Ace Combat 6 Flies To Xbox 360 // UPDATE

What better way to celebrate the European release of the PlayStation 3 today, than to report about another casualty signalled this week in the ranks of Sony's ex-excclusives. The "victim" is Namco's Ace Combat series, which, over the past 12 years, has only seen releases on Sony's PlayStation, PS2 and PSP platforms. But all that will end with the next major chapter, Ace Combat 6. According to Japanese magazine Famitsu (via IGN), the game will switch sides and is destined for the Xbox 360 first and foremost. In fact, they don't even mention a PS3 version at all, temporarily making this a 360 exclusive.

Ace Combat 6, which also happens to be the first next-gen game in the series, should be out in Japan by the end of 2007. So Westerners will probably take it to the skies again in early 2008. The game is being produced by Ace Combat 04 director Hiroyuki Ichiyanagi, and directed by Natsuki Isaki, who previously served as Ace Combat 04 planner and Ace Combat 5 main planner.

IGN also has some initial details about the gameplay changes expected for Ace Combat 6, including a dynamic mission system, simplified control options for beginners, and Xbox Live support for both competitive and co-operative aerial engagements, along with the obvious visual extravaganza:

"The biggest new inclusion appears to be the Dynamic Mission system, which allows for dynamically changing, large scale battles. During missions, you fight alongside a number of ally pilots and squads whom you can send them off to perform separate tasks. Success in some of these mini-missions may be required in order to clear a stage, but this isn't always the case. As you clear tasks, new ones will present themselves, expanding the battle in new ways. The game supports up to six tasks simultaneously."

Aside from Ace Combat 6, this week also saw the announcement of Devil May Cry 4 heading for the Xbox 360 (in a non-exclusive way). And of course, Namco's very own Riiiidge Racer series also made a detour on the Xbox 360, as part of the console's launch line-up. Good luck Sony, you'll need it!

UPDATE: And here are the first screenshots. Great looking, as usual.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)