New Games |
- So just what was Ubisoft on when it made Blood Dragon?
- Venture Bros creators would love a game based on the show
- Sword & Sworcery sells 1.5 million units
- Rayman on PC, Incognita, Saints Row IV & More Oculus XXX
- Researchers drive a car with an NES controller
- Puppeteer continues to look remarkable in latest trailer
- Weekend PC deals: Square Enix, Darksiders, Saints Row
- Forza Motorsport 5 has an answer for griefing
- More possible Ultra Street Fighter IV changes highlighted
- The EVO tournament staff wants your feedback for EVO 2013
- Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN is coming to Arcades in August
- Preview: The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot
- The DTOID Show is going live today!
- Friday Night Fights: Like what you see?
- Phantom Brave characters and more coming to Disgaea D2
- First look at Klei's turn-based tactical game Incognita
- Chroma Squad lets you manage a Japanese superhero show
- Review: Halo: Spartan Assault
- Contest: Win a four-day pass to PAX Prime!
- Sweet Fuse: At Your Side hits PSP in August
- Sony to put on quarterly events for indie developers
- Martian Manhunter is not the last bit of Injustice DLC
- Saints Row IV wins with Game of the Generation Edition
- Rare's Xbox One Kinect Sports Rivals delayed to 2014
- Class in session! Video Game High School 2 Ep. 1 is live
- Go willfully one on one with new Wonderful 101 trailer
- New Dead Rising 3 screens feature Servbot action
- A black 3DS XL could be coming to North America
- Super Hexagon, Lone Survivor creators team with 10 indies
- Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix DX looks incredible
- Rockman Xover may see an international release after all
- Now Bloody Playing: Aliens: Stasis Interrupted Part 2
- Don Mattrick to turn Zynga around with business clichés
- Stop in the name of love: Donkey Kong in stop motion
- Divekick will launch simultaneously on Steam, PS3, Vita
- Mike Tyson: 'I couldn't even beat Glass f**kin' Joe!'
- Classic Castlevania music teased for Lords of Shadow 2?
- Mega Man Board Game Facebook page opens
- Here's five new mobile games you should check out
- You must defend this whale that's been accused of MURDER
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 out on September 24
- 73% of Ouya owners have not bought a game
- Sam Fisher enforces ALL the laws
- Wayward Manor: Neil Gaiman making an ideal game, man
- Erotica game with the penis controller adds Rift support
- Active fission: $8.2B to split Activision from Vivendi
- The Daily Hotness: So then why do I feel so uncivilized?
| So just what was Ubisoft on when it made Blood Dragon? Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Far Cry 3's Blood Dragon DLC is like the greatest straight-to-VHS movie that never was. So why did Ubisoft take such a big thematic leap from the Far Cry 3 template? Game Informer talked with creative director Dean Evans about how his love of '80s action flicks and Ubisoft's willingness to expriment allowed Blood Dragon to become a reality. Evans mentions how Far Cry 3's director was open to all suggestions as to ideas for DLC and how recent films like Hobo With A Shotgun and Manborg had inspired the idea for an '80s-influenced game. Evans even got in touch with Hobo's director Jason Eisener and his input helped shape the game, along with Power Glove who provided the soundtrack to Blood Dragon. Of course, the big score was getting Michael Biehn to voice Rex Colt; Biehn had lent his voice to Aliens: Colonial Marines but was jaded on the process; "That wasn't fun at all," he said. "I just didn't really have any fun. It seemed kind of passionless." But Evans' love for the time period and project won him over: "...it was his passion, man. You just can't say no to him." You can see the short development cycle in Blood Dragon but it's also apparent how much love has gone into the game. It was really encouraging to see Ubisoft take a big gamble on the concept and hopefully other publishers will encourage similar creativity for DLC. The 80's Strike Back: The Complete Story Behind Blood Dragon [Game Informer] |
| Venture Bros creators would love a game based on the show Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick, creators of The Venture Bros. series, gave their usual unprepared Q&A panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year. At the 15:00 mark here, a fan asked the duo of the possibility of a full on Venture Bros. videogame after getting taste of Brock Samson in Telltale's Poker Night 2. "One game company would have to come to us and go 'Hey we want to [make a game].' Like nobodies ever brought that up ever," Jackson stated at the panel. From there Doc Hammer went on a rant about how he feels people think they're some kind of big company that can easily make a game or movie. And then he started talking about mopeds for some reason, and started reminiscing about Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. "Rockstar Games would have to go 'you want to make a Venture Bros. game?' and Jackson would go 'NOW!' That's how it works," Doc said. And then he had a revelation about how cool it would be for Brock to go around killing hookers in said game. So yeah, evidently no one has ever approached them with a full game idea. A Telltale made Venture Bros. game would be rather fun, wouldn't it? |
| Sword & Sworcery sells 1.5 million units Posted: 26 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP was one of the first iOS games that got a lot of critical acclaim, including a 10/10 from Destructoid. Capybara Games has posted an interesting infographic on its website that reveals the game has now sold over 1.5 million units, over a third of which were on iOS. Another third of the total sales came from the Humble Bundle 5, with Steam, Google Play, and Android bundles making up the latter third. What's interesting is the breakdown of those units sold and how many were purchased at either full price or on sale. Those paying the full price the most were iOS users, while Steam users were split fifty-fifty and two-thirds of Google Play users bought the game on sale. Something that really caught my eye was how the iOS sales were divided amongst nations, with the UK narrowly edging out Japan by only a few percent. Considering the game was released a year later with a remixed soundtrack and full localization, it's encouraging to see such a striking and original game do well in Japan. |
