Ubisoft is open to exploring a Feudal Japan setting for the Assassin’s Creed series, according to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag creative director Jean Guesdon.
In an interview with VG247, Guesdon said:
“Feudal Japan remains – like numerous other time periods and locations – a possible future setting for the franchise because thanks to the Animus. The entire human history is our playground.”
Feudal Japan is just one of a few locations Ubisoft seems to be interested in. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag director Ashraf Ismail mentioned in October how he’d like to explore Egypt.
Scirra’s HTML game creation tool Construct 2 is in the pipeline for Wii U, the company has announced. The tech works in conjunction with Nintendo Web Framework so that new and existing titles can be ported over to the system.
Scirra hopes to make Construct 2’s initial release on Wii U available “soon”. “Engineering work is currently being done to make sure everything is running smoothly,” today’s announcement states.
In order to take advantage of Construct 2’s Wii U support, developers will need to become an authorized Nintendo developer. A Construct 2 license will also be required to export games to the console.
We are officially a Wii U developer now. More news coming in the future!
— Team Kakumei (@TeamKakumei) January 19, 2014
Team Kakumei confirmed on Twitter yesterday that the indie group is now an official Wii U developer. The studio’s first order of business will be to bring the Ouya title Wrecking Balls Arena over to the eShop as “Wrecking Balls Arena DX”.
Wrecking Balls Arena DX can be considered a sequel/expansion to the initial game. It will sport new stages, items and gameplay elements. As of now, a tentative 2014 release is planned.
Team Kakumei staffer Jonathon Bont spoke about the ease in which the group became a Wii U developer on Twitter, commenting:
USK has rated KickBeat for Wii U, likely signaling an upcoming release of Zen Studios’ game on Nintendo’s console. Nothing has been made official at this time, but I imagine we’ll be seeing an announcement in the future. We’ll keep you up to date with any official news that comes in.
In a strange turn of events, it would seem that Gateway’s 3DS flash cards are bricking systems when users attempt to modify a particular file on the device. Basically, the piracy-enabling technology is attempting to prevent itself from being pirated. Yep, strange.
There have been plenty of reports about the situation over on the GBATemp forums, which have picked up due to the recent region-lock workaround discovery. 3DS owners who have modified a file within Gateway’s device appear to activate a “kill switch”, corrupting the 3DS’ NAND flash memory and leaving them with a dead handhanld.
Here’s what Gateway is saying about the situation:
Last November, Square Enix trademarked “The Seeds of Salvation” (and “Luminaries of the Legendary Line”) in Japan. And just last week, Square Enix filed a trademark for the same name in the US. Is this another sign of a potential Dragon Quest 3DS game localization for the states?
Nintendo is facing some tough times at the moment. Wii U isn’t selling like the company had hoped, forecasts have been slashed, and its shares are falling.
In light of these circumstances, analysts and others will continue to say that Nintendo should put its IPs on smart devices. Nintendo, though, is sticking to its guns.
During a news conference last Friday, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata reaffirmed the hardware manufacturer’s commitment to consoles, and indicated that we won’t be seeing Mario on smartphones anytime soon.
“The spread of smart devices does not spell the end of game consoles. It’s not that simple. It doesn’t mean that we should put Mario on smartphones.”
Iwata added that Nintendo must determine how to best use smartphones so that consumers become aware of its games.
This week’s European Nintendo Downloads are as follows:
Wii U Download
Unepic – €9.99 / £8.99
Wii U Virtual Console
Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels – €4.99 / £4.49
3DS Download
Bella Sara 2 – The Magic of Drasilmare – €34.99 / £29.99
3DS Virtual Console
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom – €3.99 / £3.59
Special Offers
Rage of the Gladiator – €3.49 / £3.19 until Feb. 6 (was €6.99 / £6.29)
Fractured Soul – €3.99 / £3.59 until Feb. 6 (was €7.99 / £7.19)
3D Game Collection – €5.99 / £5.99 until Feb. 9 (was €13.99 / £11.99)
Funfair Party Games – €6.99 / £6.99 until Feb. 9 (was €19.99 / £17.99)
Gardenscapes – €5.99 / £5.99 until Feb. 9 (was €14.99 / £14.99)
Murder on the Titanic – €5.99 / £4.99 until Feb. 9 (was €14.99 / £14.99)
Secret Agent Files: Miami – €6.99 / £5.79 until Feb. 9 (was €7.99 / £6.99)
Jewel Match 3 – €5.99 / £4.99 until Feb. 9 (was €6.99 / £5.99)
3D MahJongg – €3.99 / £3.29 until Feb. 9 (was €4.99 / £4.49)
Boulder Dash-XL 3D – €2.99 / £2.49 until Jan. 30 (was €8.99 / £7.49)
Alien Chaos 3D – €1.99 / £1.59 until Jan. 30 (was €5.99 / £4.99)
AiRace Speed – €2.99 / £2.69 until Feb. 13 (was €4.99 / £4.49)
Source: Nintendo PR
This week’s UK software sales are as follows:
Individual formats
| LW | TW | Title | Format | Label | Publisher | |||
| 1 |  | 1 | FIFA 14 | PS4 | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 4 |  | 2 | KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL | PS4 | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 7 | | 3 | MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION | XB360 | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 6 | | 4 | FIFA 14 | XB360 | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 5 | | 5 | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | PS4 | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 10 | | 6 | FIFA 14 | XB ONE | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 8 | | 7 | BATTLEFIELD 4 | PS4 | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 12 | | 8 | FIFA 14 | PS3 | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 2 |  | 9 | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | XB360 | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 9 | | 10 | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | XB360 | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 14 | | 11 | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | PS4 | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 13 | | 12 | BATTLEFIELD 4 | XB ONE | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 3 | | 13 | GRAND THEFT AUTO V | XB360 | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 | ||
| 15 | | 14 | FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 | XB ONE | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 19 | | 15 | FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014 | PC | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 17 | | 16 | BATTLEFIELD 4 | XB360 | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 24 | | 17 | LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | XB360 | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 20 | | 18 | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | XB ONE | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 23 | | 19 | LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | PS4 | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 26 | | 20 | ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES | XB360 | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 25 | | 21 | DEAD RISING 3 | XB ONE | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 18 | | 22 | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | PS3 | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 11 | | 23 | GRAND THEFT AUTO V | PS3 | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 | ||
| – |  | 24 | MARIO PARTY: ISLAND TOUR | 3DS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| 22 | | 25 | NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS | PS4 | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 21 | | 26 | JUST DANCE 2014 | WII | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 31 | | 27 | BATTLEFIELD 4 | PS3 | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 30 | | 28 | KNACK | PS4 | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 27 | | 29 | NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS | XB360 | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 16 | | 30 | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | PS3 | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 29 | | 31 | RYSE: SON OF ROME | XB ONE | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 33 | | 32 | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | XB ONE | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 32 | | 33 | GEARS OF WAR: JUDGMENT | XB360 | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 36 | | 34 | ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES | PS3 | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 28 | | 35 | GRAN TURISMO 6 | PS3 | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 34 | | 36 | WWE 2K14 | XB360 | 2K SPORTS | TAKE 2 | ||
| 38 | | 37 | POKEMON X | 3DS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| 40 | | 38 | SAINTS ROW IV | XB360 | DEEP SILVER | KOCH MEDIA | ||
| 39 | | 39 | POKEMON Y | 3DS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| – | | 40 | LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | PS3 | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE |
All formats
| LW | TW | Title | Developer | Label | Publisher | |||
| 1 | | 1 | FIFA 14 | EA CANADA | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 2 | | 2 | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | INFINITY WARD | ACTIVISION | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 3 | | 3 | BATTLEFIELD 4 | DIGITAL ILLUSIONS | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 4 | | 4 | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | UBISOFT (MONTREAL) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 6 | | 5 | LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | TRAVELLER’S TALES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 8 | | 6 | KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL | GUERRILLA GAMES | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 7 | | 7 | NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS | GHOST GAMES | EA GAMES | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 9 | | 8 | MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION | 4J STUDIOS | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 5 | | 9 | GRAND THEFT AUTO V | ROCKSTAR NORTH | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 | ||
| 10 | | 10 | ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES | GEARBOX SOFTWARE | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 11 | | 11 | JUST DANCE 2014 | UBISOFT (FRANCE) | UBISOFT | UBISOFT | ||
| 12 | | 12 | FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 | TURN 10 STUDIOS | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 14 | | 13 | FOOTBALL MANAGER 2014 | SPORTS INTERACTIVE | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 15 | | 14 | WWE 2K14 | YUKE’S | 2K SPORTS | TAKE 2 | ||
| 13 | | 15 | BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS | WB GAMES MONTREAL | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 19 | | 16 | NBA 2K14 | VISUAL CONCEPTS | 2K SPORTS | TAKE 2 | ||
| 18 | | 17 | DEAD RISING 3 | CAPCOM VANCOUVER | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| – | | 18 | MARIO PARTY: ISLAND TOUR | ND CUBE | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| 26 | | 19 | LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES | TRAVELLER’S TALES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 16 | | 20 | DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE | TECHLAND | DEEP SILVER | KOCH MEDIA | ||
| 27 | | 21 | KNACK | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 23 | | 22 | LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS | TRAVELLER’S TALES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 22 | | 23 | DISNEY INFINITY | AVALANCHE SOFTWARE | DISNEY INFINITY | DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS | ||
| 21 | | 24 | MAX PAYNE 3 | ROCKSTAR VANCOUVER | ROCKSTAR | TAKE 2 | ||
| 24 | | 25 | SAINTS ROW IV | DEEP SILVER VOLITION | DEEP SILVER | KOCH MEDIA | ||
| 17 | | 26 | TOMB RAIDER | CRYSTAL DYNAMICS | SQUARE ENIX | SQUARE ENIX EUROPE | ||
| 25 | | 27 | RYSE: SON OF ROME | CRYTEK | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 28 | | 28 | SKYLANDERS SWAP FORCE | BEENOX | SKYLANDERS | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD | ||
| 29 | | 29 | GRID 2 | CODEMASTERS | CODEMASTERS | CODEMASTERS | ||
| 30 | | 30 | GEARS OF WAR: JUDGMENT | EPIC GAMES/PEOPLE CAN FLY | MICROSOFT | MICROSOFT | ||
| 20 | | 31 | GRAN TURISMO 6 | POLYPHONY DIGITAL | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | ||
| 33 | | 32 | SONIC & ALL STARS RACING TRANSFORMED | SUMO DIGITAL | SEGA | SEGA | ||
| 31 | | 33 | POKEMON X | GAME FREAK | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| 32 | | 34 | POKEMON Y | GAME FREAK | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| – | | 35 | INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US ULTIMATE ED. | HIGH VOLTAGE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | ||
| 38 | | 36 | THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY | BETHESDA | BETHESDA SOFTWORKS | BETHESDA SOFTWORKS | ||
| – | | 37 | SUPER MARIO 3D WORLD | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| 36 | | 38 | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK BETWEEN WORLDS | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | ||
| – | | 39 | MADDEN NFL 25 | EA TIBURON | EA SPORTS | ELECTRONIC ARTS | ||
| 35 | | 40 | ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF | NINTENDO | NINTENDO | NINTENDO |
Marvelous AQL has pulled the plug on its Rune Factory 4 launch plans for Europe, the company announced today.
The publisher said in an official statement that it “has made every effort to secure the title’s release for this territory,” but was ultimately not able to do so.
Marvelous AQL thanked fans for their support/enthusiasm, and noted that more announcements about new titles will be made “over the coming months.”
The statement in full reads:
