Sure there's guns galore in this Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launch trailer, but virtual Kevin Spacey overshadows all of them. Pre-ordering will get you 24 hour early access (along with double XP and a bunch of guns) but really, we just want more of that handsome man. Mmm.
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Sure there's guns galore in this Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launch trailer, but virtual Kevin Spacey overshadows all of them. Pre-ordering will get you 24 hour early access (along with double XP and a bunch of guns) but really, we just want more of that handsome man. Mmm.
[Image:...
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Good news, non-American JRPG fans – your extended wait for Shin Megami Tensei 4 is (probably) almost over! A recent press release from publisher Atlus lists a digital-only release on October 30 for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since SMT4's classes started last year in the United States, the 3DS' venture will be priced at 18 or 20 euros, with DLC reaching the new regions within the month following launch.
The game's most recent European delay was due to "last-minute issues" back in September, but Managing Editor Susan Arendt's review remarks that SMT4 has "more than enough going on to hook you early and keep you playing for a long, long time," so it might all be worth the wait.
The game's most recent European delay was due to "last-minute issues" back in September, but Managing Editor Susan Arendt's review remarks that SMT4 has "more than enough going on to hook you early and keep you playing for a long, long time," so it might all be worth the wait.
[Image: Atlus]
Mighty No. 9, Comcept's spirtual successor to the Mega Man series, will feature English voice acting according to an update on the game's Kickstarter page. A vote which drew more than 20,000 participants was the deciding factor, and according to the update, the vote was never more than 1,000 votes from going in favor of English or Japanese.
Back in July, Comcept updated their crowdfunding efforts and asked for $200,000 to add both English and Japanese voices. However, at the beginning of October, a Kickstarter update explained that funding was insufficient for supporting both languages.
"Rather than stick to the revised target of $200K for both English and Japanese voice acting and close it down short of the goal, we've decided to lower the goal back to the original $100K for one language," the update reads. "And, rather than dictate which one voiced language we offer in the game, we want to put it to a vote and let you, our loyal backers decide: English or Japanese!" Now that the votes have been tallied, it appears the former is the winner.
Mighty No. 9 is due to release in spring of 2015 for ten mighty systems: PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U and 3DS.
Back in July, Comcept updated their crowdfunding efforts and asked for $200,000 to add both English and Japanese voices. However, at the beginning of October, a Kickstarter update explained that funding was insufficient for supporting both languages.
"Rather than stick to the revised target of $200K for both English and Japanese voice acting and close it down short of the goal, we've decided to lower the goal back to the original $100K for one language," the update reads. "And, rather than dictate which one voiced language we offer in the game, we want to put it to a vote and let you, our loyal backers decide: English or Japanese!" Now that the votes have been tallied, it appears the former is the winner.
Mighty No. 9 is due to release in spring of 2015 for ten mighty systems: PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U and 3DS.
[Image: Comcept]
It's often said that sci-fi MMO EVE Online isn't so much a game as a giant online spreadsheet and that people pay a subscription fee in order to have a second job they don't get paid for. While that's little more than a joke to the majority of EVE players, there are those for whom EVE is genuinely played on a massive spreadsheet. In a guest talk at EVE Vegas 2014 earlier today, players Javajunky and Gossamer DT from the logistics division of one of the game's largest coalitions discussed the monumental amount of work that goes into the industrial and organisation side of running a nullsec alliance or coalition.
During the talk, Gossamer DT discussed an interesting piece of custom software he develops called Region Commander that was designed specifically for organising player empires. The tool keeps track of starbase tower fuel, maintains a blacklist of players who have been kicked out of the coalition, and allows organisers to create and assign tasks to players in their command. Players who want to contribute to their alliance's industrial backbone can log into the system to take on work tasks due for completion, and the tool updates in realtime. The only thing missing is a punch card and a paycheck.
Using this tool, players have managed to combat the logistical and organisational challenges that would naturally make coalitions of thousands of players infeasible. Many third party tools have been criticised in the past for providing gameplay advantages to those who use them and increasing the gulf between new and experienced players. Players already have tools to help with mining and trading, and even ones that parse data from your ship scanner into useful information for your Fleet Commander. It's clear that whether CCP or the playerbase approves of these tools, this djinn won't be going back into its bottle.
During the talk, Gossamer DT discussed an interesting piece of custom software he develops called Region Commander that was designed specifically for organising player empires. The tool keeps track of starbase tower fuel, maintains a blacklist of players who have been kicked out of the coalition, and allows organisers to create and assign tasks to players in their command. Players who want to contribute to their alliance's industrial backbone can log into the system to take on work tasks due for completion, and the tool updates in realtime. The only thing missing is a punch card and a paycheck.
