Yawn… Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is up to seven million copies sold

Posted on June 28, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Hey look! Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition sold another million copies. I love the game and I’m happy for everyone involved, but isn’t selling another million copies every few months a bit boring? Why not switch it up a bit? Next time, developer 4J Studios should make an announcement after Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition sells exactly 1,234,567 copies since their previous tweet. Whatever, it’s Friday afternoon.

Here’s the latest celebratory tweet from 4J Studios:

Seriously, congratulations.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Beatbuddy beta begins and Threaks shows off the game’s mo-cap session

Posted on June 28, 2013 by John Scalzo

Threaks is spreading the word about Beatbuddy, their upcoming rhythm-based puzzle platformer for the PC, with a new developer diary titled “Threaks News Episode 2.” Company CEO Wolf Lang and programmer Steve Liesche sit in their “new studio” (Translation: A desk in front of an air mattress) and show off the game’s “mo-cap session” (Translation: A guy in a Beatbuddy costume with ping pong balls taped to his face). I love those wacky Germans.

In actual Threaks news, Lang and Liesche announced that the Beatbuddy closed beta has begun. If you’re interested in joining, please email them at beatbuddy AT threaks DOT com.

Beatbuddy will be available through Steam’s download service sometime this Summer.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

XBLA Today: Doodle Jump For Kinect

Posted on June 28, 2013 by John Scalzo

A Kinect-powered, Xbox Live Arcade version of Doodle Jump was announced over two years ago. Today, it has finally been added to Microsoft’s digital storefront and it’s been priced at 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Developed jointly by Lima Sky and Smoking Gun Interactive and published by D3 Publisher, Doodle Jump For Kinect players can now tackle “three original worlds, robust power-ups, and challenging boss battles” in their attempt to get the Doodler to the top of the screen:

Doodle Jump, the most addictive mobile platformer ever, comes to Xbox Live Arcade with amazing new Kinect-only features. Guide Doodle the Doodler on a journey up, up, up, bouncing from platform to platform, past monsters, black holes and other obstacles. Players step left and right to move, point to blast nose balls at baddies, flap their arms to fly and more with other unique gesture controls. Doodle Jump for Kinect introduces 3 all-new worlds, treacherous bosses, and unique power-ups. Get off your couch and get your friends and family together to see who can score the most points and collect the most stars.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Angry Birds Trilogy comes to Wii U, Wii on August 13

Posted on June 27, 2013 by John Scalzo

After releasing the game on the 3DS, PS3, and Xbox 360 last year, Activision plans to fling Angry Brids Trilogy onto the Wii U and Wii this August 13.

The Trilogy includes Angry Birds, Angry Birds Seasons, and Angry Birds Rio, along with 40 hours of “bonus gameplay,” and 19 exclusive episodes. The Wii U version also includes high definition graphics, GamePad touchscreen controls, and Off-TV play.

Angry Birds Trilogy will be available for the Wii U and Wii on August 13.

Posted in News, Wii, Wii U | Tagged

Daily Scoop: June 27, 2013 – Humble deals

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Nicole Kline

Good afternoon, from the strange world of Philadelphia! This summer weather has been truly bizarre… we’ve had sweltering days with random thunderstorms touching down each day. I was soaking wet waiting for a bus when it stopped last night, and then a lightning/thunder combo scared the crap out of me! Good times, all right.

What’s the best deal right now? Without a doubt, it’s the Borderlands Bundleganza. This PC download includes Borderlands, all of the game’s downloadable expansions, Borderlands 2, and the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, all for just $21.99. What are you waiting for? Scoop it up!!

There’s also a new Humble Weekly Sale, featuring Klei Entertainment. It includes Shank, Shank 2, and Eets, as well as both Shank soundtracks. And you’ve still got five days to get the awesome Humble Indie Bundle, featuring Cipher Prime’s Fractal and Pulse. Pay what you want, while supporting charity and indie games!

And now, time for t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Nintendo Download: Kokuga, Sonic 2, Sonic Labyrinth, more

Posted on June 27, 2013 by John Scalzo

kokuga-logoIkaruga and Gradius V fans take note, Hiroshi Iuchi’s next game as Director, Kokuga, is now available to download from the 3DS eShop. Kokuga is a top-down shooter (naturally) that also throws in a card-based powerup system.

Also available this week on the 3DS eShop are a trio of Game Gear titles (Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Labyrinth, Crystal Warriors), one of the first NES games ever (Spelunker), an “action-biker” game (Urban Trial Freestyle), a bite-sized version of rhythm game Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove (Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove Mini), and a futuristic racer from Majesco (Crash City Mayhem, which will be availably July 2).

Finally, the Super NES game Vegas Stakes, which was originally released in 1993, has been added to the Wii U eShop. OK, but it seems like an odd choice for one of the first SNES games to be added to the Wii U Virtual Console.

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

The New Conservatism of Nintendo

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Andrew Rainnie

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Nintendo has never been known for having a liberal attitude. Even with a diverse range of characters, the publisher has fallen back on reimagining their various iconic characters (such as Mario, Link, and Samus) through the decades. When the company was still battling with rival Sega, it was Nintendo that took the moral high ground, often censoring blood or religious imagery from games on their systems, most famously in the original Mortal Kombat, where blood was replaced with sweat and the finishing moves were toned down. In recent years, Nintendo has even throttled back the power of its consoles (compare the Wii and Wii U with the PS3/Xbox 360 and PS4/Xbox One) versus competing systems. However, with the end of this year’s E3 Expo came a decisive contrast in how gamers and journalists alike perceived Nintendo, and that for better or worse, the company has entered a new era of conservatism.

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Posted in 3DS, Opinions, Top Story, Wii U |

TitanFall, Destiny, Watch Dogs lead all nominees in Best of E3 2013 awards

Posted on June 26, 2013 by John Scalzo

e3expologoThe 30 publications that form the Game Critics Awards judging panel have announced this year’s nominees for the Best of E3 2013. This year, Respawn’s TitanFall lead the way with six nominations. Bungie’s Destiny and Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs were close behind with five nominations apiece.

All three games were selected to be part of the “Best in Show” alongside new hardware from Sony (the PlayStation 4) and Oculus VR (the Oculus Rift HD). That has to sting for Microsoft and the continued debacle that is their Xbox One announcement. Though the Xbox One did get a nod in the “Best Hardware” category. I have a feeling it’s not going to win.

A complete list of all the nominees can be found after the break. The winners will be announced on July 2.

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Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,