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Mass Effect 3 'From Ashes' DLC also sold separately from Collector's Edition
BioWare has confirmed that the Mass Effect 3 "From Ashes" DLC that leaked on Xbox Live Marketplace yesterday is one of the items included with the Collector's Edition. The extra character, mission and outfits will also be sold separately (at 800 MSP / $10) for owners of the game's standard version.
Mass Effect 3 producer Michael Gamble hit the BioWare forums to clarify some stuff surrounding the exact components of the DLC. You'll want to avoid it if you don't want to learn the identity of what we shall tactfully refer to as "the extra, downloadable person."
[Thanks, Patrick.]
Mass Effect 3's trip into space gets a trailer, useful purpose
So, remember how EA and Bioware are launching six copies of Mass Effect 3 into (near) space? Well, they're still doing that, and now there's a trailer about it that you can watch.
The trailer itself is not particularly informative, but the press release delivered with said trailer actually contained some cool information about the event. Specifically, students from the High Altitude Balloon Club at Texas A&M University will be assisting with each of the six launch sites around the world.
Once the event is complete, EA will be donating all of the equipment used during the publicity stunt to A&M's Aerospace Engineering department, which will then take the gear to Alaska and use it study the aurora borealis. We're glad to hear this advertising campaign will benefit a group of bright youngsters, and that EA isn't shelling out a presumably massive load of cash just to launch some games into space.
MotorStorm RC zooms adorably to PS3 and Vita on March 6
Tiny trucks will take their places on PS3 and Vita on March 6, when MotorStorm RC arrives on the North American PSN, letting you experience the best of the series in little toy trucks. You'll be able to download the same game on both platforms, and buying one gives you access to the other.
If you're playing on PS3, you'll get "SimulView" same-screen support (for TVs fancy enough to support it), 3D, and split-screen four-player. If you're playing on Vita, you're playing on a Vita! Wow!
Slash looks back at working with Activision on Guitar Hero
Real-life guitar hero Slash was in Los Angeles last week promoting a new music game called BandFuse: Rock Legends. Speaking to Joystiq, he shared some insight on what it was like to work with Activision for the immensely popular Guitar Hero series. "A lot of kids tripped out," says the former Guns and Roses guitarist, "because they were under the impression that the character in Guitar Hero was just that character. So a lot of kids trip out that I was actually a real person."
Once they found out that he was an actual person who was in an actual band, however, Slash says Guitar Hero was surprisingly effective at winning new fans. "It opened up the doors of a demographic that was way younger than me," he says. "I had no idea that would happen." He couldn't speak to the lawsuit that claims the game took advantage of his GnR connection, but he does say the game has inspired a much younger generation to check out classic rock.
As for interest going the other way, Slash says he hasn't found the time for video games -- not even his own. "I couldn't play it," he says, "because I was actually in the game and it was too surreal."
Asura's Wrath review: Wrecking the curve
Asura's Wrath is a pile of impossibilities. It is a myth made real. It is a meticulous construction of unflappable absurdity. Asura's Wrath is a glittering, golden starchild of incredulity, and I love it. I also wish I didn't have to review it.
The strictures of a review really aren't adequate to quantify the experience waiting for players in Asura's Wrath. Of course there are mechanics and systems and gauges, all of that, and I will endeavor to explain them, but understand that what follows falls well short of fully encapsulating the experience. About 380,000 kilometers too short.
BandFuse: Rock Legends attempts a music game with real guitars ... again
Over the last few years or so, the "guitar game" genre has had one of the craziest journeys in video game history. From the huge early success of Harmonix' Guitar Hero to the company's split into Rock Band and the final proclamation that Guitar Hero was finished, the epic story of plastic instruments and the games that came with them has gone from prelude to climax to quiet hum, all in the space of a few years.
And there have already been a few "post-modern" guitar games, most notably Power Gig: Rise of the Six-String and Rocksmith, which both involve real guitars rather than their plastic counterparts, and which suggest that strumming along with real songs and strings might actually teach real musical skill (a promise that neither was able to land with great success).
And so it's interesting that Realta Entertainment Group has chosen this moment to step out with its premiere product, called BandFuse: Rock Legends. It's a music game that uses a real, live electric guitar, plugged into a video game console, as its controller. We've ... we've been down this road before, right?
Mass Effect 3 standard edition contains reversible FemShep cover
Commander Shepard is a man? It was the greatest lie ever created in future history. BioWare sought to fix this, admitting the savior of Earth (and the galaxy at large) could be recast as female.
Well, it seems the developer has gone one step further and slipped in the female Shepard on the reverse cover of Mass Effect 3 (standard edition). Sure, she's not black yet, but we'll take a partial truth for the time being.
Check out BioWare's unboxing video after the break.
Borderlands 2 out September 18 in North America, September 21 elsewhere
Borderlands 2 will be out in North America on September 18, and internationally on September 21. That date might be enough incentive for you to pre-order -- it's so far away, and you might forget! -- but 2K offered initial incentive, in the form of the "Premiere Club."
Premiere Club members will get a unique "Gearbox Gun Pack," a "Golden Key" item to unlock something in the Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest, and the "Vault Hunter's Relic." These are all in-game items, by the way. 2K didn't really build a "Golden Sanctuary" and send out keys to it.
PSN releases: Touch My Katamari, Plants vs. Zombies
Another big Vita week for the PSN update. Last week's "early" launch saw the additions of Escape Plan, Hustle Kings, and Super Stardust Delta -- that last one being the free 3G game. This week we see the addition of Touch My Katamari, perennial favorite Plants vs. Zombies and several augmented reality. Of course, for further pertinent PS Vita information, head on over to our Joystiq Vita launch guide.
PSN Plus subscribers can pick up six classic Sega titles for free this week, which includes the first two Sonic the Hedgehog titles, Golden Axe (call dibs on dwarf!) and Altered Beast. Also, don't forget to check out the demos for SSX and Shank 2. Check out the full list of this week's content over on the PlayStation Blog.
PSA: Starhawk Beta open to all
The Starhawk public beta went live last night in North America and is available today across Europe. No more caveats or purchases required to get into the sci-fi shooter's beta. Just head on over to the PSN and download the thing.
