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 2015 AOL, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Dial 868-HACK on Steam, steal data]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/dial-868-hack-on-steam-steal-data/#comments
Independent developer Michael Brough launched a PC and Mac version of his strategy game 868-HACK on Steam this week. The brightly-colored roguelike previously arrived on iOS in August 2013. In it, players "steal precious data while the world sleeps," solving mainframe-hacking puzzles in a cyberspace environment. The game costs $5.65 for PC and Mac users, a few cents cheaper than its iOS counterpart.

Brough crafted a number of games over the years, though one that recently caught our attention was his single-screen action game Helix for iOS. Be sure to check out our video of Brough's hectic avoidance game in action after watching the developer's bizarre trailer for 868-HACK above.
[Image: Michael Brough]

JoystiqDial 868-HACK on Steam, steal data originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>868-hackhackhackingIndiemacmichael-broughpcroguelikesteamWed, 28 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shelter 2 'Cuteness' trailer is all about the lynx kitten fuzzies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/shelter-2-cuteness-trailer-is-all-about-the-lynx-kitten-fuzzie/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/shelter-2-cuteness-trailer-is-all-about-the-lynx-kitten-fuzzie/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/28/shelter-2-cuteness-trailer-is-all-about-the-lynx-kitten-fuzzie/#comments

Joystiq Trivia: Every morning I send Managing Editor Susan Arendt a cat gif to kick off the day. Like all good people, we share a love of cat gifs. This morning, I'm just sending her this aptly titled "Cuteness in Shelter 2" trailer. Because: d'awwww, lynx kittens.

The wildlife survial sim and its lynx kitties are coming to Steam sometime next month.
[Image: Might & Delight]

JoystiqShelter 2 'Cuteness' trailer is all about the lynx kitten fuzzies originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GOGmight-and-delightpcshelter-2steamWed, 28 Jan 2015 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jam out to The Music of League of Legends]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/jam-out-to-the-music-of-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/jam-out-to-the-music-of-league-of-legends/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/jam-out-to-the-music-of-league-of-legends/#comments

Today, this is our jam. The Music of League of Legends - Volume 1 collects 15 new and classic songs from League of Legends, available to download for free or for listening on YouTube.

"The amount of blood, sweat, and tears that went into this project makes me so fucking grateful to be surrounded by such talented nerds," Riot Associate Brand Manager Tyler Eltringham said on Facebook. "This is the music of League."

Show your earholes some love today and give Music of League a listen.

JoystiqJam out to The Music of League of Legends originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>league-of-legendsmusicpcriotriot-gamesthe-music-of-league-of-legendsTue, 27 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Never stop not starving in Don't Starve Together]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/joystiq-streams-never-stop-not-starving-in-dont-starve-togethe/#comments The last time we played Don't Starve Together, everything went super well. We all survived and built happy homes in the woods, raising beefalo and generally keeping everything awesome forever all the time! No turkeys haunted our dreams and the eats were bountiful. Always bountiful.

No wait. That's not what happened. Everything was set on fire. Alexander screamed while Anthony cackled maniacally and Sinan held his face firmly in his palm. It was glory incarnate. Might as well do it again!

Starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch, we'll be streaming Don't Starve Together. Myriad members of the Joystiq crew will be hanging out, so come on down to talk with us.

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM, come rain or shine. Feel free to follow us on Twitch to catch when those random other streams fire up in the wee hours.
[Images: Klei]

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Never stop not starving in Don't Starve Together originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dont-starvejoystiq-streamspcTue, 27 Jan 2015 15:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Elite: Dangerous dev lays off fifteen in Cambridge, UK]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/elite-dangerous-dev-lays-off-fifteen-in-cambridge-uk/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/elite-dangerous-dev-lays-off-fifteen-in-cambridge-uk/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/elite-dangerous-dev-lays-off-fifteen-in-cambridge-uk/#comments A recent investor update reveals that developer Frontier Developments has laid off 15 employees a little over a month after it launched freeform space simulation Elite: Dangerous.

According to the update, Frontier plans to shift its focus entirely to Elite: Dangerous and the Coaster Park Tycoon franchise and has begun moving its development roles from a studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia to Cambridge, UK. As a result of this consolidation, "15 content creation roles [at the Cambridge studio] have been made redundant," representing five percent of Frontier's total work force. Despite these layoffs, Frontier "continues to recruit in areas such as game and technology programming, server and web front end development."

"Coaster Park games appeal to a great many people, as proven by RollerCoaster Tycoon 3," Frontier CCO Jonny Watts says of the studio's new direction. "It is a field for which Frontier has unparalleled expertise and immense passion, and one to which we have long wanted to make a 'no-holds-barred' return. We want Coaster Park Tycoon to be another major step forward for the simulation genre, and sit alongside Elite: Dangerous as a second major self-published franchise."
[Image: Frontier Developments]

JoystiqElite: Dangerous dev lays off fifteen in Cambridge, UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>elite-dangerousfrontier-developmentslayoffspcTue, 27 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch 14 minutes of The Witcher 3's gameplay]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/watch-14-minutes-of-the-witcher-3s-gameplay/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/watch-14-minutes-of-the-witcher-3s-gameplay/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/watch-14-minutes-of-the-witcher-3s-gameplay/#comments
Have you finished reading about the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? If you don't want the wild ride to end, then check out this 14-minute gameplay trailer to see some horseback riding, conversations and exploration in the game. The Witcher 3 will launch on May 19 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

While the PC game can import save files from The Witcher 2, the console versions will not. Rather, the PS4 and Xbox one versions will simulate world states in the game based on an in-game conversation. The Witcher 3 was previously expected to launch next month, but CD Projekt RED delayed the game back in December.
[Image: WBIE]

JoystiqWatch 14 minutes of The Witcher 3's gameplay originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CD-Projektcd-projekt-redgameplay-trailergameplay-videomicrosoftpcplaystationps4rpgthe-witcher-3trailervideoWarner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwbiexbox-oneTue, 27 Jan 2015 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[RetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/retroblazer-feels-like-doom-by-way-of-saturday-morning-cartoons/#comments Amil Parra isn't a big fan of violence. That might sound strange coming from a man designing an homage to '90s sprite-based FPS games like Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, but one look at the game in motion and it becomes obvious that the inspiration Parra draws from those games is the feel, not the aesthetic.

