Weekly Wrap-Up #42 – More Layoffs, New Batman Game, Vita Gets Folders and More

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<p>It’s that time of week again when we take a fond look back at the top five news stories from the week&period;  Welcome to the Weekly Wrap-Up&period; Below you’ll find a brief summary of the stories&comma; but for the full articles&comma; click on the hyperlink&period; Feel free to let us know if you agree or disagree with our choices&semi; if you have suggestions for future entries&comma; feel free to email me at <a href&equals;"mailto&colon;jeremy&period;tyler&commat;bagogames&period;com"><strong>jeremy&period;tyler&commat;bagogames&period;com<&sol;strong><&sol;a>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Enjoy&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;">Number 5<&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;ea-lays-off-more-staff-as-they-sharpen-their-focus-for-next-gen&sol;ea-4&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-44396"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-44396" alt&equals;"EA" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;04&sol;06012515&sol;EA&period;jpg" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;ea-lays-off-more-staff-as-they-sharpen-their-focus-for-next-gen&sol;">EA Lays Off More Staff as They &OpenCurlyQuote;Sharpen Their Focus’ for Next-Gen<&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>EA has laid off more of their employees as they prepare for the move to the next generation of <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;ea-lays-off-more-staff-as-they-sharpen-their-focus-for-next-gen&sol;">game<&sol;a> systems&period; An exact number of the employees who have been laid off is unknown&comma; but it should be mentioned that EA’s Montreal studio has not been affected to the point of closing down&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a statement provided to <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ign&period;com&sol;articles&sol;2013&sol;04&sol;11&sol;ea-lays-off-staff-streamlining-operations-for-next-gen">IGN<&sol;a> and other outlets&comma; an EA representative said the following&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;EA is sharpening its focus to provide games for new platforms and mobile&period; In some cases&comma; this involves reducing team sizes as we evolve into a more efficient organization&period; These are difficult decisions to let go of good people who have made important contributions to EA&comma; and whenever possible we retrain or relocate employees to new roles&period; Streamlining our operations will help ensure EA is bringing the best next-generation games to players around the world&period;”<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><b><span style&equals;"text-decoration&colon; underline&semi;">Number 4<&sol;span><&sol;b><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;batman-arkham-origins-announced-and-dated-for-all-home-consoles&sol;batmananimated32&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-44159"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-44159" alt&equals;"Batmananimated32" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;04&sol;06013559&sol;Batmananimated32&period;png" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;batman-arkham-origins-announced-and-dated-for-all-home-consoles&sol;">Batman&colon; Arkham Origins Announced &amp&semi; Dated For All Home Consoles<&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>Warner Bros&period; has just announced that a new title in the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Batman&lowbar;franchise&lowbar;media">Batman franchise<&sol;a> will soon be released under the name of <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ign&period;com&sol;articles&sol;2013&sol;04&sol;09&sol;batman-arkham-origins-announced"><em>Batman&colon; Arkham Origins<&sol;em><&sol;a> which is currently in development for all home <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;batman-arkham-origins-announced-and-dated-for-all-home-consoles&sol;">consoles<&sol;a> meaning that the game will be releasing on the PC&comma; Xbox 360&comma; PlayStation 3 and the Wii U&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The game’s release date was also confirmed to be the 25th October this year although it will not be developed by by <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;rocksteadyltd&period;com&sol;">Rocksteady Studios<&sol;a> and will instead be developed in-house at Warner Bros&period; Games Montreal meaning many assets will be <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;batman-arkham-origins-announced-and-dated-for-all-home-consoles&sol;">recycled<&sol;a>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><b><span style&equals;"text-decoration&colon; underline&semi;">Number 3<&sol;span><&sol;b><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;sony-stores-discounting-3g-vita-handhelds&sol;kazuo&lowbar;hirai&lowbar;with&lowbar;playstation&lowbar;vita1&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-42115"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-42115" alt&equals;"Kazuo&lowbar;Hirai&lowbar;with&lowbar;Playstation&lowbar;Vita1" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;03&sol;06024830&sol;Kazuo&lowbar;Hirai&lowbar;with&lowbar;Playstation&lowbar;Vita1&period;jpg" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;playstation-vita-to-get-organized-with-folders&sol;">PlayStation Vita To Get Organized With Folders&quest;<&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>PlayStation Vita to get organized&quest; Fred Dutton&comma; manager of the EU PlayStation <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;playstation-vita-to-get-organized-with-folders&sol;">Blog<&sol;a>&comma; has heavily hinted that folders may be gracing Sony’s portable handheld&comma; the PlayStation Vita&comma; similar to how Nintendo introduced the organizing system on its own portable&comma; the Nintendo 3DS&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The hint came after one user commented saying&colon;<br &sol;>&NewLine;<i>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;Also a Vita FW update to stack your games in folders and for the memory card to save the layout of apps and games etc&comma; so if you swap memory cards you don’t get a jumbled mess&excl;”<&sol;i><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><b><span style&equals;"text-decoration&colon; underline&semi;">Number 