| Rayman on PC, Incognita, Saints Row IV & More Oculus XXX Posted: 26 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT Hey guys! I'm back! And here's today's Destructoid Show, gettin' nasty and stupid with its bad self. Rayman Legends is hitting PC, which is great. The Oculus Rift is supported by a game about sexy maids, Saints Row IV has a season pass (boo) and an anal-probe gun (yay) and a very silly special edition. Super Smash Bros 4 is getting no cutscenes, for very dumb reasons, and Klei Entertainment showed off Incognita rather spontaneously. Finally, we go over the indie development situation on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Wii U. |
| Researchers drive a car with an NES controller Posted: 26 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT I didn't expect to see this today -- it appears as if individuals have rigged a car's computer system to respond to inputs on an NES controller. It's very rudimentary in terms of how far they can push the car, but the researchers apparently used cables to connect to the electronic control units (ECUs) of a 2010 Ford Escape and a Toyota Prius. The pair of testers were funded by Darpa, and were attempting this project to raise awareness about the over-reliance on computer systems within vehicles. One of the researchers, Charlie Miller, had this to say: "We would love for everyone to start having a discussion about this, and for manufacturers to listen and improve the security of cars." Maybe they can try Power Glove support next? Car hackers [BBC UK via Nintendo Life] |
| Puppeteer continues to look remarkable in latest trailer Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT While it's perhaps not as high-profile a release as The Last of Us, Japan Studio's Puppeteer is another very promising game to help close out the PlayStation 3's library. If you haven't been keeping track of this platformer, don't do anything until you watch this trailer. Art director Gavin Moore explains the basic plot of the title, which goes a little something like this: "[It's a] tale about a boy who's snatched away from the earth, shoves his body into a wooden puppet, he then upsets this evil moonbear king who pulls off his head, eats it, and throws him away. But he manages to get up, run around -- and with the help of a strange, weird cat -- he finds these different objects that he can use as heads, and he gets sent on this adventure to try and get his way back home." Not your typical story, then. Above all else, it's the variety on display that has me anticipating Puppeteer, especially when it comes to those ridiculous-looking boss battles. Just, wow. "You will never see the same thing again," says Moore. "Everything is hand-animated, so as I say, my staff hate me, but they're so proud of it because it's pure craftsmanship." |
| Weekend PC deals: Square Enix, Darksiders, Saints Row Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT GOG.com has a large amount of old-school titles reduced by 50% in its Soviet Strategy promotion, including the likes of IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946, Kings Bounty, and the UFO franchise. If Russians and strategy is right up your alley, then the time traveling craziness of Command & Conquer: Red Alert is 70% off on Steam this weekend. Also reduced is the swansong from THQ, Darksiders 2, which is 80% off in price. Square Enix is having a big summer sale on its website for both physical and digital copies of titles like Dungeon Siege III, Deus Ex Human Revolution, and Soul Reaver. Greenmangaming is also offering the same discounts on Square Enix titles and has 50% off the price of Sim City and its DLC packs. The GamersGate summer sale rumbles on with some great daily deals: right now you can get Scribblenauts Unlimited for $4.99/£3.74 and Awesomenauts for just $2.50/£1.75. Amazon.com has Saints Row The Third - The Total Package for $12.49 (that's 75% off) and there's the indie puzzler Party of Sin for just $4.99, which is half price. As always, if you find more PC and Mac download deals please leave them in the comments and have a good weekend. |
| Forza Motorsport 5 has an answer for griefing Posted: 26 Jul 2013 11:30 AM PDT Through its Drivatar tech, Forza Motorsport 5 will create an AI version of you that learns more about your playstyle and driving techniques as you continue to play the game. Other players can compete against this approximation when you're away and although the concept isn't wholly new, it's still a neat alternative to more traditional computer-controlled opponents. I had never really thought about how griefing would come into play with Drivatars, but clearly Turn 10 Studios has. "For people who just want to get online and grief people, if you were to turn around and drive against traffic the Drivatar would stop paying attention to that," community manager Brian Ekberg told Siliconera. "It does not record that kind of griefing behavior. That's how we get around that because we recognize that there are people that do that, people that like to get online and grief." And, if like me, you're worried about how a few (okay, maybe more) botched runs might impact your online persona, Ekberg offered some reassurance. "As your skills improve, the Drivatar's skills improve, as well. Inevitably the more you play the better you are going to get. It's not like if you have a bum race here and there your Drivatar is going to be a terrible driver. It's almost like a rubber band, your skills will stretch out, expand and contract as you go and so too will your Dirvatar's ability." How Forza Motorsport 5 Handles Griefer Drivatars [Siliconera] |