Meet RetroBlazer: a PC game that feels like a 1994 run-and-gun shooter, but looks like something you'd catch between episodes of Biker Mice From Mars and Mighty Ducks (that's the cartoon featuring space-ducks fighting space-dinosaurs by the way, not the live-action film featuring a lawyer fighting to be a better person).

Continue reading RetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons

JoystiqRetroBlazer feels like Doom by way of Saturday morning cartoons originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>doomhydra-game-workskickstarterpaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcretroblazerTue, 27 Jan 2015 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dying Light launch trailer shows catastrophe on a hot tin roof]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dying-light-launch-trailer-shows-catastrophe-on-a-hot-tin-roof/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dying-light-launch-trailer-shows-catastrophe-on-a-hot-tin-roof/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dying-light-launch-trailer-shows-catastrophe-on-a-hot-tin-roof/#comments Dead Island creator Techland is once again chucking a ton of undead at your face, but this time you have to freerun from them. "Go anywhere, climb anything," but try to stay alive, eh?

Dying Light is available now on Steam for $60, with physical copies also out today in North and South America for PS4, Xbox One and PC. In Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Africa you' can download it tomorrow, January 28, while disc versions are due on February 27.

Slide below the break to check out the launch trailer, and when you're done with that, clamber over to the recent Joystiq Streams expedition through Techland's open world.

Continue reading Dying Light launch trailer shows catastrophe on a hot tin roof

JoystiqDying Light launch trailer shows catastrophe on a hot tin roof originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dying-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps4steamtechlandwarner-brosWBWBIExbox-oneTue, 27 Jan 2015 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon's Dogma Online announced]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dragons-dogma-online-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dragons-dogma-online-announced/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/dragons-dogma-online-announced/#comments Dragon's Dogma Online is official, after Famitsu announced it's featuring the game in the latest issue of its magazine. The entry in Capcom's action-RPG series was much speculated after trademarks showed up in Europe and Japan last month.

We're waiting on official details, but going by reports based on magazine scans, Dragon's Dogma Online is a free-to-play game for PS4, PS3, and PC. According to Siliconera, the game is due for release in Japan this year.

While the European trademark may raise hopes for an international release, a Capcom UK representative told Eurogamer this morning there are no plans to release Dragon's Dogma Online in the West.

Continue reading Dragon's Dogma Online announced

JoystiqDragon's Dogma Online announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomdragons-dogma-onlinejapanpcplaystationps3ps4release-dateTue, 27 Jan 2015 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Witcher 3 on consoles can simulate world states, can't import Witcher 2 saves]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/the-witcher-3-on-consoles-can-simulate-world-states-cant-impor/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/the-witcher-3-on-consoles-can-simulate-world-states-cant-impor/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/27/the-witcher-3-on-consoles-can-simulate-world-states-cant-impor/#comments On PC, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can import a Witcher 2 save file to "impact your playthrough" of the third entry, but on consoles CD Projekt is taking a different approach. In a roundtable interview Level Designer Miles Tost told Joystiq that The Witcher 3 will look to simulate world states based on decisions taken in an in-game conversation.

"The way how it works is that the game on the consoles will ask you whether you want to simulate a specific state of the world, coming from previous games," Tost explained. "If you choose 'yes,' then you will get a special conversation at one part of the game - I don't want to spoil where it happens. It's basically a conversation with a character and the conversation is about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. And you can basically deny or confirm whatever [the character] has heard of whatever tales of [Geralt.] It's actually kind of a cute mechanic. If you don't want to simulate the state then this conversation doesn't take place."

Continue reading The Witcher 3 on consoles can simulate world states, can't import Witcher 2 saves

JoystiqThe Witcher 3 on consoles can simulate world states, can't import Witcher 2 saves originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Jan 2015 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bandai-namcomicrosoftpcplaystationps4the-witcher-3wb-gamesxbox-oneTue, 27 Jan 2015 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends Amumu music video is a tear-jerker]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/league-of-legends-amumu-music-video-is-a-tear-jerker/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/league-of-legends-amumu-music-video-is-a-tear-jerker/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/league-of-legends-amumu-music-video-is-a-tear-jerker/#comments

Amumu is the saddest of all League of Legends champions - as he wanders around Summoner's Rift, he says things like, "Come play with me," "Let me give you a hug" and "Where are we going?" with the most broken, depressing inflection. See, Amumu is cursed with eternal sadness and an inability to make friends, as Riot's new music video, "The Curse of the Sad Mummy," demonstrates with beautiful, terrible clarity.

Ugh. You can sit with us, Amumu! See the video and Amumu's creative spotlight on the official League of Legends site.
[Image: Riot]

JoystiqLeague of Legends Amumu music video is a tear-jerker originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Amumuleague-of-legendspcriotriot-gamesMon, 26 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Silence: The Whispered World 2 also has words for the PS4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/silence-the-whispered-world-2-also-has-words-for-the-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/silence-the-whispered-world-2-also-has-words-for-the-ps4/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/silence-the-whispered-world-2-also-has-words-for-the-ps4/#comments Alongside its "early 2015" PC, Mac and Xbox One debut, publisher Daedalic Entertainment has announced that lovely, snowbound adventure Silence: The Whispered World 2 will be released on the PlayStation 4.

