This week we watch our panelists’ scores plummet while discussing HD remakes and yet another appearance by the 3DS.

Current score

Andrew Passafiume: +355

Graham Russell: +134

Eric Schabel: +65

Shawn Vermette: +210

 

Results

Duke Nukem Forever returns

Duke is indeed returning, as Take Two announced recently that Gearbox, the studio behind Brothers in Arms and Borderlands, was taking the reins of the Duke Nukem franchise. There’s no news on how much of the game will be based on the original work by 3D Realms, but no matter how you slice it, Duke Nukem Forever is alive again.

Andrew 80% = +30

Graham 50% = +0

Shawn 65% = +15

 

3DS release date and price to be announced by TGS

The Tokyo Game Show came and went with no mention of the official 3DS release date or price. The good news is that we won’t have to wait much longer, as Nintendo has announced they’ll tell us the release date, among other items, on September 29th.

Andrew 10% = +40

Eric 55% = -5

Graham 85% = -35

Shawn 90% = -40

 

Xbox Live Gold price hike

This rumor has been fermenting for a long time now, but we’ve finally gotten word of its confirmation. Unfortunately for Xbox 360 owners, Microsoft has announced that starting on November 1, the price for monthly, quarterly, and yearly memberships will increase across the board. Monthly memberships will now cost $9.99 rather than $7.99, quarterly will now cost $24.99 rather than $19.99, and yearly will now be $59.99 instead of $49.99.

Andrew 65% = +15

Graham 5% = -45

Shawn 15% = -35

 

Odin Sphere, Muramasa to be rereleased on XBLA and PSN

Odin Sphere is widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful PlayStation 2 games ever made, and Muramasa was similarly lauded on Wii. Now, rumor has it that both will look even better soon, upgraded with HD graphics and prepped for release on PSN and XBLA. No word yet from Vanillaware regarding this rumor, but the Australian ratings board now lists both as being multiplatform.

Andrew: I can see both Odin Sphere and Muramasa selling rather well as downloadable titles; both games lend themselves well to that format. Side-scrollers in general seem to be a perfect fit as downloadable titles, and I think it will give Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners a chance to catch up on two games they may have missed. Muramasa especially, considering it was a Wii exclusive title.  Odin Sphere: 85%, Muramasa: 85%

Graham: Foreign ratings boards are a godsend for leaking things, aren’t they? And they’re usually right. I’d say Odin Sphere is slightly more likely to release for two reasons: first, it hasn’t had a modern system release like Muramasa on Wii. Second, it would likely be the first to release, and poor sales or other concerns could see the project tabled before a second release.  Odin Sphere: 90%, Muramasa: 85%

Shawn: These are games I’ve heard a lot about but never got a chance to play. Considering the large amount of sales ports of older games seem to rack up, I think it makes sense to rerelease them on XBLA and PSN too. Odin Sphere: 75%, Muramasa: 65%

 

3DS to be released in November

Well, TGS has come and gone with no confirmation of the launch date for the 3DS, but that hasn’t stopped more rumors from coming up. The newest rumor was started by a Japanese accessory maker’s tweet mentioning a new line of products for Nintendo systems releasing in November. Now, it could be the standard holiday order coming due, but why mention it if it is just the normal order?

Andrew: Both the tweet and the account itself were gone in a matter of hours after the information leaked. I’m going to guess that it will be released by the end of November at least in Japan, and probably here in the States around the same time. I think that release window allows them to get in quite a lot of sales in a short amount of time, like the original DS and Wii before it. But at the same time, these rumors pop up all of the time, so for all we know we won’t see the system out until early next year.  80%

Graham: Yeah, let’s be clear here: the rumor is a November release in Japan. It’s entirely possible that releases elsewhere will be delayed. (Personally, I hope not. Ever since one left my hand at E3, I’ve felt a void in my life. A 3DS-shaped void. And preferably a shiny blue one.) I think the deleted account means it’s more likely to be true, but who even knows at this point? Oh, right. We will before the end of the month. 75% 

Shawn: I think that Nintendo needs to either release it in November of this year or wait until next summer, but then, I didn’t pass my marketing classes so I could be missing something. As far as the rumor is concerned, I think the fact that the Twitter account disappeared, along with the tweet, says something about its veracity. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us much about when the 3DS will come to the US. Due to my responses previously on this subject though, I’ve got to say I believe we’ll get it here before Christmas. 70%