Joystiq

Grab Hitman: Absolution PC for $7.49 at Amazon

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

You can snag a PC download of Hitman: Absolution from Amazon right now for just $7.49. And by "snag," we don't mean with garrote wire. Use your mouse, silly.

Grab Hitman: Absolution PC for $7.49 at Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thief's new voice actor gets chatty

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:45:00 EST

Perhaps you noticed, but Garrett has a new voice actor in Eidos' upcoming Thief. He goes by the name of Romano Orzari. For a guy portraying a master thief, ostensibly someone who spends most of his time being vewy quiet, he sure talks a lot.

Thief's new voice actor gets chatty originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thief cinematic trailer leaps into view

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST

The premiere trailer for Thief breaks down the best ways to be a successful person in the occupation of stealing and stealth, before pulling down Garrett's ninja mask and revealing a distinctive five-o'clock shadow (and what sounds like a new voice actor). We're no experts in thievery, but that seems like a bold move for someone who makes a living ripping off rich people.

Thief is due out for PC, PS4 and "other next-gen platforms" in 2014.

Thief cinematic trailer leaps into view originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix notes 'weak sales of big console titles' Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST

Square Enix announced a massive restructuring today, which included the dismissal of president Yoichi Wada, but we really hope the company takes a long look in the mirror about its sales projections. Buried within the briefing of the consolidated results forecast, the company had a slide expressing the "weak sales" of three of its games.

These allegedly anemic sales involve three games that will have sold millions of units by the end of the company's fiscal year on March 31. It seriously raises the question: how broken is Square Enix's business if Tomb Raider's expected 3.4 million units sold (not including digital distribution) is considered "weak?"

"Despite the high critical acclaim, [the games listed] failed to meet each target," the briefing notes. "In particular, North America sales force was ineffective, ending up with 2/3 of number of units sold in Europe."

Oddly - beyond this being a clear sign Square Enix North America is being thrown under the bus - this is the second time we've had to scratch our heads about Eidos/Square Enix sales projections. In 2009, the company was disappointed by the sales of Tomb Raider: Underworld, which launched in November and sold 1.5 million copies by the end of 2008. Soon after the publisher did a round of layoffs at Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics.

Square Enix notes 'weak sales of big console titles' Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eidos classics 50% off on GOG (except for Daikatana)

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST

Fancy yourself some cheap, old Eidos games? GOG.com has its entire Square Enix catalog on sale for half price this weekend, which translates to Eidos classics like the Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Hitman, Thief, Deus Ex and more - all for five bucks or less.

Oh, did we say the entire Square Enix catalog? We meant everything except Daikatana, John Romero's infamous flop, which was just released on the service. If you've got a mean masochistic streak, you can fork over $6 to try it out.

Eidos classics 50% off on GOG (except for Daikatana) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Murdered' teased by spooky Square Enix ARG [Update!]

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST

This morning, Square Enix initiated a guerilla marketing campaign for something apparently new and murder oriented, slated for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, with potential ties to Eidos Interactive and confirmed connections to us being super creeped out by the whole thing.

It started with the Twitter account @Murdered tweeting the message "What is ..." followed by a link to the above picture, which appeared to be a section of a photograph of a tree with something carved into its bark. Attempting to navigate to one of the picture's "files" parent folder results in being automatically redirected to an eidosinteractive.com subdomain. Ah ha!

Minutes later, we received an email from a Square Enix e-mail address (masquerading as an "@murdered.com" address) with the subject header "What is the hardest case to solve?" Contained inside was a second image, which combined perfectly with the image that had been tweeted earlier.

Naturally we decided to check out murdered.com, and were met by an image of the symbol scrawled on asphalt in chalk, accompanied by a link to the official twitter account and icons revealing the project's related platforms. A whois search revealed that the domain is registered to Naoto Sugiyama, a senior manager at Square Enix., and a glance at the site's source code revealed certain assets as being hosted on Eidos webspace.

Furthermore, Square Enix registered a Japanese trademark for "Murdered: Soul Suspect" back in December of last year, Siliconera reports. We've contacted both Square Enix and the murdered.com address and will update with any new discoveries we're able to make.

