Thursday, December 31, 2015

News::'Final Fantasy XV' hits the road in 2016

Final Fantasy XV has been in development for what seems like an eternity. But being New Year's Eve (or Day, depending on where you live), changes are afoot: Final Fantasy XV and its all-dude cast will release in 2016.

Developing...

Source: Square Enix



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News::'Final Fantasy IX' is headed to PCs and phones next year

The last Playstation 1-era Final Fantasy is finally getting remastered. Square Enix announced this morning that Final Fantasy IX will make its way to PCs and phones next year, Kotaku reports. There's no release date or Western launch confirmed yet, but the latter is likely since Square has brought over its other remastered Final Fantasy titles. The launch trailer shows off slightly better-looking characters, and it lists a few new features, including auto-save, achievements and a high-speed mode. While it never quite received the fanfare of Square's other PS1 Final Fantasy games, this remaster might be a chance for FF IX to find the audience it deserves.

Via: Kotaku



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News::Hackers get Linux running on a PlayStation 4

In the two years since the PlayStation 4 first went on sale, hackers have enjoyed limited success in their efforts to open up the console. In June, a Brazilian team claimed the first PS4 "jailbreak," which involved the cumbersome process of copying the entire hard drive of a hacked machine using a Raspberry Pi, but it took until this month for a tinkerer to fully circumvent Sony's content protections. With a proper exploit in the wild, homebrew group fail0verflow took on the challenge of installing a full version of Linux on the system. It achieved its goal this week, giving the homebrew community hope that the PlayStation 4 will soon become a worthy tool in their arsenal.

Via: VentureBeat



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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

News::HTC and Valve's Vive VR system passes through the FCC

Getting certified by the Federal Communications Commission for safe use is a rite of passage for every legal gizmo, and the joint virtual reality project from HTC and Valve, the Vive, recently passed by the regulatory agency. It's a requirement for any product to be sold and typically happens in the run up to consumer release, which backs up HTC's promise of an April launch window for the Vive headset and its Lightroom controller-and-motion-tracking tech. Road to VR writes that certification was expected to face a few challenges given the nature of its laser tracking and possible safety issues. But hey, I wouldn't be writing this if those perceived hurdles hadn't been cleared.

Via: Road to VR

Source: Federal Communications Commission



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News::Steam's Christmas privacy issues affected 34,000 users

On Christmas day, up to 34,000 Steam members were able to view other users' private information, including billing and email addresses, following a glitch triggered by a denial-of-service attack, Valve announced today. On the day of the attack, Valve said that the glitch was the result of a caching issue, and that users were able to view strangers' information, though they couldn't take action on other people's accounts. Valve's update today clarifies the caching issue, attributing it to the DoS attack.

Via: NeoGAF

Source: Steam



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News::'Halo: Reach' runs poorly on the Xbox One

The Xbox One's backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games has largely worked as promised, but there's now one glaring exception. Microsoft has confirmed reports that Halo: Reach (aka one of the 360's biggest titles) runs much slower than you'd expect. While talk of it being "unplayable" is extreme, Bungie's shooter fell from a largely steady 30 frames per second on the original hardware to the mid-teens -- enough to throw you off during intense action scenes. Others report audio glitches, too.

Source: Reddit, Kotaku



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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

News::Louis Vuitton's 2016 collection, as modeled by 'Final Fantasy'

She might have already been decked in Prada (and er, moogles), but Final Fantasy XIII's often-reheated hero, Lightning, is now the face of Louis Vuitton's incoming collection early next year. This all comes direct from the Instagram account of the fashion house's Creative Director, Nicolas Ghesquiere. Watch Lightning wield an LV purse like a "Blue Steel" Buster Sword in the animated teaser after the break.

Via: Polygon

Source: Instagram



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News::Spend an afternoon with the 'Sonic' charity marathon

The fine folks at Respawn Point are in the middle of a non-stop, seven-day Sonic the Hedgehog marathon, livestreamed on Twitch and benefiting UK charity Special Effect, which helps people with disabilities play video games. The stream started on December 27th and runs through January 3rd. Respawn Point's stream team is playing a lineup of historically significant Sonic games, starting with 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog and including notoriously awful installments like the 2006 Sonic disaster.

