first time round.

Hopefully, this will pave the way for a sequel or some sort of continuation for one of 2008’s most underrated original IP’s.

EA today have confirmed that the next Medal Of Honor title due for 360, PS3 and PC in 2010 will in fact be set in modern times and specifically, in-torn-from-the-headlines Afghanistan.

From the details that have been released, the title aims to put gamers in the dusty boots of a ‘Tier 1 operative’. These folks are essentially the cream of the crop American Special Operations division and are, well, pretty damn tough as you might expect.

No details regarding the gameplay have been released outside of the fact that the folks behind the lauded Battlefield franchise EA DICE, will be handling multiplayer development duties. A good choice especially given the fact that few dev outfits know multiplayer as well as the titular Swedish studio do.

One other interesting tidbit is one that concerns the release of the game in 2010. Every other year Infinity Ward develop an installment of Call Of Duty for Activision, however 2010 will be an ‘off-year’ for them and by the time Medal Of Honor arrives, Modern Warfare 2 will no longer be so fresh in people’s minds, thereby granting EA a good window to reassert the Medal Of Honor franchise.

The title is expected to get a full unveiling at the Spike Video Game Awards next Saturday, where the world exclusive trailer is due to be shown.

In what seems like a fitting commemoration, Sony is today celebrating fifteen years of the Playstation brand.

What originally started on December 3rd, 1994 in Japan as a spurned Super Nintendo CD drive turned multimedia powerhouse, the Sony Playstation brand has literally leapt from strength to strength, with the original console still holding the record for the most amount of units sold over its life cycle.

While the PS2 also went onto dominate the following generation in 2000, the PSP and PS3 have yet to do so, with both struggling against their erstwhile rivals Nintendo and Microsoft but still showing a great future for both, with the PS3 especially taking it up a notch this past year.

Most of all though, Sony has been responsible for bringing some of the most legendary games and franchises to fruition. Titles such as Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, Shadow Of The Colossus, ICO, Gran Turismo and many, many more were all synonymous with the Playstation brand and it is to this that we should raise or wine/beer glasses and toast Sony for what they have done and what they continue to bring to this industry.

Also, I don’t know about you folks, but hearing the wind chimes PSOne startup sequence still to this day gives me goosebumps.

=o)