Monday, September 16, 2013

News::Batman Arkham Bundle brings together the first two games

Just in time for Batman: Arkham Origins , the Batman Arkham Bundle collects the first two games with most of the downloadable content packs and garbage that were released.


For Batman: Arkham Asylum , you'll be getting the Game of the Year Edition which includes Trioviz 3D vision, and the four challenge maps: Scarecrow Nightmare, Crime Alley, Totally Insane, and Nocturnal Hunter.


Batman: Arkham City is the Game of the Year Edition version as well, and includes the Harley Quinn Revenge missions, the Catwoman pack, the Nightwing bundle pack, Robin bundle pack, Challenge Map Pack, plus these 12 skins: 1970s Batsuit, Year One Batman, The Dark Knight Returns, Earth One Batman, Batman Beyond Batman, Animated Batman, Sinestro Corps Batman, Long Halloween Catwoman, Animated Catwoman, Animated Robin, Red Robin and Animated Nightwing.


The Batman Arkham Bundle will be out on September 23, 2013 for $49.99 on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Reflecting back on games I can't help but think how much Warner Bros. milked the hell out of these releases.


[Thanks, Sharkey 1337!]


Batman Arkham Bundle brings together the first two games screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/batman-arkham-bundle-brings-together-the-first-two-games-261961.phtml

News::Banished follow mode creeps into the game

Medieval city builder Banished is being created by developer Luke Hodorowicz and hes been busy polishing and adding new features to the game including follow mode.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355929/banished-follow-mode-creeps-into-the-game

News::[Review] Outlast an emotionally taxing, stunning good time.

Outlast might just be one of the most anticipated survival horror games of this year. I know that I have been waiting patiently, and now the wait is over as it released on September 4th, 2013 and it is available for download on Steam. Outlast was created and-



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355931/review-outlast-an-emotionally-taxing-stunning-good-time

News::Grim Dawn will let you repair bridges with more alpha test content

Crate Entertainment will be adding more new content to the Grim Dawn alpha test including the ability to repair bridges and new areas.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355932/grim-dawn-will-let-you-repair-bridges-with-more-alpha-test-content

News::Star Citizen reaches $19 million and first female character revealed

The funds continue to roll in for the space epic Star Citizen as a new a stretch goal is revealed along with the first female character.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355939/star-citizen-reaches-19-million-and-first-female-character-revealed

News::JIG - Card Hunter Review

JIG - Blue Manchu's card battling RPG board game Card Hunter is one of those games that makes me whine, "But I had things I was supposed to do today!" without a trace of genuine regret and is worth every second of its extremely short registration process. Besides, when Felicia Day speaks, I obey. How can you not enjoy a tabletop-themed turn-based strategy game with Cheese Puffs and soda right alongside the action? Play the extensive single-player campaign with your noble DM Gary, or go up against other players in multiplayer to earn more loot. It's beautifully made, fun, and strategic... if only it weren't for those pesky free-to-play problems...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355892/jig-card-hunter-review

News::GOG to publishers: Pirates arent your customers. Forget about them.

GOGs Trevor Longino reiterates his sites opposition to Digital Rights Management (DRM) and expresses dismay that publishers still insist on using it as a method of preventing piracy.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355616/gog-to-publishers-pirates-arent-your-customers-forget-about-them

News::Battlefield 4 beta and a lot of new gameplay videos

EA company has announced that Battlefield 4 beta will begin on October 1 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The publisher has also told the Battlefield 4 release dates for the next generation of consoles and that all types of transport will be presented in the game. Many fresh Battlefield 4 gameplay videos have appeared in the network. Enjoy!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355189/battlefield-4-beta-and-a-lot-of-new-gameplay-videos

News::All of Battlefield 4's Personal Defense Weapons in Action.

Last week, LevelCapGaming showed us all of the Assault rifles in action. This week, we get all of the Engineer's personal defense weapons. Personal Defense Weapons are like the older brother of the more known type, sub-machine guns.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355141/all-of-battlefield-4s-personal-defense-weapons-in-action

News::This Kuwaiti developed game looks incredible

The gaming industry in the Arab world is extremely fragile. Resources and talent are limited, for one, and we occasionally tend to fall flat in the creativity department. Not true, apparently! A friend of mine has shared with me a game on Kickstarter called Octopus City Blues; a game that's being developed in Kuwait.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355137/this-kuwaiti-developed-game-looks-incredible

News::Top 10 selling games on Steam, week beginning 9/16/13

The top 10 selling games on Steam for last week in, as per usual there are some shock moves in the top 10 this week!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355136/top-10-selling-games-on-steam-week-beginning-9-16-13

News::FIFA 14 Ultimate Team: 10 Awesome Players You Should Always Sign

WC - "FIFA is a game played by millions worldwide, and later this month we will see men worldwide go mad at the release of the highly rated game. The demos already out and having played a few games on it I thought Id try and give you all a helping hand when it comes to deciding who to buy in the upcoming FIFA."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355262/fifa-14-ultimate-team-10-awesome-players-you-should-always-sign

