Mario Tennis Open, like most of the Mushroom Kingdom's forays into the world of athletics, isn't really a sports game. All of the pieces are set in place to look like a tennis game, with a layer of Mario's signature whimsy on top, but the game itself is all rhythm and pattern recognition.

This simplicity makes it easy to pick up and play, with the unfortunate side effect of making it lose its challenge too quickly. It's a satisfying game and packs some exhilarating moments, but it exhausts its mechanics too soon.

Continue Reading

The main story in The Elder Scrolls Online will be a solitary experience, game director Matt Firor revealed in a video interview with Game Informer.

"In the Elder Scrolls games you're always the hero, whether you want to be or not," Firor said. "You go out there and you kill the dragons. You kill Mehrunes Dagon in Oblivion. In Morrowind, you're up there fighting the Tribunal - those are huge, global, epic things that you don't want to stand in line to do in an MMO. The last thing you want to do is have the final confrontation with Mehrunes Dagon as he's stomping across the Imperial City, and you see like 15 guys behind you waiting to kill him because they're on the same quest.

"We have a whole part of the game that is 100 per cent solo, which is the main story, where the world focuses on you. You are the hero, everything you do is solo and the world reacts to you that way," Firor said.

Previous details do include PvP matches of up to 200 players, but those are obviously separate from the main quest. The Elder Scrolls Online will be played in a third-person perspective and is attempting to be a "modern" MMO, blending The Elder Scrolls features into this new genre. Not all Elder Scrolls fans are happy with the new title's angle, but Firor said that's just fine.

"The worst situation for a game community to be in is where no one posts on the boards because they don't care," he said. "If they post on the boards, they care, even if they're not being so polite about it. But that's a fact of life: You're an Internet game, you're on the Internet, you have an Internet community. And the Internet community is always very vocal.

"So what you do is learn from it. You make sure you do the best job to deliver the best game that you can and they you go from there."

EA's Origin is jumping on the Kickstarter bandwagon – no, not by Kickstarting an EA game (that would be hilarious) but instead, by presenting itself as an ally to crowd-funded games.

EA announced today that it will waive distribution fees for crowd-funded games for 90 days after launch. The offer is extended only to "fully-funded, complete and ready-to-publish games designed for digital download to PC platforms." InXile's Brian Fargo and Pinkerton Road's Jane Jensen voiced their support in the press release.

"The public support for crowd-funding creative game ideas coming from small developers today is nothing short of phenomenal," said Origin SVP David DeMartini in the announcement. "It's also incredibly healthy for the gaming industry. Gamers around the world deserve a chance to play every great new game, and by waiving distribution fees on Origin we can help make that a reality for successfully crowd-funded developers." EA also gets a nice patina of indirect indie cred by supporting Kickstarted games.

Continue Reading

The Super Joystiq Podcast goes to hell and back in another packed episode.

In the Previews segment, Xav and Ludwig discuss E3 Judge's Week, new details on The Last of Us, Max Payne 3 single-player, Infinity Blade: Dungeons, and more; Mike and Richard discuss their experiences with Diablo 3 and the Torchlight 2 beta in a new segment of Debate Club; Jess, Jordan, and Dave play Offspring Fling in a new approach to the Joystiq Research Institute (We've added Science!); and Alexander, JC, and Ben discuss this week's biggest news, including the 38 Studios debacle, Activision's legal issues, and THQ's financial woes.

Stay tuned to the end of the show to find out how you can win a copy of the Diablo 3: Collector's Edition! (Some rules and conditions apply, see after the break for details.) Also, make sure to follow the new @JoystiqPodcast Twitter feed for your shot at Torchlight 2 beta codes!

We told you this show would be Super.

Listen to the Super Joystiq Podcast:

• Subscribe to the Super Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
• Super Joystiq Podcast is also available in the Zune Marketplace
• Add the Super Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
• Download the MP3 directly

A stream of the show and details about each segment is available after the break.

Continue Reading

The next artist and musician pair to create a Sound Shapes album has worked together before: Superbrothers and Jim Guthrie famously collaborated on Sword & Sworcery EP, and now they've made "Corporeal," a series of levels for Queasy Games' Vita platformer.

"After some initial discussion with Queasy," Craig "Superbrothers" Adams said on the PlayStation Blog, "we chose to explore some of the concepts in prior Superbrothers films including Children of the Clone and Dot Matrix Revolution, so our levels are populated by computers, mainframes, office workers and water coolers." The level design is modeled on "something like Impossible Mission for C-64 & Spectrum," though still within the mechanics of Sound Shapes.

Adams didn't offer a specific release date for Sound Shapes, but he did say it'll be playable at Sony's E3 booth. Good news ... for us!

Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee told attendees of a 38 Studios-related press conference that the long awaited 38 Studios MMO – only known currently as "Project Copernicus" – is set to launch in June of 2013. Chafee said, "What I understand is Copernicus is June of '13."

Considering we've literally never heard any information on the Amalur-based MMO (aside from the fact that it's an Amalur-based MMO), it's a bit hard for us to believe that the game will arrive by next year. "I said from the beginning that it was a risky enterprise," Chafee told press of the troubled business deal between 38 and Rhode Island.

38 Studios is supposed to start paying back its $75 million loan – facilitated by the state of Rhode Island and supported by bond investors – by the beginning of 2013. It's unclear how 38 will afford those payments, but Chafee repeatedly pointed out 38's intention to seek private capital (read: more money from private investors – and not from the state). Said private capital has yet to be secured, Chafee said.

38 Studios's $1.125 million check to the state of Rhode Island has cleared, governor Lincoln Chafee announced during a press conference this afternoon, thus fulfilling the first required payment on the studio's loan from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.

Rhode Island is changing its legislation on tax breaks, closing loopholes pertaining to state funds being used for motion-picture endeavors, Chafee said. The state's interest lies in protecting the taxpayers, balanced with keeping 38 Studios solvent, since "taxpayers have had a very generous deal for 38 studios," Chafee said.

"It's time for them to go out and get private capital funding," Chafee said. "That's the deal. It's a generous deal, but stick to it."

Rhode Island officials believe that the total of the $49 million loaned to 38 has been spent. Chafee said that until late April, meetings with 38 suggested that they would make their May payment. "I want to make sure we're doing everything possible to make sure 38 doesn't fail," Chafee said. "We're in deep." Everything possible except giving them more money."There's not going to be any money from the state. They're not coming here for easy money."

According to Chafee, "Basically, the access to private capital hasn't materialized."

38 Studios' next payment is a debt service payment due November 1 of $2.6 million, and Rhode Island officials believe the studio will have the capital to cover it.

38 Studios will then owe $12.6 million in full annual debt service in 2013, and "that's on their dime," officials said.

Chafee said he recognized the risk involved in starting a new gaming studio, but the state would have benefited greatly from the studio's "huge success" had it done well.

"I said from the beginning that it was a risky enterprise," Chafee said. Regarding how 38 Studios will function if it doesn't have the funds to pay its employees, Chafee reiterated, "Again, these are the ramifications of being in a risky business."

Chafee doesn't plan on taking a gamble of this nature again: "Never, never ever. Not under my watch," he said.

If you've somehow managed to get your fill of Trials Evolution's dusty peaks and valleys already, Techland's latest, Mad Riders, may be perfect for you. And hey, the game is set to launch on May 30 according to the latest trailer. That's pretty soon!

Like Trials before it, Mad Riders is a digital-only title, but unlike Trials, it's not limited to a single console (Mad Riders is headed to PSN, XBLA, and PC). It'll be available one day earlier for PSN users on May 29, and May 30 on XBLA and PC, but it'll cost the same on all three: a cool $10. Techland describes that as "an awesome game for the price of a pizza," though we'd warn the studio against devaluing its games as such. What kind of pizza are you gonna get for $10? Terrible pizza, that's what!

"As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master" – Commissioner Pravin Lal ... and there's never been a game quite like Alpha Centauri since.

This weekend, GOG has Alpha Centauri, Dungeon Keeper 1 and 2, SimCity 2000 and Populous 1 and 2 for $3 apiece.

If dated graphics don't bother you, we expect you to be done extracting the fun out of these games sometime in 2015.

Starting May 20 in "participating" US retailers and today in their Canadian equivalents, college students have the opportunity to get a free 4GB Xbox 360 with purchase of certain Windows 7-based PCs. Microsoft didn't announce specific models, but you can ask at the retailer instead of blindly assuming you'll get a free Xbox. Don't forget to bring your student ID.

"Together, a Windows 7-based PC and an Xbox 360 console provide students the functionality they need for school while also helping them stay connected to friends and family far away," Microsoft noted in the announcement, giving students a hint as to the angle they should use to make an Xbox 360 sound like a totally necessary, responsible thing to have for college.

In celebration of stores like Steam and the App Store that allow developers to price their games at whatever they feel like, a group of indies are putting their games on sale next week for ... whatever they feel like.

The "Because We May" sale will run from May 24 through June 1, and will feature sales on the iOS and Mac App Stores, Steam, Google Play, direct downloads from developers, and assorted other venues. The participating games include World of Goo, Osmos, Eets, Bit.Trip Beat and Runner, Canabalt, Waking Mars, Super Meat Boy, Cave Story, the Double Fine Bundle ... basically, you'll find something to buy. As for the prices, it would appear nobody has decided yet.

Publisher Kalypso Media and Tropico series developer Haemimont Games are bringing mob city simulator Omerta - City of Gangsters to Xbox 360 this fall. The game was previously announced for PC, but will now make its way to Microsoft's console, much like Tropico 3, Tropico 4 and Tropico 4: Modern Times (albeit, a little later).

Instead of controlling the day to day of Tropico's banana republic operations, Omerta takes place in the 1920s, as players work their way up as a powerful mobster on the macro level. The made men and women of Omerta must construct or buy building to create speakeasies, distilleries, illegal boxing rings and much more to be good earners. If they don't, well... we hear fishes make great cuddle buddies.

Continue Reading

We don't want to spoil the discovery of Diablo 3's secret world for you – unless you willingly volunteer to be spoiled, in which case follow us after the break. The rest of you: move along.

Continue Reading

The classic board game Scotland Yard is ready to be discovered now as a universal iPad and iPhone app on the iOS App Store. Faithfully based on the classic game of cat and mouse, which has sold over four million copies, the title tasks a group of detectives to hunt down Mister X somewhere in London.

The game supports local, bluetooth or game center. In local play, unlike the original board game, Mister X and the other detectives can be controlled by the computer. The AI is the feature that makes this app worth it for anyone that enjoyed the original game. Players can focus on the task of tracking Mister X (or becoming him) through the subways, on the buses and tracking taxis against some worth adversaries and compatriots (who you don't have to host at your place).

Having made a lifelong profession out of pocketing items of high value, Sly Cooper should feel right at home on the PlayStation Vita. Sony and developer Sanzaru Games, which updated and packaged Sly's PS2 adventures in an HD trilogy collection, have announced that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will also launch on Vita, day-and-date with the PlayStation 3 version.

In addition to being portable and cross-save compatible with the PS3 version, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will offer a few augmentations specific to the Vita hardware. When Sly dons an archer's outfit, for instance, his arrows can be steered into their targets – and connect Sly to those areas via a rope bridge – by tilting the Vita. (Sixaxis? What's that?)

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is due on both PS3 and Vita sometime in Fall 2012. When questioned, a Sanzaru representative told Joystiq that it had not yet been decided whether purchasing one version would grant you complimentary access to the other.

Poor Harley Quinn. First the Joker breaks her mind, and then The Batman breaks her heart. It's nice to see that she's not wallowing in self-pity, though, and that she's got the initiative to get back out in the world and make a name for herself. Granted, she's using homicide to do so, but still, good for her.

This latest trailer for Ms. Quinzel's starring role as an Arkham City DLC antagonist gives us a look at the various brow beatings Batman and Robin will dispense to the citizenry of Gotham's beating lunatic heart, as well as somewhat unsettling introduction from the man in white himself.

Double Fine's Ron Gilbert isn't content with random websites leaking his own studio's work: he'll leak his own stuff, thank you very much. Gilbert posted the above two photos on Grumpy Gamer, his personal game industry blog.

His first post was a link to the monk. Apparently, no, it's not fanart for Diablo 3, unless developer JP LeBreton, who tweeted he'd been working on the related Monk link for nine months, has a lot of down time at Double Fine.

Gilbert later posted the hillbilly, a character we recognize from the puzzle Double Fine sent the press last week as an announcement of a new, spooky-tinged title. Now the age-old question returns: What do a monk and a hillbilly have in common? Besides mystery, of course.

Who has time to accumulate cash then wait for a game to launch before actually paying for it? In this work-a-day world, we need to prepare for such things; we need lead time. And if you're of a similar mind, it may please you to know that Sorcery will be the first game to kick off a new pre-purchase feature on PSN.

Right now, you can log onto PSN and pay for Sorcery, triggering a download granted you have auto-download enabled. Once you have the game pre-loaded, you can play as soon as Sorcery launches next week on May 22.

Sorcery is the only game you can pre-purchase through PSN right now. We've inquired with Sony about future games.

Previously, Konami's FMV-esque trailers for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance have given us weird, disorienting looks into the surgical processes involving Raiden's robo-arm and cyborg eye, but this latest episode is a little more ... theatrical, let's say.

Anyone who clearly remembers and is still somehow able to comprehend Raiden's background as outlined in Metal Gear Solid 2 will be able to piece together what's happening in this video, though we're still not entirely sure why you'd hand a sword to someone during surgery, even if that surgery's purpose is to turn them into a milk-powered electro-ninja.