2<&sol;span><&sol;b><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;microsoft-moved-xbox-event&sol;xboxwallpaper&lowbar;1024x768&lowbar;&lowbar;0005&lowbar;-com-07&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-44077"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-44077" alt&equals;"XboxWallpaper&lowbar;1024x768&lowbar;&lowbar;0005&lowbar;&period;com 07" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;04&sol;06013852&sol;XboxWallpaper&lowbar;1024x768&lowbar;&lowbar;0005&lowbar;&period;com-07&period;jpg" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;microsoft-moved-xbox-event&sol;">Microsoft Has Moved Their Xbox Event to May<&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>The unveiling of <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;microsoft-moved-xbox-event&sol;">Microsoft’s<&sol;a> next-gen Xbox has been pushed back a month&comma; according to <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;theverge&period;com&sol;2013&sol;4&sol;8&sol;4195954&sol;microsoft-planning-xbox-event-for-may">The Verge<&sol;a>&period; The Xbox themed event has now been set for May 21st&comma; a date that has also been deemed accurate by The Verge’s own sources&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The news of the shift in dates comes not too long after Paul Thurrott&comma; on the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;youtube&period;com&sol;watch&quest;v&equals;01qrzaZg7&lowbar;g&num;t&equals;54m44">What the Tech<&sol;a> show&comma; talked about Microsoft and their next Xbox&period; Additional sources that have experience with Microsoft’s plans have stated that the May event will take place at a &OpenCurlyQuote;small venue’ and will focus on giving out details regarding the next Xbox&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><b><span style&equals;"text-decoration&colon; underline&semi;">Number 1<&sol;span><&sol;b><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;official-box-art-bioshock-infinite-booker-dewitt-front-center&sol;bioshock-infinite-box-art&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-31428"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-31428" alt&equals;"BioShock Infinite Box Art" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2012&sol;12&sol;06081806&sol;BioShock-Infinite-Box-Art&period;jpg" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;rod-fergusson-departing-from-irrational-games&sol;">Rod Fergusson Departing from Irrational Games<&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>With <em><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;bioshockinfinite&period;com&sol;">BioShock Infinite<&sol;a><&sol;em> now out and about and blowing the minds of people around the world&comma; VP of Development Rod Fergusson &lbrack;is&rsqb; departing from <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;irrationalgames&period;com&sol;">Irrational Games<&sol;a> in search of other projects&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Speaking to <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;polygon&period;com&sol;2013&sol;4&sol;8&sol;4196156&sol;bioshock-infinites-rod-fergusson-leaves">Polygon<&sol;a>&comma; Fergusson&comma; who joined Irrational <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;gears-war-producer-joins-bioshock-team&sol;">last year<&sol;a> to help finish <em>BioShock Infinite<&sol;em>&comma; states that he saw working with the developer as &OpenCurlyQuote;a great opportunity to learn from Ken and his team’ due to him looking for better ways to tell stories in the <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;rod-fergusson-departing-from-irrational-games&sol;">games<&sol;a> he works on&period; Prior to his employment at Irrational Games&comma; he was at <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;epicgames&period;com&sol;">Epic Games<&sol;a> as a Producer for the <em>Gears of War<&sol;em> series&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I am very proud of the work that I did and of the team and what they were able to accomplish on <i>Infinite<&sol;i>&period; Now with the game shipped successfully&comma; I’ve done what I set out to do here and now I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life and career&comma;” he said to Polygon&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1 style&equals;"text-align&colon; center&semi;"><b>Honorable Mentions<&sol;b><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;ni-no-kuni-demo-impressions&sol;ni-no-kuni-3&sol;" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-34145"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-34145" alt&equals;"Ni No Kuni" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;cdn&period;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2012&sol;12&sol;06064831&sol;ni-no-kuni&period;jpg" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This week had a lot of big news and the news staff and I found it hard to narrow it down to the usual five stories&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&CenterDot;       <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;level-5-layton-ni-no-kuni-working-on-a-new-title-for-ps4&sol;">Level 5 &lpar;Layton &amp&semi; Ni No Kuni&rpar; Working On A New Title For PS4<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&CenterDot;       <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;ea-wins-the-consumerists-worst-company-in-america-title-again&sol;">EA Wins The Consumerist’s &OpenCurlyQuote;Worst Company in America’ Title Again<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&CenterDot;       <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;microsoft-sells-mediaroom-dedicating-all-tv-resources-to-xbox&sol;">Microsoft Sells Mediaroom&comma; Dedicating all TV Resources to Xbox<&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;&quest;attachment&lowbar;id&equals;40573" rel&equals;"attachment wp-att-40573"><img class&equals;"aligncenter size-full wp-image-40573" alt&equals;"BG-Bagocast-itunes-logo" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2013&sol;02&sol;BG-Bagocast-itunes-logo&period;png" &sol;><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>If you missed out on the big news items this week&comma; you can check out our <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;bagogames&period;com&sol;podcast&sol;bagocast&sol;">weekly podcast <&sol;a>and get an audio update of this week’s madness from our podcasting team&period; Listen to us as we talk about some things seriously and a few other things not so much&period; We guarantee this episode will make you shake your fist at times and nod your head at others&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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