NeverDead gets Volume 2 DLC with another character, more challenges and skins
Konami's announced the second pack of downloadable content for NeverDead, continuing the trend of suitable titles with "Expansion Pack Volume 2." This pack also unlocks a new playable character (just like the first download), this time putting you behind the controller as NADA's Chief Sullivan. And while the first pack opened up new modes for the Asylum level, this one focuses on the Sewers, bringing Onslaught, Egg Hunt, and the Fragile Alliance challenges to that area of the game.
There are two additional character costumes for the main character, to match the two new ones from the last pack. Expansion Pack Volume 2 will be available next week on February 28.
PSA: Call of Duty Elite Clan Operations deployed on Xbox 360 and PS3
Console gamers have been missing out on some Call of Duty Elite functionality -- specifically, Clan Operations. Activision promised Clan Ops would be available soon and delivered today, flipping the switch that lets clans take part in competitions for extra experience and prizes. While all Elite members can take part in Clan Ops, only premium members will be scored and ranked on their performance.
If you're still having trouble understanding how it all works, check out the handy explanation after the break, care of Activision.
Sony Santa Monica (and more) helping with The Last Guardian
Sony Senior VP Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed to Wired that Sony Santa Monica team members are contributing to The Last Guardian -- along with a few more. "Well, you know, it's not just Santa Monica," he says. "We have great tech people in Worldwide Studios. We have a central tech group in the U.S. and the U.K. so we are giving them whatever help they need. Technically, we have the best engineers in the U.S. and Europe, so these teams are helping them, giving advice."
Progress on The Last Guardian may be slow right now, but Yoshida assures us the game is still coming. The departure of Fumito Ueda was exaggerated, he says, as the famed designer is still going to finish The Last Guardian on contract with Sony.
"At one point the progress was great, so we talked about the timing of the launch in the past. But now it's making progress, but still not to the level -- it's playable, but not to the point that we can talk about the timing of launch." But now, "the progress is slow," he says, and "sometimes the team has to go back and review things."
The Last Guardian is still planned for 2012, but there seems to be little certainty over that time frame. "There's a vision that we want to realize but it's very very tough and technical issue that the team is tackling and some plans have to be made to evaluate and go through the process," Yoshida says.
Sony patents filed for Kinect-like PS Eye camera, backwards compatibility adapter
A new patent suggests Sony is considering -- or considered at one time -- its own take on a 3D depth-sensing camera. The patent in question was filed by Dr. Richard Marks, the inventor of the PS Eye and PlayStation Move, back in October.
The filing calls for "a real-time three-dimensional interactive environment using a depth sensing device" that players would move in front of and interact with. "Embodiments of the present invention provide real-time interactive gaming experiences for users. For example, users can interact with various computer-generated objects in real-time." That sounds awfully close to Kinect, doesn't it?
Another patent suggests Sony is also considering a separate set of hardware that would allow for better backwards compatibility. Rather than provide an on-board solution, this would plug into your game console and provide the hardware needed to properly run an older game. (Sound familiar?) Patents are quite a few steps removed from reality, but they might just give us a glimpse at how we might play our games in the future, whether they're new or old.
Hitman: Absolution clips cover Diana Burnwood, actress profiles
Diana Burnwood is the female lead of the Hitman series, despite us rarely seeing her face. As Agent 47's handler, she's gone to great lengths to protect the hitman, going so far as to bring him back from the dead in a climactic act of vengeance. Now, she's the target. That's gratitude for you.
Mass Effect 3 DLC 'From Ashes' drifts down to Xbox Marketplace
BioWare has let slip a batch of Mass Effect 3 DLC on the Xbox Marketplace, titled From Ashes. This is presumably the same DLC as the rumored "From Dust" installment, which at least one GameStop customer may now need to get a refund for. Dust and ashes are two very different things, after all, but we bet any name switching came to avoid possible confusion with 2011's From Dust (if it wasn't a GameStop typo to begin with).
From Ashes will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Mass Effect 2 included the squad member Zaeed as free DLC in new copies, and From Ashes could very well be a new iteration of this format.
For a brief description of the DLC (now with 100 percent more spoilers!) read on:
Mass Effect 3 available on PSN at launch, with DLC and theme bonuses
You'll be able to buy Mass Effect 3 digitally on March 6, the same day it launches in stores. And for doing so, you won't just get the convenience of pants-optional purchasing -- you'll also get (just like with every other offer relating to Mass Effect 3) some DLC, in the form of an M55 Argus rifle.
You'll also get an exclusive, pre-order only PS3 theme (above), so people will have a good idea of what you're about to play, or what you just played, when you're in the XMB.
Persona 4 fighter officially coming stateside this summer
The mystery of that spooky teaser email has been definitively solved. Atlus announced plans to localize Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena for PS3 and Xbox 360, under the title Persona 4 Arena, which we won't have to look up every time we write about it.
Developed by Arc System Works, the fighter features battles between Persona 3 and 4 characters in high-resolution 2D, and will be delivered to North America this summer. So if you were planning to summon a demon to bring this to you -- or import a copy -- you can cancel plans for those extreme measures.
Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion
Fans were perturbed when they learned the classic Bullfrog-developed strategy series, Syndicate, would be rebooted in first-person form. The original was a beautiful and brutal affair, set in a cyberpunk world filled with corporate conspiracy. In its reboot, developer Starbreeze manages to hold onto some of those elements that made the original such an intriguing beast. Syndicate showcases its own beautiful brutality, shaking off the label of "just another shooter."
It's 2069. Corporations have ascended beyond the reach of simple governments and battle one another for technological advancement. Civilians are inconsequential, seen merely as pawns in the midst of each company's boardroom brawl, and are often gunned down by characters throughout the campaign simply for "getting in the way." You take the role of the mostly faceless Miles Kilo, an agent at the industry giant EuroCorp, where you have been outfitted with a prototype version of a chip that gives you control over connected devices around you, as well as a number of other abilities. Like other agents, you must work to keep your corporation at peak profitability.
Asura's Wrath DLC isn't kidding about this 'anime-inspired' stuff
Asura's Wrath is out today, which can mean only one thing -- the announcement of DLC. Capcom said Asura's Wrath will be getting several "substantial" DLC packs, two of which are "anime-inspired" episodes that will provide insight into the main game's story. We think Capcom is being humble here; not only do these particular installments look to be inspired by anime, they're rendered in full-blown, traditional Japanese-cartoon style.
