Eight-hour, Super Smash Bros-centric stream hitting Twitch on Friday

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Mike Ryan

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Nintendo’s Treehouse branch (get it?) announced that an eight-hour long stream of Super Smash Bros. For 3DS will air this Friday, September 12th at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time). Not only will you get more Smash than you could ever hope for, the Big N is also planning on showcasing several upcoming holiday titles for both the 3DS and the Wii U. Rumor also has it that we will finally get a release date announcement for Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, so keep your fingers crossed for that.

You can view the entire stream on Twitch or Nintendo’s official site.

Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U | Tagged ,

Nintendo shows off new 3DS XL models based on an NES controller, Smash Bros, Persona Q

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Mike Ryan

supersmashbros-3dsxlNintendo just announced three new models for the popular 3DS XL. The first is the previously Japan-only and North American-rumored Super Smash Bros. For 3DS model. This version of Nintendo’s handheld, releasing on September 19th, comes in both red and blue and features the game’s fighters on the cover. If you notice, that’s several weeks before the launch of the game so this bundle, which is priced at $199.99, will not include Super Smash Bros. For 3DS.

personaq-3dsxlNext up is the Persona Q Edition, a 3DS XL model based on Atlus’ upcoming game Persona Q: Shadow of the Labrynth. As you can see, the hardware is painted with Persona’s Grimoire tome, and includes character art on the back. This system is set for release on November 25th and is a GameStop-exclusive. Once again, the handheld has been priced at $199.99 and does not include a copy of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labrynth.

nes-3dsxlThe final new 3DS XL model, the NES Edition, is based on the original NES controller. The system’s box itself is decorated to resemble the NES system. The NES Edition is another GameStop exclusive and will be available through the retailer (for $199.99) on October 10th.

“More than 12 million systems in the Nintendo 3DS family have been sold in the U.S. alone,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “These new models give shoppers even more choices during the holiday shopping season. Based on past experience, these special editions likely won’t stay on shelves for very long.

Also, to clear up any potential confusion, these new 3DS XL models are NOT the “New 3DS” systems that Nintendo recently announced for the Japanese market. The Super Smash Bros. Edition, the NES Edition, and the Persona Q Edition are all the same 3DS XL systems that we’ve been playing for over two years.

Posted in 3DS, News | Tagged ,

Microsoft rumored to buy Mojang, Notch himself may have initiated deal

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Nicole Kline

20823568_minecraft_11414_1280Microsoft may be dealing with Mojang to buy the highly profitable company, which is a slight shock to many of Markus “Notch” Persson’s fans. Notch has famously criticized Microsoft in the past, though Games Industry International reports that Persson’s closeness with Phil Spencer, who heads Microsoft’s Xbox Division, is part of the reason why he sought to sell his company to Microsoft.

If you think about it, this isn’t really all that surprising. Mojang’s massive hit, Minecraft, practically prints money, and exclusivity of the game to Microsoft platforms would be a major win for the company. According to Bloomberg, Notch himself will likely leave Mojang once the acquisition is complete. This is also not that surprising, seeing as Notch thrives in smaller, independent situations, and probably yearns to get back to that.

What do you think about this story? Leave us a comment to let us know how you feel about this turn of events.

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

Destiny, NHL 15, Mega Man X5 added to PS Store

Posted on September 10, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Did you check out yesterday’s PlayStation Store update, or were you too busy playing Destiny? If the answer to both of those questions is no, you’re in luck! Activision added Destiny to Sony’s online storefront for the PS3 and PS4 yesterday. This week’s otherwise subdued update also included the latest hockey sim from EA Sports, NHL 15 (PS3 and PS4), and Mega Man X5 (PS3), a Capcom Classic from the PSone era.

More information on this trio of games can be found after the break. And be sure to head over to the PlayStation Blog for a complete rundown of this week’s new game add-ons.

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in News, PS3, PS4 | Tagged ,

Apple Watch, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus announced

Posted on September 9, 2014 by John Scalzo

iphone6Apple held their annual iPhone announcement event today and unveiled the iPhone 6 and the slightly larger iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 screen measures 4.7 inches diagonally, which is larger than the iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen. But the Plus takes things to even larger heights with a 5.5-inch screen. The new form factor will be paired with a brand new processor and Apple promises that the A8 Chip that will power the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is their fastest yet.

With a renewed focus on gaming, Apple has recruited a wide variety of publishers and developers to create content using the iPhone’s new Metal engine. A slide shown during the presentation confirmed that EA, Disney Interactive, Epic Games, Ubisoft, CD Projekt RED, Square Enix, and many more will be flood the iOS App Store with new iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus games by the end of the year. One such game, Super Evil Megacorp’s Vainglory was showcased on stage.

Apple also unveiled their long-awaited smartwatch, the aptly named Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will be available three styles including the basic Watch, the sporty Sport model, and the classy Edition series.

Finally, Apple announced that U2’s newest album, Songs of Innocence, is available now to download (for free) from iTunes. Previously pegged as a “Fall” release, Songs of Innocence will be available as a free download until October 13. You have to admit, this is a huge move (Apple is calling it the “largest album release in history”) and it’s some savvy secret-keeping from U2.

If you want to learn more about all of Apple’s announcements today, be sure to check out their live blog of the event and more details about the iPhone 6/iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch can be found at Apple’s official website.

Posted in Mobile, News |

Sega releases “No Escape” trailer as Alien: Isolation goes gold

Posted on September 9, 2014 by John Scalzo

Ash: You still don’t understand what you’re dealing with, do you? Perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility.

The Alien (or Xenomorph, if you prefer) is one of film’s greatest killing machines. This October, it will turn it’s rage and hostility towards Amanda Ripley, the only daughter of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), in Alien: Isolation. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, the survival horror has terrified early players in a series of pre-release appearances at events such as Gamescom and PAX Prime. Today, Sega announced that the game has “gone gold” and will officially be in stores on October 7 for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

To make this final month a little more bearable, Creative Assembly has together a series of short trailers showcasing the many ways in which the Xenomorph can end your life. The first trailer, “No Escape,” is available above and it proves that running is definitely not the answer to the question, “How Will You Survive?”

A number of additional trailers will be released over the next few weeks ahead of the game’s launch. Maybe we’ll even get to the inevitable correct answer… nuke it from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.

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

Daily Scoop: September 9, 2014 – Amazing new Humble Bundle

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Nicole Kline

Humble Bundle has really outdone themselves this time! Their latest, Humble Indie Bundle 12, is packed to the gills with incredible indie games. Pay what you want for Steamworld Dig, Hammerwatch, and Gunpoint. Pay more than the average to unlock Papers, Please, Luftrausers, and Gone Home. Pay $10 or more to unlock early access to Prison Architect. And they’ve even got a sweet bundle full of physical rewards, which is $65. This is a ridiculously awesome list of games, and you should buy them all now!

Steam is having some new sales as well. Their Midweek Madness is $19.99 for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Franchise Pack, and their Daily Deal is everyone’s favorite Space Pirates and Zombies for just $1.99.

And don’t forget – you still have one day to pick up all of those amazing video game books over at Story Bundle! It’s worth it even just for Gamers at Work. Trust me.

Now let’s go check out t-shirts!

Press Start to Continue →

Posted in Daily Scoop |

NBA Live 15 release date travels to October 28

Posted on September 9, 2014 by John Scalzo

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NBA Live 15 Executive Producer Sean O’Brien has posted an open letter on the game’s official website confirming that it’s release has been delayed to October 28. Coincidentally, this means that NBA Live 15 and the 2014-15 NBA season will both tip-off on the same day.

In the letter, O’Brien talks about how proud he is of his team and pins the delay on that common scourge of game development, a need for more polish:

Considering all the work that’s gone in so far, we will be taking a few extra weeks to polish the game and make sure you get an incredible NBA experience from the moment you first boot up the title. This extra development time means we will be moving our launch date to October 28 to line up to opening night of the 2014-15 NBA season. This was a hard decision, but it’s the right one, as we are totally committed to delivering the highest-quality game we possibly can.

NBA Live 15’s main competitor in the realm of basketball sims, NBA 2K15, is still on track for an October 7 launch.

Posted in News, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged