Most Recent: Articles

MS drops Gold requirement for entertainment apps; Games With Gold coming to Xbox One

Posted on May 13, 2014 by John Scalzo

xboxlivelogomajornelsonsaleMicrosoft has announced that, beginning in June, all entertainment apps (such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go, and others) will not require an Xbox Live Gold subscription. Instead, the apps will be open to all Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners with an Internet connection.

The consolemaker will also expand their Games With Gold program to the Xbox One in June. Xbox One owners with Gold memberships will be able to download Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and Halo: Spartan Assault for free during the month.

Microsoft also announced the Xbox 360’s Games With Gold for June and we’re all in for a treat: Dark Souls and Charlie Murder will be the free games for the month. As a bonus, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will also be available to download for Gold subscribers.

My Xbox 360’s hard drive will be a lot less roomy by June 30.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

$399 Xbox One without Kinect bundle announced

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Dan Hobbs

Microsoft has just announced that, starting June 9, an Xbox One system bundle without the Kinect sensor included will go on sale for $399.99. However, if you want to purchase a Kinect in the future, Microsoft said that the option to purchase a standalone sensor will be available this Fall. The standard $499.99 Xbox One + Kinect bundle, which Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi calls the “best [Xbox One] experience,” will remain on the market.

Phil Spencer, the Xbox Division’s Head, said (via the Xbox Wire) that this decision is all about offering more choice to Xbox customers. However, he also made it clear that Kinect will be part of the Xbox going forward.

“To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision,” Spencer said. “Many of you are using Kinect for Xbox One every day. In fact, more than 80 percent of you are actively using Kinect, with an average of 120 voice commands per month on each console.”

This is a major reversal from Microsoft’s original opinion of the Xbox One and Kinect. Originally, there were some fears that the Xbox One would only operate when connected to a Kinect sensor.

Posted in News, Xbox One |

Toddler-Horror game Among the Sleep coming to PS4

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Dan Hobbs

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Today, we learned that the unique horror game Among the Sleep is coming to the PlayStation 4 thanks to an announcement on the PlayStation Blog.

Described as “Toddler-Horror” by developer Krillbite Studio, Among the Sleep lets you play as a two-year-old with a wild imagination and a limited range of movement. With only a teddy bear for companionship, you explore your home after dark trying to make sense of the world and what is terrifying you. Best of all, the game will include support for Sony’s Project Morpheus headset.

Ole Andreas Jordet, Krillbite’s CEO, said the game will be coming to the PC and PS4 soon. But if you can’t wait you can try the demo on PC platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) or you can watch the latest gameplay trailer.

Posted in News, PC, PS4 | Tagged

10 Actors (and Actresses) We Think Could Play Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect Movie

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

shepard-header

BioWare’s Mass Effect series has proven so difficult to bring to the big screen that, according to Screen Rant, it turned screenwriter Mark Protosevich from ever attempting to tackle a video game adaptation again. Legendary Pictures producer Avi Arad has hinted the film could still be five years away. His boss, Legendary CEO Thomas Tull, explained to Ain’t It Cool last summer, “If you’ve played it and you know the universe, you know it is not uncomplicated. To try to hone that, to bring that down to a place that will translate into screen storytelling… we’re pretty close, closer than we’ve ever been. We’re committed to it, but it has to be great or we’re not going to do it. We’re treading on sacred ground. We’re not going to be the guys to screw up Commander Shepard.”

Yet, who could the filmmakers cast in such a highly respected role? They’ll need someone with Shepard’s rugged gravitas. Someone who can carry the weight of the world upon their shoulders. Someone who can sleep with half the universe.

While we wait ever-so-patiently for Legendary to pull its metaphorical finger out of its alien orifice, we thought we would scour the galaxy for an actor worthy of donning the N7 Armour. But just imagine for a moment that some bright producer within Legendary had an idea, an idea that blossomed into something unprecedented in the history of film: they film the same film twice. One version would include a male lead, while the other would place a woman (popularly known as “FemShep”) in charge of the Normandy. I’m not talking about a sci-fi version of Sliding Doors here. I want them to actually release two versions of the same film, and the audience can choose which gender of Shepard they wish to watch, just as they do in the game. How many fans would go see both?

