The Evening Report, February 5th, 2013: Free-to-End and Paused Meats

The Evening Report, February 5th, 2013: Free-to-End and Paused Meats

Sony Online Entertainment “sunsetting” Bullet Run in March

Bullet-Run

Here’s some news that might not surprise you. Back in August, Sony launched another free-to-play shooter by the name of Bullet Run, hoping to cash in on the free-to-play craze while the coals were still hot. Despite little marketing and a quiet launch that I can’t genuinely say I remember, it seems that Acony Games will have some free time on their hands, as Rock Paper Shotgun has reported that Sony will be “sunsetting” the game – a fancy word for shutdown in the MMO landscape – in early March.

If nothing else, this goes to show that the free-to-play market is continuing to approach a point of saturation, with an astonishing number of free-to-play and microtransaction-supported games popping up at a pace that weeds would admire. For every League of Legends that succeeds, there are several of these stories that seem to go awry by the mere trait of being “a capable free-to-play game.” I can barely keep a lid on most of the free-to-play games I have access to right now as it is, and I have to admit that I don’t have much desire to add games to my library that are already on the “sunsetting” block.

[Source: Rock Paper Shotgun]

The “new Super Meat Boy” is on a developmental pause

Super-Meat-Boy-Mobile-screen-appears-1083780

Edmund McMillen has his hands in many cookie jars. Between assisting with an upcoming Binding of Isaac remake, Team Meat’s second game Mew-Genics, along with their “touch version” re-make of Super Meat Boy. This last project, it seems, is going to wait a little while longer before gracing mobile devices “and other platforms”, as Joystiq has reported (via the Team Meat blog) that Mew-Genics is now their full-time focus, pushing the pause button Super Meat Boy’s development in the process.

Everything about Mew-Genics seems right up my alley, so I can’t say I’m too worried about the mobile Super Meat Boy game taking a backseat for a little while. If this helps get “the strangest game [McMillen’s] ever worked on” closer to completion and into our hands, I think all the touch screen users out there can manage for a few extra months.

[Source: Joystiq]

Microsoft has no plans to put Halo on Steam

halo3pic1

After rumors popped up that the first three installments in the Halo franchise would be making their way to Steam, the Internet at large were aflame with the potential. Now, just two days after the story spread from NeoGAF, Gamespot has cracked down and debunked the rumor. Microsoft’s official claim is that they have “no official plans” of releasing these games on the service, even if Halos 1 and 2 are available through other mediums.

Given that this rumor is part of a list originating from NeoGAF of all places, I don’t know if it was a thing worth placing much faith in from the start. However, I will say that Microsoft’s claim mentions “current plans” to put the adventures of Master Chief in Valve’s marketplace. Three or four months from now, when a new Microsoft console finds its way into the spotlight, that story may change. I’ll be eager to see if this rumor turns out to be truth down the road, but if it doesn’t happen, at least we’ve got the Xbox versions.

[Source: Gamespot]

[divider]

Dyl-Questing – The Best Thing I Saw Today: Cheers Super Bowl Special

I’ve been making my way through Cheers on Netflix as the result of a late night bar conversation, and I’m glad to say that this show holds up really well for someone who hasn’t been acquainted with most television from “before my time.” Since the Super Bowl just went down a few days ago, original series writer Ken Levine posted a rare Super Bowl-specific scene that was only broadcast once: during the 1983 Super Bowl. Pretty neat.