| More possible Ultra Street Fighter IV changes highlighted Posted: 26 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT While we wait for more concrete info on Ultra Street Fighter IV and its ultra secret fifth character, more information on tweaks for existing characters are steadily rolling in. Although nothing is final, and everything is subject to change if it doesn't test well, Event Hub's Jason24cf has reported a number of modifications -- this time involving Akuma, Dhalsim, and C. Viper. In the current meta, Akuma is a very popular tourney character (and my current main of choice as I re-learn the game), and it looks like he might be getting a few reasonable nerfs. Specifically, he may have an increased recovery on his retreating air hadouken, he can't Focus Attack Dash Cancel (FADC) his Shoryuken's second hit, and he can't sweep into his first Ultra. Dhalsim is reportedly getting a straight damage increase, while C. Viper is getting a better hit box for her crouching medium kick (which should improve her poke/confirm game), but she also has an increased recovery on her Burn Kick and can be comboed out of it easier. All these changes aren't final, but they're a taste of things to come for Ultra, as Capcom is claiming that they want underpowered characters (like Dhalsim, currently) to have a fighting chance in tournies, rather than simply heavily nerf all of the viable ones. EH_jason24cf [Twitter via Event Hubs] |
| The EVO tournament staff wants your feedback for EVO 2013 Posted: 26 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT EVO 2013 may have concluded a few weeks ago, but the post-EVO fever isn't over yet, as tons of fighting game announcements have been pouring out since. But as for the event itself, tournament organizers are looking to you, the fans, to make the next EVO better than ever. Today, organizers created a thread to have you voice your favorite and least favorite bits from EVO 2013. You can list anything from convention food, to hotel locations, to the games on display. If you want to see a better EVO 2014, have at it! EVO Tournament Staff [Shoryuken.com] |
| Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN is coming to Arcades in August Posted: 26 Jul 2013 09:30 AM PDT Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN is well into development, and it appears as if the game will be heading to select arcade test markets in Japan. Specifically, the game will be tested first on August 9 at the Sega Akihabara Building 1, on the fourth floor. It'll run until August 12, and the game's director, Daisuke Ishiwatari, will be there from 10:00 AM until 10:30 AM. I've said it many times before, but Guilty Gear is one of my favorite fighting game franchises of all time. I can't wait to give this new game a spin, as it looks like the biggest step forward since the very first game. Siliconera is reporting that Xrd may be coming to next-gen consoles, which would be glorious. Guilty Gear [Siliconera] |
| Preview: The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot Posted: 26 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT It should go as no surprise that Ubisoft’s The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot caught a lot of people by surprise at this year’s E3. A clever combination of two genres that inherently belong together; this lovechild of Diablo and Dungeon Keeper oozed an unwieldy amount of charm in both its design and snarky humor. To think, a brand new IP -- from the franchise factory Ubisoft -- that blends the hack n’ slash loot whoring fun of a dungeon crawler with the maniacal mischief found in a dungeon defender. Really, what’s not to be excited for? Well, three dirty little words that can carry a nasty little stigma: “free-to-play.” |
| The DTOID Show is going live today! Posted: 26 Jul 2013 08:45 AM PDT Max is finally back from vacation, which means The Destructoid Show will be going LIVE once again today at 3:30pm PDT! We'll be discussing indie development, Super Smash Bros 4, Rayman Legends and more, so come join us at youtube.com/DTOID when the time is right! |
| Friday Night Fights: Like what you see? Posted: 26 Jul 2013 08:30 AM PDT Welcome to another exciting edition of Dtoid's Friday Night Fights! There are some very cool things happening in the world of FNF, and YOU can be a part of it! Dtoider Mikey Turvey -- AKA, the guy who wrote the most-fapped blog in the history of Destructoid -- is currently working on putting together an awesome banner featuring all our avatars duking it out in a massive brawl. Awesome, right? If you want to see yourself featured on the banner, head on over to his blog and check out the details! Also, I'd like to direct your attention to our friends at Omnithon this weekend, as they're holding their yearly 48-hour Child's Play charity marathon. For every $10 you donate you'll receive another entry in a contest to win an Oculus Rift dev kit. Sweet! Have fun, kids! |
| Phantom Brave characters and more coming to Disgaea D2 Posted: 26 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT NIS is no stranger to bringing cross-franchise characters to the Disgaea series, and Disgaea D2 is no exception. Fans of the classic SRPG Phantom Brave (one of my favorites!) will be pleased to know that Marona and Ash are coming to D2, as well as Swamp Witch Metallica from the amazing-looking Witch and the Hundred Knights. Even if you've never played a Disgaea game before, the above trailer should give you a suitable look at the series' patented craziness. Now if we could just get confirmation on Overlord Zetta (book and non-book form), that would be great, NIS. Phantom Brave [Siliconera] |
| First look at Klei's turn-based tactical game Incognita Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:45 AM PDT So this is what "turn-based tactical espionage" looks like when it's coming from the studio behind Mark of the Ninja and Don't Starve. Klei Entertainment has kindly given us a first look at Incognita with a livestream that I totally missed out on earlier today. Thank goodness for archives! Even as an early build, this shows well. You'll bring agents into a secure complex with the hope of reaching the top floor while looking for intelligence documents and gear along the way. Thanks to alarms, procedural generation, and permadeath, that's easier said than done. The mainframe view, which strips out elements of the environment and highlights the important stuff -- items, characters, etc. -- in particular looks really neat. A beta for Incognita is coming out in the next couple months with a final release targeting 2014. |