Using this tool, players have managed to combat the logistical and organisational challenges that would naturally make coalitions of thousands of players infeasible. Many third party tools have been criticised in the past for providing gameplay advantages to those who use them and increasing the gulf between new and experienced players. Players already have tools to help with mining and trading, and even ones that parse data from your ship scanner into useful information for your Fleet Commander. It's clear that whether CCP or the playerbase approves of these tools, this djinn won't be going back into its bottle.
Constantin Film, the production company behind the live-action Resident Evil films, will produce a television show based on Capcom's horror franchise sometime after the debut of a sixth film, Variety reports.
If that sounds familiar, you may recall that back in August, it was discovered that another production company, Mance Media, had pitched the idea of a serious detective drama set in the Resident Evil universe. The page describing said show has since been taken down however, and with the current license holders announcing their intentions to create their own TV series, it seems the project known as "Arklay" is likely dead.
That's not to say Constantin's TV show can't absorb some of Mance Media's ideas into their version, though. In fact, there's almost nothing known about the series, other than its proposed existence. It could end up being a faithful adaptation of the games, a continuation of the films, or something else entirely. For now, the only thing we could accurately call it is a mystery.
If that sounds familiar, you may recall that back in August, it was discovered that another production company, Mance Media, had pitched the idea of a serious detective drama set in the Resident Evil universe. The page describing said show has since been taken down however, and with the current license holders announcing their intentions to create their own TV series, it seems the project known as "Arklay" is likely dead.
That's not to say Constantin's TV show can't absorb some of Mance Media's ideas into their version, though. In fact, there's almost nothing known about the series, other than its proposed existence. It could end up being a faithful adaptation of the games, a continuation of the films, or something else entirely. For now, the only thing we could accurately call it is a mystery.
[Image: Constantin Film]
During the Keynote speech at EVE Vegas 2014, EVE Online developers revealed some big news for the game's next two major updates. We heard the broad strokes of CCP's plans at the latest EVE Fanfest back in March, when it was revealed that the company would switch from releasing two expansions per year to around ten smaller releases. The upcoming Phoebe release planned for November 4th will improve Tech 2 Invention, improve life in the lawless nullsec regions with heavy nerfs to capital ship movement, and introduce a highly requested unlimited length skill queue system.
While players are certainly looking forward to Phoebe, it's December's Rhea update that will really pack a punch. The Blackbird, Falcon, and Rook electronic warfare ships will get new models, and a new type of freighter codenamed the "Tug" will be introduced that can move large numbers of fitted ships around the game. But the big news coming out of EVE Vegas 2014 today is that a completely new set of tech 3 ships will be added for the first time since 2009's Apocrypha expansion. The new ships are tactical destroyer, and they aren't just smaller versions of the tech 3 strategic cruisers.
Instead of being built out of a set of subsystems, tactical destroyers will have the ability to switch between several modes on the fly, transforming them from snipers or tanks to speed demons as required. If you've ever wanted to transfer full power to your engines or shields like something out of Star Trek, these new ships are for you. Thanks to winning a recent research race event, the Amarr version of the ship will be released before the other races.
While players are certainly looking forward to Phoebe, it's December's Rhea update that will really pack a punch. The Blackbird, Falcon, and Rook electronic warfare ships will get new models, and a new type of freighter codenamed the "Tug" will be introduced that can move large numbers of fitted ships around the game. But the big news coming out of EVE Vegas 2014 today is that a completely new set of tech 3 ships will be added for the first time since 2009's Apocrypha expansion. The new ships are tactical destroyer, and they aren't just smaller versions of the tech 3 strategic cruisers.
Instead of being built out of a set of subsystems, tactical destroyers will have the ability to switch between several modes on the fly, transforming them from snipers or tanks to speed demons as required. If you've ever wanted to transfer full power to your engines or shields like something out of Star Trek, these new ships are for you. Thanks to winning a recent research race event, the Amarr version of the ship will be released before the other races.
Things have been quiet regarding Moon Spider Studio's Harold since we last checked it out, but it looks like the platformer / runner mash-up is nearing the finish line. A new trailer, released yesterday, claims a release window of "Fall 2014" for PC.
We wouldn't blame you for forgetting what Harold is about over the past 26 months, so here's a refresher: in order for a guardian angel to enter archangel academy, it must first succeed in a competition where it guides a runner through obstacle courses full of pitfalls and traps.
In the player's case, you're an angel assigned to help Harold, a protagonist who is somewhat ... athletically-challenged. You'll be able to manipulate objects to help Harold out or hinder his competitors, or even zap the ground with lightning to dish out some much-needed motivation.
To see Harold in action, check out the recently-released trailer after the break.
We wouldn't blame you for forgetting what Harold is about over the past 26 months, so here's a refresher: in order for a guardian angel to enter archangel academy, it must first succeed in a competition where it guides a runner through obstacle courses full of pitfalls and traps.
