"Coming just as soon as we can finish it, a real chance to learn the truth.".
Rockstar may be about to drop some fresh Grand Theft Auto 5 facts, ladies and gentlemen. The Epsilon Program - a parody of pay-to-be-saved religious cults, aimed squarely at Scientology - has begun updating its Twitter feed after months of silence.
"People that are playing Call of Duty are not playing FIFA." Smart cookie.
The annual FIFA versus PES wars have begun - brace for trashtalk. Discussing EA's latest footballing sim with MCV, FIFA 14 producer Sebastian Enrique took it up a notch by saying that EA isn't even focussing on Pro Evo in particular, darling - the publisher also wants to steal mindshare from the mighty Call of Duty. I've got two things to say in response: "miaow!" and "doesn't everybody?"
Manufacturer to go fully portable next gen?.
One more news story before you sign off for the week. Those long-dead rumours about Microsoft's plans for Xbox handheld gaming? Consider them revived, though not perhaps in the form you're expecting.
Say hello to Pyramid Head's cuboid cousin.
Don't know about you, but I'll admit to feeling a little scornful about The Evil Within's first trailer. Enough with your hoity-toity amateur dramatics, Bethesda, I said. Spare me your surrealist grainy montages, I said. Bring on the horror, already.
A new IP from the minds behind Resident Evil.
Bethesda has aired release details and a formal title for Tango Gameworks' survival horror project Zwei, a new IP from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. It's called The Evil Within, and will launch in 2014 for next generation consoles. Here's the first teaser trailer care of IGN, which is entirely and disappointingly live-action.
Outgoing exec hints at reveal before or at E3.
Like a glacier melting (insert RROD joke here), Microsoft is ever-so-slowly beginning to discuss its plans for the next generation Xbox. Speaking to investors about the firm's third financial quarter 2013 last night (ta, SeekingAlpha), outgoing chief financial officer Peter Klein dropped a few hints as to the console's announcement date.
Dragonborn, Dawnguard and Hearthfire in one box.
Bethesda appears to be planning an all-in-one Legendary edition of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, boxarts for which have surfaced over at Polish retailer Ultima. All three Skyrim DLC packs are included. If you've yet to sample 2012's most mountainous open world - and really, I'm not sure there's a hole deep and dark enough - this could be the ideal point of entry.
More news later today.
All those weird teaser vids Bethesda's been entertaining us with? They pertain not to a new Wolfenstein title, or the long-in-absentia Prey 2, or Fallout 4, but to Shinji Mikami's "pure survival horror" endeavour Zwei, revealed last April. Look out for the first proper details and, dare we say, footage at 5am Pacific, 8am Eastern and 1pm GMT.
"We also have the interesting problem of new hardware coming out.".
In utter defiance of all known precedent, Activision may release another Call of Duty title this year. Also in utter defiance of all known precedent, said Call of Duty title may go public at or shortly before E3 in June. Let's hope nobody splurges the whole caboodle across the internet before then, eh chaps?
Care of Kinectimals dev Frontier Developments.
Once upon a time, Frontier Developments of Kinectimals and "David Braben hates pre-owned" fame was working on a reboot of Zoo Tycoon for Xbox, known as Microsoft Zoo. That's according to former lead artist and UI team leader Anil Glendinning, who has posted a number of screenshots on his personal site.
Microsoft's "retail-first" model is "bonkers, frankly".
Echoing the ever-opinionated Cliff Bleszinski, Just Add Water's CEO Stewart Gilray has told OXM that Microsoft needs to make it easier and less expensive for developers to release games on Xbox Live, beginning with certain "bonkers" criteria for publication of XBLA titles.
Working with troubled EA is "a hard spot to be creative in".
I was cautiously impressed by what I saw of Battlefield 4, and reassured by DICE's unflinching awareness of what Battlefield 3 got wrong, but for all that, my heart still pines for a different kind of Battlefield - one set in the future, wherein be robots and lasers. In other words, I'm carrying a candle for a sequel to Battlefield 2142.
"The talks are said to be in the preliminary stages.".
I can remember two things about NBC's superhero drama Heroes - the expression of apparent painful constipation on the face of that one time-travelling guy, and somebody punching somebody with fists made of light. Microsoft remembers the show more comprehensively than that, it seems - according to a TV Line report, the manufacturer is in talks to bring a new series to Xbox Live.
343 also looking to introduce new Regicide modes.
343's been fiddling around under Halo 4's bonnet again, tweaking the capacities of certain weapons. Before you set your hair aflame in outrage, despair not - the hallowed Designated Marksman Rifle remains as potent as always, but the developer has boosted the power of the game's other rifles to compensate for its popularity. The changes aren't final, so by all means get in touch if you reckon they're barking up the wrong tree.
Former Team Bondi chaps laid off, sources claim.
Lush-looking Asiatic thriller Whore of the Orient may be no more, according to a report over at MCV. Parent company Kennedy Miller Mitchell has allegedly laid off its Sydney team following the collapse of its relationship with sometime-publisher Warner Bros, halting development of the next gen console effort for the moment.
Men apply feet to balls in high octane scenarios.
EA has whisked the wrappers off FIFA 14 - an hour ahead of schedule, since you didn't ask - which means I'm at liberty to share the game's first screenshots. No foul, ref!
New outfits equal new story?.
Screens have emerged on website Analogue Addiction of noted despoiler-of-relics Lara Croft in a variety of unidentified outfits. Are these indicative of incoming Tomb Raider single player DLC? And just how much is a new coat worth to you, exactly?
Up to 75% off nine average-to-awesome titles.
Do you like quality Xbox Live Arcade titles? Then Wednesday, 17th April is officially your favourite day and date. Well, to be fair the latest round of discounts went live yesterday, but I wasn't here then and you need to stop being so obnoxiously pedantic and play some videogames. Go on, get a budget copy of Bionic Commando Rearmed down you.
Bach's Air on a G-String introduces new project.
A month or so back, Bethesda's Pete Hines promised us "exciting", "boundary-pushing" game announcements this year. Yesterday, the publisher released a teaser trailer which alternates between shots of barbed wire and an LP of Air on a G-String by Johann Sebastian Bach. Today, NeoGAF dug up a story which suggests that a new Wolfenstein may be in development at Bethesda-owned MachineGames. Tomorrow? The end of all life as we know it! Or maybe a blurred-out screenshot. Or more Dishonored DLC. Or a comment about not commenting on rumour and speculation.
Thought it was all over?.
Hello everybody! I'm back from a relaxing six days in the belly of the Yorkshire Dales, remonstrating with sheep and wrestling fox hunting supporters, or possibly the other way round. Just in time for FIFA 14's reveal, then. It's happening today.