We caught wind previously of another DLC installment involving a Street Fighter/Asura's Wrath crossover, and Capcom confirmed players will get to battle Ryu and as-yet unannounced Street Fighter characters, in classic, non-anime 3D. No word yet on release dates or pricing.
Check out the "DLC-inspired" screens below:
Saints Row: The Third takes gangstas to space ... today!
Forget about EA sending copies of Mass Effect 3 into space -- that's child's play. THQ is taking things one step further and sending the Steelport gangstas into space with the latest Saints Row: The Third DLC pack. It's included if you have a Season Pass, otherwise it goes for 560 MS Points ($7).
Canned Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was like Inglourious Basterds on steroids
In 2007, while Infinity Ward was building the first Modern Warfare, Underground Development began working on a top-secret, third-person shooter in the Call of Duty franchise, titled Devil's Brigade, Vox Games reports. Based on a real-life group of ruthless, almost superhuman American and Canadian soldiers in World War II, Devil's Brigade was Activision's fallback if fans didn't get the switch to a contemporary setting with Modern Warfare.
Devil's Brigade focused on tactical strategy, stealth missions and super-athletic Special Forces combat. The real Devil's Brigade scaled a mountain carrying more than 50 pounds of supplies and weapons to defeat the camp below in two hours, and they were known for infiltrating German trenches and slitting soldiers' throats, slapping stickers that read "The worst is yet to come," in German, on the dead men's helmets. Underground Development wanted to capture this essence for the game version of Devil's Brigade.
But, as history shows, players did understand Modern Warfare. When Devil's Brigade was ready for its final green light, it got lost in the shuffle of Infinity Ward's success and the Blizzard/Vivendi merger. Activision closed Underground Development in 2008 with nary a whisper about Devil's Brigade. For now, we have some screenshots of the game and the memories of throat-slitting action that could have been.
WWE WrestleFest on iOS today, coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Android in 2012
Well, this is definitely the craziest thing to happen in wrestling games in quite some time -- and wrestling is a sport built entirely on human insanity. WWF WrestleFest, the classic arcade game by Technos, has been updated for release on iOS by THQ. The new "WWE Wrestlefest" has smoother graphics and an updated roster of wrestlers (a rostler, if you will) including John Cena and Randy Orton, alongside old-school wrestlers like the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage. It's also been modernized with "an extensive downloadable content program."
The app is available in a free "Lite" version and a $2.99 "Premium" version for iPhone, and both "Lite" and paid for iPad.
THQ also plans to release this new WrestleFest on XBLA, PSN, Android, and PC, sometime in 2012. So we hope the new version is good.
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Earth Back' trailer is finally, seriously, complete (we promise)
It takes more than a sad toddler and a gorgeous sunflower to get us all teary-eyed from the latest Mass Effect 3 trailer. For instance, did you know there's a full extra minute in this version of the trailer compared with yesterday's? The tears, they are flowing.
SSX demo available now on Xbox 360, later today on PS3
It's time to return to SSX's pixel peaks and commit death-defying stunts from the comfort of your couch (hot cocoa optional). The demo for EA's SSX reboot is available now on Xbox 360, featuring classic SSX character Zoe Payne in "Race it" and "Trick it" events.
The demo also features some online functionality, allowing players to upload ghosts of their best runs in the "Explore mode." It's also possible to unlock Mac Fraser (pictured) by sending the demo to a friend.
PS3 owners itching to hit the slopes can join as soon as the PSN updates later today. The full tricky experience will be available February 28 in North America.
Rockstar explains the research behind the posh clubs and helipads of Max Payne 3
There's a good reason for the prominence of helicopters in the latest Max Payne 3 trailer, and it's not just because "super rich people have choppers." Alright, well, that's part of the reason, but helicopters are apparently extra prevalent in Sao Paolo, Brazil -- the setting for at least part of Max Payne 3 -- and the devs at Rockstar discovered this while touring the city by air. As it turns out, since traffic is a huge problem in the Brazilian megacity, rich folks have taken to helicopters as a main means of travel. Oh, also, there are motorcycle gangs that take advantage of the traffic, making it extra dangerous. Sounds like a good excuse to become a helicopter pilot! Max will apparently be wrestling with the wealth disparity he discovers in Brazil -- a reality he feels uncomfortable with regardless of what continent he's on.
And when those devs were looking for an authentic nightclub experience, they hobnobbed their way into exclusive nightclubs like the "rooftop lounge scene at the chic Hotel Unique," and pushed their way into parties along Avenue Morumbi. Per the trailer, we're gonna guess that the Rockstar devs didn't extend that same search for realism to allowing themselves to be kidnapped by one of Sao Paolo's many street gangs, but in the interest of their safety we're keen to let that one slide.
Today's info dump is the second in an ongoing research series that the developer is publishing in the lead up to this May's launch of MP3. Rockstar offered Joystiq an early look at several comparison shots ahead of a worldwide premier later today on the company's own newswire website, which we've dropped into a perusable gallery just below.
Spec Ops: The Line drawn into retail on June 26
Spec Ops: The Line has been pushed back and previewed across several years, but now we finally know it'll cross the finish line come June 26. Take-Two revealed as much this morning in a PR missive which also detailed the "Premium Edition" of the third-person shooter. It will feature a variety of multiplayer bonus content to folks who pre-order the game from "participating retailers" (none are listed, but we're thinking places like GameStop and Amazon are fair bets).
Perhaps "Premium Edition" doesn't sound militaristic enough for you? Thankfully, Take-Two totally thought of that, which is why part the premium edition gives access to the "FUBAR pack," containing various multiplayer customization options ("unique and visually distinct items). Additionally, premium content includes an AK-47 unlock and an Officer Class promotion (which confers "several team-based advantages") at rank one, as well as double XP for the first week of online play.
2K Games producer Denby Grace openly calls out the unbalance in this pre-order scheme, saying "People who pre-order the game are going to have an immediate advantage in the multiplayer mode." G ... great?
