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THQ Nordic acquires Deep Silver’s publishing operation and internal studios

How’s this for a twist? THQ Nordic has announced plans to purchase the publishing operation and internal studios connected to Koch Media (the parent company of Deep Silver) for $150 million.

If you’ll recall, Deep Silver purchased the Volition (and their Saints Row franchise), as well the publishing rights to the Metro series, from the THQ bankruptcy auction in 2013. At the same time, Crytek outbid Deep Silver for Dambuster Studios (and the rights to the Homefront franchise), but both would be acquired by Deep Silver a year later during Crytek’s own bankruptcy scare.

Meanwhile, Nordic Games scooped up THQ’s remaining assets during a second auction that Spring. They’ve since rebranded as THQ Nordic, and begun reintroducing the company’s franchises on new-generation hardware. By purchasing Deep Silver, they’ve moved nearly all of THQ’s former franchises back under the same roof.

According to the announcement, Deep Silver had five announced games in development at the time of the acquisition (the recently-launched Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Codemasters’s Onrush, 4A Games’s Metro Exodus, Yu Suzuki’s Shenmue III, and Sumo Digital’s Dead Island 2), in addition to nine unannounced games. As of now, THQ Nordic will assume management on all of these titles, though Deep Silver will continue to operate as a separate publishing label.

In addition to Deep Silver’s publishing contracts, THQ Nordic will also acquire their internal studios. That includes Volition and Dambuster Studios, as well as mobile developer Fishlabs.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One |

Splatoon 2: Starter Edition will be available on March 16; Pearl/Marina Amiibo Pack coming later this year

Nintendo will soon add a new arena (the basketball-themed “Goby Arena”) and weapon set (the “Dark Tetra Dualies”) to Splatoon 2. But the consolemaker also doesn’t want to leave behind new players who are interested in exploring the multiplayer thrills of Inkopolis Square, and they’ve got a plan.

The Splatoon 2 Starter Edition bundle will be available on March 16, and it’ll include the full game, a 100-page Strategy Guide to help new players learn the tips and tricks they’ll need to survive, and two sheets of Splatoon stickers. Best of all, this package will be priced at $59.99, or the same price as the standalone game.

Nintendo also announced that an Amiibo 2-Pack featuring Pearl and Marina will be available on store shelves “later this year.” The 2-Pack will be priced at $24.99, and you can get a closer look at the figures in the trailer embedded above. You can also head over to Twitter to view new screenshots of “Goby Arena” and the “Dark Tetra Dualies.”

Finally, Splatoon 2’s next Splatfest will take place this Saturday, February 17, and it’s asking players to choose between “Love” and “Money.”

Wow. That’s a big choice for a colorful shooter that’s normally fun for the whole family.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

New Retail Releases: Bayonetta 2, Dynasty Warriors 9, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, More

The Umbra Witch flies again as Platinum Games and Nintendo will bring Bayonetta 2 to the Switch this week. The package will also include a download code for the original Bayonetta.

Also available on store shelves this week will be a pair of games that explore warfare in the olden days… Dynasty Warriors 9 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Both games will be available for the PS4 and Xbox One.

Players looking for a more modern take on warfare might want to pick up Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege – Advanced Edition for the PS4 and Xbox One. The re-release will include “rare bonus content” and 600 in-game Credits.

Finally this week, Ubisoft will re-release South Park: The Stick of Truth for the PS4 and Xbox One with a graphical upgrade.

A complete look at all of this week’s new releases can be found after the break. (more…)

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Owlboy, Dragon Quest Builders, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

It’s Thursday, and Nintendo has offered up yet another hefty eShop update for the Switch.

This coming Tuesday, February 13, Switch owners will be able to download Owlboy, a side-scrolling platformer from D-Pad Studio. The Longest Five Minutes, a new RPG from NIS America, will also be available on the same day.

Both of those games rely on retro aesthetics to pull in players, and Square Enix will use a similar trick in its next game for the Switch. Dragon Quest Builders, a Minecraft-like experience based on the first game in the RPG series, will be available to download for the Switch beginning tomorrow. In addition to the main game, Dragon Quest Builders on the Switch will also include a variety of exclusive content.

Finally, 3DS owners will be able to download Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology early next week. Atlus originally released Radiant Historia for the DS in 2011, and Perfect Chronology is a re-release that includes new story content, upgraded graphics, and “new ways to experience the adventure.”

You can learn more about all of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop after the break. (more…)

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Pillars of Eternity II will come to consoles this Fall

Game Informer is reporting that Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire will be released for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One this Fall.

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is an isometric RPG that’s currently in development at Obsidian, and it’ll make its PC debut this Spring. The console port will be published by Versus Evil and is believed to be in development at Red Cerberus.

Obsidian has yet to comment on Pillars of Eternity II’s console port, but Versus Evil’s Steve Escalante confirmed the news on Twitter.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One | Tagged

Atooi will bring Xeodrifter to the Switch next week

Atooi has announced that their retro-styled “MetroidVania,” Xeodrifter, will be available to download for the Nintendo Switch beginning next week. According to the new trailer embedded above, Xeodrifter will make its eShop debut on February 15.

Xeodrifter is the story of an interstellar drifter traveling the stars on a simple mission of exploration. We join our nomad as he embarks on the investigation of a small cluster of four planets in the omega sector, after a collision with a rogue asteroid damaged his warp core.

Blast your way through alien landscapes, seek out valuable secrets, and defeat ancient guardians to unlock powers from a legendary supreme culture in this exciting journey of mystery and adventure.

Jools Watsham, Atooi’s President, previously said that his development team would release “at least” three games on the Switch in 2018. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the other two soon.

Posted in News, Switch | Tagged

The Games of February 2018

The remakes are coming! The remakes are coming! There aren’t many original games making their way to store shelves in February, but if you’re interested in exploring some of gaming’s greatest hits thanks to some new remakes and remasters, then you’ll definitely want to pay attention to this month’s upcoming releases.

Sony is rebuilding Shadow of the Colossus “from the ground up” on the PS4, and Square Enix is giving a similar full makeover to Secret of Mana. Atlus is stuffing a wide variety of new content into Radiant Historia to create Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology for the 3DS. And Nintendo and Sega are bringing Bayonetta back for another fight against the heavenly horde in both Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2.

You can find what we’re looking forward to after the break, along with a complete release schedule for all of this month’s new releases. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Features, Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, Top Story, Vita, Xbox One | Tagged , , , ,

Horizon, PUBG, Nier: Automata, Zelda: BOTW, Super Mario Odyssey will compete for “Game of the Year” at 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards

The nominees for the 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards have been announced, and for once, there doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite in any of the categories.

Six games are currently leading the pack after receiving a total of six nominations apiece. Horizon: Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Nier: Automata, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild all pulled off the double hat trick, and each game also secured a nomination for “Video Game of the Year.” Cuphead and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice were shut out of the “Video Game of the Year” category, but both games also managed to earn six total nominations.

Rounding out the “Video Game of the Year” field is Super Mario Odyssey, which earned five total nominations.

As in years past, fans are invited to vote for their favorites at IGN.com. The winners in each category will ultimately be decided by a 50/50 vote between the public and the SXSW Gaming Advisory Board.

The 2018 SXSW Gaming Awards will be held on Saturday, March 17, and the full list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break. (more…)

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