Xbox Store Today: Q*Bert Rebooted, In Space We Brawl, D/Generation HD

Posted on February 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

xboxgamesstore-logoWe’ve got three new additions to the Xbox Games Store to talk about today, and all of them have a decidedly old school vibe.

Q*Bert Rebooted: The Xbox One @!#?@! Edition (Xbox One) is a “re-imagined” version of the classic arcade game, but players are still expected to flip the board to a single color by hopping from cube to cube. This Xbox One-exclusive edition will include “enhanced gameplay,” five new playable characters, and a soundtrack from EDM artist EnV.

In Space We Brawl: Full Arsenal Edition (Xbox One) isn’t based on an older title, but it is a multiplayer twin-stick shooter where players battle it out with their friends to see who can be the last one standing. Offering more than 240 spaceship combinations, players will be able to customize their on-screen avatar to their hearts content.

Finally this week, D/Generation HD (Xbox One) is a remake of Robert Cook’s isometric puzzle game from 1991. Dipping heavily into the cyberpunk canon, players will control a “jetpack courier” as he attempts to bring down an evil corporation and escape with his life.

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

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Splatoon’s first global Splatfest will pit Pokemon Blue fans against Pokemon Red fans

Posted on February 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Get ready! Splatoon‘s next Splatfest is going global to celebrate Pokemon’s 20th anniversary.

For the first time ever, players in North America, Europe, and Japan will be asked to make the same choice before the Splatfest begins. And it’s one that will certainly resonate with a big portion of the game-playing public… do you prefer Pokemon Blue or Pokemon Red? Players can pledge their loyalty to either game in Inkopolis Plaza right now, with the Splatfest scheduled to begin on Saturday, February 20, at 1:00 AM (Eastern Time). Like the other Splatfests, the contest will be open for 24 hours and conclude on Sunday, February 21, at 1:00 AM (Eastern Time).

Players will get matched with other players from their region, and a winner will be chosen for each region. So what are you waiting for? Go splat ’em all!

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Microsoft wants to make PC/Xbox One Cross-Buy a “platform feature”

Posted on February 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

xboxgamesstore-logoYesterday, Microsoft kicked off their own Cross-Buy program with the announcement that Quantum Break will receive a simultaneous launch on the Xbox One and PC on April 5. Xbox One owners who pre-order the game will receive a free copy of the Windows 10 version, and both games will include Cross-Save support, so progress you make on one platform will carry over to the other. Though I guess I should break in here and point out that not everyone is happy about this news.

Hopefully, those Xbox fans will come around as it looks like Microsoft has no plans to make Quantum Break’s Cross-Buy promotion a one-off. Posting on Twitter, the Head of Microsoft’s Xbox Division, Phil Spencer, has confirmed that Cross-Buy will be a “platform feature” for the PC and Xbox One going forward because he sees it as being “good for gamers”:

Microsoft has a large number of PC and Xbox One games in the works for 2016 including Halo Wars 2, Killer Instinct Season 3, ReCore, and Sea of Thieves, so I wouldn’t be surprised if any or all of them are announced as Cross-Buy titles in the near future.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops III marches to the top of January 2016’s list of best-selling games

Posted on February 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

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The NPD Group recently delivered their monthly report on the state of retail video game sales, and the market research firm once again crowned Call of Duty: Black Ops III as the best-selling game of the month. The military shooter’s January 2016 victory is its third straight, but the industry as a whole is in a bit of a slump due to last month’s lack of new releases.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, retail sales for new games totaled $212.7 million last month, down from $235.6 million in 2015. The NPD Group speculated that the lack of a highly-anticipated new title like Techland’s Dying Light might be the cause for the dip, which makes sense when you realize that only one new release, Lego Avengers, was able to crack the top ten. Across the entire industry, US consumers spent $605.2 million on games, consoles, and accessories in January 2016, which was slightly down from January 2015’s total of $627.6 million.

Grand Theft Auto V, Fallout 4, Minecraft, and a few others continue to tally impressive sales. And you can find them all in the full top ten list of January 2016’s best-selling games, which is available after the break.

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Activision confirms Skylanders 6, new Call of Duty from Infinity Ward, Destiny expansion in 2016; Destiny 2 coming in 2017

Posted on February 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Activision revealed a first look at their 2016 release slate during today’s quarterly financial report… and you’ll never believe what they announced. Nah, I’m just kidding, even an amateur prognosticator could figure out what Activision has in store for this year.

