New Games |
- GameTrailers shuts down after 13 years
- Shiren the Wanderer saunters westward on Vita
- Ubisoft didn't take 9/11 into consideration when making The Division
- Comments of the Week: Love Love Love
- Get real printed pictures from Firewatch's photo mode
- Buy an Xbox One, get a $75 gift card plus a free game from Microsoft
- Plague Inc: Evolved leaves Early Access soon
- Cookie Clicker wants back in your life
- Somehow DJ Khaled fits perfectly in The Witness
- Badass blacksmiths make Bloodborne's iconic Saw Cleaver
- Review: Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia
- Three Mad Catz executives resign prior to tomorrow's earnings report
- Precision platformer N++ headed to Steam
- Google will reportedly release a Gear VR competitor this year
- Mega Man EXE's 15th anniversary celebration looks fun
- Necali goes full creeper in newest Street Fighter V CG trailer
- This Mirelurk war in Fallout 4 does its best Starship Troopers impression
- Clueless Gamer returns with guests for Doom
- Red Alert: Onimusha revival 'discussion phases' are happening at Capcom
- Review: Firewatch
- Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut is finally coming to Wii U soon
- Minecraft just got Journey to the West skins
- Customize your Corrin before Fire Emblem Fates launches
- The Hitman beta starts this week, get a quick look at it
- BREAKING: Stanley Parable dev promises new 'MMO with poetry mechanics'
- A few more popular titles are coming to Xbox One via backward compatibility
- Come watch Dark Souls III's opening cinematic
- 'All' amiibo figures will work with Pokken Tournament
- Review: Unravel
- Pirating group 3DM had an internal meeting, decided 'not to crack for a year'
| GameTrailers shuts down after 13 years Posted: 08 Feb 2016 02:30 PM PST GameTrailers is no more, the site announced today after 13 years in business. The unfortunate news was officially announced via the website's social media feeds, and was later confirmed by both Editor-in-Chief Brandon Jones and Associate Editor Ben Moore. The website continued to publish new content until word of the closure broke earlier today, as Moore notes employees were only informed they "would be let go ... mere hours ago." GameTrailers was founded in 2002 and helped pioneer the internet video space, predating competitors like YouTube and Twitch. While those same competitors likely contributed to the site's demise, GameTrailers went out on a high note, saying "We’re proud we helped bring this world into being. That is the legacy of GameTrailers. We're grateful to all of our fans who helped make us successful. Thank you for your continued support over the years. It has been an adventure." Defy Media acquired GameTrailers in 2014 and began laying off employees just days later. The company hit the site (along with The Escapist and GameFront) with more layoffs early last year. GameTrailers [Facebook, Twitter] |
| Shiren the Wanderer saunters westward on Vita Posted: 08 Feb 2016 01:30 PM PST The fifth entry in Spike Chunsoft's Shiren The Wanderer series is coming west this summer. Aksys Games announced the good news earlier today over at the PlayStation Blog, revealing plans to publish the Mystery Dungeon spin-off's PlayStation Vita version in North America on July 26. Originally released for Nintendo DS in 2010, the roguelike RPG was remade for Vita last year with a number of enhancements, including new dungeons, multiplayer, and PlayStation TV support. Shiren The Wanderer launches July 26 on PS Vita [PlayStation Blog] |
| Ubisoft didn't take 9/11 into consideration when making The Division Posted: 08 Feb 2016 12:30 PM PST Ubisoft recently held a press event for Tom Clancy's The Division in New York City, which is also the setting for the upcoming third-person shooter's post-pandemic survival story. The Division takes place in the wake of what seems to be a terrorist-orchestrated smallpox outbreak that brings the United States government to its knees and plunges the country into chaos. In the game, players take on the role of special agents tasked with discovering the source of the disaster. According to Kill Screen, Ubisoft gave a lengthy presentation at the junket, which included expert testimony from professional survivalists on the realism of The Division's doomsday scenario. However, the company supposedly never thought to consider the similarities between its story and New York City's recent history, or seek out advice, or other information from the victims, first responders, and other locals who played witness to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Speaking with Julian Gerighty, the associate creative director on the project, Kill Screen asked if the development team spoke with any 9/11 first responders in addition to survival experts in order to make the game more authentic. Gerighty said they hadn't and added that "[he doesn't] think even the parallel between this game scenario and 9/11 exists." Pressed on the topic, if the collapse of the World Trade Center or lingering aftereffects of the attacks had been taken into consideration during development, Gerighty asserted "It’s the first time I’ve ever been asked about it, and it hasn’t really crossed any of the meetings that I’ve done on it before." "At the end of the day, it’s a video game, it’s an entertainment product… There’s no particularly political message with it," Gerighty later said when questioned about The Division's themes, which include how the virus spreads (contaminated money) and peacekeepers slaughtering civilians. While delicate subject matter of this kind should not be off limits, Ubisoft seems unconcerned with treating that subject matter delicately, or with the nuance and deference to recent tragedy befitting a disaster story set in Manhattan. It may be 'just a game,' but the scars it could reopen are very real. The Division doesn't want you to think about 9/11 [Kill Screen] |
| Comments of the Week: Love Love Love Posted: 08 Feb 2016 12:00 PM PST Goooooooooooooooooooooood evening to all of my lovely audience members! Quick question: what the hell are you doing right now, and why isn't it showering me with love and affection? After all, your dear host, Dreamweaver, is back with yet another round of Comments of the Week! You know, the showcase for community members, by community members, such as yourselves? If you aren't too busy at the moment — and if you are, fuck your responsibilities! — come check out all of the kooky things you might've missed during your time away, or all of the wacky stuff you enjoyed the first time around! As always, comments are placed into three categories: TRUTH: the more you talk about someone, the more you fall in love with them. LOL: I haven't sneezed in quite a while. WUT?: I'm sure the two aren't connected in any way. Am I being a bit overbearing? Well, that's because you missed last week's edition of Comments of the Week, and you know how you worry dear me when you do that! |
| Get real printed pictures from Firewatch's photo mode Posted: 08 Feb 2016 11:15 AM PST When Firewatch releases tomorrow, it'll have a neat little bit of functionality that blurs the line between video game and real life. Photo modes traditionally are used as a passive feature to memorialize something in-game. Firewatch takes that one step further. There's a disposable camera somewhere in Firewatch that essentially serves as the game's photo mode. You can snap pictures of whatever you want and save the images. But, upon finishing the game, you're also given a link to buy actual physical prints of those pictures. After reviewing Firewatch, Steven made mention of this nifty feature in our staff chat. However, he didn't actually purchase any of the prints. Fortunately, TechnoBuffalo did and an image of them is embedded below. Also, it's worth noting that this isn't available on PS4, only PC. And, one lingering question mark is how much this all costs. As TechnoBuffalo mentions, pre-launch cost was heavily discounted; that'll surely change once the game has been officially released. |
| Buy an Xbox One, get a $75 gift card plus a free game from Microsoft Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:30 AM PST Microsoft wants you to blow your tax refund on an Xbox One. To prove it, the Microsoft Store has fired up its Presidents' Day sale a week ahead of time. Xbox One bundles (including two new bundles) now have the first decent bonuses of 2016. There are eight bundles in total getting a $75 gift card and a free Ubisoft game this week at the Microsoft Store; for the game, you'll get to choose between Watch Dogs, The Crew, and Assassin's Creed: Unity. You'll see the option in the first stage of checkout. These bundles get you a $75 gift card + game:
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| Plague Inc: Evolved leaves Early Access soon Posted: 08 Feb 2016 10:00 AM PST After nearly two years and some 800,000 copies sold, Plague Inc: Evolved is ready for a full release on Windows, Mac, and Linux. That'll happen next Thursday, February 18. "By the time we launch, 18 major Evolutions (updates) will have been released, with some of the highlights including competitive & co-operative multiplayer, a custom content creator (with almost 10,000 user-generated scenarios made so far!), three major new disease types, and 20 scenarios," wrote Ndemic Creations founder James Vaughan. Co-op sounds intriguing: "players take the role of two different diseases which must work together to infect and destroy the world as a team." Version 1.0 also packs "multiplayer AI, advanced statistic tracking, a Double Strain cheat, and lots of other important features and optimizations." I was one of the millions of people to play the earlier incarnations of Plague Inc and the games that came before it, but I haven't yet brought about the end of humanity in Evolved. One day. Plague Inc: Evolved launch date announced - 18th February [Steam] |
| Cookie Clicker wants back in your life Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:30 AM PST Sorry about this. A new version of Cookie Clicker launched today with a revamped ascension system, quality-of-life improvements, and a cookie dragon, among many other additions. I'm telling you about it because I am a bad man. But really, stop. Think for a moment before following that link. Some of you will have long since freed yourself from the grip of this years-old browser-based idle game. Or perhaps you never saw the appeal in these time-eaters to begin with. That's probably for the best. It's okay to take a peek -- particularly given how weird Cookie Clicker becomes, which I think elevates it and is worth seeing first-hand -- but be mindful. At a certain point you'll just be going through the motions, making progress for the sake of progress. Know when to tap out. Orteil [Twitter] |
| Somehow DJ Khaled fits perfectly in The Witness Posted: 08 Feb 2016 09:00 AM PST I've been playing through Jonathan Blow and gang's The Witness of which I have very mixed feelings -- unlike Brett who gave the game a perfect score in his review -- but that hasn't stopped me from falling in love with this amazing video. While it is marked as having spoilers, it really doesn't. This is a mod where someone some brilliant genius replaced one of the in-game videos with an inspirational video by DJ Khaled. For those of you who haven't played the game, this is the video that normally plays here. And if you're unfamiliar with DJ Khaled, all he is does is win, win, win no matter what, and he is the god of Snapchat. You're welcome for another one. |
| Badass blacksmiths make Bloodborne's iconic Saw Cleaver Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:30 AM PST Bloodborne's rife with unique weapons, almost all of them fitting the criteria of being interesting enough to warrant a real-life adaption. But, the Saw Cleaver edges out the rest this time and is the one that's actually made, maybe because if nothing else it's the most identifiable. Man (Men?) at Arms is back at video game blacksmithing again, grinding and welding and "oh god I would be burnt to a crisp if I tried that"-ing. Bloodborne's the subject, a game we found fantastic enough to award as our Game of the Year in 2015. If we were just a smidge cooler, we'd step into the shop and hand-craft a trophy. I'd be the one in the corner yelling "Someone toss me a three-quarter allen socket, stat!" |
| Review: Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia Posted: 08 Feb 2016 08:00 AM PST Assassin's Creed Chronicles had a nice thing going on with China and India, delivering some of the classic stealth action the series is known for with a striking new art style and a shift to 2D action. Now Ubisoft is content on wrapping up the trilogy in a neat little bow with Russia, a location that sounds interesting on paper, especially given the more modern tint. After giving it a shot though, it's clear why this one was released with little to no fanfare. |
| Three Mad Catz executives resign prior to tomorrow's earnings report Posted: 08 Feb 2016 07:30 AM PST Mad Catz is going through a tumultuous shake-up at a time that isn't likely to inspire confidence from investors. On February 9 (tomorrow), Mad Catz will publish its third-quarter 2016 fiscal results. In the lead-up to that, three executives have resigned. In a press release, Mad Catz announced the departures of Thomas Brown (chairman of the board of directors, member of the board's audit committee), Darren Richardson (president and CEO), and Whitney Peterson (senior vice president of business affairs, general counsel, and corporate secretary). All three seemingly left at once. Mad Catz has already filled their roles. Mad Catz is a manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, but it most notably recently co-published Rock Band 4 alongside Harmonix. It was said that Mad Catz was betting big on Rock Band 4's success in order to help with outstanding debt. We won't know more about those results until tomorrow, but this development might have already said everything that needs to be said. Mad Catz Announces Executive and Board Leadership Changes [Mad Catz] |
| Precision platformer N++ headed to Steam Posted: 08 Feb 2016 07:00 AM PST N++ released last year as a PlayStation 4 exclusive and, considering how dang good it was and how much of a following its predecessors N and N+ had, not nearly enough people played it. Hopefully that'll change this year when the game comes to Steam and potentially other platforms. Writing on NeoGAF, Metanet Software co-founder Raigan Burns noted that the studio brought on a new programmer to help with the port. They've been working on it for about a month now. "There are still a few more months of work -- we want to add all of the planned post-launch-update stuff that got put on hold when our team imploded -- but we will definitely be bringing N++ to Steam," said Burns. "We're still looking at other platforms too." |
| Google will reportedly release a Gear VR competitor this year Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:30 AM PST The past four years have been VR hype-dominated, but if you were really pressed to pin one as The Year of VR, I suppose it would be 2016. That's when most of these machines leave their comfy nests and beta states, and they actually get released into the world and are expected to function properly. Add one more to the pile, it seems. A report from Financial Times says that Google intends to seriously enter the VR market. By year's end, Google will launch a new smartphone-powered VR peripheral that's aligned as a direct competitor to Samsung/Oculus' Gear VR. While no real specifics are known yet, this VR headset is said to have "better sensors, lenses, and a more solid plastic casing." It's also reported to be compatible with a wide range of Android phones, not just those in the Samsung Galaxy line as is the case for Gear VR. Google has already taken a (relatively speaking) primitive, yet innovative, stab at VR with its Google Cardboard display. Even though it's made from cardboard, that peripheral has shipped more than five million units. With everyone excited about the technology, it's very possible that Google could see its second VR success -- this time with a more substantial product. Google pushes further into virtual reality with new headset [Financial Times via GameSpot] |
| Mega Man EXE's 15th anniversary celebration looks fun Posted: 08 Feb 2016 06:00 AM PST Over in Japan, lots of little events are held for almost every major gaming franchise. They're pretty much all awesome despite how intimate they are, and that's definitely the case with the Mega Man EXE 15th anniversary. It was held at the Asakusa Hanayashiki theme park in Taitō, Tokyo, and had plenty of merch to peruse through, as well as in-costume characters, and food items. I would kill for that Forte's Coffee mug. Rockman Unity [Twitter via Rockman Corner] |
| Necali goes full creeper in newest Street Fighter V CG trailer Posted: 08 Feb 2016 05:30 AM PST Chun-Li laces up, Ken fixes his hair, Ryu gazes longingly at the sky, and Necali is creepy as all getup in the new CG trailer for Street Fighter V. I'm not a fan of the animation outside of that hand-drawn effect that the game does so well, but the "he's alive!" moment with Nash is cheesy enough to get me through it. Oh, and F.A.N.G. looks as cool as ever. After all this waiting and a series of beta events, I'm ready to just have this unleashed upon the community and see what happens. Stay tuned for more Street Fighter V coverage close to launch. |
| This Mirelurk war in Fallout 4 does its best Starship Troopers impression Posted: 08 Feb 2016 05:15 AM PST More Fallout 4 machinima and mods are steadily pouring out from the community, some of which are better than anything the core game is offering. Rather than just throw a bunch of creatures into an arena and let things play out, this concept from frequent contributor Cosmic Contrarian is pretty cool. It's a D-Day of sorts with Mirelurk creatures running out of the water and plenty of Brotherhood of Steel warriors standing their ground. So when the hell will mods be available on console? Bethesda is still saying "soon." |
| Clueless Gamer returns with guests for Doom Posted: 08 Feb 2016 05:00 AM PST Conan O'Brien hasn't had a Clueless Gamer video in a few months (that was Fallout 4 back in November), but he's back to promote Doom, and have a fun time doing it. NFL players Josh Norman and Von Miller join his antics, and there's plenty of hat action involved. As for the game I'm not sure what to expect. I'm not even hopeful for the multiplayer component, but like recent Wolfenstein ventures, I'd be just happy with a good campaign. |
| Red Alert: Onimusha revival 'discussion phases' are happening at Capcom Posted: 08 Feb 2016 04:30 AM PST According to Yoshinori Ono at Capcom, they are looking to potentially "revisit the series" at some point. Sure we've had the life-supportish PC and PS3 Onimusha Soul, but nothing significant has come out of this franchise, not even a remaster (and Capcom loves those!) in years. At the height of its fame, there was even going to be a movie with Heath Ledger. Speaking to the Daily Star, Ono states, "Right now, I’m so focused on Street Fighter V that I’m not really in a position to start that same level of battle that I had getting Street Fighter IV made," but goes on to say, "All I can do for now is reassure fans that conversations are happening at high levels. We realize the need for different series to maybe come back into the forefront and although there’s nothing to talk about right now, I’m sure in the future there will be news on variety of series that will keep the fans happy. Favorites are going to come back." Knowing Ono is still passionate about Onimusha warms my heart. If history is anything to go by, we'll get an "interest gauging" HD remake at some point before a full-on revival hits. I'll take it. Onimusha discussions 'are happening at high levels' confirms Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono [Gematsu] |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2016 04:00 AM PST The drunk, nude teens bathing in the lake at sunset summed up Firewatch neatly: "you're just some sad man out in the woods." Kids always know just where to cut. If you could translate the insult quadrant of their brains you'd have the most precise web algorithms in the world and only ever see cute animal gifs and Missy Elliot songs. Firewatch is a first-person mystery and the first release for Campo Santo. The studio brings together the writers of Telltale's The Walking Dead (season 1), the designer of Mark of Ninja, acclaimed artist Olly Moss and, with the rest of the crew, proves to be a formidable team for tackling a character-driven piece of intrigue and blistering Crush-colored skylines. |
| Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut is finally coming to Wii U soon Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:30 AM PST According to WayForward, Shantae: Risky's Revenge Director's Cut might hit Wii U soon. The game has moved into the submissions phase in both Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe, and the publisher expects everything to go smoothly. The Director's Cut will come with a few extras in tow from other versions, like the Magic Mode costume, enhanced visuals, and warps. Risky's Revenge is currently available on DSi (3DS by proxy), iOS, PS4, and PC. It was first released in 2010, and only just hit PS4 in December of last year in Europe, so this game has some long legs! Shantae [Kickstarter] |
| Minecraft just got Journey to the West skins Posted: 08 Feb 2016 03:00 AM PST To celebrate the Year of the Monkey, Mojang just dropped some Journey to the West skins for the Pocket Edition and Windows 10 versions of Minecraft. "Red Boy" and "Guanyin" are free, but the rest (Princess Iron Fan, Lord Hundred-Eyes, Bull Demon King, Monkey King, Jade Emperor, Monk Pig, Friar Sand, Lady Earth Flow, Spider Demon, Xuanzang, Pale Bone Demon and a Black Wind Demon) are $1.99. As a reminder, the Windows 10 Edition is separate from the core PC game. The former is attempting to play catch-up with C++, and the latter is coded in Java. Journey to the West skins [Mojang] |
| Customize your Corrin before Fire Emblem Fates launches Posted: 08 Feb 2016 02:45 AM PST When Fire Emblem Fates launches next week (finally) you'll have a few options to choose from when creating your avatar. It's not a whole lot, but it's enough to differentiate your Corrin for when other players stop by your castle, so it's worth checking out this app to get your priorties in order. I recreated mine while I play the game for review, which is pictured above. I'll never forget one of my friends, who spent two hours customizing his avatar in Skyrim to look exactly like Brad Pitt. Get all that done ahead of time! Kamui Customizer [Serene Forest] |
| The Hitman beta starts this week, get a quick look at it Posted: 08 Feb 2016 02:30 AM PST Hit "don't call it a reboot" Man is set to arrive in March (but not fully, since it's episodic -- gaming!), but before then you can get a taste of the beta. It drops on February 12 on PS4, and PC on February 19. Sorry Xbox One owners, Sony paid a lot of money to make sure you aren't happy. Get a load of all of the details here. In all seriousness the episodic nature might end up working out for Hitman, as players will be able to screw around in mini sandboxes to their heart's content, all of which could offer brand new experiences. |
| BREAKING: Stanley Parable dev promises new 'MMO with poetry mechanics' Posted: 08 Feb 2016 02:15 AM PST Responding to recent reports of Titanfall 2's promises for a single-player component that is "science meets magic," co-creator of The Stanley Parable and director of Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist William Pugh noted on Twitter: "yeah and I promise that my next game will be a MMO with poetry mechanics, where's my article????" Pugh then directed to a press release for the new project, which is definitely what he is currently working on, as promised, and is by no means me being cheeky and enjoying being at work earlier than usual and having some timezone overlap with the UK. While I'm not sure how an MMO with poetry mechanics would function, I am cautiously optimistic, and the creativity on display with this mish-mash of genres just goes to show that Pugh really isn't risk a-verse. Are you the Zodiac Killer and long to confess your sins? Let us know in the comments! [Twitter] |
| A few more popular titles are coming to Xbox One via backward compatibility Posted: 08 Feb 2016 02:00 AM PST Due to a mistakenly flipped switch, Red Dead Redemption was made available as a backward compatible game on Xbox One, and subsequently pulled, followed by an apology from Microsoft. But it wasn't the only one leaked -- just the most popular. According to screens from Xbox users, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Halo Wars, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Alan Wake's American Nightmare, and Left 4 Dead 2 will be hitting the service. We knew about Halo Wars but the rest comes as a welcome surprise -- because after all, every console should be a Symphony of the Night machine to some degree. Rocko Howard [Twitter] |
| Come watch Dark Souls III's opening cinematic Posted: 08 Feb 2016 01:30 AM PST Bandai Namco and From Software have released the opening cinematic of Dark Souls III. Be warned, though, as it obviously contains massive spoilers for both the story and, presumably, at least some of the bosses. They're very cool looking bosses, as you'd expect from a Souls game, but they're also huge spoilers to some and I'm sure people will get angry at me if I say much more. After Dark Souls and Dark Souls II finally won me over last month after years of disliking them, I’m pretty excited for this one. The trailer shows and mentions some things that are very interesting for those familiar with the series’ lore, and I can’t wait to explore them in more detail! I’m also seeing quite a lot of Bloodborne influence in some of the visual designs, so seeing how far that goes will also be cool. Dark Souls III releases for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 12. |
| 'All' amiibo figures will work with Pokken Tournament Posted: 08 Feb 2016 01:00 AM PST According to an official listing from Nintendo's website, "all" amiibo figures will be compatible with Pokkén Tournament for Wii U, and will unlock "in-game items" upon use. While we've known that using the Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card will unlock the aforementioned character, now it's clear that you can use your entire collection -- though exact details are unknown at this time. Accessories like shades and silly mustaches are a staple of Namco Bandai fighting games so it makes perfect sense. Maybe someone will get to wear Charizard's skin? Pokkén Tournament amiibo features [Nintendo] |
| Posted: 08 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST At first glance Unravel feels akin to LittleBigPlanet with its adorably miniature yarn-clad mascot, but don’t let it fool you. It’s a heartfelt story with little communication beyond imprinted memories, woven with delightful yarn puzzles. In a time when games are typically transporting us to other realms and fictions, this one takes us back home where we belong. Based in the breathtaking natural settings of Sweden, Unravel delivers a heartfelt story and on a journey filled with love, comfort, and struggle. |
| Pirating group 3DM had an internal meeting, decided 'not to crack for a year' Posted: 07 Feb 2016 11:00 PM PST After an "internal meeting," piracy group 3DM (the same group that couldn't crack Just Cause 3) has decided that it will not crack any single-player games "for a year," so that it can "look at the situation in a year's time to see if genuine sales have grown" -- but stopped short of saying what will happen if they do grow. A common argument of pirates is that "pirating games does not automatically mean a lost sale, because that person could end up buying it." Of course that can happen, but I'm not sure of the efficacy of this experiment -- after all, 3DM is just a small drop in the water when it comes to pirating groups. Plus, how is it measuring growth? Just in general "dollars spent" per year? I think it'd need more support to truly make this work, and that would be an interesting experiment. Pirate Group Suspends New Cracks [Torrentfreak] |
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