Source: Respawn Point



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News::The best gaming headset (for most people)

By Dennis Burger

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.

After more than 100 hours spent researching and testing 37 gaming headsets in all, plus more hours of long-term comfort testing than could reasonably be counted, we think the Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset is the best gaming headset for most people. It's beautifully built, comfortable on a wide variety of heads, and excellent in sound performance, especially for the price. In fact, you won't get find much improvement unless you spend more than double what the HyperX Cloud costs. This model is also incredibly comfortable—you can easily wear it for hours on end without any appreciable cranial distress. It's a clear winner.



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Monday, December 28, 2015

News::'Rise of the Tomb Raider' hits PC in January, Steam says

The PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider is due in January, according to the game's Steam listing. Square Enix has yet to confirm a date for the desktop launch of its latest Tomb Raider installment, though in July it announced the PC and Windows 10 editions would drop in "early 2016." The PS4 version should release in late 2016. We've reached out to Square Enix for clarification on the Steam listing.

Via: Destructoid

Source: Steam



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News::'Take This' livestream starts today with video game stars, swag

Take This is a non-profit that educates and supports those with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, with a focus on the video game community. Starting today at 12PM ET, Take This hits Twitch for a two-day livestream starring BioShock creator Ken Levine, popular gaming critic Jim Sterling, Tom Clancy's son and game developer Thom Clancy, and other famous figures of the industry. Donate during the stream for a chance to win sweet gaming swag, including a signed Octodad poster, an IGN gift pack, a remote-controlled replica of Claptrap from Borderlands or a custom Fallout 4 Xbox One.

Source: Take This on Twitch, Donations



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News::Kid opens PS4 on Christmas day, finds block of wood instead

It's always a little awkward when a well-intended Christmas gift is a bit off target. But it's down right cruel what happened to little Scott Lundy from Wakefield, MA. After (we imagine) weeks, maybe months, of anticipation and avoiding the naughty list, Lundy was rewarded with a PlayStation 4 under the Christmas tree. Or so he thought. Instead of unboxing a sick next-gen console (his parents opted for the Teen-rated Uncharted bundle), Lundy found a PS4-shaped bit of wood. What's worse, instead of a quick start guide to read, the malcontent penned a surly seasonal greeting.

Via: GameSpot

Source: Fox25



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News::Japan gets Nintendo's 2DS in limited-edition 'Pokemon' colors

Pokemon will soon be 20 years old. But before you reach for another egg-nog, here's how Nintendo is really going to twist your arm with the strength of nostalgia and bright primary colors alone. It's announced four different 2DSes (two that'll be exclusive) to launch alongside its incoming Pokemon remakes (the Gameboy classics Red, Blue, Green and Pikachu Yellow) for the 3DS (and 2DS, of course). The red and blue see-thru models have already appeared in Europe alongside the launch of the last Pokemon title, but it'll be the first time the 2DS has appeared in Japan at all. Cheaper Nintendo handheld and a Pokemon game bundled in? Sounds like a license to print money to me. Let's just pretend that Yokai Watch doesn't exist. The 2DS bundles will launch in late February.

Source: Nintendo (Japanese)



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Saturday, December 26, 2015

News::'Pokken Tournament' Wii U controller coming to US after all

When the Pokken Tournament Wii U controller from Hori surfaced earlier this month our excitement was quickly subdued when Japan seemed like the only place you'd be able to buy it when in launched in March. Well it's time to get excited again because it's going to available to a much wider audience at launch.

Via: Destructoid

Source: Amazon



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Friday, December 25, 2015

News::Valve's gaming platform is experiencing a Christmas disaster

Valve's Steam platform is giving players access to people's private accounts. As per reports, when players log into their accounts for details, they're able to access someone else's information including email addresses, credit card details and previous purchases. What makes this security lapse more critical for the gaming platform today is that the site was in the middle of its winter sale with a large number of people buying online.

