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Gamescom is the latest videogame conference to give the developers the stage and make massive announcements. Sony set a PS4 release date, Battlefield 4 looks even more incredible in new footage, Dragon Age Inquisition info spilled, and much more. Some of these we saw coming; others took us completely by surprise. Were you impressed with the Xbox One launch line-up, or the fact that FIFA 14 will come bundled with the Xbox in Europe? Let us know what you thought of the conference in the comments section below.
Greg Henninger is stoked that The Division is coming to PC
One of the most impressive things shown at E3 (aside from the overwhelming hype inducing Star Wars Battlefront trailer) was The Division. Originally just confirmed for the Xbox One and the PS4, it may have been the game that drew me most to next-gen. Now my wallet can let out a sigh of relief knowing that The Division is coming to PC and thusly pushing back the date that I need to fork over cash for a new console to the gods of next-gen.
Sophia Tong is shocked that Sony is allowing upgrades for a severely reduced price
Sony's definitely been on a rampage lately, winning over the adoration of fans by being open about their used-games policy and their stance on indie games. I guess it shouldn't be a huge surprise that Sony is now allowing players to upgrade their current gen games to a PS4 version for a fraction of the price. But considering that didn't happen for the PSP when the Vita came out, I was expecting Sony to do the same. Or make it region specific.
It's a good move on their part, to give people options in the event they don't buy the PS4 right away and buy the games they want to play on their current gen consoles. Usually, when people upgrade, they tend to get rid of their last system (unlike me, I hoard), so they'd have to drop a lot of money to buy a game they had previously owned. Either way, nice work Sony.
Hollander Cooper is pretty surprised that Minecraft is coming to PS4
This might seem like a random thing to be calling out, but after all the cage-rattling Microsoft did about EXCLUSIVE MINECRAFT BLAH BLAH I can't believe they let Sony snipe them on that. Like, seriously, it was their one legit big indie game, and now Sony is all "LOL NOPE" on them. Seems crazy that people aren't freaking out about this more.
Lorenzo Veloria is hyped he got to see more of Dragon Age: Inquisition
Despite the mediocre performance of Dragon Age 2, the more I see of the upcoming third entry from Bioware, the more excited I am to play it. The developers seem to have really taken the criticisms to heart and are making some significant changes to the combat, world exploration, and player choice systems. More than anything, I'm eager to load up my old saves and see how all my choices will affect the new world. Like, what's going on with my demon baby nowadays?
Justin Towell wants to play Borderlands 2 (again)
There really should have been more Vita game announcements in Sonys press conference, but who cares? Borderlands 2, baby! Of course Im excited for the PS4 functionality and the indie line-up looks strong, but the thing that really surprised me was seeing that massive borderlands 2 logo appear. Ive already pumped over 100 hours into the Xbox 360 version, but I would play through it again with a different character if the Vita version is up to scratch. Vita needs some great games and this is a great game. A port, yes, but still--this should be immense.
Ryan Taljonick is pumped that the Vita got a price cut
Here's the thing: I already own a PlayStation Vita. It's probably my favorite handheld gaming device of all time. And though it kind of sucks I'm out $50, I'm happy that Vitas are cheaper now if only because that might entice more people to buy one. Watching an Ubisoft employee stream Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag from a PS4 to a Vita has me beyond excited that I'll finally be able to play a bunch of games from my bed. And, the bigger the Vita's install base, the bigger it's software library will become.
Lucas Sullivan is intrigued by the Killer Instinct pricing structure
By my estimation, we've never really seen a free-to-play fighter be attempted (here in the States, anyway). At Gamescom, we finally got the skinny on what our money would get when Killer Instinct launches: the game and Jago for free, $5 per each additional character, $20 for all eight fighters, $40 for those eight plus a bunch of frills (costumes, accessories, and a port of the original KI). I like the pay-what-you-want idea, but I feel like the prospective $40 buyers are getting a tad bit screwed over. Also, with only six fighters at launch (plus two more being added at a later date), you're going to see a lot of the same brawlers online, which could potentially become ratherwearisome. Then again, if all six are solid, it shouldn't matter.
Andy Hartup was shocked by how awesome Murasaki Baby looks
Sony showed more indie games at their press conference than you can shake an authorially-free stick at. And they all looked decent. However, the one title that made me sit up and pay attention is Murasaki Baby. The art style and bizarre world it's set in are both beautiful and terrifying, but what impresses me the most is the way the game makes smart use of Vita's control inputs.
Leading the odd 'baby' around by the hand is a great way to employ Vita's touch screen, and it's neatly complemented by simple touch tasks like retrieving a balloon and moving lights around to illuminate dark spots, along with tilt-functionality (when the world is literally turned upside down) and button commands. The game definitely has the likes of ICO, Tearaway and Psychonauts in its DNA, which are all awesome inspirations. I'm usually pretty sceptical of heaping praise on indie games--most are just weird or different for the sake of it--but Murasaki Baby looks like a real gem.
Shocking schockers from Gamescom
As you can see, we were all pleasantly surprised and astonished by at least one piece of news from the Gamescom 2013 show floor. Do you share our excitement about any of these announcements? Do you think we are just totally full of it? Let us know in the comment section below.