Update: Well, that was fun while it lasted. Square Enix has confirmed to us that Murdered: Soul Suspect is "an exciting new game from Square Enix which challenges players to solve possibly the hardest case of all," which obviously wasn't this case, since all we had to do was send an email and ask. Eidos' potential involvement, however, does remain a mystery.

'Murdered' teased by spooky Square Enix ARG [Update!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Holiday Sale day 15: Thief series, Civilization V, Bastion

David Hinkle — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST

What are you doing to help pack the coffers at Valve? Seriously, you guys, it's up to each and every one of us to cough up dough for reduced-price games during Steam's annual ludicrous sales. If not you, then who?

Today's Steam Holiday Sale deals run the gamut from meticulous murder simulators to football management simulators called Football Manager. The Thief series is 75% off, allowing you to grab all three entries for $6.74 - if you're into piecemeal, they're $2.49 each. Civilization V and its two predecessors (plus corresponding expansions) are also 75% off each, while Football Manager 2013 is marked down to $19.99 and Bastion is a paltry $3.74.

For the full list of deals, head on over to Steam - oh, yeah, you're already over there. Okay then.

Steam Holiday Sale day 15: Thief series, Civilization V, Bastion originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance resurrected on Steam

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST

Thanks to the power of the Elder God, the Legacy of Kain series is now on Steam. For $9.99 a pop, you can download Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

The Legacy of Kain games focus on vampire-turned-wraith Raziel and vampire demigod Kain. It's the series where Amy Hennig got her first crack as games writer and director. Hennig has since won two awards from the Writers Guild of America for her work on the Uncharted series.

Soul Reaver, Soul Reaver 2 and Legacy of Kain: Defiance resurrected on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution crash-fixing console patch targeted for next week

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:00:00 EST

Square Enix aims to patch Hitman: Absolution on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 sometime next week. The update is intended to fix crashing issues with the console versions, reported in notable numbers on official forums. They arose soon after the game's November 20 release, but a fix hasn't yet been provided. If the crash occurs while the game's autosaving, save files can become corrupted and result in hours of lost progress.

Square Enix community and social media head Phil Elliott apologized for the ongoing issue on the game's official forums, noting "the lack of information [made available] is less than optimal." Elliott said the patch has to be internally tested before being approved by Microsoft and Sony, and as such Square Enix can't confirm an exact release date.

Meanwhile, PC players can sneak, dress up, and mulch in the knowledge that their version received its first patch last week. Among other fixes, the patch addresses problems with transferring unlocks over from Hitman: Sniper Challenge.

Hitman: Absolution crash-fixing console patch targeted for next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman Absolution easter egg delivers ice cream at high speeds

Mike Suszek — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST

This video shows off an easter egg in Hitman: Absolution, in which the ice cream truck Agent 47 drives at the beginning of the game comes back with a vengeance.

Courtesy of GameFront, the embedded video explains the steps it takes to find the easter egg, which occurs in the game's "End of the Road" mission. Obviously, that means the video also contains some plot spoilers, so viewer discretion is advised.

Hitman Absolution easter egg delivers ice cream at high speeds originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution video describes a 'living, breathing world'

Mike Suszek — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST

This video for Hitman: Absolution describes the game's universe and the stories contained within as a "living, breathing world." The IO Interactive game is set to launch November 20 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Hitman: Absolution video describes a 'living, breathing world' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Select Tomb Raider games 75% off on Steam this weekend

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST

From now until 10 a.m. Pacific time on Monday morning, the PC versions of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Tomb Raider: Legend and Tomb Raider: Underworld are all 75 percent on Steam, meaning that each game can be had for less than a fiver. That is, provided you're able to circumnavigate an elaborate series of traps, deadly animals and vicious, armed ne'er-do-wells hell-bent on preventing you from acquiring the treasure you seek.*

*Some or all requirements listed may be a complete fabrication. Joystiq, AOL Media Inc. and The Huffington Post Media Group are not responsible for any injuries sustained while attempting to purchase computerized video-machine games off of digital distribution platforms such as Steam. Today's lucky number is "three." If Lily has six apples, and a different girl also named Lily has twelve apples, why are you still reading this?