Source: Kotaku



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Thursday, December 24, 2015

News::The fate of a Picasso is in the Internet's hands

Each holiday, Cards Against Humanity runs a mystery gift club, in which subscribers pay $15 in exchange for... uh... mystery gifts. This year, the presents included socks, socks and socks, as well as a year's membership to NPR and giving a week off to the employees of the factory where the cards are printed. The latest in the series of "Eight Sensible Gifts for Hanukkah," however, asks the promotion's 150,000 subscribers to decide the fate of a signed print of Picasso's Tête de Faune. The people have a simple choice: either they can vote to donate the work to the Art Institute of Chicago, or slice it into 150,000 pieces.

Via: Hyperallergic

Source: Cards Against Humanity



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News::Sony will ensure 'The Banner Saga' comes to PS Vita

Now that Sony has more or less given up on first-party support for the Vita, indie games have become the portable system's lifeblood. It should come as no surprise, then, that when The Banner Saga developer Stoic announced it was putting its Vita port "on the back burner" due to budgetary concerns, Sony took note. It's partnering with indie publisher Versus Evil to continue work on the Vita port, and assumedly absorbing some of the cost (and potential profit). The news comes from Sony's Gio Corsi, who handles third-party developer relations for the company.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Gio Corsi (Twitter)



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News::'Rock Band 4' devs will wipe the leaderboards next month

In a sign of what's to come for your favorite board game, Harmonix announced it's fixed a "gnarly" Rock Band 4 bug, and next month will deliver a patch that ends a number of scoring exploits. The bad news for players? That also means the games leaderboards will be entirely reset. While players will still have their high scores saved locally, they'll need to go again for online bragging rights. Speaking of online, in a recent blog post Harmonix said that bringing internet multiplayer to the new game is "very much on the table," but it hasn't committed to a timetable.

Via: Polygon

Source: Harmonix Blog



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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

News::Super Mario Galaxy lands on the Wii U Virtual Console

Nintendo has ported Super Mario Galaxy, one of the most popular Mario Bros games of all time, to its Wii U Virtual Console and will release it on Thursday, December 24th for $20. SMG joins other gravity-defying 3D Mario platformers on the Wii U console including Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D World.

[Image Credit: Getty]

Via: Venture Beat

Source: Nintendo



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News::'Rock Band 4' and 'Guitar Hero Live' are basically board games

The puppies always get excited when I open the hall closet. As the heavy, wooden door slides open with a twist and a pop, my two tiny dogs run over, tails wagging, because opening that closet means one of three things: The pups are going for a walk, I need to sweep, or it's time to play Rock Band 4. My boyfriend and I store the plastic guitars in that closet, and as I slide them out, brushing past jacket sleeves and cardboard boxes, even the puppies understand what's going on. We're having a party.



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News::Explore a beachside desert in a new video for 'The Witness'

The Witness' release date is coming in hot -- the Myst-inspired exploration game is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PC on January 26th. That's the launch date for digital distribution, though it's "likely" that The Witness will be available as a physical boxed product, too, creator Jonathan Blow writes on his blog. Blow and his team have been in talks with a few companies about a boxed version, he says.

Source: The Witness



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News::'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End' delayed once more to April

If you're itching to experience what has been described as Nathan Drake's final chapter, you'll have to sit tight for just a little bit longer. Developer Naughty Dog has announced another delay for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, this time pushing it back from March 18th to April 26th in the US, April 27th across Europe and April 29th in the UK. The extra few weeks, according to creative director Neil Druckmann and game director Bruce Straley, are needed to give "several key sequences" more polish.

Source: PlayStation Blog



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News::This is why 'Prince of Persia' has the legacy it does

Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time defined how the company looks at its properties. But before the publisher began pumping out annual sequels with a startling cadence at rapidly diminishing returns, there was just the Prince and his snazzy ability to rewind time while jumping, wall-running and shimmying from stone column to stone column. And it's the latest episode of DoubleFine Productions' "Devs Play" series that focuses on that seminal game and finds its director, Patrice Desilets, explaining what went into development.