'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement
The A MAZE. Indie Games Award 2012, held during the Deutsche Gamestage in Berlin from April 26 to 27, is now taking submissions and will award one single indie game the "Most Amazing Indie Game" title, which would be a pretty awesome thing to put on your resume. The winner is selected by a "high-profile international jury" to be revealed in March, and will receive €5000 ($6,599) and a suitably "amazing trophy."
Submissions are open to anyone and everyone, for a fee of €45 ($59) through March 30, with finalists announced in mid-April. This is just a hunch, but now might be the time to build that rat-maze game you were thinking of at 2 a.m. that one night -- the one with the makeup-testing and cancer-treatment levels. Again, just a hunch.
Co-Op Shade Survival mode coming to Uncharted 3
Uncharted 3 is getting a new "Co-Op Shade Survival" mode in March. Naughty Dog shared almost no information beyond the name, and expects us to extrapolate more from the screenshot above. If we had to guess, given the name, it's about making sure Drake and Elena stay out of the sun and wear proper sunblock while they're on holiday.
The tease for the new mode comes as the company preps the $10 "Multiplayer Flashback Map Pack #2" for tomorrow, February 21. Remember, you can get all the Uncharted DLC at a deep discount as part of the Fortune Hunters' Club -- it's like AAA membership for couch adventurers.
The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list
On paper, The Darkness 2 is a "linear, first-person shooter with some neat twists." It sounds boring, and it was every time I played the game in a preview session before it launched. I'd hole up at some PR office in Manhattan and they'd run down a prepared spiel about "quad-wielding" or "the Darkling." The what?
In reality, The Darkness 2 is a beautiful, hand-drawn game from a team with derivative dreck like Dark Sector and Pariah in its past. It also has surprisingly realistic and impressive voice acting, which gets paired with gorgeous art direction right off the bat for a "last time on The Darkness" reintroduction.
But as impressive as the game's art style and voice acting chops are, it's not very easy to shape a marketing-driven preview session around technical aspects like that. But that's the case for most of what's so great about The Darkness 2 -- touches, moments and experiences that don't fit onto a bullet point list.
Get the Disgaea 4 premium edition for $40 on Amazon today
If you've been feeling tied down, unable to spread your wings and fly -- like a penguin, we'll say -- or as if your life is attached to a trip wire in the middle of an earthquake -- like it's about to explode -- Amazon is here to tell you that everything is fine, and these things are completely normal. The premium edition of Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten is Amazon's Deal of the Day, at 33 percent off ($40) its original price of $60.
The premium edition includes the original soundtrack, a Fuka figurine and the Disgaea 4 artbook, along with the actual game, and at $40 it's below the price of a standard PS3 game, just for today.
Idle Thumbs Kickstarter includes exclusive game, neat artwork
It seems everyone's got a Kickstarter nowadays. Double Fine just surpassed $2 million, inXile is going to use Kickstarter to reboot a classic and now the Idle Thumbs video game podcast is using the site to finance its future.
The interesting thing about this Kickstarter campaign, however, is that it includes an exclusive game called Thirty Flights of Loving by Blendo Games. It's a sequel to the one-man indie development studio's previous effort, Gravity Bone, a spy-based affair blending adventure and first-person shooting elements. Thirty Flights of Loving will be given to all backers who drop $30 or more down.
If you want to throw down more cash, Vincent Perea and Graham Annable, the artists behind The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Puzzle Agent, respectively, will toss in some of their doodlings. So hurry up and help the crew finance their -- oh, they already hit their goal? Okay then, head on over if you want to pay for some stuff you want.
Gabe Newell: Valve is excited about wearable computers, open hardware
Finally, we have a concrete reason for the eternal delay of Half-Life 2 Episode 3: Valve head Gabe Newell is more interested in wearable computing. OK, that's not directly why Valve hasn't announced a new Half-Life title, but wearable computing and hardware development are definitely something Valve is interested in, Newell told Penny Arcade Report.
Wearable computers -- think Star Trek communication badges, wrist-bound touchscreens or SixthSense -- are seeing a resurgence, and Valve is doing its own research into how they might function as gaming devices. Wearable computers now are "way higher resolution, way lighter weight, much better battery life," and Valve is doing its own research into this technology through biometrics, and is excited to see where it goes, Newell said.
"So we're thinking of trying to figure out how to do the equivalent of the [Team Fortress] incremental approach in software design and try to figure out how would you get something similar to that in the hardware space as well," he said. If Valve were to produce hardware, it would be something easy to iterate so customers don't have to buy 10 million devices, Newell said. Of course, that's if.
"Well, if we have to sell hardware we will," Newell said. "We have no reason to believe we're any good at it; it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do."
No company is safe from irrelevance, as far as Newell sees it, and even Microsoft and Sony can suffer the same fate as Atari and Commodore if they continue to create closed systems and don't innovate. "As soon as Valve stops doing interesting, innovative work we're gonna be left behind," Newell stated, unfortunately missing the "left for dead" pun opportunity.
Now Playing: February 20-26, 2012
Take corporate warfare to a whole new level this week in Syndicate...
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Back Earth' trailer
...yeah, but is the Earth worth taking back after the reapers are done with it? In case you missed it last night during The Walking Dead, here's the trailer for Mass Effect 3, revealing that we're going to need all the Commander Shepards the galaxy can spare to save our little rock.
Retro City Rampage running wild on Xbox, Wii, PS3, Vita, and PC in May
Vblank Entertainment's long-awaited, open-world 8-bit parody crime game, Retro City Rampage, will finally be let loose in May, creator Brian Provinciano told Joystiq. It'll be rampaging across a few new platforms -- in addition to the known XBLA and WiiWare versions, Provinciano announced plans on the PlayStation Blog to release the game on PS3 and PlayStation Vita, and shared plans on his own site to release it PC. He's aiming for a simultaneous May release for them all.
In fact, you can pre-order that PC version right now at retrocityrampage.com, and get bonuses including a mini soundtrack download, a digital manual and 20% off of Fangamer's Retro City Rampage collection*.
And yes, Provinciano is still making all of these versions pretty much on his own. "Maxime [Trépanier]'s been doing art and the music guys are still doing some polish but I'm still juggling everything else myself," Provinciano told Joystiq. Add publishing to that list of duties as well. "I'm self publishing on PlayStation," Provinciano said. "Sony's fantastic that they allow you to do that."