News::PAX Prime 2013 Exclusive: First Look at EverQuest Next

Lore Hound writes: "Earlier this year, Sony Online Entertainment announced EverQuest Next, the latest expansion to the growing EverQuest brand. EverQuest Next, like WildStar and Star Wars: The Old Republic, is positioning its value to gamers as focusing on a set of pillars. In this case, between three and four. Senior Producer Terry Michaels discusses these pillars in Lore Hounds first look at EverQuest Next. The interview includes discusses permanent change, including the controversial topic of being able to miss content, multiclassing for enhanced customization and a destructible world possible from advanced artificial intelligent delivered to the world itself. Michaels discusses lofty goals, such as The kobolds will pick up and move to somewhere else in the world. We cant wait to see how SOE will handle player antagonism, such as holding servers hostage or destroying the worlds ecology and economy. We Lore Hounds cant wait to see how the persistent dynamically chan...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355285/pax-prime-2013-exclusive-first-look-at-everquest-next

News::We Fell In And Out Of Love With Niko

Kotaku - I'd never played a Grand Theft Auto before. I mean, I understood the draw, but ever since I'd played Mafia, I felt no beckon to follow The Sopranos through an open-world Manhattan de-make. Wise guy this, blip-blap that. The whole rigamarole sounded like a chore, really. On top of that, my new girrrrrrrrlfriend and I clearly had better things to do.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355180/we-fell-in-and-out-of-love-with-niko

News::Play with the GTA V dog on your phone with the iFruit App

First of all you have to read the product description for the Grand Theft Auto V iFruit App on iTunes:



How would we survive without apps? Apps can transform your mobile device into essential tools like a harmonica, disco ball or convincing moustache. Somewhere out there is the perfect storm of touchscreen technology to fix everything that’s wrong with your life. And maybe all you’re missing is the iFruit app. Maybe not. At least you’ll have something to keep you entertained while your significant other prattles on endlessly about their day.



Nice. So what can you do with this app? One part of it allows you to create custom cars with the Los Santos Customs app. That, and you can create custom license plates for Grand Theft Auto Online.


Then there's the Chop the Dog app. You can look after Chop by feeding him, playing games, and teaching him tricks. Take care of Chop successfully and Chop in the main game will be more helpful to Franklin, sniff out hidden items, and more.


A silly app, but I do like that it actually has some small benefits to you in the core game. You can grab the iFruit app for free right now on iTunes.


Play with the GTA V dog on your phone with the iFruit App screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/play-with-the-gta-v-dog-on-your-phone-with-the-ifruit-app-261959.phtml

News::Grand Theft Abstinence

Capsule Computers editor Joe Morgan writes, "With the launch of, arguably, one of the years most anticipated titles mere hours away at the point of this articles writing, I cant help but ponder my own personal history with the Grand Theft Auto franchise. It has helped me form a viewpoint of the franchise few will likely take, and thats just fine."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355923/grand-theft-abstinence

News::This is Battlefield 4's multiplayer


Oh Battlefield 4 multiplayer, how I can't wait to be obsessed with you. Single-player? Hah, no thanks. Multiplayer though? Oh yes. Yes yes yes please.


This promo video covers pretty much all the stuff we already know that multiplayer will offer. The biggest thing being how the maps can evolve during matches. Buildings crumble, cities get flooded, and you can make your own pathways through buildings with a tank. Lots of stuff we already know about, but seeing it all unfold in a montage like this just makes the wait a little bit harder.


This is Battlefield 4's multiplayer screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/this-is-battlefield-4-s-multiplayer-261958.phtml

News::Failbetter Games Sunless Sea Nears Its Kickstarter Goal

Failbetter Games' murky, top-down exploration title Sunless Sea has almost reached its Kickstarter goal.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355897/failbetter-games-sunless-sea-nears-its-kickstarter-goal

News::Which MOBA Takes DOTA's Crown?

Maximum PC: Now that the de facto sequel to Defense of the Ancients has finally been released, its time to decide which of the many multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games is the true successor to Dota.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355873/which-moba-takes-dotas-crown

News::Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior Hands-On | EGM

For three seasons, Deadliest Warrior on Spike took some of historys greatest combatants and threw them into a fictional What if? scenario. Torn Banner Studios Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a best-selling PC title best described as a first-person slasher where feudal knights clash in multiplayer combat in order to achieve a variety of objectives.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355845/chivalry-deadliest-warrior-hands-on-egm

News::Steam vs. Xbox One: Who Does Game Sharing Better?

IGN - We ask the question "How does Microsoft's game-sharing system match up against Steam's?" this week on Podcast Unlocked after Steam announced a similar service to the one on Xbox One.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355303/steam-vs-xbox-one-who-does-game-sharing-better

News::We're lucky the original Grand Theft Auto got finished

In a video posted on The Guardian, DMA Design recounts the troubled development of the original Grand Theft Auto. After hearing first-hand from the game's creators, it seems like nothing short of a miracle that it was finished, to say nothing of the impact it would go on to have.


"The writers were kind of driving at one way. The level designers were driving at another. And they weren't meeting in the middle," said creative director and producer Gary Penn. "So you were ending up with something that read badly, that made no sense, and that kept breaking.


"We would have conference calls every week -- at least once a week -- with the US. They wanted to kill it every week ... and we'd have to kind of argue to keep it going because we had some faith."


Penn summed up the development as being "like trying to nail jelly to kittens."