Source: DoubleFine Productions (YouTube)



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News::'Katamari Damacy' making clicky comeback on iOS and Android

That one game where you roll about and everything sticks to you, Katamari Damacy, is making a comeback on iOS and Android. The original PlayStation 2 game won over many hearts with its simple but charming world, and was followed up by sequels for numerous platforms, although series creator Keita Takahashi was only involved with the first two games). The iOS and Android title will be called Tap my Katamari, and is the first game in the series since the 2012 Vita title Touch My Katamari.

Via: Polygon

Source: Ludophiles (YouTube)



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News::GAME takes a hit as Brits stop buying for PS3 and Xbox 360

The video game business can be cruel at times, as British retailer GAME knows all too well. After weathering a complete collapse and returning to the London Stock Exchange in recent years, the company has reported mixed success as consumers gets to grips with newer consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In its latest financial results, however, GAME has been forced to admit that its sales and profits have been heavily impacted by a "challenging" UK market, one that has finally begun moving away from older hardware.

Source: GAME PLC



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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

News::'Battlefield 4' hides an incredibly elaborate Easter egg

You've probably seen some clever gaming Easter eggs in your day, but few of them are likely to be this... involved. Gamers playing Battlefield 4's new Dragon Valley map have discovered an Easter egg that requires a massive, multi-step sleuthing campaign to complete. How massive? Well, it starts with translating Belarusian Morse code and moves on to hidden objects, logic puzzles and audio editing. The kicker is that this isn't repeatable -- even if you pay close attention to the video below, you'll have to do some of the hard work yourself.

Via: Shacknews

Source: Jackfrags (YouTube)



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News::Razer brings Ouya gaming content to its Forge TV set-top box

After quietly acquiring Ouya earlier this year, Razer's now folding some of those assets into its own gaming platform. Enter the Cortex Game Store, a digital shop for the Forge TV that has more than 240 titles available for purchase, with many of these being ported over from Ouya's defunct marketplace. In June, when we found out Razer had purchased Ouya, it wasn't clear what the company planned to do with the failed, Kickstarter-hit-wonder startup, but this is a starting point.

As part of its promise to double down on Forge TV, Razer says it wants developers to create content for it using the original Ouya publishing tools, noting it's an easy way to get their games on multiple Android TV streaming devices all at once.

Via: Android Central

Source: Razer



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News::The playable poetry of 'That Dragon, Cancer' lands in January

Joel Green loved pancakes. He was, and continues to be, the inspiration behind That Dragon, Cancer, a low-poly adventure game created by his father, Ryan Green, as Joel battled cancer over four years. Joel Green died in March 2014 at the age of 5.

On January 12th, That Dragon, Cancer will land on PC and Mac via Steam, plus Ouya -- and Ryan Green wants everyone to have a pancake party in celebration. Breakfast-food fans and adventure-game lovers can pre-order That Dragon, Cancer and sign up to host a January 12th pancake party on the game's official site.



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News::10-year-old kid becomes first Minecraft National Champion

eSports are here to stay. And as part of this growing culture, Super League Gaming, a firm that sets up tournaments in theaters across the world, recently launched the first ever Minecraft National Championship. The eventual winner? A 10-year-old-kid named Julien Wiltshire, who beat more than 1,000 other players in the US -- many of which were in high school and "far more experienced," according to Super League Gaming. Over the course of a six-week season, the Minecraft tournament tested participants from 40 US cities on their creativity, critical thinking and teamwork in a series of custom game mods.

Source: Super League Gaming



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News::Google Play holiday deals include three months of music for $1

Most big digital retailers do holiday deals, and Google Play is no exception. Google surely wants the recipients of new Android phones and tablets to get used to buying things through its storefront as quickly as possible. While that obviously benefits Google, that doesn't mean these deals aren't pretty solid this year. Perhaps the best deal is three months of Google Play Music for $1 -- a deal that'll also include commercial-free videos on YouTube Red and full access to the new YouTube Music app. That deal is comparable with promos Spotify has been running for some time (not to mention the free three months of Apple Music still up for grabs), but sadly you'll need to be a new subscriber to take advantage.



