Joystiq older than one year ago

NiGHTS transformed for Sonic and All-Stars Racing

God dammit capcom stop shitting in your pants it's stinking up the whole island of japan

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Posted by Joystiq Jul 09 2012 18:00 GMT in Nintendo 3DS

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summerofsonic.com

In what counts as a massive media explosion for such a little franchise, NiGHTS' new HD update will occur alongside the franchise's appearance in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. During a "Summer of Sonic" event over the weekend, Sega showed footage of NiGHTS and Reala (as vehicles) in the upcoming racer.

The dreamy flight game will also be represented in track form, with Spring Valley shown as a prototype, and another track based on Nightmare is in progress at developer Sumo Digital. It's nice to see NiGHTS come back into prominence, even if he has somehow transformed into a car along the way.

Minecraft 1.3 to merge single and multiplayer, coming August 1

why

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Posted by Joystiq Jul 05 2012 15:52 GMT in Minecraft

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mojang.com

Minecraft version 1.3 is on the way, and this update looks to be a doozy. The most sweeping change will be a merging of single-player and multiplayer modes. More specifically, single-player as everyone knows it will now be a "shell on top of multiplayer."

The reason behind the change, according to Mojang, is to accommodate the upcoming modding API, which otherwise would have required modders to create multiple versions of each mod, one for single-player and one for multiplayer. The downside is that single-player games will now require a little more computing power, though Mojang is hoping to smooth things out a bit in 1.4.

Other additions in 1.3 will include emeralds and emerald ore, the ability to buy items from villagers, the ability to write in books, an optional "bonus chest" that helps new players "get started quicker" and more. Minecraft 1.3 is slated to arrive August 1, with a "release candidate" available a week prior.

Not really merging single and multiplayer, more like it's just making it easier to boot a single player map into a local multiplayer server. still only works within the host's LAN though so only good for family and friend stuff.

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It's like if an RPG was just running around in a field fighting random encounters and then people add in the story, the towns, and the boss battles. You pretty much leave out anything besides the base mechanics, that's how it's done I think.

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Report: Xbox co-creator backing $99, Android-based game console (and all its games are free!)

Posted by Joystiq Jul 04 2012 00:30 GMT in Ouya

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theverge.com

What is "Ouya," besides an amusing onomatopoeia? It's reportedly the concept for a $99, Android-based game console that has some very interesting backers.

We've got original Xbox cheerleader Ed Fries, and acclaimed designer Yves Béhar. The former is said to be serving as an advisor on the project, while the latter is said to be developing the device. The supposed task is to develop a game console that can be connected to a television with an open development platform; better yet, all its games will be free.

This is all according to a listing on startup website AngelList (since pulled, detailed on The Verge), which apparently counted a variety of other big names on its masthead. Several images are also available (including the one above), but it's worth noting that they're all concepts for now. The various games seen on the console's dashboard are, naturally, Android titles.

We reached out to Ouya representatives, but haven't heard back as of publishing.

all free games what? I'm pretty sure Madden would not be one of them, unless it's freemium

Make in-game movies with the Valve Source Filmmaker

free to play games francis, so things like ghost recon, LoL, et cetera

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 27 2012 19:55 GMT in Team Fortress 2

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sourcefilmmaker.com

Valve's in-house movie-making machine, the Source Filmmaker, is now available to the public in beta form. Source Filmmaker is the tool Valve uses to create its own films, including the "Meet the" series for Team Fortress 2: Valve teased the Source Filmmaker at the end of today's long-awaited, disturbingly depressing "Meet the Pyro" video.

The Source Filmmaker can make a movie out of any game running on the Source engine, Valve writes in the tool's introductory post.

"Because the SFM uses the same assets as the game, anything that exists in the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa. By utilizing the hardware rendering power of a modern gaming PC, the SFM allows storytellers to work in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get environment so they can iterate in the context of what it will feel like for the final audience."

Interested amateur directors can sign up for the Source Filmmaker beta right here and "start shooting your movie on location inside the world of TF2 today."

inb4 contest to make feature motion picture

Adult Swim and Valve teamed up to give us... yep, a hat

inb4someone makes meet the pyro better

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 27 2012 21:30 GMT in Team Fortress 2

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2 Like?

adultswim.com

When Valve and Adult Swim announced a partnership involving the Team Fortress 2 universe, we winked at each other, throwing out the tired joke that it would probably just be a bunch of hats. Today, we're not sure if we should be laughing or weeping silently into our keyboards: Adult Swim has revealed a free, limited-edition Robot Chicken hat for any class in TF2, as the first iteration in a series of new stuff coming from Valve and Adult Swim.