The making of Grand Theft Auto: 'Like nailing jelly to kittens' [The Guardian]


We're lucky the original Grand Theft Auto got finished screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/we-re-lucky-the-original-grand-theft-auto-got-finished-261955.phtml

News::Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches Review | PCGamer

Theres little chance Daud and Corvo would ever have been friends. Ones an assassin who killed an empress, the others a bodyguard who failed to protect one. Two inherently opposing forces, with blood and Outsider marks on their hands.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355849/dishonored-the-brigmore-witches-review-pcgamer

News::Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs Review | Square-Go

SG - "Since the days of cavemen, its kept us huddled round fires and shuttered in at night. Its laced the Earth in the yellow glow of tens of billions of streetlights, and it makes sure that we dont go sticking our noses in places where they often dont belong. Lest we see, or are seen by that which we would seek to avoid."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355831/amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-review-square-go

News::Game Dev Tycoon Review | ComboCaster

The life of a game designer is not easy and requires as much or more passion for games as we reviewers or gamers themselves. As our own experience of life is not very interesting for ourselves usually, it is not surprising that no one has ever thought of creating a video game based on the creation of video games. At least so far. In Game Dev Tycoon are a creator of games in the industry was more archaic. When more important that the graphite was the imagination of the player.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355761/game-dev-tycoon-review-combocaster

News::Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior preview: faction warfare | Shack News

Shack News: "Chivalry: Medieval Warfare gave players the chance to take up arms as noble knights. Having Arthurian-style knights battling to the death is fun, but now it's time to shift to the age-old question of who's the deadliest people of them all. Chivalry developer Torn Banner Studios has joined forces with 345 Games to answer that question with the upcoming expansion, Chivalry: Deadliest Warrior, based in part on the popular Spike TV show."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355858/chivalry-deadliest-warrior-preview-faction-warfare-shack-news

News::Battlefield 4 Gets a Brand New Trailer Showing Multiplayer Maps, Vehicles and a Lot More

EA DICE just released an action-packed trailer of the upcoming Battlefield 4, this time completely dedicated to multiplayer gameplay.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355850/battlefield-4-gets-a-brand-new-trailer-showing-multiplayer-maps-vehicles-and-a-lot-more

News::DuckTales Remastered Pixel Judge review

PJ: "Ahh, nostalgia, we meet again. A genuine slice of my childhood re-imagined for a new generation. Eh, who am I kidding, the ADD twitch generation won't give this a second glance. Hell, they won't even give it a first glance. This is for the older crowd, a throwback to the heady days of yore. But is it any good? Or should it have stayed locked in old Unca Scrooge's vault, never to be seen again?"



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355808/ducktales-remastered-pixel-judge-review

News::FPSGuru: PAX Prime - Takedown: Red Sabre Preview

FPSGuru: "Today shooters are going in all sorts of directions with what's being made. We've got Call of Duty having players take the guns blazing Rambo route, Arma 3 bringing an extremely realistic approach, Rise of the Triad bringing back the old school portion of the genre, and then there's Takedown: Red Sabre. Takedown: Red Sabre is in development by Serellan LLC full of developers from teams like Bungie, Microsoft, Monlith, Snowblind, Ubisoft, Red Storm, and I can go on. They've worked on many triple A titles even if they're indie. Takedown: Red Sabre is a tactical shooter focusing on close quarters scenarios which will be realistic and require tons of communication. Serellan LLC took to Kickstarter to garner support for their project by funding their goal of $200,000 with an extra $21,833 back in April of 2012."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355809/fpsguru-pax-prime-takedown-red-sabre-preview

News::Both Muse songs will export to Rocksmith 2014

Hello, Rocksmithers! Its been awhile since theres been anything to share with you besides the amazing videos posted by Rocksmith on YouTube, you all saw those right? Anyway, its time to end the #SlowNewsWeek with a few tidbits of info via Craig Munn on twitter! Craig was among the lucky folks chosen for a special Rocksmith UK Fan Event in London. In between playing Rocksmith 2014, he was able to fire off a few questions to Paul Cross: There are 7 Songs that havent been confirmed for the export as of today. Both Muse songs will export (Plug In Baby and Unnatural Selection) There will be (might be a different number) 10 songs available for Rocksmith 2014 on launch day in the US.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355814/both-muse-songs-will-export-to-rocksmith-2014

News::MMO Grinding Is Inevitable But What Do You Prefer?

Blaine Smith of XMMORPG writes: Gamers are long passed complaining about the grinding nature of todays MMO games and rather than removing it completely, developers are exploring new avenues to create a bit more variation in the grinding of MMO games. Grinding is basically the action of completing a repetitive task to further oneself in the progression of a particular MMO games. Its usually considered to be a negative aspect of a game as outside of downing endless Jägerbombs, theres very few things people enjoy doing over and over again.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355817/mmo-grinding-is-inevitable-but-what-do-you-prefer

News::Destructoid, you mean this much to me

[Marche100 <3 Destructoid and Destructoid <3 him back. --Mr Andy Dixon]


I was just a part of the PAX Prime 2013 avatar adoption, where my avatar gets swept off to Washington so that I can be there in spirit, because I can't go myself. (That's college. Sucks, I know.) I didn't know about the avatar adoption tradition until Andy put up a blog about it, so naturally, this all came as a very pleasant surprise, seeing as it's my lifelong dream to go to an expo like that.


