The Walking Dead: The Final Season will likely never be completed as Telltale Games institutes a “majority studio closure”

Posted on September 22, 2018 by John Scalzo

A series of social media posts from recently laid-off developers lead many to believe that Telltale Games was shutting down yesterday morning, but the lights will remain on for now according to an official statement from the company’s executives.

Writing on Twitter, Telltale CEO Pete Hawley confirmed that a majority of the company’s employees would be let go:

“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for Telltale as we worked to set the company on a new course. Unfortunately, we ran out of time trying to get there. We released some of our best content this year and received a tremendous amount of positive feedback, but ultimately, that did not translate to sales. With a heavy heart, we watch our friends leave today to spread our brand of storytelling across the games industry.”

Hawley would go on to say that “further comments regarding [Telltale’s] product portfolio [will be announced] in the coming weeks,” but sources within the company told USgamer that the majority of their in-development projects have been canceled.

The Walking Dead: The Final Season‘s second episode, Suffer the Children, will launch next week as originally planned, but the remaining two episodes will likely go unfinished, marking an abrupt end for the season and the franchise. A further list of cancellations includes Game of Thrones Season 2, The Wolf Among Us Season 2, and the recently-announced Stranger Things game.

The 25 employees still under Telltale’s employ will stay on to complete the Netflix-powered port of Minecraft: Story Mode, but it is currently unknown what will happen to them after that.

It’s our hope that all of Telltale’s former employees will be able to quickly find better employment opportunities in the future.

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Suit up and enlist with Earth Defense Force 5 on the PS4 on December 11

Posted on September 21, 2018 by John Scalzo

The neverending parade of bug-like invaders from D3 Publisher’s Earth Defense Force series has provided gamers with a steady stream of campy thrills since Earth Defense Force 2017 made the trip across the Pacific in 2007.

Later this year, yet another gloriously goofy game in the franchise will invade our shores, as Earth Defense Force 5 will be released for the PS4 on December 11. But this time around, players will have to deal with an alien invasion that’s happening in conjunction with a band of mutants emerging from the center of the Earth…

Humanity, fight against fate. Now begins the ultimate battle between huge aliens and the Earth Defense Force. The world existence is staked this war.

Year 2022. A case was taking place in the Base 228 of EDF. Deep underground, the huge facility was invaded, and people were attacked by unknown monsters. At the same time, a gigantic mothership flew around the world and began attacking without discrimination.

You can learn more about Earth Defense Force 5 (including both the Standard Edition and the Deluxe Edition) at the game’s official website.

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Valkyria Chronicles 4, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, more coming to Nintendo eShop this week

Posted on September 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

It’s a big week for RPG fans as Nintendo (and their third-party partners) will be adding several to the Nintendo eShop over the next few days.

Square Enix starts things off with Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD, an enhanced and updated new edition of Final Fantasy XV’s mobile port. The RPG is now available to download for the Switch. Switch owners will also get the chance to tackle Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country, a standalone prequel to the action RPG, this weekend when it launches for the Switch on September 21.

Beginning next week, Sega will bring Valkyria Chronicles 4 to the Switch, and Ubisoft will do likewise with South Park: The Stick of Truth .

Elsewhere on the Switch’s online storefront, gamers are now able to purchase Colossal Order’s city simulator, Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition; as well as Double Fine’s narrative adventure, Broken Age; and Capcom’s seven-game beat ’em up bundle, the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle.

You can learn more about the rest of this week’s additions to the Nintendo eShop (including The Gardens Between, Hover, Reigns: Kings & Queens, and more) after the break.

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Capcom dives back into Resident Evil 2’s story with a new TGS 2018 Trailer

Posted on September 20, 2018 by John Scalzo

Resident Evil 2 became an instant classic when it was released for the PlayStation more than 20 years ago, so the game’s post-apocalyptic story beats are pretty familiar to a large portion of the gaming community. But that didn’t stop Capcom from unveiling a brand new Story Trailer for Resident Evil 2’s upcoming remake during the Tokyo Game Show this week.

The publisher has posted a few more details about the trailer (and a handy guide for newcomers) on the Capcom-Unity blog:

A little history for RE2 newcomers before we dive into things: The original Resident Evil 2 introduced a system known as “zapping” to provide an “A” story and a “B” story – two separate paths through the game that had the same major story elements for each character, but changed certain details, events, and access to items depending on which character you played as first. While this remake of Resident Evil 2 no longer uses “zapping” to tell each character’s tale, it stays true to the original by telling a unique story for each character, with both main campaigns providing a compelling point of view to provide a modern take on the story of Resident Evil 2.

Resident Evil 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on January 25.

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Madden NFL 19 beat out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to become the best-selling game of August 2018

Posted on September 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

As new entries in the series always do, EA Sports’s Madden NFL 19 broke away from the pack and sprinted for the end zone as the best-selling game of August 2018. But it’s one of the games it beat out that might be the most interesting story from The NPD Group’s latest report.

