Dennaton Games announces 2013 release for Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

Posted on June 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

Devolver Digital and Dennaton Games have announced that Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will be available for the PC, Mac, and Linux in 2013. They sequel to last year’s fever dream will feature more action and unreal situations, this time with multiple playable characters:

You’re a murderer. You murder people. Again. And again. How certain you are of your actions and what is, and what is not, real is what you must determine in Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. The epic finale to 2012’s blood-soaked hit follows an escalating level of violence through multiple factions born from the events of the original game – all within the confines of blistering combat, the unmistakable visual style, and another powerful and intense soundtrack that pushes you to the limit and forces you to question your own thirst for blood.

The publisher and developer have also released a mind-bending teaser trailer, which you can view above. If you dare.

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Call of Duty: Ghosts might miss the Wii U after all, but that seems unlikely

Posted on June 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

callofdutyghosts-rumor-boxInfinity Ward’s Mark Rubin talked about the Wii U version of Call of Duty: Ghosts with such conviction during E3 2013 that everybody assumed it was in development. Apparently, that’s not entirely accurate.

Last week, he told GameSpot: “[The Wii U version] is probably in the next-gen bin. We’re not actually talking about Wii U yet because we want to keep it mysterious.”

Now, speaking to GamesIndustry International, Rubin has revealed that he doesn’t know if a Wii U version of the game is even in development: “Ha! You know that’s funny, because I don’t even know the answer to that. I swear to God, I don’t. I was trying to say in the interview [that] I really don’t know and I’m not supposed to talk about it. I’m not supposed to talk about the fact that I don’t know.”

When you think about it, it’s astounding that these very different statements came from the same person. Regardless of what Rubin told GamesIndustry International, a Wii U version of the game can only be “mysterious” if it’s actually in development. Otherwise, why get people’s hopes up? So officially, Activision and Infinity Ward have nothing to announce concerning Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U. Unofficially (and logically), a Wii U version of the game is clearly in development. Glad we could clear that up.

Posted in News, Wii U | Tagged ,

Watch the six-hour The Last of Us “movie” right here

Posted on June 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

Ladies and gentlemen, the bar has been raised.

YouTube user dansg08 has compiled a six-hour “marathon edition” version of The Last of Us that includes every story cutscene and a good chunk of the gameplay as well. If you want to experience the story behind Naughty Dog’s latest masterpiece, but haven’t had a chance to play it yet, this movie is for you.

Bravo, dansg08, bravo.

Posted in News, PS3 | Tagged

D&D: Chronicles of Mystara, Eat Lead, Jak and Daxter Collection, more added to PS Store

Posted on June 19, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Welcome to another week of PlayStation Store updates. This week, Sony adds a classic arcade combo, a “reboot” of a “classic” arcade chracter, a reboot of an infamous 80s platformer, and a game where you control the weather. There’s also two new PS2 Classics and two PS3 games find their way to the Vita for the first time.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara leads this week’s new releases, bringing together two 80s arcade games in all their HD glory. Speaking of 80s arcade heroes, the fictional Matt Hazard will also join the PlayStation Store this week in Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, a reboot of the infamous 80s platforming series, and Storm, a puzzle platformer where you control the wind, round out this week’s new releases for the PS3.

Over on the Vita side of things, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and the Jak and Daxter Collection are now available for the handheld.

More information on all of these games can be found after the break and a full list of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog.

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Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged , ,

Threaks collaborates with Rhianna Pratchett on Beatbuddy

Posted on June 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

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One of our favorite games at PAX East 2013 was Beatbuddy, a musical puzzle-platformer from German developer Threaks.

Today, Threaks confirmed that Rhianna Pratchett will help with the story and script. After her work on the Tomb Raider reboot and Mirror’s Edge, Pratchett has become the go-to name for excellent game stories, and Threaks is thrilled to have her.

“When we started with the story of Beatbuddy last year, we initially held off contacting Rhianna because we assumed that she’d be too busy or might not be interested in a small indie project,” said Denis Rogic, Threaks’ Art Director. “It turned out that it was exactly the kind of thing she was looking for. It’s truly amazing knowing that we have Austin Wintory and Rhianna Pratchett providing their talents to our game.”

Beatbuddy will be available to download through Steam in July.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Daily Scoop – June 18, 2013 – Sales galore

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Nicole Kline

Another day, another rainstorm here in Philadelphia! It has been pouring on and off all day. Luckily, the Internet is full of great articles and great deals to help me get through this dreariness!

Let’s see, what’s up first? GOG.com is having a huge summer sale, aptly titled the “2013 #NoDRM Sale.” It includes Torchlight for free (for the next 48 hours), Alan Wake for 90% off, and lots, lots more, like, I don’t know, a million Dungeons & Dragons games for 80% off.

Not for you? Well, how about Gamefly’s Under $20 Blowout Sale? Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and Just Dance 4 are $14.99, Halo 4 and The Walking Dead are $12.99, and Hitman: Absolution and Max Payne 3 are $9.99. And those are just the first games that caught my eye.

STILL not good enough? Well then, the only thing I have left to offer you is the latest Humble Bundle, which is another great Android package. It’s got Fractal and Pulse from one of the best game studios in Philadelphia, Cipher Prime. What more could you ask for?

Whew. I’m tired just thinking about all the money I want to spend. And that doesn’t even include today’s t-shirts:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Call of Duty: Black Ops II expands again with Vengeance Map Pack on July 2

Posted on June 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

Four new multiplayer maps are coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops II soon. The Vengeance Map Pack will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on July 2. You can check out the first trailer above for a quick look at the upcoming maps:

  • “Cove” – A small island in the Indian Ocean that offers no escape.
  • “Detour” – A battle both atop and below a suspension bridge.
  • “Rush” – A paintball arena with a lot of different configurations.
  • “Uplink” – A reimagined version of Black Ops favorite “Summit.”

The Vengeance Map Pack will also include “Buried,” a new Zombies Mode adventure. Taking place in a “lost town in the old West,” players will be able to lay waste to the zombie horde with the Ray Gun Mark II. Because when I think of Westerns, I think of Ray Guns.

A PC and PS3 release for the Vengeance Map Pack will be announced soon.

[Source: One of Swords]

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

Congressmen propose “We Are Watching You Act,” an anti-Kinect bill

Posted on June 18, 2013 by John Scalzo

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Microsoft had a tough time selling gamers on the Xbox One and its (almost) always-on Kinect sensor during last week’s E3 Expo. This week, a pair of US Representatives want to block the monitoring features of the next-generation console before it’s even released.

Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA) and Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) introduced the “We Are Watching You Act” last week in order to protect the privacy of consumers from DVR boxes (or similar devices) that include built-in cameras and microphones. Verizon, who provides the popular FiOS service, filed a patent application for a DVR with video and audio monitoring capabilities in 2012. But, at this point, it’s unknown if they have such a DVR in development. So for now, the “We Are Watching You Act” is strictly an anti-Xbox One bill as the system’s Kinect sensor is the only device that meets the qualifications of the bill.

The “We Are Watching You Act” would prohibit companies from marketing this kind of monitoring DVR (or Kinect sensor) without first offering consumers the chance to opt-in to the service. The DVR/Kinect operator must also “provide specific details on how collected information will be used and who will have access to the data.” If you do chose to opt-in, when the device is recording it will display “WE ARE WATCHING YOU” in a font “large enough to be readable from a distance.”

While that kind of message might kill the immersive feel of a round of Killer Instinct, it might help with Watch Dogs.

And here’s where it gets messy. The bill would require manufacturers who sell devices that monitor consumers to create a similar device, without monitoring capability, and offer that as well, thus creating two tiers of Xbox One hardware. Rep. Capuano’s statement, and the full text of the bill, can be found at his official website.

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