In the player's case, you're an angel assigned to help Harold, a protagonist who is somewhat ... athletically-challenged. You'll be able to manipulate objects to help Harold out or hinder his competitors, or even zap the ground with lightning to dish out some much-needed motivation.
To see Harold in action, check out the recently-released trailer after the break.
Those with an undying love for physical media should prowl Ubisoft's Uplay store for a peek at Assassin's Creed Unity's Steelbook Edition, a $64.99 target housing PS4, Xbox One and PC downloads of the game. The Steelbook features a stained-glass take of Unity's protagonist, Arno, drawn by illustrator Tony Moore, the same artist that worked with Rob Zombie on an ultra-violent short celebrating the Assassin's Creed series.
Reinforced protection for your disc (or voucher) is joined by an official soundtrack and art book, all of which should be heading for your door by Unity's general November 11 launch day. Editor-in-Chief Ludwig Kietzmann recently followed Unity's stealth-favoring lead, and while he thinks its crouch-activated stealth mode is "effective and snapping to cover worked well on every surface," Ludwig's Arno "often climbed the wrong way" and was hindered by a framerate that "seems to have a lot of trouble keeping up with Unity's huge crowds and vivid lighting, which impacts Arno's responsiveness."
Reinforced protection for your disc (or voucher) is joined by an official soundtrack and art book, all of which should be heading for your door by Unity's general November 11 launch day. Editor-in-Chief Ludwig Kietzmann recently followed Unity's stealth-favoring lead, and while he thinks its crouch-activated stealth mode is "effective and snapping to cover worked well on every surface," Ludwig's Arno "often climbed the wrong way" and was hindered by a framerate that "seems to have a lot of trouble keeping up with Unity's huge crowds and vivid lighting, which impacts Arno's responsiveness."
[Image: Ubisoft]
Even if the line of NFC-compatible amiibo toys doesn't eventually reflect Super Smash Bros.' entire roster, buying every figure revealed so far would put you back about $234 (!!!). You can ease into the investment by ordering the game from Toys R Us however, as the chain is offering a free amiibo with the purchase of Smash Bros. on Wii U.
The promotion is offered online while supplies last and is activated by placing both a copy of Smash Bros. and an amiibo of your choice in your cart. When we contacted employees at local stores to see if the deal is valid in store however, we received inconsistent answers, so you may want to call your nearest store before stopping in.
As for the $99.99 bundle that includes a GameCube-style controller, adapter and a copy of Smash Bros., it's currently absent from Toys R Us' website. We've contacted Toys R Us' PR department to see if the bundle will also eventually be compatible with the free amiibo deal and will update if we hear anything.
The promotion is offered online while supplies last and is activated by placing both a copy of Smash Bros. and an amiibo of your choice in your cart. When we contacted employees at local stores to see if the deal is valid in store however, we received inconsistent answers, so you may want to call your nearest store before stopping in.
As for the $99.99 bundle that includes a GameCube-style controller, adapter and a copy of Smash Bros., it's currently absent from Toys R Us' website. We've contacted Toys R Us' PR department to see if the bundle will also eventually be compatible with the free amiibo deal and will update if we hear anything.
[Image: Nintendo]
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet.
As the Smash Bros. and Halo series have taught us, stopping the action to play around with in-game cameras can be oddly compelling (and gleefully annoying to rivals/co-op partners). If The Last Of Us: Remastered and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor's inclusion of similar features are the start of a trend, we'd welcome it with open There was plenty more to this week than snapping photos of an orc squadron's downfall though – Halo: The Master Chief Collection is expected to have a ~20GB day one patch, there were reviews for The Evil Within, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Bayonetta 2, and we got a full-frame perspective of publisher Devolver Digital. Check all that out and more after the break!
Modder Ed Zarick, creator of an Xbox One / laptop hybrid called the "Xbook One" is back at work making this generation of consoles more mobile. This week, he shares with us the "Playbook 4," a combination of Sony's PlayStation 4, custom 3D printed parts and a 22-inch Vizio televsion.
Like the Xbook One, the Playbook 4 is portable, but not entirely so - it still requires a wall outlet for power, so your options on where you can use it are limited. Still, there are plenty of outlets in the world, right? Got an hour to kill between college classes? Playbook 4. Long wait in the doctor's office? Playbook 4.
Wherever you go, we imagine you'll want to take extra special care of it. The system costs roughly $1500, after all (though the price comes down to $1095 plus shipping if you send Zarick your own PS4). To see the system in action, check out Zarick's overview video after the break.
Like the Xbook One, the Playbook 4 is portable, but not entirely so - it still requires a wall outlet for power, so your options on where you can use it are limited. Still, there are plenty of outlets in the world, right? Got an hour to kill between college classes? Playbook 4. Long wait in the doctor's office? Playbook 4.
Wherever you go, we imagine you'll want to take extra special care of it. The system costs roughly $1500, after all (though the price comes down to $1095 plus shipping if you send Zarick your own PS4). To see the system in action, check out Zarick's overview video after the break.
Pokken Tournament is choosing Japanese arcades first to more quickly gauge the reaction from intensive fighting game fans, according to Siliconera's translation of 4Gamer's interview with developer Bandai Namco's Katsuhiro Harada.
Since Pokken Tournament is meant to be a complex, competitive game, Harada said it's important to watch the game's reception in a harsh community, where a round of play is typically 100 yen (~93 cents). Harada added that boring or unengaging games are quickly abandoned in the arcade scene, and that having Pokken Tournament survive in the environment would be something the team could be proud of.
Harada is co-leading Pokken Tournament's development with SoulCalibur series producer Masaaki Hoshino, with the left-field fighter due to try capturing an arcade audience in 2015.
Since Pokken Tournament is meant to be a complex, competitive game, Harada said it's important to watch the game's reception in a harsh community, where a round of play is typically 100 yen (~93 cents). Harada added that boring or unengaging games are quickly abandoned in the arcade scene, and that having Pokken Tournament survive in the environment would be something the team could be proud of.
Harada is co-leading Pokken Tournament's development with SoulCalibur series producer Masaaki Hoshino, with the left-field fighter due to try capturing an arcade audience in 2015.
[Image: Bandai Namco]
It sounds strange, but one of the best environments in the latest downloadable chapter of Dark Souls 2 DLC is hardly an environment at all. It's called the Frigid Outskirts, and it's a vast, nearly empty expanse – a long, curving valley only occasionally dotted with small, dilapidated stone structures. Like much of Dark Souls 2, however, this area of "The Crown of the Ivory King" DLC differentiates itself from the rest of the game with a few outstanding features.
Specifically: a constant, unrelenting blizzard. What should be a simple jaunt from one end to the other becomes considerably more difficult, as near whiteout conditions make it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of you, only clearing once every thirty seconds or so. It's a smart mechanic that not only imparts a sense of fear, but also elevates what would otherwise be a boring, linear quest.
And then there are the lightning-spewing horse bastards that accost you at regular intervals, but we'll get to those later.
Specifically: a constant, unrelenting blizzard. What should be a simple jaunt from one end to the other becomes considerably more difficult, as near whiteout conditions make it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of you, only clearing once every thirty seconds or so. It's a smart mechanic that not only imparts a sense of fear, but also elevates what would otherwise be a boring, linear quest.
And then there are the lightning-spewing horse bastards that accost you at regular intervals, but we'll get to those later.
Sony is discounting 20 games and 30 movies as part of this weekend's PSN Flash Sale – and it's not hard to figure out the theme. The deals include PS3 games like Bayonetta ($7.99), BloodRayne: Betrayal ($2.49), Portal 2 ($4.99), Remember Me ($11.99), Mirror's Edge ($2.25) and Beyond Good and Evil ($3.49). The sale also features a few games for both PS3 and Vita, such as Hatsune Miku: Project Diva ($11.99 for Vita, $19.99 for PS3), Knytt Underground ($2.49) and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis ($1.49).
PSN's discounted movies vary in price based on whether viewers pick up the standard or high-definition versions. Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2 are $6.99 each ($9.99 HD), as is Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its follow-up, Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life ($10.99 HD each). Plus, Five Resident Evil films as well as four Underworld movies are discounted this weekend to $8.99 each ($9.99 HD). The sale ends at 3:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. PST) on Monday, October 20.
PSN's discounted movies vary in price based on whether viewers pick up the standard or high-definition versions. Kill Bill Volume 1 and Volume 2 are $6.99 each ($9.99 HD), as is Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its follow-up, Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life ($10.99 HD each). Plus, Five Resident Evil films as well as four Underworld movies are discounted this weekend to $8.99 each ($9.99 HD). The sale ends at 3:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. PST) on Monday, October 20.
[Image: Majesco]
Welcome to Barely Related, a conversational Friday column that presents the non-gaming news stories that we, the Joystiq staff, have been talking about over the past week. And no, we're not stopping our focus on industry and gaming news. Think of this as your casual weekly recap of interesting (and mostly geeky) news, presented just in time to fill your brain with things to discuss at all of those weekend shindigs.
Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
Grab a fresh drink, lean back in your armchair, and get ready to talk nerdy with us.
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Super Joystiq Podcast 117: The Evil Within, Far Cry 4, Bayonetta 2
Latest episode: Friday, October 17th, 2014





