Greeting and salutations fellow Axeheads!  Welcome to another scrumptious edition of EpicBattleAxe.com’s The Rumor KILL.  This weekend’s edition features a plethora of succulent gossip courtesy of our great industry from new hardware and software coming to an unexpected yet understandable platform.  Are these rumors true or are they complex lies created by the quality control lacking internet?  As per usual I shall dive down deep into the slimy underbellies of these stories and salvage any shred of truth that may exist, if it exists at all.  So, join me won’t you on this excellent adventure to find the light of truth in the dark taverns of deception.

THE RUMOR: Steam will finally have Mac OS X support

THE SOURCE: Kotaku

MY TAKE: It’s always interesting what people can find when digging through release files.  A recent treasure hunt through the files of the beta update for Steam turned up OS X specific graphics like open/close and minimize icons, system dock graphics on top of OS X menu files.  On the surface it seems to be a no brainer.  Through the program Crossover Mac users can get Steam on their computer which is fine but for the average consumers it can be too much trouble and too much money (the software costs about $40).  However, there is obviously something that is stopping Valve from doing so.  They have zero products for OS X so maybe they feel there is no gain for them since they won’t be selling their own software.  Maybe this new update is a sign that the winds of change are blowing and we’ll be seeing some Valve product on the Mac someday.

THE VERDICT: BELEIVE IT!!!

Contrary to popular belief there are people who play video games on the Mac.  Also contrary to popular belief there are actually video games with Mac support!  Valve’s publishing partners such as EA, Take-Two Interactive and id Software create games for both the PC and Mac.  Therefore there’s an untapped market that Steam has yet to cater to and although I’m no business student, I know that a bigger market = more profit…so OS X support for Steam does seem inevitable.  The substantial update for Steam that is currently in beta is definitely an opportune time for more Mac support.  If this will come into effect right when the update is released or if the OS X graphics files are preparation for a future update that will be Mac compatible is yet to be seen.  The good thing is that all these signs point to Steam finding its way to Mac gamers.  At least then they won’t have to throw away $40 for additional software to do so.

THE RUMOR: The PSP 2 and DS2 will debut at E3 2010

THE SOURCE: UGO

MY TAKE: What the hell are Sony and Nintendo doing??? Exchanging Christmas cards and syncing schedules to debut their new toys at the same time?  Either that or they have some sort of Spy vs. Spy thing going on in the two companies because this would be a serious coincidence.  After both companies launch new versions of their portable consoles (DSi XL & PSP GO) they will make them completely obsolete within a year of their releases at E3 2010 by release the successors at the same game show. It seemed plausible when I first read the article but when you break it down it’s just strange.  Shane Bettenhausen seemed pretty convinced that this is going to happen and even says the two portable consoles will be very similar in terms of their features.  So, lemme recap: two portable consoles, with very similar features, with predecessors that have come out in the same fiscal year, will debut at the same game show.  This is just pure insanity!

THE VERDICT: KILL IT!!!

There is no way in all that is holy we are going to see both consoles debut at the same game show because the timing of it would be ridiculous.  The DSi XL isn’t out till March, the PSP GO just came out in October, what is this world coming to?  In all seriousness Bettenhausen is a pretty reliable source which is probably the only reason this rumor took flight, and we’re getting into the 5/6 year anniversary of these systems so a graphical kick in the ass should be coming soon for portable gaming.  Even still with the release of the previous mentioned versions of the consoles it just doesn’t make sense in any possible way.  Probably next year at the latest we’ll hear about new portable consoles, but I guarantee we won’t see those consoles debut at the same show!

THE RUMOR: Project Natal will be released October 2010

THE SOURCE: TFTS

MY TAKE: Are we actually at the point where TWITTER is the go to place for information?  UK television presenter Jonathan Ross tweeted that Project Natal has till October to get it together before its release, a statement that heavily suggests Natal will see store shelves sometime between October 1st and October 31.  Would this be the first time Twitter turned out to be the beacon of truth?  Not at all.  Would this be the first time Twitter was the center of deceit? Definitely not. That’s always the problem when you give people the option to post the first thing that pops into their head on the internet; they do it before they can check the facts. Is that the case with Ross’s tweet?  Well, guess we’ll find out soon enough.

THE VERDICT: SPARE IT!!!

We know that we will see Project Natal in 2010, but in terms of it coming out in October specifically remains to be scene.  Ross could be referring to a number of things as well.  Could mean that’s the deadline for the final version of Project Natal and it would actually be released till November or even early December.  Q4 does make sense though since this will definitely be going for the holiday release window to maximum sales and October is far enough from Christmas for some games to come out to help move hardware.  Still, just because something make sense doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to go down so I’m going to stay neutral with this one.  Q4 is probably the way Microsoft is going to go with this one but when in that quarter is up in the air in my book.  The deciding factor I believe is when the software will be ready since spending $50-$100 on a three-lens camera beside your Xbox is useless without software to use it with.

THE RUMOR: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron is coming to the Wii

THE SOURCE: Destructoid

MY TAKE: Now before everyone reading this cries tears of happiness at the thought of Rogue Squadron being ported (too late for me), I should clarify that the listing Dtoid refers to does not specify if it’s a update of the original game, a complete reboot or a sequel to Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike.  Still, imagine if they brought back the original game with updated graphics and motion controls!  That would almost make me throw down the necessary $200 to buy myself a freakin’ Wii…OK, maybe not, but still, it’s a big deal!  I have such good memories of the original game on the N64.  Not only was it one of my first Star Wars games but it was the first “flight simulation” game (I use the term VERY loosely) I had ever played at the tender age of 9.  Having access to X-Wings, A-Wings, Y-Wings and Tie Fighters was a dream come true and I loved every minute.  It would be great for a younger generation to have the same experience I had with the game so a new game would be awesome, the question is will it happen?

THE VERDICT: SPARE IT!!!

As much as my judgment is being clouded by excitement, I cannot honestly say I believe this rumor.  Partially because it falls under the “too good to be true” category and mostly because the details we have right now are way too vague.  The listing that started this rumor just says a Rogue Squadron game and nothing else.  Therefore we have absolutely no idea what to expect from this or whether this game exists at all.  There has been many example of this kind of listing that end up being a miscommunication or a project that gets canceled.  Either way it is still possible we will see Rogue Squadron on the Wii in one form or another, I’m just not going to get my hopes up on this one.

THE FINAL SAY

My final say this week is more of a question then a statement regarding the upcoming DSi XL.  Now, I haven’t owned a portable gaming device since the Gameboy Color so my knowledge regarding category of systems may be a little dated but isn’t the point of a portable gaming system that it’s easy to carry around?  Therefore, as the technology advances, it makes sense that the handhelds become smaller and lighter without giving up power, a trend we have seen up until now.  With that in mind, can someone please explain to me why Nintendo would want to create a successor to the DSi which is larger, heavier and therefore slightly harder to carry around?  If you can give me a logical explanation for this shift in design then please leave an answer below because I would really like to know!

While you’re answering my question you can also give your own thoughts on the rumors discussed above. Should they be KILLED, BELIEVED or SPARED? Finding definite evidence concerning these rumors is also encouraged as always so show off your internet research skills and you too can feel like a smarty pants for a week. That’s all from me until we meet again for another edition of EpicBattleAxe.com’s The Rumor KILL!