New Games |
- Fatal Frame 2: Wii Edition softly spooks your face
- The Sims Social promises to be a good woman if you return
- Defend the Holy Land from the Crusaders in Sword of Islam
- Spy Hunter being revived again for Vita and 3DS
- Epic victorious in drawn out suit from Silicon Knights
- The DTOID Show: Hitman Hits Nuns, Cyberpunk & Doom 3: BFG
- The Network Roundup: Smoke on the water
- Jeremy McGrath's Offroad coming to PSN, XBLA on June 27th
- Live show:Hangin' with Mr. Foom on Mash Tactics
- You Don't Know Jack now playable on Facebook
- Rachet & Clank celebrate 10th anniversary with new game
- Guacamelee serves up a brand new trailer
- In his next game, Mario should be made out of clay
- Tecmo Koei bringing Pokemon Conquest to E3
- GOG.com set to release Tomb Raider and Retro City Rampage
- Rumor: Battlefield 3's 'Premium' service will cost $50
| Fatal Frame 2: Wii Edition softly spooks your face Posted: 30 May 2012 04:00 PM PDT
In this "overview" trailer for the upcoming Fatal Frame 2: Wii Edition, we get a solid look at the game's unsettlingly close sibling protagonists, and how the game's new features (behind the back camera, flashlight-focused exploration, and enhanced combat controls) change things up. It all comes together for more freaky time than I bargined for. At first, the game's low res, low-poly background's were too distracting for me to really get into the atmosphere, but then... BHAA! What's up with that broken-necked ghost lady suddenly all up on my computer screen? You both feel bad for her, and desperately want her to go away forever. That kind of sympathy/repulsion is what good ghost stories are all about. We also get a look at the game's new "haunted house" multi-player bonus mode, which looks surprisingly tense. I wasn't expecting much from this little extra, as it sounded a lot like the Ju-On game on the Wii from a few years back (but not in a good way). With horror of this type though, it's all in the execution, so there is a chance it will all come together in the end. I'm going to miss the Wii when it's gone, as it's the home console where this kind of risky, lower-budget title has the best chance at retail. I just hope that more of these games leave Japan before the Wii is gone. Releasing a Fatal Frame 2/Fatal Frame 4 in the United States this year would be a great way for Nintendo to show the world that survival horror, and the Wii console, aren't dead yet. |
| The Sims Social promises to be a good woman if you return Posted: 30 May 2012 03:00 PM PDT Numerous online games send messages to lapsed users in an attempt to get those players to come back. Sometimes, they try to guilt you into going back; other times, they look to entice you into returning by offering free goodies. In the case of the Facebook game The Sims Social, EA and Playfish opted for the former tactic in an email sent today to players. But somebody should've looked this one over first. As if the email's sexist language and imagery weren't bizarre enough, the letter looks stranger still in the context of The Sims Social. Facebook is the world's largest gaming platform, and The Sims has perhaps the most mainstream, cross-cultural appeal of any of EA's properties. So why would EA send something like this to former Sims Social players? Who at EA and/or Playfish approved it, and what were they thinking? Wouldn't a less chauvinistic strategy, let alone a gender-agnostic approach, make more sense? |
| Defend the Holy Land from the Crusaders in Sword of Islam Posted: 30 May 2012 02:30 PM PDT
Paradox has announced a new DLC pack for Crusader Kings II called Sword of Islam, a mini-expansion that will let players control Muslim rulers. New mechanics will be added to make playing as a Muslim nation feel distinct from playing as a European power. You'll have to worry about Islam customs about marriage, holdings, titles, and laws. Sword of Islam is going to be available in June for $9.99, which is an interesting price for Paradox. Most of their expansion packs run for $19.99 - $29.99, while their add-ons are usually under five bucks. This most likely means that it will be slightly larger than their usual DLC, but not quite as substantial as something like A House Divided. A major patch is coming to Crusader Kings II right around the same time Sword of Islam comes out, fixing some bugs and tweaking combat, and adding a new area to the game map. This patch will be free, of course. |
| Spy Hunter being revived again for Vita and 3DS Posted: 30 May 2012 02:00 PM PDT Warner Bros. announced today they will be publishing a new installment in the Spy Hunter franchise, bound for PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS this fall and developed by TT Fusion. Another reboot of the series, the game is introduced in the above video which demonstrates the features of the G-6155 Interceptor, portraying them as one might if it were just some perfectly normal car you take out for a leisurely Sunday drive -- and blow up other motorists with. As you can see, transformation functions of the Interceptor return, allowing for water and off-road travel. The vehicle will also be customizable with a variety of high-tech gadgetry, including an unmanned support drone. I've always liked this series, as it's the kind of driving game I can actually play without feeling embarrassed because I can't complete a lap without bumping everything in sight. And it's fared better than most classic arcade games which have seen re-iteration over the years (though it's had less luck in getting a film off the ground). Here's hoping that TT Fusion can keep that going. |
| Epic victorious in drawn out suit from Silicon Knights Posted: 30 May 2012 01:00 PM PDT After a protracted legal battle lasting five years, a North Carolina court has closed the book on a suit brought forth by Silicon Knights against Epic Games, alleging that the developer of Unreal Engine 3 competed unfairly by using funds from licensing the engine to develop Gears of War instead of making improvements. According to a statement given to Polygon by Epic's legal counsel, a jury has dismissed all claims against Epic as well as finding in their favor on a counterclaim that Silicon Knights were in breach of their licensing agreement. The court has awarded $4.45 million in damages to Epic Games, which doesn't include possible coverage of their legal fees; Epic has thirty days to file a request for a reimbursement of that from Silicon Knights as well. Ouch. I guess now probably isn't the time to get excited about the possibility of an Eternal Darkness sequel, eh? Epic Games wins lawsuit against Silicon Knights, awarded $4.45 Million [Polygon] |
| The DTOID Show: Hitman Hits Nuns, Cyberpunk & Doom 3: BFG Posted: 30 May 2012 12:30 PM PDT Of course, "normal" means "sexy nuns in latex miniskirts with bazookas," I guess, because that new Hitman: Absolution trailer is overflowing with that sort of thing. id Software is re-releasing Doom 3 with some new levels, along with Doom I and II, and an armor-mounted flashlight. Speaking of terrifying things, Among The Sleep looks absolutely brilliant and terrifying. CD Projekt Red has announced their next game will be Cyberpunk, based on the paper RPG Cyberpunk 2020. Shut up and take my money. Plus, Hamza comes on the show to talk about what he's excited for at E3. (Answer: Halo 4) |
| The Network Roundup: Smoke on the water Posted: 30 May 2012 12:00 PM PDT Woe is me. Only one more episode left of this season's Game of Thrones, but last week's sure delivered. After all the build up I was wondering how they would employ the deadly Wild Fire on screen. I loved it, in all of its ectoplasm looking goodness! Even my dear King Joffrey was impressed with the light show! Destructoid kept the battle going with all the pre-E3 news. Japanator turned the tide of battle with some exciting new reviews. Flixist rallied with some flashy new trailers. Finally, Tomopop chains off its enemies from escape with exciting Fate Zero figma pics. Do you think Tyrion will still have a nose when he wakes up? Japanator
Flixist
Tomopop
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| Jeremy McGrath's Offroad coming to PSN, XBLA on June 27th Posted: 30 May 2012 11:30 AM PDT It's been just over a year since we last heard that Jeremy McGrath's Offroad was supposed to be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in 2011. That clearly didn't happen for some reason, but now 2XL Games is finally ready to release Offroad on June 27th for XBLA and PSN. We also have some actual gameplay footage of the game this time around in the launch trailer, and it looks like it shaped up quite nicely. You can either race around in some buggies, off-road cars, and apparently more. At one point in the video I saw a plane fly by overhead, so I'm wondering if those will be controllable? I sure hope so. For only 800 Microsoft Points ($9.99 on PSN), Jeremy McGrath's Offroad looks like it's offering quite a lot for such a small price. This one really came out of nowhere. What do you guys think? |
| Live show:Hangin' with Mr. Foom on Mash Tactics Posted: 30 May 2012 10:30 AM PDT It's a party at King Foom's house today! A handful of Foom's friends are coming over to liven up Mash Tactics. The crew will be hitting up some Kinect games, probably making fools of themselves. After that they'll be jumping on Foom's Killer Instinct arcade cabinet. Tune in and be one of the gang. Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch King Foom play a variety of games, each day with its own theme. With a heavy focus on community and viewer interaction, you can be as much a part of the show as anything else.
