This week in rumors
Destiny is all the rage right now, and it was only a matter of time before its already enormous user base began to pick it apart and spark speculation on what else is to come from Bungie's epic shooter. The big question is, will there be any new planets added? Rumors this week claim Mercury is on it's way.
Elsewhere, the GTA V re-release on PS4, Xbox One and PC draws near, and internet reports tip some rather neat new features coming to the spruced up port. Also, SimCity may have a new competitor in the form of a long-dormant management sim series make a return, and leaked images show Mario in wrestling gear. For a volleyball game. Nope, not joking. Here are all the latest rumors...
GTA V new-gen to feature new first-person modes
The Rumor: Rockstar appeared to have revealed a new first-person view mode for the new PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of GTA V, when it said as much on the official website. The information, however, was swiftly removed, but not before Reddit got a hold of it. According to the deleted post, the remake will feature "A brand new first person mode for vehicles that shows the interior of the vehicle, including working speedometers, tachometers, dash lights, and more." In addition, "a brand new first person mode while on foot" will also feature.
Our Take: That all sounds very nice, but it's not such a big deal--so why was it suddenly removed? Either Rockstar had some big announcement planned, or it's possible the post could have been inaccurate and therefore misleading. But we'd really like to see the first-person driving feature, so we hope the information is accurate.
PSOne classic town-building sim Constructor getting remake
The Rumor: A title called 'Constructor HD' has cropped up on the website listings of UK retailer GAME for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. Constructor is a town building and management sim, albeit lesser known that it's EA counterpart SimCity. It made its debut on PC and PSOne in 1997. Constructor HD is listed as a title 'coming soon in 2014', but there's no further information beyond a piece of pack art.
Our Take: Nothing official has been announced, but the 'HD' in the title suggests a remake rather than a sequel. The original game featured a rather bland look, so we expect a significant makeover to bring it up to speed with modern games, and perhaps an overhaul to its traditional management sim gameplay, too.
Super Mario volleyball/wrestling hybrid canned
The Rumor: It has recently emerged that Nintendo allegedly canned a game called Super Mario Spikers-a rather odd-sounding volleyball/wrestling hybrid for Wii. That's according to to unseen64, which cites a former animator from developer Next Level Games, the same studio behind soccer game Super Mario Strikers. According to the report, Nintendo axed the title because certain aspects of the proposal "clashed with the companys code of honour".
Our Take: We can't quite imagine how volleyball and wrestling would fit together, but we can understand why Nintendo might not want to introduce physical violence to a ball sport. A concept video showed Waluigi stamping on an already lying-down Mario. In a volleyball game. Yeah. We can't say we're surprised it got binned.
Destiny DLC will head to Mercury, add new multiplayer mode
The Rumor: A report from NowGamer, which has since been conspicuously deleted, claimed that the planet Mercury will be added to Destiny in future. According to the site, players who sifted through the game's source code found texts related to a new 3v3 multiplayer listing called the "Trials of Osiris". It read: "You have caught the eye of Osiris. Venture to Mercury and prove yourself as one of the Crucibles elite ... A string of victories will earn great rewards but lose three times and youre out.
Our Take: It will come as no surprise that new multiplayer listings are on the way from Bungie, but what's more interesting is the addition of a new planet to the current roster of four: Earth, Moon, Venus and Mars. All of the current maps in the game are set on planets that also have huge open world areas for the PvE action. This suggests Mercury could provide the setting for a major co-op campaign expansion. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, MP1st has more details on what was rumored.
New details on Guerrilla Games' open-world game 'Horizon'
The Rumor: New information has allegedly leaked out on Killzone developer Guerrilla Games' long-rumored new open-world game, Horizon. According to the latest info, courtesy of trusted whistleblower 'Shinobi', the game is a third person Open world RPG set in huge, lush environments comparable in size to CDPR's The Witcher games. Staring a female lead, new concept art allegedly leaked from the studio showing giant robot dinosaurs, as previously rumored. Multiplayer, co-op and a dedicated single-player modes are touted.
Our Take: According to reports, Sony plans to unveil the game at E3 2015. If these leaks continue--assuming they're as solid as they seem--the studio may be forced to unveil it's new IP sooner. With tales of a huge and impressive open world, and over three years of development already, we look forward to seeing it.
Sony launching TV streaming service in 2014
The Rumor: WSJ reports that PlayStation is close to launching an internet television service that will stream dozens of channels to its consoles. While the details have yet to be officially revealed, the news outlet cites Sony Computer Entertainment head Andrew House as having outlined plans to launch the new TV streaming service as soon as this year. Sony has reportedly already signed a deal with with Viacom Inc, securing streams of more than 20 of its channels, including MTV and Nickelodeon, with other partnerships in the works.
Our Take: This would be a big move by Sony, and a big deal for PS4 specifically, considering its comparative lack of TV support versus the Xbox One which, at least, allows for TV pass-through and channel-switching by voice. 2014 would be a surprise turnaround for such a huge service that hasn't even been widely announced.
Sony Bend studio working on 'open-world horror'
The Rumor: Here's another one from one of NeoGAF's prolific leakers, Shinobi; Sony Bend Studio is apparently working on an open-world horror game. Absolutely no further information was offered through fear of "Sony assassins", but the studio is said to be working on an unannounced project for PS4.
Our Take: This would be quite the departure from its latest work: Resistance Retribution on PSP and Uncharted: Golden Abyss on Vita. But it's been a long time since the studio's 2011 Vita release, so it must be up to something. Horror is making a real comeback though, so a new horror game from the creators of Syphon Filter will have plenty of stiff competition.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 also headed for Vita
The Rumor: The recently announced Resident Evil Revelations 2 could be on its way to Vita. Speculation was sparked by images found on the official Tokyo Game Show website, unearthed by NeoGAF users who toyed with URLs on the site. At the time of writing (Friday, September 19), TGS has gotten well underway, but no official announcement has been made.
Our Take: As it stands, Revelations 2 is officially headed to PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It would be a pleasant surprise tofor Vita owners if the handheld was added to that list. It's worth highlighting that 3DS is also not currently a part of the official lineup, which is disappointing considering the original Revelations debuted as a 3DS exclusive.
Super Smash Bros. Wii U tipped for November 21 release
The Rumor: The meat is in the headline. November 21 could be the day that Wii U owners finally get their hands on the much-anticipated all-star Nintendo brawler. That's according to promo materials placed on display ahead of schedule by US grocery retail chain Fred Meyer.
Our Take: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS launched in Japan on September 13, and hits US and Europe on October 3. Nintendo has only officially confirmed a 'Holiday 2014' window for the Wii U game, but November seems like the most likely candidate. And this latest leak can be taken more seriously than previous retail leaks for two reasons; firstly, it was seen in printed promos, which is far more permanent (and costly) than an incorrectly posted web listing. And secondly, the release is so close that retailers are now more likely than ever to be aware of the date for planning and distribution purposes. But is your body ready?