A sequel to 2010's The Whispered World, Silence: The Whispered World 2 casts players as Noah, a 16-year-old boy attempting to find his younger sister in the ethereal world of Silence. The duo enter Silence in an effort to escape from a war in their world, but quickly find that the wondrous land of Silence is also embroiled in conflict (not to mention populated by nasty beasts and self-serving political factions). It's sort of a Chronicles of Narnia situation, only with fewer Christian allegories in the form of sage predatory felines.

Though the original Whispered World featured 2D graphics, Silence: The Whispered World 2 employs 3D models and a method the developers call "camera projection" that "allows [the artists] to maintain the high detail level of our hand-drawn art, while still being able to use the benefits of 3D game design."
[Image: Daedalic Entertainment]

Continue reading Silence: The Whispered World 2 also has words for the PS4

JoystiqSilence: The Whispered World 2 also has words for the PS4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>daedalic-entertainmentmacmicrosoftpcplaystationps4the-whispered-worldthe-whispered-world-2xbox-oneMon, 26 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gravity Ghost swirls through Steam's solar system today]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gravity-ghost-swirls-through-steams-solar-system-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gravity-ghost-swirls-through-steams-solar-system-today/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/gravity-ghost-swirls-through-steams-solar-system-today/#comments

Ivy Games' Gravity Ghost is on Steam today for PC, Mac and Linux for $15, a reasonable price for a trip through the stars. Plus, it's two-for-one, forever - pay $15 on Steam, get two game codes.

"Why?" Gravity Ghost Designer Erin Robinson asks in an email. "I'm encouraging everyone to give that second copy to someone special in their life who doesn't play video games. My hope is that it will open the door to this amazing hobby and allow people to share that joy with their loved ones."

Gravity Ghost is a physics puzzler with a twist (or a twirl): Players soar around planets, using gravitational pull to gain momentum, alter direction and collect pieces of a shattered galaxy. There's no "fail" state, though there is a rich story with hints of darkness, plus voice acting by Ashly Burch (Borderlands 2), Logan Cunningham (Bastion) and Sarah Elmaleh (Gone Home). The soundtrack comes from FTL composer Ben Prunty. See the story trailer after the break.

Continue reading Gravity Ghost swirls through Steam's solar system today

JoystiqGravity Ghost swirls through Steam's solar system today originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buy-one-get-one-freeerin-robinsongravity-ghostIndieivy-gamesLinuxmacpcSTEAMMon, 26 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon Age: Inquisition gets special recognition from GLAAD]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/dragon-age-inquisition-gets-special-recognition-from-glaad/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/dragon-age-inquisition-gets-special-recognition-from-glaad/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/dragon-age-inquisition-gets-special-recognition-from-glaad/#comments GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) has given a special recognition award to Dragon Age: Inquisition. The 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, which has a laundry list of award categories, including comics, singled out the BioWare RPG from the video game pack.

David Gaider, lead writer for the Dragon Age series at BioWare has spoken in the past about the "hump of assumptions" involved in creating and including lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender characters in video games. Inquisition featured the first "fully gay" characters in the series. Straight and bisexual characters have been a BioWare standard for over a decade.

Bioware parent company, Electronic Arts, has also repeated received a 100 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. The publisher earned the achievement again in 2015.
[Image: C. Felichidá]

JoystiqDragon Age: Inquisition gets special recognition from GLAAD originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dragon-age-3dragon-age-inquisitionglaadglbtmicrosoftpcplaystationps4xbox-oneMon, 26 Jan 2015 12:05:00 EST<![CDATA[On track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/26/on-track-with-the-first-three-hours-of-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/#comments
There's an immediate intimacy to my first three or so hours with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and no, I don't mean the bare buttocks I see in one of the opening cut scenes. The third entry in CD Projekt's fantasy RPG series may offer a new open world that's umpteen times bigger than previous entries. Yet, following a story-driven tutorial, I end up losing myself to the very first landmark, the peasant village of White Orchard.

It's a small riverside muddle of hovels, taverns and fields, its warm hues belying the deeper, darker stories within. There's the impulse to call my horse and gallop towards the horizon, but I find the village's multitude of side quests as welcoming as they are distracting, and certainly meaty enough to steer me away from temptation.

Eventually I drag myself to the main quest and my first wild hunt of The Witcher 3, as I track and take on a huge, bloodthirsty griffin. But before all that, let's return to those buttocks...

Continue reading On track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

JoystiqOn track with the first three hours of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bandai-namcocd-projektmicrosoftpcplaystationps4the-witcher-3wb-gamesxbox-oneMon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lady Hammerlock joins Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's playable lineup]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/lady-hammerlock-joins-borderlands-the-pre-sequels-playable-lin/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/lady-hammerlock-joins-borderlands-the-pre-sequels-playable-lin/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/lady-hammerlock-joins-borderlands-the-pre-sequels-playable-lin/#comments
Lady Hammerlock, sister to researcher Sir Hammerlock and heir to the family's fortune, will add a bit of class to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's playable lineup on January 27. Aurelia is included in The Pre-Sequel's season pass, but a related press release notes that fans who prefer to pick up DLC a la carte can also don her fashionable demeanor for $9.99.

