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Exiting Irrational team shares its 'proudest' BioShock Infinite moments

Image Irrational Games, as we knew it, is closing its doors. As its final goodbye, the dev has released a short video featuring former employees discussing its "proudest moments" working on the studio's final project, BioShock Infinite, and the game's final DLC chapter. [Image: Irrational Games]... Continue Reading

Dark Souls 2 launch trailer: Tull and death do a part

Image The use of Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath" in this Dark Souls 2 launch trailer is either calculated cleverness, or a case of someone in mishearing it as "Locomotive Death." By Death Throe Tull? Sounds perfect, use that one.... Continue Reading

PlayStation Home getting trophies in update this week

Time to chuck out the PlayStation 4 and drop the Xbox One like a titan – PlayStation Home is getting trophies! The PS3-only social app will soon be updated to support PlayStation's brand of achievements, PlayStation Europe Community Manager Chris Owen said on Twitter.

Trophies for the hamster-loving, secret identity-laden platform will arrive in the 1.86 update, set to launch worldwide on March 12. Details on the retroactive trophies will be revealed on launch day. Despite continued updates to Sony's social hub world in North America and Europe, Owen says there's no news of PlayStation Home moving to new platforms like PS4.

PlayStation Home is a free virtual 3D social gaming platform that first launched in 2008. It features mini-games, microtransactions and ad space. It's a little like the MMO Second Life, but with fewer flying phalluses.
[Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]

PS Plus weekly: Lone Survivor Director's Cut scares you for free

Lone Survivor: The Director's Cut is this week's free game for PlayStation Plus members. It's the gift of intense survival-horror and psychological thriller madness that keeps on giving, mostly when you're lying alone in bed, in the dark, and you spy one shadow just a tad darker than all of the others.

Lone Survivor has players attempt to escape a city overrun with a terrible disease, and they must make choices that shape the game – play it without resorting to violence or shoot everything you see, take drugs or stay sober, travel alone or collect potential allies along the way, watch your sanity or go mad.

Did that shadow just move?

The Spring Fever sale is still on, and Plus members get extra discounts. Towerfall: Ascension and Vessel launch with sales tomorrow, $12 and $8, respectively. Segments of the Call of Duty franchise are also on sale this week, along with Ethan: Meteor Hunter.
[Image: Jasper Byrne]

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle coming to North American PS3s on April 29

CyberConnect2's PlayStation 3 fighting game JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will unleash its stylish brand of manga-based fisticuffs at the end of April, publisher Bandai Namco revealed.

Bundling all software updates released since the game's initial launch in Japan last year, the North American version of All Star Battle also features an exclusive Arcade mode. In addition to a digital release via the PlayStation Network, a disc version will be available in limited quantities on Amazon and at the Club Namco online store.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will hit store shelves in North America on April 29. A European release is set for April 25.

[Image: Bandai Namco]

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Rentable Battlefield 4 servers on the way for consoles

Committed Battlefield 4 players will soon be able to rent their own dedicated servers to power online multiplayer matches on consoles, Electronic Arts announced.

"Indeed, it is coming," Battlelog manager "EA_Stiv" confirmed in response to a user question regarding rented servers on the PlayStation 4. "I'm afraid we don't have any information on this quite yet, but it is coming soon! Keep your eyes peeled on the Control Room and Battlefield blog, as those are most likely where you'll see it announced first."

Electronic Arts previously hosted a server-rental service for Battlefield 3, leading to public server shortages as rentals exceeded anticipated demand. An implementation date for Battlefield 4's server rental service has not been announced.

[Image: Electronic Arts]

Optional multiplayer prevents games from being overrun by Watch Dogs

A stealthy technological tug-of-war sounds nice and all but how are you supposed to get anything done in Watch Dogs when your friends are constantly dropping by to jack your bank account? Don't worry: The multiplayer action can be turned off any time.

"All the online activities are just part of the menu," said Danny Belanger, Watch Dogs' game designer, during a Friday event on Twitch, as reported by Polygon. "They're a choice. But if someone is not into that... they can totally turn it off."

Ubisoft takes a distinctly Dark Souls-style approach to multiplayer in Watch Dogs. While you're playing as Aiden Pearce, doling out vigilante justice on the streets of Chicago, another player can sneak into the game. It's your job to hunt the intruder down in the anonymous masses and hack their phone before they do they same to you.

Watch Dogs is already layered with distractions. During a recent preview event, Joystiq found that the sheer number of side missions and mini-games in the anticipated PlayStation 4 and Xbox One title obscured the drama in the main storyline. Maintaing that "vigilante obsessed with atonement" atmosphere is hard when you're always pausing to collect golden coins. If real people were constantly dropping into your game it would be even harder, so it's smart of Ubisoft to make these multiplayer components optional for players of varying tastes.
[Images: Ubisoft]

UK Charts: South Park - The Stick of Truth is top in class

South Park: The Stick of Truth may be censored on UK consoles, but that isn't going to stop Brits from respecting its authoritah. The long-delayed RPG ousts Thief to debut in the top spot this week, and that's Obsidian's first UK No.1 since Fallout: New Vegas in 2010. Alright, the developer only released Dungeon Siege 3 in the interim, but it's still a decent achievement.