To get the Robot Chicken hat, just sign up for the Adult Swim newsletter by July 4.

In related, not-completely-predictable news, the FAQ for redeeming the Robot Chicken hat asks and answers an intriguing question: Q. Are you making a Team Fortress cartoon?
A. Make sure you're signed up to receive at least one Adult Swim newsletter.As long as it's not called "The Hatsure Brothers" or any variation thereof, an Adult Swim Team Fortress 2 cartoon sounds like something we could get behind.

In still-related, by-now-old news, Valve launched the "Meet the Pyro" video and announced the Source Filmmaker movie-creating tool today.

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PSA: PS3 firmware update 4.20 drops tomorrow

Posted by Joystiq Jun 26 2012 02:00 GMT in PlayStation News

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blog.us.playstation.com

The last firmware update for the PS3, version 4.10, added an audio option allowing players to hear their own voice echoed through the new Wireless Stereo Headset peripheral. Since implementing the feature, Sony has heard some complaints; this new firmware update, version 4.20, will add new audio options.

If you're using a Wireless Stereo Headset, you will be able to either turn the functionality completely off, or you can select from one of five different levels of intensity, the PlayStation Blog says. Sony will also add an option for virtual surround sound when using the Wireless Stereo Headset to watch Blu-ray or DVD movies when the update drops tomorrow.

Other non-audio additions include more flexibility when setting how long before the system will shut itself down, and an the option to manage save files in bulk.

Gameloft bringing My Little Pony game to mobile platforms this year

comes with a free bag of weed

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 22 2012 07:15 GMT in Gaming News

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2 Like?

Until now, fans have taken the lead, but you'll finally have the chance to get an officially licensed My Little Pony game before the end of this year. Gameloft has formed a partnership with Hasbro to make My Little Pony games for mobile platforms including iOS and Android.

Gameloft hasn't detailed the game, but Hasbro did provide some corporate boilerplate if that helps: "Creating highly inventive and accessible digital play experiences based on our world-class brands continues to be at the core of Hasbro's mission and we envision Gameloft to be a key player in the ongoing execution of that global strategy," said Hasbro SVP of Digital Media and Marketing Mark Blecher.

Along with My Little Pony, Gameloft will be creating games based on Littlest Pet Shop, which is even littler.

Okay, let's see here. List of gaming site feeds to remove;
Kotaku
Joystiq
Who's next?

Conan O'Brien takes Skyrim to SkyMall, digs deep into UFC

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 21 2012 16:15 GMT in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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1 Like?

teamcoco.com

Conan O'Brien's latest "New Video Games" segment is all fun and, well, games for the first three minutes or so, turning games like Skyrim into SkyMall. After that, it gets all too real as it debuts UFC: Sexual Tension.

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Nintendo Direct returns tonight at midnight

Posted by Joystiq Jun 21 2012 15:00 GMT in Nintendo 3DS

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nintendo.com

It's two weeks after E3, so naturally Nintendo has more announcements to make (just as it did two days before E3). As has become the company's custom, it'll host a "Nintendo Direct" video, streaming from Nintendo's site, tonight at 12am EST.

According to a brief blurb from Nintendo, the video will be "about Nintendo 3DS, Wii and Nintendo DS products," so don't expect to hear any surprises about the Wii U. Do expect to see a different room in Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters.

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Fez patch still incoming

Posted by Joystiq Jun 14 2012 02:30 GMT in Fez

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indiegamemag.com

Fez programmer Renaud Bedard has provided an update on the patch meant to handle some "nasty" bugs in the XBLA puzzle platformer. Turns out the patch was submitted on May 17, entered certification on May 21 and failed four days later due to two critical issues.

Bedard was finally able to reproduce one of the issues on June 8 and the patch is back at Microsoft for certification. He estimates it'll take another two weeks for the update to hit - you know, unless there's another hiccup. He notes on the Polytron blog, "Many apologies for the delays. It was a tricky one."

Fez has sold over 100,000 copies since its April launch. You can watch Polytron's labor on digital celluloid in Indie Game: The Movie, available now on iTunes, Steam.

the only bugs that need to be fixed in this game is the fact that this game exists and the fact that phil fish is an asshole.

