Thursday, January 16, 2014

New Games

New Games


'Booth babes don't work' says marketer Spencer Chen

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

Spencer Chen, head of marketing and growth for Frontback, has weighed in with his expertise on the booth babe situation -- a topic that usually resurfaces during every major gaming convention. Spurred by CES, Chen has spoken up against the practice, calling it "indefensible' and "a relic of old enterprises." While the tactic has been debated on moral grounds many times, Chen contends that monetarily it doesn't make any sense, stating, "[they] do NOT convert."

Chen notes that he split-tested conversion on his own, comparing leads gained by booths featuring booth babes and ones without them. He says that historically, his reps "always" did better without hiring booth babes, and one day he was able to put his findings to the test. At one event, he recorded one booth that used two older women as reps (one was a grandmother), and another that used "babes." Chen says that the latter generated "a third" of the foot traffic (which was measured), and "less than half" of the leads. 

He then goes on to break down the situation, saying that booth babes are intimidating, and give some men anxiety -- thus, a loss of leads. Chen also contends that booth babes are "lazy," and just "show up...for the day," and that business executives don't actually talk to them, causing an informational rift between the company and who they hired. 

Finally, he suggests that they deliver "low quality leads," from "low-level, overconfident IT nubs." If you want the full story read the article, as there are a few more details on why businesses keep supporting the practice. Another point I thought of that he doesn't touch on at all is the fact that booth babes may alienate women, who are a large portion of the gaming community already.

While the wording Chen uses to describe his own potential clients is puzzling (lazy? nubs?), his findings are pretty interesting. More studies beyond this one certainly need to be done to find a real monetary solution to this issue, because most people don't really know what to do.

Booth Babes Don’t Work [Tech Crunch]

'Booth babes don't work' says marketer Spencer Chen screenshot

Valve has paid out over $10M to just 661 content creators

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:00 PM PST

Valve has paid out $10,215,796 to content creators making items in Team Fortress 2 and DOTA 2. We knew this figure already, but what we just found out thanks to Steam Dev Days is that the payouts have gone out to 661 creators for a total amount of 2,349 items that have been created in this ecosystem.

As you can see in the chart, that's a huge increase from when they opened item crafting to users back in 2010. There are over 17 million Team Fortress 2 accounts now, with upwards to 500 million total items out there. Over 90% of the items in Team Fortress 2 are by the community, from models, maps, and more.

Oh, and hats. Lots and lots of hats.

On average, 'Team Fortress 2' and 'DOTA 2' item creators made $15,000 last year [The Verge, Twitter source 1, Twitter source 2]

Valve has paid out over $10M to just 661 content creators screenshot

Oh hey it's Spinal's new design in Killer Instinct

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:30 PM PST

Killer Instinct is still played weekly in my house, especially with the Mad Catz Xbox One stick. The problem is it needs more characters sooner than later, and it looks like Spinal is almost done. Play XBLA has posted three new shots of the upcoming skeletal gladiator, with the notice that he's coming "soon."

While I'm a general fan of all the designs in the core game, I'm not sure that I'm feeling the new Spinal. I like how they tried to add more details to him with the ropes around his chest, but the shield is a bit much. Of course all that matters is how he plays, so expect some impressions whenever he drops.

First Look at Killer Instinct’s Spinal! [Play XBLA]

Oh hey it's Spinal's new design in Killer Instinct screenshot

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How to enable 'retro' visuals in Broken Age

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:00 PM PST

In an homage to the classic adventure games which came before it, Broken Age features a hidden visual mode that gives a sense of what the title might have looked like back in the golden age of the genre. The above video shows how to access this mode, which is accomplished by reducing the resolution to 640x480 and then entering the "Key Remapping" menu to assign a key to a new option labeled only by the lead characters' faces. Once back in the game, you can press the newly assigned key to activate the effect.

It's ugly and I'd likely never volunteer to play through the whole game looking like this, but how it actually looks is not why I appreciate it. Double Fine said they wanted to make an adventure game in the style of the games I grew up with and this mode is a sure-fire way to assess how successful they've been. If it's still completely playable, regardless of its visual fidelity, that's a major victory.

How to enable 'retro' visuals in Broken Age screenshot

Ghost Recon Online making its way onto Steam

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 12:00 PM PST

Ubisoft's announced that Ghost Recon Online, its online, free-to-play version of the Ghost Recon franchise, which I may or may not have completely forgotten about until just now, will be making its way onto Steam's Early Access program -- for those of you in Canada, it's actually already available.

