Late Night Consoling

Today, rumors flared up yet again that Microsoft is planning to cut the price of its Xbox 360 console later this year. A report from DigiTimes claimed that the news came courtesy of Taiwanese OEM component manufacturers. DigiTimes speculates that the broad capabilities of Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3, which includes a hard disk drive and a Blu-ray Disc reader, are giving Microsoft reason to take a more aggressive price strategy. Apparently, the manufacturers' claims are based on a reported 15-20% decrease of manufacturing costs due to more efficient production. However, it seems just as likely that Microsoft would want to hang on to those savings in an attempt to edge out of the per-unit loss currently taken on each Xbox 360 console, particularly given the already fairly substantial pricing discrepancy between Xbox 360 and PS3.

For its part, Microsoft Taiwan Corporation denied the claims, calling them "misinformation." When contacted for comment, Microsoft's home base operations issued a similar refutation. Last month, the Microsoft marketing employee-run Gamerscore Blog stated that there are "no plans for a price drop this fall."

Ever since the respective announcements of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed and Pandemic's Mercenaries 2, both of which are currently only confirmed for the PlayStation 3 platform, gamers have been speculating that both games will eventually make their way to Xbox 360. In the case of Assassin's Creed, it seems almost inevitable. During X05, in the game's pre-official announcement days as Project Assassin, the game was mentioned by Microsoft's Peter Moore as coming to Xbox 360. Ubisoft is also known for its widely multiplatform releases.

This week, two previews surfaced on Computer and Video Games, one for Mercenaries 2 and the other for Assassin's Creed. CVG is owned by Future Publishing, which handles The Official Xbox Magazine. To make matters a bit more conclusive, both previews are branded with that publication's logo. If previews of the two titles are indeed being published under the auspices of Microsoft's official gaming print publication, it would seem that the Xbox 360 versions of the games are all but confirmed.

Speaking to IGN, Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford today stated that the studio behind the acclaimed Brothers in Arms franchise will be developing for Nintendo's upcoming Wii console. "Gearbox Software is enthusiastically supporting the Wii," said Pitchford, though he did not elaborate on any specific games in development. Pitchford also commented on the currently apparently pros and cons of the system, placing the unique controller in both categories. "The strengths of the Nintendo Wii include the price, the unique interface, the sure-bet library of games based on the great Nintendo properties and the promise back catalogue of classic games from Nintendo and others that they have partnered with," he noted. "The weaknesses of the system include its lower relative power when compared to other next-gen consoles and the unique interface requiring more dedicated focus specifically for the platform."

Today's announcement is yet another potential vindication of the alleged Ubisoft release schedule leaked earlier this year and officially denied by the publisher. Among other platforms, the list included the then-named Revolution as being a destination for "Brothers in Arms 3"--presumably Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway, which has since been announced for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. As IGN points out, Ubisoft has already proven to be one of the stronger third party publishers at the system's launch, with Red Steel an exclusive for the system and most of the marketing for the multiplatform Rayman Raving Rabbids being focused on the Wii version.

In a video interview with Eurogamer published today, Epic's outspoken VP Mark Rein commented on various issues surrounding the games industry and Epic's upcoming projects. While he spent a great deal of time speaking on his latest vocal cause, slamming Intel for shrinking the PC gaming market via the widespread adoption of Intel integrated graphics solutions in PCs, he also had some words on Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3 and why Sony is right where it needs to be at this stage. Despite the flak Sony has been taking from various quarters in regards to PS3's price and known game selection, Rein believes the company is on track. "I think one of the things you have to consider right now is that Sony is at that awkward stage where Microsoft was last year. Developers are just getting finished hardware now, which is a long time before ship. That's pretty good," he said. "Developers did not have finished [Xbox 360] hardware last year at E3. So, Sony's actually maybe in a better place vis-a-vis Microsoft with relation to launch. I'm actually quite surprised at how good the [PS3] games look considering that situation."

Rein had mixed feelings about Microsoft's Live Anywhere and Xbox Live services. "As a business guy it scares me a little bit, because, are they horning in on my relationship with my customer or not?" he pointed out, in reference to Epic's preference for working with its own server architecture and online features. "I think that's why EA was a late in coming to Xbox Live, was they were a little worried about that." Rein indicated that on the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament 2007, Epic will take a more traditional PC-like approach. Still, as a gamer, he sees a lot of potential in Microsoft's initiatives. "One of the things I really liked about the Bill Gates presentation [at E3] was the idea that, 'Look, these things can coexist,' and we're huge fans of that," he said, referring to the convergence between PC and consoles.

Cryptic Studios today sent out a note that the MMO developer is holding "open tryouts" for new employees coming from a variety of disciplines. "WeÂ’re looking for the best, whether you are a proven industry veteran or a new college grad who wants to break into the business," said president Michael Lewis. "You wonÂ’t be surprised to know weÂ’re looking for top-notch programmers and artists, but you might be surprised to find weÂ’re also interested in engineering, economics, linguistics and philosophy majors." Prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the company's official website for more on the application process and the company's upcoming "job fair" appearances at SIGGRAPH, Gen Con, and the Austin Game Conference.

Within the announcement was included the news that the company has multiple MMO titles in the works, coming not only to PC but to unspecified next generation consoles. No further details were given, though the company plans to make announcements later this year. Most recently, Cryptic has been known for its superhero-themed games City of Heroes (PC) and City of Villains (PC).

Victor Ireland, former president of defunct niche RPG localization and publishing company Working Designs, appears to be launching a new company. Dubbed Gaijinworks, the only thing the organization currently has to publically show for itself is a splash page and a logo depicting a gear set within a Japanese flag. The site's meta content tags suggest that, like Working Designs, Gaijinworks will likely largely deal in the publishing of Japanese RPGs; listed terms include "RPG," "jRPG," "otaku," "role-playing game," "japanese role-playing game," and others. Two platforms are mentioned as well, "playstation" and "xbox 360," as is "localization." A potential company slogan, "one nation under games," finishes off the list.

No projects have been announced, but more details are expected later this summer.

As announced last week, a playable demo of Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (X360) is now available via Xbox Live. The free demo includes single-player and local multiplayer modes, though not an online mode. Interestingly enough, it comes with a catch. The demo will only be functional through the end of August. After that, it will no longer run, nor will it be available for download.

IGN has an interview with producer Yoshinori Yamagishi on Square Enix's upcoming RPG sequel Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2).

Eurogamer has an interview with Saint's Row (X360) project lead Christopher Stockman, speaking about Volition's upcoming GTA-esque action game.