Xbox Store Today: Life Is Strange: Episode 1, IDARB, Unmechanical: Extended

Posted on January 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

lifeisstrange-header

Three very different games have found their way onto the Xbox Games Store today…

  • Life Is Strange: Episode 1 (Xbox One, Xbox 360) is the first part of an episodic adventure game that follows Max, a teenager who can rewind time. Unfortunately, Max’s shenanigans are exposing “the darker side” of her hometown, which manifests itself as some kind of dark cloud of doom.
  • IDARB (Xbox One) is a “chaotic” multiplayer “jumping future arena ball game.” I don’t know what that means, but if you like retro-style sports games, IDARB might be for you. IDARB was originally expected to launch in February, but it’s available a few days early and its a free download as part of Microsoft’s Games With Gold program.
  • Unmechanical: Extended (Xbox One) is an overhead puzzle-platformer starring an adorable little robot.

More information about all of these games can be found after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Sega to institute layoffs, early retirement program as company continues to struggle

Posted on January 30, 2015 by John Scalzo

segalogo

Sega (which officially does business under the Sega Sammy Holdings name) has been dealing with financial difficulties for some time, but it looks like their latest round of problems will result in some big changes for the company.

Sega’s Board of Directors met this morning and hammered out a restructuring plan that they believe will help the company’s financial position in the future. Unfortunately, a key part of that plan will involve an unspecified number of layoffs and a voluntary early requirement program that the company will offer to 300 employees. Some of the layoffs will come from Sega of America, which will be moving from its current headquarters in San Francisco to a smaller facility somewhere in Southern California.

The restructuring, which is expected to be completed by the Summer, will also lead to a new focus on downloadable titles developed for smartphones and the PC. Sega is also heavily involved in big budget and mid-tier on consoles and the PC, but it’s currently unknown how this plan will affect the company’s internal development teams.

Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One |

Life Is Strange launches tomorrow… so here’s the launch trailer

Posted on January 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

Dontnod’s Life Is Strange will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One tomorrow, so the developer wants to get everyone ready by releasing a launch trailer for the game.

Life Is Strange is an adventure game that follows Max, a teenager who can rewind time, and Chloe, her best friend who always seems to be in danger. The game forces Max to make choices about when and where to use her powers to save Chloe, and sometimes this creates disastrous results. However, those results also include a quirky story that fans of indie movies will probably love.

Dontnod plans to tell Life Is Strange’s story across five episodes, so if you like what you see, get ready for a lot more of the game.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Ermac force punches his way into Mortal Kombat X

Posted on January 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

NetherRealm Studios streamed the latest “Kombat Kast” through Twitch this afternoon (archived at YouTube) and it revealed yet another Mortal Kombat X character… Ermac. Gone is Ermac’s palette-swapped red ninja garb and in its place is a hooded outfit that is likely meant to resemble a monk’s robe. But I think it’s safe to say that Ermac definitely did not take a vow of non-violence.

Like Reptile before him, Ermac reuses many of his special moves from 2011’s Mortal Kombat in Mortal Kombat X. His telekinetic powers return, as does his flying ability and his Force Ball. These special moves are well represented in Ermac’s three style variations: “Spectral”
(Gains ability to fly and unique attacks from the air), “Mystic” (Gains the telekinetic abilities Tele-Lift and Tele-Push), and “Master of Souls” (Gains Soul Ball and the ability to Vanish to avoid damage).

Be sure to watch the “Kombat Kast” linked above for even more Mortal Kombat X action and don’t forget that the game will be released for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on April 14.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Daily Scoop: January 29, 2015 – Free games are the best games

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Nicole Kline

Free stuff is obviously the best. Right now, you can get two free card games via the Humble Bundle – Card City Nights and Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space. And that incredible card game bundle is still going, which you should definitely pick up as soon as possible.

Speaking of free, if you have a PlayStation Plus account, they’ve just announced the free games of February. You can nab Apotheon and Transistor for PS4, Thief and Yakuza 4 for PS3, and Kick & Fennick and Rogue Legacy for the Vita. That’s a pretty good haul!

The Weekend Deal at Steam right now is Ryse: Son of Rome for $19.99. Their Daily Deal today is Hearts of Iron III, which is on sale for $2.49.

Finally, at Indie Royale, they’ve got the Plug-In Digital Bundle. Beat the average to get Raiden Legacy, The Return, The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths, Soldier vs. Aliens, Rage Runner, Type Rider, T.E.C. 3000, Meltdown, Mechanic Escape, Triblaster, and World War One: Centennial.

No day is complete without t-shirts!

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Daily Scoop |

Nintendo Download: Metroid Prime Trilogy, Gunman Clive 2, Shadow of the Ninja, more

Posted on January 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

nintendoeshop-header

With its incredibly tiny print run, Metroid Prime Trilogy is rightfully considered the Holy Grail of Wii games. GameStop even commissioned a second printing and sells used copies of the game for upwards of $50.

Prepare to say goodbye to all that nonsense.

Nintendo added Metroid Prime Trilogy to the Wii U eShop today and they’ve tagged the game with the much more wallet-friendly price of $19.99. However, if you purchase it before February 5, you’ll only have to pay $9.99, which is an absolutely unbelievable deal.

Shadow of the Ninja, a great platformer from the NES days, has also made its way to the Wii U eShop today. It might remind you a bit of Ninja Gaiden, but I remember really liking it back in the day. 3DS owners will also get the chance to download Shadow of the Ninja today. Speaking of the 3DS, the stylish shooter Gunman Clive 2 is now available to download as well as a Code Name: STEAM demo.

More information on all of these games (and a few others) can be found after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Mythbusters will tackle a few myths from Doom on January 31

Posted on January 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

The Mythbusters will meet their Doom this weekend. On Saturday, January 31, the popular Discovery Channel show will devote an hour to several myths based on video games, or more specifically, questions related to Doom 3: 3 BFG Edition. Hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage will receive an assist from id Software’s Tim Willits as they attempt to discover if it’s really possible for the Doomguy to carry all those “health packs, guns, and even a chainsaw.” I’m sure a few longtime Doom players already see a problem with this scenario (Hint: Doomguy never carries health packs).

The preview trailer above needs a bit more first-person action, but I’m thinking this will be a pretty fun hour of television. Here’s hoping we get to see a Gelatin Man Imp made out of ballistic gel.

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

WB Games announces Lego Jurassic World and Lego Avengers

Posted on January 29, 2015 by John Scalzo

legojurasicworld-legoavengers

WB Games has announced that Lego Jurassic World and Lego Avengers are both in development at TT Games for the 3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Both games will be released in 2015, though the Avengers game will debut a bit later than you might expect.

Lego Jurassic World will launch in June, just ahead or just after Jurassic World‘s theatrical opening on June 12. The game will include levels based on all four films including Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, and Jurassic World. Most important of all, do you realize what this means? Lego Muldoon mumbling “Clever girl…” before getting eaten by Lego Raptors!

Meanwhile, Lego Avengers will be released in the Fall, presumably around the same date as The Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s Blu-ray/DVD debut. Like Lego Jurassic Park, Lego Avengers will include levels based on The Avengers and The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Finally, WB Games made two other Lego-related announcements this morning. First, the publisher confirmed that Lego Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin will be available for the 3DS and Vita on March 24. And second, they revealed that Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will be released for mobile devices this Summer.

Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,