New Games |
- Gigantic Army surmounts Greenlight, coming to Steam soon
- Check out the EVO 2014 lineup, with Smash in limbo
- Watch the D.I.C.E. Awards live right here!
- Sony selling off PC business, cutting 5,000 jobs
- Facepunch Studios removes zombies from Rust
- Mario and friends get a Sonic Boom redesign too
- Skylanders series has made over $2 billion worldwide
- Censorship in Germany: How they changed your fav games
- Live show: Insurgency with New World Interactive
- Activision: Destiny to be 'next billion dollar franchise'
- Review: Consortium
- Xbox 360 version of Titanfall sees a slight delay
- Vote on potential Double Fine games in Amnesia Fortnight
- Sledgehammer leading development of next Call of Duty
- Ghost writer: Fraudulent Resident Evil composer not deaf
- Videogame Clubhouse: Delve into the EXTREME with Amped 3!
- Killzone: Shadow Fall patch adds framerate lock option
- Microsoft to find a new dev partner for Killer Instinct
- Double Dragon: Neon now available on Steam
- Ubisoft's gorgeous RPG Child of Light releases April 30
- Sega announces Cartoon Network and TOMY parternship
- Sega reveals new Sonic Boom sub-franchise and game
- EA Mythic responds to Dungeon Keeper criticism
- Keiji Inafune talks Mighty No. 9, shows Mighty No. 7
- New Alien: Isolation screens spill the android fluid
- Mark Cerny: the future of game consoles looks solid
- Flappy Bird makes $50k per day thanks to ad revenue
- Mark Cerny remembers optical media, early days fondly
- This new musical exploration game trailer is so FRACT
- Disney Infinity's Sorcerer Mickey feels right at home
- The Witcher 3 developers leave for 11 bit studios
- Nintendo Download: Bravely Default
- PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 won't have multiplayer
- Final Fantasy VI now available on iOS
- Review: Jazzpunk
- Kojima defends Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' length
- Someone's taken over 3,000 pictures of the food in GTA V
- I want this Final Fantasy IV figure
- Rust: If you see the Penis Brothers, take off your pants
- 3DS passes 15M sold in Japan; Wii U has outsold Xbox 360
- Chucklefish talks 'finished' Starbound, next game
| Gigantic Army surmounts Greenlight, coming to Steam soon Posted: 06 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Doujin shooter Gigantic Army has been granted access to Valve's walled garden and will be making its way to Steam in the near future, according to publisher Nyu Media. The localization group issued a statement thanking fans for their enthusiasm and continuing to allow the company to bring Japanese indie games to western shores. The retro-inspired mech shooter will launch on the platform as soon as possible with achievements, trading cards, and Linux support. In the meantime, Nyu Media is encouraging players to pick up Gigantic Army elsewhere. Buyers that pick up the title prior to the the Steam release will be awarded Steam keys when the time comes. |
| Check out the EVO 2014 lineup, with Smash in limbo Posted: 06 Feb 2014 01:35 PM PST Last year's EVO was one of my favorite events of 2013, and now we have the lineup for EVO 2014, courtesy of Mr. Wizard on the iPlayWinner's podcast stream. The lineup consists of Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Killer Instinct, Injustice: Gods Among Us, King of Fighters XIII, and BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma. Wait, where's Smash? Well, the EVO crew "still has room for Smash," but they're in discussions with Nintendo to have it featured in 2014. The event itself will be held at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino on July 11-13th. I'm particularly interested in seeing matches in the upcoming Ultra Street Fighter IV and Killer Instinct -- I really want to see what the pros can bring for the latter. |
| Watch the D.I.C.E. Awards live right here! Posted: 06 Feb 2014 01:30 PM PST The 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards are happening live in Las Vegas right now. Felicia Day and Freddie Wong are hosting the show tonight, and we'll update this post as winners are announced for all the awards. Check out the full list of nominees below. The big contender of the night is The Last of Us with 13 nominations. We'll be updating the post through the award show with the winners from each category. |