This, I’m afraid, is likely the only way we will ever see a cinematic version of FemShep. Yet, if the producers set the casting directors to task in finding the right actress for the role, who would they choose? Bearing in mind that the character’s appearance is fully customisable, it could really be anyone, but taking the game’s FemShep alternate cover as a template, let’s also have a look and see which starlet could save the galaxy.

So here we go, two Sheps (and two films) for the price of one. (more…)

Posted in Etcetera, Features, PC, PS3, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop: May 12, 2014 – So many t-shirts

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Nicole Kline

There are a LOT of t-shirts available today! That is not a complaint – it’s a promise. Just you wait until you hit that jump!

Let’s talk about our video game deals first, though. There aren’t many of those – at Steam, all you’ve got is the Daily Deal, which is Orcs Must Die 2 for $3.74. The Humble Store has loads of great deals, though – you can grab Total War: Rome II for $29.97, The Novelist for $3.74, Gone Home for $4.99, Kentucky Route Zero for $12.49, the Red Faction Collection for $14.99, and many, many others. Scoop ’em up!

And now, time for a ridiculous number of t-shirts:

(more…)

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Capy Games shows off “Sloooowww Motion” gameplay in Super Time Force launch trailer

Posted on May 12, 2014 by John Scalzo

Super Time Force will be available to download from the Xbox Live Game Store for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One this Wednesday, May 14. To celebrate, Capybara Games has released a launch trailer that shows off the game’s “Sloooowww Motion” gameplay.

Dan Vader, the Co-Designer, Level Designer, and Writer of Super Time Force, talked about the game’s unique design with the Xbox Wire: “We’ve never done anything this… ‘splodey before, but in some ways, it feels like the most ‘Capy’ game to me. It certainly bears our hallmarks: familiar mechanics taken in a far-out direction, beautifully stylized art, jokes, and barf.”

Super Time Force is a side-scrolling shooter that the developers at Capy like to refer to as “A Contra game where you can go back in time.” If that doesn’t sound awesome enough, then I guess “barf” is supposed to be the icing on the cake.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Darksiders creator says Nordic Games is “very committed to continuing series”

Posted on May 12, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Comic book scribe Joe “Joe Mad” Madureira was the founder of Vigil Games and the creator of Darksiders. After THQ’s demise, Vigil reformed as Crytek USA and the rights to the Darksiders series were obtained by Nordic Games, but after the sale, no one was quite sure what would happen to the well-liked franchise as it seemed too big for a publisher like Nordic to handle. In a post on Facebook, Joe Mad says not to worry:

[Darksiders] is not dead!!! The new owner, Nordic seems very committed to continuing the series. As far as my involvement, I can’t say at this point. Hopefully we will all have exciting news about the franchise soon!!!!!!

While this isn’t confirmation of Darksiders III, it is proof that Nordic Games has no interest in letting the franchise languish. Hopefully we’ll learn more about the Four Horsemen’s continued fight to stop an accidental apocalypse soon.

And as a show of just how committed they are, Nordic even plans to release a Darksiders Collection for the PS3 and Xbox 360 next week.

Posted in News | Tagged

Square Enix considering “overseas expansion” for Dragon Quest X

Posted on May 12, 2014 by John Scalzo

dragonquestxlogoDragon Quest X was released for the Wii exclusively in Japan in 2012. Since then, it’s availability has expanded to include the Wii U, Windows PC, and Android tablets, but again, only in Japan. That might change soon.

During a financial briefing this morning, publisher Square Enix has confirmed that “expansion to overseas market [for Dragon Quest X] is under consideration.” Square Enix is focusing this possible expansion primarily on other countries in the Asian region, but it could apply to North America and Europe as well. The series has done well on this side of the ocean before and the successful launch of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn might encourage Square Enix to give Dragon Quest X western launch.

However, the same financial briefing also revealed that Square Enix plans to launch multiple “large‐scale online titles developed by Western studios” during their current fiscal year (which runs from April 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015). Several “large-scale” projects are known to be in development at Square Enix’s western studios including Hitman 6, Deus Ex: Universe, and a next-gen sequel to the Tomb Raider reboot. Square Enix is also in line to publish Just Cause 3, an unannounced game that has been quasi-confirmed by developer Avalanche on multiple occasions.

So prepare yourself to be knee deep in Square Enix-published games (hopefully including Dragon Quest X) very soon.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged