Late Night Consoling

This week, Ubisoft officially confirmed that Assassin's Creed, previously only officially announced for PlayStation 3, will also be coming to PC. However, the company did not clarify whether the game is heading to Xbox 360, a rumor that has continually surfaced for months. Now, IGN's Xbox 360 site features a large feature link proclaiming "Assassin's Creed 360 Bound; Confirmation of what we all expected has arrived with the first screens." However, for several hours after the image was posted, the link lead only to a 404 page. Now, the link and image have been removed altogether.

Further cementing the likelihood of the game's presence on Xbox 360 is a preview image of the latest issue of UK publication 360 Magazine, via Imagine Publishing's official site. The magazine cover states "World Exclusive; Assassin's Creed; Ubisoft Goes In for the Kill." This story exclusivity may be the reason for IGN's hesitance to run its own story.

Shacknews has sent inquiries to Ubisoft regarding the matter.

Update: 1UP joins in the fun as well, offering yet more confirmation, this time from Electronic Gaming Monthly.

GameSpot has conducted an interview with Capcom producer Jun Takeuchi, currently working on the slick Xbox 360 sci-fi action title Lost Planet, in which Takeuchi reconfirms that the game is indeed headed only to Xbox 360. "Typically when the development team sets out to create a game, we focus development of the title on a single platform and for Lost Planet that platform is the Xbox 360," he said. "We have no plans at this time of porting to or developing for another console as this would potentially dilute the final product." He made a similar claim about the recently released Dead Rising (X360).

This runs contrary to recent statements made by Takeuchi. At the time, Takeuchi noted that while Capcom would "try to keep it as a 360 exclusive," certain business factors may result in the game being ported to PlayStation 3. Capcom also developed something of a reputation for breaking exclusivity late in the current console generation when it released several PlayStation 2 ports of formerly GameCube exclusive titles such as Resident Evil 4 and Grasshopper's Killer7.

In the interview published today, Takeuchi seemed unconcerned with the Xbox 360's lackluster performance in Japan, even if "of course we wish there was a larger installed user base domestically in Japan, as do all Japanese developers and publishers." He stated that more Japanese publishers should take a global perspective and develop titles tailored not just for Japan but for other markets. Takeuchi pointed to Dead Rising's North American success as vindication of this strategy.

Capcom expects to ship Lost Planet for Xbox 360 worldwide in January 2007. - Screenshots.

Atlus announced today that it will be bringing to North America its Nintendo DS RPG entitled Etrian Odyssey, known in Japan as Sekaiju no Meikyuu. Etrian Odyssey is a turn-based RPG using 3D graphics on the DS' top screen, with the ability to draw on and create maps on the bottom screen. The game is set in the land of Etria, where players explore a forested labyrinth. - Screenshots, artwork.

Etrian Odyssey is directed by Kazuya Niinou, also responsible for the well received but punshing Trauma Center; Under the Knife (NDS), with story and world design by Shigeo Kobayashi, credited in the upcoming Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner (PS2, PSP). Monster design is by Shin Nagasawa (Final Fantasy IX [PS1]), and the game's score is by Yuzo Koshiro (Actraiser [SNES], Sreets of Rage [SMS, GEN]).

Atlus plans to release Etrian Odyssey for Nintendo DS in Q1 2007.

This week, Volition's GTA-esque Saint's Row (X360) hit store shelves, but was met with complaints of various bugs, many related to the game's online multiplayer mode. Today, the studio posted a message on its official forums stating that a single- and multiplayer patch for the game is currently in the works. This update will address several issues, including problems with the game's bandwidth management, matchmaking system, a "clothes stealing" exploit, and resolution-related graphical errors. No timeframe was given for the release of this patch.

A playable demo of Ubisoft Montreal's Far Cry Instincts Predator (X360), released this March, is now available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace. This multiplayer demo weighs in at 344MB and contains the gametypes Steal the Sample, Seek and Secure, Predator, Chaos, and Team Chaos.

Atlus today announced that it has launched the official site for Grasshopper Manufacture's upcoming RPG Contact. The game is expected to ship for Nintendo DS this October. - Screenshots.

Game Informer chats with musician Marcus Henderson, who recorded tracks for both of Harmonix's Guitar Hero games, about the upcoming Guitar Hero II (PS2).