| Chroma Squad lets you manage a Japanese superhero show Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:30 AM PDT I know a lot of you are super spentai monetarily after Steam sales, but those still with dollars to give might want to spend some sentime with the Chroma Squad Kickstarter. In Chroma Squad, you're tasked with managing a fresh sentai -- think Power Rangers -- TV series, in which you hire and customize actors, buy studio equipment, choreograph battles, record episodes, and more. There's some impressive minutia available; you can even send letters to your fans, chat on IRC, and create comic book adaptations of your show. Cross media! In fact, the Chroma Squad development team has released a web comic relating to the game's story. So meta. Chroma Squad will have a story mode with multiple endings, as well as competitive multiplayer. The team behind it, Behold Studios, has had some past success and shown an ability to deliver on a product. It's responsible for the cute Knights of Pen & Paper 1. Well that helps explain why the pixel art in Chroma Squad is so damn good. I'm down for a humorous, fun, colorful romp through the world of sentai. [Thanks, Swishiee!] |
| Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT In an odd twist of fate, Microsoft decided to release a twin-stick shooter modeled after the Halo universe exclusively for Windows 8 devices. Not only will this be the first Halo game without a console counterpart, but it's also one of the only Windows 8 exclusive games in existence, and the first Halo PC iteration since Halo 2. This sounds like a recipe for disaster, but you know what? If you can somehow actually manage to play the thing, it's not all that bad. |
| Contest: Win a four-day pass to PAX Prime! Posted: 26 Jul 2013 06:45 AM PDT To help celebrate the impending launch of their badass brawler Charlie Murder, our friends at Ska Studios have given us three four-day passes to PAX Prime to hand out to the Destructoid community! For a chance at one of these highly sought after badges, you need to create your own fictional band for the Charlie Murder-verse. Think up a cool name for the band, pick a style, tell us the band members' names and instruments, and give us the title of their first hit single. Here's an example:
You get the idea. You have until next Friday, August 2 at 11:59 PM Pacific to enter, and the contest is open to anyone who can make the trek to Seattle this Labor Day weekend. (Contest does not cover travel expenses.) Limit one entry per person. Good luck, and have fun! |
| Sweet Fuse: At Your Side hits PSP in August Posted: 26 Jul 2013 06:30 AM PDT Sweet Fuse: At Your Side will arrive on August 27, Aksys Games has announced. In addition to being among the last games join the PlayStation Portable's library, the title's release marks something of a rarity, as otome visual novels scarcely find their way to Western shores. The story follows Saki Inafune, the fictional niece of Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, who, along with seven sexy dudes, enters into a deadly game of complex puzzles to save her famous uncle's theme park from a malevolent hostage-taking hog. While Sweet Fuse is a PSP title, PlayStation Vita owners are in luck, as the game will also release digitally via PlayStation Network in both Europe and North America. However, those with a penchant for swag might want to pick it up on UMD format, as Amazon pre-orders will include a bonus necklace resembling that of the game's piggish villain. Sweet. Strut it like you're Count Hogstein [Aksys Games] |
| Sony to put on quarterly events for indie developers Posted: 26 Jul 2013 06:15 AM PDT It warms my heart to see console makers embrace independent gaming. It's a good move on their part to build up a diverse library of games, some of which may go on to become huge, breakout successes. And it's good for us too, because we're getting great games throughout the year. According to Develop, Sony has tentative plans to put on quarterly indie developer meetups at its London offices starting in September. These events are said to give devs updates on what's new with PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PS4 as well as provide a place where discussions can happen about, say, how PlayStation Network is performing. Y'know -- dev stuff. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe senior account manager Agostino Simonetta says that while these types of meetups happen occasionally, "we want to make sure it is that on a regular basis. With the great success we are having actually of indie developers registering, we are seeing incredible numbers of new companies coming to the platform. There is a real sense that PS4 -- and Vita as well, PS3 still has a long life -- that this is a great opportunity for them to come back to console." Continuing: "We are really accelerating and changing the way we approach this. So before was more of a narrow cast, now there is a real opportunity for us to go what I call broadcast -- a lot more visibility to be able to answer the questions." It seems to be paying off, as registrations to develop for Sony systems are on the rise. "I can tell you I have been there for four years, and one of my colleagues has been in third-party relations for ten years, and we've never seen anything like this," he said. Sony to host quarterly indie dev events in London [Develop] |