Once this epic undertaking is finally completed, Provinciano hopes to take on something smaller-scale. "I've got many ideas and definitely want to do more open-world games," he said, "but right after RCR I will take a breather and work on something small and different. Hopefully something that takes maybe eight weeks instead of eight years."
[*Disclosure: I have worked with Fangamer on a currently available product.]
UFC Undisputed 3 indisputably beats UK chart competition
THQ, currently trading at $0.62 a share, has some good news for investors as UFC Undisputed 3 grappled the top spot on the UK charts this past week. According to Chart-Track, it is the first top title for the publisher since Homefront in early 2011. The good news does come with a caveat, as the previous installment in the franchise may have debuted in second place, but performed better at launch in raw sales numbers.
With no other new combatants in the octagon making it into the top 40 last week, the UK top ten involved a lot of shufflin' and shifting based on retail promotions. FIFA 12 and Modern Warfare 3 moved into second and third, respectively. Last week's number one, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, dropped 63 percent in sales and out of the top ten into the 12 spot.
Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, boosted by a new 3DS edition and discounts on the Wii version, saw the title up 94 percent to take the ... Rice-a-Roni? What do you receive at the olympics for fourth place?
BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has released its nominations for the 2012 Video Game Awards, which honors the top games from 2011 as chosen by the charity. The British stand-outs differ from our Yankee choices slightly, stressing the brilliance of Batman: Arkham City, which also made our Top 10 of 2011 list, but also including L.A. Noire, which hit our Best of the Rest, and FIFA 12, which... well. Just because we share a language doesn't automatically mean we share interests.
Check out the entire list below:
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 coming to Euro PSN
Atlus' revered PlayStation 2 classics Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga and Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 are set to be rereleased on the European PSN, according to a blog post by publisher Ghostlight. No pricing or release date information is available as of yet, nor is there any indication of a North American release, although Atlus has never historically been one to avoid releasing esoteric titles stateside.
Digital Devil Saga and its sequel diverged from the typical Shin Megami Tensei formula by having the characters themselves transform into demons, rather than summon demons, as had previously been the case. Cute girls that turn into demons? Reminds me of my ex-wife! Thank you very much, I'll be here all week. Tip your waitress.
Rare Skylanders sell for more than $1,000 at auction
The supplemental toys surrounding Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure have become the latest in a long line of collectable merchandising campaigns to reach "You paid how much?!" levels, following in the proud footsteps of Pogs, Pokemon cards and Beanie Babies.
An eBay auction for 6 apparently rare Skylanders figures has sold for £797, or $1262.68, before shipping. The auction included gold versions of Chop Chop, Flameslinger and Drill Sergeant, as well as silver versions of Eruptor, Boomer and Dino-Rang, and we doubt it'll be the last of its kind. There's no way that these things will retain their value, of course, so we don't recommend participating in this sort of madness, but it is fascinating to watch. Kind of like a train wreck in slow motion, where the train is crashing through one of those houses on Hoarders.
Mass Effect 3 producer Michael Gamble hit the BioWare forums to clarify some stuff surrounding the exact components of the DLC. You'll want to avoid it if you don't want to learn the identity of what we shall tactfully refer to as "the extra, downloadable person."
[Thanks, Patrick.]
Mass Effect 3 'From Ashes' DLC also sold separately from Collector's Edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3's trip into space gets a trailer, useful purpose
So, remember how EA and Bioware are launching six copies of Mass Effect 3 into (near) space? Well, they're still doing that, and now there's a trailer about it that you can watch.
The trailer itself is not particularly informative, but the press release delivered with said trailer actually contained some cool information about the event. Specifically, students from the High Altitude Balloon Club at Texas A&M University will be assisting with each of the six launch sites around the world.
Once the event is complete, EA will be donating all of the equipment used during the publicity stunt to A&M's Aerospace Engineering department, which will then take the gear to Alaska and use it study the aurora borealis. We're glad to hear this advertising campaign will benefit a group of bright youngsters, and that EA isn't shelling out a presumably massive load of cash just to launch some games into space.
Continue reading Mass Effect 3's trip into space gets a trailer, useful purpose
Mass Effect 3's trip into space gets a trailer, useful purpose originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
MotorStorm RC zooms adorably to PS3 and Vita on March 6
Tiny trucks will take their places on PS3 and Vita on March 6, when MotorStorm RC arrives on the North American PSN, letting you experience the best of the series in little toy trucks. You'll be able to download the same game on both platforms, and buying one gives you access to the other.
If you're playing on PS3, you'll get "SimulView" same-screen support (for TVs fancy enough to support it), 3D, and split-screen four-player. If you're playing on Vita, you're playing on a Vita! Wow!
MotorStorm RC zooms adorably to PS3 and Vita on March 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Slash looks back at working with Activision on Guitar Hero
Once they found out that he was an actual person who was in an actual band, however, Slash says Guitar Hero was surprisingly effective at winning new fans. "It opened up the doors of a demographic that was way younger than me," he says. "I had no idea that would happen." He couldn't speak to the lawsuit that claims the game took advantage of his GnR connection, but he does say the game has inspired a much younger generation to check out classic rock.
As for interest going the other way, Slash says he hasn't found the time for video games -- not even his own. "I couldn't play it," he says, "because I was actually in the game and it was too surreal."
Slash looks back at working with Activision on Guitar Hero originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Asura's Wrath review: Wrecking the curve
The strictures of a review really aren't adequate to quantify the experience waiting for players in Asura's Wrath. Of course there are mechanics and systems and gauges, all of that, and I will endeavor to explain them, but understand that what follows falls well short of fully encapsulating the experience. About 380,000 kilometers too short.
Continue reading Asura's Wrath review: Wrecking the curve
Asura's Wrath review: Wrecking the curve originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BandFuse: Rock Legends attempts a music game with real guitars ... again
And there have already been a few "post-modern" guitar games, most notably Power Gig: Rise of the Six-String and Rocksmith, which both involve real guitars rather than their plastic counterparts, and which suggest that strumming along with real songs and strings might actually teach real musical skill (a promise that neither was able to land with great success).
