EA: Online Passes now available “free of charge”

Posted on May 30, 2013 by John Scalzo

EAlogoContinuing their efforts to do away with their Online Pass program, Electronic Arts has removed the restriction from many of their EA Sports title and made the Online Pass content/multiplayer features for many other games available for free.

Speaking to CVG, an EA representative had this to say about the end of the company’s Online Pass program: “Players will see it first with some EA Sports titles, where a prompt to enter an Online Pass code will no longer appear in-game; with other titles we are simply making Online Passes available free of charge online. These are rolling updates that are taking effect over the next several weeks. We hope players continue to enjoy our games and online services for a long time to come.”

A NeoGAF user has noticed that EA Online Passes are now available as free downloads on the Xbox Live Marketplace for the following games:

  • Alice: Madness Returns
  • Battlefield: Bad Company 2
  • Bulletstorm
  • Dragon Age: Origins
  • Dragon Age II
  • Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
  • Mass Effect 2
  • Medal of Honor
  • Shift 2: Unleashed
  • Skate 3

Presumably, this content will be available for free on the PlayStation Network and PC download services soon.

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Limited Edition announced for Tales of Xillia

Posted on May 30, 2013 by John Scalzo

talesofxillia-leNamco Bandai has announced that a Tales of Xillia Limited Edition will be available when it’s released in the US and Canada on August 6.

The Limited Edition has been priced at $59.99 and will include a copy of the game, special packaging, two DLC costumes, a soundtrack CD, and a Character Profile Booklet. Every Tales of Xillia pre-order will be upgraded to the Limited Edition, which will be limited to the game’s first printing.

A separate Collector’s Edition, which includes the soundtrack CD, a Milla Maxwell figurine, and a Tales of Xillia Art Book, was previously announced by Namco Bandai.

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Blizzard’s Titan MMO delayed until at least 2016 as it undergoes huge design changes

Posted on May 30, 2013 by John Scalzo

blizzardlogoIt looks like World of Warcraft players will have to stick with Blizzard’s first MMO for the forseeable future. The company’s next generation MMO, known internally as Titan, has been delayed.

According to a report on GamesBeat, the release of Titan has been pushed back to 2016 “at the earliest” as development on the game has been completely scrapped. Blizzard plans to completely start over on Titan with a slimmed down team.

In an official statement, Blizzard’s Shon Damron said: “We’ve always had a highly iterative development process, and the unannounced MMO is no exception. We’ve come to a point where we need to make some large design and technology changes to the game. We’re using this opportunity to shift some of our resources to assist with other projects while the core team adapts our technology and tools to accommodate these new changes. Note that we haven’t announced any dates for the MMO.”

Whatever happens with Titan, Blizzard will soon have plenty of competition for MMO players as Bethesda plans to launch The Elder Scrolls Online this year.

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Sony releases “Two Silhouettes,” a new trailer for Rain

Posted on May 30, 2013 by John Scalzo

Rain, a title in development at Sony Japan Studio and Acquire, might trigger a few memories of Ico thanks to its newest trailer, “Two Silhouettes.” A pair of invisible children are only seen when it rains and they must work together to escape the towering city they’re stuck in. If that wasn’t enough, there’s also this:

As the boy chases after the girl, he enters the mysterious world of rain and learns that he has also become invisible. In the pouring rain, he is lost and frightened as he is hunted by ghostly creatures. But, his determination to save the girl only grows stronger and he presses on.

Rain will be released for the PS3 this Fall, but first it’ll make an appearance at this year’s E3 Expo.

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Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Review: Blazing Saddle (Sores)

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Troy Matsumiya

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Strap on your trusty six-shooters because we’re heading back to the Old West in Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. You’ll hunt down the most notorious outlaws in history, while mowing down hundreds of henchmen in bloody gunfights in famous locales. Sounds like a blast, right? Well, it could be if it weren’t for some clunky and frustrating game mechanics.

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Posted in PC, PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox 360 | Tagged

XBLA Today: CastleStorm

Posted on May 29, 2013 by John Scalzo

castlestorm-header

Zen Studios, the team behind Pinball FX 2 (and its many offshoots, including the recent Star Wars Pinball), has released their next game on the Xbox Live Arcade: CastleStorm. For 800 Microsoft Points ($10) you can jump into the eternal war between vikings and knights (just go with it) in this 2D physics-based battler:

It’s Knights vs. Vikings in CastleStorm, where medieval warfare meets 2D physics-based destruction! Controlling the battle in real time, players will harness the power of medieval artillery, manage a fearsome ground attack, and cast powerful spells! CastleStorm features a story-driven solo campaign, a custom castle editor, online multiplayer, co-op modes, and more. Building castles and knocking them down has never been so much fun!

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Here’s a list of Best Buy stores that will host E3 demos from Nintendo

Posted on May 29, 2013 by John Scalzo

bestbuylogoNintendo and Best Buy are bringing E3 2013 to the people. Or rather, to the people that live within driving distance of select Best Buy stores across the US and Canada.

Nintendo will bring some of the same Wii U demos they’re showing at this year’s E3 Expo to 110 Best Buy stores this June. The Wii U demos will be playable at select Best Buy stores on Wednesday, June 12 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on Saturday, June 15 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Nintendo has yet to announce which titles will be playable at their Best Buy showcase, but the publisher has confirmed that Mario Kart Wii U, the first 3D Super Mario game for the Wii U, and Sonic: Lost World will all appear at this year’s E3 Expo.

The complete list of US Best Buy locations that will host Nintendo’s E3 demos can be found after the break. Canadian demo locations will be announced at a later date.

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Ubisoft plans to announce multiple next-gen games at E3 2013

Posted on May 29, 2013 by John Scalzo

ubisoftlogo

Ubisoft’s Fall 2013 lineup will be well represented at this year’s E3 Expo as the publisher plans to display five titles at the gaming showcase, as well as multiple unannounced next-generation games:

  • Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
  • Rayman Legends
  • South Park: The Stick of Truth
  • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist
  • Watch Dogs

Ubisoft’s E3 Press Conference will take place on Monday, June 10 at 6:00 PM (Eastern Time). The company will post a livestream of the presentation on YouTube for everyone who can’t attend the E3 Expo. Updates from the show floor will also be posted on Ubisoft’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, and official blog during E3 week.

“This is a pivotal moment for the video game industry, and E3 is the opportunity for us to share our vision for the future,” said Yves Guillemot, Ubisoft’s CEO. “We have many incredible games in development, and we’re especially excited to share more on our next-gen titles, which will deliver more connected, immersive and interactive experiences to our fans.”

So, any guesses on what Ubisoft’s unannounced next-gen games will be?

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