SoulCalibur IV Announced For 360 And PS3

Officials from Namco Bandai have confirmed the continuation of popular one-on-one beat ‘em-up series SoulCalibur, with the release of the fourth game in the franchise now scheduled for the Xbox 360 and PS3 next year, although details of the game are so far sparse. The first in-depth preview of the game in the West is due to take place in the next issue of consumer magazine EGM, although associated website 1up.com has already obtained a teaser trailer for the game. The teaser contains no gameplay footage but does feature series regulars Ivy, Mitsurugi and Nightmare. The website quotes Namco Bandai Games America executive Makoto Iwai as saying, "SoulCalibur has been a cornerstone franchise for Namco Bandai Games and this latest edition will build upon its legacy of groundbreaking fighting experiences. With SoulCalibur IV, long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise will be amazed by its visual beauty and intense, pulse pounding weapon combat." The SoulCalibur series began in the arcades with Soul Edge, which was later adapted for the PSone. The franchise’s name was then altered to SoulCalibur, with became an Dreamcast exclusive launch title. The most successful iteration so far has been SoulCalibur II, which appeared on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube – each version with a prominent exclusive bonus character. The presence of The Legend of Zelda hero Link in the GameCube version saw it become the most successful SKU for SoulCalibur II, but the subsequent sequel was a PlayStation 2 exclusive – which went on to disappointing critical and commercial success. A separate game named SoulCalibur: Legends has been announced for the Wii, which is described as an arcade adventure rather than one-on-one beat ‘em-up.