| Martian Manhunter is not the last bit of Injustice DLC Posted: 26 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT Martian Manhunter is set to drop in the world of Injustice: Gods Among Us next week, but according to NetherRealm's Ed Boon he will not be the last. Not content with just teasing more, Boon stated that the next addition will be a "BIG fan favorite request !!" My guess? Power Girl. But really, NetherRealm has it made with the DC Universe, as they could tap into pretty much anything they could want, and fans have already created a list of demands a mile high. As long as they don't keep making clones or forcing Mortal Kombat characters, I think they'll keep selling DLC. Boon has also confirmed that there will be no Season Pass 2. Injustice [Twitter via Siliconera] |
| Saints Row IV wins with Game of the Generation Edition Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:45 AM PDT There sure have been some stupid collector's editions, but this one takes the cake -- and I mean that as the sincerest of compliments. It's Saints Row, after all. You kind of just have to roll with it. Deep Silver and Volition are producing 5,000 copies of Saints Row IV Game of the Generation Edition, a package which includes a light-up, rotating display case, an 8" Johnny Gat statue, something called the "Doomsday Button," and -- why the hell not? -- a 12" Dubstep Gun replica "with laser and sound." I figured this would cost something outrageous, but in the realm of CEs, $129.99 isn't the worst price ever. This ridiculous thing that future you will probably regret buying can be pre-ordered in North America for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Sorry, PC gamers. |
| Rare's Xbox One Kinect Sports Rivals delayed to 2014 Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:30 AM PDT Remember how Rare was once an industry giant, creating some of the most innovative, charming, and quality games ever? Well now they're stuck making Kinect games for Microsoft. One of them, Kinect Sports Rivals, was set to launch with the system this fall -- but now, it's delayed until spring 2014 so Rare can "polish" it. While I'm not keen on Rare wasting their talents, I'm also not ready to write off every single Kinect game, as there have been a few quality titles amidst a sea of rushed support. It'll be playable at PAX Prime, if you want to check it out. Kinect Sports Rivals [Polygon] |
| Class in session! Video Game High School 2 Ep. 1 is live Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:15 AM PDT The first episode of Rocket Jump's Video Game High School Season 2 was supposed to go up yesterday, but some last-minute tweaking pushed the launch back to earlier this morning. It's now ready for your scrutinizing eyes, and at nearly 31 minutes in length, there is a lot to scrutinize. The big surprise is the original opening theme song by The Protomen, whose music was heavily used throughout all of the first season. The Law's trial scene also features guest appearances by Cliff Bleszinski and Stan Lee -- that man gets around for being so old. The rest of the episode revolves around the FPS team's new varsity coach and dealing with the fallout of The Law's cheating scandal. The 48 fps version of the episode will be going up on the Rocket Jump site eventually. In the meantime, feel free to give my interview with the crew a read. Episode 1 - Video Game High School: Season 2 [YouTube] |
| Go willfully one on one with new Wonderful 101 trailer Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:00 AM PDT Well, that was wonderful. Good thing Pikmin 3 is finally almost a week away, or else the wait for Wonderful 101 might be too much for Wii U owners to bear. I'm still not exactly sure what to expect out of Wonderful 101, but Dale's recent Comic-Con preview of the insane, manic, bus-punching superhero conglomerate has me stoked. It's like being a Green Lantern, but instead of willing giant fists and baseball bats into existence, you transform the nearby citizenry into the tools of justice. Good. Let them contribute for once instead of just reaping the super rewards. |
| New Dead Rising 3 screens feature Servbot action Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:30 AM PDT As I said recently, Dead Rising 3 is shaping up to be at least on par with the wackiness of the first two games, even if the visual style isn't as vibrant. A new round of screens has emerged, showcasing more teddy bear madness, along with a Servbot head, zombie firefighters, the in-game smartphone, boxing with a bull head, and beam sword knight fights. What I'm really looking forward to the most is testing out the next-gen capabilities of the Xbox One, in regards to how Capcom claims there will be "hundreds" of zombies on-screen at once. While the first two did a decent job of pushing a fair number of models out, I can't wait to see what it looks like to stand on a roof amidst a thousand or so zombies, all on screen. |
| A black 3DS XL could be coming to North America Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:15 AM PDT My blue 3DS XL looks like sh*t. It has scratches and gouges on the top, back and all sides. The inside is fine (yay for clamshell designs), but the rest looks like I get in regular car wrecks or fight with zoo cats or something. I wish Nintendo would have kept the lovely metallic gloss colors of the standard 3DS for the XL systems. They hold up better, I think. The next best thing? How about a black 3DS XL. I'd buy one right now if they were available. According to a Canadian store flyer shown on GoNintendo, they should be available today. Canada? That's North America -- and what they get we get down here in the Land of the Free. The store has since said that the picture was shown in error. Right. That's what they always say. And what about the black 3DS IGN spotted in the Mario & Luigi: Dream Team commercial? Finally, while it's not North America, a UK Amazon listing shows a standalone system release. This is notable because this was only available outside Japan in European bundles. I'm a glass half-full guy. I'm also a current-system-totally-looks-like-sh*t guy. I hope this one is coming to us. |
| Super Hexagon, Lone Survivor creators team with 10 indies Posted: 26 Jul 2013 04:00 AM PDT Here's a thing we don't necessarily see too often in videogames: anthology. Experiment 12, which you can freely download right here, right now, is a collaborative effort between twelve different indie developers, including Super Hexagon's Terry Cavanagh and Lone Survivor's Jasper Byrne. The full list of contributors? Terry Cavanagh, Ian Snyder, Jack King-Spooner, Zaratustra, Richard Perrin, Michael Brough, Robert Yang, Alan Hazelden, TheBlackMask, Jasper Byrne, Jake Clover, and Benn Powell. Each did a chapter of Experiment 12. Any chapter can be accessed immediately, but there is some semblance of a narrative linking the disparate bits that you might miss out on if you go searching for your favorite creator's work. I'm too bleary eyed at the moment to have my head screwed with, someone want to tell me how crazy this is? Freeware: Terry Cavanagh, Jasper Byrne, 10 more to disturb you in Experiment 12 [IndieGames] |
| Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix DX looks incredible Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:45 AM PDT If you've ever played Nintendo and Namco Bandai's Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix, I'm sure you'll agree with me that more is definitely a good thing. Good news, then: this week, Mario Kart Arcade Grand Prix DX launches in Japan, bringing with it some crazy new features. If you can stand the Japanese kid voice screaming at you for a couple of minutes, watch this newly released trailer for the game. In it you'll see some fun new additions. Wadadon (or Don-chan) from Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) is now a racer. You can race as a drum! Better yet, keep watching to see a joint attack where Mario and Luigi join to form a race tank that fires Koopa shells. One player drives while the other one fires shells. The look, characters, music -- there's too much awesome in this game! |
| Rockman Xover may see an international release after all Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:30 AM PDT Remember Rockman Xover? That one mobile game that almost plays itself, and features a heavy dose of microtransactions and social support? That thing pretty much all of you do not want may actually be coming overseas at some point, despite Capcom putting a "hold" on it in the past. Capcom recently informed Game Watch that Xover may see the light of day out of Japan yet, but they're currently focusing on strengthening the Japanese version of the game -- you know, because people actually like it over there. Rockman Corner also notes that the game was stealth-released over in Korea recently on iOS and Android, so additional territories aren't out of the question. Rockman Xover [Game Watch via Rockman Corner] |
| Now Bloody Playing: Aliens: Stasis Interrupted Part 2 Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:15 AM PDT Hell yeah, I finally gets a gun! After the crawling and dawdling of the first part of Stasis Interrupted, the next slice of Aliens: Colonial Marines action actually gets some action! Thanks for all the watching and feedback on part one! People are really digging this, which is great. Expect more! |
| Don Mattrick to turn Zynga around with business clichés Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:00 AM PDT Former Microsoft figurehead and presumed fall guy Don Mattrick is now the CEO of Zynga, the company known for making millions off the Facebook boom and games like Farmville. Of course, the casual powerhouse hasn't been faring so well in recent years, so it's on Mattrick to really shake things up. He is already doing so, apparently. According to a Polygon report on a Zynga investor call, Mattrick said the company needed to "break some bad habits" and "get back to basics." He also stated he would get "under the hood to evaluate" Zynga's business, "calibrate against the market opportunity and to go after it with a real sense of urgency," and spend time "heads down" with developers. While I can only speculate, I assume Mattrick also plans to "rub some dirt on it" because "it is what it is" and "there's no use living in the past" so they've just got to "take it one game at a time." I assume paradigms will be shifted and boxes will be persecuted with malice, typical scapegoat as they are when people decide to think outside of them. In fact, Zynga HQ could be temporarily shut down for construction as the San Francisco building is re-shaped into something more spherical or even tetrahedral. Anything not cubed, really. Zynga's chief operations officer David Ko also noted the company would push a bit harder on the mobile front. Way to get bogged down with specifics, Ko, and miss the big picture ideas. It's why he isn't CEO. Mattrick did acknowledge the company is, "missing out on the platform growth that Apple, Google and Facebook are seeing," so I think that means he plans to do something that involves not missing out on that growth. How Don Mattrick plans to turn Zynga around [Polygon] |
| Stop in the name of love: Donkey Kong in stop motion Posted: 26 Jul 2013 02:30 AM PDT You know what's hard? Or at least terribly tedious? Stop motion animation. That didn't stop YouTuber Guiz de Pessemier, however, when his Donkey Kong NES cartridge refused to work -- even after he blew on it, no less. No, he wouldn't bea-defeated. Wouldn't be beadt. de Pessemier, with the help of his friends, recreated Donkey Kong in stop motion with enough beads to support a year's worth of slumber parties. At the end you'll see the CRT playing Donkey Kong that was used for reference to make sure the animation was done accurately. Wait. It was working the whole time?! |
| Divekick will launch simultaneously on Steam, PS3, Vita Posted: 26 Jul 2013 02:00 AM PDT We already knew that the two-button fighting game Divekick was coming to PS3 and Vita next month. Now, thanks to a tweet from the official Divekick Twitter, we also know it will be launching on PC, through Steam, on the same day and for the same price. That's August 20, $10. Well, now that that's settled, what system are you picking up Divekick on? I might be leaning Sony thanks to cross buy letting me play on both PS3 and Vita. Then I can practice my dives and kicks on the subway. I'm just assuming a good chunk of you are planning on picking it up, because excitement for it seems high. I'm a believer myself. Playing it at GDC with the giant, two-button controller sold me in a handful of tense and taut rounds. The game is definitely more than parody and in-jokes, even if you can play as Seth Killian and a lot of other weirdos. I mean, like, a whole bunch. |
| Mike Tyson: 'I couldn't even beat Glass f**kin' Joe!' Posted: 26 Jul 2013 01:30 AM PDT Out of 100 fights, Glass Joe only won a single match. Now we know who that one guy was. Mike Tyson -- I SUCKED AT PUNCH-OUT ... Couldn't Even beat Glass Joe [TMZ via NeoGAF] |
| Classic Castlevania music teased for Lords of Shadow 2? Posted: 26 Jul 2013 01:00 AM PDT We mentioned a few days ago that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will feature a brand new soundscape. However, what has me even more excited was producer Dave Cox's response to my plea for classic Castlevania tracks, such as "Vampire Killer" or "Bloody Tears," in Lords of Shadow 2. I noted that while Lords of Shadow was the most successful Castlevania title of all time, and that the team didn't really have to do anything differently, that, as a classic Castlevania fan, nothing would say, "This is Castlevania!" more than bringing back the classic tunes. Maybe not in the gothic rock stylings of previous titles, but maybe with Araujo's personal orchestral/electronic flair. Cox's response to this suggestion? An emphatic, "I totally agree." I hope agreeing turns into doing. Or maybe they've already done! In any case, that certainly has me more excited about the game's soundtrack. And for the record, my favorite track from Lords of Shadow was "Dead Bog." |
| Mega Man Board Game Facebook page opens Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:30 AM PDT Remember that amazing Mega Man Board Game that was revealed a short while back? Now it has an official Facebook page, promising updates and info very soon. While we don't know a whole lot right now, due to the first Facebook update, it looks like the Archie comics may be an inspiration, or the main art style focus. It seems like everyone other than Capcom is ready to honor the Blue Bomber's legacy these days. Collectors, ready your credit cards! Mega Man The Board Game [Facebook via Mega Man Network] |
| Here's five new mobile games you should check out Posted: 26 Jul 2013 12:00 AM PDT Today a handful of interesting looking mobile games were released and instead of doing a bunch of posts, I figured I'd just round them all up. Well, at least the most interesting looking ones that were in our tips box today. I've been wanting to do more mobile coverage for the site in general, so this is as good as an excuse as any! Would you like to see more mobile coverage like this? Rounding up the best/most interesting titles on a semi-regular basis? We'll still give certain games special attention like we've always have, but sometimes it's easier to digest an onslaught of new releases like this. |
| You must defend this whale that's been accused of MURDER Posted: 25 Jul 2013 11:00 PM PDT The first details of the Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies downloadable content plans have been revealed, in Japan at least. The Special Chapter: Turnabout Return DLC is the one I'm looking forward to as it will bridge the gap between Apollo Justice and Dual Destinies, focusing on Phoenix's first case after being allowed to practice law again. The case? Phoenix is hired by a trainer that dresses like a pirate to defend her orca against a murder charge in court. Rated M for Mature! Players can also expect a costume pack for Phoenix that will give him his suit from the original Ace Attorney games, plus an outfit for Apollo and Athena. This will be free until August 15, after which it'll cost 150 Yen. There will also be three additional deduction quizzes releasing on August 1, August 8, and August 15, with each of them running for 150 yen. DLC Content [Capcom Japan, via Siliconera] |
| Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 out on September 24 Posted: 25 Jul 2013 10:00 PM PDT Rejoice, soccer fans! Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 will be out on September 24 in North, Central, and South America. I'm not one for sports games typically, but I do want to see how PES 2014 performs thanks to it being the first game to utilize the new FOX Engine from Konami. That Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain trailer blew my mind at E3, so I wonder how good this soccer game will look. For all of you fans of the series, there's six new gameplay improvements you should be on the lookout for. TrueBall Tech gives greater control over players and the ball, Motion Animation Stability System simulates better bodily contact, Heart gives you mental attributes that can affect gameplay, PES ID replicates play styles, Team Play gives you variety in tactics with other players, and The Core faithfully recreates stadiums and other things. |
| 73% of Ouya owners have not bought a game Posted: 25 Jul 2013 09:00 PM PDT Ou-no. Looks like nobody is punching their ticket to Richville making Ouya games. At least not yet. According to The Verge, Ouya titles aren't making bank, as console owners seem to be sticking with free fare rather than purchasing games. TowerFall, developed by Matt Thorson, is currently the Ouya's best-selling title. The $14.99 game, which several friends have told me alone almost validates owning an Ouya, has been downloaded about 2,000 times, making Thorson about $21,000. The second "success" story Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman points to is Hidden in Plain Sight, for which the developer has earned $4,381. Meanwhile, some developers have made only a few hundred dollars and an enhanced version of TowerFall is coming to PC this year. Still, Uhrman told The Verge that, "Monetization on Ouya is so far better than we expected," which raises the question, 'how bad were they expecting?' Uhrman cited 23% of Ouya owners having bought a paid title as a positive statistic for the free to play platform. Similarly, Uhrman was satisfied with 13 out of 20 top grossing games having an average of 8 percent of users upgrading from the free to paid versions. "These numbers will grow as more gamers pick up consoles, and as we attract more developers, and I believe that by the end of the year, we'll see a few developers telling us they've made more than a million dollars on Ouya," Uhrman said. Maybe. But it's hard to ignore the oddly positive pre-launch Ouya buzz and subsequent inability to capitalize on it. The console isn't dead in the water, but that water has been chummed and Amazing Frog can't swim fast enough to propel the system towards success. Ouya CEO defends game sales as 'better than we expected' [The Verge] |
