The NPD Group has published their monthly report on the financial state of the video game industry and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has emerged as the best-selling game of May 2015.
The Witcher 3’s victory was assured after the game leapfrogged both of April’s big releases including Mortal Kombat X (#2) and Grand Theft Auto V (#3). The only other May release to make the list, Nintendo’s Splatoon, swam its way into the fifth spot. Though Splatoon should get extra notice for being the only platform-exclusive title in the top ten.
All told, retail sales for games, hardware, and accessories were down 13% versus May 2014. However, Mario Kart 8, Watch Dogs, Wolfenstein: The New Order, and the continued success of TitanFall more than explain the sales gap. The drop-off might have been even bigger if it weren’t for a new wave of Amiibo figures. According to NPD’s Liam Callahan (speaking to GamesIndustry.biz), accessories rose 20% year-over-year, with a 73% increase for “interactive gaming toys.” Callahan also confirmed that the PS4 was the best-selling console of the month.
The complete top ten list of best-selling games for May 2015 can be found after the break.
Telltale Games has announced that Tales From the Borderlands will continue with the release of its third episode, Catch A Ride, during the week of June 23. Going by past history, the game will be available for the PC, PS3, and PS4 on Tuesday, June 24. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One launch will take place a day later on Wednesday, June 25. And lastly, the mobile versions will follow on Thursday, June 26.
So what shenanigans have Rhys and Fiona gotten themselves into this time? Well…
After a dizzying escape from a very-near-almost-certain-death scenario (involving statuesque buttocks), Rhys and Fiona find themselves looking for another piece of the puzzle that will lead them to the untold riches of Vault key ownership. Lost in the mysterious jungle of an Atlas terraforming facility, Fiona finds help from an unexpected mentor, Rhys continues to share brain-space with the disembodied mind of a dead dictator, and love is in the air. Pursued by the ruthless criminal ‘Queenpin’ Vallory, and with very little help from Vaughn’s accountancy skills (or stellar abs), getting anywhere near the Vault will be entirely up to you.
A handful of new screenshots from Tales From the Borderlands: Catch A Ride can be found at Telltale’s official website.
Oculus kicked off the Pre-E3 festivities with a Press Conference today focusing on their virtual headset, the Rift. A price tag or final release date weren’t announced, but we did learn a very interesting piece of new information: every Oculus Rift will come bundled with an Xbox One controller and Microsoft’s new Xbox One-to-PC controller adapter. While some Rift games might require a mouse and keyboard, the inclusion of the Xbox One controller as a standard input will possibly cut back on the trepidation some gamers have towards the headset.
The other big news to come out of the Press Conference today was the unveiling of the Oculus Touch controller. The Oculus Touch is actually a pair of motion controllers and each half features an analog stick, two face buttons, and a trigger. I’m not sure what advantages it would have over a standard Xbox One controller, but Oculus says the controllers “let you take your VR games and experiences further than ever before” on the Rift’s official website.
According to GameSpot, Oculus founder Palmer Luckey took the stage and said the Oculus Touch is perfect for introducing players to “hand presence, the sense of feeling as though your virtual hands are actually your real hands.” Luckey went on to say: “This is critical to nailing the sense of overall presence. Once you have your hands involved, you really need tracking to be absolutely perfect, accurate, and low latency, or you’re going to feel like your hands are dead.”
Like all things Oculus-related, this is all very interesting, and a little weird. We’ll see how it all comes together when the consumer version of the Oculus Rift launches in early 2016.
Welcome to this week’s Nintendo Download, where Lego Jurassic World will soon be available on the 3DS and Wii U. The game, which recreates all four Jurassic Park films using Lego bricks, will be available through the 3DS eShop and the Wii U eShop beginning tomorrow, June 12. In case that wasn’t enough dinosaur adventuring, Jurassic World will open in theaters tomorrow as well (or tonight, if you’re willing to brave the crowds).
Also available this week, today actually, is Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure for the 3DS. All your favorite Dr. Mario modes, including classic style, Dr. Luigi style, and Virus Buster mode, will be included. And new power-ups called Miracle Cures can eradicate the germs like never before.
Finally this week, a pair of 3DS titles from Arc System Works are now available to download. Ninja Usagimaru: The Gem of Blessings is a side-scrolling platformer while Swords & Darkness is a medieval 2D brawler.
More information on all of these games (and a few more) can be found after the break.
In case you were living under a rock or something, Steam announced their Monster Summer Sale! Get early access to Darkest Dungeon for $14.99, pick up Homeworld Remastered Collection for $13.99, nab Tales from the Borderlands for $12.49, and a whole lot more! I’m considering grabbing Valkyria Chronicles for the absurdly low price of $4.99. Scoop ’em up!
Also, there’s a brand new Humble Weekly Bundle launched today! It’s the Retroism bundle, and it’s loaded with retro games. Pay what you want for Nam, F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter 2.0, Command H.Q., and Sid Meier’s Pirates! Gold Plus (Classic). Pay $5 or more to unlock Sid Meier’s Colonization (Classic), Darklands, Sid Meier’s Covert Action (Classic), and Sword of the Samurai.