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News::Google adds more Chromecast games for the holidays

If you're giving someone a shiny new Chromecast this holiday season, it turns out you'd be giving them a healthy dose of family-friendly games as well. Today, Google has announced that it's rolling out several new games made just for its tiny TV streamer. They include Angry Birds Friends (which lets you compete in weekly tournaments), Driver Speedboat Paradise plus a whole host of Hasbro board games designed to be played on the TV. Examples of the latter include Monopoly Here & Now, Yahtzee Blitz, The Game of Life, Scrabble Blitz 2.0 and Risk. Sorry, no Settlers of Catan just yet.

Source: Chromecast



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News::Report: Samsung will start building chips for AMD

With falling smartphone sales, Samsung has been trying to boost its chip manufacturing business. AMD, meanwhile, builds CPUs and GPUs for PCs and both major consoles, but doesn't have a fab business anymore. According to Korea's Electronic Times, that kind of synergy was too good to ignore, so Samsung will manufacture CPU and GPU chips for AMD on its 14-nanometer chip foundry starting in 2016. All of AMD's chips are currently manufactured by GlobalFoundries, an Abu Dhabi-owned firm that once belonged to AMD. Both Samsung and GlobalFoundries will reportedly manufacture AMD's latest "Greenland" GPUs and "Zen" CPUs using a 14-nanometer process, which will make them faster and more energy-efficient than previous AMD chips .

Via: Reuters

Source: ET News



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News::Last-gen systems aren't getting new 'Call of Duty' maps

If you're still feeling salty over Activision nixing Call of Duty: Black Ops III's campaign mode on last-gen systems the next bit of news won't do much to make the situation any better. In an announcement about the latest set of downloadable content, the "Awakening" pack which includes a quartet of adversarial multiplayer maps and the first episode of a new "zombies" tale, the company writes that the DLC will launch next February 2nd on PlayStation 4 first with "other next-gen platforms to follow."

Via: Kotaku

Source: Businesswire



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Monday, December 21, 2015

News::Database error publishes data of 3 million Hello Kitty fans

Online researcher Chris Vickery uncovered a database this weekend containing the personal information of 3.3 million accounts associated with Hello Kitty Online and official Hello Kitty websites, including SanrioTown.com, HelloKitty.com and MyMelody.com. The information included users' first and last names, birthdays, genders, countries of origin, email addresses, password hashes, password hint questions and answers, and other data, CSO Online reports. Some of the information was encrypted, but "easily reversible," according to the site. The breach was the result of a misconfigured database installation and all of the information is now secure, CSO says.

Via: Geek.com

Source: CSO



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News::Lawsuit demands the right to resell Steam games

One of the biggest gripes about downloadable games (unless you're a developer) is that you can't typically resell them -- that title is yours forever, even if you'll never play it again. French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir is doing something about it, though. It's suing Valve to demand resales for Steam games. Its policy violates the European Union's right to resell legally purchased software, according to the group. As proof, it points to a 2012 Oracle case where a judge ruled that there was no difference between reselling disc-based copies and their downloaded equivalents.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: UFC-Que Choisir (translated)



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News::Bandai Namco sends its anime-inspired games west in 2016

Bandai Namco, the studio responsible for Dark Souls and Tekken, will expand some of its franchises in the western world with new installments in the Tales of, God Eater and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series. Tales of Berseria is a Japanese role-playing game starring a young woman named Velvet, whose left hand has special, demonic powers; it's confirmed for PlayStation 4 and PC via Steam across the Americas and Europe. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven is a PS4-exclusive, two-on-two brawler starring characters from that franchise's anime and manga storylines.



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News::Video game tie-ins shouldn't feel 'cheap'

It used to be that if you loved a video game, your options for showing it beyond buying the cartridge or disc were pretty limited. Now there's a whole cottage industry for gaming fandom. Want a rad vinyl soundtrack for a hyper-violent indie game? Say no more. How about an evocative statue showcasing the duality of a game's strong, female protagonist? You're covered there, too.

But for every one of the former, there were seemingly a dozen tasteless cash-ins. When these brand extensions are done right, we wind up with heartfelt keepsakes or ways to keep a game in our lives while we're away from the controller. But when a company blows it, you get crap like tacky game-branded mini-fridges.