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| You Don't Know Jack now playable on Facebook Posted: 30 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Jellyvision has released a version of their classic, irreverent trivia series, You Don't Know Jack for Facebook which features many of the bells, whistles and foghorns found in games for the platform. Each day, players will be able to play a round for free and cash earned through playing is banked in an experience system which rewards players with more free plays and new fake ads from all new sponsors. Games run five questions in length and include "Dis or Dat" and "Gibberish Questions," and every round ends with a Jack Attack, making for a tiny little chunk of Jack when you need it. And while you'll be playing alone, You Don't Know Jack puts you in competition against how your friends, showing how they scored on the same questions and allows you opportunities to brag or give props. There's more coming, too. Jellyvision is also working on new versions of You Don't Know Jack for iOS and Android devices, coming later this year. Yay! |
| Rachet & Clank celebrate 10th anniversary with new game Posted: 30 May 2012 10:00 AM PDT Insomniac Games is bringing Rachet & Clank back to basics for the series' tenth anniversary this fall with the release of Ratchet And Clank: Full Frontal Assault, a new downloadable entry. This is great news since the last entry in the series, All 4 One, is best described as a party pooper: doing away with everything that made the series great for the sake of drawing in a new audience. In contrast, this new bite-sized sequel (think 2008's excellent Quest for Booty) will go back to the original combat, zany weapon variety, and camera controls that made the series so beloved by fans. What has me the most excited is multiplayer, which CEO of Insomniac Games Ted Price hinted at in a blog post (linked below). Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal had some of the best multiplayer on the PS2, so I have high hopes for what Insomniac can accomplish. In addition to this new entry developed by Insomniac, we still have the HD remaster of the PS2 originals coming this fall. After weathering the storm of the disappointing All 4 One, things are looking up for Rachet & Clank fans! Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Coming to PSN This Fall [PlayStation Blog] |
| Guacamelee serves up a brand new trailer Posted: 30 May 2012 09:30 AM PDT Remember Sony's indie pub fund? Like Kickstarter, actual results from this endeavor have been fairly limited, but as of today, we've been graced with a trailer for a brand new crazy looking platformer called Guacamelee (Guacamole and melee -- get it?!). The game is set to land on both the PS3 and the PSVita, and a build will be on the showfloor at E3 next week. Developer DrinkBox Studios describes it as a "Mexican-themed co-op-multiplayer dimension-swapping Metroid-vania beat-em-up platformer." From what I can glean from the trailer, I see elements of Soul Reaver and Outland's parallel universes, and Silhouette Mirage's mechanic of special attacks that derive from said parallel universes (I basically just wanted to name-drop Silhouette Mirage, because it's one of the best platformers ever made). Either way, whatever amalgamation of games it seems to consist of, it certainly looks neat. Keep an eye out for more Guacamelee coverage during E3! Guacamelee! [Playstation Blog] |
| In his next game, Mario should be made out of clay Posted: 30 May 2012 09:00 AM PDT So I'm sitting here, lamenting how visually uninspired the New Super Mario Bros. games are, and trying to imagine what I would do if given the opportunity to direct the next title in the franchise. What new hook would be so so expressive and attention-grabbing that it would rekindle our imaginations and bring back the spirit of mystery and discovery to the Mario series? In a Twitter exchange, I stumbled across the solution by complete accident. Remember the cover of the very first issue of Nintendo Power? It was a Super Mario Bros. 2 diorama made entirely out of clay. Mario's color scheme may have been accidentally inverted, but the scene was nevertheless striking. Imagine an entire game that looked just like that cover...
