Ace Combat 6 on Xbox 360 Confirmed - No mention of a PS3 version yet

Cool. I hope it has Online play. :)'

PS3_3DO

If I was a cow id much rather have NG Sigma.

Ace Combat Gets 16-Player Support
First screens and new details.
by Anoop Gantayat

March 23, 2007 - Following the surprise announcement from earlier this week of Ace Combat's defection from PlayStation exclusivity and on to the Xbox 360, Bandai Namco has opened up the official Japanese website for the title. Access it here, or read on below for all the details.

While our earlier report on the game included preliminary details on the type of online play Bandai Namco is working into the title, the website has managed to clear up one burning question: player count. The game is being developed with a target of up to 16 player simultaneous play, according to the site. The online ranking mode should also add to the game, as Bandai Namco is planning on rewarding players with badges based on performance. The top pilots in the world can look forward to exclusive badges to show off just how good they are.

The screenshots distributed today by Bandai Namco (see the media section below) provide a tantalizing look at next generation Ace Combat, with realistic planes, awesome cloud effects and even lots of detail way below on the ground. Based on the shots, the game seems to use real time cinematic scenes this time around rather than pre-rendered scenes that filled you in on the story between missions in previous titles.

Ace Combat 6 is scheduled for release some time in 2007, which could mean that it's still a ways off. But Bandai Namco is already promoting the title with marketplace downloads. Now available on the marketplace are gamer icons (80 points), and themes (100 to 150 points) for the game. The website has a section for "trailer," so hopefully we'll get some video footage in the near future as well.

[QUOTE="AdrianWerner"]

 [QUOTE="ASK_Story"][QUOTE="carl2tan"]I dont like these games.  But to be fair, this will still hurt the PS3 because that series was primarily on Playstation.  Am i glad I got a 360.  PS3 is looking less apealing everyday.SuperKnightX

:lol:  :lol: 

News from Japan: more Ace Combat 6 details revealed
by GamePro Staff | 03/23/2007 | 7:19:55 PM PST

The latest news in Japan reveals a ton of new surprises for the Xbox 360's first rendezvous with the Ace Combat series.

By Eugene Huang

A new report from Japan's Impress Watch today contains much more detail than what was previously known regarding Ace Combat 6. Although its platform-exclusive status with the Xbox 360 is still unconfirmed at this point, more information regarding gameplay, story, and downloadable content have now been provided.

Gameplay

One of the new key features of Ace Combat 6 will be the implementation of online play, not seen on any previous home console version of Ace Combat. We previously reported that a number of co-op and versus modes would be implemented, and according to the report, the development team is working to include support for up to 16 simultaneous players. It also says that special, unique titles will be rewarded to high-ranking online players who fulfill certain requirements.

As for the game's main single player mode, the developers indicate the the power of the Xbox 360 has allowed them to greatly expand the size and scope of the battlefield. Now, players are no longer restricted to giving orders to a single wingman or a squadron of four, but can now interact with a number of squadrons that can take part in up to six simultaneous operations, each with a different objective. The game will also feature a new system allowing you to organize joint attacks with other air, naval, and ground units, or simply call for their support.

Choice of Planes

So far, there have been no surprises with the roster of purchasable aircraft, with the presently small list being made up of planes that are no strangers to the Ace Combat series. Bandai Namco has so far released screenshots and terse profiles showcasing four aircraft: the F-15E Strike Eagle, the A-10A Thunderbolt II, the Tornado GR.4, and the Typhoon. More planes will no doubt be announced at a later date.

Story
(Note: Place names and character names may change after official localization.)


The story in AC 6 begins with the Ulysses 1994 XF-04 meteor shower in the year 1999, the same disaster that set the events of Ace Combat 04 in motion. Two nations in particular, the Republic of Emmeria and the Federal Republic of Estovakia, are affected, but while Emmeria emerges unscathed, Estovakia is brought to its knees by civil unrest and conflict.

Under a military government, the Estovakian Federation is once again unified, and peace is seemingly restored in the year 2015. However, without warning, Estovakia launches an unprovoked attack on Emmeria's capital city, Gracemeria. Garuda, Emmeria's 28th Fighter Squadron, is charged with the task of the city's defense. However, a devastating aerial bombardment, as well as the appearance of a mysterious red squadron eventually changes the tide of the war.

The story will be told from the point of view of seven different characters, each from a different place, and each affected by the war in his or her own unique way. One character, named Melissa, is the wife of an Emmerian pilot who loses her daughter Matilda in the ensuing bombardment. Another is Tank Sgt. McKnight, who, after becoming a refugee, participates in the operation to stop the Estovakian advance. Next is Lt. Col. Voychek: once one of Estovakia's ace pilots, he defects to Emmeria as an intelligence officera after a career-debilitating injury. And last in the list so far is an Estovakian woman known as Ludmilla, who rushes to the battlefield to be at the side of her lover, a pilot. Whose side he flies for is currently unknown.

As for the main character, the player will take the role of one of the pilots of the Garuda squadron, 8th Air Wing -- callsign: Talisman.

Downloadable Content

Downloadable content for Ace Combat 6 is already available in the Japanese market, starting today. So far, Bandai Namco has offered three items, including two visual themes and an icon pack. As of yet, no information is available regarding a North American equivalent.

Matthew Fitsko contributed to this report with the translation of the original piece.

to me the game looks like a ps2 game running in 720p. Im sure they will make a better version of ace combat for ps3 later on.GermanShepard06

it looks somewhat beyond a PS2 game in 720p to me. 