| Sony selling off PC business, cutting 5,000 jobs Posted: 06 Feb 2014 12:00 PM PST Sony has announced that they're selling off their entire PC division. Whoa. The Vaio PC business will be sold off to Japan Industrial Partners, where 250 to 300 employees involved with the PC business will be making a move to as well. "As a part of the business transfer to JIP, Sony will cease planning, design and development of PC products," Sony said in their release. "Manufacturing and sales will also be discontinued after the Spring 2014 lineup to be launched globally." Sony customers can still expect the new company to upload any warranties too. The move is spurred by Sony expecting a net loss of $1.1 billion in the year ending March 2014. This will also see over 5,000 layoffs happen within the company, along with Sony spinning off their TV business into a separate unit. The gaming division, meanwhile, saw positive growth over the last year thanks largely to the PlayStation 4's launch. The mobile division saw an increase in growth as well. Going forward, Sony will be putting focus on their mobile, tablets, TV, and PlayStation offerings. |
| Facepunch Studios removes zombies from Rust Posted: 06 Feb 2014 11:30 AM PST It's no secret that zombies weren't intended to be a permanent fixture of the sandbox survival game Rust and their removal has finally come to fruition as of an update today which swaps them out for red bears and wolves. "You hate them. We know. They're just plugging a gap for now," writes developer Facepunch. "All will be revvvealed." The update also brings improvements to wildlife (including the removal of white wolves), new graphics for wood and stone resources, and locked backpacks. Upon dying, your backpack can (optionally) be locked for a limited time unless someone uses a lockpick. Also, crafting is now quicker when you stand next to a workbench. A welcome addition, indeed. On the one hand, it's tough to see any element -- even one as uninspired as zombies -- taken away from such a feature-incomplete game. But I do agree with the developers that making the cut sooner than later was the right call. They can do much better and now have a clean slate to do so. 6th Feb Update [Rust] |
| Mario and friends get a Sonic Boom redesign too Posted: 06 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and Dr. Eggman all just got a major redesign for the new Sonic Boom game. It sure is ... something. Artist Andrew Dickman imagines what Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach would look like if they got the same redesign treatment too. There's been some hilarious reactions to what Sega has done with the Sonic franchise all over the net. Post your favorites in the comments below. |
| Skylanders series has made over $2 billion worldwide Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:30 AM PST Another reveal from today's Activision Q4 results was that the Skylanders series has grossed over $2 billion worldwide across all platforms. There's been over 175 million of the Skylanders toys sold too. Skylanders is a giant guilty pleasure series for me, and I'm glad to see the series still gaining traction despite newcomer Disney Infinity shoving all their magical Disney in our faces. It'll be interesting to see what happens once Disney introduces their Marvel and Star Wars line for the Infinity series. |
| Censorship in Germany: How they changed your fav games Posted: 06 Feb 2014 10:00 AM PST [Dtoid community blogger OpiumHerz shares his experiences gaming in Germany. Want to see your own blog appear on our front page? Go write something! --Mr Andy Dixon] Salida dear readers, My name is Jim and I am German. I've been writing a blog series titled "The worst thing about censorship is ███████" for about a year now in order to give you a little insight into videogame censorship, which is still pretty much alive and kicking here in Germany (and elsewhere). In this episode, I'll discuss censorship in various games spanning multiple regions, including Soldier of Fortune II, The Witcher II, Bulletstorm, Balder's Gate, Dead Rising, and more. For more entries, check out my Cblog! |
| Live show: Insurgency with New World Interactive Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:30 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.] Tonight, I'm going to get shot, in the face, a lot. If watching me getting ruthlessly murdered, over, and over, and over again, is something you think that you'd enjoy, you won't want to miss out on Mash Tactics this evening as we get together with our good friends from New World Interactive, and showcase the tactical shooter, Insurgency. I'll be the first to admit, I'm terrible at this game, like, I totally suck, but something about it's addictive and strategic gunplay keeps me constantly entertained, and coming back for more. I can only hope that the team that created the game, can carry my sorry ass to victory. If not, well, at least I'll have a blast getting my skull split open as we kick back and chat. If you want to join in and help out, but don't own the game, be sure to get to the show early as I'll be giving a few copies away to the live crowd at the beginning of the broadcast. Get there and get you some! QotD: What games are you terrible at, that you still enjoy playing? |