It's the next logical step. I mean, where does Mario go from here? He's traveled to a dream land, a dinosaur land, the depths of the ocean, and the far reaches of space. One minute, the hills look like a kindergartener's crayon scribbles, and the next minute, the trees are made of cardboard and Mario can turn into a paper airplane. A world of clay sounds like the perfect new frontier! Should Nintendo be looking to a magazine cover from over 20 years ago for inspiration? Why the hell not? Ever see the above Japanese commercial for Kirby's Adventure, featuring a stop-motion Kirby made of string? Two decades later, Kirby's Epic Yarn happened. See? There's a precedent for sourcing old promotional materials! This is the perfect chance for Nintendo to corner the clay niche. It's not like there have been many other games that tackled the medium. You've got Claymates and the ClayFighter series from Interplay, neither of which exactly set the world on fire. Then there's The Neverhood. The Neverhood is a point-and-click adventure in which everything from the characters to the environments is molded out of clay. Movements and environments were filmed and then digitized, giving the game an incredible visual style that has only been matched by its platforming sequel, Skullmonkeys. That more people weren't aware of these titles when they originally came out is unfortunate, but perhaps a little star power is exactly what's needed to draw attention to the style. The process of using physical models to produce The Neverhood and other clay-based games may have worked for their specific cases, but I understand how expensive and time-consuming it could be to adhere to the same method for a grand Mario platformer on the scale of Super Mario Galaxy. Claymation is simply not feasible for this purpose. However, even if the Wii U is only as powerful as the Xbox 360 or PS3, it ought to be beefy enough to render a plasticine universe via CG. Hey, it worked for Flushed Away!
Aardman Animations is famous for its stop-motion films like Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, but Flushed Away instead used CGI to approximate the clay visuals of the studio's previous endeavors. The results aren't half bad! Just add a few imperfections, like fingerprint smudges and slightly uneven surfaces that would typically be flat, and you can have a game that looks nigh indistinguishable from a claymation movie! Just imagine an adorable Mario clay figurine with round, black eyes that look as though they were just pressed on his face. Imagine rolling hills dotted by puffy, towering mushrooms with conspicuous seams separating the head from the stem as though one was stacked atop the other. Imagine a hulking Bowser with a shell full of soft, pointed spikes that fall off whenever he takes a hit, because such tiny accents have difficulty adhering to surfaces without something rigid like a toothpick holding them in place. Doesn't that sound like the most wonderful place ever? Don't you wanna go there? I do! What exactly would Clay Mario do, though? That's a stupid question! What wouldn't Clay Mario do!? That's the best part! Any child who has ever goofed around with Play-Doh knows that there is no limit to the material's possibilities. What happens when you stomp on a Goomba? It'll be flattened into a brown Goomba pancake. Do you just walk away? Nope! Roll up that Goomba clay! You may need it later! Maybe you have to collect enough clay from defeated enemies to build a bridge, or you can shape the clay into objects like balls or bricks. Maybe you can create power-up costumes by collecting clay of different colors. Maybe Mario picks up stencils during his adventure. The stencils come in a variety of shapes and serve many purposes. You might happen across a patch of special yellow clay imbued with magic. If you have an circle stencil, you can punch out circles and they'll turn into coins! If you have a star stencil, you can punch out a Starman for instant invincibility! There's not just one type of modeling clay in the real world, so obviously each land in Mario's clay universe would feature clay with unique attributes. Maybe you'll bump into some Silly Putty baddies who bounce around like rubber. When you defeat them, you can form bouncy balls of your own or lay the putty down atop a map, peel it off, and have the map transferred to the putty so you can carry it around with you! Fire zones would be bad news for Mario since he runs the risk of melting into a puddle. The bad guys in these areas would feel just fine, since they are made of clay that hardens in heat. When you stomp on these enemies, instead of flatting out, they'll shatter into hundreds of pieces!
What about water zones? Clay and water isn't supposed to mix, right? Doy! Ever heard of Aqua Sand, that miraculous substance that can be molded underwater but turns into powder the second it's removed? Imagine looking at river and seeing a Cheep Cheep swimming just below the surface. As it jumps out of the water, it turns into a stream of powder that arcs through the air. When it hits the water again, it immediately reforms. Maybe during your travels, you'll find a bottle of some weird sand mixture hidden in a castle. Later on, you come across a lake and decide to pour the sand into the water. Once you do, the sand reforms into a mermaid, who thanks you by giving you a special gift! Maybe she'll give you the power the change your own attributes so that you too can dive into the drink! This is but a humble suggestion of mine. I think... scratch that... I know a Mario game based around clay would be absolutely brilliant. If Nintendo wants to run with this idea, I won't complain one bit. Next, Nintendo needs to develop a Star Fox based on the puppets Miyamoto made for the original game's promotional materials! |
| Tecmo Koei bringing Pokemon Conquest to E3 Posted: 30 May 2012 08:45 AM PDT Oh hell yes! Tecmo Koei has a rather small offering this year for E3, but that's okay because they'll have Pokemon Conquest at the show. Granted, the game launches on the DS like a week later in America so I should probably be more excited that they'll have Dead or Alive 5 at the show, right? Not only will they have their new fighter there, but there will be regular tournaments going on as part of the IPL's competition as well. Lastly, Tecmo will have Mugen Souls for the PlayStation 3, a game where you "become the undisputed Goddess and take over the world!" That kind of sounds neat, actually. What has you the most excited from Tecmo's line-up? |
| GOG.com set to release Tomb Raider and Retro City Rampage Posted: 30 May 2012 08:30 AM PDT A few months ago, GOG.com revealed that they would continue to re-release classic PC games on their service whilst also releasing brand new games through their service. At their Summer conference today, we got to know the next 4 games to be released. On the classic side of things, Sid Meier's Colonization is a real treat for strategy fans. On the more action orientated side GOG.com have announced Tomb Raider bundle containing the first 3 Lara Croft games. Looks like it's time to take on that T-rex again. On the newer side, we saw Retro City Rampage announced for pre-order via GOG.com and the debut of the physics based platformer Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers. Also announced was the chance to play a four hour preview of the point and click title Resonance, if you pre-order the game. That preview is available right now, so if you're considering getting Wadjet Eye Games' next title, then that's a big plus. There was no free game from GOG.com but the site revealed that when they made Fallout available from free earlier in the year, GOG.com received 1.8 million visitors within 48 hours. Also announced was that indie dungeon crawler Legends of Grimrock sold a not-too-shabby 20,000 copies in 2 months. |
| Rumor: Battlefield 3's 'Premium' service will cost $50 Posted: 30 May 2012 08:15 AM PDT Rumors have been circulating over a reported Premium service for Battlefield 3, and it looks like it's a sure thing now, as this document was found over on NeoGAF. The premium package will run for $50, and will include all five expansion packs: Back to Karkand (already a pre-order bonus), Close Quarters, Armored Kill, Aftermath and End Game. That's not all! The service will also get subscribers access to future DLC maps two weeks early, increase their soldier customization options, and get exclusive in-game items. Okay, so far that all sounds pretty sh*tty for regular players. Don't worry, it gets far worse! Premium members will also get access to new features such as being able to reset stats, and "queue priority into servers." That last part right there. Yeah, it's f*cking bullsh*t. People who have already paid $60 for Battlefield 3 are now going to get treated like dirt over those who paid an additional $50 to cut in line, so to speak. The Premium service will be released on June 4, alongside the Close Quarters DLC. When Joystiq reached out to EA, they simply told the site: "Looks like the excitement for Battlefield Premium cannot be contained. For details, please visit Battlefield.com on June 4." Sounds like it's a done deal. We'll know for sure next week. |
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