According to Ubisoft's Corey Facteau, bringing Ghost Recon Online to Steam has been the team's "...goal since the game's inception" and that it was simply a matter of "...reach[ing]  a quality level that can go head to head with the best online games available today before releasing on Steam."

Following a closed beta, Ghost Recon Online launched back in August 2012 and has since acquired over four million registered users.

Ghost Recon Online making its way onto Steam screenshot

Xenogears: Perfect Works gets a reprint

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:30 AM PST

The book Xenogears: Perfect Works regularly goes for between $200 and $300 dollars as it has been out of print for ages. Mint copies sometimes go for even more. This rare item is the holy grail for Xeno series fans as well as game artbook collectors.

Elliot, from our sister site, Japanator, found that a reprint is coming this March in Japan. The good news? It's priced at 5,250 yen, or about $50. Fukkan is taking orders now.

*slams $50 down on table*

Xenogears: Perfect Works gets a reprint screenshot

How to score huge in Resogun

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

I've spent more time playing Resogun than anything else on my PlayStation 4, and with pretty good reason. As a rather deep arcade shooter, it enjoys a high degree of challenge and scoring potential that makes it easy to return to again and again. 

The biggest criticism I have is that Resogun does a rather poor job of explaining how its mechanics come together in a scoring sense. Lacking any kind of direct tutorial, you're left to try and divine strategies from loading screen tooltips. All well and good if you have the patience for it, but if you need a primer on how to play Resogun well, the above video lays out a variety of tips and strategies for scoring over 100 million points in the game's median difficulty.

How to score huge in Resogun screenshot

DriveClub delayed past Japanese PS4 launch

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:30 AM PST

In an industry so known for punctuality, breaking news comes out of Japan that the PS4 exclusive social racer DriveClub has been delayed, again.

The game now sits at a nebulous "TBA" release date. Originally slated as a free PlayStation 4 launch title for PlayStation Plus members, DriveClub was pushed to February 22, seeing Contrast take its place as the PS Plus launch freebie. It will now miss the PlayStation 4's Japanese launch -- the system's last territory release.

All is not lost though. If Evolution can manage to crank it out by the time PS4s make their way to China en masse, we can still technically count it as a launch title. Or we can let development run its course in hopes of a better game. Just saying, there are options.

ここは「【PS4】『DriveClub』諸般の事情から発売日が未定に変更」という記事を掲載しています [FC2]

 

DriveClub delayed past Japanese PS4 launch screenshot

Mod tools for Total War: Rome II are now in beta

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:00 AM PST

Total War: Rome II was one of the games I'm kicking myself for passing over in 2013; I didn't think I was going to be able to commit to a vast strategy game in a series that has shown me no mercy in the past. However, the news that modding tools are now in beta for Rome II sounds like something that will sway me into getting back on the Total War wagon.

Total War: Shogun II has had modding tools for a while now, resulting in mods that recreate Star Wars, 300, and The Lord of the Rings, as well as more historically accurate Japanese units. In his review, Josh Tolentino was disappointed that the game was bogged down by glitches and bugs. Hopefully the series of patches and updates for the Rome II will have fixed most of those issues and the community can come up with some fun mods to spice up the game a bit.

Mod tools for Total War: Rome II are now in beta screenshot

Live show: Next Car Game and BeamNG.drive

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:45 AM PST

[Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4p.m. Pacific on Dtoid.TV. Watch Rick 'King Foom' Olson 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.]

Next Car Game? What kind of generic ass name for a racing game is that? Oh, wait, what, it's developed by Bugbear Entertainment, the people behind the FlatOut series, and it's got some absolutely jaw-dropping destruction physics to boot? Ok, ok, stupid name aside, I think I'm sold.

Tonight on Mash Tactics, we'll be taking this early access demolition racer for a spin, and seeing what it's all about first hand. While there isn't much there at the moment, as it's pre-alpha, I will say that whats in the game, glorious highly detailed destruction, it kind of sight to behold. Once we're done crunching metal in that game, stick around as we showcase a bit of another early access racing game with insane car-crumpling detail, BeamNG.drive. Come by Dtoid.TV tonight, and see both of these game in action for yourself, it's bound to be a smashing good time.