Insomniac Games dropped a major bombshell at today’s Pre-E3 Press Conference from Oculus Rift. The developer behind Sunset Overdrive and Ratchet & Clank announced Edge of Nowhere, a third-person action-adventure game that will be available exclusively for Oculus Rift users:
Edge of Nowhere is a VR third-person action-adventure from acclaimed independent developer Insomniac Games. Travel to the far reaches of the Antarctic mountains in search of a missing expedition team. What appears to be a rescue mission takes a turn as you venture into the deep unknown, and discover a surreal world that will test your wits and sanity. Scale towering mountains and use makeshift weapons to survive and avoid descending into madness. In Edge of Nowhere, nothing is what it seems and the unexpected lurks from all sides.
Edge of Nowhere’s release date is a big question mark right now, as is the big mystery at the center of the teaser trailer. It’s also unknown if the game will ever be available for non-Oculus platforms. As with all teasers, the developer has promised that we’ll learn more details about the project “soon.”
Activision has announced the Supremacy Pack will be available to download on July 2 for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare players who own the game on the PC, PS3, or PS4. In case you missed the multiplayer maps that will be part of this DLC add-on, more information on all of them can be found right here:
Parliament: Docked on the River Thames, this military cargo ship delivers a view of the London cityscape along with a fast-paced combat experience. Mixed site-lines provide opportunities for all styles of play to dominate this medium-sized map. Players can take control of the map-based scorestreak to unleash a barrage of missiles that annihilate enemies.
Kremlin: Gamers must prepare for intense combat outside Russia’s presidential palace in the new map Kremlin, as they navigate the worn-torn buildings of Red Square in this medium-sized, three-lane map. Secure elevated positions to give the team a strategic advantage, or use exoskeleton capabilities to avoid being caught in the minefield that activates mid-match.
Compound: Players take combat preparation to the limit in an Atlas training facility hidden away in the Colorado wilderness, as they’ll have to be quick on the trigger in this small, symmetrical map, which funnels high-speed combat through tight corners to the main tower structures.
Skyrise: Players deploy to an Atlas Skyscraper overlooking the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Based on the fan-favorite, Highrise, from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by Infinity Ward, this map brings new exoskeleton mechanics to the classic multiplayer layout. Gamers must dominate the power positions in the center of this small-to-medium sized map to control the key navigation points.
The Supremacy Pack will also include Exo Zombies: Carrier, the latest episode in the cooperative multiplayer portion of Advanced Warfare. A character played by Bruce Campbell will join the co-op campaign in this episode, and you can check out his groovy entrance in the previously-released Exo Zombies: Carrier trailer.
The Supremacy Pack can be purchased on its own for $14.99. It’s also available as part of the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Season Pass, which retails for $49.99.
While Street Fighter V may have a visual style when placed side-by-side with 2008’s Street Fighter IV, Capcom is taking the battle system for their upcoming one-on-one fighter in a completely new direction.
The “Variable System” (AKA V-Gauge) is a three-tiered gauge that will slowly build as you play the game, though it’ll fill faster as your character takes damage. As the V-Gauge fills, players will be able to perform special skills and reversals, or enter into a unique “V-Trigger” state once the V-Gauge fills completely. A second bar, the EX Gauge, will allow players to unleash a “highly damaging, cinematic attack” known as a Critical Art.
A very informative post on the Capcom-Unity blog breaks down the mechanics of the Variable System and how it’ll apply to the four currently-revealed characters:
V-Skill
V-Skills are unique skills per character that can be accessed at any time by pressing medium punch and medium kick together. These skills do not require use of the V-Gauge and have different uses per character (e.g. mobility, offensive, defensive). V-Skills are rather important in battle as they may help a character in an area they’re weak at or help to fill up the V-Gauge quicker. Learning how to properly and efficiently use each character’s V-Skill will be key in winning matches.
V-Reversals
V-Reversals take up one stock of V-Gauge, and allow a player to counter the attack of the opponent while blocking, thus creating some breathing room. They are similar to “Alpha counters” from the Street Fighter Alpha series, but this time not every counter results in a universal effect; some push the opponent back, some knock them down and some switch sides. Players should explore each character to see how their V-Reversals function.
V-Trigger
V-Triggers are unique abilities per character that can only be activated once the V-Gauge is full, by pressing heavy punch and heavy kick together. V-Triggers, much like Ultras in Street Fighter IV, are a way for your character to turn the tide of battle. That, however, is where the similarities end. Activating the V-Trigger, which allows access to a character’s full potential, is merely step one. It is completely up to the player to properly utilize the benefits received from the V-Trigger to change the course of the match. As V-Triggers add quite a bit of depth to each character, mastering their use will be paramount to victory.
EX Gauge
That’s not all, however, as there is also the EX Gauge, which builds as you deal damage to the opponent. The EX Gauge allows characters to perform powered up versions of their special attacks and when maxed out, their Critical Art. Critical Arts are highly damaging, cinematic attacks that are unique to each character.
Street Fighter V will be released for the PC and PS4 next year. Capcom plans to bring the game to this year’s E3 Expo, so we should learn a bit more about it next week.
In case you were living under a rock or something, 
