Tokyo Game Show 2007: Home Delayed to Spring 2008

[Jagi]

Sony intended to launch their PlayStation 3 community service Home, currently still in beta, sometime this Fall, but Sony Computer Entertainment's President and Group COO Kaz Hirai announced at his Tokyo Game Show keynote that Home has been delayed into the spring.

"I'm sorry about the delay, but since we want this to be a worldwide service -- our territories all have their own wishes for it -- it's taking a bit longer for us to develop. We want Home to be satisfactory to all types of users around the world, so we decided to delay it," said Hirai.

No word on how this will effect the beta, but it should give Sony a chance to bring new users (and features) into the mix before the finalized release. As soon as we know more, we'll let you know.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3162996

 

[Jagi]

he Rumor: Dual Shock 3 Debuting
The Evidence: We've known it's been coming for a while now, but now it's completely official: the PS3 will soon offer a rumble controller. 1UP has confirmed through multiple sources -- including some within Sony -- that PS3 games are now offering rumble and we'll see first examples of this at the Tokyo Game Show.

It's expected that along with a PS3 price drop for Japan, Kaz Hirai will be revealing the new PS3 rumble controller at his TGS keynote (later tonight U.S. time). Sources have also indicated that one of the big reveals may be that the playable Metal Gear Solid 4 demo will include rumble functionality. Those who have tried the controller spoke positively of it, saying that it's a bit heavier than the current Sixaxis.

At this year's E3, Immersion was said to be licensing their tech to peripheral-makers Hori and Katana to release rumble-equipped controllers by September. And hey, look what month it is now.

Despite the third-parties horning in on their potential business, Sony's official line was mum as of E3 2007, with both Phil Harrison and Jack Tretton claiming there were no decisions made yet regarding inclusion of the feature. Even as recently as August 23, a high-profile developer close to Sony's interests, Hideo Kojima, claimed he did not have those tools available for marquee title Metal Gear Solid 4.

The Verdict: It's coming. Expect Kaz Hirai to make everything official during his keynote later today.

 

[Jagi]

The Rumor: Final Fantasy VII Remake
The Evidence Always sleeping but never fully dead, the rumor of a next-gen return to Midgar pops up so often you'd think it had auto-life cast on it. By this point, the ardent desire of some Square fans to see a remastered Sephiroth has completely transcended mere rumor status and gone well into the realm of unrequited cultural myth -- the kind of messianic longing that makes ordinarily 'normal' people fill up entire walls at TGS with beseeching post-it notes and Kaz Hirai to leave cryptic little comments in the margins.

The latest murmuring came by the emergence of an unlockable bonus movie viewable at the end of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. The CC team saw fit to include a retooled version of the 2 minute-long bit of PS3 E3 Tech Demo fanservice as way to titillate persistent gamers who had somehow managed to finish the Japanese PSP title twice over.

The Verdict: Just recently Crisis Core producer Hideki Imaizumi quashed fan's hopes by stating there were currently no plans for remake. If you need a second opinion, there's always longtime FF character designer Tetsuya Nomura, who stated in a Dorimaga magazine interview back in June "it appears that there are often overseas rumors like 'Are you currently developing a VII remake?' My apologies, but were absolutely not making [such a game]." And finally, the company's official response to the fanmade FF VII petition, which seems to settle the question for good:

"SQUARE ENIX of Japan, has no current plans to create a sequel or remake to that particular title at this time. This is not to say that it will never happen, it's just that their development teams are currently focusing on numerous other projects. We hope this information has been of assistance."

That being said, Square Enix has been something of a tease on the FFVII front lately. The company has actually stopped a hair shy of officially denying the possibility of a remake, leaving fans salivating in a Jenova-like state of tortured stasis. "[Such a thing would be] a question of timing", says Final Fantasy III producer Hiromichi Tanaka, noting that all the necessary people are currently busy elsewhere.

 

[Jagi]

The Rumor: Capcom to Unveil Dead Rising 2, Others

The Evidence: We've been waiting for some big new games to look forward to from Capcom for a while, and numerous online sources are now reporting that we may not have to wait much longer. Most of the talk seems to go back to a news story from citing an Australian game site. Where did that site get their info? An "inside source" that has "sworn us to secrecy." That's usually a bad sign. Other sites are getting more specific and saying a sequel to Dead Rising is one of the new Capcom games set to get announced. Still others say the Dead Rising announcement is simply a PC port of the zombie-killing sim.

One big problem stands in the way of these rumors (and our dreams) coming true: Capcom's own words. Just yesterday a Capcom rep posting on their message boards claimed the company's biggest Tokyo Game Show announcement is the already-unveiled We Love Golf!. In that same post, Capcom's Christian Svensson goes on to say that the really exciting stuff we've all been aching for will be coming at a Capcom-only event in London a couple of weeks after TGS. And as much as we loved Dead Rising, it wasn't a big seller in Japan, so Tokyo may not be the place for that particular game reveal.

Our very own Quartermann suggests a Wii version of Okami will be painting its way into our hearts soon. Beyond that, plenty of franchises in Capcom's library are ripe for sequel announcements: Lost Planet, Street Fighter, and Onimusha spring to mind.

The Verdict: Despite the evidence and claims of Capcom's own employee, we're going with our gut and saying that Dead Rising 2 will be shown in some form or another at Tokyo Game Show. As far as other announcements, we think there's a good chance, but maybe Svensson's right and we'll have to wait a couple more weeks for those. That or it'll just be three new Mega Man games. Oh boy.

 

[Jagi]

The Rumor: More Kingdom Hearts Games
The Evidence: To say this has been a long time coming seems like a massive understatement. With more than 10 million copies shipped worldwide, the Kingdom Hearts franchise essentially gives Square Enix and Disney a license to print money. Neither corporate entity has been shy about sequelization in the past; countless Final Fantasy spin-offs/re-releases and straight-to-video animated sequels should erase any doubt that another collaborative effort is in the works -- and has been for a while.

It's been a year and a half since Kingdom Hearts II dropped in the States, and even longer in Japan, though they were graced with the Final Mix+ expanded edition this past March. Series mastermind Tetsuya Nomura certainly hasn't been shy about announcing his intentions to continue the franchise, telling Famitsu last December that multiple Kingdom Hearts announcements could be expected in 2007. He followed that up this past spring with an interview in Dengeki PlayStation, in which he seemed to indicate that multiple Kingdom Hearts projects were in the works, not just a numbered entry. "Of course, because we're calling it a 'new' series, it won't be [Kingdom Hearts III]," said Nomura. "Also, it's a series, so it probably won't be just one title."

The multiple-entry concept was backed up by rumor guru Quartermann in the October 2007 issue of EGM, in which he speculated that multiple Kingdom Hearts prequels are currently in development for both consoles and handhelds, similar to the release of titles like Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII in the last year-plus.

However, the most positive evidence comes from our own men and women currently stationed in Japan for the Tokyo Game Show. Word on the street is that Square Enix will devote a full theater to the series at TGS, with new titles expected for the Nintendo DS and PSP, as well as a sneak peak at a true sequel to Kingdom Hearts II. The Nintendo DS title is rumored to be a follow-up to Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, while the PSP game may be a prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts. Though the true sequel is expected for the PlayStation 3, nothing is concrete at this point. With its massive success and built-in younger audience, the Wii may also provide a great home for a series entry, sequel or otherwise.

The Verdict: We felt pretty strongly about this before, but the confirmation from our on-site crew makes us all warm and fuzzy now. Not taking this opportunity to announce something seems downright silly, considering the unwavering success of the franchise and the insatiable demand of the fans.