QotD: What are your thoughts on early access games? 

Live show: Next Car Game and BeamNG.drive screenshot

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Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare pushed back one week

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:15 AM PST

Electronic Arts has moved back the scheduled release of Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, the third-person base shooter take on the beloved franchise. Previously scheduled for February 18, the game will now release one week later, on the 25th.

To hold you over, PopCap has released the above developer diary which demonstrates a few waves of zombie attack featuring alternate versions of playable plants. I'm a big fan of "Future Cactus," personally, though not because of any practical purpose. I just like the idea of something so simple as a cactus being "futuristic" in any way, let alone being armed with lasers.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare pushed back one week screenshot

The Last of Us leads D.I.C.E. Awards with 13 nominations

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 09:00 AM PST

The 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards take place in Las Vegas from February 4 to February 7 and the nominations have been announced by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Last year the Sony exclusive Journey was up for 11 awards, and went on to win game of the year. This year we see another Sony exclusive, The Last of Us, with 13 nominations.

No word on who will be hosting the awards this year, but I'm hoping to see a return of Chris Hardwick, founder of Nerdist.com. He absolutely killed it as host last year. I'm also hoping another drunk developer crashes the stage again (2:07:30).

The award ceremony will be taking place on February 6 and will be livestreamed starting at 7:30PM PT.

Here's the full list of categories and awards:

The Last of Us leads D.I.C.E. Awards with 13 nominations screenshot

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Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes achievements leaked

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:45 AM PST

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' Achievement list has been leaked, and it's a curious one. Provided nothing gets shifted, the full 1,000 points are broken down between a mere 15 Achievements. Curious still, with the exception of the "Reunion" Achievement, all of them seem to be extracurricular: complete these side objectives, collect these tapes, unlock these bonuses. I'm going to stop just short of saying this looks like an easy 1,000 though, as a few require S-Rank completion for all mission and side ops.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes will release on March 18, 2014, acting as the appetizer to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's main course.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Achievements [Xbox Achievements]

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes achievements leaked screenshot

Rockstar is going after GTA Online cheaters

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:30 AM PST

Grand Theft Auto Online has returned now that Rockstar's scheduled maintenance period is over. Some players have in recent times discovered an exploit which allows "game-breaking amounts of in-game cash" to be generated and given out to others -- against the recipient's will, in certain cases -- and the company is committed to releasing updates to target these exploits.

"Anyone who innocently received GTA$ as a result of these exploits but did not engage in cheating to acquire it will not face any further action -- the funds will just be removed, and you'll be able to keep any items you currently own," explained Rockstar in a blog post.

"Those who actively engaged in cheating and exploiting the game in this manner will, however, be subject to in-game penalties at our discretion. This may include being placed in isolated cheater pools or banned from GTA Online altogether."

My favorite part about this story is the comments section of Rockstar's post, which is just magical.

Taking Aim at GTA Online Cheaters [Rockstar]

Rockstar is going after GTA Online cheaters screenshot

Virtual Console Verdict: Mega Man X2

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

[Virtual Console Verdict is a short column that highlights some of the gems released on 3DS and Wii U eShop marketplaces. For a full list of Virtual Console releases, check out the weekly Nintendo Download series.]

Capcom is taking its sweet time releasing the Mega Man franchise on the Wii U Virtual Console. They're still missing the fifth and sixth iterations of the original Nintendo series, and now, almost a year after bringing Mega Man X to the Wii U VC, X2 is ready to go.

As you may have heard, I played every Mega Man X game in the franchise last year, and had a few things to say about X2, but I thought it would be good to take an extended look at the game and see if it's worth picking up on the Virtual Console.

Virtual Console Verdict: Mega Man X2 screenshot

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Play Company of Heroes 2, Saints Row IV for free on Steam

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:30 AM PST

This weekend on Steam, both Saints Row IV and Company of Heroes 2 will be playable for free. If you like what you find and want to continue after 1:00pm Pacific on Sunday, which is when this promo ends, the titles are on sale to own for $19.99 and $13.59, respectively.

You surely don't need me to tell you these titles are worth the time it takes to download them, so I'll just say in the case of Company of Heroes 2 that all of the game's paid multiplayer commanders are also going to be unlocked during this free weekend.

