Daily Scoop: March 7, 2012 – Happy Wednesday!

It’s the middle of the week! And even closer to the weekend for me, as I’ve taken off Friday to recover from Thursday, which is my birthday! Chances are I won’t do a bit of drinking, but hey – it’ll be nice to have a three-day weekend and to sleep in, if you know what I’m saying. Taking off on your birthday is nice, too, but when it doesn’t behave and fall closer to the weekend, what can you do?

Not really much in the way of deals today. Amazon’s Deal of the Day in video games is pretty interesting – it’s Sniper Elite by, get this, Maximum Family Games. This Wii game is $19.99 today, and I’m assuming it helps you learn how to be a leet sniper… with your family. In the most maximum way possible.

Does anyone else get a kick out of this, or is it just me???

Alas, only one gaming t-shirt for sale today on the daily sites:

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Posted in Daily Scoop, Etcetera, News, Wii |

Rapper asks for return of the old Squaresoft… in rhyme

Richie Branson loves Square Enix.

Correction, Richie Branson loves the Squaresoft that created games like Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VII. The nerdcore artist also gives some heartfelt advice on how the megapublisher can win back his business… in song.

Posted in Etcetera, News |

EA announces rebirth of the SimCity franchise

Long before CityVille sucked up your free time on Facebook, there was SimCity. Last night, as expected, EA announced that their Maxis studio is hard at work on a new entry in the city-building series. And like all good reboots, it’ll simply be titled SimCity when it’s released exclusively for the PC in 2013.

“We’d like to thank the millions of fans who have helped make SimCity synonymous with the city-building genre. This is a franchise that means the world to us at Maxis and we’re happy to be bringing it back home where we are reimagining it for an entirely new generation of players,” said Lucy Bradshaw, Senior Vice President of EA’s Maxis Label. “Using our proprietary GlassBox Engine, SimCity for PC will equip players with the tools to play the most sophisticated simulation of its kind. We are dedicated to making sure the experience – no matter the platform – has the fun, flavor and playability that has been intrinsic to the franchise since its birth.”

According to EA, everything in SimCity will be simulated: “Sims in each city will have jobs or can lose them, buy homes, be prosperous or be an economic drain on the city.” Besides this new level of complexity, the publisher also touted the game’s ease-of-use and accessibility, so SimCity fans of old should feel right at home.

But Maxis and EA are also working to add some fun stuff to the SimCity formula including a “robust” multiplayer mode and expansion content (SimCity Heroes & Villains) ripped from the pages of a comic book.

Finally, you can check out the game’s first trailer after the break.

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Posted in News, PC | Tagged ,

XBLA Today: I Am Alive

The Xbox Live Arcade House Party has come to a close for another year as Microsoft added the final game, I Am Alive, to the XBLA today. Ubisoft’s I Am Alive has gone through a troubled development cycle that saw multiple delays and it’s eventual downsizing from a disc-based game to an XBLA release.

Will this change of venue do it good? Or will it be a disaster similar to “The Event” it depicts…

One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event has wiped out most of human civilization, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying, and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of the last standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. And discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs, and victims in need.

I Am Alive will be available to download for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). And don’t forget, if you’ve purchased all four House Party titles, you’ll receive a rebate of 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Posted in News, Xbox 360 | Tagged

PSN Update: Journey for PS Plus users, MotorStorm RC, lots more

Sony unleashed another packed PlayStation Store update yesterday, but the biggest prize is reserved for PlayStation Plus subscribers. If you plunked down the extra cash to become an elite PS3 owner, you’ll receive early access to thatgamecompany’s Journey. Sweet!

Us mere mortals merely have to choose between the adorable RC cars of MotorStorm RC (PSN and Vita versions); Zipper’s Vita debut, Unit 13; the baseball sim, MLB 12: The Show; and a whole lot more.

Hit the jump for a full rundown of this week’s new releases and be sure to visit the PlayStation Blog for details on this week’s game add-ons.

And don’t forget, MotorStorm RC for the Vita is a free download for a limited time. Double sweet!

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Posted in News, PS3, PSP, Vita | Tagged ,

Darksiders II Collector’s Edition includes Death Mask

THQ has announced that the Darksiders II pre-orders will all be upgraded to the Limited Edition, and that there will also be a Collector’s Edition of the game.

The Limited Edition will include the retail game, but will also give the player access to the first DLC, “Argul’s Tomb,” for free. All existing pre-orders will be upgraded to the Limited Edition.

In addition, there’s the Collector’s Edition of the game, for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. This includes:

  • The Limited Edition version of the game
  • a life-sized replica Death Mask with display stand
  • a unique Shadow of Death armor and scythe set with enhanced stats
  • a digital copy of the Darksiders II soundtrack
  • a hard-cover Darksiders II art book

The Collector’s Edition sounds pretty sweet, and will only set you back $99.

Darksiders II will be out for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on June 26.

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

Sega and Arkedo Studio announce Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit

The trailer for Sega and Arkedo Studio’s Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit looks pretty awesome. There’s no gameplay – always worrisome – but the idea is interesting, and I’d like to see more. Knowing that you play as Ash, the prince of Hell, and that you’re being blackmailed on the Hellternet, and you ride a drill that you can use for transportation or mass destruction… all of these things are really endearing to me.

The most hilarious part of the announcement:

“The divine union between Arkedo and Sega results in the devilishly good product we can all sinfully be excited about. Hell Yeah!” commented Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at Sega of America.

“Yes: Divine. Exactly the word we were looking for! Now, if you will excuse us for a moment, we have a quote by a Sega VP to show our mums. Then we’ll be back; we have a great game to show!” added Camille Guermonprez, Studio Chef at Arkedo Studio.

Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit will be out later this year for PC, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade.

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

Eye-controlled arcade cabinets: What the future of gaming could “look” like

Tobii Technology, a leader in eye tracking and gaze interaction technology, and SeeFront, developers of a unique glasses free 3D technology, have joined forces to create the world’s first eye-controlled arcade game, Tobii EyeAsteroids.

When these two cutting edge technologies are combined, they allow consumers to use their gaze to interact in a 3D environment without needing to wear clunky glasses or hold any devices, creating unparalleled immersion.

As cool as destroying asteroids with your eyes is, this technological breakthrough doesn’t just apply to gaming. Other applications include use in training simulation, navigation, vehicle safety systems, and even communication for people with special needs.

Henrik Eskilsson, CEO of Tobii Technology, is excited to “make high fidelity glasses-free 3D a reality,” and “expects to see high-volume applications using Tobii’s gaze and eye position technology in many other industries very soon.”

Tobii EyeAsteroids in 3D will be showcased at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, March 6-10.

Posted in News |