Lady Hammerlock's progression branch into Huntress, Cold Money and Contractual Aristocracy skill trees. Huntress focuses on sniping, offering a skill that dishes out critical hit bonuses for each consecutive shot on a target. Cold Money is all about ice damage, as made evident by one of its abilities implementing Cryo damage with any equipped weapon. Contractual Aristrocracy is all about status, as suggested by one of its unlockables reaping Lady Hammerlock bonuses from kills made by her peasant teammates.

When firefights call for desperate measures, Lady Hammerlock's Cold As Ice action skill spawns a Frost Diadem Shard that chases down and latches onto targets, dealing constant damage until they finally keel over so that the shard can move onto its next target.

If you sat out The Pre-Sequel in hopes of a current-gen port but still want to freeze things to death as Lady Hammerlock, don't fret - Borderlands Handsome Collection will include all season pass DLC when it arrives on March 24.
[Image: Gearbox]

JoystiqLady Hammerlock joins Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's playable lineup originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baronessborderlandsborderlands-the-pre-sequellady-hammerlocklady-hammerlock-the-baronesslinuxmacmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxSun, 25 Jan 2015 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Homeworld Remastered Collection coming February 25]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/homeworld-remastered-collection-coming-february-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/homeworld-remastered-collection-coming-february-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/homeworld-remastered-collection-coming-february-25/#comments

Homeworld Remastered Collection, a compilation that includes Gearbox's modern take on Relic Software's strategy game series, will make contact with Steam on February 25. As announced during Gearbox's presentation at PAX South 2015, the bundle includes original and updated versions of Homeworld 1 & 2, with Gearbox's recreations featuring new voice recordings and a remastered score. Homeworld Remastered Collection will provide commanders with space fleets for $34.99 at launch, though a 15 percent discount ($29.74) is available to those who preorder.

The bundle also grants access to Homeworld Remastered's Steam multiplayer beta, a mode that serves as a joined multiplayer mode for both games. Races, maps, game modes and features from both games will be ready for battle once the multiplayer beta launches.
[Image: Gearbox]

JoystiqHomeworld Remastered Collection coming February 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gearboxhomeworld-remasteredpcSun, 25 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Check-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/check-in-knock-out-more-fun-than-jumping-on-hotel-beds/#comments

Checking into a hotel can be stressful. Even if your overnight establishment of choice doesn't lose or otherwise muck up your reservation, what if you don't have a reservation in the first place and there's no vacancy? And then, there are the hotels that force you to do battle with your fellow room-seekers, tossing exploding luggage and tearing the room apart in an effort to make them fall to their death.

What, you've never had that happen? Clearly you haven't played Check-in, Knock-out. But you should.

Continue reading Check-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds

JoystiqCheck-in, Knock-out: More fun than jumping on hotel beds originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>check-in-knock-outlionade-gamespaxpax-southpax-south-2015pctinybuild-gamesSun, 25 Jan 2015 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/25/adventures-of-pip-is-modern-cute-plus-classic-challenge/#comments I'm calling it now: the Kickstarted Adventures of Pip from developer TicToc Games is going to win cutest game of 2015. I don't care that we're not even to the end of January; Pip is so cute that I want him in a kids' TV show. He's so heart-meltingly precious that I want plush figures and a breakfast cereal themed after him.

Pip is so gawl-darned lovable and sweet that it makes me deeply, deeply angry.

The game's charming aesthetic masks a sinister beast. For despite the playful bounce of our square-shaped hero and the bright colors that surround him, this is a world looking to commit straight-up pixelated murder.

Continue reading Adventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge

JoystiqAdventures of Pip is modern cute plus classic challenge originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventures-of-pipkickstartermacmicrosoftnintendopaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcplaystationps4tictoc-gameswii-uxbox-oneSun, 25 Jan 2015 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/first-person-puzzler-magnetic-cage-closed-is-like-portal-cubed/#comments Guru Games isn't afraid of having their recently-announced game, Magnetic: Cage Closed compared to Portal. In fact, that's where it started: a school project designed as an homage to both Valve's famous, meme-producing first-person puzzler and lesser-known horror/suspense film, Cube.

Magnetic takes place in an alternate history version of the 1960s, where inmates sentenced to death can be sold for scientific testing. Such is your fate, as you are a prisoner charged with testing the D27 Magnetic Propulsion Device - or, in simpler terms, a magnet gun.

Continue reading First-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed

JoystiqFirst-person puzzler Magnetic: Cage Closed is like Portal, cubed originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jan 2015 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cubeguru-gameshey-does-anyone-remember-that-movie-cubemagnetic-cage-closedmicrosoftpaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcplaystationportalps4xbox-oneSat, 24 Jan 2015 17:45:00 EST<![CDATA[For the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/24/for-the-90s-arcade-gamer-soul-gunsport/#comments Wandering the halls of PAX South, a pattern begins to emerge: the 8-bit style resurgence has well and truly ended. While '80s nostalgia still rumbles throughout the booths of small developers, '90s style is what's playing on the screens. For newer players exhausted of blocky pixels in every other cult hit of the past five years, the chunky, dense neon of this 16/32-bit inspired games will be as welcome and vibrant as they were to players 25 years ago. To players of that era, games like Gunsport feel like home.

Continue reading For the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport

JoystiqFor the '90s Arcade Gamer Soul: Gunsport originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunsportmicrosoftnecrosoft-gamespax-south-2015pcplaystationps4xbox-oneSat, 24 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA snitches on Battlefield Hardline, reveals maps and modes]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ea-snitches-on-battlefield-hardline-reveals-maps-and-modes/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ea-snitches-on-battlefield-hardline-reveals-maps-and-modes/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ea-snitches-on-battlefield-hardline-reveals-maps-and-modes/#comments Following a raid by local authorities, informants at publisher EA were compelled to give up detailed information on the multiplayer maps and game modes included in the upcoming cops versus robbers shooter Battlefield Hardline.