Play Company of Heroes 2, Saints Row IV for free on Steam screenshot

Videogame Clubhouse: Let's get murdered in La-Mulana!

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:15 AM PST

If you haven't checked into the Videogame Clubhouse recently you've probably not heard that we're having guests in from La-Mulana 2 and we're demoing world premiere gameplay. In order to prepare for this nonsense we're playing the original La-Mulana

If you haven't played La-Mulana imagine a cross between Dark Souls and Spelunky with a little bit of Zelda thrown in. It's an awesome throwback to older games and it's going to be a hell of a ride. You know you want to come in and watch us try to figure this thing out! We're going live over on Dtoid.tv at 2pm Pacific, get there!

 

Videogame Clubhouse: Let's get murdered in La-Mulana! screenshot

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Steam to add support for 12 more currencies

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

Steam just keeps on growing at a steady pace, and thanks to the recent Steam Dev Days event, we have a little more information on how Valve is going to continue their plans for world domination. According to a slide from the event, Norway, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, and the Ukraine are all going to have their currencies accepted in 2014.

That recent user count of 75 million is most likely going to increase due to this announcement, and Valve has another trick up its sleeve -- they also want you to be able to transfer cash between wallets. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the advances Steam makes this year, including the impact of the Steam Machine initiative.

Steam Database [steamdb.info]

Steam to add support for 12 more currencies screenshot

Incognita is now called Invisible, Inc.

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:45 AM PST

Klei's strategy espionage title Incognita has been on my radar for a while and now the game has been re-christened as Invisible, Inc. I loved its previous game Mark of the Ninja, (Hey, Don't Starve is good too) and stealth games in general so I'm really keen to get some hands-on time.

From the trailer above it looks to me like a cross between Gunpoint, Shadowrun Returns, and Frozen Synapse but of course it's the highly stylized art that my eyes are drawn to. Trench coats (the non-pervert kind), angular chins and long skinny legs... love it.

Invisible, Inc. is in alpha but you can buy the game for $16.99 to get in on the action straight away. I'm more than comfortable waiting until the full game is released which can't come soon enough. 

Incognita is now called Invisible, Inc. screenshot

Become a dentist in Surgeon Simulator for iPad

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:30 AM PST

I love and hate Surgeon Simulator 2013, but mostly, I love it. Losing is hilarious at first, don't get me wrong. Then that humor begins to fade away as you repeatedly fail to complete the same objective over and over again because each of your fingers has a mind of its own. Finally, against all odds, you do manage to complete the operation and it's just the best.

Bossa Studios had been prototyping a version of the game for iPad and it looks as if that's moving forward. A brief teaser on YouTube called "Surgeon Simulator - Shh, I Dentist Now..." went up today and there is indeed footage of a "dentist" performing an "operation."

This is supposed to be coming soon to iPad and I for one hope the new procedures make their way over to the original Steam release. Well, maybe not. Teeth getting ripped out might be something I can do without seeing.

Become a dentist in Surgeon Simulator for iPad screenshot

There's a Titanfall alpha planned for Xbox One

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:00 AM PST

Electronic Arts is sending invitations to an alpha test of Titanfall on Xbox One. Origin players with Battlefield 4 appear to be the ones being selected here, however, the alpha will be "extremely limited" according to the publisher. For what it's worth, there's a link to the registration page accessible even if you haven't received one of these emails. Couldn't hurt to sign up.

There's been a healthy amount of skepticism concerning Titanfall, which, fair enough. It's probably for the best that we don't get too caught up before playing it or any game for ourselves. That also goes for blindly hating it. The sooner we can all play this damn game, the better.

Titanfall alpha sign ups [Beyond Entertainment via Joystiq]

There's a Titanfall alpha planned for Xbox One screenshot

Ubisoft is making Tetris for Xbox One and PS4

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:30 AM PST

The Tetris franchise turns 30 this year and Ubisoft is the latest company to take on the classic puzzle game. There's a new version in the works for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One that'll be released digitally at some point. Possibly this year! (No release date was given.)

There aren't any real details, although then again it's Tetris. The announcement did include two quotes, both of which are amusing but for different reasons. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said the company "can't wait to combine [its] expertise and all the capacities of next-gen consoles to create an exciting new Tetris experience for fans." Riiight.

And then there's The Tetris Company managing director Henk B. Rogers, who said "I am 100% sure they will develop one of the best versions of the Tetris game ever." Maybe it's just me, but I cannot read that sentence without it sounding sarcastic.

