Most Recent: Xbox 360

PopCap forms “HD Team” to bring Peggle 2 and an original game to consoles

popcapThe “HD Team” within PopCap Games that produced the recently released Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare will continue their work in the console realm.

“PopCap is now structured in the way we have standard PopCap mobile development and then PopCap HD, which is entirely focused on bringing games to PC and console,” Gary Clay, PopCap’s Marketing Manager said.

The team definitely has their plate full. In the near term, they plan to create new content for Garden Warfare, with the first update available in March. They are also working on an update to Peggle 2 as well as porting the game to additional consoles besides the Xbox One. Finally, PopCap HD is also developing an original console game unrelated to any previous PopCap property.

Looks like my dream of a Heavy Weapon sequel has been dashed once more.

[Source: Digital Spy]

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New Releases: South Park: The Stick of Truth

southparkgame-boxJust one game will be added to store shelves this week, but it’s a big one… South Park: The Stick of Truth.

If you recall, South Park: The Stick of Truth has been in development at Obsidian Entertainment for a long time. Originally a THQ production, the game shifted to Ubisoft after THQ went bankrupt. Then it was delayed multiple times to ensure that it lived up to all the hype. Does it? You can find out for yourself this week on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

A few more new releases will make their way to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Store, and Nintendo eShop this week. We’ll talk more about those titles over the next few days.

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MGS5: Ground Zeroes gets a pre-release price cut and includes Phantom Pain DLC

metalgearVKonami dropped a lot of information on us this week about Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. For starters, if you purchase the game “early on” (no time period specified), you’ll get exclusive DLC for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. In the retail version, it will be available “in the first batch;” digitally, it will be available for only a limited amount of time. The DLC unlocks additional staff for the Mother Base, introduced in Ground Zeroes, and will give players an advantage against The Phantom Pain.

There will also be unlockable content from Ground Zeroes that will carry over to The Phantom Pain. Ground Zeroes players will have a leg up with the additional staff, which will include rescued prisoners of war and VIPs. You will be able to carry over your character skins as well.

But wait, there’s more! Ground Zeroes will have a second screen iDroid app, which will be available for iOS, Android, and Xbox Smart Glass systems. This free app is a replica of Big Boss’ communicator and map, meaning you’ll be able to look at your maps, call in air support, or play the audio files (found in the form of cassette tapes) found in Camp Omega.

And finally, Konami has announced a price reduction. On the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, physical and digital copies of the game will only cost $29.99. On the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the physical game will be $29.99, while digital will be $19.99. The game will be available starting March 18, 2014, so if you want to get in on some of these special additions, you should pre-order it soon.

Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Warner Bros. is making a Minecraft movie

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What kind of film could you create out of a video game with no characters, no plot, and no consistent world from player to player? I don’t know, but when you’re talking about the most popular game in the world, Warner Bros. is willing to give it a try. Deadline is reporting that the movie studio has reached a deal with Mojang to create a movie based on Minecraft.

The Minecraft movie will be produced by Roy Lee, who is one of the masterminds behind this year’s massively popular The Lego Movie. Jill Messick, a producer on Mean Girls, will also help bring Minecraft to the silver screen. It is much too early to discuss writers, directors, or actors, but might I suggest Quentin Tarantino for all three? Nah, I’m only joking… I think.

Warner Bros. is no stranger to the world of video games. In addition to producing the next Mortal Kombat movie, the company is one of the few to find success in game publishing thanks to its WB Games label.

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The Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided will be released next week

Telltale Games has announced that the second episode of The Walking Dead Season 2, “A House Divided,” will be available to download for the PC and the PS3 (from the PlayStation Store) next Tuesday, March 4. The game’s Xbox Live Arcade and iOS App Store release date will be confirmed “at a later date.” But I’d bet good money that both versions will be available sometime around March 4.

For “A House Divided,” Telltale has tapped Michael Madsen to play the mysterious Carver. What does Carver want? You’ll have to play the game to find out. Like the previous episodic editions, The Walking Dead Season 2’s second episode has been priced at $4.99. All five episodes from Season 2 can also be pre-purchased through the $19.99 Season Pass. If you plan to follow the entire story of Clementine’s survival, it’s a good deal.

Vita owners will be happy to learn that Telltale also confirmed that The Walking Dead Season 2 will be released for Sony’s handheld. The first two episodes will be available to download in late March.

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Trials Fusion will be released on April 16

Ubisoft has just announced that the next entry in the beloved Trials series will be released on April 16.

Trials Fusion will be available to download on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam for $19.99. A $39.99 disc-based retail version, which will include the base game and a Season Pass, will also be made available for the next-generation consoles. The Season Pass will be available to purchase separately for $19.99, giving player access to new tracks, bike parts, rider gear, and other items in six packs that will release between now and April 2015. The packs will be available without the season pass, but without the savings of 30%.

If you’re new to the Trials series, here’s what Ubisoft and developer RedLynx had to say about some of the new features found in Trials Fusion:

Trials Fusion builds on the same maddeningly addictive physics-based gameplay as its predecessors while incorporating brand new features, including the FMX tricks system. Players will be able to create tracks that stretch both their imagination and skill, and put their friends to the ultimate Trials test by sharing online with the bustling Trials community, made possible by the fan-favorite Editor Mode.

You can watch the latest trailer for Trials Fusion above.

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Batman: Arkham Origins “Cold, Cold Heart” DLC available April 22

After a New Year’s tease, WB Games has announced that the first downloadable campaign content for Batman: Arkham Origins will reveal the story of the first time Batman and Mr. Freeze met. The DLC expansion will be known as “Cold, Cold Heart” and it’ll thaw your heart this Spring.

Priced at $9.99, and available for free to Season Pass subscribers) the “Cold, Cold Heart” add-on will take place within the walls of Wayne Manor during an awards banquet that Mr. Freeze decides to crash. Batman will be able to use a variety of new toys including the new Extreme Environment (XE) suit, as well as Thermal Gloves and Thermocharged Batarangs. Maybe this is a stupid question, but if “Cold, Cold Heart” is the first time Batman will tangle with Mr. Freeze, why does he even have Thermal Gloves and Thermocharged Batarangs?

The “Cold, Cold Heart” DLC will be available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on April 22.

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XBL Store Today: Thief, Castlevania: LoS2, PvZ: Garden Warfare, Pac-Man Museum

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The Xbox Live Game Store is now home to four new games, and two of them will be available for the Xbox One in addition to the Xbox 360.

Thief, for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, marks the return of the stealthy Garrett. The adventures of the titular thief have been rebooted by Eidos Montreal, the developer that gave the Deus Ex franchise a similar makeover in 2011 with Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, the conclusion to Mercury Steam’s Lords of Shadow 2 saga, has also been added to the Xbox 360 section of the store today. And if getting bloody with Dracula isn’t your thing, there’s also PopCap’s cartoony shooter, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, which is available on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Finally, Bandai Namco has compiled many of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man’s earliest adventures in Pac-Man Museum for the Xbox Live Arcade. But the collection doesn’t just highlight their 80s heyday, the pack also includes newer releases such as Pac-Man Championship Edition and the never-been-released Pac-Man: Battle Royale. (more…)

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