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News::Man sues Bethesda over his 'Fallout 4' addiction

There's little doubt that Fallout 4's gameplay is involving when you can spend dozens of hours on the main storyline alone. However, one Russian man is convinced that it's too involving. RT says that he's suing Bethesda for 500,000 rubles ($7,030) for failing to warn that Fallout 4 would "become so addictive." Supposedly, the man went on a 3-week gaming marathon that cost him his health, job and wife. Had he known how alluring it was, he says, he would have either waited until the holidays to buy the game or avoided it entirely. We've reached out to Bethesda to both confirm the lawsuit and get its take on the claims.

Via: VentureBeat

Source: RT



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News::A video game journey through America's original remix culture

Long after Deadmau5 finished his closing set at The Game Awards, one new trailer stayed with me. It was understated and soothing, featuring a hand-painted desert landscape, a rolling train and a hint of fantasy, all backed by a melancholic American folk song. It was a teaser for Where the Water Tastes Like Wine from Dim Bulb Games. I noticed the trailer because of its visuals, but I remembered it because of the song.

"[Music is] a form of art that has amazing appeal and power, and its impact is huge," Dim Bulb founder Johnnemann Nordhagen tells me. "Look at any group of music fans and watch how passionate they are. ... In the context of a game, especially a game like this, music helps set the tone for the world and the experience, bringing players to a particular time and place and mood."



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News::Pinball Labs wants to bring the pool hall experience to VR

Early adopters of the soon-to-arrive Oculus Rift and HTC Vive virtual reality headsets are going to need games, and what better way to waste time than a few rounds of pinball? Thomas Kadlec, the developer of the Star Trek Voyager Bridge VR experience is trying to round up Kickstarter funds for Pinball Labs, a pinball simulator that will let you design and play your own games. Built with Unreal Engine 4, games will have realistic physics, a built-in table editor and custom user settings. They'll be playable in VR on Vive and Oculus Rift, in desktop mode for PCs and on virtual, multi-monitor cabinets.

Via: Road to VR

Source: Kickstarter



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Saturday, December 19, 2015

News::Ex-NBA star buys a 'League of Legends' eSports team

If there was any doubt that eSports are attracting the attention of the conventional sports world, it just got erased. Former LA Lakers player Rick Fox has bought Gravity, one of the bigger League of Legends teams, for an unspecified amount of cash. As he explains, eSports is on the cusp of "something massive" -- he wants to get in before things blow up. He's certainly no stranger to this world between his partnership at Twin Galaxies (the game record-keeping institution) and contributions to a fundraiser for competitive gaming.

Source: Bloomberg



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Friday, December 18, 2015

News::Playdate: Giving away the Force

It's been a long wait, but today's the day: Star Wars is back in theaters. We've seen it. No, we're not going to talk about it (well, not much. Spoilers, you know) -- but we are celebrating its release by playing our favorite games from the series now-defunct expanded universe. We're closing out our Star Wars week with games from the Dark Forces and Jedi Knight franchises, the Star Wars: Force Unleashed games as well as the past and present of Star Wars: Battlefront.



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News::Play 'Threes' for free in your browser right now

Threes, the adorable number-squishing, tile-sliding puzzle game, is available to play for free (and without ads) in browsers via desktop and mobile devices. The game is otherwise free (with ads) on Android and iOS, or you can spend $2 for a version without commercial breaks. Designer Asher Vollmer and illustrator Greg Wohlwend announced the browser edition during a Reddit AMA on Thursday.

Via: Polygon

Source: @AsherVo, Reddit



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News::HTC Vive to demo a 'very big' breakthrough in VR at CES

Regular folks who are eager to get hold of the HTC Vive would have been bummed by the news that it's been pushed to April 2016, but in return, we'll actually be getting a much improved version. At today's Vive Unbound developers forum in Beijing, CEO Cher Wang teased that two weeks ago, Valve and her team made "a very, very big technological breakthrough" with their virtual reality system, so big that they decided to just skip the original version and ship this new one, albeit missing the Q1 date. "We shouldn't make our users swap their systems later just so we could meet the December shipping date." That said, Wang remained mum on what this upgrade is all about, except that it'll be unveiled at CES early next month.



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News::Square Enix Montreal gets what makes mobile games great

Apple recently named Lara Croft Go its game of the year, and deservedly so. But the back-to-basics 2D puzzler wasn't developer Square Enix Montreal's first stab at mobile gaming. The studio was initially formed to work on a now-cancelled Hitman project for consoles and then transitioned to making premium smartphone and tablet games.

Since releasing Hitman Go in 2014 the team has been quietly kicking a lot of ass in the space, launching the excellent Hitman Sniper and Lara Croft Go within roughly two months of each other. It's this type of repeat success that's afforded lead programmer Antoine Routon and his mobile-exclusive team at Square Enix Montreal the freedom to tinker with publisher Square Enix's biggest properties in fresh ways.

"We have a lot of creative freedom we acquired by delivering good games," he says. "What's the opposite of street cred? Exec cred?" he asks, laughing.



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News::Nintendo's 2015 was the best of times and the worst of times

Let's face it: In the world of video games, Nintendo exists in a state of constant scrutiny. More often than not, the Japanese company is targeted for being "behind the times" or "out of touch" with what its fanbase wants. Looking back, however, we see a more dynamic mish-mash of good and bad decisions. In 2015, Nintendo teased us by promising to build mobile apps, but pleased us by adding some unexpected classics to its digital game library and announcing a new game console. The company had breakout hits like Splatoon, but also fumbled on launch dates, failing to deliver Star Fox Zero and Zelda Wii U by year's end. How is Nintendo doing, really? Let's take a look back at the highs and lows of Nintendo's year and find out.

Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
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News::Street Fighter V is coming to SteamOS

Capcom's Street Fighter V is coming to Valve's SteamOS with full support for the company's Steam Controller. The franchise's first new series since 2008 will also be the first to make an appearance on the Linux-based operating system. The decision is quite a coup for Valve. It's positioning SteamOS and Steam Machines as the friendly face of PC gaming; a legitimate living-room replacement for a console.

The long-awaited brawler is due to hit PlayStation 4 and PC on February 16th. It's unclear when the SteamOS port will be ready, or if it'll be able to take advantage of the cross-platform multiplayer features already announced for PC and PlayStation 4. One thing we do know is that Steam Controller support is baked into the Street Fighter V beta, which runs from today through to December 20th.

Via: Gamasutra

Source: Capcom



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Thursday, December 17, 2015

News::The beautiful and delightful 'Badland' now has a sequel for iOS

Badland is one of the biggest gaming successes to ever hit the App Store. Its distinctive and beautiful visual style, challenging gameplay and high attention to detail all reinforced the notion that iOS is a great platform for unique and excellent games. Now, some two and a half years after making its debut, Badland 2 has arrived for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The game will feel immediately familiar to the millions who played the original -- the character you guide and the obstacles you dodge are still primarily rendered in silhouette, with beautiful, hand-painted backgrounds providing most of the eye candy.

Via: cult of mac

Source: Badland



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News::Playdate: 'Star Wars' week celebration, episode two!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is nearly upon us, and Engadget's gaming crew can barely contain itself. Life for Sean, Tim and Jess has been a constant struggle between the pain of being patient and the fear of encountering spoilers out there on the internet. How does one cope with such stress, such anticipation? By playing old Star Wars games, of course! Today we'll be taking a look at the PlayStation 4 ports of Star Wars: Racer Revenge and Super Star Wars, as well the classic Tie Fighter space sim on PC and, if there's time, the cinematic adventure of Rebel Assault II.



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News::Mozilla makes it easy to create VR websites with 'A-Frame'

With the launch of A-Frame today, Mozilla is trying to make it easier for developers to craft virtual-reality websites. Mozilla's VR research team, MozVR, created A-Frame as an open-source framework that allows developers to use familiar HTML markup in their designs, rather than the complex WebGL API. A-Frame operates within WebGL, meaning it works across desktop, iPhones, all Cardboard devices and Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 headsets, with Android support "coming soon." It'll eventually support additional VR devices, such as HTC's Vive.

Via: Road To VR

Source: A-Frame



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