The nine maps included in Battlefield Hardline all seem either ripped from a Michael Mann heist film or from one of the earlier, military-focused Battlefield games. Bank Job centers around an imposing financial institution that must be relieved of its cash, Hollywood Heights is populated by expansive houses likely belonging to media moguls and hip hop artists and Riptide is an ocean-front map that continues the Battlefield series' long-running fascination with gun battles set against a tidal backdrop. There's also a map called "Growhouse," but we're guessing you can figure out what happens there. A full rundown on each of the maps can be found on the game's website.

Battlefield Hardline will include seven gameplay modes, ranging from the classic to the wholly novel. Conquest is a Battlefield mainstay mode that pits teams of players (up to 64 in total) against one another in a battle to see who can control certain areas of the map. Blood Money, by contrast, is a new mode where both cops and robbers attempt to swipe money from the opposing teams' vault while gunfire rages all around. Perhaps the most intriguing new mode is Hotwire, a vehicle-focused addition in which the criminal team attempts to steal a list of cars while the cops try to stop them with extreme prejudice, leading to the sorts of high-speed gunfights pictured above. Full details on the game modes found in Battlefield Hardline can also be found on the game's website.

Battlefield Hardline is slated to launch on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on March 17.
[Image: EA]

JoystiqEA snitches on Battlefield Hardline, reveals maps and modes originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battlefield-hardlineeamicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4xboxxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Trials Fusion adds online multiplayer, new DLC hits next week]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/trials-fusion-adds-online-multiplayer-new-dlc-hits-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/trials-fusion-adds-online-multiplayer-new-dlc-hits-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/trials-fusion-adds-online-multiplayer-new-dlc-hits-next-week/#comments As promised late last year, developer Redlynx has added online multiplayer gameplay modes to its stunt-platforming motorcycle game Trials Fusion in a new, free update.

According to publisher Ubisoft, the new online multiplayer options support up to eight players, and include three gameplay options. Online-X Supercross pits eight players against each other in a series of three races, while Private Game and Private Game With Spectator allow players to alter race parameters, ranging from track to speed and handling to the strength of gravity, before the event.

Additionally, Ubisoft has announced that the fourth Trials Fusion DLC pack, entitled "Fire In The Deep," will arrive on January 27. Described as the "biggest downloadable content pack yet," Fire In The Deep will include "11 new tracks, five new achievements and trophies to unlock, 27 new track challenges and dozens of new editor objects." Like all Trials Fusion DLC packs, Fire In The Deep is priced at $5, but can also be found among the five DLC packs included in the $20 Trials Fusion Season Pass.
[Image: Ubisoft]

Continue reading Trials Fusion adds online multiplayer, new DLC hits next week

JoystiqTrials Fusion adds online multiplayer, new DLC hits next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcfire-in-the-deepmicrosoftpcplaystationps4redlynxtrials-fusionxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Early Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/early-access-zombie-survival-hit-dayz-tops-3-million-sales/#comments Publisher Bohemia Interactive has revealed that DayZ, the cult-hit, open-world zombie survival game, has attracted more than three million sales since its debut on Steam's Early Access platform.

DayZ arrives at this milestone only a year after reaching Early Access. Despite pragmatic warnings from DayZ creator Dean "Rocket" Hall that the Early Access version of DayZ is incomplete, the game was an immediate hit, selling over a million copies in its first month, owing largely to the cult following it attracted in its original incarnation: a modification for Bohemia's ArmA 2 first-person military sim.

"We would like to say thank you to every single one of the three million players, that have joined us on the journey of making DayZ," writes project lead David Durcak. "You all have helped make DayZ the best open world, zombie survival game. This is an amazing achievement, and we are really looking forward to start sharing with you all of our game design improvements, anti-hack solutions and other optimizations we have been working on for a majority of the last year."
[Image: Bohemia Interactive]

Continue reading Early Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales

JoystiqEarly Access zombie survival hit DayZ tops 3 million sales originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bohemia-interactiveday-zdayzdean-hallearly-accesspcsteamFri, 23 Jan 2015 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How to make a game in an hour, no experience required]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-a-game-in-an-hour-no-experience-required/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-a-game-in-an-hour-no-experience-required/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-a-game-in-an-hour-no-experience-required/#comments
For many, game development seems like an unreachable dream. We envision a world where we can come up with an idea, hunch over a laptop, bang out some code and - voila - video game. Tom Francis, creator of Joystiq favorite Gunpoint, is putting together a very handy Game Maker tutorial and, while it won't make things quite as easy as they are in your dreams, you'll have a working prototype in about an hour.

The tutorial is published as a series of videos on YouTube (here's the playlist) and all it requires is a free download of Game Maker, which you may recognize as the engine that powers games like Spelunky, Hotline Miami, Risk of Rain, Gods Will Be Watching, Nidhogg and many, many more. You can download the free version of Game Maker Studio right here.

Even better, the tutorials require no programming or game creation experience whatsoever. If you can follow instructions, you can follow these tutorials. After the first two lessons, clocking in at a total of 50 minutes or so, you'll have a character that moves with the WASD keys and shoots in the direction of your mouse pointer. As noted by Francis himself: If you can shoot, it is officially a video game (also it's pretty easy to program).

Don't take my word for it though. Just check out the trailer for my upcoming indie-developed blockbuster, World of Shoo(ting). If you want to do more than just shoot, of course, you'll have to watch the rest of the tutorial series.