First up, the publisher confirmed that Infinity Ward will develop the next entry in the Call of Duty franchise, which will be released this Fall. The developer’s most recent game was 2013’s Call of Duty: Ghosts, and right now it’s unknown if they’ll continue with that story or move in a different direction. But we do the currently untitled Call of Duty 2016 will be Infinity Ward’s first in Activision’s new three-developer cycle for the series.

Activision is also aiming to launch the sixth entry in the Skylanders series in Fall 2016. Skylanders 6 is in development at Toys For Bob and will be released alongside Skylanders Academy, a new television series based on the franchise.

Bungie’s Destiny will receive more content in 2016, but don’t expect a full-fledged sequel just yet. Another “large” expansion to the original game will be released this year, and the famed developer announced they’ll launch Destiny 2 in 2017.

Finally, Blizzard got a chance to discuss their plans for 2016, but the developer just reiterated a release schedule that we’ve known for a while. Overwatch, their upcoming hero shooter, is on track for a Spring 2016 release on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. And World of Warcraft: Legion, the sixth expansion to the world’s favorite MMO, will be released this Summer, just after the June premiere of the Warcraft movie.

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Ubisoft will release Watch Dogs 2, For Honor, Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole before March 31, 2017

Posted on February 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Ubisoft may have put the kibosh on a new Assassin’s Creed game for 2016, but they have big plans for the rest of their portfolio in the near-term, including an official announcement for Watch Dogs 2. Ubisoft has been teasing a sequel to their techno-thriller for quite some time, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that it’s taking over the release window for Assassin’s Creed (at least temporarily).

However, the further adventures of Aiden Pearce won’t be the only game that Ubisoft will release throughout their 2016-2017 fiscal year. The company also plans to launch For Honor, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands, and a new “high-potential AAA brand” between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017.

Ubisoft plans to reveal more information about their upcoming slate of games sometime in the next two weeks.

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Nintendo Download: Oddworld New N Tasty, Big Brain Academy, Polarium Advance, more

Posted on February 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Nintendo is bringing some old favorites to the Wii U eShop this week, with one developer upscaling a PlayStation-era classic and Nintendo themselves adding three new titles to the Virtual Console.

Oddworld Inhabitants has been hard at work on Oddworld: New N Tasty since it made its PS4 debut in 2014. Since then, the Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee remake has launched on the PC, Xbox One, PS3, Vita, and now the Wii U. Retaining all the wacky charm of the original release, Oddworld: New N Tasty will give a new generation of gamers the chance to experience the cutting edge of 1997 game design as filtered through a 21st century production.

Nintendo will also add three titles to the Wii U’s Virtual Console this week including Big Brain Academy, a collection of brain training mind games originally released for the DS; Kuru Kuru Kururin, a maze puzzler originally released for the GBA (and available in America for the first time); and Polarium Advance, a tile-flipping puzzler also originally released for the GBA.

More information on all of these games (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break.

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Posted in 3DS, News, Wii U |

Quantum Break getting PC version, Xbox One System Bundle, and free copy of Alan Wake

Posted on February 11, 2016 by John Scalzo

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Microsoft will continue to support gaming on Windows 10 this Spring with a simultaneous Xbox One/PC launch for Remedy’s Quantum Break on April 5. Best of all, everyone who digitally pre-orders the time-bending action game through the Xbox Games Store will receive a token to download the PC version for free.

Players who purchase Quantum Break on the Xbox One will also receive a download code for the Xbox 360 version of Remedy’s previous game, Alan Wake, and both of its downloadable expansions (The Signal and The Writer). Pre-ordering Quantum Break from participating retailers will also entitle players to an Xbox 360 download code for the action-oriented Alan Wake’s American Nightmare.

But what if you don’t own an Xbox One and your PC isn’t up to snuff? Then you might want to consider a Quantum Break System Bundle ($349), which will include a 500GB “Cirrus White” console, matching wireless controller, and full-game downloads of Quantum Break and Alan Wake.

Finally, Microsoft and Remedy also unveiled a new live-action trailer for Quantum Break today. In “The Cemetery,” protagonist Jack Joyce (Shawn Ashmore) begins to learn about the full extent of his powers as he mourns his brother (Dominic Monaghan). You can check out the video, along with game’s minimum and recommended system requirements, after the break.

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