Select Tomb Raider games 75% off on Steam this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution cinematic trailer is pretty much shooting everyone

Mike Suszek — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST

This cinematic trailer for Hitman: Absolution teases the game's story while flashing guns around. It makes us wonder: Can't they just talk it out? ~~Talkman~~ Hitman: Absolution is set to launch November 20 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Hitman: Absolution cinematic trailer is pretty much shooting everyone originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution trailer focuses on story, actors in goofy mo-cap getups

David Hinkle — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST

The Hitman series is known for allowing players to create their own narratives within the sandbox levels, but with Hitman: Absolution, developer IO Interactive has enlisted Hollywood talent like Vivica Fox, Powers Boothe and Shannyn Sossamon to help tell Agent 47's latest story.

Hitman: Absolution trailer focuses on story, actors in goofy mo-cap getups originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam deals: Shatter on sale today; Deus Ex and Sam & Max this weekend

David Hinkle — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST

Steam is making it easier on the wallet this weekend with some sales on Shatter and the Deus Ex and Sam & Max series. Serieses.

For today only, developer Sidhe's retro-inspired brick-breaker, Shatter, is 75 percent off, bringing it down to $2.49. That's less than the cost of a Monster energy drink and, really, everyone agrees you need to stop drinking those things anyway.

Over the weekend, every game in the Deus Ex series, including Eidos Montreal's prequel, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, is 75 percent off - that's $14.99 for the whole bunch, including some item packs and "The Missing Link" DLC for Human Revolution. You can also buy each game piecemeal.

If you like your protagonists a little less gritty, Telltale's Sam & Max games are also on sale for 66 percent off this weekend - $14.99 for seasons one and two, and The Devil's Playhouse.

Steam deals: Shatter on sale today; Deus Ex and Sam & Max this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Sniper Challenge now on PC, bonus with Absolution pre-orders

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST

PC players who can't wait for a taste of Hitman: Absolution are finally being catered to - the standalone promotional game, "Sniper Challenge," is now available for folks who pre-order Absolution on PC.

The game is free (insofar as making a pre-order is "free") from certain retailers across the globe. You'll find the full list here, but be sure to check with your retailer of choice before you place an order. Once ordered, you'll receive a code that can must be redeemed on the Sniper Challenge website.

Hitman: Sniper Challenge now on PC, bonus with Absolution pre-orders originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's what E3 was like for the Hitman: Absolution staff

Jordan Mallory — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:00:00 EST

This behind the scenes video for Hitman: Absolution's E3 booth showcases some of the lesser known parts of the convention, such as private interview rooms for press, or the fact that no matter how tightly you frame a shot, it's impossible to not accidentally advertise someone else's game.

Here's what E3 was like for the Hitman: Absolution staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheard@Comic-con: A nerd walks into a video game store...

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:55:00 EST

As the man behind titles such as System Shock, Thief and Deus Ex, it's no surprise Warren Spector has a slightly warped sense of humor. For example, when naming Deus Ex, Spector thought it would be funny to pick a title that some people would be hesitant to pronounce, and he still thinks it's funny, even though that name ultimately cost Eidos sales. Spector knows exactly why:

"People don't want to go into their game store and ask for the 'Do Sex' game," Spector said, still chuckling.

Overheard@Comic-con: A nerd walks into a video game store... originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Agent 47 takes a careful walk through Hitman: Absolution's 'Hope'

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:15:00 EST

There are more than a few ways to play through Hitman: Absolution's "Streets of Hope" mission, as two expert drivers showcase in the latest, lengthy playthrough video. Poor Lenny never saw it coming.

Agent 47 takes a careful walk through Hitman: Absolution's 'Hope' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider documented in March, first episode out now

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST

Geoff Keighley's behind-the-scenes "Final Hours" series is taking on Tomb Raider, and he's getting video help from Zachary Levi. Square Enix enlisted Keighley for a "Final Hours" Tomb Raider entry - which Keighley says he's "especially excited" about, due to it being "a tale about the act of reinvention, both of a studio and of a franchise." But Square also nabbed Levi for a video documentary supplement, which kicks off today, a full eight months before the game launches. Those are some long final hours, eh?

The completed entry will launch in March 2013 alongside the game, and will once again be available on iPad and PC. Kindle Fire owners can also snag it via Amazon. Check out the first Zachary Levi video entry above.

Continue reading The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider documented in March, first episode out now

The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider documented in March, first episode out now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution's 'Saints' are apparently still a threat

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST

Despite Agent 47 having dispatched the various gogo nuns from Hitman: Absolution's recent trailer, Vivica A. Fox's "head nun" character may have lived. Or they all did! What a twist! See if you can figure it out from the trailer above.

Continue reading Hitman: Absolution's 'Saints' are apparently still a threat

Hitman: Absolution's 'Saints' are apparently still a threat originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution's Agent 47 reminds us of his O.G. status

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:30:00 EST

The Hitman folks probably should've stuck the word "assassin" somewhere in their game title - that way they could avoid embarrassing marketing moments. Take, for instance, the trailer above's insistence that Agent 47 is the "original" assassin. Doesn't his blood-soaked legacy speak for itself?

Continue reading Hitman: Absolution's Agent 47 reminds us of his O.G. status

Hitman: Absolution's Agent 47 reminds us of his O.G. status originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lady Shotgun Games: new studio from Tomb Raider devs, working on iOS game

Mike Schramm — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:00:00 EST

Lady Shotgun Games is a brand new studio being put together by two developers who formerly worked with Eidos on the Tomb Raider franchise, and a number of other studios including Sony and Sega. Anna Marsh and Sarah van Rompaey have decided to leave the big studios and try to go indie. Along with a team of freelancers, they are hoping to make a splash with "a great game for mobile on a realistic budget."

The name of the company might suggest that it's a girl power thing, but though many of the company's workers are female, Marsh tells Gamasutra it's more of a developer power thing. The goal is to create a studio with a remote staff to support "the idea that this could really work with a group of experienced freelance developers who all knew how to manage their own time, work as a remote team and take responsibility for their own work."

The studio's first title will be a universal iOS app, with a chance for other platforms later, and Marsh teases that it's a casual title with "a tongue-in-cheek narrative" and "depth in the right places." The game will be revealed later on this summer, and you can see some early concepts over on the official blog.

Lady Shotgun Games: new studio from Tomb Raider devs, working on iOS game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution still coming to Mac, ESRB reassures

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST

Square Enix has a little less than a month to meet the planned "winter 2011/2012" release date for Deus Ex: Human Revolution on Mac. There's no cybernetic implant that can foresee the future but, thanks to the ESRB, we do have at least one sign that Deus Ex is still on the way to Apple machines.

The organization has posted a rating for an "Ultimate Edition" of the game for Mac, which is presumably even more ultimate than the Augmented Edition released on other platforms last year. The game has been rated M for egregious pheromone usage. Or killing. Probably killing.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution still coming to Mac, ESRB reassures originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix joins Good Old Games with Deus Ex and Hitman

Richard Mitchell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST

Square Enix has joined the ever-growing list of publishers to bring its classic titles to GOG.com. The first two Square-Enix titles to hit the service are Hitman: Codename 47 and Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition (2000 being the year in question). You can pick up either for $5.99 and $9.99 respectively.

GOG promises more Square Enix games to come. We'd expect most of those to come from Square's library of Eidos titles (Thief, anyone?), though the PC ports of Final Fantasy VII and VIII are a slim possibility. Slim.

Square Enix joins Good Old Games with Deus Ex and Hitman originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Hitman Sniper Challenge' trademarked in Europe

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:50:00 EST

Square Enix Europe continues its Hitman trademark spree with Hitman Sniper Challenge. Siliconera dug up the latest trademark, which comes a month after the site found a Hitman: Profession trademark lurking in the European database.

What is Hitman Sniper Challenge? Much like Hitman: Profession, any guess is purely speculative. What we do know is that a new Hitman game is under production (with IO supervision) at the Square Enix studio in Montreal. IO is currently finishing up Hitman: Absolution for its 2012 launch.

