Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Outland and Bloodrayne Betrayal free with PlayStation Plus tomorrow]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/outland-and-bloodrayne-betrayal-free-with-playstation-plus-tomor/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/outland-and-bloodrayne-betrayal-free-with-playstation-plus-tomor/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/13/outland-and-bloodrayne-betrayal-free-with-playstation-plus-tomor/#comments Two excellent side-scrollers will be yours tomorrow if you happen to be a PlayStation Plus member. Bloodrayne: Betrayal and Outland are the two latest additions to the "Instant Game Collection," the initiative announced at E3 to stuff your PS3 full of quality games for no additional cost beyond the price of membership.

The games will remain available to you once downloaded for as long as you have an active Plus account.

JoystiqOutland and Bloodrayne Betrayal free with PlayStation Plus tomorrow originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloodrayne-betrayaloutlandplaystationplaystation-plusps3psnMon, 13 Aug 2012 14:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Beyond Good & Evil, Outland, From Dust triple pack this September in Europe]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/beyond-good-and-evil-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-this-septembe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/beyond-good-and-evil-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-this-septembe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/08/beyond-good-and-evil-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-this-septembe/#commentsBeyond Good & Evil, From Dust and Outland triple pack gets box artThe Beyond Good & Evil HD, From Dust and Outland retail triple pack of downloadable games will be available September 21 in Europe.

Eurogamer reports confirmation from Ubisoft that the bundle will be available for Xbox 360, but there's no mention of a PS3 version.

The retail compilation has popped up a couple times during the year, with Ubisoft not commenting until now. On that note, we've reached out to Ubisoft US about the game coming stateside, but haven't heard back.

JoystiqBeyond Good & Evil, Outland, From Dust triple pack this September in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beyond-good-and-evil-hdfrom-dustmicrosoftoutlandUbisoftxboxWed, 08 Aug 2012 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft's BG&E, Outland, From Dust triple pack leaks box art]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/20/ubisofts-bgande-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-leaks-box-art/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/20/ubisofts-bgande-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-leaks-box-art/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/20/ubisofts-bgande-outland-from-dust-triple-pack-leaks-box-art/#commentsBeyond Good & Evil, From Dust and Outland triple pack gets box artThe next triple pack treatment is that much closer to being announced. Amazon UK has leaked some box art for the Ubisoft Xbox Live Hits Collection, which places Beyond Good & Evil HD, From Dust and Outland on one retail disc. It's a bittersweet proposition, since we all remember what happened the last time Ubisoft put Beyond Good & Evil on a disc.

If this all seems familiar, it's probably because just about the same thing happened back in January. The emergence of the box art, visible to the left, lends more credence toward this being a real official thing we can buy on this planet with our human money.

The new anomaly is that the Amazon UK listing, which prices the triple pack at £17.99, only lists it for Xbox 360 - no PS3 version can be found. Even though we expect the boilerplate response from Ubisoft, we've still asked for more information.

JoystiqUbisoft's BG&E, Outland, From Dust triple pack leaks box art originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazonbeyond-good-and-evil-hdfrom-dustmicrosoftoutlandubisoftubisoft-xbox-live-hits-collectionxboxWed, 20 Jun 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Play.com lists 'Ubisoft Triple Pack,' containing Beyond Good and Evil HD, Outland, From Dust [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/play-com-lists-ubisoft-triple-pack-containing-beyond-good-and/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/play-com-lists-ubisoft-triple-pack-containing-beyond-good-and/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/20/play-com-lists-ubisoft-triple-pack-containing-beyond-good-and/#comments It looks like more downloadable titles will be getting the packaged retail treatment, this time courtesy of Ubisoft. Similar to the various other retail packs we've seen in the past, the "Ubisoft Triple Pack" will contain three previously download-only titles for PS3 and Xbox 360: Beyond Good and Evil HD, Outland and From Dust, according to a listing on Play.com.

Play.com's pre-order price of £14.99 equates to roughly $23, although no listings currently exist for the Triple Pack on any of the usual US retailers' websites. We've contacted Ubisoft for clarification regarding the collection's availability and pricing, but we feel safe in assuming that it'll cost more than $1 and less than $100 million, and that it'll be available in a country somewhere on this specific planet.

Update: Ubisoft has responded in a wholly surprising and remarkably unpredictable fashion: "We have nothing to announce at this time."