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hfknkmdhf'lkmfdlkhmfdlkmhfd

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Rumor: Microsoft considered OnLive acquisition, thinks the next PlayStation will be a GoogleTV box

Posted by Joystiq Jun 16 2012 18:30 GMT in Xbox 360

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1 Like?

arstechnica.com

Details continue to spew forth from the supposed leaked 52-page "Xbox 720" presentation that came to light a few hours ago. Buried deep within the bowels of the slideshow's fifth slide, an examination of the next Xbox's potential competition potentially reveals some interesting tidbits about Microsoft's thinking back in 2010 (the slideshow dates back to August 2010).

Most notably, the document not only lists OnLive's MicroConsole as competition (along with the AppleTV and GoogleTV platforms, among others), but it also notes OnLive itself as a "potential acquisition target" - which makes sense considering frequent mentions of cloud gaming in the rest of the document.

The presentation also makes several assumptions about the Wii U (dubbed "Wii2" in the piece, showing its age) and Sony's eventual next console, specifically claiming that the Wii U will cost around $249, and that the "PS4" will be some kind of GoogleTV device, on top of being a Sony console.

Pokemon Conquest strategically designed to bring in new players

sghsdhsdhkjsnhkjsnddkj

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 11 2012 01:00 GMT in Pokemon Conquest

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1 Like?

Come on down to Amazon for all your E3 helicopter and bow games

Going into my interview with Pokemon Conquest director Hisashi Koinuma, the DS strategy game seemed like the most inscrutably random agglomeration of properties imaginable. I couldn't begin to imagine a reason anyone would think to merge Pokemon with Nobunaga's Ambition, a strategy game about real Japanese warlords.

Koinuma cut through the confusion without trouble, in an instant. "It would be nice if players would become interested in Nobunaga's Ambition," Koinuma said in response to my question about Conquest as a Nobunaga's gateway. "But as Tecmo Koei has created a lot of simulation titles, we wanted to introduce the genre of simulation games to children. It's not so much that we want them to start playing Nobunaga's Ambition as an entry point, but just as an entry point to the genre of simulation games."

Of course! It all makes perfect sense as a first strategy game to pull kids into the genre. "Especially in Japan," he continued, "the number of users of simulation games has really dropped over the years, so in order to keep people interested in that genre, we hope that kids would play this game and would take it as a suggestion of 'oh, simulation games are like this.' Then in the future they'd continue playing simulation games."

Koinuma believes that the hardcore nature of strategy/simulation fans leads the games to become ever more difficult and less accessible to attempt to satisfy said fans. "At the same time, there are people who want to start trying simulation games, well, now the games on the market are a lot more difficult, so it's a lot harder to learn how simulation games. Some new users are kind of turned off by the genre because it's too difficult."

ah, so it's just a ploy to get kids to play Nobunaga's Ambition

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h

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Posted by Joystiq Jun 08 2012 16:00 GMT in Tomb Raider

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1 Like?

amazon.com

Amazon identified two major tropes in this year's E3 games, and then, to our delight, rounded up all the games featuring these tropes in a promotional page. Allow us to present: "E3 Helicopter and Bow Titles."

Everything from Brave (bow) to Beyond: Two Souls (helicopter) to Tomb Raider (helicopter and bow) is conveniently collected for your helicopter and bow game needs. It even links out to a few already-released games featuring helicopters and bows, for the impatient helicopter/bow enthusiast.

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Humble Indie Bundle V includes Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers, Amnesia, Bastion (as a bonus)

Posted by Joystiq May 31 2012 18:07 GMT in Humble Indie Bundle

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humblebundle.com

The fifth iteration of the Humble Indie Bundle has gone live, granting donors their choice of Mac, PC or Linux versions of Psychonauts, Limbo, Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and Amnesia: The Dark Descent, as well as the soundtracks for each game. Anyone that pays above the average price (currently $6.71) will also receive Baston and its soundtrack.

Seeing as the Steam release of Sword & Sworcery EP is still only available on PC, this bundle is currently the only way to buy it for OSX. As per usual, patrons can decide how much of their purchase price goes to the developers, to charity, and as a tip to Humble Bundle folks.

yes

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Hell yes, I've wanted to play Psychonauts for goddamn ever.

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PS2 and PSP SOCOM servers shutting down at the end of August

Posted by Joystiq May 31 2012 04:59 GMT in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3

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gameinformer.com

Amazingly, Zipper Interactive servers for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs have continued to be active since the game's original debut on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, meaning that crazy people dedicated fans with online adapter-equipped PS2s have been able to keep playing for nearly 10 years. Now though, since Zipper Interactive doesn't exist anymore and everything, the servers for four PS2 SOCOM games and four PSP SOCOM titles will be taken offline at the end of August.

PlayStation 2 SOCOMs I, II, and III (as well as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault) will be going dark, as will the PSP various SOCOM titles, Fireteam Bravo (I, II and III) and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strke.

If this outage affects your regular gaming routine, we offer our most sincere condolences. Also, we'd like to point out that many thousands of games have been released since 2002, some of which you might enjoy. Perhaps this will be a good opportunity to go check some of 'em out?

Adventure Update components coming to Minecraft XBLA, eventually

Goddamn, I really have to commend them for keeping the servers up so long. I should've gotten my network adapter working and played some SOCOM II.

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Posted by Joystiq May 25 2012 04:15 GMT in Minecraft

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1 Like?

oxm.co.uk

It may not be the next update (that's scheduled to be an Xbox approximation of Beta version 1.7.3, which adds pistons), but at some point the XBLA version of Minecraft will be brought up to parity with PC version 1.8, also known as the Adventure Update.

"There are no big architecture changes with the move to 1.7.3, so it's been quite straightforward. The move to 1.8.2 is much more challenging," 4J Studios co-founder Paddy Burns told OXM. "We are working with Daniel Kaplan at Mojang to define what is going in to the Xbox version, but the aim is to include as many of the PC features that make sense on the Xbox as possible. The game isn't Minecraft on the Xbox, it is Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, so it isn't really a direct port of the PC game."

When the Adventure Update went live last on PCs September, it introduced the Endermen, several new kinds of building materials, a new mode specifically designed for free-form creation (dubbed "Creative mode"), as well as more minor changes to combat mechanics and the introduction of a food system.

Is MC Arcade worth it? If I have a few friends that would play it with me, is it worth it? I payed a bunch for Pocket edition and I honestly still dont think it is worth it, several months later. So if MC Arcade is worth it and they will update I might, so do you think it is worth 1600 Microsoft points

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Ok thanks I will stick with PC

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Pokemon Black and White 2 story trailer features Pokemon, people

Posted by Joystiq May 20 2012 22:00 GMT in Pokemon White Version 2

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1 Like?

nintendoworldreport.com

An animated trailer showcasing the plot of the upcoming Pokemon Black and White Version 2 games was released on the official Pokemon website, and features the return of the villainous N and Team Plasma. Though the website notes that the video is not intended to be used during the games, the Japanese trailer sheds a little light on the characters involved in the DS sequels.

In addition to the familiar foes, it seems players can expect to see friends-of-the-hero Bianca and Cheren. The games are due out on June 23 in Japan and will launch some time in the fall in North America.

woah

The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Offspring Fling

pokemon desu desu desu *dramatic pause* desu

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Posted by Joystiq May 12 2012 04:00 GMT in PC Gaming News

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store.steampowered.com

Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Kyle Pulver's Offspring Fling is the best PC and Mac game you could ask for in the week approaching Mother's Day. Or any other day, really.

Pre-pitch-post-gray-intro note: Offspring Fling launched on Steam today for PC and Mac, and it's 20 percent off through May 18. It includes the Mother's Day Update, which has a level editor, replay and sharing features. Go make momma proud!

What's your game called and what's it about?

It's called Offspring Fling, and it's a game about a poor forest creature that has misplaced her children in a mostly happy but sometimes spooky forest. She'll have to make her way through more than 100 levels of baby throwing, puzzle solving, button pressing, bee-avoiding action if she wants to get them all home by dinner.

What inspired you to make Offspring Fling?

May 2011: I went to a local game jam in the Phoenix area. The theme: Motherhood. After an hour or so I had an idea of a puzzle-platformer game where you have to get a bunch of babies safely to an exit, and you could use them in all sorts of ways to solve puzzles and platforming challenges. Forty-eight hours later I had a pretty solid prototype of the game with 15 playable levels, and I ran with it from there.

>Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative
Yeah I'm just in awe at all the generic pixelated platformers they shit out daily.

This is not a test: Portal 2 sales top 4 million, map editor DLC out today

this is like the equivalent of saying everyone on deviantart is brilliant and innovative, it just doesn't work like that

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Posted by Joystiq May 08 2012 18:00 GMT in Portal 2

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1 Like?

neogamr.net

Portal 2 has sold more than 4 million units worldwide since its launch on April 18, 2011, and Valve is slowly but steadily (mostly slowly) supporting it with new content, such as today's batch of DLC, the Perpetual Testing Initiative. The Perpetual Testing Initiative offers players a map-editing tool, which looks a lot like this, so fans can make testing chambers to rival GLaDOS'. And make maps shaped like penises, probably.

The map editor in today's DLC is accessible for new players, yet robust enough to satisfy hardcore ones, Valve tells NeoGamr. Valve's first attempt at fan-made maps, the Hammer editor, is tech-heavy and complicated for most people to get a hang of, most likely because it's Valve's in-house map creation tool - still, players have created more than 400 maps with Hammer. However, without a standardized way to share the maps, most of these have gone unnoticed by the larger community.

The Perpetual Testing Initiative's puzzle maker allows users to export their creations in Hammer's native format and continue building with the more powerful tools, if they so choose. The simple map editor is "incredibly powerful for all of its simplicity and can easily reproduce pretty much every puzzle from Portal 2," Valve said.

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Skullgirls boppin' to PC digital distribution later this year

Posted by Joystiq May 02 2012 22:30 GMT in Steam

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Reverge Labs' debut fighter Skullgirls is coming to major digital distribution channels later this year. The Windows PC port will be available on Steam, Origin, GameFly, GamersGate and GameStop PC Downloads.

The PC version will ship with several updates built in - updates that will eventually be patched into the console versions. These include "in-game movelists, additional tutorials, retuned single player AI, enhanced leaderboards, in-game name display for online matches, and additional multi-player regions."

hnnngh yes

NintendoWare Weekly: An actual Virtual Console game

and now I have no excuse

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Posted by Joystiq Apr 26 2012 21:00 GMT in Nintendo News

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After two weeks of absolutely nothing in new Wii downloads, Nintendo dropped a new Virtual Console game on us. And not just any new Virtual Console game, Super Street Fighter II ... with online play. Even after being released in Japan last November, and being announced locally by Capcom the same month, it's still surprising to see extra functionality.

It's still surprising to see a Wii Virtual Console game.

Mega64 brings Skyward Sword to Earth

Online play in a Virtual Console game? *gasp* If only they had done this from the beginning

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Posted by Joystiq Apr 23 2012 15:45 GMT in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

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mega64.com

Behind every legendary warrior is some guy with a Wiimote, desperately trying to perform a shield bash. Unless, of course, live-action video game pantomime is "not [your] lifestyle."

Super Monday Night Combat accidentally hits Steam, dev rolls with it

thats pretty amazing I ain't gonna lie
Wish I had the balls to be an asshole in public

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Posted by Joystiq Apr 17 2012 22:30 GMT in Super Monday Night Combat

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uberent.com

Super Monday Night Combat is live and free to play on Steam right now, even though it's technically still supposed to be in beta. The launch came as a surprise to developer Uber Entertainment, but it's decided to embrace the release, and Super Monday Night Combat is now a thing that you can play. Uber Entertainment's Ekanaut explains what happened on the official forums:

"We did a bunch of invites over the weekend and there was some wonkiness on how the messaging went out with lots of confusion which resulted in more silliness. We decided to just open it up. There will be an announcement about it on Steam soon."

Wonkiness leads to confusion; confusion leads to silliness; silliness is the path to a speedy Steam release. So, surprise! Go play some Super Monday Night Combat, because you totally can.

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Report: Capcom sees 'no distinction' between on-disc and off-disc DLC

Posted by Joystiq Apr 03 2012 15:00 GMT in Street Fighter x Tekken

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2 Like?

cinemablend.com

Some consumers were particularly riled by Capcom's decision to lock Street Fighter X Tekken downloadable content directly on the disc itself. Some were riled enough to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, with Cinema Blend posting a response from Capcom reportedly received by several consumers. Capcom's statement defends the practice, noting that the company is sorry for customers that feel disappointed, though it adds that the game includes "an enormous amount of content" out of the box.

As for the DLC itself, the statement echoes Capcom's previous remarks, saying that the on-disc content "will provide more flexible and efficient gameplay throughout the game's lifecycle." The statement adds that the only difference between on-disc and off-disc DLC is delivery method, with Capcom nothing there is "effectively no distinction" between them.

For what it's worth, Capcom has closed 10 complaints with the BBB over the last 12 months, six of those coming since March 27, after the launch of Street Fighter X Tekken.

