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Slightly Mad officially hits the brakes on Wii U version of Project CARS

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It looks like Slightly Mad Studios couldn’t coax enough horsepower out of the Wii U to properly port Project CARS to Nintendo’s console after all. Speaking to Nintendo Life, Studio Head Ian Bell confirmed the cancellation this morning:

The official line is that we’re awaiting an announcement from Nintendo on new hardware. As of now [Project CARS] is simply too much for the Wii U.

After a number of delays (and the cancellation of planned PS3 and Xbox 360 ports), Project CARS was released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One in May. Nintendo plans to reveal more information about their next console, the “NX,” in 2016. Perhaps it will be powerful enough to handle Project CARS 2, Slightly Mad’s recently announced racing sequel.

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Double Fine’s documentary chronicling Broken Age’s development has reached its last episode

In early 2012, Double Fine nearly broke the game industry when they introduced the words “Crowdfunding” and “Kickstarter” to many gamers for the first time. The crowdfunding model has become a fixture of the gaming landscape in the years since, and while Double Fine’s campaign may not have been the first, they certainly made it a viable option that developers such as Brian Fargo and Keiji Inafune would eventually use.

Along with the game that would eventually become Broken Age, Double Fine also produced a behind-the-scenes documentary series with 2 Player Productions known as Double Fine Adventure. In Schafer’s words, he wanted to “show us how the sausage was made.”

After more than three years of filming, and twenty main episodes (along with countless extra “Sidequest” episodes), the documentary reached it’s grand conclusion over the weekend. Originally, the series was an exclusive for Kickstarter backers, but as the game neared completion, Schafer decided to unleash the series to the public early.

Regardless of what you thought of the game, the documentary series has made the whole ordeal more than worth it. As someone who backed the Kickstarter campaign all those years ago, I can’t tell you how inspiring and informative these episodes are. Before this, the world of game development always happened behind closed doors, but no longer.

This series has been different. It’s showcased game development from the very start of the creative process to the release of the game, and it’s aftermath, and it did it with a relatively large studio as well. We like to think game development is all sunshine and lollipops and that everything is all fun all the time, but this series goes to show that isn’t the case. I heartily recommend it, even if you’re not interested in game development because it’s so much more than a behind the scenes, how-to documentary, it’s a captivating look into the creative process.

2 Player Productions recently began work on a Blu-ray release for Double Fine Adventure and you can pre-order it at adventure.DoubleFine.com.

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Does Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes reference Kojima leaving Konami?

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes has been out for over a year now, and it seems to keep providing Easter eggs. One major Easter egg that may hint at the recent strife between Konami and Director Hideo Kojima was recently found by YouTube user “timeSplitter88.”

In the Metal Gear Solid throwback mission “Deja Vu,” you’re given a weapon with a blue light that erases words found throughout the level. Those words aren’t random though, they’re all past titles and logos from Metal Gear’s history.

Hideo Kojima had nothing to do with some of those games, such as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance or Metal Gear Acid, so they can’t be erased by the light. However, the ones designed by Kojima, such as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, can be erased. Once you’ve deleted all the titles created by Hideo Kojima, players get a message from Kaz reminding them to cherish their memories. Kojima himself then comes on the com to thank you for your support.

The “Deja Vu” mission has been available since the release of the game, originally exclusive to PlayStation consoles before coming to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One several months later. But it seems that no one put together the possible hidden meaning of erasing all the titles until now. It seems likely that everyone at Kojima Productions knew they were getting the boot months before the information became public.

Since the release of Ground Zeroes, Konami has removed “A Hideo Kojima Game” from all marketing and packaging for both Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. No one outside of Konami knows why this messy divorce is happening, though I’ve got a good feeling once it becomes official after the release of The Phantom Pain, Kojima won’t remain silent for long.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be released on September 1.

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Nintendo will release Devil’s Third in North America this Fall; PC version confirmed

devilsthirdlogoAs promised, Nintendo has quietly confirmed that Devil’s Third will be available for the Wii U this Fall. The consolemaker still plans to publish the title, which will be available as a retail disc and as a digital download through the Wii U eShop.

“Devil’s Third delivers a unique combination of shooting and melee combat to provide Wii U owners with a fresh action-oriented experience,” said Director Tomonobu Itagaki. “We’ve been working hard on the game and can’t wait for fans to get their hands on it later this year.”

Devil’s Third is an “over-the-top, third-person action shooter” that melds “modern military weaponry with ninja-style swordplay and melee combat.” Players will take control of Ivan the Terrible, an anti-hero who hunts down terrorist cells with sword-in-hand after a series of satellite explosions renders the world’s tanks and jets useless.

In addition to the game’s Wii U launch, developer Valhalla Game Studios will self-publish a free-to-play version of the game’s multiplayer mode on the PC. It’ll be available to download in North America after the Wii U version, and internationally in September.

Speaking of international audiences, they’ll get to play the Wii U version of Devil’s Third much earlier than American players. Nintendo will publish the game in Japan on August 4 and throughout Europe on August 28.

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All Street Fighter V updates will be obtainable for free with in-game currency

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In addition to announcing a brand new character that goes by the name Necalli, Capcom also confirmed that Street Fighter V won’t receive any “Super” or “Ultra” disc updates. Instead, players will be obtain the base game (which will include 16 characters, four of whom will be new) with a one-time purchase and receive all subsequent updates as downloadable content. Best of all, these updates can be obtained for free with the use of an in-game currency earned through gameplay.

Taking inspiration from a variety of free-to-play games in the mobile marketplace, Capcom will include “Fight Money” and “Zenny” currencies in Street Fighter V. Fight Money is earned through playing the game and can be exchanged for post-launch content such as characters and costumes. Meanwhile, Zenny is premium currency that can be purchased using real money for immediate access to any post-launch content.

This means that Capcom is not planning to release multiple characters in a single post-launch batch. Instead, the publisher will add new characters to the roster on a “continuous basis.” More information on Capcom’s ambitious plan for Street Fighter V’s post-launch content can be found at the Capcom-Unity blog.

Street Fighter V will be released for the PC and PS4 in Spring 2016.

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Capcom adds new character Necalli to Street Fighter V

Street Fighter V finally received its first original fighter this weekend with the reveal of Necalli, a mysterious and savage fighter who reminds me a bit of Blanka. How mysterious is he? Capcom is still keeping his origin and storyline under wraps:

Possessing a wide variety of savage and close range attacks, all of Necalli’s moves have been forged through the heat of battle to ensure he’s inflicting maximum pain upon his opponents. Making full use of the Battle System mechanics, Necalli’s V-Skill allows him to pound the ground with both fists, creating an explosion that damages the enemy whereas the powerful V-Trigger allows him to channel a mysterious energy that changes his hair color and alters his personality for a short period of time. Capcom will be revealing more information on Necalli’s origin and storyline in the coming months so stay tuned for more details.

A trailer that showcases some of Necalli’s skills, which Capcom released as part of this weekend’s EVO event, has been embedded above. The character will be one of 16 (12 returning and four new) that will be available during Street Fighter V’s initial launch. Necalli joins the previously announced Ryu, Chun Li, M. Bison, Charlie Nash, Cammy, Birdie, Blanka, and Ken… so six more characters (three of them brand new) will be announced at a later date. As you might have guessed, more characters will eventually be added to Street Fighter V as post-launch downloadable content.

Street Fighter V will be released for the PC and PS4 in Spring 2016.

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Tremor will shake up Mortal Kombat X beginning tomorrow

Many seismologists believe that earthquake prediction is impossible. Someone at NetherRealm Studios clearly agrees as the developer has announced they’ll unleash Tremor, the fourth (and currently final), downloadable character for Mortal Kombat X much sooner than expected.

Kombat Pass owners will be able to download Tremor, along with Klassic Skins Pack 2, beginning tomorrow, July 21. Everyone else will get a crack at the character on July 28 as a standalone download ($4.99) or in a bundle with Klassic Skins Pack 2 ($7.99). The Skins Pack, which includes “klassic” duds for Kung Lao, Quan Chi, and Jax, will also be available by itself for $3.99.

Tremor first appeared in 2000’s Mortal Kombat: Special Forces, and has been a fan favorite ever since. It was these fans that encouraged NetherRealm to make Tremor a fully playable character for the first time in Mortal Kombat X. Able to control the earth itself, a trailer starring the latest incarnation of Tremor was unveiled during this weekend’s EVO event. It’s been embedded above.

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Classic JRPG Odin Sphere getting an HD remaster in Japan on PS4, PS3, Vita

Atlus and Vanillaware, the publisher and developer of cult classic PS2 RPG Odin Sphere, announced today that a high defintion remaster is in development for the PS3, PS4, and PS Vita.

According to Siliconera, this will be more than the typical paint job that many remasters from the PS2 era receive. In addition to the expected HD visual makeover, Vanillaware will add “new battle actions, maps, enemies, [and] animations” to game, along with with “an enhanced fighting system and additional features to make the overall gameplay smoother and faster than before.”

The remaster will be known as Odin Sphere: Leifdrasir, a title I’m sure many of us won’t be able to properly pronounce for some time. And we don’t have much time to figure it out as the remaster is scheduled for a January 14, 2016 release in Japan. There has been no word yet on an overseas release, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted when that changes.

The original Odin Sphere was released on the PS2 in 2007. The game was well received, and beat sales expectations in Japan. To date, Odin Sphere has never received a sequel or spinoff, making Leifdrasir a welcome return for players who have missed out on it the first time.

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