The only other new release in this week's charts places way lower, and that's Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures in 21st. Also, there's a big second-week plummet for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which is damned from 10th down to 24th. Otherwise, it's all eyes on next week to see which of Dark Souls 2 and Titanfall to see which will keep UK tills the busiest.

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MotoGP 14 announced, first in series to burn rubber on next-gen console



The MotoGP series' tank hasn't hit empty yet - in fact, it's boosting onto the PlayStation 4 in June with MotoGP 14. It will be the first MotoGP game on the new generation of consoles. The game will also appear on the Xbox 360, PS3, PS Vita and PC.

According to a press release, the upcoming game will feature a redesigned engine that will affect graphics and audio, more than 100 riders and 18 tracks. The MotoGP 14 official site claims the game will also have Career, Grand Prix, Time Attack and online multiplayer modes. In Career mode, riders will have virtual fans that update their opinion on your performance in news and social media feeds.

It seems that even in the world of digital motorcycle racing, you cannot escape the judgment of your fellow man.
[Image: Milestone]

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Lollipop Chainsaw cleaves through one million sales worldwide

Lollipop Chainsaw, a game where cheerleader Twilight Sparkle Bubbles Timmy Turner Juliet Starling (or all of the above, since they're all voiced by the same person) slices and dices undead hordes with her trusty chainsaw, has surpassed one million sales worldwide. Developer Grasshopper Manufacture announced the news Friday on Twitter.

It's an accomplishment that took more than a year and a half, but developer Suda 51 and his team at Grasshopper Manufacture seem more focused on the positive; they're celebrating with deep discounts on the game's digital version in Japan. Everything's sunshine, lollipops and rainbows here!
[Image: WB Interactive]

Matt Stone on South Park's censored scenes: 'It's not that big a deal'

South Park: The Stick of Truth may be censored in some regions of the world, but series co-creator Matt Stone told The Guardian that the censorship - in which offending scenes are replaced by a still image and a text description - isn't "that big a deal," and "doesn't change things that much."

"We weren't willing to change the content, but also it doesn't ruin the game – it's like 40 seconds' worth of the whole game," Stone said. "As long as we could make a joke out of the fact that they made us cut this, that was fine." Stone also noted that the censorship felt like a double standard; compared to television, games have more scrutiny aimed at their content. He believes it's due to their interactive nature.

"There is an interactiveness that makes it different," Stone said. "There are things that make people more uncomfortable in an interactive world, definitely. But that said, what we had in the game, we could have shown that on TV pretty easily, especially now."

Even with the censored scenes removed, The Stick of Truth still features plenty of dark comedy, as noted in our review. And, if you happen to be a Joystiq reader who lives in a region where you don't get to experience the content firsthand, we have a stream of the uncensored version of the game for your viewing (dis)pleasure.
[Image: Ubisoft]

Ni No Kuni shipments pass 1.1 million, series clears 1.7 million

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, Level-5's monster-training RPG, has surpassed 1.1 million shipped copies to retailers. Combined with the original version for the DS that was never released in North America, that puts the series at 1.7 million shipped copies. Sounds like protagonist Oliver has found plenty of help in his multidimensional quest to save his mother!

Spike's VGX 2013 Awards acknowledged Ni No Kuni as its best RPG of last year, beating out Fire Emblem: Awakening and Pokemon X/Y. Sadly, VGX 2013 did not include a "Best Attempt To Derail An Awards Show" category, which Joel McHale surely would have won.
[Image: Level-5]

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'The fastest car ever built' burns rubber in Need for Speed: Rivals



The Koenigsegg Agera One:1 is a car as fast as its name is difficult to pronounce. Thankfully, you'll have better things - like evading the cops or catching racer punks - to worry about should you choose to give it a spin in Need for Speed: Rivals. The car is now available to download for free, and comes in both racer and police variants.

According to the Need for Speed blog, the real-life Agera, "possibly the fastest car ever built," packs 1340 BHP (or brake horsepower, which is to say horsepower that doesn't factor in an engine's natural loss in power) and weighs 1340 kilograms. That's one BHP per kilogram, a 1:1 ratio! Oh. Ohhhhhhhh. Hold up. Nevermind. We just got it.
[Image: EA]

Mugen Souls Z launching May 20; limited edition detailed

Mugen Souls Z, the Compile Heart-developed Japanese RPG for PlayStation 3, will arrive in North America on May 20 and in Europe on May 23, publisher NIS America confirmed to Gematsu.

A limited edition of the game is currently available for pre-order on the NIS America online store. The $70 bundle includes the PS3 game in a special edition collector's box, along with a hardcover art book, large 16"x26" poster, and Zodiac keychain.

Much like the release of the original Mugen Souls, publisher NIS America opted to remove a select amount of content for the Western release of Mugen Souls Z. At the time the cut material was confirmed, NIS America noted it was due to "the sensitive nature of some content." According to a forum post regarding the Western release's edits, the snipped stuff includes a bathing mini-game.