JoystiqHow to make a game in an hour, no experience required originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-makergunpointpctom-francisFri, 23 Jan 2015 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Breach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/breach-and-clear-deadline-brings-tactical-thinking-to-zombie-sl/#comments A zombie apocalypse is no excuse for sloppy tactics. That's the thinking behind Breach and Clear: Deadline, an undead twist on the top-down strategy genre and offshoot of the iOS/Android game Breach and Clear.

In Deadline, ransacked interiors and mangled streets are home to various forms of infected; parasitic worms capable of "hyper-evolution" have invaded the soft, squishy bodies of the former humans that once lived here.

Okay, so they're not technically undead zombies, but the upside is that Mighty Rabbit is using the hyper-evolving worms as justification for a new campaign, a wide variety of enemies and a fresh gameplay experience.

Continue reading Breach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter

JoystiqBreach and Clear: Deadline brings tactical thinking to zombie slaughter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breach-and-clearbreach-and-clear-deadlinedevolver-digitalgun-mediamighty-rabbit-studiospaxpax-southpax-south-2015pcFri, 23 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/how-to-make-top-down-horror-like-noct-scary-ditch-zombies/#comments Noct, a new survival horror shooter by Chris Eskins, shouldn't be scary. Outwardly simplistic, Noct borrows the top down perspective of Devolver label-mate Hotline Miami as well 360-degree style shooting but ditches the color and detail. Dark, drab, and obscure, the black and white action is filtered through the ambient light of satellite night vision. Your blob of a character so easily killed is glimpsed through snaky sharp brambles and wandering down empty streets and detail-less warehouses. Noct should feel isolating but not scary. It's too distant, both in fidelity and in action. Yet it got me to yell, "Nope!" just like its characters do before they're run down by the blurry outline of a giant arachnid or wandering, ravenous, ill-defined bovine beast.

Continue reading How to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies

JoystiqHow to make top down horror like Noct scary? Ditch zombies originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>c3skdevolver-digitalmacnoctpax-south-2015pcFri, 23 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/fable-just-the-first-step-in-getting-more-xbox-one-games-on-wind/#comments It's easy to forget the Xbox's place inside the Windows empire. The bespoke platform is hinged on games and entertainment, looming over the console world but still living in its own fiefdom under Microsoft. The Xbox 360 and Xbox One are seen as instrumental to the software giant's goals, but their reach is about a billion behind that of Windows. Microsoft wants to dismantle the barriers within itself now, unifying games, productivity and phones under the banner of Windows 10.

The Xbox One will host new universal apps - programs designed to run on both Windows devices and Xbox architecture - alongside a Windows 10 update later this year, but that's a lesser gesture compared to what Microsoft announced on Wednesday during its Windows 10 event. Even having the Xbox and its games there, on stage, represents a change in the Windows message.

Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, took that stage to announce a PC version of Fable Legends, the latest entry in developer Lionhead's long-running and lovably lighthearted fantasy role-playing series. Not only is the game coming to Windows PC players, but it's coming in a way that allows them to play and chat with Xbox One players through Xbox Live. According to Spencer, it's the first game of several first-party Xbox games coming to PC.

Continue reading Fable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows

JoystiqFable just the first step in getting more Xbox One games on Windows originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftpcrecommendedxboxxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[The hows and whys of time manipulation in Life Is Strange]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/the-hows-and-whys-of-time-manipulation-in-life-is-strange/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/the-hows-and-whys-of-time-manipulation-in-life-is-strange/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/the-hows-and-whys-of-time-manipulation-in-life-is-strange/#comments
The latest footage from developer Dontnod's Life Is Strange offers a detailed look at how the game's central time manipulation gimmick is supposed to work, courtesy the developers that built the system in the first place.
[Image: Square Enix]

JoystiqThe hows and whys of time manipulation in Life Is Strange originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dontnodlife-is-strangemicrosoftpcplaystationps4square-enixxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft announces next experimental game for PC, Grow Home]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ubisoft-announces-next-experimental-game-for-pc-grow-home/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ubisoft-announces-next-experimental-game-for-pc-grow-home/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/ubisoft-announces-next-experimental-game-for-pc-grow-home/#comments Ubisoft announced a new platforming game for PC today, Grow Home. Developed by a small team at Ubisoft Reflections, the game features a red robot named BUD (Botanical Utility Droid), who travels across the galaxy to find a "new species of flora to help oxygenate his home world." While the game was built and launched internally on PC for Ubisoft employees to enjoy, the development team created it with a game pad in mind, as BUD helps a giant beanstalk-like Star Plant grow and climbs around it using the left and right triggers on a controller.

Grow Home's universe features other floating islands, so players can branch the plant out to craft their own "playground in the sky." The game is physics-based and procedurally-animated, emphasizing freedom of movement and allowing BUD to latch on to any object should he find himself plummeting to the planet. Players will be able to launch off of giant leaves, teleport to other parts of the plant and use parachute-style flowers to slow BUD's descent, all while trying to climb two kilometers up to the robot's spaceship. Inspired by Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Pixar's animated film Wall-E, Grow Home will launch on February 4.
[Image: Ubisoft]

JoystiqUbisoft announces next experimental game for PC, Grow Home originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>announcementgrow-homepcplatformerrelease-daterobotubisoftUbisoft-Reflectionswall-eFri, 23 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Armello enters Game of Early Access Thrones]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/armello-enters-game-of-early-access-thrones/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/armello-enters-game-of-early-access-thrones/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/armello-enters-game-of-early-access-thrones/#comments Digital board game Armello is available now on Steam Early Access. Developed by Australian studio League of Geeks, the strategy-RPG hybrid delivers eye candy, with analog gameplay mechanics like cards, dice-rolling combat, along with digital aspects like day/night cycles and an in-depth equipment system.