JoystiqPlay.com lists 'Ubisoft Triple Pack,' containing Beyond Good and Evil HD, Outland, From Dust [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beyond-good-and-evil-hderic-chahifrom-dustHousemarquemicrosoftoutlandretailubisoftUbisoft-MontpellierUbisoft-Shanghaiubisoft-triple-packxboxFri, 20 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSN fall sale: save on Limbo, Outland, Clash of Heroes HD, and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/psn-fall-sale-save-on-limbo-outland-clash-of-heroes-hd-and-m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/psn-fall-sale-save-on-limbo-outland-clash-of-heroes-hd-and-m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/psn-fall-sale-save-on-limbo-outland-clash-of-heroes-hd-and-m/#comments When you're making the obligatory "things I'm thankful for" speech around the table this Thanksgiving, you may silently include Sony among the honorees. From tomorrow through November 28, the publisher is holding a Fall Sale on PSN that drops some recent releases into temptingly affordable territory.

Limbo will be $10.49 (just $7.34 for PS Plus members) during the sale; the lovely Outland is down to $6.99 ($4.89 for Plus); and Might & Magic Clash of Heroes HD drops to just $10.49 ($7.34 for Plus). Find the full list after the break, and don't actually thank Sony out loud when you're at the dinner table. Your relatives already think you're weird enough.

Continue reading PSN fall sale: save on Limbo, Outland, Clash of Heroes HD, and more

JoystiqPSN fall sale: save on Limbo, Outland, Clash of Heroes HD, and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>akimi-villageblack-fridayblack-friday-2011dungeon-hunter-alliancefall-salegalaga-legions-dxgatling-gearslimbomight-and-magic-clash-of-heroesMight-and-Magic-Clash-of-Heroes-HDoutlandplaystationplaystation-move-ape-escapeps3psnsection-8-prejudicethe-fancy-pants-adventuresMon, 21 Nov 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox Live Marketplace sales bonanza, starting today [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/xbox-live-marketplace-sales-bonanza-starting-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/xbox-live-marketplace-sales-bonanza-starting-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/27/xbox-live-marketplace-sales-bonanza-starting-today/#comments Microsoft is taking a set of sharp blades and ravenously cutting prices across the board on Xbox Live Marketplace content, starting right now. Already inexpensive (and wonderful) title Outland will cost you a cool 400 MS Points ($5), while deep multiplayer fare like Monday Night Combat and Section 8: Prejudice are going for 600 MS Points ($7.50) and 800 MS Points ($10), respectively.

Also, hey, if you're not one of the over 2 million people who own and adore Trials HD, here's another chance to grab it on the cheap (600 MS Points/$7.50). It's unclear when the "Extreme Shopping" sale will end, so we've asked Microsoft for more info. For now, enjoy the sweet, sweet savings while you can.

Update: This post originally had ilomilo listed as on sale for $5, which is false. Sorry about that!

[Image credit: Ronald Wong]

Continue reading Xbox Live Marketplace sales bonanza, starting today [update]

JoystiqXbox Live Marketplace sales bonanza, starting today [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>extreme-shoppingmicrosoftmonday-night-combatoutlandsalesection-8-prejudicetrials-hdxblxblmxboxxbox-livexbox-live-marketplaceTue, 27 Sep 2011 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland and Clash of Heroes on XBLA drove Ubi's digital sales growth]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/outland-and-clash-of-heroes-on-xbla-drove-ubis-digital-sales-gr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/outland-and-clash-of-heroes-on-xbla-drove-ubis-digital-sales-gr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/20/outland-and-clash-of-heroes-on-xbla-drove-ubis-digital-sales-gr/#comments We were sitting here feeling bad about Child of Eden -- those sales numbers really cut into the "hope and happiness" vibe we were getting from the game -- when we got some happier news about two other beautiful games published by Ubisoft.

In its fiscal Q1 2012 sales release (PDF), Ubisoft declared a 45% increase in "online sales," up to €12.5 million. It highlighted two games as having "performed well": the XBLA versions of Outland and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. The PSN versions, of course, were unavailable for most of the quarter, and thus probably didn't do as well.

JoystiqOutland and Clash of Heroes on XBLA drove Ubi's digital sales growth originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmight-and-magic-clash-of-heroesMight-and-Magic-Clash-of-Heroes-HDoutlandsalesubisoftxblaxboxWed, 20 Jul 2011 13:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland will be out on PSN June 14]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/outland-will-be-out-on-psn-june-14/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/outland-will-be-out-on-psn-june-14/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/06/outland-will-be-out-on-psn-june-14/#comments Hey, PS3 owners! Remember Outland? Remember how great that sounded, and how excited you were to buy it -- right up until the PSN disappeared for over a month? Well, now you can relive all the thrill of the leadup to Housemarque's colorful platformer, followed by an actual opportunity to buy it!

A post on the PlayStation Blog reveals that Outland, originally due for release right when PSN went down, is now scheduled for release on June 14. You should run, slide, and jump ... to the store to buy some PSN credit.

JoystiqOutland will be out on PSN June 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 06 Jun 2011 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>housemarqueoutlandplaystationps3psnq2-2011release-dateubisoftMon, 06 Jun 2011 01:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland review: Will and grace]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/outland-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/outland-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/27/outland-review/#comments This admission is better read than said: I'm hopelessly addicted to will and grace. A video game provides the ideal arrangement for someone -- like me -- whose extreme athleticism remains dormant in reality, but seeks expression just a few feet away from the couch. It's the basis for the accord I once made with the Prince of Persia. "With my will and your grace, your grace," I said, "we'll get through this elaborate death chicane in under an hour. And if you end up squirming with a spike through your chest, we'll just put that on me. Deal?"

In the low fidelity of Jordan Mechner's classic, the prince's form of movement became a mesmerizing, superhuman display of perfect movement ... and when it didn't you reverted to an older save. Outland, a visually arresting 2D platformer from Finland's Housemarque studio, is just as reverent to grace, personified by a tall, inexhaustible silhouette in search of the meaning behind his dreams. He runs and leaps with such intense confidence, some of it starts filtering through the controller and into you.

Continue reading Outland review: Will and grace

JoystiqOutland review: Will and grace originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>housemarquemicrosoftoutlandplaystationps3psnubisoftxblaxboxWed, 27 Apr 2011 16:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland coming to PSN on April 26, XBLA on April 27]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/outland-coming-to-psn-on-april-26-xbla-on-april-27/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/outland-coming-to-psn-on-april-26-xbla-on-april-27/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/outland-coming-to-psn-on-april-26-xbla-on-april-27/#comments Outland, a vibrant 2D adventure that exudes elements of Ikaruga, N+, Tron, Super Metroid and a bunch of other things that you like, is set to launch on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade later this month. Developed by Finnish outfit Housemarque, the game will be available on Sony's platform for $10 on Tuesday, April 26, followed by the Xbox version on April 27 for 800 Microsoft Points.

Peek past the break to find a new trailer that showcases Outland's arresting imagery, two-player co-operative challenges (online only) and light combat.

Continue reading Outland coming to PSN on April 26, XBLA on April 27

JoystiqOutland coming to PSN on April 26, XBLA on April 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>housemarquemicrosoftoutlandplaystationps3psnrelease-dateubisoftxblaxboxWed, 13 Apr 2011 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland preview: Grace anatomy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/outland-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/outland-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/outland-preview/#comments Not to besmirch the pleasures of mowing down aliens with the aid of a lumbering, gun-toting calzone of muscle and gruff one-liners, but I usually gravitate toward avatars that exhibit speed and panache. Games like Prince of Persia and N+ make quite a show of even basic movement, conveying an easily perceptible sense of momentum in their acrobatic lead characters. You can generally tell whether these games work within just a few minutes of motion -- and Outland, like those games, is love at first flight.

Housemarque's previous efforts are just as quickly decipherable, with both Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation built on solid twin-stick shooting, but Outland captures attention at mere sight. The graphics are "traditional" in the sense that they elicit a tribal reverence of nature, with gigantic tree silhouettes softly obscuring the vibrant blues, yellows and greens of the background sky. Outland's bold art seems to draw inspiration from Japanese shadow plays (before Nin2-Jump did it) and even Tron, with a dash of Incan history and mystery mixed in.

There's an interesting, cyclical element to the story, which sees your warrior-in-training slipping into slumber to experience the life of a previous hero, who counts defeating a pair of evil gods (and climbing the best ladder since Metal Gear Solid 3) among his accomplishments. You're much less powerful when the dream ends, of course, but you wake up with a taste of the abilities you'll unlock in further Metroid-esque exploration of the world. At its most basic level, Outland is about bounding, sliding and falling through the jungle in the quest for coins, switches and the next power-up.

Gallery: Outland (9/30/10)

Continue reading Outland preview: Grace anatomy

JoystiqOutland preview: Grace anatomy originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>housemarquemicrosoftoutlandpax-east-2011playstationps3psnubisoftxblaxboxSun, 20 Mar 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Trailer and screens for Ubisoft's Outland look outstanding]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/trailer-and-screens-for-ubisofts-outland-look-outstanding/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/trailer-and-screens-for-ubisofts-outland-look-outstanding/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/30/trailer-and-screens-for-ubisofts-outland-look-outstanding/#comments Housemarque's (Super Stardust HD) experiment in side-scrolling action game meets light/dark projectile absorption a la Ikaruga is a real looker. You can see just how remarkable Outland's visual style and intriguing play mechanic look in motion by rolling the following video.

Continue reading Trailer and screens for Ubisoft's Outland look outstanding

JoystiqTrailer and screens for Ubisoft's Outland look outstanding originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Housemarquemicrosoftoutlandplaystationps3ubisoftubisoft-digital-day-2010xboxThu, 30 Sep 2010 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland preview: When shmups grow legs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/outland-preview-when-shmups-grow-legs/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/outland-preview-when-shmups-grow-legs/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/04/outland-preview-when-shmups-grow-legs/#comments If you need proof that the upswing of independent game development is having an impact on more mainstream devs, look no further than Outland, the upcoming XBLA and PSN release just revealed by Ubisoft during PAX 2010.

Just tell me this doesn't seem like one of those way-out-there ideas, the product of one-man coding in his spare time: It's a beautifully rendered animated platformer that draws aesthetic inspiration from classics like Out of this World ... oh, and it's sort of based on Ikaruga.

Crazy, yes, but also very real and, as I can attest after one of the levels and a boss battle, very beautiful.

Gallery: Outland (first screens)

Continue reading Outland preview: When shmups grow legs

JoystiqOutland preview: When shmups grow legs originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftoutlandpaxpax-2010pax-primepax-prime-2010playstationps3ubisoftxboxSat, 04 Sep 2010 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Outland developed by Housemarque, gameplay detailed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/02/outland-developed-by-housemarque-gameplay-detailed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/02/outland-developed-by-housemarque-gameplay-detailed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/02/outland-developed-by-housemarque-gameplay-detailed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When Ubisoft first revealed Outland for PSN and XBLA earlier this week, the company didn't provide many details. Now, thanks to a preview on IGN, we've got a much clearer picture of the title. Outland is being developed by Housemarque, the studio behind the PSN shooter Super Stardust HD and the upcoming Dead Nation. According to IGN, the game is essentially "a cross between retro platformers like Prince of Persia or Out of This World and the color-switching of shoot 'em up Ikaruga."

If just the thought of those two play styles combined has you short of breath, we wouldn't blame you. Like Ikaruga, players can switch the protagonist between two forms, white and black, rendering him impervious to bullets of the same color. At the same time, players must navigate jungle settings on branching pathways looking for secrets and, of course, boss fights. Outland isn't scheduled for release until next year, but rest assured we'll be taking a closer look during PAX.

Gallery: Outland (first screens)

JoystiqOutland developed by Housemarque, gameplay detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftoutlandplaystationps3PSNXBLAxboxThu, 02 Sep 2010 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft to reveal 'Outland' for PSN and XBLA at PAX]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/ubisoft-to-reveal-outland-for-psn-and-xbla-at-pax/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/ubisoft-to-reveal-outland-for-psn-and-xbla-at-pax/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/30/ubisoft-to-reveal-outland-for-psn-and-xbla-at-pax/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ubisoft has announced its lineup for this week's PAX convention, including playable demos of Your Shape and MotionSports for Kinect, and public demonstrations of Child of Eden, Just Dance 2 and H.A.W.X. 2 multiplayer. The company will also have a brand new title on display: Outland for PSN and XBLA, for which attendees will be able to see "a sneak peek."

It's possible this game is related to the upcoming Outland movie remake. Ubisoft hasn't given any clues other than the title, so it could be a game based on the comic strip, for all we know. We'll all find out at PAX, unless everyone is too busy pre-ordering Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (you get a free T-shirt for pre-ordering the game at PAX) or staring at Child of Eden to notice.

Continue reading Ubisoft to reveal 'Outland' for PSN and XBLA at PAX

JoystiqUbisoft to reveal 'Outland' for PSN and XBLA at PAX originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftoutlandPAX-2010pax-prime-2010playstationps3PSNUbisoftXBLAxboxMon, 30 Aug 2010 13:57:00 EST