| Sam Fisher enforces ALL the laws Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:00 PM PDT Don't litter, scumbag. |
| Wayward Manor: Neil Gaiman making an ideal game, man Posted: 25 Jul 2013 07:00 PM PDT Award-winning author Neil Gaiman, perhaps known as much for his graphic novels (Sandman) as his novels (American Gods, Coraline), is branching into videogames with the help of The Odd Gentleman, makers of the excellent The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. Wayward Manor, more or less an adventure game, pits you as a ghost attempting to clear the spooky, Gothic manor of its colorful cast of inhabitants during the Roaring Twenties. The game's website introduces the cast and is generally fun to explore. From there you can also pre-order the game, which is slated to drop this fall, with a few extra incentives for those with loose wallets. It's like Kickstarter prize tiers, but the game is happening regardless. $10 gets you a digital copy of the game and things get more extravagant from there. For 10 grand you'll get a spooky dinner with Neil Gaiman himself, while $200 nabs you an invite to an LA launch party for the game. There's good enough art and design sense here to make the higher tiers quite inviting, and if the whimsical, fun, haunting track from Gaiman's introductory video is any indication, the music will be great, too. This has become a matter of how much I want to spend. Yes, no gameplay has been shown, but the production values, neat art style, and talent involved already have me sold. I love P.B Winterbottom's whimsical, The Cabinet of Dr. Cagliari style; its homage, its depth, its artistry. Pairing the team that made that with Neil Gaiman, who clearly knows his way around penning a tale, is about as perfect a match as you could ask for. I'm excited for a jaunt through the whimsical macabre. Are you? |
| Erotica game with the penis controller adds Rift support Posted: 25 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT Have you heard about Custom Maid 3D? It's a game where you create your own custom maids and then do things to them. Sexual things. And you do these sexual things by using the Ju-C Air Support controller. It resembles a PlayStation Move controller, with the slight difference being that you actually stick your dick into the device. Once you've strapped yourself in, you can, uh, well, masturbate with it. The peripheral will respond to your stroking, speed, and even depth. It also features an analog stick and buttons so you don't have to take your hands off the thing. Okay so this is a bit of old news as the game and device came out in February in Japan. So why are we bringing this up today? Because it just got Oculus Rift support. The developers have released a beta patch to enable the harmonious union of virtual reality with virtual masturbation. This also makes it the first sex game with Rift support, beating out Wicked Paradise. Uh congrats, I guess. And the Oculus Rift Interactive Porn Winner is Custom Maid 3D with Ju-C! [Slash Dong -- Thanks Kyle!] |
| Active fission: $8.2B to split Activision from Vivendi Posted: 25 Jul 2013 05:13 PM PDT Call of Duty-maker Activision is going indie. The New York Times reports gaming monstrosity Activision Blizzard "has a reached an $8.2 billion deal to separate from Vivendi and become an independent company." The French conglomerate Vivendi controls Activision Blizzard. The latter has brokered a deal wherein Activsion Blizzard and a group of investors would buy back Vivendi's owned shares in the company. Activision Blizzard will be buying "about 429 million of its shares and certain tax attributes from Vivendi for roughly $5.83 billion in cash." Activision's Bobby Kotick and co-chairman Brian Kelly, heading the group of investors, are planning to purchase an additional 172 million shares of the company from Vivendi for about $2.34 billion. The group of investors will own about 25% of the company. Kotick and Kelly are both personally in for a pooled $100 million. Vivendi isn't being bought out completely, but it won't have a controlling interest. Kotick will remain at the juggernaut's head and Kelly as the sole chairman rather than co-chairman. Apparently, the scuttlebutt of the year was that Vivendi would try to offload its stock in Activision Blizzard. In buying itself back, Activision Blizzard is betting on its own ability to do things independently, rather than have another corporate sugar daddy. Unfathomable sums of money being tossed about while people languish in poverty. Videogames have really made it. Also, active fission. C'mon, guys. Activision in $8.2 Billion Deal to Buy Back Stake From Vivendi [The New York Times] |
| The Daily Hotness: So then why do I feel so uncivilized? Posted: 25 Jul 2013 04:59 PM PDT Today I came home from work, started playing Civilization V, and didn't stop for seven and a half hours. I missed dinner. I missed playing Terraria with friends. On the plus side, I triumphed as Isabella of Spain, bringing culture to the unwashed masses. So worth it. (Please send help.) On Destructoid, Jim started doing let's plays with the Aliens: Colonial Marines DLC, the Podtoid crew released a new episode, Tony interviewed Freddie Wong on Video Game High School, Fraser reviewed Face Noir, and so much more happened on this fine day. Destructoid Original: |
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