And so it's interesting that Realta Entertainment Group has chosen this moment to step out with its premiere product, called BandFuse: Rock Legends. It's a music game that uses a real, live electric guitar, plugged into a video game console, as its controller. We've ... we've been down this road before, right?
Continue reading BandFuse: Rock Legends attempts a music game with real guitars ... again
BandFuse: Rock Legends attempts a music game with real guitars ... again originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3 standard edition contains reversible FemShep cover
Well, it seems the developer has gone one step further and slipped in the female Shepard on the reverse cover of Mass Effect 3 (standard edition). Sure, she's not black yet, but we'll take a partial truth for the time being.
Check out BioWare's unboxing video after the break.
Continue reading Mass Effect 3 standard edition contains reversible FemShep cover
Mass Effect 3 standard edition contains reversible FemShep cover originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Borderlands 2 out September 18 in North America, September 21 elsewhere
Borderlands 2 will be out in North America on September 18, and internationally on September 21. That date might be enough incentive for you to pre-order -- it's so far away, and you might forget! -- but 2K offered initial incentive, in the form of the "Premiere Club."
Premiere Club members will get a unique "Gearbox Gun Pack," a "Golden Key" item to unlock something in the Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest, and the "Vault Hunter's Relic." These are all in-game items, by the way. 2K didn't really build a "Golden Sanctuary" and send out keys to it.
Borderlands 2 out September 18 in North America, September 21 elsewhere originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PSN releases: Touch My Katamari, Plants vs. Zombies
PSN Plus subscribers can pick up six classic Sega titles for free this week, which includes the first two Sonic the Hedgehog titles, Golden Axe (call dibs on dwarf!) and Altered Beast. Also, don't forget to check out the demos for SSX and Shank 2. Check out the full list of this week's content over on the PlayStation Blog.
PSN releases: Touch My Katamari, Plants vs. Zombies originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PSA: Starhawk Beta open to all
The Starhawk public beta went live last night in North America and is available today across Europe. No more caveats or purchases required to get into the sci-fi shooter's beta. Just head on over to the PSN and download the thing.
PSA: Starhawk Beta open to all originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
NeverDead gets Volume 2 DLC with another character, more challenges and skins
There are two additional character costumes for the main character, to match the two new ones from the last pack. Expansion Pack Volume 2 will be available next week on February 28.
Continue reading NeverDead gets Volume 2 DLC with another character, more challenges and skins
NeverDead gets Volume 2 DLC with another character, more challenges and skins originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PSA: Call of Duty Elite Clan Operations deployed on Xbox 360 and PS3
If you're still having trouble understanding how it all works, check out the handy explanation after the break, care of Activision.
Continue reading PSA: Call of Duty Elite Clan Operations deployed on Xbox 360 and PS3
PSA: Call of Duty Elite Clan Operations deployed on Xbox 360 and PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sony Santa Monica (and more) helping with The Last Guardian
Progress on The Last Guardian may be slow right now, but Yoshida assures us the game is still coming. The departure of Fumito Ueda was exaggerated, he says, as the famed designer is still going to finish The Last Guardian on contract with Sony.
"At one point the progress was great, so we talked about the timing of the launch in the past. But now it's making progress, but still not to the level -- it's playable, but not to the point that we can talk about the timing of launch." But now, "the progress is slow," he says, and "sometimes the team has to go back and review things."
The Last Guardian is still planned for 2012, but there seems to be little certainty over that time frame. "There's a vision that we want to realize but it's very very tough and technical issue that the team is tackling and some plans have to be made to evaluate and go through the process," Yoshida says.
Sony Santa Monica (and more) helping with The Last Guardian originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Sony patents filed for Kinect-like PS Eye camera, backwards compatibility adapter
The filing calls for "a real-time three-dimensional interactive environment using a depth sensing device" that players would move in front of and interact with. "Embodiments of the present invention provide real-time interactive gaming experiences for users. For example, users can interact with various computer-generated objects in real-time." That sounds awfully close to Kinect, doesn't it?
Another patent suggests Sony is also considering a separate set of hardware that would allow for better backwards compatibility. Rather than provide an on-board solution, this would plug into your game console and provide the hardware needed to properly run an older game. (Sound familiar?) Patents are quite a few steps removed from reality, but they might just give us a glimpse at how we might play our games in the future, whether they're new or old.
Sony patents filed for Kinect-like PS Eye camera, backwards compatibility adapter originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Hitman: Absolution clips cover Diana Burnwood, actress profiles
Diana Burnwood is the female lead of the Hitman series, despite us rarely seeing her face. As Agent 47's handler, she's gone to great lengths to protect the hitman, going so far as to bring him back from the dead in a climactic act of vengeance. Now, she's the target. That's gratitude for you.
Continue reading Hitman: Absolution clips cover Diana Burnwood, actress profiles
Hitman: Absolution clips cover Diana Burnwood, actress profiles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3 DLC 'From Ashes' drifts down to Xbox Marketplace
From Ashes will cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Mass Effect 2 included the squad member Zaeed as free DLC in new copies, and From Ashes could very well be a new iteration of this format.
For a brief description of the DLC (now with 100 percent more spoilers!) read on:
Continue reading Mass Effect 3 DLC 'From Ashes' drifts down to Xbox Marketplace
Mass Effect 3 DLC 'From Ashes' drifts down to Xbox Marketplace originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3 available on PSN at launch, with DLC and theme bonuses
You'll also get an exclusive, pre-order only PS3 theme (above), so people will have a good idea of what you're about to play, or what you just played, when you're in the XMB.
Mass Effect 3 available on PSN at launch, with DLC and theme bonuses originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Persona 4 fighter officially coming stateside this summer
Developed by Arc System Works, the fighter features battles between Persona 3 and 4 characters in high-resolution 2D, and will be delivered to North America this summer. So if you were planning to summon a demon to bring this to you -- or import a copy -- you can cancel plans for those extreme measures.
Continue reading Persona 4 fighter officially coming stateside this summer
Persona 4 fighter officially coming stateside this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion
It's 2069. Corporations have ascended beyond the reach of simple governments and battle one another for technological advancement. Civilians are inconsequential, seen merely as pawns in the midst of each company's boardroom brawl, and are often gunned down by characters throughout the campaign simply for "getting in the way." You take the role of the mostly faceless Miles Kilo, an agent at the industry giant EuroCorp, where you have been outfitted with a prototype version of a chip that gives you control over connected devices around you, as well as a number of other abilities. Like other agents, you must work to keep your corporation at peak profitability.