Armello is priced at $20 during this Early Access phase and playable on PC, Mac and Linux. Once development concludes, the game will make its way to iOS and Android, which is how we first saw it at GDC last year. Check out more of the game after the break.

Continue reading Armello enters Game of Early Access Thrones

JoystiqArmello enters Game of Early Access Thrones originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armelloleague-of-geeksmacpcFri, 23 Jan 2015 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jon Snow brings lack of knowledge to Game of Thrones Episode 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/jon-snow-brings-lack-of-knowledge-to-game-of-thrones-episode-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/jon-snow-brings-lack-of-knowledge-to-game-of-thrones-episode-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/jon-snow-brings-lack-of-knowledge-to-game-of-thrones-episode-2/#comments
The second episode of Telltale's six-part Game of Thrones saga debuts early next month, starting February 3 for PC, Mac, PS4 and PS3. Titled "The Lost Lords," the episode is also coming to Xbox One and 360 on February 4, iOS on February 5 and Android at a later date.

The Lost Lords continues the story of House Forrester, a Westeros family who in history have aligned with the Starks - not always the wisest alignment, it has to be said. Telltale's game is interwoven with HBO's TV series, and the plot takes place between the end of the third season and the start of the fifth.

If you've played the first episode then you've already had a few chit-chats with Cersei Lannister, her brother Tyrion, Margaery Tyrell and the huggably lovely Ramsay Snow. As the teaser trailer below the break reveals, another Snow is coming to the game in Episode 2.

Continue reading Jon Snow brings lack of knowledge to Game of Thrones Episode 2

JoystiqJon Snow brings lack of knowledge to Game of Thrones Episode 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidgame-of-thrones-a-telltale-games-seriesgame-of-thrones-episode-2HBOiosipadiphonemacmicrosoftmobilepcplaystationps3ps4release-datetelltale-gamesxboxxbox-oneFri, 23 Jan 2015 08:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Spend 48 hours torturing loved ones for free in The Sims 4]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/spend-48-hours-torturing-loved-ones-for-free-in-the-sims-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/spend-48-hours-torturing-loved-ones-for-free-in-the-sims-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/23/spend-48-hours-torturing-loved-ones-for-free-in-the-sims-4/#comments- EA's latest addition to its Origin Game Time vault is The Sims 4, meaning you can download it now and enjoy a free 48 hours of playing God. To do just that, get your godly ass to Origin.

Those 48 hours are real-time rather than in-game, so unless you're planning an unadvised binge you won't get the full two days of free-ness. You can start the free time whenever you want, however, as the 48-hour countdown only begins after you launch the game for the first time. Also, if you later buy The Sims 4 then your Game Time progress does transfer over.

Continue reading Spend 48 hours torturing loved ones for free in The Sims 4

JoystiqSpend 48 hours torturing loved ones for free in The Sims 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EAea-maxisfreemaxisoriginorigin-game-timepcthe-sims-4Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Creative assassination in turn-based stealth game, Ronin]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/creative-assassination-in-turn-based-stealth-game-ronin/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/creative-assassination-in-turn-based-stealth-game-ronin/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/creative-assassination-in-turn-based-stealth-game-ronin/#comments

Ronin, a bloody action and stealth platformer from Tomasz Waclawek, is on its way to Steam for PC this year, courtesy of Devolver Digital. It's turn-based, fast-paced and deliciously violent, starring a "vengeful heroine determined to strike down five prominent figures of a powerful corporation." There's a free, early-build demo available here.

Ronin has been lurking in the shadows of independent development lore since August 2014: Waclawek introduced it as "a Gunpoint ripoff" on Reddit, but Gunpoint developer Tom Francis kindly disagreed, calling Ronin "really fucking cool." Francis even uploaded a Let's Play of Ronin.

"It's clearly not a Gunpoint ripoff, because the core mechanics are so different," Francis said. "A lot of what it does copy is superficial, and that stuff doesn't matter. But the jump is pretty central, and if that was directly taken from Gunpoint, I'm delighted. I wouldn't want anyone to reuse Gunpoint's artwork or music, but the ideas in it are absolutely there for the taking. Every non-standard thing about it, from the jumping controls to the saving system, I did because I wanted more games to be that way."
[Image: Tomasz Waclawek]

JoystiqCreative assassination in turn-based stealth game, Ronin originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gunpointIndiepcPlatformerroninstealthtomasz-waclawekTurn-basedThu, 22 Jan 2015 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends hikes across Europe for 2015 Worlds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/league-of-legends-hikes-across-europe-for-2015-worlds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/league-of-legends-hikes-across-europe-for-2015-worlds/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/league-of-legends-hikes-across-europe-for-2015-worlds/#comments The 2015 League of Legends World Championships will again span multiple cities and multiple countries, though this year it will all be in Europe. The 2014 World Championships spanned Taipei, Singapore and Korea, and Korean team Samsung White took home the trophy.

Riot Games has yet to announce which European cities will host Worlds this year, but it should release details in "the coming months," the company says in a blog post.

"Europe has been a home for LoL esports since the very first steps in our journey," the post reads. "It's the setting for the EU LCS, the host for many memorable esports tournaments and events, (including our inaugural World Championship in 2011, IEM, Dreamhack, and last year's All Star tournament) and the home of some of the most talented players to dominate the game. It feels great to bring the 2015 Championship back to players and fans who have played such a big part in our story."

Even if you're not a pro League of Legends player, you can get in on the eSports action with some fantasy gaming. The EU LCS Spring tournament kicks off today; watch it here.

JoystiqLeague of Legends hikes across Europe for 2015 Worlds originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lcs-2015league-of-legendsleague-of-legends-world-championshipspcriot-gamesThu, 22 Jan 2015 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Castle in the Darkness lights up Steam on February 5]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/castle-in-the-darkness-lights-up-steam-on-feb-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/castle-in-the-darkness-lights-up-steam-on-feb-5/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/22/castle-in-the-darkness-lights-up-steam-on-feb-5/#comments Castle in the Darkness from Nicalis, developer and publisher of 1001 Spikes, will make its Steam debut on February 5. Matt Kap, who is credited as the lead artist on The Binding of Isaac and 1001 Spikes, took the helm on this game.

Priced at $6, Castle in the Darkness is described as an action adventure game with "damning difficulty." Those who've played the other games Kap has made a name for himself with should not be surprised by this one tiny bit.

[Image: Nicalis]

Continue reading Castle in the Darkness lights up Steam on February 5

JoystiqCastle in the Darkness lights up Steam on February 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>castle-in-the-darknessnicalispcThu, 22 Jan 2015 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Citizen expected to reach $100 million in funding]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/star-citizen-expected-to-reach-100-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/star-citizen-expected-to-reach-100-million/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/star-citizen-expected-to-reach-100-million/#comments Wing Commander, and more recently Star Citizen creator Chris Roberts recently delivered his BAFTA Masterclass presentation in Los Angeles and via Twitch, revealing target launch dates for each phase of the game. As reported by Polygon, the beta programs for the game's first-person shooter and planetside components are due this spring, followed by arena commander 2.0 ships in summer. Additionally, the first episode of the story-based Squadron 42 single-player campaign will arrive this fall, with the backers-only alpha program for the persistent universe part of the game due by the end of the year. Roberts expects that Star Citizen will see its commercial launch in 2016.

The designer discussed the community engagement and crowdfunding efforts of the space simulation game, noting that the developer is "now close to $70 million, and it's likely the carry-on will probably be over $100 by the time the game is close to public release." Roberts stressed that Star Citizen's crowdfunding efforts "isn't really about the money," but rather "it's really about bringing people in to create this community and have them sort of share that experience with you as you're building it."
[Image: Roberts Space Industries]

JoystiqStar Citizen expected to reach $100 million in funding originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chris-robertsCrowdFundingfundingpcrelease-windowroberts-space-industriesstar-citizenWed, 21 Jan 2015 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Alien: Isolation: One million sold, scared]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/alien-isolation-one-million-sold-scared/#comments Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly are indirectly responsible for one hell of a laundry bill, as it was announced today that Alien: Isolation has officially sold one million copies worldwide. Accounting for at least one million players, and factoring in regular sessions with Alien: Isolation's precision engineered terror, we're talking millions of soiled undergarments. We're not aware of any spikes in detergent sales, but it seems like a given.

We're rather fond of Alien: Isolation here at Joystiq, where the game stealthily crept into our top ten games of 2014.

JoystiqAlien: Isolation: One million sold, scared originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alien-isolationaliens-isolationcreative-assemblymicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4segaxboxxbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Joystiq Streams: Resident Evil HD bites back plus free PS4/PC copies!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-streams-resident-evil-hd-bites-back/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-streams-resident-evil-hd-bites-back/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/joystiq-streams-resident-evil-hd-bites-back/#comments A whole lot of superstars in this game here tonight, but I want you all to know one thing: This is Resident Evil in high definition. Whose blood? Chris' blood. I said whose blood? Chris' blood! Y'all know what time it is!

While the impossible dream of a Resident Evil soundtracked entirely by classic Run DMC cuts remains elusive, the HD remaster of Capcom's Gamecube classic is a sweet, sweet reality this week. After 13 years restricted to Nintendo's SD consoles, the hardest, prettiest version of the survival horror game is finally playable on more modern machines. How does it stack up? Do the new controls make it too easy? Is this indeed Chris' blood and will we ever discover the ingredients in a Jill sandwich? Join us and find out.

We're streaming Resident Evil on PC starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch. This will be a New Game+ run so some fresh costumes will be on display as well. Plus: we're giving away a few copies of the game on PC and PS4. Join us!

Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST. It's Wednesday, you say? That's right! We stream all the time at random times so follow us on Twitch to never miss a show.

JoystiqJoystiq Streams: Resident Evil HD bites back plus free PS4/PC copies! originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Capcomjoystiq-streamsmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ps4resident-evilxboxxbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 16:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Rash, Zitz, Pimple: Who's ready for new Battletoads?]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/http://www.joystiq.com/2015/01/21/rash-zitz-pimple-whos-ready-for-new-battletoads/#comments Phil Spencer, ever the scamp, gave old school Rare fans a case of the vapors when he wore a Battletoads t-shirt during Wednesday's Windows 10 press conference. Who cares, right? Lots of people wear Battletoads t-shirts. It's what the kids wear, haute couture around the Orange Julius.

Not really, of course, but old Phil does have a habit of dropping hints at upcoming Xbox games using his wardrobe like when he sported a Crackdown t-shirt on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2013. A resurrected Rare brawler may well be in the cards if history's anything to go by.

Are you into it? It's been 21 years since the last Battletoads game even came out. Series creators Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of Rare itself, left the studio eight years ago. Then again, who doesn't love it when bipedal amphibians punch rats in the face?


JoystiqRash, Zitz, Pimple: Who's ready for new Battletoads? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BattletoadsmicrosoftpcRarexbox-oneWed, 21 Jan 2015 14:32:00 EST