According to the market research company (via GamesIndustry.biz), the #8 spot in last month’s list of best-selling games was occupied by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a title that was originally launched in 2009. So why the sudden sales surge? The most likely explanation is because Microsoft recently added the Xbox 360 edition of the game to the Xbox One’s Backwards Compatibility Library.

Adding new sales to perennially best-selling games was absolutely a trend in August, as 2015’s Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (#3), 2013’s Grand Theft Auto V (#4), and 2014’s Mario Kart 8 (#5) all cracked the top five. But if you’re looking for newer titles, Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World continued its improbable run at the top of the charts by landing at the #2 spot thanks to the PC edition’s August launch.

Overall, the game industry grew 26% year-over-year with total sales of $796 million, including $214 million in hardware (a 28% increase), $330 million for software (a 16% increase), and $251 million for accessories (a whopping 39% increase).

A list of last month’s best-selling games can be found after the break.

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Nintendo Switch Online (and its downloadable bundle of NES games) is now available

Posted on September 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

Nintendo launched their Nintendo Switch Online service yesterday, which means that subscribers now have access to Online Play, Cloud Saves, and that downloadable bundle of 20 NES games.

Online Play was previously available for free as Nintendo has spent the last 18 months preparing for the launch of Nintendo Switch Online, but its now locked behind a subscription, though one that’s much cheaper ($3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months, $19.99 for 12 months, or $34.99 for a “Family” membership) than Sony’s PS Plus or Microsoft’s XBL Gold.

But the real draw might be the downloadable NES bundle, which currently includes Balloon Fight, Baseball, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Ice Hockey, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Pro Wrestling, River City Ransom, Soccer, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, Tennis, and Yoshi.

Yes, we’ve played all these games many times before, but Nintendo will regularly add to this library of games, and nine more will be available by the end of the year. NES Open Tournament Golf, Solomon’s Key, and Super Dodge Ball will be added to the service in October, with Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack, and TwinBee to follow in November, and Adventures of Lolo, Ninja Gaiden, and Wario’s Woods in December.

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers at the 12-Month or Family levels will also receive a download code that can be exchanged for exclusive in-game Splatoon 2 gear based on the jerseys worn by GG BoyZ, the winning team at the 2018 Splatoon 2 World Championship. And all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to pre-order a pair of wireless Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers from Nintendo.com for $59.99.

More information about Nintendo Switch Online can found after the break, and a seven-day free trial is also available through the Nintendo eShop.

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Sony will release PlayStation Classic microconsole with 20 games on December 3

Posted on September 19, 2018 by John Scalzo

With a history stretching all the way back to the failed Super NES disc drive, the fates of Sony and Nintendo have always been closely linked. Late last night, the PlayStation purveyor decided to take another page out of Nintendo’s nostalgia-themed book with the announcement of the PlayStation Classic microconsole.

The PlayStation Classic will be available on December 3 (the 24th anniversary of its launch in Japan), and it’ll include 20 pre-loaded games (Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash, Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms have been announced so far). The package will also include two USB-powered replica PlayStation controllers, an HDMI cable, and a USB power cable (but no AC Adapter, you’ll need to supply your own). And don’t worry, you won’t need to dust off your old Memory Cards, the PlayStation Classic will give players the chance to save their progress directly to the system.

All this can be yours for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $99.99. More pictures of the rather snazzy-looking device can be found at the PlayStation Blog:

The mini console is approximately 45% smaller than the original PlayStation, and it emulates the original’s look and feel by featuring similar controllers and packaging. Long-time fans will appreciate the nostalgia that comes with rediscovering the games they know and love, while gamers who might be new to the platform can enjoy the groundbreaking PlayStation console experience that started it all. All of the pre-loaded games will be playable in their original format.

Your move, Nintendo.

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New Retail Releases: Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna, Scribblenauts Mega Pack, Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, More

Posted on September 17, 2018 by John Scalzo

Even though we’re still only in September, the avalanche of new games continues this week. But it looks like we’ll get a bit of a breather over the next seven days…

Leading the way forward (and backward, technically) is Nintendo’s Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country. Taking place 500 years in the past, this standalone adventure for the Switch serves as a prequel to the consolemaker’s massive action RPG, and asks players to guide a group of legendary warriors on a journey through the tragic history that doomed a kingdom.

If you’re looking for something a little lighter this week, WB Games is serving up another entry in the Scribblenauts series, and will re-release Scribblenauts Unlimited and Scribblenauts Unmasked for the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One as part of the Scribblenauts Mega Pack.

NIS America is delving deep into the darkest dungeons once again with the release of Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk, a turn-based RPG for the PS4 and Switch. The game will also be available to download for the PC.

And finally this week, Stoic Studio will package together the three games in the Banner Saga series for the Switch as The Banner Saga Trilogy.

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

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