Anyway, you guys just keep on giving. Give give give give give. I think it's time you know just how much you're appreciated and just how important you are to me.


Destructoid, you mean this much to me screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/destructoid-you-mean-this-much-to-me-261438.phtml

News::Double Dragon Creator Joins River City Ransom: Underground Team

In their latest Kickstarter campaign update, the Conatus Creative team announced that Yoshihisa Kishimoto (Renegade and Double Dragon) has agreed to join the River City Ransom: Underground project as a creative consultant.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355775/double-dragon-creator-joins-river-city-ransom-underground-team

News::Battlefield 4: DICE aware of desire for Dinosaur mode

Battlefield 4: DICE aware of desire for Dinosaur mode



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355791/battlefield-4-dice-aware-of-desire-for-dinosaur-mode

News::Terraria update 1.2 to release on October 1st


It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here. Early in 2012, developer Re-Logic said it would stop supporting the title with new free updates, then this year it surprised us with news of another patch. The time is almost upon us, as Terraria v1.2 is set to release on October 1.


The video above shows off a lot of the new content, including the previously seen angled terrain and fluid physics. The most welcome addition is the minimap, which should be immensely helpful for navigation without being exploitable like the map in the console versions, which allowed players to find precious gems and metals more easily. A few new monsters and weapons are shown as well, and overall it looks like quite a substantial upgrade.


Now I just need to convince Conrad to bring our shared Terraria world back.


Terraria update 1.2 to release on October 1st screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/terraria-update-1-2-to-release-on-october-1st-261948.phtml

News::Can Elder Scrolls Online Succeed as a Subscription MMO?

The eager anticipation that was building for Elder Scrolls Online has recently taken a hit, when it was announced at gamescom, that the mmorpg would be charging a fifteen dollar a month subscription fee for its players. MMO-Play asks the question will this decision put the game's success in jeopardy.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355620/can-elder-scrolls-online-succeed-as-a-subscription-mmo

News::New Releases this week | Sept 16th - 22nd 2013

Finally! GTAV is mere hours away from releasing worldwide. Are you excited? Are you one of the lucky few who got it early? Needless to say, its my most anticipated game since.. well since GTAIV I suppose. Still though, lets not forget all those other releases this week too. Hot Wheels, PES 2014 and Zelda HD are just some of the games brave enough to release in the following seven days. This list was correct at time of publishing. Dates may change at short notice.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355641/new-releases-this-week-sept-16th-22nd-2013

News::Silent Hunter Online Enters Open Beta / Beta Screenshots and Trailer

Today Ubisoft and Blue Byte have announced the Open Beta launch for Silent Hunter Online. With the start of the Open Beta players around the world can slip into the role of submarine commanders during WWII and fully immerse themselves into the Battle of the Atlantic. Silent Hunter Online is a browser based Free-to-Play submarine simulation game developed by Ubisoft Blue Byte in co-operation with Sproing. Players take position on board their submarines, hunt down enemy convoys, manage their personal flotillas and partake in server-wide dynamic campaigns. With a strong focus on multiplayer experience, every mission in the game can be played cooperatively.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355664/silent-hunter-online-enters-open-beta-beta-screenshots-and-trailer

News::The 10 Best Skyrim Mods of 2013

Looking to spice up The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? With these top 10 Skyrim mods, you can improve upon the graphics, the gameplay, and even the UI!



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355672/the-10-best-skyrim-mods-of-2013

News::Indie Game Insider | PAX Prime 2013 Incognita Preview: Unmasking a Revolution

Incognita is Klei Entertainment's new tactical espionage title. Though similar to traditional tactical role-playing games, Klei adds a new stealthy twist creating a whole new genre.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355721/indie-game-insider-pax-prime-2013-incognita-preview-unmasking-a-revolution

News::5 Games You Want Coming Out This Week (Sept. 15th 21st)

News::Rayman Legends Review I Play Legit

Ms. Throwback of Play Legit Writes "In true HD Rayman becomes a lovely masterpiece with the scale becoming massive."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355770/rayman-legends-review-i-play-legit

News::Indie Game Insider | Conspirocracy Indiegogo Campaign Launched

Conspirocracy starts its own Indiegogo campaign in an effort to fund the game. Half of the funds raised will be in support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355735/indie-game-insider-conspirocracy-indiegogo-campaign-launched

News::Indie Game Insider | Godus Goes Live on Steam

22Cans' Godus is now live via Steam's Early Access for $19.99. Purchasing it now will give you access to the game and all subsequent updates.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355733/indie-game-insider-godus-goes-live-on-steam

News::Regarding Indie MMOs While Playing Blue Saga

Petey talks about the potential of Indie MMO's in his article talking about a small experience he had with 'Blue Saga'.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355631/regarding-indie-mmos-while-playing-blue-saga

News::Football Manager 14 detailed, dated, coming to Linux, and compatible with Steam Big Picture

Football Manager 14 will launch on October 31 and will for the first time be available for Linux gamers in addition to the usual Windows and Mac crowds. Linux compatibility seems to be part of Football Manager 14s unprecedented support of the Steam platform which sees it integrating cloud saves and being compatible with Big Picture mode via a special zooming feature.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355727/football-manager-14-detailed-dated-coming-to-linux-and-compatible-with-steam-big-picture

News::Rayman Legends review (Gamer Thumb)

Rayman Legends is an instant platforming classic that in many ways sets the bar for the modern form of the genre. An abundance of puzzles, fun not frustrating co-op gameplay, a unique visual style that contributes to the strength of the gameplay, and tight controls make for an extremely polished game that is best enjoyed with friends.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355729/rayman-legends-review-gamer-thumb

News::From Oblivion to Elysium, how films are embracing the language of videogames


Matt Damon in Elysium. Image credit.



‘Like a videogame’. It’s a phrase rolled out frequently in mainstream film criticism of late. It infers something lacking – that a specific motion picture is uninvolving, ineffective, isolating because we’re disempowered from interacting with it as we would if it were the game it resembles or longs to be. It also suggests something displaced: the wrong medium in the wrong place. ‘Like a videogame’ rather than ‘like a movie’.


What a relief, then, that the best cross-pollination of videogame and film we’ve had to date – yes, including Mamoru Oshii’s Avalon – arrived this year (and is still showing in the UK) and finally lays waste to that derisive phrase’s worth and relevance.


Neill Blomkamp’s science fiction epic Elysium, in which Matt Damon’s Max attempts to save his own life by reaching a man-made halo in the stars possessing the technological wizardry to cure what ails him, begins as a strong socio-political polemic (healthcare for all!) but soon surrenders itself gloriously to the audio, visual and even structural tropes of action-oriented videogames. Surprised? So was I.


The summer movie season arguably kicked off with Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion (I’m still convinced there’s a decent 30-minute film tucked away somewhere inside its bloated beauty or, at the very least, a good music video). I was spurred on through Kosinski’s laborious picture for one reason alone: there’s so clearly an influence from videogames’ visual iconography in its dazzling 7K-shot aesthetic. Oblivion’s clinical habitats feel distinctly Portal, the weapons distinctly Bungie and the music, from M83, sound like the chiptunes of the future. There’s a strong videogame throughline in the director’s work, of course, from Tron: Legacy’s PvP light cycle duelling to Kosinski’s early Gears Of War and Halo commercials for Microsoft.



Another significant step in cinema’s embracing of videogame aesthetics: Oblivion.



Nonetheless I found it refreshing to see a director so overtly embracing game aesthetics. Oblivion, in some respects, really is ‘like a videogame’ but you can almost single that aspect out as a positive in a blockbuster this time around; a stylistic strength rather than a weakness. With its dazzling array of game-style tech it nearly made me proud that our industry was invading the visual canon of film culture and production, and arguably enriching it. Nearly. Oblivion was a disappointment not for its videogame slant and vibes, but for issues regarding its structure and flow as a film. This, for me, was the film’s minor revelation: we were getting warmer on the trail towards games and film actually crossing over in a more meaningful and powerful way.


The utopian cross-over between game aesthetics and ideas that Oblivion hinted at, Elysium delivered. Blomkamp’s film even goes beyond the visual, the merely stylistic, and into the realm of a more transcendental and sensorial videogame grammar. Elysium recreates not just the look of a game, but the sense of immediacy, disorientation, chaos, conflict and against-the-clock objective hunting. It takes the visual language of games, and the rhythms, the beats, of action and tension, and leverages them to the advantage of a filmic project like no film before it.


Throughout the course of Elysium’s runtime various words from the shared, general videogame lexicon popped into my head as I witnessed the death and destruction on screen. ‘Gibs’, ‘plasma shield’, ‘rail-gun’, ‘respawn’; Blomkamp’s set-pieces are steeped in the iconography and pace of the multiplayer deathmatch. From a second act that hosts a three-way chase evocative of a round of Capture The Flag (albeit in this case ‘Capture The Rich Guy’), to a final showdown that nods – in my mind, at least – to maps like Halo 2′s Elongation with its linear staging and industrial setting; Elysium is the boldest embrace yet of videogame language in the cinema. We shouldn’t be surprised, perhaps, with Blomkamp’s tangled history with the Halo series (he was attached as director of a film adaptation until the project fell through and he ultimately moved on to Elysium, but still delivered some stellar live-action adverts for Microsoft’s Halo 3 promotional run).



Elysium has all the trappings of a science fiction shooter romp.



In everything from plot points to technology, too, Elysium has all the trappings of a science fiction shooter romp – one I would love to play. It has the man-machine body horror of Quakes 2 and 4, the remote detonation devices of many a Goldeneye showdown and a rather grotesque spin on respawning that has to be seen to be believed. Oh, and let’s not forget it also has the halo of… Halo, with some tracking shots that can’t help evoke Vanquish’s train ride of bot-battling terror (looking at Elysium’s bots themselves you have to wonder if the director doesn’t have a well-worn copy of Platinum’s sci-fi classic lying about his office).


Where Elysium parts ways with other motion pictures that seemingly draw on videogame iconography and narrative elements is that it’s actually enhanced by its inheritance from the medium rather than bound or embarrassed by it. I didn’t notice many mainstream critics rolling out the damning ‘it’s like a videogame’ in discussion of Blomkamp’s film and that, I believe – I hope – is because it makes the strongest case we have to date for gaming to make a positive impression on the conception, design, production and execution of a film. It’s no longer a talking point, a distraction: games have been folded into the wider world of filmmaking as a worthy, in this case a defining, influence.


Elysium may draw on games to make its powerhouse package of thrills and aesthetics stronger, but I firmly believe that it can reciprocally offer some lessons to the videogame medium, too. For a start, Elysium aspires to something a little more than gung-ho thrills. There’s a social conscience rumbling beneath it, however faint the sound. It acknowledges, if not satisfactorily investigates, class; how often does mainstream gaming really address or allude to such issues? Grand Theft Auto may be a class-transcending fantasy where we can move outside of the rigid rules of our cities, but does it truly investigate or interrogate the issues that face those of us on the lower rung of the capitalist chain? The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay may be the last game I really felt a tangible sense of class culture explored, not the “us and them” or suits-and-soldiers occupational hierarchy, either, but of a more detrimental social system where struggle is for the less privileged and the maligned. Butcher Bay, like Elysium, also used its visuals to build on the theme as the game graduated towards the shiny upper echelons of technical and economical advantage from the sewers and dank, dark cells you cut your teeth – and throats – in.



Has Elusium made it okay for films to be influenced by videogames?



Gaming iconography may have prevailed for the better in Elysium, but there were some fellow summer blockbusters of 2013 that flagged up a more concerning influence from gaming norms to do with this very issue of class. Films like World War Z and Olympus Has Fallen reminded me that class in action genre cinema, arguably as a extension of class in gaming, is being replaced with a new norm. The ‘Everyman’ sidekick of yesteryear – the Al Powell of Die Hard, for example – is being gradually turfed out by the modern age’s archetype of the spec-ops badass. It’s hardly surprising considering the sales tsunami that was Modern Warfare that it would permeate the cinema, too, for what’s more recognisable – dare we say relatable, even – to a young gamer and movie goer now: the working class or the sniper class?


With Duncan Jones’ World Of Warcraft set to begin shooting next February, Ubisoft ramping up production on Assassin’s Creed (with a little help from the man responsible for adapting the late, great Elmore Leonard for the screen better than anyone before or since, Scott Frank), gaming franchises are set to start flooding our multiplex screens like Marvel’s superheroes. Let’s just hope the people behind the cameras, the scenes, the scripts, can use games as a force for good, rather than greed, in the way that Kosinski admirably tried and Blomkamp absolutely succeeded this year.


Elysium may be dividing critics but I hope it’s legacy is a simple one for videogame fans: that it made it okay for a film to be ‘like a videogame’, rather than denigrated by such a description.


The post From Oblivion to Elysium, how films are embracing the language of videogames appeared first on Edge Online.






via Edge Online http://www.edge-online.com/features/from-oblivion-to-elysium-how-films-are-embracing-the-language-of-videogames/

News::Indie Game Two Brothers Gets Release Date

Hardcore Gamer: On October 15, AckkStudios is finally releasing its highly anticipated old school-style role-playing game, Two Brothers



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354863/indie-game-two-brothers-gets-release-date

News::Latest Payday 2 patch sparks outrage

Overkill Softwares latest patch for Payday 2 has been met with significant disapproval from its community. Patch 11 is 801.9MB big and is the largest update the studio has released to date. It includes several balancing tweaks such as an overall difficulty increase, EXP reduction and decrease in damage for several guns.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354522/latest-payday-2-patch-sparks-outrage

News::FFXIV: ARR Blacksmith Crafting Guide Blacksmithing 101

A complete overview and guide to becoming a blacksmith in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. This guide explains where to go to take up the blacksmithing craft, provides details about the quests you'll be given while leveling the craft, talks about skills, gear, and more.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354539/ffxiv-arr-blacksmith-crafting-guide-blacksmithing-101

News::Undead Labs confirms State of Decay Steam Release

Undead Labs' latest blog post has confirmed an early access release for Steam for $20 Early access will not support keyboard/mouse; gamers will have to use a 360 controller



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354635/undead-labs-confirms-state-of-decay-steam-release

News::Guild Wars 2 Tequatl Rising Demo from Anniversary Bash

With Guild Wars 2: Tequatl Rising getting closer (two days left), MMOCast thought we should take a closer look to the actual boss fight.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354737/guild-wars-2-tequatl-rising-demo-from-anniversary-bash

News::UK Software Chart: Saints Row IV holds steady ahead of GTA V for week of September 14th

El33tonline writes: "Volition and Deep Silver are making hay while the sun shines as Saints Row IV appears at the top of Chart Tracks Software Sales listing for the fourth week in a row, all before the thunderous clouds of Grand Theft Auto V roll into town tomorrow."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355139/uk-software-chart-saints-row-iv-holds-steady-ahead-of-gta-v-for-week-of-september-14th

News::QubicGames: The indie market is booming.

An established independent developer based in Warsaw, Poland, QubicGames has seen significant success garnered from delivering content through the Nintendo eShop. Confident in their ability to deliver unique entertainment at an affordable price, QubicGames isnt about to stop there.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355174/qubicgames-the-indie-market-is-booming

News::The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Review | GES

The year is 1962 and you play the role of a fallen CIA agent who had lost his family to a freak fire while he was away on a mission. Having returned to find his family dead, Agent William Carter falls into depression and alcoholism, leading to one of the CIAs best field agents becoming a full time paper pusher. But one man still believes that William has more to give, head of the Bureau Director Faulke, having him tasked with bringing a very important package to the Bureaus research department. This game was developed with those of us who need a story to play and the others that see only the mission, and the next mission, till the game is over. So you can choose how in-depth you would like this game to be. In-between missions you may roam the corridors of the Bureau and speak with many side characters that will broaden your vision of how the rest of the world is dealing with the invasion, as well as add multiple side missions to your mission log. The alternate is to simply play...



