Next-gen Shenmue reveal imminent... and 7 other hot rumors this week

The Game Developers Conference is just around the corner and plenty of announcements are expected as speculation surrounding the San Francisco event mounts up. Might Sony be ready to steal the show with a major VR announcement for PS4?

Other seemingly immortal rumors made a return this week; supposed hints at a new Shenmue (hey, we can dream) and yet more whispers of that Final Fantasy VII remake everyone wants to badly. Also, is Jack Bauer voicing a new Mortal Kombat game? Have PlayStation owners lost out on an unannounced masterpiece from the God of War makers? And is Deus Ex: The Fall making its way to the big screen? All that and more in this weeks rumor round up.

The Rumor: During a discussion about his new role as the voice of Snake in Metal Gear Solid 5, Kiefer Sutherland let slip that hes done some voice work for a Mortal Kombat game. He hasnt worked on any currently-known MK game, so the assumption is he was inadvertently referring to a new, unannounced entry in the fighting series.

Our Take: "I did Mortal Kombat, and that's such a huge game, but it's so not like [MGS5]," is all Sutherland said. To conclude that hes outed a new Mortal Kombat game seems a stretch, but with no mention of Sutherland in previous staff credits, its for now the only logical conclusion. The last MK game was released in 2011--were certainly due a sequel.

The Rumor: The Games Developers Conference in March is where Sony will reportedly reveal its heavily-rumored Oculus Rift challenger--a stereoscopic, head-tracking VR set with a focus on PS4 compatibility. This is according to an inside source" as cited by TechRadar.

Our Take: CVG was told that the headset was originally due for a Gamecom reveal last year, but was held back for further development before being given a public unveiling. With strong rumors spanning several months and almost as many sources, well be keeping our eyes wide open for it at GDC next month.

The Rumor: Internet rumormongers speculate that Sega classic Shenmue may be making a return on PS4. Why? Sony released a Japanese PS4 trailer within which eagle-eyed viewers spotted a PS4 username, Ryo H.--supposedly a nod to Shenmue protagonist Ryo Hazuki. Whats more, PS4 lead architect Mark Cerny is set to translate a Shenmue dissection by creator Yu Suzuki at GDC next month. Could he have a special surprise in store?

Our Take: The trailer hint is tenuous at best, and theres very little else to suggest that next month's GDC presentation will be anything other than a nostalgia-inducing retrospective. Wed give a left lung for Shenmue 3, but at this point it seems highly unlikely.

The Rumor: The Final Fantasy VII remake rumors will never die--even when Final Fantasy series producer Yoshinori Kitase says outright that making it would be a wildly lofty project. Its happening, according to NeoGAF user Verendus, who regularly spills what appears to be genuine insider information on the forum. It hardly matters until theyre ready to announce something, the anonymous tipster added.

Our Take: Verendus has some degree of creditability, particularly for Square Enix info--the seemingly knowledgeable poster spilled details on FF Versus XIIIs transition to next-gen (specifically to PS4) as Final Fantasy XV some five months before the official E3 announcement. We remain skeptical, but even if it is true, it seems wed have a long wait for an announcement anyway.

The Rumor: Top-tier Sony studio and God of War developer Sony Santa Monica suffered an unknown number of layoffs this week, and while Sony declines to comment, its strongly rumored that the studio was also forced to cancel an unannounced in-development sci-fi AAA title.

Our Take: The rumor started off as internet hear-say before reports of the cancellation were seemingly verified by former lead level designer Jonathan Hawkin, who said on Twitter, The saddest and most important part is the game I was creating for the player that will never be played. I'm sorry that I've failed you." We wouldnt be surprised if more about this mystery game leaks out before long.

The Rumor: Activision and Infinity Ward will open up Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer mode to the masses with a free playable demo. According to documentation allegedly leaked via Pastebin, the demo will contain Team Deathmatch and Domination modes on three maps, (Strike Zone, Warhawk and Prison Break), and a slice of the Extinction mode, too.

Our Take: The documentation also references new micro DLC, with links to banner images actually on the official Xbox website, which would seem to back up its validity. It claims the demo will be out March 7, so we'll know for sure within days.

The Rumor: PS3 adventure game Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus looks set to get a Vita release. In December an unannounced Vita version of the game was outed via Europe's games classification body PEGI. This week, that leak was bolstered by a new listing via North Americas ESRB. Sony and developer Insomniac are yet to confirm its existence.

Our Take: One ratings leak is reliable enough, but with two, a Vita port looks pretty certain at this point. The last game in the series, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault, took six months to make the jump from PS3 to Vita. Into the Nexus was released for PS3 in November. We fully expect a Vita version to surface in the coming months.

The Rumor: Mobile spin-off game Deus Ex: The Fall is reportedly on its way to PC. According to a NeoGAF user, assets that appear to be for a Deus Ex: The Fall product page were spotted on the Steam website, pointing to a PC port.

Our Take: The game released exclusively to the iOS app store in July 2013, widely praised for its content while being generally hindered by its virtual touch-screen controls. A big-screen port makes sense then. But we think itd make a more exciting proposition for Vita owners. Here's hoping...

Do you glaze over when someone mentions Shenmue 3? Which Mortal Kombat character would Kiefer Sutherlands voice be most suited to? Should the Oculus Rift be worried about Sonys heavily-tipped VR reveal? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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