XBLA Today: Special Forces: Team X

Posted on February 6, 2013 by John Scalzo

specialforcesteamx-header

Atari is in the midst of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, but they still added the Zombie Studios-developed Special Forces: Team X to the Xbox Live Arcade today.

Special Forces: Team X is a third person team-based shooter with cartoony graphics (they remind me of Archer, actually) and “over 100 map variations.” Special Forces: Team X has been priced at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) and is available to download now:

Special Forces: Team X (STX) is a team-centric third Person cover based shooter. The game features a unique map selection system, with the ability to shape the battlefield by selecting individual environmental pieces, resulting in over 100 map variations. STX supports asymmetric game play with 2-4 teams and five frenetic game modes. Cooperative play between team members is richly rewarded. Customize your skills, weapons and character to tailor your tactics and performance in battle. STX brings you the brutality of war as you take on the role of an elite soldier in a Special Forces squad.

Posted in News, Xbox 360 |

More Xbox 720 rumors: Blu-ray discs, no used games, Kinect V2 compatible

Posted on February 6, 2013 by John Scalzo

xbox720logoAs Sony steams towards their February 20 announcement of the “Future of PlayStation,” new rumors have emerged about Microsoft’s next-generation offering, the Xbox 720/Durango.

According to Edge, an anonymous tipster has revealed a laundry list of details concerning Microsoft’s next system:

  • The system’s internals will include an AMD eight-core x64 1.6GHz CPU, a D3D11.x 800MHz graphics card, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a hard drive of unspecified size.
  • Games will ship on 50GB Blu-ray discs.
  • Each game will also ship with an activation code, locking out used game sales without some kind of re-authorization code.

The tipster also said that Microsoft plans to launch a “new, more reliably responsive” Kinect sensor alongside the Xbox 720/Durango.

Posted in News | Tagged

PSN Today: Dead Space 3, Sly Cooper 4, Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2, more

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Scalzo

deadspace3-header

You’re not scared of this week’s PlayStation Store update are you? Maybe you should be as EA has added Dead Space 3 to the PS3 Full Games section.

If battling Necromorphs on an ice planet isn’t your thing, there’s always the cartoony capers of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and Bentley’s Hackpack. The fourth Sly Cooper game is available for the PS3 and Vita in a Cross-Buy “buy one, get both” edition and as a cheaper Vita-only release. Bentley’s Hackpack is a bite-sized collection of hacking minigames that is also a part of the Cross-Buy promotion.

Also available this week is Namco Bandai’s brawler Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage 2 and a downloadable version of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.

Hit the jump for more information on all of this week’s new releases and check out the PlayStation Blog for a complete list of this week’s new game add-ons.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, PS3, Vita | Tagged ,

Star Wars Pinball strikes back on digital platforms this month

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Scalzo

Zen Studios will be bringing three Star Wars-themed pinball tables to a download service near you this month. Star Wars Pinball will be available as a standalone app on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Android Store. It’ll also be released as downloadable content for Pinball FX 2 (Xbox Live Arcade, Windows 8), Zen Pinball 2 (PlayStation Network, Vita, Mac App Store), and Zen Pinball (Apple App Store, Google Play).

“It’s been over 30 years since Star Wars, videogames, and solid state pinball all burst onto the entertainment scene, and their popularity endures today. We’re excited to be combining all three for the very first time,” said Neil Sorens, Zen Studios’ Creative Director. “Our designers are huge Star Wars fans, and you can expect every detail in every table to reflect their passion for the Star Wars universe.”

The three tables will be based on three of the biggest names in Star Wars history: The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Screenshots and more details can be found at the game’s official site, StarWarsPinball.com.

Approve of this, I do.

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

XCOM shooter still on track for 2013/2014 release

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Scalzo

xcomfps-logo-header

XCOM: Enemy Unknown was released to near universal critical acclaim last year. But you may remember that Take-Two also announced a first person shooter set in the XCOM universe (simply titled XCOM) at E3 2010. Repeatedly delayed, you’re forgiven if you don’t remember it.

But within the paragraphs of their quarterly financial report, Take-Two confirmed that XCOM is still in development for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 and that it’s still on track for a “fiscal year 2014” release.

Take-Two’s 2014 fiscal year runs from April 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. Even though it’s possible the game could be released as early as this Spring, I’d guess that a late 2013/early 2014 release is much more likely.

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

Skylanders Swap Force brings customizable figures to the franchise

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Scalzo

skylandersswapforce-header

Skylanders Giants is less than four months old and Activision is already ready to announce the next game in the series. Skylanders Swap Force will make its worldwide debut this weekend at the 2013 Toy Fair. Taking up residence in booth 3061, Activision will unveil Swap Force’s 16 new customizable characters at the Javits Center in New York City.

Here’s some of the new features that the kiddies can look forward to in Skylanders Swap Force:

Swap Force builds upon the success of the franchise’s signature gameplay with an all-new innovative play pattern — swapability — that gives kids more choice than ever before by letting them swap the top and bottom halves of the toys to create their own characters. The game lets Portal Masters reconfigure 16 Swap Force characters into more than 250 unique combinations. Kids can mix and match characters’ powers and moves, and then bring them to life in the game. Fans of the franchise also can play Skylanders Swap Force with their entire collection of characters from both Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants, now with the added capability of jumping.

Skylanders Swap Force is in development at Vicarious Visions and will likely be released this Fall for every platform imaginable.

Posted in 3DS, News, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop: February 5, 2013 – Isaac Clarke edition

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Nicole Kline

It’s February 5, and that means one amazing thing: Dead Space 3 has arrived! It’s in my hands right now, which makes it really, really hard to type. One of my favorite websites, Super Punch, linked to this incredible handmade Chibi Isaac, as well as this sexy new Clarke figure. It’s a great day to be a fan of Dead Space.

There are a few new deals up at Amazon, including Gears of War 3 for $14.18, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Stand-Alone Software for $14.00, Kirby’s Epic Yarn for $13.68, Ridge Racer Unbounded for $21.42, and Wii Party for $19.90. Check out more discounts on their deals page.

There are a couple of good shirts up today – hit the break for more details!

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Borderlands 2 Add-On Content disc coming February 26 for $30

Posted on February 5, 2013 by John Scalzo

borderlands2-addpack12K Games and Gearbox Software plan to give gamers another way to pick up the first three pieces of downloadable content for Borderlands 2.

The publisher and the developer will release the first Borderlands 2 Add-On Content Pack for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 26. It’ll come priced at $29.99 and include the first two campaign expansions, “Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty” and “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage,” as well as the fifth character class, the Mechromancer. Be warned, the Add-On Content Pack won’t work unless you own a copy of Borderlands 2.

Purchasing all three DLC packs separately would total $40. So if you’ve held off on purchasing Borderlands 2 DLC until now, the Add-On Content Pack would be a better deal.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged