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A new trailer announced RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile to the world today, but going by YouTube ratings the world isn't impressed. At the time of writing, the video has just 49 likes and an incredible 1,968 dislikes. Fans are taking to social media including the series' Facebook page to voice their anger, with criticisms centering on the move to mobile and the likelihood of a free-to-play system with microtransactions.

The game is in development at mobile-focused startup On5 Games, and it's "coming soon" to iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. It's the first game in the long-running series since the 3DS' RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D in 2012, and the first numbered entry in around a decade, since RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 in 2004. It's a series with its roots firmly in PC, and RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 is the first mobile version of the theme park-building sim.

Free-to-play games are enduring increasing criticism for their use of microtransactions, with high-profile games like Dungeon Keeper, Where's My Water 2, and Angry Birds Go coming under severe scrutiny in recent months. Last month, the European Commission met with national authorities, Apple, and Google to discuss free-to-play games, and outline measures to better regulate them and to prevent misleading marketing. [Image: Atari]

Hey everyone, I’m Kirby St. John, a designer with the MLB The Show development team. My main focus year-to-year is improving and evolving one of our most popular modes, Road to The Show. The mode made some big strides last year, especially in terms of gameplay and presentation, but for MLB 14, we really wanted to focus on the logic and systems that govern the mode in an effort to allow for more variety and less restrictions. We also wanted to provide some new experiences never seen before in RTTS. The video touched on a lot of topics, but in this blog I will expand on what was introduced there and discuss some of the exciting things that were only briefly mentioned.

Topps Amateur Showcase—A new beginning to your favorite mode

Covered In The Video:

• When creating your new ballplayer, you will select a home region (West, Central, East, International), which will become your team in the Showcase.
• The Showcase comprises of three games.
• Major League® scouts will be grading your performance in order to determine your Draft stock.
• The Draft experience includes the ability to hear all of the selections in your round called out, including your own name.
• You are able to re-play the Showcase by “returning to school,” but doing so will age your player.

More Info:
The addition of the Topps Amateur Showcase in MLB 14 The Show is really an exciting addition to RTTS because it opens the possibilities of what you can experience in terms of career progression. In past versions of the Road to The Show, it was always assumed your player was an A-Potential player, destined for greatness in the Majors, and he was treated as such. That all changes in MLB® 14, as the new RTTS player will start out as a middle-of-the-road, C-Potential prospect with many unanswered questions about his future skills. However, over the course of the three Showcase games, that blurry picture will become much clearer, as the scouts will analyze your every move on the field. It is important to know that they are not just interested in stats. They are mostly watching your approach to each situation you encounter. This means that a game where you get three bloop base-hits probably won’t be scored as well as a game where you go 0-for-4 with four well-hit missiles to the outfield. At the end of each game you will receive an update on how your stock has changed as a result of that game’s performance. Also, your Potential rating will reflect the rise or fall in your stock, so when the Topps® Amateur Showcase is all said and done, you may be anywhere from a F-Potential, 7th Round pick to an A-Potential, first overall selection.

More details regarding Road to The Show can be read here.

You're really pretty, Titanfall, and you know I'll be coming back to you eventually. It's just I've got this date with a free new map and game mode for a game where I don't feel like a complete ass for getting a low kill count. Read more...

Total War: Rome II has probably had the most troubled existence of any Total War game, trampling on expectations like a giant war elephant crushing the skull of an infantry man. At least that’s the impression I had from comment threads and old ladies who stopped me in the street: my brain is not wired for grand strategy games, so I only played it for a short time and then abandoned it to the Recycle Bin. However, that won’t stop me pointing that out there’s a new DLC pack coming out: Hannibal At The Gates. The trailer below shows a whole lot of big talk for people facing a man with angry elephants at his disposal. … [visit site to read more]

A message from Konami, revealed when registering a copy of Ground Zeroes, suggests Metal Gear Solid 5 proper will arrive early next year.

Who will take up the whip now that Igarashi's gone? No one, probably. I'd guess he's taking it with him.

After more than 20 years working at Konami, producer Koji Igarashi is striking out on his own.

Igarashi, who is best-known for his years of work on the publisher's Castlevania franchise, explained to Polygon that he plans to launch a new independent studio, where he'll be making games aimed toward his fans.

"I've decided to break out on my own to have the freedom to make the kind of games I really want to make — the same kind I think fans of my past games want as well," Igarashi told Polygon. "Leaving Konami was a big decision, and not one I took lightly — I've spent my entire career there, made many friends, and had a lot of great opportunities — but I hope all the gamers and fans who have supported me in the past will join me in being excited about what comes next. Wish me luck!"

Igarashi began his career at Konami in 1990, starting out as a programmer before moving on to produce some of the biggest and most beloved games in the Castlevania franchise, including Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, and Dawn of Sorrow. Though he produced his share of non-Castlevania games--including the 2005 action adventure Nano Breaker, and the 2011 Kinect release Leedmees--Igarashi's name became synonymous with all things Castlevania from the '90s on. That changed only recently, with developer Mercury Steam taking the creative reins on its entries in the Lords of Shadow series.

Igarashi will be at this week's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, presenting a talk called There and Back Again: Koji Igarashi's MetroidVania Tale. It promises "an exploration of his experiences and methodology in creating some of the most popular and influential games in the [MetroidVania] genre over the last 15 years."

Angry Birds Epic, the free-to-play RPG featuring the furious fowl, is available now on iOS in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Developer Rovio plans to fling the game to other regions after it tests game balance and online functionality in current locales.

The feathery RPG includes item-crafting and a story-driven campaign. It will also smash into Google Play and the Windows Phone 8 sometime this year.

Koji Igarashi, a veteran game producer best known for his work on the Castlevania series, has left Konami. His last day at the Tokyo-based game company was March 15.Read more...

Retro-styled indie horror game Home is coming to PS4 and PS Vita this year. Released in June 2012 for PC, Home has got numerous updates and lots of new content since then—all of which will be part of the game's console versions. Check out the creator's post over at the PlayStation Blog for more details.Read more...

I've got two new Kotaku offshoots to tell you about today, two new subsites for people who enjoy to look at the spectacular.Read more...

Respawn has announced that while anti-cheat measures do exist for Titanfall, they are yet to be activated.

It’s GDC week! This is one of the best weeks of the year, and we’re happy to have some PS4 news for you! CastleStorm — Definitive Edition and KickBeat — Special Edition are both coming this Spring to PS4! We can’t wait to bring these super genre mashups to next-gen (Or is it current-gen, now?).

If you haven’t played CastleStorm before, then you’re in for a treat! CastleStorm — Definitive Edition is a hilarious mix of medieval warfare, 2D physics-based destruction, tower defense, and some melee brawler action thrown in. It also features a story-driven, solo campaign, a custom castle editor, online multiplayer, co-op modes, and more.

CastleStorm — Definitive Edition features the entire original campaign and expansions, plus a bunch of new content including new battles, modes, spells, and features, all running and 60 FPS, 1080p.

KickBeat — Special Edition is a crazy, kung-fu themed rhythm fighter. We are adding a bunch of new features, additional soundtracks, and other enhancements are being added to the original campaign. The game offers players several innovative ways to interact with music, and combines beat-matching mechanics with an acrobatic style of martial arts, turning every song into a raucous battle. The game features a music analyzer that allows players to create new tracks from their own music libraries.

I’ll be back with more details on features and pricing once we’ve confirmed our release dates. I’ll be running around GDC, but I’ll try to answer your questions as soon as possible!

Those itching to cast spells, hack away at enemies and level up will be happy to learn that co-op action RPG Dungeon Defenders is free on Xbox Live for Gold subscribers through the end of the month, March 31. The Trendy Entertainment-developed tower defense game took the place of Civilization Revolution in this month's Games with Gold program offerings, first launching on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in October 2011 and receiving four DLC packs in the time since.

Microsoft's Phil Spencer recently addressed concerns related to the Games with Gold program and the comparisons to Sony's PlayStation Plus program that it frequently receives. Spencer said the business for Microsoft's two-free-games-per-month service is "fundamentally different" from PS Plus, and stressed that players are able to keep the free games they download after their Xbox Live premium subscriptions run out.

Trendy Entertainment announced a sequel to Dungeon Defenders in March 2013, which is still scheduled to launch this spring, according to the game's website. The developer also revealed cross-platform online shooter Monster Madness Online in December. [Image: Trendy Entertainment]

The company that used to publish the blockbuster Company of Heroes and Metro franchises imploded in rapid and spectacular fashion in late 2012, getting its assets sold off in early 2013 . Some of its holdings, like the WWE and Saints Row games, found homes. But the fate of other members of the former THQ family tree—Devil's Third, spearheaded by former Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki, for one—is still ambiguous. Danny Bilson, who ran the cores games division of THQ, is talking a bit about the games that got screwed up or orphaned in the company's last few years.Read more...

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is Now Available on Steam!
Join the Doctor as his companion in an out-of-this-world adventure through time and space. You will need all your wits and courage to outsmart and defeat some of the Doctors' most storied enemies like the Daleks, Cybermen, and the Vashta Nerada. Explore the universe, and even see the inner workings of the TARDIS!

• Experience this thrilling adventure game based on the hit TV series, Doctor Who.
  
• Use stealth and puzzle-solving skills to explore other worlds.
  
• Collect bonus cards that enrich the story with Doctor Who trivia.
  
• Become the Doctors companion across time and space!
  

Thomas Was Alone is a charming puzzle platformer where a group of AI shapes try to find their way through various environments. Who knew that basic shapes could be so adorable? Each new friend brings something unique to the puzzle solving formula, so you’ll need to figure out how to use their talents to your advantage. This title is also Cross-Buy, so Plus members will receive this for both PS3 and PS Vita.

Unit 13 will help you get your third person shooter fix on the go. There are plenty of missions to perfect your skills, and you can select different soldiers depending on what the task at hand is. With various objectives like staying in stealth or clearing an area ASAP, be sure to pick to your soldier wisely.

Our Spring Fever sale is also continuing this week with discounts on Steamworld Dig and Luftrausers as well as a bunch of Grand Theft Auto franchise discounts.

You can download Thomas Was Alone and Unit 13 after the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow, 3/18.

Thomas Was Alone (PS3)

Free for PS Plus members

Thomas Was Alone is the critically acclaimed indie platformer about friendship and jumping. Guide a group of sentient rectangles through a series of environments, combining their skills to reach the end of each level. Listen to awesome music by David Housden, negotiate obstacles meticulously placed by Mike Bithell and immerse yourself in the characters’ journey with a voiceover read wistfully and amusingly by Danny Wallace. Unit 13 (PS Vita)

Free for PS Plus members

Jump into the action with Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita and conquer 36 tactical missions and 9 high value target battles as you help take down global terror networks and earn your place in the military elite. With the precision of the PlayStation Vita systems’s dual analog sticks and unique touch interface, Unit 13 is the perfect on-the-go action shooter. Wi-Fi connectivity adds fast 2-player co-op action, and 3G compatibility keeps you connected for instant social updates and new daily mission challenges.

Title Plus Price Regular Price Luftrausers (PS3 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy ) $7.99 $9.99 Steamworld Dig (PS4 and PS Vita, Cross-Buy) $7.99 $9.99 Grand Theft Auto III $2.39 $2.99 Grand Theft Auto IV $4.79 $5.99 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars $4.79 $5.99 Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City $4.79 $5.99 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories $4.79 $5.99 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories $2.39 $2.99 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas $3.59 $4.49 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City $2.39 $2.99 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories $4.79 $5.99 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories $2.39 $2.99

Other Discounts

Title Plus Price Regular Price 9-In-1 Mega Pack $1.49 $1.99 Atomic Ninjas (PS Vita) $2.09 $2.99 Atomic Ninjas (PS3) $2.09 $2.99 Foosball 2012 (PS Vita) $2.09 $2.99 Foosball 2012 (PS3) $2.09 $2.99 Real Boxing $5.00 $9.99 The Impossible Game $0.74 $0.99

Last Chance (Leaving on 3/25)

Instant Game Collection
Mod Nation Racers Roadtrip (PS Vita)

Discounts
Luftrausers (PS3)
Luftrausers (PS Vita)
Steamworld Dig (PS Vita)
Steamworld Dig (PS4)
Grand Theft Auto III
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Ethan: Meteor Hunter

What’s your favorite content from this week’s update?

If you’ve got feedback on today’s Plus update make sure vote in the poll and leave a comment below. To discuss all things PlayStation, including this update, you can also head over to the PlayStation Community Forums where you’ll find topics you can contribute your thoughts to, or start one for yourself.

Abyss Odyssey, the new side-scrolling brawler from Chilean studio Ace Team, will offer myriad options for beating the hell out of eerie enemies. Rather than just punching bad guys and then watching them disappear as is beat 'em up tradition, you can capture enemies and use them yourself. This short video released by the studio on Wednesday shows off Judith, who can pull slick aerial combos by ricocheting energy balls off of walls and kicking opponents into them. Abyss Odyssey is different than the studio's first-person fighters in the Zeno Clash series, but Ace Team's penchant for unusual video game fisticuffs is certainly intact. [Images: Ace Team]

Google updated its Google Play Games service to let Android and iOS users play with and against each other.

The IGF Factor 2014 rumbles on. Today’s homing arrow of investigation makes Matt Thorson its victim. When this interview was conducted, the creator of Towerfall: Ascension was days away from releasing the game on PC and the interviewer had not yet discovered how good it was. What insight might fall out? … [visit site to read more]

Ubisoft has revealed just how long it'll take the average player to finish the upcoming hack-centric open world adventure.

Konami veteran Koji Igarashi left the developer this weekend, with intent to found something fans will love.

Today's selection of articles from Kotaku's reader-run community: The Pros and Cons of Diablo III's New Skill Progression System • That Other Game With 'Dark' In The Title • Heading Back To SkyrimRead more...

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has explained why Ground Zeroes doesn't have a Platinum Trophy, saying it's Sony's decision.

LYNE is Now Available on Steam!

Deceptively simple. Infinitely complex. LYNE is a minimalist puzzle game that will knot your brain as it calms your soul.


Connect the shapes. Fill the board. Lose yourself in the interflowing paths of LYNE.

Gauntlet, the original co-op dungeon crawler, will return this summer to a home-based arcade near you. Announced only for Steam on PC at this time, the game will also have full support for SteamOS and Steam Machines.

Warner Bros. revealed the "completely modernized action RPG" will be part of its direct-to-digital WB Games Vault portfolio. The initiative will deliver downloadable games based on WB and Midway arcade brands, along with original intellectual properties "across multiple digital networks."

"With Gauntlet we combined the arcade style of the original game with an entirely new look and feature set that includes emergent, local and online four-player gameplay," said SVP of digital at WB David Haddad.

Gauntlet is being developed by Arrowhead Games, best known for creating Magicka. The game is being We'll hopefully have more details to share about the game this week after seeing the title at this week's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Last week's oddest announcement , Angry Birds Epic has now soft launched in Australia and Canada, giving players pretending to be in those countries a chance to find out just what the hell is going on. Let's take a look. Read more...

Atari announced Roller Coaster Tycoon 4 today. You may have seen the trailer. At best, it’s a mobile version of an older game rather than an actual sequel – at worst, it’ll behave like a crooked carnie, with all kinds of freemium delaying and money-grabbing tactics. “Pay one dollar to add glue to the coconut shy or your visitors will bankrupt you!” Only a few minutes after seeing that trailer, I received notice that Warner Bros are releasing a new Gauntlet game. I’d donned my grumpy hat before I even clicked the play button beneath the video. And then the hat combusted as I saw that it’s being developed by Magicka maestros Arrowhead. And that it looks ace.

… [visit site to read more]

In Japan, there are some people who are famous simply for being famous. They are called "tarento" (タレント) and appear on variety shows and talk shows. Misaki Hashigawa isn't one of those people. But as of today, she's famous online!Read more...

First released in 1985, Gauntlet was a genre-defining arcade dungeon crawler. Now, it's being re-released for PC, in the form of a top-down co-op action RPG, all prettied up and modernized for a new audience.Read more...

Home was a welcome surprise to horror game lovers when it launched on PC in 2012, and it delighted a whole new audience on mobile in 2013. Its simple controls and heavy reliance on rich sound and atmosphere, though, make it a great choice for a console system — so I’m happy to announce that Home is making the jump to PS4 and PS Vita this year!

Part of Home’s charm is that it’s entirely dependent on the player; it isn’t a march toward Ending A or Ending B — it’s the journey itself that is affected, as all your little choices subtly change how your character perceives the world around him. It’s a game that people love playing and then discussing afterward to compare notes and theories.

More importantly, it’s a game that’s meant to be played alone, in the darkest room (or alley, or barn, or deep, dank forest) you can find. On PS4, this means you can turn off the lights, crank that sound system and let the dread wash over you. If you’re extra brave, you can play the game on your Vita — somewhere scary, where no one will find you, and with a fat pair of headphones, of course.

Home received several updates after its original launch to add content and extra features, and everything that’s in the game is making the trek to Playstation. Will you find anything new in this version of Home? Folks who have played the game before know that you can never be sure what you’ll discover the next time you start it up; I’ll be back on the blog to discuss specifics as we tinker around a bit more.

Home is a game that depends on the players who play it. It doesn’t just talk to you; you’re part of the conversation. So the most exciting thing about seeing the game arrive on PS4 and PS Vita is going to be reading and hearing the myriad new stories, theories and comments that players will continue to contribute to the discussion surrounding the game.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to see Home in the hands of a whole new audience; I can’t wait for you to play it!