Continue reading Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion
Syndicate review: The business of aggressive expansion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Asura's Wrath DLC isn't kidding about this 'anime-inspired' stuff
Asura's Wrath is out today, which can mean only one thing -- the announcement of DLC. Capcom said Asura's Wrath will be getting several "substantial" DLC packs, two of which are "anime-inspired" episodes that will provide insight into the main game's story. We think Capcom is being humble here; not only do these particular installments look to be inspired by anime, they're rendered in full-blown, traditional Japanese-cartoon style.
We caught wind previously of another DLC installment involving a Street Fighter/Asura's Wrath crossover, and Capcom confirmed players will get to battle Ryu and as-yet unannounced Street Fighter characters, in classic, non-anime 3D. No word yet on release dates or pricing.
Check out the "DLC-inspired" screens below:
Asura's Wrath DLC isn't kidding about this 'anime-inspired' stuff originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Saints Row: The Third takes gangstas to space ... today!
Forget about EA sending copies of Mass Effect 3 into space -- that's child's play. THQ is taking things one step further and sending the Steelport gangstas into space with the latest Saints Row: The Third DLC pack. It's included if you have a Season Pass, otherwise it goes for 560 MS Points ($7).
Saints Row: The Third takes gangstas to space ... today! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Canned Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was like Inglourious Basterds on steroids
Devil's Brigade focused on tactical strategy, stealth missions and super-athletic Special Forces combat. The real Devil's Brigade scaled a mountain carrying more than 50 pounds of supplies and weapons to defeat the camp below in two hours, and they were known for infiltrating German trenches and slitting soldiers' throats, slapping stickers that read "The worst is yet to come," in German, on the dead men's helmets. Underground Development wanted to capture this essence for the game version of Devil's Brigade.
But, as history shows, players did understand Modern Warfare. When Devil's Brigade was ready for its final green light, it got lost in the shuffle of Infinity Ward's success and the Blizzard/Vivendi merger. Activision closed Underground Development in 2008 with nary a whisper about Devil's Brigade. For now, we have some screenshots of the game and the memories of throat-slitting action that could have been.
Canned Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was like Inglourious Basterds on steroids originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
WWE WrestleFest on iOS today, coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Android in 2012
The app is available in a free "Lite" version and a $2.99 "Premium" version for iPhone, and both "Lite" and paid for iPad.
THQ also plans to release this new WrestleFest on XBLA, PSN, Android, and PC, sometime in 2012. So we hope the new version is good.
Continue reading WWE WrestleFest on iOS today, coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Android in 2012
WWE WrestleFest on iOS today, coming to XBLA, PSN, PC, Android in 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Earth Back' trailer is finally, seriously, complete (we promise)
It takes more than a sad toddler and a gorgeous sunflower to get us all teary-eyed from the latest Mass Effect 3 trailer. For instance, did you know there's a full extra minute in this version of the trailer compared with yesterday's? The tears, they are flowing.
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Earth Back' trailer is finally, seriously, complete (we promise) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
SSX demo available now on Xbox 360, later today on PS3
The demo also features some online functionality, allowing players to upload ghosts of their best runs in the "Explore mode." It's also possible to unlock Mac Fraser (pictured) by sending the demo to a friend.
PS3 owners itching to hit the slopes can join as soon as the PSN updates later today. The full tricky experience will be available February 28 in North America.
SSX demo available now on Xbox 360, later today on PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Rockstar explains the research behind the posh clubs and helipads of Max Payne 3
And when those devs were looking for an authentic nightclub experience, they hobnobbed their way into exclusive nightclubs like the "rooftop lounge scene at the chic Hotel Unique," and pushed their way into parties along Avenue Morumbi. Per the trailer, we're gonna guess that the Rockstar devs didn't extend that same search for realism to allowing themselves to be kidnapped by one of Sao Paolo's many street gangs, but in the interest of their safety we're keen to let that one slide.
Today's info dump is the second in an ongoing research series that the developer is publishing in the lead up to this May's launch of MP3. Rockstar offered Joystiq an early look at several comparison shots ahead of a worldwide premier later today on the company's own newswire website, which we've dropped into a perusable gallery just below.
Rockstar explains the research behind the posh clubs and helipads of Max Payne 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Spec Ops: The Line drawn into retail on June 26
Spec Ops: The Line has been pushed back and previewed across several years, but now we finally know it'll cross the finish line come June 26. Take-Two revealed as much this morning in a PR missive which also detailed the "Premium Edition" of the third-person shooter. It will feature a variety of multiplayer bonus content to folks who pre-order the game from "participating retailers" (none are listed, but we're thinking places like GameStop and Amazon are fair bets).
Perhaps "Premium Edition" doesn't sound militaristic enough for you? Thankfully, Take-Two totally thought of that, which is why part the premium edition gives access to the "FUBAR pack," containing various multiplayer customization options ("unique and visually distinct items). Additionally, premium content includes an AK-47 unlock and an Officer Class promotion (which confers "several team-based advantages") at rank one, as well as double XP for the first week of online play.
2K Games producer Denby Grace openly calls out the unbalance in this pre-order scheme, saying "People who pre-order the game are going to have an immediate advantage in the multiplayer mode." G ... great?
Spec Ops: The Line drawn into retail on June 26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement
Submissions are open to anyone and everyone, for a fee of €45 ($59) through March 30, with finalists announced in mid-April. This is just a hunch, but now might be the time to build that rat-maze game you were thinking of at 2 a.m. that one night -- the one with the makeup-testing and cancer-treatment levels. Again, just a hunch.
'A MAZE. Indie Games Award' is open for submissions, amazement originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Co-Op Shade Survival mode coming to Uncharted 3
The tease for the new mode comes as the company preps the $10 "Multiplayer Flashback Map Pack #2" for tomorrow, February 21. Remember, you can get all the Uncharted DLC at a deep discount as part of the Fortune Hunters' Club -- it's like AAA membership for couch adventurers.
