Two Tribes will retire after the release of Rive in September 2016

Posted on March 14, 2016 by John Scalzo

Two Tribes has announced they’re calling it quits after they release their upcoming side-scrolling shooter, Rive, this September. Writing on their official website, the company’s three remaining members believe they don’t have a place in the video game industry anymore:

Long story short (grandfathers like to digress!): when running a company, you need to be on top of your game, not just in terms of the product you’re making, but business-wise too. And we just aren’t on top of the games business anymore. Therefore, it makes sense to focus our attention elsewhere, perhaps even outside the games industry. We simply don’t know yet; but we do know that Rive is going to be our parting gift to you and we’re making damn sure it’s going to be an awesome one!

Rive will be the final game produced by Two Tribes, though the developer said they will continue to provide support for all of their previously released games. A new trailer for Rive, which is in development for the PC, PS4, Wii U, and Xbox One, has been embedded above.

Good luck to everyone at Two Tribes, I sincerely hope you’re able to go out with a bang.

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Weekly Warp-Up: Microsoft Closes Lionhead Studios and Press Play Studios…

Posted on March 13, 2016 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

Microsoft shrunk their slate of internal teams this week when they decided to shut down development on Fable Legends. The consolemaker is looking for a way to also close developer Lionhead Studios, though it’s possible they could remain operational. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Press Play Studios, which was shuttered, along with their in-development survival game, Project Knoxville.

Elsewhere on Warp Zoned this week, we published reviews for Capcom’s globetrotting fighting game, Street Fighter V; and Nintendo’s adorable Yoshi’s Woolly World.

Travel past the break to read all about more news from the past seven days.

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New Releases: Pokken Tournament, EA Sports UFC 2, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, More

Posted on March 13, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Put your dukes up, this week’s new release report is looking for a fight…

Nintendo and Bandai Namco kick things off with Pokken Tournament, a Wii U adaptation of the relatively recent arcade game. If you’ve ever wanted to take control of your favorite Pokemon as they battle it out, now’s your chance.

A bit more down to Earth, but featuring fighters who are equally bizarre (cough Mike Tyson cough), is EA Sports UFC 2. EA’s second trip inside “The Octagon” for the PS4 and Xbox One promises a more realistic fighting experience and deeper Career options.

Also available this week is Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the 3DS. While the two mascots won’t be trading blows, the Olympics always bring out a strong sense of competition for the whole world. And Mario versus Sonic is a fight that’ll probably never be settled.

Finally this week, Terraria is now available as a retail release for the 3DS, and Need For Speed will race onto the PC.

A full list of this week’s new releases can be found after the break.

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Harmonix will release Amplitude for the PS3 in April

Posted on March 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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It took a little bit longer than expected, but Harmonix has announced that Amplitude should be available for the PS3 in April. The developer shared the good news with their fans today on Kickstarter:

First up, PS3 version: It’s done! We’re submitting it to Sony certification today. The certification and release process takes a couple weeks, but you’ll be able to get your Sixaxis controllers all up in Amplitude’s business in April. We’re hoping for early April, but I’ll let you know when we have a confirmed date locked down.

Amplitude was originally released for the PS4 back in January, and everyone who purchased that version will also receive access to the game on the PS3 through Sony’s Cross-Buy program.

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Xbox Store Today: Hitman, Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition, Cel Damage HD, more

Posted on March 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Sneak in, take a gander at today’s Xbox Games Store update, and sneak out…

Agent 47 is back in IO Interactive’s brand new episodic Hitman game for the Xbox One. Today’s release of the “Intro Pack” will reintroduce players to everyone’s favorite assassin with two missions, Contracts Mode, Escalation Mode, and a variety of other content. The story will continue in six expansion packs that IO will release more-or-less monthly throughout 2016.

One of last year’s most popular Xbox One games, Ori and the Blind Forest, will receive an expanded re-release today as Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition. Players will be able to explore new areas, discover new secrets, wield new abilities, and dive deeper into the story.

Also available today are a trio of other titles, all for the Xbox One… Cel Damage HD is a re-release of a cartoonish car combat from the turn of the century, and I’m sure some people will find it surprising that it even exists. MagNets: Fully Charged is an arena game where players have to scoop up rogue maintenance bots and restore order to Polarity City. And Blast ‘Em Bunnies is a first person shooter starring a bunch of deranged rabbits.

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

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Daily Scoop: March 11, 2016 – So many shirts today!

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Nicole Kline

It’s Friday, and school’s done! There’s just a little more left to do and then I’m officially free until next term starts in two weeks. We’re celebrating my birthday again tonight, so I’m super excited to go home, eat cake, and play games!

Over at the Humble Store, there’s a big sale on 2K Games Packs. Get all three games in the BioShock franchise for $13.99, Borderlands Handsome Bundle for $32.99, or Spec Ops The Line and The Darkness II for $14.99, among others.

The Weekend Deal at Steam is on the Grid Franchise. Get the complete Grid bundle for $34.67, or pick and choose which ones you need to complete your collection at heavily discounted prices. The Daily Deal is The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, which is on sale for $9.99.

There are tons of t-shirts to choose from today! Hit the jump to see them all.

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Posted in Daily Scoop |

Far Cry: Primal was the best-selling game of February 2016

Posted on March 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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It’s time to listen to the mastodon roar as Ubisoft’s Far Cry: Primal was declared the best-selling game of February 2016 by The NPD Group. Proving that players might be in the market for more titles that feature pre-modern warfare, Far Cry: Primal beat out Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which took the #2 slot.

Several other new releases broke into the top ten last month, including Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 at #4 and Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright at #9. But the most surprising result might be the less-than-stellar debut of Capcom’s Street Fighter V. Even after a big push from Sony, the much-hyped fighting game was only able to punch its way to #7.

Sales of new PS3 and Xbox 360 games continued to drop last month, and total retail spending on new games slipped 10% from February 2015. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, NPD’s Liam Callahan said: “New physical software trends suffered due to a sharp decline in seventh generation consoles of 52% despite the 14% (or $28 million growth) in eighth generation software. Portable software also had a drop of 30% due to a poor comparison to the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, which coincided with the launch of the New 3DS.”

A complete look at last month’s top ten best-selling titles can be found after the break.

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Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture leads with 10 nominations at the 2016 BAFTA Games Awards

Posted on March 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) bestowed some absolutely rapturous acclaim on Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture yesterday. The game, which was developed by The Chinese Room and released exclusively for the PS4, was nominated in ten categories for this year’s BAFTA Games Awards.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture will obviously be competing for “Best Game” at the 2016 BAFTAs, and also for “Best British Game,” “Artistic Achievement,” “Audio Achievement,” “Game Innovation,” “Music,” “Original Property,” and “Story.” Two nominations in the “Performer” category (one for Merle Dandridge and one for Oliver Dimsdale) round out its double digit list of accolades.

However, five other games (Fallout 4, Life Is Strange, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Rocket League, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) are also up for “Best Game” and any one of them could easily steal the spotlight from Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture.

We’ll find out who takes the top prize on Thursday, April 7, when comedian Dara O’Briain returns to host the festivities, which will be televised via Twitch and BAFTA.org. The complete list of nominees in all categories can be found after the break.

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