BitSnark

A whole bunch of reports are bubbling to the surface which are suggesting that Sony will at long last take the lid off of the successor to the PSP on Jan 27th.

Last year a fair sized clutch of developers were reported to have had PSP2 development kits, asserting claims that the device abandons physical media entirely, boasts touch controls located on the back of the unit and in terms of power, is easily comparable to the PS3.

So long as the reports pan out we should get our first look at Sony’s shiny new handheld at the end of the month along with media of the first titles that have been developed for the device.

With the advent of iOS popularity in the mobile gaming realm, the app-store business model and of course the ever looming shadow of Nintendo’s 3DS handheld, it won’t be enough for Sony to rely on high powered components to see them rule the handheld gaming arena.

They need to do more.

The seemingly forever in development Battlefield 3 will finally break cover on March 1st, when Electronic Arts and developer DICE unveil the title for the very first time at GDC 2011.

The publisher confirmed that the title will get a full media unveiling at the event which will likely mean a thoroughly pant wet worthy trailer, hands on impressions and hopefully an assortment of in-game videos and images.

Previously assumed to be a PC title only, EA/DICE announced last Summer that the highly anticipated would be coming to the 360 and PS3 home console platforms as well.

Additionally those of you who plonked down the cash for EA’s mediocre Medal Of Honor reboot back in October, actually have a silver lining in the form of a Battlefield 3 multiplayer beta invite for your chosen format. No details on the beta have been released as of yet, but like all things Battlefield 3, I would expect clarification on this at the media briefing.

Battlefield 3 is expected to ship sometime in 2011 on PC, 360 and PS3 platforms.

News has reached my earholes that Ninty is planning a press event in Holland next week for the 3DS. It’s purpose? Well, seeing as we are just two months away from the previously reported March launch window, this meeting should give us the skinny on a solid European 3DS launch date, price, launch titles and availability.

Watch this space for the deets.

Over the Christmas break, a new Soul Calibur title was unofficially announced. Team Soul director Daishi Odashima has said that composer Junichi Nakatsuru and sound effects developer Yoshihito Yano will both be working on Namco’s new Soul Calibur game.

What the game is we don’t know and ditto for the formats. One thing is for sure though, please, please, please cut back on the game-balance destroying celebrity characters.

Just face it Namco; they’re shit and they don’t add anything meaningful to the game outside of an initial knee-jerk fanboy swoon.

Oh and don’t even *think* of making a Soul Calibur: Legends 2.

That shit carries the death penalty around here you know.

With GDC rapidly approaching on our radars, Feb 28th – March 4th to be exact, the event has had some extra lustre applied to it by publisher Eidos, who have confirmed that the long-gestating and hopefully not-shit Thief 4 will get it’s first proper public unveiling.

In addition to this awesomeness, EA DICE will also be showing off the equally long in development Battlefield 3 for the first time as well as holding an addition discussion on “SPU-based Deferred Shading in Battlefield 3 for PlayStation 3″, which will be held by DICE’s Christina Coffin.

Shiny.

Boasting more shaders and graphical tomfoolery than you can possibly imagine, Crytek’s Crysis 2 looks every bit the graphical FPS blockbuster that we all think it will be.

Take a lookie at the shiny trailer that was released recently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWS201DoMPY&feature=player_embedded

As far as silly little things like gameplay and longevity go, well, thats what reviews are for right?