Square certainly has plenty of transmedia opportunities for Agent 47 that could cover angles beyond games.

'Hitman Sniper Challenge' trademarked in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square Enix may not let Kane and Lynch's 'Sleeping Dogs' lie

Jessica Conditt — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST

Square Enix has trademarked the name "Sleeping Dogs," which could be a canine-based Final Fantasy title, Hitman with a Scooby-Doo-inspired sidekick, or, most likely, another Kane and Lynch game. Yes, most likely -- we never said most desirably.

The previous Kane and Lynch title was Dog Days, and while it struggled to receive critical and commercial praise, Square Enix has hinted that the series may not be dead after all. Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone said as much at the end of 2010 in an interview with Eurogamer: "We haven't made any announcements about Kane & Lynch going forward, but we all know that Kane and Lynch are two amazing characters who have a lot of brand equity," Livingstone hinted. "People like those guys, so they're not going to disappear."

Also, developer IO Interactive put out a suspicious job listing for people to work on an unannounced, third-person, AAA action title in September 2011. Again, "Sleeping Dogs" could be Square's answer to Nintendogs, but for now the evidence is piling up like a stack of old laundry against Kane and Lynch.

Square Enix may not let Kane and Lynch's 'Sleeping Dogs' lie originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ubisoft, Atari, many other publishers requesting payment from German pirates

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST

Someone in Germany -- perhaps even some people -- illegally pirated a copy of Prison Break: The Conspiracy. Hard to believe as it may be, it appears to be the case according to TorrentFreak, who delved into German public records looking for game publishers who have employed German law to track down (and demand money from) people who allegedly pirated various games. In Germany, Koch Media publishes the Prison Break game, and has been demanding settlements of "several hundred Euros" from offending IP addresses.

The records indicate that several major publishers, either directly or through subsidiaries/secondary parties, have been sending out letters to German citizens requesting varying levels of payment in return for not being sued. Where things get murky, however, is how the publishers are seeking out the accused pirates, using not always reliable "IP address-only evidence" -- easily circumvented with proxy domains and such. You know, hacker stuff.

TorrentFreak's report indicates that a variety of publishers and distributors are involved, including (but not limited to): Atari, Koch Media (representing Techland's Dead Island and Prison Break, and Eidos/Square Enix's Deus Ex: Human Revolution as well as Dungeon Siege 3 and various Final Fantasy titles), Daedalic Entertainment (representing LucasArts), Codemasters, BitComposer, Ubisoft, Kalypso Media, dtp entertainment, and Aerosoft. It is currently unclear how many settlement notices have been sent out by each company, or if any will continue doing so after these actions have been brought to light.

Witcher 2 developer CD Projekt Red was recently pursuing similar cases in Germany until it announced the end of the practice last week.

Report: Ubisoft, Atari, many other publishers requesting payment from German pirates originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST

Rock, Paper, Shotgun collaborated in obtaining responses.

The Entertainment Software Association's support of the "Stop Online Piracy Act" has led us to ask every member of the video game industry's lobbying and political group to publicly declare its stance on the bill. The ESA's continued support means every member, by proxy, is a supporter of the bill.

Some companies have pulled their logos from supporting SOPA documentation to dodge ire, while others are hiding behind rhetoric, as you'll see below. Joystiq contacted every member of the ESA and requested a declarative statement on SOPA. After the break we've listed the responses we've received, along with others we found. We continue to seek clarity on this issue from every member of the ESA.

This will become the page we update as we receive responses and clear declarative statements, so feel free to bookmark.

(Joystiq does not support SOPA, nor does our parent company.)

Continue reading ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond

ESA members asked individually about SOPA, some respond originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK gov't recognizes computer science education is important

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:55:00 EST

Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone's Livingstone-Hope Skills Review has been positively received by the UK government. The paper recommends that the UK's Information and Communications Technology national curriculum be replaced by computer science.

"The Government looks forward to working with [the games industry], educators and others to develop an attractive computer science offering for schools, so that students are able to develop the rigorous skills needed -- not only to support these industries but also to ensure a digitally literate citizenry," read the government's lengthy response.