| Activision: Destiny to be 'next billion dollar franchise' Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:15 AM PST During their Q4 2013 financial results, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick proclaimed that Bungie's Destiny will be the "next billion dollar franchise" for the company. He expects it to be "the best-selling videogame in history," in fact. That's a pretty tall order, Activision. Destiny is going to be great, but best-selling videogame in history? Good luck with that! |
| Posted: 06 Feb 2014 09:00 AM PST Right click. Left click. Right click. Left click. The old one-two. Jab and then...jab again. Or are they hooks? I can't tell in first-person. Regardless, I was wandering around the spaceship, punching aimlessly, until I heard, "Buon pomeriggio, Bishop." The voice was warm. It came from a handsome man with whom I engaged in conversation, learning a little bit more about the ship I was dumped in. I stopped punching. Consortium has guns and it has first-person punching, but it's a talkie. Following in the vein of Deus Ex, System Shock, and the non-shooty bits of Mass Effect, you're tossed aboard a ship and things start to go awry. You have to find out why. Or not, I guess. |
| Xbox 360 version of Titanfall sees a slight delay Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:45 AM PST Electronic Arts have announced that they'll be delaying the Xbox 360 version of Titanfall, and it'll now be coming out two weeks later on March 25 in North America, and March 28 in Europe. Originally planned for a March 11 release, the extra two weeks is aimed at giving developer Bluepoint Games time to "put the finishing touches" on the game. The Xbox One and PC versions being developed by Respawn Games is still slated for a March 11 release in North America, and March 13 in Europe. |
| Vote on potential Double Fine games in Amnesia Fortnight Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:30 AM PST Double Fine is hosting another Amnesia Fortnight game jam over the next two weeks, giving fans a chance to support the company financially and voice their opinion about which prototypes should move forward into full production. It costs money to cast your vote, but the winning prototypes will be playable so you are getting something back in return. For this Amnesia Fortnight, it's not just the Double Fine staff -- Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward also has game pitches, which you can see for yourself (and totally should; those doodles are the best). One of his ideas will become a game that he'll serve as project lead on. I'm pulling for No More McDonalds, a zombie title with all the right ideas. 2 Player Productions will once again be documenting the madness as it unfolds. Should be good. |
| Sledgehammer leading development of next Call of Duty Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:24 AM PST Activision has just reported on their financials for the last quarter, and among the news they've announced that Sledgehammer Games will be leading the development of the next Call of Duty coming out this year. In the past, Call of Duty development has jumped between Infinity Ward and Treyarch in two-year cycles. With Sledgehammer now developing the next game, the Call of Duty series will switch into a three-year development cycle. Sledgehammer has worked on Call of Duty in the past, specifically they assisted Infinity Ward with the development of Modern Warfare 3. The only thing I took away from this is that we have to wait another year now for Treyarch to make a good Call of Duty game again. |
| Ghost writer: Fraudulent Resident Evil composer not deaf Posted: 06 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST Yesterday, we found out famed deaf Japanese composer Mamoru Samuragochi (Resident Evil Director's Cut: Dual Shock Version, Onimusha), known as "Japan's Beethoven," has actually had someone writing his compositions for the last 18 years, including his most famous and successful works. The ghost writer has revealed himself today. Part-time music school teacher Takashi Niigaki has come forward to reveal that he's been writing Samuragochi's work for the last 18 years, saying "I am an accomplice of Samuragochi because I continued composing just as he demanded, although I knew he was deceiving people." Niigaki says he was paid only $70,000 over almost two decades for over 20 compositions. Niigaki also claims that Samuragochi "cannot even write musical scores." And that he's not deaf. "I've never felt he was deaf ever since we met," he said. "We carry on normal conversations. I don't think he is (handicapped). At first he acted to me also as if he had suffered hearing loss, but he stopped doing so eventually. He told me, after the music for the video games was unveiled, that he would continue to play the role (of a deaf person)." Samuragochi has not responded to this claim, but in yesterday's mea culpa he maintained that he was deaf. Niigaki said he finally wanted to end the ruse when he found out Winter Olympics medal hopeful, figure skater Daisuke Takahashi, was planning to skate to a piece attributed to Samuragochi. Prior to that, "I told him a few times that we should stop doing this, but he never gave in. Also he said he would commit suicide if I stopped composing for him." 'Japan's Beethoven' not even deaf: ghost composer [AFP] |
| Videogame Clubhouse: Delve into the EXTREME with Amped 3! Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:45 AM PST Since indie month ended, Phil has kind of been going nuts. If you didn't check out our last show you missed a hot beach adventure with Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. So, how has Phil decided to top that nonsense? Apparently the answer is snowboarding. Now, I've never played Amped 3 but Phil assures me it's the craziest thing I'll see this week. I guess there is mayo with worms in it at some point. Want to join in on this voyage of XTREME self discovery? You can join in at 2pm pst over on Dtoid.tv for all of the insanity! That's right, we're going crazy LIVE ON THE INTERNET for all of your entertainment. Make sure to stop by and check out the craziness. |
| Killzone: Shadow Fall patch adds framerate lock option Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST The update that introduces Guerrilla Games' early work in supporting clans in Killzone: Shadow Fall is available for download as of today. Players can now display their tags as part of their name in-game and invite clan members to a party, among other things. Another new feature is the option to lock the framerate in at 30 frames per second in the campaign mode for people who want consistency, and extra save points have been added to the single-player. Lastly, the range-increasing flashlight exploit for the VC30 has been addressed. Good. Great. Grand! Anyone still actively playing Shadow Fall? How's it been treating you? Killzone Shadow Fall Patch v1.09 is out [Killzone] |
| Microsoft to find a new dev partner for Killer Instinct Posted: 06 Feb 2014 07:00 AM PST Amazon's purchase of Killer Instinct developer Double Helix Games as part of its "ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers" came out of nowhere. We know the company is getting into gaming, sure, but Double Helix? Huh. Never would've seen that coming. For fans worried about the future of the fighting game, Microsoft has spoken about the next steps. "We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Double Helix and wish them success in their next endeavor," reads a statement given to Eurogamer. "We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We're excited about the future of this popular franchise." On Twitter, Microsoft Studios' Phil Spencer said the internal team's size will remain the same and that "[Killer Instinct] was planned [internally] before [Double Helix] was brought into dev. Other [external] devs will do work but [the internal] team leads." Microsoft promises to support Killer Instinct after Amazon buys its developer [Eurogamer] |
| Double Dragon: Neon now available on Steam Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:45 AM PST The zaniest adventure of Billy and Jimmy Lee is available for PC players today, as Double Dragon: Neon arrives on Steam. You may now purchase it for the perfectly reasonable sum of $9.99. Setting aside all of the awesome music, goofy plot line, and absurd villains, it's still my favorite Double Dragon game. There's a satisfying technical depth to be found in the combat and the addition of the game's collectible progression system has kept me coming back over and over. If you're into brawlers and haven't played this yet for some inexplicable reason, you should probably get to it. |
| Ubisoft's gorgeous RPG Child of Light releases April 30 Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:30 AM PST Ubisoft has been killing it lately with its UbiArt Framework. Take a look at this new trailer for Child of Light, Ubisoft Montréal's upcoming Japanese-style RPG about fairytales. Just, wow. It's been priced at $14.99 for PS3, PS4, Wii U, Steam, Xbox 360, and Xbox One with an April 30, 2014 release date. I'm rarely able to get into turn-based combat but I think that's something I can learn to accept in order to experience everything else Child of Light is bringing to the table. |
| Sega announces Cartoon Network and TOMY parternship Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:15 AM PST Following up on the huge reveal of the new Sonic Boom sub-franchise, Sega had two more announcements to make at their "Year of Sonic" event. The first deals with the previously revealed TV series, in that it will debut on Cartoon Network in the Fall, and run into 2015. It'll consist of 52 episodes in an 11 minute format as standalone episodes. Sega ran a few plotlines by us at the event -- "Knuckles becoming mayor," and "Dr. Eggman faking an injury to take Sonic to court" were two concepts. You can check out the show in action for yourself in the trailer above. The other arm of the Sonic Boom line is the toy division, which will be headed up by TOMY. TOMY will be producing plush toys, action figures, RC cars, vehicles, and other novelty items. Sega also has multiple licensing programs planned, including food and beverage items. Sega calls this "one of the biggest licensing initiatives in recent years." So there you have it. Sega is going all out for Sonic Boom, so be prepared to see a lot of it over the next year or so. |
| Sega reveals new Sonic Boom sub-franchise and game Posted: 06 Feb 2014 06:00 AM PST At the "Year of Sonic" event, Sega has revealed Sonic Boom -- a new sub-franchise in the Sonic world. The new brand will not only sport the previously announced TV show, but two new games on the Wii U and 3DS. This is part of the exclusive deal with Nintendo. The Wii U game will be headed up by developer Big Red Button (led by a former Naughty Dog art director), and the 3DS version will be handled by Sanzaru Games (the studio that developed the new Sly Cooper). The games will serve as a prequel to the CG TV show. We didn't get a hands on session, but based on the footage we've seen of the Wii U version, the worlds look massive (although it is confirmed that it is not one open world), and projectile combat seems to be in. In other words, Sonic Boom is looking a lot like Ratchet & Clank right now. It's also important to note that the CryEngine 3 will be used on the Wii U, and that this version is confirmed to support co-op play. Sega of America president and COO John Chen stressed that "Sonic Boom will not be replacing the original franchise." |
| EA Mythic responds to Dungeon Keeper criticism Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:30 AM PST Speaking with TabTimes about the new Dungeon Keeper for mobile, senior producer at EA Mythic Jeff Skalski said the team is "very aware" of the criticisms its free-to-play title has received. "One of the important data points we're looking at is our store ratings and downloads," he explained. "At the time of this interview, App Store ratings currently sit at 4 out of 5 stars and Google Play ratings sit at 4.5 out of 5 stars. We're also seeing a lot of game downloads and in-game engagement so that tells us there is a large group of people who are playing and enjoying the game. Obviously, this is counter to some of the angry reactions we've seen around the internet, so we’re still trying to look at all of these data points." It's worth pointing out that the Android version of Dungeon Keeper has a rating pop-up which some have deemed questionable. For what it's worth, Skalski says "Mythic is committed to continuously fine tuning the player experience based upon fan feedback. We're looking at a ton of data right now to help inform that: media reviews, comments, and reviews from players, and a bunch of in-game data like downloads, and engagement." Would this game have garnered less (or any?) negative attention if it weren't based on Dungeon Keeper? Undoubtedly. But that's not the reality we live in. Instead, what we got is a heartless game designed for an audience who in all likelihood isn't remotely familiar with this historic IP which has been revived only to represent the worst of free-to-play gaming. EA responds to fevered 'Dungeon Keeper' paywall criticism [TabTimes] |
| Keiji Inafune talks Mighty No. 9, shows Mighty No. 7 Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:19 AM PST Comcept's Keiji Inafune came to D.I.C.E. Summit 2014 today to talk about the potential of crowdfunding and how the games industry might change for the better through the freedom they provide. But he also took the opportunity to show off robot Mighty No. 7 for the first time, from his upcoming game Mighty No. 9. From his mobile game The Island of Dr. Momo, Inafune took the main character's scissors head attachment and used the idea for Mighty No. 7. But that didn't work out how he would have liked, so he tried cutting blades instead of scissors later. A few more tries gets us to what you see above, the final design for Mighty No. 7. 7 is a stealthy, fast-moving ninja type character, Inafune says. You can see the earlier designs in our gallery below. With this, all nine robots have been revealed. Inafune says that so far things are going well for Mighty No. 9. Specifically, he said that player movement is right about where he wants it. A short video showing a play test had him smiling, pleased with the results. |
| New Alien: Isolation screens spill the android fluid Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:15 AM PST If you came here looking for more images of Creative Assembly's terrifying Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation, no such luck. And if the Alien isn't in front of you, that means that he's either behind you, or above you, or in the vents, or oh god, I just want to go home. No, what you get is a glimpse at the hacking system and an android that met an untimely fate. Probably because he didn't leave a note. That's why you always leave a note. |
| Mark Cerny: the future of game consoles looks solid Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:04 AM PST In his D.I.C.E. Summit 2014 talk this morning, PS4 lead system architect Mark Cerny was put on the spot by co-panelists Eugene Jarvis (Raw Thrills) and Mark Turmell (Zynga) on the future of gaming consoles. Cerny quickly shot back: "We're two months in and you're asking where we'll be in six or eight years?" He said that there is currently "a very healthy audience for console games," though he admits that coming out of the gate with the PS4 last year, some questioned why we needed a new console. "Even after our February announcement it was about 50-50," Cerny admitted. Going forward, though, Cerny feels that the future looks pretty solid for console gaming. He feels that the influx of mobile technologies like phones and tablets are an "interesting influx" which as us playing traditional 200-hour single-player experiences alongside games like Ridiculous Fishing. Despite the growth of other platforms, the Steam Box, cloud gaming, the explosion of mobile games, and even with developments like virtual reality, Cerny still feels good about console gaming's future. "If you look at the console business itself and the hundreds of millions of fans themselves, it looks solid." I think the strong sales of the new generation of systems supports Cerny's feelings on this. |
| Flappy Bird makes $50k per day thanks to ad revenue Posted: 06 Feb 2014 05:00 AM PST If you know anyone that owns a smart phone, there's a good chance that they're currently infatuated and infuriated with Flappy Bird, the mobile game that's taking the world by storm. Despite being a shameless clone with terribly imprecise mechanics (scathing commentary!), it's doing pretty well for itself. Unsurprisingly, that success directly translates to totally useful real world dollars. According to an interview that Dong Nguyen, the game's creator, did with The Verge, Flappy Bird pulls in about $50k per day in ad revenue. That will happen when your game's been downloaded more than 50 million times. All in all, that's some solid cash for something that was coded in a few nights' worth of spare time. Of course, Destructoid's also reporting on the flappy bird that absolutely deserves your attention. Indie smash hit 'Flappy Bird' racks up $50k per day in ad revenue [The Verge] |
| Mark Cerny remembers optical media, early days fondly Posted: 06 Feb 2014 04:43 AM PST At D.I.C.E. Summit 2014 this morning, PS4 system architect Mark Cerny fondly recalled the good old days in his talk with Raw Thrills' Eugene Jarvis and Zynga's Mark Turmell. When asked to talk about the greatest innovations to gaming, Cerny picked the switch to optical media. He called the move from cartridges to discs a huge accomplishment, crediting former Sony CEO Ken Kutaragi for saving the day and helping the industry grow. Cerny recalled that, for cartridge games, for every 40 dollars spent, they could spend about one dollar on the software itself, and the rest would be cartridge cost. When the switch to DVD came, Cerny said they were spending about 10 dollars now instead of 40. He said money was coming from the choice to go with cheaper optical media. Jarvis shot back: "Dude, you're so 90s." Cerny said he missed an even easier, earlier time. Recalling the early 1980s, he said that in these "simpler times" you had two competitors in your genre maximum, making your game's success rate one-in-three. "I do miss having that innate success rate," Cerny said. |
| This new musical exploration game trailer is so FRACT Posted: 06 Feb 2014 04:30 AM PST We have seen a bit of FRACT in the past. Nearly a year ago it was put onto Steam Greenlight, where it went through and was quickly supported by the Indie Fund. Now that it is nearing official release, we may just be seeing more of the unique musical puzzle exploration title that appears to take place in a strange land made of synthesizers and purple polygons. Exploration as the main focus of a game can easily go wrong with either too much hand-holding or not enough payoff, but FRACT appears to be walking the fine line pretty well, with musically interesting environments and light puzzle gameplay to point players in the right direction. The release is still listed as "early 2014," so while we don't know exactly when it will be widely available, it should be some time soon. |
| Disney Infinity's Sorcerer Mickey feels right at home Posted: 06 Feb 2014 04:00 AM PST Previously released as a D23 Expo exclusive back in August of 2013, the Sorcerer Mickey figure is finally seeing a wide release for Disney Infinity. Modeled after his look in Disney's classic 1940 film Fantasia, Mickey is a separate release, and doesn't come with his own Play Set -- instead, he is only usable in Toy Box Mode. In this way, he basically plays like a classic mage in an action adventure game, making him pretty useful for multiple situations and Toy Boxes. The figure itself and the in-game model both look great, and his familiar "ho ho!" voicework is as iconic as ever. As a character that feels truly neutral, he's become one of my favorite go-tos, as a puzzle piece that can fit into pretty much every level. If you're interested, you'll be able to find him in stores on February 9th, 2014. |
| The Witcher 3 developers leave for 11 bit studios Posted: 06 Feb 2014 03:30 AM PST Two notable developers of The Witcher franchise, lead gameplay designer Maciej Szcześnik and gameplay producer Marek Ziemak, have left CD Projekt RED for 11 bit studios. Based out of Warsaw, Poland, the company is best known for its Anomaly series. Szcześnik, who will be heading up design of an as-yet-announced game, said "It's a really exciting feeling to create a new world from scratch, make its characters and rules and to know that I have this blank page to fill with my ideas and then bring them to life." It's unclear what Ziemak's role will be at 11 bit will be, however he did tease an announcement for March. At any rate, those are some real good hires for the studio. |
| Nintendo Download: Bravely Default Posted: 06 Feb 2014 03:00 AM PST The main digital highlight today is Retro City Rampage DX, the 3DS version of Retro City Rampage, which released back in 2012. It comes with a few extra features, like a new dynamic camera, a few altered missions, and new control nuances like the ability to jump and shoot at the same time. Bravely Default also hits the 3DS eShop and retail tomorrow, and man is it great -- just be sure to know what you're getting into. The 3DS is also getting The LEGO Movie Videogame, and One Piece: Romance Dawn. Urban Trial Freestyle is getting a discount as well ($3.49) until February 20th. The Wii U side is less exciting, with Percy's Predicament, Ninja Gaiden (VC), and The LEGO Movie Videogame. |
| PS4 exclusive The Order: 1886 won't have multiplayer Posted: 06 Feb 2014 02:00 AM PST The PS4 is all set to host the exclusive The Order: 1886, and it's actually sounding pretty cool so far, despite the fact that we don't have any major info on it. Slowly but surely it's starting to creep out though, and now we know by way of Behind the Games that there is no multiplayer component. When asked about a potential PS3 version down the line, Ready at Dawn boss Ru Weerasuriya stated, "We currently [are] work[ing] exclusively on the PS4 version. Games are always designed for cross-platforms, But clearly, if there is a possibility to take over the physics system to other platforms, we would use this [version]." Hopefully we'll get some more substantial information sooner than later. The Order: 1886 will have No multiplayer mode [Behind the Games] |
| Final Fantasy VI now available on iOS Posted: 06 Feb 2014 01:01 AM PST Just a heads up, everyone; Final Fantasy VI, which was recently ported to Android, is now available on iOS devices from the App Store for $15.99. The android version of Square Enix's RPG launched nearly a month ago, and received criticism from fans regarding its art style -- this, coupled with several issues including a game-breaking bug, didn't really help much. Anyone planning on getting this despite all that? |
| Posted: 06 Feb 2014 12:00 AM PST Describing Jazzpunk is pretty damn hard. It's billed as a "comedy adventure game," but it's so much more (and sometimes less) than that. It's packed full of references, oddball minigames, and voicework that will make you laugh more often than not. For those reasons alone, it's not going to be for everyone. Unless you really like the idea of squirting a can of Cheez Whiz on Jim Sterling. |
| Kojima defends Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' length Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:00 PM PST Designer Hideo Kojima has responded to concerns over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' length following a Game Informer preview. A standalone prologue to 2015's full-fledged MGS V: The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes is said to have a "core story mission" beatable in under two hours, which didn't sit right with some considering its $20-$40 price tag depending upon where and how you buy it (last- or current-gen, digital distribution or physical). On Twitter, Kojima made his case, saying: "Ground Zeroes includes the main mission alongside five Side Ops. All mission include elements such as 'Trial Records,' where players can compete against each other online. This is not a linear game like the past. GZ offers freedom of approach and play style, which we hope players will enjoy over and over without [becoming bored]. I believe people will be satisfied with the 'Play Time' of GZ and will not stress the 'Clear Time,' which is a standard for linear games." I'm going to buy it, and I think Kojima is speaking honestly here, but I share Steven's opinion that this splitting of content might be problematic knowing how the industry seems incapable of showing restraint when it comes to taking business models to their extremes. Hideo Kojima [Twitter] |
| Someone's taken over 3,000 pictures of the food in GTA V Posted: 05 Feb 2014 09:00 PM PST Here's something you weren't expecting to see, like, ever. Paul Yan started a blog specifically to capture pictures of food from videogames. In this particular case, he's taken over 3,000 pictures of the food in Grand Theft Auto V. 2,000 of the pictures are of restaurants, menus, kitchens and the like, 1,000 pictures are made up of the NPCs with food, and then there's a boatload of gifs, and even gameplay clips. "I'm a pretty big foodie and love video games," Paul told us. "It took me around a month (about 4-8 hours each day) to explore GTA V’s world to find food, and I’m pretty sure I have all, if not, most of the food in the game!" That's some straight up crazy dedication. This page has the links to the various category of foodie pictures Paul took that he's slowly uploading to his site. So, that happened. |
| I want this Final Fantasy IV figure Posted: 05 Feb 2014 07:00 PM PST I Kain-not wait for this Final Fantasy IV figure that Tomopop spotted. Kain has always been my favorite from IV and started my overall love affair with the series' dragoons. Kain has some gorgeous new color in this redesign by Square Enix for Play Arts' "Variant" line. Be careful how you appreciate this figure. It's pointy. Wink wink. New Variant Play Arts Kai Dragoon photos jump out [Tomopop] |
| Rust: If you see the Penis Brothers, take off your pants Posted: 05 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST I love videogames SO much. [Thanks, Mathue!] |
| 3DS passes 15M sold in Japan; Wii U has outsold Xbox 360 Posted: 05 Feb 2014 05:00 PM PST According to the latest Media Create sales data, picked up by NeoGAF, the 3DS has crossed the 15 million units sold mark in Japan. It's catching up to the PSP's 20 million quickly, making 15 million sales in three years, though the console's sales numbers, which include XL and regular editions, are actually down compared to the prior year. Worldwide, Nintendo has shipped over 40 million units, including 11.5 in North America. It will be interesting to see how the 3DS fares throughout 2014. It had a hell of 2013, release-wise, but I don't have as many 3DS games on my radar in 2014 (yet). What am I missing? Besides Theatrhythm? The Wii U also seems to have outsold the Xbox 360 in Japan within the last couple weeks according to Famitsu's numbers. 3DS Hardware Sales Pass 15 Million Units in Japan [Nintendo Life] |
| Chucklefish talks 'finished' Starbound, next game Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:30 PM PST Starbound developer Chucklefish has spoken about the future of the game and its role as a publisher. For Starbound players, expect tweaks to the way progression is handled and more methods of obtaining pixels, broken down into a sort of tech tree-like system. A couple of examples given include intergalactic farming and renting property, both of which sound great to me. A so-called "end game" is also planned. Sector X is a group of planets with PvP enabled by default. Players can optionally work together to control these planets and "monsters, quests and events will be strong enough to be challenging even with the best tools in the game," according to Chucklefish. Then there's a Director Mode, exactly what it sounds like (think dungeon master), launchable from a separate client, plus user-made mission sharing and better mod support. What's got me most excited here, however, is the company's desire to get deeper into publishing. Chucklefish is getting a proper office in London soon and wants to "[help] out smaller indie companies" alongside its current titles like Stardew Valley and Wanderlust Adventures. "We'd like to progress more in this space and assist indie developers make their games profitable without giving away huge percentages of their income away to predatory publishers." Finally, a second game is in the works while Starbound is continuously developed. "This won't slow down the production of Starbound at all, worry not. I will be assisting in the design but we'll be working with entirely new developers. At the moment we're still in the stage where we’re kicking around ideas, one that keeps popping up is a top down, open world, multiplayer pirate game." The future of Chucklefish and Starbound [Starbound] |
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