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355112/the-bureau-xcom-declassified-review-ges

News::Brace yourselves for an 8-bit Game of Thrones platformer


Abel Alves, a Spanish comic artist and amateur game designer, has went ahead and made a game,,,of thrones...based on the hit TV series (and novels) Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones: The 8-Bit Game is an old school platformer wherein you play as four different characters from the series, starting with Jon Snow, whom I'm assured knows nothing.


Best of all, Alves has released the game for free. You can download it right here and sic your direwolf on chumps.


Fan releases 8-bit Game of Thrones platformer [Eurogamer]


Brace yourselves for an 8-bit Game of Thrones platformer screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/brace-yourselves-for-an-8-bit-game-of-thrones-platformer-261923.phtml

News::Reinstall: Sniper Elite V2

PCG - "Reinstall invites you to join us in revisiting classics of PC gaming days gone by. This week, Craig plays a hidden object game with bullets in Sniper Elite V2."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354782/reinstall-sniper-elite-v2

News::TMNT: Out of the Shadows Review | Spiderduck Network

Out of the Shadows' cup is either half empty or half full. Are you an optimist or a pessimist?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354925/tmnt-out-of-the-shadows-review-spiderduck-network

News::Checkpoint Reached #15

This week we talk about some games including Killzone Mercenary, Gone Home, Duels of The Planes Walkers and Assassin's Creed 3. Then in the Second segment on Grand Theft Auto eve we talk all about what we think of Open world games and where they can go.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355048/checkpoint-reached-15

News::Papers, Please Review - Bureaucratic Poetry [GG3]

Daav from GG3 steps away from the monotony of games writing to play a game that is all about another mundane task. For just menial labor, there is plenty to Papers, Please that it doesn't immediately show and stowaway content is forbidden at this checkpoint. It's up to the player to admit it or not. Choices make life.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355040/papers-please-review-bureaucratic-poetry-gg3

News::Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Review (2D-X)

Beatbuddy combines lush environments and electronic music into something wholly original.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354941/beatbuddy-tale-of-the-guardians-review-2d-x

News::The PS Vita Screen Comparison to End all Vita Screen Comparisons

News::Speedrunners Hands-on Preview | Dunham Gaming

This city is packed with a variety of superheroes, in silly costumes. While they are not fighting crime, they race against each other across various landmarks, to prove whos the fastest, and the most furious, in the capital. They may not have the most obvious powers, but they all got something in common, their grapping hook and some kick-ass ninja skills.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355076/speedrunners-hands-on-preview-dunham-gaming

News::Attack on Titan x Super Mario Bros. 3


The intro for Attack on Titan is crossing up more often than Daigo. Naturally, a lot of those crosses coincide with videogames. This Super Mario Bros. 3 mash up might lack a certain panache, but it's a nicely done animation all the same.


There's no giant Resetti menacing folks, but it's good. Have a favorite of your own to hold you over until the next episode? I'm rather partial to the Christoper Walken x Attack of Titan. Hopefully they use that for the upcoming Attack on Titan 3DS game.


Attack on Titan x Super Mario Bros. 3 screenshot






via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/attack-on-titan-x-super-mario-bros-3-261921.phtml

News::JIG - Heroes of Loot Review

JIG - OrangePixel has done it again! The studio known for its nigh-on perfect retro recreations has crafted a top-down arcade RPG similar to the old Gauntlet series. Heroes of Loot puts you in the shoes of an adventurer fighting his way through dungeon floor after dungeon floor, dispatching enemies and grabbing loot left and right. It's just the sort of pick up and play experience that works well on mobile devices, and you'll find yourself quickly hooked by its creative blend of action and RPG elements.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354985/jig-heroes-of-loot-review

News::BugBear's Next Car Game's features soft body deformation - the most advanced damage modelling yet?

VVV: "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: when it comes to damage modelling, the majority of racing games fail to satisfy my sadistic appetite for destruction, with predefined damage modelling and primitive texture changes depicting scratched paintwork. Admittedly, this is often down to limitations imposed by real world car manufacturers who weep at the prospect of watching their pristine motors get banged up, but it's something I hope to see significantly improved in next generation driving games. BugBear's tentatively titled Next Car Game already looks to be setting the benchmark however, featuring what could possibly be the most advanced dynamic damage modelling system seen in a racing game yet that puts anything before it to shame. "



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354831/bugbears-next-car-games-features-soft-body-deformation-the-most-advanced-damage-modelling-yet

News::Tt eSPORTS CRONOS Gaming Headset Review | TechGauge

The gaming peripherals market space is a warzone. It seems like there are a hundred different companies all fighting for more and bigger slices of the pie. Theres clearly a lot of money to be made why else devote so much in production and R&D costs and marketing? and everyone wants a cut.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354780/tt-esports-cronos-gaming-headset-review-techgauge

News::Outlasts Mount Massive Asylum: Enriching the Quality of Life (with horror)

If the psychiatric sanatorium from Outlast was real, its brochure would look a bit like this.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354788/outlasts-mount-massive-asylum-enriching-the-quality-of-life-with-horror

News::Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Review Journal #1

RPGFan - "Welcome to the first entry of RPGFan's Review Journal series for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Titled "Tales of The Emerald Shield" after our editors' in-game Free Company, several of us will write entries exploring our thoughts on the game. Because of this, each entry won't paint a fully detailed portrait of the game, but rather a fragment of it. For the first entry, I'm going to get into a bit of history behind what is really the unprecedented re-launch of an MMO, and I'll talk at length about how the game works, the classes, progression, and more."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354822/final-fantasy-xiv-a-realm-reborn-review-journal-1

News::Five Things Other Games Can Learn from FTL: Faster Than Light

BNR: I have a special appreciation for FTL: Faster Than Light- it's one of the games I played plenty of during an Internet outage which left me with far too much free time- I explored galaxies and discovered civilizations, fought epic space battles and saved worlds. For those who don't know, FTL: Faster Than Light is an incredibly entertaining roguelike set in space that gives you control of a ship and some crew members. Your mission is to deliver incredibly important information across the stars. You can jump instantly through space at certain points- beacons that allow for faster-than-light travel. The trouble is, there are all kinds of things at these beacons- space pirates, members of militant factions, giant cosmic eyes, psychic interstellar slugs- you get the idea. Death can come to all in an instant, and you may encounter the same situation several times, and yet get a different outcome with each new meeting.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354827/five-things-other-games-can-learn-from-ftl-faster-than-light

News::Dragon Age: Inquisition: Whats so Unique About the Long Questioning? [TheGameHeadz]

An inquisition is defined as a judicial or official inquiry or examination usually before a jury. In the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition, the player's character, appropriately deemed the Inquisitor, will be conducting investigations on behalf of the organization. The objective is to discover who is responsible for the event that ripped several holes in the sky that lead to the Fade, letting in demons and other unsavory creatures. The gameplay appears much larger in scale than the previous two games, showing that BioWare is employing their usual series magic to prevent Dragon Age from growing stagnant.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355047/dragon-age-inquisition-whats-so-unique-about-the-long-questioning-thegameheadz

News::Brad McQuaid is working on a Sekret MMO

Ex-SOE Senior Games Designer and Chief Creative Officer behind the Everquest series, Brad McQuaid has hinted that hes working on a Sekret MMO. Could the K in the title be a clue?



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354520/brad-mcquaid-is-working-on-a-sekret-mmo

News::Detective Case and Clown Bot in: Murder in the Hotel Lisbon debut trailer

New video footage of Detective Case and Clown Bot in: Murder in the Hotel Lisbon, which has recently landed on Steam Greenlight.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354637/detective-case-and-clown-bot-in-murder-in-the-hotel-lisbon-debut-trailer

News::Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs » Paranerds

If you had to pick a game which blended horror and atmosphere to the point of near perfection, you could certainly do far worse than Amnesia: The Dark Descent. With creepy hallways, hauntings and Outer God incursions into reality; it took its ideas and proceeded to enhance them to near pitch perfection. Suffering only from largely unavoidable issues of enemies outstaying their welcome, and billions of screaming youtubers trying to make money off of it. Now we have a sequel subtitled A Machine For Pigs, with The Chinese Room partnering up to create a dark, petrifying, nightmarish experience worthy of Steven Kings bad dreams. The results were decidedly mixed.



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1354753/amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-paranerds

News::GTA 5 PC Release Date Website Is Fake

Gaming Blend "Before fanboys get up and get excited about a new website that has surfaced with a 15 day countdown timer and website source code information pointing to a PC Release Date, take note that the website is as fake as Pamela Anderson's money makers."



via N4G: pc news feed http://n4g.com/news/1355037/gta-5-pc-release-date-website-is-fake

News::Terrraria 1.2 Is Still Coming, Guys, Honestly

News::The Weekend Hotness: Mighty Matsumae


Over a week ago, the Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter teased a short preview of composer Manami Matsumae playing the game's theme on piano. It was all to hype up the interview above, in which Miss "Chanchacorin" talks about her time at Capcom, as a freelancer, and eventually as the newest member of the Mighty crew.


This weekend, it's tough waiting on Nintendo's eShop to improve, Jim will outlast Outlast, Sup Holmes? welcomes the designer of Hohokum, Destructoid will party in San Fran, Dale is in Tokyo, River City Ransom's official sequel is getting Kickstarted, and Prince Ali has some season passes to sell you.


Destructoid Originals:

Bozon talks a male Shantae, +20 years indie, and more
Celebrate the games of Locomalito with us

Nintendo eShop: A work in progress

Live show: Volgarr the Viking with Crazy Viking Studios

Outlast - Now Bloody Playing Pt. 4

Sup Holmes hokums and hos with Dick Hogg


Community:

Community blogs of 9/14 & 9/15

Forum thread of the day: Recommendations for anime. (page 98)


Events:

Street party with Dtoid @ SummerSalt

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse Dungeon with Tony and Jim

The new PS Vita seems pretty nice


The Weekend Hotness: Mighty Matsumae screenshot


Read more...



via destructoid http://www.destructoid.com/the-weekend-hotness-mighty-matsumae-261917.phtml