Rumor: R.B.I. Baseball 14 will be released for PS3, Xbox 360, mobile platforms in April

Posted on March 7, 2014 by John Scalzo

rbibaseball14-logoBack in January, Major League Baseball announced that the R.B.I. Baseball franchise would be coming out of retirement sometime this Spring. Since then, we’ve heard absolutely nothing about the game, but R.B.I. Baseball 14 is supposedly in development for “current and next generation consoles and smartphones and tablets” at MLB Advanced Media, the league’s in-house technology group.

Even though details about R.B.I. Baseball 14 are scarcer than a Mets playoff appearance, Darren Rovell, ESPN’s Sports Business Reporter, has tweeted that the game will be released for the PS3, Xbox 360, and mobile platforms on April 10:

Can R.B.I. Baseball 14 make its April release date when its little more than a logo and a teaser website right now? I have my doubts, but I guess we’ll see.

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

PC version of Dark Souls II will be released on April 25

Posted on March 7, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Dark Souls II will be released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 next week, so now is the perfect time for Bandai Namco to announce that game will be available for the PC on April 25.

The PC edition of Dark Souls II will be the only version of the game to include “increased texture resolution with enhanced frame rates” as well as a keyboard/mouse control option. Players who pre-order the PC edition through Steam, GameStop, Amazon, or ClubNamco will receive a plethora of digital goodies including an Official Digital Dark Souls II Artbook (PDF), an Original Dark Souls II Digital Comic Book written by Rob Williams and Andi Ewington with art by Simon Coleby (PDF), the Complete Digital Game Soundtrack (MP3), and the five special weapons and shields found in the Black Armor Pack.

However, if you like your special editions to include tangible goodies, then the $109.99 Collector’s Edition is for you. Available only through GameStop, Amazon, and ClubNamco, the Collector’s Edition includes a digital download code for the game, a metal case, a 12″ tall Warrior Knight figurine, an exclusive hardbound Art Book, the original game soundtrack, and a cloth map.

And once Dark Souls II is released, I’m sure you can use the map to dry your tears after the brutal AI kills off your character over and over and over again.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

BattleBlock Theater will jump ship to Steam soon

Posted on March 7, 2014 by John Scalzo

Friends! Gather round as I share with you the gloriously good news that BattleBlock Theater will be released for the PC through Steam sometime in 2014.

BattleBlock Theater was originally released last year for the Xbox Live Arcade and took home two Golden Pixel Awards in our 2013 year-end overview. So introducing more prisoners friends to Hatty Hattington and the S.S. Friendship is just about the greatest news you could read at 12:03 PM on a lazy Friday. OK, so my “deranged BattleBlock Theater narrator” needs a little work. Thankfully, I’ll have plenty of reasons to jump into the Steam version of the game as The Behemoth (via their blog) has announced plans to add several new features to the game:

  • Weapon Switching! Players can now switch between a primary and secondary weapon in game.
  • New Cat Guard Enemies! All throughout Story Mode.
  • Steam Workshop Integration! For sharing user created levels.
  • Steam Inventory Integration! This allows users to trade and sell weapons, prisoners, gems and yarn via Steam.
  • X Input, Direct Input, and Keyboard/Mouse Support! How you can play the game.

The Behemoth will also be holding a closed beta to test out the multiplayer portion of BattleBlock Theater’s PC re-release. The beta will run from March 24 through March 31, and if you can sign up for access at The Behemoth’s official website.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

Forza 5 will be bundled with Xbox One console for a limited time

Posted on March 7, 2014 by John Scalzo

forzamotorsport5-boxIt looks like the Xbox One + TitanFall Bundle that launches next week won’t be the only special edition package available as Microsoft has announced they plan to release a second Xbox One bundle next week.

According to Major Nelson, Microsoft plans to bundle the Xbox One console with a download code for Forza Motorsport 5 beginning next week. The racing simulation, which was originally released on November 22 alongside the Xbox One’s launch, is one of the next-gen console’s best reviewed games.

Like the current Xbox One package and the TitanFall bundle, The Xbox One + Forza Motorsport 5 Bundle will be priced at $499.99 and it will only be available for a “limited time.”

Posted in News, Xbox One | Tagged

Thief Review: Criminally Mediocre

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Dan Hobbs

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I’ve been a fan of the stealth genre since 1998, when I first played the greatest game ever: Metal Gear Solid. No hyperbole, of course. That’s not to say I don’t like other games in the genre, too: the entire Splinter Cell series is excellent and, more recently, Dishonored was hugely impressive. However, Thief was one I just never played. The loot-em-up is apparently the genesis of some stealth mechanics, such as light meters and sound cues, which were revolutionary achievements in the first person point of view. So, it should have been no surprise that I was incredibly intrigued by this new reimagining of Thief.

Sadly, if opportunity makes a thief, this reboot offers them up sparingly.

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Posted in PC, PS4, Reviews, Top Story, Xbox One | Tagged

Nintendo Download: NES Open Golf, Blok Drop U, more

Posted on March 6, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Nintendo continues to populate the Virtual Console in this week’s Nintendo Download. NES Open Tournament Golf, one of the first “Mario Sports” games, will be available to download through the Wii U and Adventure Island II, one of the NES’s great platformers, is now available for the 3DS.

In original games this week, the Wii U will receive Blok Drop U, a bite-sized puzzle game that is played directly on the Wii U GamePad.

And there’s two new games over on the 3DS eShop. The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths is an adventure game based on the 1980s anime and Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger is a hidden object game that tasks the player with finding items in a park.

More details on all of these titles can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Daily Scoop: March 6, 2014 – Weekend sneaking up

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Nicole Kline

Wow, how did it get to be Thursday already? No complaints here – I’m looking forward to it! I can’t wait to play some games, hang out with friends, and celebrate my birthday. Oh, did I forget to mention Saturday is my birthday? Well, it is, and I’m very excited about it!

Anyway, enough about me – let’s talk about deals! The Midweek Deal at Steam is Assetto Corsa, which is just $26.65 through March 10. Broken Age is the Daily Deal, which is just $16.74.

There’s a new Humble Weekly Bundle, and this one is all Pop Cap games! Pay what you want for Peggle Deluxe, Bejeweled 3, Bookworm Deluxe, Escape Rosecliff Island, and Feeding Frenzy 2 Deluxe. Pay $6 or more to unlock Plants vs. Zombies GOTY Edition, Peggle Nights, and Zema’s Revenge.

Finally, there’s a brand new bundle at Indie Royale as well. Pay the minimum for Face Noir, The 39 Steps, Data Jammers: FastForward, Fairy Bloom Freesia, LightFish, Fish vs. Crabs, Primal Fears, and Dawn of Fantasy: Kingdom Wars.

I’ve got some fantastic gaming shirts for you to spend money on today!

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Call of Duty: Ghosts Devastation Pack coming to Xbox One, Xbox 360 on April 3

Posted on March 6, 2014 by John Scalzo

Activision has announced that the next piece of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Ghosts, the Devastation Map Pack, will be available to download on the Xbox One and Xbox 360 on April 3. Like the previous map packs, the Devastation Map Pack, which is priced at $14.99, will add four new maps to the game’s multiplayer mode alongside a new gun and the next Extinction Mode episode.

The Devastation Pack promises plenty of excitement as each of the four maps offers something for every CoD player. “Ruins” will include an erupting volcano, “Collision” is “a mangle of debris,” “Behemoth” is a sniper’s paradise, and “Unearthed” is a recreation of Modern Warfare 3‘s “Dome.” And the pack’s new weapon, the Ripper, is a Sub Machine-Gun (SMG)/Assault Rifle combo that will surely live up to its name.

Finally, the “Mayday” expansion to Ghosts’ Extinction Mode will take place on “a mysterious Chinese research vessel” as the alien hunters come face-to-face with a giant Cryptid known as The Kraken.

If history is any guide, the pack will make its way to the PC, PS3, and PS4 by the end of April. More details on the maps of the Devastation Map Pack can be found after the break.

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