Most Recent: Xbox 360

New Releases: Ys: Memories of Celceta, Painkiller: Hell & Damnation, Air Conflicts: Vietnam

Posted on November 24, 2013 by John Scalzo

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The new consoles have launched and the Fall gaming avalanche is over, but here’s a quartet of new games that publishers are pushing out in the days before Black Friday:

See you next week!

Posted in News, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360 | Tagged

John Carmack leaves id Software

Posted on November 22, 2013 by John Scalzo

idsoftwarelogoThe “Master of Doom” himself, John Carmack, has left id Software. Studio Director Tim Willits announced that Carmack and the studio he helped found in 1991 have parted ways. In a statement to GamesIndustry International, Willits revealed that the split was due to Carmack’s desire to expand his duties as Oculus VR’s Chief Technology Officer:

“John Carmack, who has become interested in focusing on things other than game development at id, has resigned from the studio. John’s work on id Tech 5 and the technology for the current development work at id is complete, and his departure will not affect any current projects. We are fortunate to have a brilliant group of programmers at id who worked with John and will carry on id’s tradition of making great games with cutting-edge technology. As colleagues of John for many years, we wish him well.”

Carmack’s tenure at id (alongside co-founders John Romero, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack [curiously, no relation]) was chronicled in the amazing book Masters of Doom. 2010’s Rage will be the final id Software title to carry Carmack’s stamp. It is widely assumed the developer is currently working on Doom 4, but Quake V may also be in the works.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 |

Kickstart This! The Pre-Christmas Whopper Edition

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Andrew Rainnie

It’s that time of year again…. When everyone gets anxious about having enough money to afford Christmas presents and keep the heating on… When Z-list celebrities are invited to flick a switch and cast sparkly lights on towns and cities across the globe… When pine trees shudder in fear and reindeer wonder why there are hundreds of cameras pointing at them. But it need not be so glum and terrifying. In the run-up to what has become a period of immense profit for companies, yet an unnecessary burden on the growing number of Scrooges in the world (myself included), it is important to keep everything in check, and offer help to those who need it. Buy gloves for the homeless. Invite your lonely neighbour around for a cup of egg nog or mulled wine. And if you are still in the spirit to bring good tidings, check out the latest Kickstarter game campaigns that need your support.

We have a whopping seven projects to share this month, including the super cute P.A.W.S. – Prime Alien Watch Squad, oddball survival game Dyscourse, the eccentric steampunk detective adventure The Dead Flowers Case, and 2D turn based monster shooter MODUS. Halfway through, things get a little more intense with a throwback to 80s action films in Bullet Bros, tactical FPS assassin title Lonewolf, and finally, the beautifully rendered isometric sci-fi adventure Stasis.

Let’s jingle those bells. (more…)

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

XBL Store Today: Xbox One, XCOM: Enemy Within

Posted on November 22, 2013 by John Scalzo

xboxone-logoThe big day has finally arrived… the Xbox One is now available! To celebrate, Microsoft has opened the Xbox One section on the Xbox Live Game Store and stocked it with 23 launch games. The full “Day One” launch lineup includes:

And if you didn’t camp out all night for an Xbox One, 2K Games’ XCOM: Enemy Within was also added to the Xbox Live Game Store today. It is available to download from the Xbox 360 storefront.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare will be released on February 18

Posted on November 21, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Electronic Arts and PopCap Games have announced that Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare will be released for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on February 18. A PC version will also be available “at a later date.”

Garden Warfare turns the popular tower defense series into a third-person shooter with three distinct modes: Garden & Graveyards, a 12v12 base-capturing mode; Team Vanquish, a 12v12 deathmatch mode; and Garden Ops, a four-player cooperative mode that tasks players with dispatching wave after wave of zombies.

If you plan on getting Garden Warfare for the Xbox One, you’ll open up two new modes including a cooperative splitscreen mode and Boss Mode, a mode that allows players to use their Kinect and/or SmartGlass device to drop health, intel, and airstrikes onto the battlefield.

“Gamers across the world have fallen in love with the Plants vs Zombies characters and now they’ll get to see them in an entirely new light, said Brian Lindley, Producer on Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. “Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare give the series’ fans and shooter players a fun, new experience that they’ll both enjoy as they blast, chomp and laugh their way through co-op and head-to-head online action.”

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

XBL Store Today: Soul Calibur II HD Online, Farming Simulator

Posted on November 20, 2013 by John Scalzo

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The soul still burns as Namco Bandai has added Soul Calibur II HD Online to the Xbox Live Arcade. The classic fighter has been upgraded with high definition visuals, online play, and the inclusion of Spawn and Heihachi Mishima as playable characters.

Also available today, through the Games on Demand storefront, is Farming Simulator. Published by Focus Home Interactive and developed by Giants Software, Farming Simulator asked players to run their own farm.

More information on both games can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Spike TV announces the nominees for 2013 VGX Awards

Posted on November 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

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The nominees for the 2013 VGX Awards (previously known as the Video Game Awards) have been announced by Spike TV and it looks like this year’s show will be dominated by Grand Theft Auto V, BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us, and Tomb Raider. Those four games, along with Super Mario 3D World, will duke it out for this year’s “Game of the Year” honor.

Grand Theft Auto V lead all games with four additional nominations (“Best PlayStation,” “Best Xbox,” “Action Adventure,” and “Soundtrack”) as well as a “Best Studio” nomination for Rockstar North, “Best Actor” nomination for Steven Ogg, and two “Best Song” nods. The Fulbright Company’s Gone Home leads this year’s indie charge with two nominations (“Best PC” and “Best Independent”) and a “Best Studio” nomination for the developer.

And in a fun twist, Troy Baker will be competing against himself in the “Best Actor” category as his Joel (from The Last of Us) will do battle with his Booker DeWitt (from BioShock Infinite).

The 2013 VGX Awards will air on Spike TV on Saturday, December 7. A complete list of this year’s nominees can be found after the break. (more…)

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , ,

State of Decay: Breakdown furthers the zombie apocalypse on November 29

Posted on November 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

Undead Labs has announced plans to release the first downloadable expansion for State of Decay, “Breakdown,” on November 29. According to Sanya Weathers, Undead’s Director of Community, “Breakdown” will include…

  • Less story, more survival.
  • Long-term survival.
  • More difficulty.
  • New achievements, survivors, and weapons.

The add-on has been priced at $6.99 and will be available on the PC (through Steam) and the Xbox Live Game Store. Undead Labs will also release the “Title Update 4” patch, which will fix a variety of bugs and include a new loot distribution system, on the same day.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox 360 | Tagged