"I hope common sense and the national interest will prevail," Livingstone told GI.biz, recognizing that it would "take a number of years" before any actual reforms occurred.

And once the UK education system teaches students helpful game industry skills, they'll be off to sunny Canada for jobs, where the games industry isn't slowly crumbling around them. On the bright side, things could be worse ... like in Australia.

UK gov't recognizes computer science education is important originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution, now with 17 minutes of commentary

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST

For those of you out there who appreciate the special, unique combination of baldness, stealth and fine mensware, take note: Square Enix and Eidos have released a seventeen minute long Hitman: Absolution walkthrough, narrated by Game Director Tore Blystad and Gameplay Director Christian Elverdam.

Hitman: Absolution, now with 17 minutes of commentary originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eidos Montreal fesses up to poor boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution

David Hinkle — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:40:00 EST

Even though the recent release of "The Missing Link" DLC featured a more appropriate boss encounter, the majority of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's boss fights force players to forgo whichever strategy they employed throughout the game and, you know, just shoot 'em in the face. Unless that is your strategy, in which case all we have to say is: you monster.

Eidos Montréal producer David Anfossi told Edge that farming out the boss fights to Grip Entertainment was a mistake -- not because Grip failed, but because the implementation and design of boss encounters was poor. "We knew that it would be a weakness for the game, that we had to make a compromise to deliver it [on] two levels. First, the boss fights were forced, which is not the Deus Ex experience. Second, there is no mix [of] solutions to tackle the boss fights, which is not Deus Ex either. We knew that before the release of the game, but there had to be some compromise. It [was] our decision."

That's not to say Anfossi isn't proud of Deus Ex -- he's quite content with the hacking, stealth, social and combat aspects of the game -- but if he had a chance to do it all again, he'd handle the boss fights differently rather than taking them out entirely. "There are two options: no boss fights, or do boss fights correctly. I'm pretty sure that now we have the knowledge to do it correctly."

Eidos Montreal fesses up to poor boss fights in Deus Ex: Human Revolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hitman: Absolution has hardcore mode for masochists

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:30:00 EST

Well, okay, you don't technically need to be a masochist, but a hardcore mode in Hitman Absolution, included specifically for veterans of the series, just may be a real blood-boiler. Producer Hakan Abrak told Eurogamer that the difficulty setting rewards methodical stealth play with Achievements and/or Trophies.

"We will get into more details at a later point, but obviously it's linked to the playing style," he said. "It's more pacify your enemies, be undetected, maybe solve the challenges in a smarter way. That will probably give you a stealth assassin achievement." It might also give you an ulcer, depending on how many times you're forced to restart each mission.

Abrak also hopes to silence critics who say Absolution ditches its stealth roots for the more action-packed gameplay we saw in the gameplay demo -- don't expect that, Abrak says. "Rest assured, the hardcore fans that like to have replayablity value in the game or want to have this stealth assassin -- you know, I'm the ultimate stealth assassin -- that playing style, those achievements, are very much in the game."

For more info on Hitman Absolution, be sure to check out our preview from back in June.

Hitman: Absolution has hardcore mode for masochists originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tomb Raider Xbox 360 could use a hug

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST

We've seen a lot of custom Xbox 360s before, but never one that looked like it was in so much pain. The Official Tomb Raider Blog is currently running a contest to give the Xbox, featuring a bruised and battered Lara Croft, away -- and it's clear that it could use a good home. And just look at that Xbox controller! Poor little guy must have fractured a handle.

Winning isn't quite as easy as filling out a form, as the blog is asking folks to answer trivia questions, which can only be found via Twitter, Facebook and during the last five minutes of Crystal Habit, the Crystal Dynamics podcast. Once you have the answers, you can enter the contest here.

Do it quickly, because someone needs to get that mistreated console away from those monsters.

Tomb Raider Xbox 360 could use a hug originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Catwoman's Sins in Batman: Arkham City

David Hinkle — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST

So, why Catwoman?

I know it's something nice and extra for the fans, and in the context of Batman: Arkham City's story, I'm all for Catwoman, but why? Why include just about every Batman character ever this time around?

Dax Ginn, marketing game manager for Rocksteady, told me that players nowadays don't always want to be the good guy. "It's not always fun being the righteous arm of justice, so we wanted to explore what it was like to be a criminal within Arkham City, as well. Catwoman became a great option to explore that."

But maybe it's simpler than that. "We kind of look around at other games," Ginn said, "and it's obvious that some players like breaking the rules."

Gallery: Batman: Arkham City (9/29/11)

Continue reading Catwoman's Sins in Batman: Arkham City

Catwoman's Sins in Batman: Arkham City originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deus Ex DLC fixes boss fights (well, at least this one)

Justin McElroy — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:35:00 EST

As much as we loved Deus Ex: Human Revolution, we weren't crazy about being wedged into an irritating shootout whenever a boss reared its cyber-head. While we tried to roleplay as The Rock in The Rundown (you know, vow against guns, relying on our brains and fists), Human Revolution seemed intent on turning us into The Rock in -- well, pretty much every other movie he's in ... and the end of The Rundown, come to think of it.

Eurogamer reports that all changes in DLC "The Missing Link," which Eidos Montreal developed totally in-house, rather than (as in the case of Human Revolution) farming boss battles out to another studio. Missing Link producer Marc-Andre Dufort said, "You can actually not kill the boss. You can do a non-lethal takedown on him. And you can kill him from afar. You can even kill him without him seeing you. It's more of a bigger challenge than a standard boss fight like we have in many games."

Fine, Mr. Dufort. But will we be able to steal their teeth while they are asleep?

Deus Ex DLC fixes boss fights (well, at least this one) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deus Ex website RSS reveals 'Missing Link' DLC details

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST

While Square Enix left clues hinting at DLC for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, we doubt the publishers expected its plans to be revealed quite this easily. After following a convoluted breadcrumb trail of images and websites hinting at the truth, eager fans have uncovered the official details ... right in the Deus Ex website's RSS.

Opening up the DeusEx.com RSS XML reveals that the DLC will indeed be titled "Missing Link" and will take place during a three day-period in which protagonist Adam Jensen "vanishes," after which he must escape from a freighter. The clincher: His augmentations have been disabled.

"Hey," you're undoubtedly thinking, "wouldn't that mean his cybernetic arms would just stop working?" You're right, of course, but we're talking about the same game that allows players to knock a guard unconscious without being noticed by the other guard standing two feet away. Some suspension of disbelief is probably in order.

Assuming the RSS is correct, the DLC will be officially revealed on September 8. We've included the RSS description after the break. Be warned that it contains some minor spoilers.

Continue reading Deus Ex website RSS reveals 'Missing Link' DLC details

Deus Ex website RSS reveals 'Missing Link' DLC details originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC update cuts down loading times

David Hinkle — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:40:00 EST

Fact: nobody wants to sit through long loading times. Today's PC patch for Deus Ex: Human Revolution should cut down the time. According to the patch notes on Steam, some machines have seen load times decreased by over 50%.

On top of the load times, a start-up crash affecting certain AMD/ATI hardware configurations has been addressed. Mouse sensitivity has also been tweaked, which should hopefully alleviate that problem you had where you would keep running up to dudes and punching them in the face, over and over again.

Oh, wait, that's how you're playing the game? Well, carry on then.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC update cuts down loading times originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buy Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PC, get OnLive version free

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST

So maybe a free OnLive MicroConsole wasn't incentive enough to pre-order Deus Ex: Human Revolution via the cloud gaming service. You, sentimentalist that you are, ordered the retail PC version. "I like having a box thank you very much," you said, to no one in particular.

Well, guess what? OnLive foiled your little plan because, according to OnLiveFans.com, the PC version comes with a free pass for the OnLive version anyway. That'll show you.

Buy Deus Ex: Human Revolution on PC, get OnLive version free originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Deus Ex: Human Revolution launch trailer shows a changed man

David Hinkle — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:28:00 EST

We're not looking forward to the future, mainly because we'll never be able to afford sweet bionic arms. Lucky for us, we can play video games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, allowing us to experience the future revolution at a fraction of the price.

This Deus Ex: Human Revolution launch trailer shows a changed man originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Aug 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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