$149 Ace Combat 6 premium box, with Flightstick coming to Xbox 360

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=147916

With Namco releasing an Ace Combat title outside of its PlayStation hangar bay, looks like Namco will go all the way once again and release a deluxe box with Ace Combat 6 and the official Flightstick controller (much like how they did with Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War on PS2).

The premium box will of course be in limited supply, so preorder (Gamestop/EB/etc.) to avoid missing out. Scheduled for takeoff in November, it'll be priced once again at the hefty price of $149.99.

 http://www.gamesradar.com/us/xbox360/game/previews/article.jsp?articleId=20070404162613406076&releaseId=20070320115630142044§ionId=1001&pageId=2007040416293510066

 

Day 5: An exclusive hands-on report
Words: Brett Elston


After spending the better part of a week describing bits of what makes Ace Combat 6 such an exciting prospect, we feel it's time to share our initial impressions of the almost-complete version Namco provided. This build was about 60% done and needed a little tweaking in the sound and framerate departments, but we're confident the Ace team will have these issues tucked away before the game ships - no other game in the series has gone to stores chuggy or choppy, so we don't expect that to start with Fires of Liberation.

By now you know all about the Dynamic Operation and Allied Support systems, but we're here to tell you how they affect gameplay. Right from the start you're bombarded with bogies, both air and ground. Some kind of skirmish has broken out in a seaside city, and your squadron has to go in and keep the peace. As you and your crew fly in for support, separate forces will clash on the ground, each with their own goals and roles in the battle. So, the moment we saw the "Mission Start" screen, waves of anti-aircraft flak and missiles came blasting from the city. The sheer amount of missile trails alone was enough to make us stop and take notice.

A quick glance around the area with the right analog stick revealed a sickeningly detailed environment, with tufts of clouds floating through the sky and countless vapor trails littering the battlefield. For the first time, it really does seem like there's a war going on, not just an assortment of enemies taking potshots.


This first level threw three Operations our way - so, upon entering the battle, we had three separate scraps to consider. Do we take out a cache of weapons that's supplying the enemy frontline, knock out their HQ or gun down a set of choppers that are raising hell with our landing strip? The order we complete them in can affect the overall outcome, so it's not a throwaway decision (that landing strip might come in handy later, after all).

Just to get a lay of the land, we opted to go for the cache. This is the point where we couldn't believe how many targets there were on the screen. It seemed like there were more things shooting at us in this one level then five average levels of previous Ace games. With all these bogies flashing on the radar, it was pretty damn easy to lose our place. Luckily, the developers thought of this - you can cycle the radar through each Operation's targets, so your desired objectives can stay in site while everything else fades into the background.


But even then we had a hard time taking care of all the targets. There were just so damn many it felt like we were flying forever, battling a seemingly endless supply of bogies. The Allied Support System is designed to alleviate this stress, enabling you to rally troops, ships and planes towards one targeted area, wiping out anything in sight. You have to fill a gauge by bagging enemies before you can use this measure, but given the ample supply of targets, it wasn't too difficult to accomplish.

The next mission we tried featured the A-10 soaring over a frozen, hilly wasteland. The setting sun and snow capped areas look super hot on the 360, so graphics whores will really eat it up. It was during this mission we were told only a set number of Operations must be fulfilled to complete the mission, so it's not like you have to utterly annihilate the enemy to proceed. However, with secret jets so prolific in the series, don't be surprised if you can get some extra goodies by doing so.



Before our session ended, the developers showed us one more area of the game - going up against one of Ace 6's superweapons. If you played the first game or last year's Ace Combat Zero, you'll know what it was we saw - a sun-blocking flying fortress that towers over everything else in the sky. Even better, a group of Batwing-looking jets were escorting the behemoth, plus something that looked like a flying aircraft carrier (think SHIELD Helicarrier).


There's still no footage of Fires of Liberation to be had, but we'll have a look at it before anyone else, so please, keep your eyes peeled for more on the 360's highest-flying jet-sim. Until then, why not take a look at the image viewer and enjoy the rest of our brand-new, exclusive screenshots.

I'm a an ace combat fan I've played tru all of em, ps1 and ps2, I was shocked when I head this game is coming to the 360.-KinGz-

I'm a an ace combat fan I've played tru all of em, ps1 and ps2, I was shocked when I head this game is coming to the 360.-KinGz-

I was pretty shocked too.  it was a pleasant surprise ^__^ 

I was quite shocked myself when the confirmation for an Ace Combat for X360 got out, but Im not worried whatsoever. Why? Simple. Ridge Racer 6. Same developer, same thing will happen IMO. And I 've readed a comment/post/news in a site a few days later (I dont remeber where right now) where it said that it is pretty much a test run on the possibilities of this kind of games running online. Which console has the more well developed online network running at the momment? Yep.

 And for those saying/thinking that PS3 will never see another Ace Combat game, Bandai-Namco is working hand in hand with Sony in Japan in so many projects (from the cell based arcade boards to games based on the cell architecture only) that to think and say such a thing is plain stupid. An Ace Combat game for PS3 will come out, better and bigger, with online, ironicaly thx to X360.

PS- And there is another thing that Im interested in. Ace Combat games sell pretty well around the globe, and, Im not sure, but I think that Japan is the country that it sells most. X360 has no user base there (way to small compared with the other two), so sales might suffer a bit. That may prevent other Ace Combats from coming to X360 in the end, if it ends not selling well for the platform (all aroun the globe I mean, not only Japan).