Black Tusk Studios is creating Microsoft’s next “Halo-like” franchise

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

Microsoft opened their Vancouver studio last year, but the team is finally ready for the big time with a new name and a new focus. Now known as Black Tusk Studios, the developer has begun work on creating the consolemaker’s next big franchise.

“[W]e are working on Microsoft’s next big entertainment franchise. We’re not working on an existing franchise, we’re looking to build the next Halo here in Vancouver, for example, which is really exciting. We are building something from the ground up,” said Mike Crump, the Studio Manager at Black Tusk.

To that end, Black Tusk has announced a massive recruitment drive in an effort to bring new talent to the studio. If you’re interested, you can find all of the job postings at BlackTuskStudios.com.

Details on the new franchise are being kept tightly under wraps, but previous recruitment efforts by Black Tusk (back when they were known as Microsoft Vancouver) have confirmed the developer is working on a “AAAA” shooter that makes use of the Kinect sensor in some way. It’s likely (but unconfirmed) that it’ll appear on the Xbox 360 as well.

[Source: The Vancouver Sun]

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Halo 4: Crimson Map Pack launching on December 10

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

The first Halo 4 map pack has a release date. Announced by Microsoft today, the Crimson Map Pack will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 10.

The Crimson Map Pack has been priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and will contain three new maps for Halo 4 players. The pack will also include eight new Achievements worth 250 Gamerscore.

In addition to the Crimson Map Pack, Microsoft will also be adding a new matchtype, Extraction, to Halo 4’s multiplayer options on December 10. Here’s what you can expect from Extraction:

Extraction is a 5 vs. 5 objective-based game type where opposing Spartan teams are tasked with extracting assets from various sites around the map. Once a team has found a site and is in position, they must plant their beacon and protect it from the opposing team while the extraction process occurs. If the defending team remains in control of the beacon, they receive one point, however if the opposing team overtakes the site before extraction is complete, the point goes to them. Once a site has been extracted, a new site becomes available. The first team to extract five points wins.

But wait, there’s more. A new trailer showcasing the Crimson Map Pack has been embedded above and an overview of all three maps (provided by Microsoft) can be found after the break.

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Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 trailer to appear at 2012 Spike TV VGAs

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

We already knew that trailers for The Last of Us, Gears of War: Judgment, and South Park: The Stick of Truth would be appearing at the 2012 Spike TV Video Game Awards. Late last night, Geoff Keighley (via Twitter) added one more game to the list… Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. You can check out a teaser for the trailer above.

The Spike TV Video Game Awards will take place this Friday, December 7 at 9 PM.

Posted in News, PS3, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Daily Scoop – November 29, 2012 – Nearly the weekend

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Nicole Kline

I know that I am too often excited for the weekend, but it’s because it’s when I get a chance to game, and write, and do laundry, and – wait, scratch that. I’m not excited about doing laundry. But I am excited about those other things!

I’m not sure if you noticed this already, but there’s a new Humble Bundle up, and this one is all THQ games – including Saints Row the Third and Darksiders. Yeah, I already bought it. And you should, too!

Amazon’s also got some more deals up, which I’m sure you are not surprised about in the least. They’ve got the Devil May Cry Collection for $16.99, Asura’s Wrath for $17.99, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Check it out!

I’m happy to announce there are several game-related t-shirts today! Hit the jump for more details…

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Bethesda VP hints at Dishonored sequel

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

Pete Hines, Bethesda’s Vice President, recently spoke to Destructoid about the unsurprising sales success of Dishonored. Hines didn’t reveal specific sales numbers, but he did confirm that the game is selling “far [above] expectations.”

How well is it selling? Well enough that Bethesda has begun to think of Dishonored as their next big franchise. Here’s what Hines had to say:

“I can tell you that Dishonored is far exceeding our sales expectations, which is especially cool considering it’s new IP facing a host of well-established franchises this quarter. We did terrific numbers again this past weekend, both in stores and on Steam, where Dishonored was listed as the #1 selling title over the holiday weekend. And Dishonored has really sold well overseas.

So, we’re very pleased and appreciate all the fans that have supported Dishonored and Arkane. We clearly have a new franchise.”

While it’s too early to go around claiming that Dishonored 2 is in development, the game is clearly coming. Hopefully, we’ll get an official announcement soon.

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Splash Damage reveals Dirty Bomb, their new free-to-play shooter

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

Splash Damage, the team behind Brink and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, has pulled the curtain back on their next project. And you’ll never believe it, but it’s a multiplayer shooter.

Dirty Bomb is a PC-exclusive free-to-play shooter that looks to take place in the same kind of “modern combat” scenario that fuels games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Battlefield 3. Dirty Bomb will be published by Splash Damage’s publishing label, Warchest, and you can pre-register your username at Warchest’s official site now.

Posted in News, PC |

GameFly publishes their first game: iOS puzzler Writer Rumble

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

GameFly, gaming’s biggest rent-by-mail company, has announced the release of their first self-published game today. Writer Rumble was published by the recently formed GameFly Games and is now available on the iTunes App Stores for $0.99.

Writer Rumble combines two wonderful things: The gameplay from Boggle and literary legends like Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, the Brothers Grimm, Jane Austen, and Homer. Each literary legend has an arsenal of special moves that change the board as they battle monsters (in a Survival Mode) and each other (in a local/online multiplayer mode). If you’re playing Writer Rumble on an iPad, you can also fire up some splitscreen multiplayer play.

“We are thrilled to have an addictively fun, quality-driven game such as Writer Rumble as our first foray into publishing under the new GameFly Games label,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of Business Development and Content. “Mobile gaming is an ever growing part of the gaming experience, and publishing high quality games is an important part of our digital strategy at GameFly.”

An Android version will be available in early 2013 and a variety of downloadable content packs will also be released throughout next year.

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Nintendo Download: Aero Porter, Pac-Man, more

Posted on November 29, 2012 by John Scalzo

It’s Thursday, so welcome to your weekly dose of Nintendo Downloads. This week we’ve got another Level-5 collaboration for the 3DS, Aero Porter, yet another re-release of Pac-Man, and a pair of DSiWare titles.

More details? Why yes, we have them:

3DS eShop

Aero Porter – Level-5 and Yoot Saito team up to bring you Aero Porter, an airport simulation and puzzle game that will have you sorting luggage, expanding your airport’s operations and avoiding security mishaps. It’s your job to put your airport on the map and help it grow from a sleepy regional terminal to a bustling international hub.

Pac-Man – Control iconic character Pac-Man as you navigate through mazes, eating Pac-Dots and simultaneously avoiding devious ghosts. Warp from one edge of the maze to the other using tunnels, or eat a Power Pellet to turn the tables and make the ghosts vulnerable. Earn extra points to achieve the high score and see how far you can get before losing all your lives.

DSiWare

Invasion of the Alien Blobs! – A mysterious alien life form has appeared from outer space and is raging war against humanity. Use your stylus to take a stand against the invasion by squashing the alien blobs one at a time. With just 10 seconds to deal with each attack wave, you have no time for sightseeing as you travel the globe to fight off the blobs.

Bloons TD 4 – The monkeys are ready to take down the enemy from land, air and sea in this classic tower defense game. Using a ranking system, you can build up your experience and gain access to powerful towers and upgrades like mortar strikes and banana farms. Can you battle through all 75 rounds to earn the gold medal?

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