Daily Scoop: January 8, 2014 – Bit.Trip deals

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Nicole Kline

Remember all that talking I did about Hammerwatch? Well, Anthony Amato and I beat it last night, and I can officially say that it’s one of those NES-hard games. I mean, just playing the game makes that clear, but the ending is a real punch in the face. If you’re aching for a serious challenge, you definitely should pick it up.

Speaking of games you should pick up, there are lots of Bit.Trip games on sale at the Humble Store right now, to complement Runner 2 being in the latest Humble Bundle. You can get Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Runner, and Bit.Trip Void, all for $1.99 each.

But wait – there’s more! Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is the Midweek Madness game at Steam, on sale for $9.99. Amazon also has some good Digital Deals right now, including Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition for $29.99, as well as The XCOM Collection and The Bureau: XCOM Declassified for $14.99 each.

And now, time for t-shirts!

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News |

Rumor: Tom Clancy’s The Division delayed into 2015

Posted on January 8, 2014 by John Scalzo

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Tom Clancy’s The Division wowed attendees at last year’s E3 Expo. The MMO from Ubisoft Massive is powered by the brand new Snowdrop Engine and is expected to launch in late 2014 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. However, an anonymous developer within Massive recently told Gamereactor UK that he/she believes that is very unlikely due to the game’s current unfinished state:

“The game engine works well, it’s not done but works well. The actual game development has barely started, however,” says our source.

“The fact that Ubisoft has gone public with a 2014 release date feels laughable to be perfectly honest, we will never be able to release The Division this year. It’s a large project, and we have very far to go.”

Ubisoft hasn’t been shy about touting the technological muscle that has been poured into The Division, so if this report is true, it’s actually rather unsurprising. The Division is, quite literally, a massive game. And Ubisoft surely wants to get it right, as they’ve shown with South Park: The Stick of Truth, Watch Dogs, and The Crew.

And speaking of Ubisoft’s other games, the company has a huge slate of titles on tap for 2014. Even if The Division is ready, moving it would make sense from a practical standpoint. In addition to those three games, Ubisoft has also scheduled Child of Light, Valiant Hearts: The Great War, and an untitled new entry in the Assassin’s Creed series for release this year. That’s a lot of games and giving a big new franchise like The Division room to breath makes more sense than sticking to a (possibly) arbitrary 2014 release date.

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

Don’t Starve, Tiny Brains PS3, more added to PS Store

Posted on January 8, 2014 by John Scalzo

playstationstorelogoSony has posted their weekly update to the PlayStation Store and PS4 gamers now have a chance to play the acclaimed indie Don’t Starve. In addition to Klei’s survival game, this week’s update includes:

  • Tiny Brains for the PS3… The puzzle game is part of Sony’s Cross-Buy program, so if you previously purchased the PS4 version, you’ll receive this one for free.
  • Twisted Lands: Shadow Town… A hidden object game for the PS3.
  • StreetKix: Freestyle… A street soccer game for the PSP.

More details on all of these games can be found after the break and a full rundown of this week’s new game add-ons can be found at the PlayStation Blog.

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Posted in News, PS3, PS4, PSP | Tagged

Square Enix Montreal’s Hitman game has been canceled

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Andrew Rainnie

hitman47Square Enix Montreal opened in 2011 and its first mission was to create a new game in the Hitman series for next-generation consoles. It looks like that mission is a failure as VideoGamer has surmised that the project has been terminated.

According to the LinkedIn profile of Senior Game Designer Richard Knight, the new Hitman game was to be a “re-imagining” of the character, going back to the roots of the first game, echoing what happened with the new Tomb Raider. However, the news does not mean the end for the bald and barcoded Agent 47. Square Enix Montreal is still in business and has shifted its focus to the mobile games market. And one of their mobile projects is an as-yet-untitled Hitman game that will soon be making its way to a smartphone/tablet near you.

As for a next-gen Hitman game, Square Enix has handed the reins back to IO Interactive, the company that created he franchise. The company plans to focus “resolutely on the future vision for the Hitman franchise” and is already “in pre-production on a new AAA Hitman project.” However, it’s unclear whether that title is the same one that Square Enix Monreal scrapped, or if it’s something completely different.