Ubisoft is making Tetris for Xbox One and PS4 screenshot

Guardian of Light's free now for Xbox Live Gold members

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:15 AM PST

It's time for another predictable but helpful bi-weekly reminder that a new game is free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. This time, it's 2010's Summer of Arcade title Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Of course, this offer won't be on the table once February rolls around.

The twin-stick shooter is held in high regard by most, especially fans of co-op play. Go ahead and give this one a download if you meet that whole "don't already own it and an Xbox Live Gold member" criteria. The worst that can happen is that you just feel the need to hit that delete button.

Guardian of Light's free now for Xbox Live Gold members screenshot

Muramasa's Uprising of the Oone Resistance DLC detailed

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST

Muramasa: Rebirth is set to have four side stories arrive in the form of DLC, and they all seem to be pretty meaty diversions. America just got its first, The Fishy Tales of Nekomata, and the second has just dropped in Japan, titled Uprising of the Oone Resistance.

We previously caught a trailer for the DLC, but now, Siliconera has some more details on how it plays out. First off you'll play as Gonbei, a simple farmer (gonbei means "country folk" in Japanese), the hardest worker in his village. After the death of his wife, he speaks to her in the form of her ghost, who will help him attack enemies during the DLC (creepy).

He'll fight with a sickle, bamboo spear, and a hoe, and he has the opportunity to summon the "village idiot" and the "village strongman" in combat. Just like the first DLC Gonbei will have a skill tree as well as a boss rush mode, and multiple endings.

If it's anything like the first DLC, I'm in. Expect a review once it hits North America.

Muramasa Rebirth’s Farmer Uprising DLC Episode Detailed [Siliconera]

Muramasa's Uprising of the Oone Resistance DLC detailed screenshot

New Hitman will have the largest levels yet

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 04:30 AM PST

IO Interactive is working on the next major installment of Hitman and today the studio shared a few details about the game. Most notably, it'll feature Agent 47 "at the prime of his career" and open-ended sandbox levels that are said to be the biggest the series has ever seen.

"The game concentrates on the core Hitman fantasy of using a wide range of tools to take out a diverse group of targets across expansive, exotic locations around the world," wrote IO. "We are building this game on the backbone of the Glacier 2 engine, using the best parts and what we have learnt through Hitman: Absolution and drawing inspiration from past titles like Contracts and Blood Money to fulfil the core Hitman fantasy.

"That means we're packing in an extreme level of detail on the largest levels we have ever built for a Hitman game. We've adopted an open, non-linear level design approach to the game, ensuring the game will play out across huge, checkpoint-free, sandbox levels. Our aim is to create living, breathing and believable levels which will allow gamers to play around with the AI to create those unique moments every fan of the Hitman franchise loves."

They've got the right idea here -- it sounds challenging and, as a result, satisfying. I didn't bother with Absolution but this description is exactly what I want out of the series.

An open letter to all Hitman fans [Hitman]

New Hitman will have the largest levels yet screenshot

Nintendo Download: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 04:00 AM PST

Today is an odd day for the eShop, with Unepic gracing the Wii U storefront after its original PC release in 2011. Also appearing on the Wii U is F1 Race Stars: Powered Up Edition, and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. You may recognize the latter as one of the most hated NES games of all time.

Just like Zelda II, Castlevania II was a massive departure from what was established previously in the series, but not nearly as successful. Personally? I enjoy Simon's Quest (so did Conrad), but I'm a sucker for weird experiences and cryptic, maddening retro titles. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you've never played it and are curious, now might be a good time.

The 3DS is also getting Simon's Quest (ha!) as well as a discount for Etrian Odyssey Untold ($19.99 until January 27th).

Nintendo Download: Castlevania II: Simon's Quest screenshot

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Play with yourself in first-person shooter Time Rifters

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:30 AM PST

Despite the strangely familiar name (hint: "rift" is a synonym for "split"), Time Rifters is not about gallivanting through various eras and throwing bricks through windows. Rather, it has more in common with the early vision of Super Time Force, where players fight through a level as one character, then rewind to the beginning and fight alongside a ghost version of previous attempts.

By the end, players will have controlled four different shooters, with the goal of destroying all of the red blocks on a level. To help keep things from being too confusing, not only are past selves visible, but so are the locations where each is looking at any given moment. It's classic divide and conquer, except that you are your only teammate.

Time Rifters was originally developed for use with Oculus Rift, but functions fine on a standard display. It is currently sitting at #4 on Steam Greenlight, so there is a decent chance we will be seeing a full Steam release in the near future.

Play with yourself in first-person shooter Time Rifters screenshot

Sony's mascot Toro is in the Japanese version of Terraria

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:00 AM PST

Over in Japan, the PS3 version of Terraria got special crossover characters, with games like Danganronpa and Shiren the Wanderer making appearances. The Vita version is also getting some crossover love  by way of Monomi from Super Danganronpa 2 and Toro -- Sony's adorable mascot.

You'll have to suit up by way of head, armor, and leg pieces, but hey, it's something! Terraria is set to launch in Japan on February 6th for the Vita.

Monomi From Danganronpa 2 And Toro Make Cameos In Terraria In Japan [Siliconera]

Sony's mascot Toro is in the Japanese version of Terraria screenshot

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Octodad launches on January 30 for Windows, Mac, & Linux

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:30 AM PST

Octodad: Dadliest Catch, the cephalopod-masquerading-as-human simulator (we've all been there), is set to release on January 30 on Steam, the Humble Store, and GOG.com. The PlayStation 4 launch is expected sometime in March.

To commemorate the occasion, developer Young Horses has put out the above launch trailer, which shows that Octodad isn't just a person who flails around and knocks things over, but also that he has some serious issues to deal with. A potential antagonist is shown in the chef who appears to know Octodad's true identity, and perhaps wants to prepare some fresh tako or pulpo a la gallega. Additionally, a family trip to the aquarium is central to the trailer. Octodad seems reluctant to go, but once there he almost looks nostalgic for his former underwater life.

Will he abandon his loving family? Will he be chopped into bits by the chef? We will find out later this month.

Octodad launches on January 30 for Windows, Mac, & Linux screenshot

Yakuza Ishin has fishing, gardening and sexy brothels

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:00 AM PST

Quick, which of those three caught your attention? Fishing and gardening, for me.

This video offers a meaty look at Sega's upcoming Yakuza Ishin, which Dale raved about at TGS. I have to admit, that world looks like it'd be fun to explore. It's an underused setting, the actual urban bit of historical Japan, where people live, rather than barren battlegrounds for sword fighting.

There's also a closer look at the brothels, along with the models that inspired them. You can play an intense match of rock-paper-scissors and get virtually drunk with these digital ladies. I think the shmup-style minigame is a metaphor for sex.

There are quite a few lengthy looks at the game, which is out next month in Japan, on that channel.

Yakuza Ishin has fishing, gardening and sexy brothels  screenshot

Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day out now in Japan for PS3

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:30 AM PST

The stunning fifth and final episode of Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's Short Peace anthology made its debut on PlayStation 3 in Japan today. I'm all kinds of jealous right now.

A sidescrolling action game, Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day comes by way of Grasshopper Manufacture and Namco Bandai, boasting a talented collection of developers, including the likes of Suda 51, Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka, Tokyo Jungle director Yohei Kataoka, and Fire Emblem: Awakening illustrator Yusuke Kozaki. Yeah, they're kind of a big deal.

Still no official word on a localized release, but Namco seems to be entertaining the idea. The publisher's European division registered a domain for the title last autumn, so at least there's hope. Now go make some noise about this lovely-looking game and force the company's hand.

Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day out now in Japan for PS3 screenshot

Hey Lords of the Fallen, show us actual gameplay already

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:00 AM PST

Hey City Interactive, I'm really interested in Lords of the Fallen but enough with just releasing screenshots like the two new ones in our gallery. Yeah, you released a neat looking teaser, but where's some actual gameplay footage? Only people that have previewed it know what the game truly looks like.

Destructoid's Brett Makedonski has previewed the game for us in fact, noting that it has a lot of promise. But for the rest of us I think we're over the slow drip of screens. Come on already!

But the stuff I do read about the game is what's holding my interest still. Specifically how executive producer Tomasz Gop has compared Lords of the Fallen to Dark Souls.

"This is a game about you crossing the gap," Tomasz told VG247. "The difference and distance between being a random noob at the beginning, and skilled pro player at the end. This crafting of your skill is what this is about, and I thought Dark Souls was exactly about the same thing.”

Okay Lords of the Fallen, you still have my attention ... for now.

Hey Lords of the Fallen, show us actual gameplay already screenshot

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Sledgehammer hiring for new Call of Duty game

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 12:00 AM PST

After having its third-person Call of Duty cancelled, Sledgehammer Games, which was founded by ex-Dead Space developers, went on to help with the development of Modern Warfare 3. Shortly after its release, the developer was hiring for a new Call of Duty title. It wasn't Ghosts, though.

Whatever it is, Sledgehammer is hiring for it again. According to its website, the team has, "plans to add 40 more jobs before the end of the year in all disciplines and levels of seniority across the development team."

Are there about to be three main Call of Duty developers in rotation?

Sledgehammer hiring for new Call of Duty game screenshot

Mobile gaming to push industry past $100 billion by 2017

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:00 PM PST

Say what you will about mobile gaming, but it's a huge part of gaming and bringing in a filthy amount of money to the industry.

Research firm Digi-Capital's Global Games Investment Review 2014, by way of Games Industry Biz, believes that mobile and online gaming is such a huge force around the world that it will generate $60 billion of the predicted $100 billion the industry will generate by 2017. Europe and Asia will be the big drivers of this, as the firm believes those two sectors represent 80% of mobile and online gaming.

All this combined with the ever increasing momentum of the PC, the new console generation thanks to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and the race for game streaming, I think our industry is going to be just fine. If you really want to get into all the research and data you can download the overview from Digi-Capital for free.

GLOBAL GAMES INVESTMENT REVIEW 2014 - EXEC SUMMARY [Digi-Capital, via Games Industry Biz]

Mobile gaming to push industry past $100 billion by 2017 screenshot

Content creators can make more money on MLG.tv, says CEO

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 09:00 PM PST

On Gamer has an interview with Major League Gaming's CEO Sundance DiGiovanni, and there's a lot of interesting tidbits regarding the competitive gaming company. The biggest surprise for me is that ever since MLG.tv launched, they've been "EBITA positive and expects to stay EBITA positive on a quarterly basis in 2014."

Their new site and video player has been so successful that MLG is able to offer up a better incentive for streamers, well eSports streamers at least. Sundance says content creators will "make significantly more money" compared to using Twitch.tv's services. He does state that their streaming player needs some work, mostly with the chat interface.

Personally it's great to hear how well MLG is doing. It was easy to write off the company in the early days, but they stuck with it and that dedication has rewarded all those that stood by with them for the last 10 years. Also for those of you in the advertising game look at those CPM rates!

MLG's Sundance DiGiovanni on the future of MLG.TV [On Gamers]

Content creators can make more money on MLG.tv, says CEO screenshot

Gone Home is 100% improved with the Gun Home DLC

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 07:00 PM PST

Finally, Gone Home can become a real videogame with the Gun Home DLC.

Thanks to the geniuses over at Dorkly for this one.

Gone Home is 100% improved with the Gun Home DLC screenshot

Unity 4.3 now supports the PlayStation Vita

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 05:00 PM PST

The latest version of Unity will now support the PlayStation Vita. Now developers licensed with Sony can use the engine to create Vita games, making use of the handheld's features from the cameras, rear touch pad, motion sensors, and dual analog sticks. Unity will also be integrated with PSN features such as Trophies, and friends.

One such game that used the Unity engine that was already released for Sony platforms was Stick It To The Man!, a game that fell under a lot of people's noses.

Really, to best sum up this news I'm going to quote Dtoid reader EphemeralSynthesis when Unity first announced support for all Sony gaming devices:

"This means we're gonna see some great games AND completely terrible games!"

Indeed.

Unity 4.3 now supports the PlayStation Vita screenshot

The live-action Tekken prequel is not happening after all

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

A couple days ago, we heard word of a new live-action Tekken film that would serve as a prequel to the last live-action movie.

This movie is not happening, Joystiq reports. Actor Kane Kosugi, reported to star in the film, announced it. A note went up on his personal site apologizing for this announcement, as Kosugi is apparently getting ready to star in a film tentatively titled, Agent X.

So Tekken: A Man Called X is not a thing. Probably for the better.

Actor retracts announcement of live-action Tekken prequel [Joystiq]

The live-action Tekken prequel is not happening after all screenshot

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