Well played Micro$oft. Last week publisher EA and Micro$oft announced that TitanFall will be a lifetime exclusive to the Xbone, unbeknownst to developer Respawn Entertainment.
It’s a shame too, cause according to some gaming sites that I keep tabs on stated that TitanFall could possibly get ported over to the Playstation in the near future.
Once again, it clearly shows what can happen if a publisher has a ton of cash thrown at it.
Ok, I have to admit: I am a sucker for Mech-based games. And when Respawn took the stage back in E3 this year with their announcement that “TitanFall” was coming out in the near future.. I was excited. From EA and Respawn Entertainment are bring the thunder, with Mechs’ stomping around, blowing things up; “Call of Duty” Style game mechanics and next generation graphics.. This seemed to be the next best game coming out.
Then I found out the sad news: TitanFall will be a exclusive title for the Xbone, and may (or may not) make it over to the PlayStation 4. And since I really like what Sony has come out with as far as the PlayStation 4, that’s the platform I am leaning towards. The good news is that it will also be available for the PC (whether or not the rig can actually play it is another matter entirely!)
*A little history side note: Respawn Entertainment is the company built from the ashes of the nasty split from Activision and the developer “Infinity Ward”. I guess this is an excellent score for Micro$oft, giving them a shooter that will stack up against “Call of Duty” and the “Battlefield” series.
But, it truly shows what you can do to sway a developer when you throw money at them. 🙂
Check out the Angel City video, courtesy of Gamersyde.com
Alright, aside from all the E3 console press conferences, throw downs, name calling, etc.; a few more bright spots showed up: The new games!
That’s right folks, be it the Next Gen games coming up soon, or the last releases before the consoles switch over to the newer hardware, games are what made
E3 even more popular this time around.
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag from Ubisoft. Following off of the acclaimed success of Assassin’s Creed 3, AC 4 takes off on a new tangent, where the
player is now allowed to navigate the open world, and enjoy the “Golden Age of Pirates”. Be it by ship to ship combat, assassination quests, hunting rare animals, or even looting sunken pirate ships, this new tale promises to immerse players into the world of Piracy. Meet up with Blackbeard, Calico Jack and Benjamin Hornigold in your quest to conquer the Caribbean. Coming to current gen consoles in late October 2013. (Next Gen has to wait a bit..)
The Elder Scroll’s Online from Bethesda Softworks. Finally the single-player RPG fantasy game that everyone loves is breaking into new ground, and becoming an MMO. Dragons, elves, dark magic, and Daedric minions running amuck, it becomes your task (and your fellow online gamers) to defend the world of Tamriel, and destroy the evil that threatens to run across the land.
Batman Arkham Origins from Warner Home Video Games. WB Home Video Games and DC Comics are tagging up once again to bring you another adventure with Batman, this time taking place when the Dark Knight is just starting out. It appears a few of Batman’s enemies have decided to offer $50 Million to ice the Bat, and everybody wants in on the fun. Facing up against a younger Joker, BlackMask, and Deathstroke, the Dark Knight has his hands full. Due out this October, as well as a portable version being released on the PSVita and 3Ds.
Destiny by Bungie & Activision Destiny is the first game out from Bungie, after leaving its multi-year partnership with Micro$oft in developing the Halo franchise. 
Destiny brings another First Person Shooter into the fray, although Bungie is betting on players enjoying this next title a whole lot more. Playing the game solo, or teaming up with “fire teams”, Bungie wants the experience to be staggering in scope, with the beauty of a MMO, yet still offering every FPS gamer what they crave. Graphically the game looks gorgeous (even if it is in Alpha stage..). Destiny releases in 2014 on the PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
WatchDogs from Ubisoft. Ubisoft might have hit the nail on the head with this GTA style sandbox game. The story is thus: Aiden Pearce is loose in the city, causing mayhem and chaos wherever he goes.. At least that is what the authorities think. Bringing a whole “tech” spin to the likes of GTA and Assassin’s Creed’s lovechild, this game promises a whole lot more interactivity with todays technology. From hacking ATMs for money, to finding the next victim in the subway, to deploying Anti-Vehicle Barricades to stop Police cars cold, Aiden will use every thing he can to elude capture, and continue is outskirts in the city (including using online players with tablets to help setup traps!). Watchdogs will be out on the PS3, Xbox 360, the PS4 and Xbox One, release date is to be announced..
TitanFall from Respawn and Electronic Arts Taking GameInformer’s “Best in Show at E3” comes another FPS, this time involving massive online gameplay, including gigantic “mech-like” machines, called Titans. This is Respawn’s first released title, after their debacle (and litigation as the former Infinity Ward vs. Activision). Boasting what appears to be a Modern Warfare-style gameplay, players are encouraged to team up in order to defend their hard points, and defeat their enemy. Could it be one of the few games whose style of gameplay has already been done? The answer when the Xbox One releases, as TitanFall is an Xbox One exclusive title launch.
That’s it for now, more to come!!
Alrighty then, mid-week already, and I am slacking at my E3 postings!!
So far there has been a lot of buzz going on about the new PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, particularly in the sense that the majority of folks feel Sony came out on top in this round of E3 fights.
Sony finally released what the PS4 looks like, along with the dozen or so “launch titles” scheduled to roll out once its released this “Holiday, 2013”. (Um, nice Parallelogram Sony! Very original vs. the VCR box that Micro$oft released!)
Looking somewhat like a “similar” box rolled out by Micro$oft, Sony amped up the competition between the two systems by coming out with a release price of $399, which includes a Dual Shock 4 Controller, 500 GB HD, HDMI cable, and mono-headset. Micro$oft, however, is releasing the new Xbox One for an extra $100 bucks, which includes its Kinect device, 500 GB HD, HDMI Cable, and controller.
Fans totally decried foul when Micro$oft released information that the Xbox One requires a internet connection every 24 hours to phone home, otherwise, your games don’t work. They also caused a bit more of an uproar by releasing their DRM strategy on used games (basically saying, you can’t use em unless you pay for em again..); where as Sony said “I Don’t Think So” to both aspects, giving gamers freedom to trade in their old games, and even play them offline.
All this, and being thrown in are the mix of Next Gen released games, including Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs, Assassins’ Creed 4, Tom Clancy’s “The Division”; EA Sports with Madden 25, Battlefield 4; Bungie’s Destiny; Blizzard’s release of Diablo III; Respawn Entertainment’s “TitanFall”; Sucker Punch’s “inFamous: Second Son”, and many more..
Now as crazy as it may seem, this appears to only be scratching the surface, with both Console competitors stating that “online gaming, sharing, and multiplayer” are going to factor in BIG time with the release of the Next Gen systems. Squad based mechanics, MMO functionality, and even such items as “Public Events” found in Destiny, encourage folks to team up online, and have a good time. 
As E3 starts to wrap up this week, look out for even more gameplay videos, new info on upcoming release dates, etc.
Catch all the 2013 E3 Press releases here: Sony and Micro$oft.
<A big shout out to gameinformer.com and gametrailers.com for keeping us 9-5’ers informed.>