HA HA, GOOD ONE CAPCOM. APRIL FOOLS, RIGHT?

...right?

God damn it.

Kid Icarus: Uprising prototype began on Wii and PC

becuase games aren't supposed to stand up on their own right?

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Posted by Joystiq Mar 30 2012 10:00 GMT in Kid Icarus Uprising

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siliconera.com

Before Kid Icarus: Uprising became the carpal tunnel syndrome-inducing good time it is today, it began development on the PC and Wii. In a new Iwata Asks column, designer Masahiro Sakurai shares the story of development and some neat prototype videos showcasing Kid Icarus: Uprising as it was way before its E3 2010 unveiling. At the outset, Sakurai's company Project Sora didn't even have 3DS dev kits, so they had to start on PC and Wii.

The videos -- uploaded to YouTube by Siliconera and embedded above and past the break -- were created to illustrate Sakurai's vision to new dev-team members coming onto the project. Iwata admits the reason it took so long to get Kid Icarus: Uprising out the door was having to port the already established work on PC and Wii over to 3DS.

Thank Kojima's son for getting Snake into Smash Bros. Brawl

wow god *crag*ing dammit nintendo

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Posted by Joystiq Mar 20 2012 01:30 GMT in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

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Jet Set Radio HD retains US-version content, half of original track list

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima and Sora Ltd. head Masahiro Sakurai are friends. So when Hideo Kojima wanted one of his most famous characters, Solid Snake, put into Sakurai's fighting series, Super Smash Bros., all the two had to do was talk. "When I was developing Super Smash Bros. Melee for GameCube, Hideo Kojima contacted me and practically begged me to put him in there, but at that time we were deep in dev and it was too late," Sakurai told Kotaku back in 2006. Snake didn't end up in Melee, but did appear in the Wii's iteration of Super Smash Bros.: Brawl.

So what drove Kojima to "practically beg" Sakurai to get Snake in the game? "My child likes Super Smash Bros., so we play it a lot together. And he told me that there's no character that you made in that game," Hideo Kojima told a group of interviewers late last week ahead of the Smithsonian's "The Art of Videogames" exhibit. Aside from his son's pleading, Kojima pointed to Metal Gear's low profile on Nintendo consoles as a second reason.

"As you know, we did make Twin Snakes, but generally speaking, there hasn't been a lot of Metal Gear on Nintendo platforms. So from that perspective, I thought it was a good way to expose younger people to this character, Snake," he said. It must be working, as Snake is one of Brawl's most popular characters.

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Posted by Joystiq Mar 13 2012 22:32 GMT in Jet Grind Radio

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New SimCity scraping sky on PC in 2013

Stripping out Jet Set Radio's eclectic mix of original and licensed music would be a vandalism far worse than that perpetrated by its roving band of cel-shaded graffiti artists. Sega's proposal of a high-definition update to the cherished and influential Dreamcast game skated around the question, but now we know just how much of the music will remain intact: 16 tracks, roughly half of the 30 shipped between the North American and European versions.

Sega tells Joystiq it made every effort to pursue and re-license all the music, but cost and even the availability of certain music publishers became an impediment. In the end, Jet Set Radio keeps its original music (composed by Hideki Naganuma), and several fan favorites like "Magical Girl" (Guitar Vader) and "Funky Radio" (B.B. Rights). We'll probably survive without Rob Zombie.

Though the NTSC- and PAL-specific tracks haven't made the cut, the levels developed for those versions (including Grind Square) will be included with this summer's HD port. The preservation may not be flawless, but the presentation nearly is -- Jet Set Radio's bold, cartoonish aesthetic benefits immensely from the higher resolution, 16:9 display and 60 frames-per-second output. Oh, and there's one more thing you didn't have before: a second analogue stick to steer the camera!

Sega is now determinded to *crag* up every IP related to their company. Sonic wasn't enough.

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As long as it has Hideki, I can live with it

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Posted by Joystiq Mar 07 2012 02:05 GMT in Electronic Arts

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The permits are all set for a new SimCity to begin building the next great metropolis, EA and Maxis announced this evening at GDC 2012. It's coming to PC in 2013, and going back to Maxis.

The official word follows a string of leaked screens and a prematurely outed trailer that seemed intended for GDC. The game will run on the GlassBox engine, which EA plans to describe in more detail at tomorrow's "Inside the GlassBox" presentation at GDC. So far, we've confirmed that it'll have curvy roads!