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One | Tagged

2K Games will not produce Major League Baseball 2K14

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Mike Ryan

majorleaguebaseball2k13-boxIn a move that’s just as heartbreaking as the strike of 1994, 2K Games has confirmed they will no longer continue their MLB 2K line of games. Furthermore, all online outposts for the series are gone… the Facebook page has been taken down, and the 2K website features no mention of the series (though the actual webpages remain, for now). The games have also been pulled from Steam and the Xbox Games Store.

2K told Polygon earlier today that they chose not to renew their license to produce games with Major League Baseball:

“We have decided not to renew our MLB 2K series for 2014. We are very proud of the achievements made by the MLB 2K team and look forward to their contributions to our future titles, including NBA 2K — our industry’s #1 rated and #1 selling basketball franchise.”

Without Major League Baseball 2K14, this leaves Xbox and Wii U gamers with no baseball title for 2014. As well as any PlayStation owners looknig for an alternative to Sony’s MLB 14: The Show, which is is set to be the only major player this season.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 |

Game Informer reveals Evolve, a new game from the creators of Left 4 Dead

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Mike Ryan

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Today, Game Informer revealed the cover subject of their latest issue: Evolve, a new cooperative multiplayer game from Turtle Rock Studios, the minds behind Left 4 Dead.

The next-gen title, hitting stores this fall, follows the same basic premise as its zombified brethren. But instead of four survivors taking on an entire zombie horde, Evolve pits four alien hunters against one extraterrestrial creature. Before you start thinking, “Where’s the challenge in that?” keep in mind that this is one powerful alien. Not only that, but as the game progresses, your foe gets increasingly larger, and much stronger.

In addition to the standard cooperative mode, the game also features a cooperative/competitive mode, where one gamer plays the role of the alien. Like Left 4 Dead, the game is designed to be played again and again, with slight changes every time you play. More details on Evolve will be included in Game Informer’s February 2014 issue.

Evolve was originally set to be published by THQ, but when they went under the project was scooped up at auction with an astonishing $10.8 million bid by 2K Games. If the Turtle Rock’s previous outings are any indication, it’s going to be money well spent and one hell of a ride for gamers. Evolve will be available for the PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 this Fall.

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

The Walking Dead Season 2: All That Remains Review: Keeping That Hair Short

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Mike Ryan

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Please Be Advised… This review contains spoilers from Telltale’s The Walking Dead: Season 1.

When it was released nearly eighteen months ago, the first season of The Walking Dead was met with near-unanimous acclaim. Critics praised the game’s gripping story, deep characters, and heart-wrenching choices. The first season won several Game of the Year awards – deservedly so – and changed the way we look at narrative-driven video games. It even made Warp Zoned’s Apocalypse List for 2012. Having recently finished the first season in a matter of a few days, I can certainly agree with these sentiments. Never before have I been this emotionally involved in a game, and when characters I had grown attached to died, it hit me hard. Lee’s death was just as traumatic to me as it was to Clem, but we both knew we had to move on.

And here we are again, continuing our ride through Hell on Earth, hoping that one day we can find someplace safe, someplace secure. Someplace like home. It’s that hope that keeps us moving, keeps us alive. But after playing the first ten minutes of All That Remains, that hope was completely shattered, and I thought to myself, this is going to be quite the bumpy ride.

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Posted in Mobile, PC, PS3, Reviews, Top Story, Vita, Xbox 360 | Tagged

Sony sold 4.2 million PS4 consoles in 2013

Posted on January 7, 2014 by John Scalzo

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This morning, Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, took the stage during Sony’s Keynote at CES 2014 to talk a bit about the PS4. During his presentation, Mr. House revealed a new sales milestone for the PS4. As of December 28, 2013, Sony has sold 4.2 million PS4 consoles throughout the world.

While Mr. House didn’t mime dropping a mic after his announcement, the sales total is certainly good news for Sony. Yesterday, Microsoft revealed that they sold more than three million Xbox One consoles throughout the world in 2013, so the PS4 is currently enjoying a 1.4-to-1 advantage over the Xbox One.

I’m sure that means something to someone at this point.

Posted in News, PS4 |