Co-Op Shade Survival mode coming to Uncharted 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list
In reality, The Darkness 2 is a beautiful, hand-drawn game from a team with derivative dreck like Dark Sector and Pariah in its past. It also has surprisingly realistic and impressive voice acting, which gets paired with gorgeous art direction right off the bat for a "last time on The Darkness" reintroduction.
But as impressive as the game's art style and voice acting chops are, it's not very easy to shape a marketing-driven preview session around technical aspects like that. But that's the case for most of what's so great about The Darkness 2 -- touches, moments and experiences that don't fit onto a bullet point list.
Continue reading The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list
The Darkness 2 review: Shooting bullets off a list originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Get the Disgaea 4 premium edition for $40 on Amazon today
The premium edition includes the original soundtrack, a Fuka figurine and the Disgaea 4 artbook, along with the actual game, and at $40 it's below the price of a standard PS3 game, just for today.
Get the Disgaea 4 premium edition for $40 on Amazon today originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Idle Thumbs Kickstarter includes exclusive game, neat artwork
The interesting thing about this Kickstarter campaign, however, is that it includes an exclusive game called Thirty Flights of Loving by Blendo Games. It's a sequel to the one-man indie development studio's previous effort, Gravity Bone, a spy-based affair blending adventure and first-person shooting elements. Thirty Flights of Loving will be given to all backers who drop $30 or more down.
If you want to throw down more cash, Vincent Perea and Graham Annable, the artists behind The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom and Puzzle Agent, respectively, will toss in some of their doodlings. So hurry up and help the crew finance their -- oh, they already hit their goal? Okay then, head on over if you want to pay for some stuff you want.
Idle Thumbs Kickstarter includes exclusive game, neat artwork originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Gabe Newell: Valve is excited about wearable computers, open hardware
Wearable computers -- think Star Trek communication badges, wrist-bound touchscreens or SixthSense -- are seeing a resurgence, and Valve is doing its own research into how they might function as gaming devices. Wearable computers now are "way higher resolution, way lighter weight, much better battery life," and Valve is doing its own research into this technology through biometrics, and is excited to see where it goes, Newell said.
"So we're thinking of trying to figure out how to do the equivalent of the [Team Fortress] incremental approach in software design and try to figure out how would you get something similar to that in the hardware space as well," he said. If Valve were to produce hardware, it would be something easy to iterate so customers don't have to buy 10 million devices, Newell said. Of course, that's if.
"Well, if we have to sell hardware we will," Newell said. "We have no reason to believe we're any good at it; it's more we think that we need to continue to have innovation and if the only way to get these kind of projects started is by us going and developing and selling the hardware directly then that's what we'll do."
No company is safe from irrelevance, as far as Newell sees it, and even Microsoft and Sony can suffer the same fate as Atari and Commodore if they continue to create closed systems and don't innovate. "As soon as Valve stops doing interesting, innovative work we're gonna be left behind," Newell stated, unfortunately missing the "left for dead" pun opportunity.
Gabe Newell: Valve is excited about wearable computers, open hardware originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Now Playing: February 20-26, 2012
Take corporate warfare to a whole new level this week in Syndicate...
Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
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Continue reading Now Playing: February 20-26, 2012
Now Playing: February 20-26, 2012 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Back Earth' trailer
...yeah, but is the Earth worth taking back after the reapers are done with it? In case you missed it last night during The Walking Dead, here's the trailer for Mass Effect 3, revealing that we're going to need all the Commander Shepards the galaxy can spare to save our little rock.
Mass Effect 3's 'Take Back Earth' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Retro City Rampage running wild on Xbox, Wii, PS3, Vita, and PC in May
In fact, you can pre-order that PC version right now at retrocityrampage.com, and get bonuses including a mini soundtrack download, a digital manual and 20% off of Fangamer's Retro City Rampage collection*.
And yes, Provinciano is still making all of these versions pretty much on his own. "Maxime [Trépanier]'s been doing art and the music guys are still doing some polish but I'm still juggling everything else myself," Provinciano told Joystiq. Add publishing to that list of duties as well. "I'm self publishing on PlayStation," Provinciano said. "Sony's fantastic that they allow you to do that."
Once this epic undertaking is finally completed, Provinciano hopes to take on something smaller-scale. "I've got many ideas and definitely want to do more open-world games," he said, "but right after RCR I will take a breather and work on something small and different. Hopefully something that takes maybe eight weeks instead of eight years."
[*Disclosure: I have worked with Fangamer on a currently available product.]
Retro City Rampage running wild on Xbox, Wii, PS3, Vita, and PC in May originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
UFC Undisputed 3 indisputably beats UK chart competition
With no other new combatants in the octagon making it into the top 40 last week, the UK top ten involved a lot of shufflin' and shifting based on retail promotions. FIFA 12 and Modern Warfare 3 moved into second and third, respectively. Last week's number one, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, dropped 63 percent in sales and out of the top ten into the 12 spot.
Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, boosted by a new 3DS edition and discounts on the Wii version, saw the title up 94 percent to take the ... Rice-a-Roni? What do you receive at the olympics for fourth place?
Continue reading UFC Undisputed 3 indisputably beats UK chart competition
UFC Undisputed 3 indisputably beats UK chart competition originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011
Check out the entire list below:
Continue reading BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011
BAFTA nominates Arkham City, L.A. Noire, FIFA 12 for best of 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 coming to Euro PSN
Digital Devil Saga and its sequel diverged from the typical Shin Megami Tensei formula by having the characters themselves transform into demons, rather than summon demons, as had previously been the case. Cute girls that turn into demons? Reminds me of my ex-wife! Thank you very much, I'll be here all week. Tip your waitress.
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 coming to Euro PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Rare Skylanders sell for more than $1,000 at auction
An eBay auction for 6 apparently rare Skylanders figures has sold for £797, or $1262.68, before shipping. The auction included gold versions of Chop Chop, Flameslinger and Drill Sergeant, as well as silver versions of Eruptor, Boomer and Dino-Rang, and we doubt it'll be the last of its kind. There's no way that these things will retain their value, of course, so we don't recommend participating in this sort of madness, but it is fascinating to watch. Kind of like a train wreck in slow motion, where the train is crashing through one of those houses on Hoarders.
Rare Skylanders sell for more than $1,000 at auction originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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