This week, the gaming world has been heavily focused on Final Fantasy XIII, who’s release date was announced in Tokyo for December 17th in Japan. Unfortunately, us in the West will have to wait “six to eight months” for our release. Also this week, Lucidity was announced for Xbox LIVE Arcade from LucasArts, Enslaved was revealed to be Ninja Theory‘s next game published by Namco Bandai, both Uncharted 2 and Forza 3 reach gold status, a ton of new info on Crackdown 2 is revealed and more.
Read on for this week in gaming.
9/11
Calendar Check
• Halo Waypoint dated for November 5th
Clips
• Borderlands trailer displays a variety of character
• Seven minutes of new Ratchet & Clank gameplay
• Demon’s Souls ‘Visceral Action’ trailer released
• GTAIV: Gay Tony clip introduces Tony Prince
• Sony’s “High-Res Image Enlargement Technology” in video
• Sony R&D’s Anton talks PS3 motion control origins
• Halo 3: ODST trailer is in live-action mode
• Why this Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 TV spot will never air in the US
• Uncharted 2 train gameplay is mind-blowing
Community Feedback
• PS3 Firmware 3.0: This guy has the right idea
DLC
• US PlayStation Store Update: September 10, 2009
• First Batman: Arkham Asylum DLC will be ‘Insane Knight’
• Nier is an Xbox 360 exclusive in Japan?
• Free downloadable content hits Batman next week
Famitsu
• Resonance of Fate scans reveal more Basel
• Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll scans hit the latest Famitsu
Final Fantasy XIII
• Final Fantasy XIII Famitsu China scans online
• Final Fantasy XIII screenshots show Optima Change
• Final Fantasy XIII cam gameplay shows summons
• Final Fantasy XIII’s heavy marketing begins
• Final Fantasy XIII: Sazh Katzroy has a son
• Final Fantasy XIII cam gameplay from Premier Event
• Two tiny tidbits of new Final Fantasy XIII footage
• Pre-order your Final Fantasy XIII imports now
• Four new Final Fantasy XIII screenshots
• Final Fantasy XIII PS3 bundle bound for Japan
• Final Fantasy XIII to launch in the west in “in six to eight months”
• Final Fantasy XIII launch date confirmed, costs $95
• Final Fantasy XIII launches December 17th in Japan
For Facts, For Details
• Crackdown 2 info leaks from Game Informer
• Final Fantasy XIV character, world info from Famitsu
Game Announce
• Lucidity announced for Xbox LIVE Arcade
• SCEJ teasing new game on PlayStation Japan
• Crackdown 2, Ninja Theory’s next game in new Game Informer
• Sonic’s 2D rebirth teased in Project Needlemouse
Gold Status
• Uncharted 2 is gold, “sneak peek” events early October
• Forza 3 is gold, demo announced for late September
Images
• Edge of Twilight screens flaunt scenery
• Brink screenshots display police gunfire
• Tales of Vesperia PS3 shots show Symphonia costumes
• Heavy Rain gets twenty-eight new screens
• The Secret World’s first screens unravel the secret
• 3D Dot Game Heroes screenshots are late at night
• 3D Dot Game Heroes allows weapon creation, too
• Blur screenshots speed by in style
Official Word
• NCsoft PS3 MOG gets shelved, “unfortunately”
• Sony “looking into” changing PS3 newly designed Friends List
• Lewis: Multiplatform games will “just work better on Xbox LIVE”
• NIS says “exciting news” coming soon about PS3 RPG
• Microsoft explains Bungie’s awesomeness
• Sony answers PS3 firwmare v3.0 questions
• ModNation Racers is a PS3 exclusive because PSN is free
• Microsoft: Ruffian ‘the right team’ for Crackdown 2
Reviews
• Guitar Hero 5 Review
• Demon’s Souls Review
Speculation
• Sony readying another “AAA FPS PS3 title”?
• Tales of Vesperia voice actors being called back to studio
• Rumor: L.A. Noire set to hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
Tokyo Game Show
• Tokyo Game Show 2009 from my crystal ball
• Sony announces Tokyo Game Show lineup
• Konami’s TGS lineup includes Peace Walker, five unknown games
• Microsoft to also announce new games at TGS
• Ubisoft announces TGS 2009 lineup