Whether or not you can battle evil as Omega Tom Hanks in this version is still unclear, but ... actually, we're thinking of a different game.
[Image: NIS America]

Report: RBI Baseball 14 takes the current-gen mound on April 10

RBI Baseball 14 will reportedly launch on April 10, according to a tweet from ESPN Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell. Rovell noted that the launch date applies to the game's Xbox 360, PS3, iOS and Android versions, though there's no word on the Xbox One and PS4 versions as of yet.

The resurgence of the RBI Baseball series was first announced in January, and is in development by MLB Advanced Media, the baseball league's in-house interactive entertainment division that handles mobile games and broadcast tools like MLB.TV. We've reached out to MLBAM to confirm the game's release date and will update as we learn more.
[Image: MLBAM]

Magus review: Best worst game

Magus is the worst game I've played this year, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

Bad games typically fall into one of two categories. Many are bad because they're mechanically awkward or otherwise deeply flawed in terms of controls, making them frustrating to play. The second category is much rarer. These games are poorly conceived but otherwise inoffensive with regard to gameplay, often rendering them inept in an endearing sort of way.

Magus, exclusive to PS3, neatly falls into the latter category, offering up tons of unintentional laughs at the expense of its boneheaded writing and simplistic gameplay. It's a rare gem of a game that manages to be immensely entertaining despite having no obvious redeeming qualities whatsoever.

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Alucard returns in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 DLC this month [Update]

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will receive a "Revelations" DLC pack on March 25 for Xbox 360 and PS3, Konami announced. The add-on content has players controlling series fan-favorite Alucard, learning more about his relationship with Dracula (aside from the whole name reversal thing). The DLC is set before the events in Lords of Shadow 2.

In the add-on, players can use Alucard's "Glaciem" and "Igneas" powers and can morph into a wolf, a bunch of bats and can turn back time. Being the vampire he is, Alucard's thirst for the blood of his enemies also seemingly lends a boost in his powers. No price was given for the DLC and Konami did not list PC among the platforms the DLC will arrive on this month; we've reached out to the publisher to find out when the PC version will arrive.

Update: Konami has informed Joystiq that the PC version of the game will receive the Revelations DLC on March 25 as well.
[Image: Konami]

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Conan cooks The Rock in WWE 2K14

Image Well, if Conan O'Brien can't make enough money off game reviews, it would appear he has a career in professional wrestling. O'Brien recently played WWE 2K14 as part of his Clueless Gamer bit and served up The Rock.... Continue Reading

Tomb Raider stretches to 6 million sold, one year later

Has any franchise reboot endured more scrutiny and debate over its degrees of success (or is it failure?) than 2013's Tomb Raider? Perhaps it's apt fallout from Lara Croft's rugged origin story, in which she proves herself against wolves, wild cultists and supernatural weather.

Tomb Raider's commercial splash has gone from "'biggest opening" to "weak," back to "profitable" and onward to exceeding "profit expectations," according to a fan-facing note from Square Enix's head of studios, Darrell Gallagher. Looking back at the year since Tomb Raider first launched, Gallagher plays the referee and makes the call fans have been waiting for: "By the end of this month we will surpass 6 million units for our Tomb Raider reboot, and, having achieved profitability back in 2013 Tomb Raider has exceeded profit expectations and continues to make significant contributions to our overall financial performance."

Publisher Square Enix was never going to get an instant Call of Duty caliber hit out of the story-driven Tomb Raider, but this affirmed success becomes important when we see doom hanging over major AAA studios, investing years into a game that hits – but doesn't hit quite hard enough. For now, Lara Croft appears to be a viable business again, even if she's not yet swimming in it. And let's get some actual swimming in the next one, please?

DICE explains Battlefield 4 'Carrier Assault' mode

Haven't played Battlefield 2142? If that's the case, the upcoming 'Carrier Assault' mode in the Naval Strike DLC for Battlefield 4 will feel like a fresh experience. Inspired by 2142's 'Titan' mode, Carrier Assault challenges opposing sides to sink their enemy's aircraft carrier. In a new post on the official Battlefield blog, lead gameplay designer Gustav Halling explains how the revamped mode works:

"There are two ways of destroying the enemy carrier: either by full map control or assaulting the carrier as infantry. Each round is divided into 2 stages, starting with map control and ending with carrier attack. Both teams start on their own carrier and race to control the missile launchers placed on the map, by capturing the control points near them. This will automatically launch missiles towards the enemy carrier throughout the round, eventually destroying its hull and making it open for infantry attacks," he writes. Once access to the carrier is established, players can either drive a boat to the carrier to board it, or parachute down from spawn points above to destroy a series of M-COM stations within the hull. Alternatively, they can sit back and allow for the missile silos to reduce the carrier's health to zero.

Halling says the inspired mode maintains the importance of map control, so a team that can't seem to break through to an enemy carrier can still succeed by defending their carrier and controlling the missile silo.

Battlefield 4's 'Naval Strike' expansion will launch (as missiles are wont to do) later this month, first for Premium members and then for all.
[Image: EA/DICE]

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