News:: Legendarily boring ‘Desert Bus’ is playable in VR

Back in the late 90s, comedic magicians Penn Jillette and Teller made a mini-game collection for Sega CD that was never released and quietly forgotten. Unfortunately for anyone with taste, one of those was the intentionally awful Desert Bus, which Internet sketch group LoadingReadyRun unearthed during a charity stream in 2007. They turned it into their annual program Desert Bus For Hope, which has raised $4 million in the last decade while they've subjected themselves to one of the most boring games ever made -- and now they can do it immersively with Desert Bus VR.

Via: Mashable

Source: Desert Bus VR (Steam)

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News:: The 'X-Files' revival continues with a mobile game

X-Files' resurgence isn't just limited to new TV episodes. Fox has taken the wraps off of X-Files: Deep State, a mystery title for Android, iOS and Facebook that should arrive February 6th, 2018, or just over a month after the January 3rd TV premiere. You'll fill the shoes of an FBI agent finding clues, solving puzzles and grilling witnesses between seasons 9 and 10 (during the alien invasion timeline). There's an element of Telltale's serialized storytelling to it with decisions affecting the storyline and new cases showing up every month.

Via: Variety, TechCrunch

Source: X-Files: Deep State

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News:: Du Lac & Fey is a mystery adventure about a pair of immortal hunters and Jack the Ripper

Du Lac & Fey: Dance of Death is an upcoming adventure game about two immortal characters from Arthurian legend. In an interesting twist on history, you'll find Sir Lancelot Du Lac and his elegant canine partner, Morgana Le Fey, hunting down Jack the Ripper in the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Developer Salix Games is a group of AAA veterans who have worked with the likes of Rocksteady, Lionhead, and Ubisoft. With help from historian Judith Flanders (who also worked on Assassin's Creed Syndicate), they aimed to recapture the London district of Whitechapel during a series of infamous murders in 1888. You'll get to investigate while meeting a diverse cast of characters whose individual stories will play out according to your interactions with them.

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News:: Some thoughts on the psychology behind team loyalty in the world of videogames

[Daisy art by Robaato]

Like many of you, I was pretty sad that Rick and Morty Season 3 didn't have an Interdimensional Cable episode. Instead of crying about it, I tried to "channel" my disappointment into something productive. I walked my dog, and when I got home, I recorded 90 seconds of audio for an imaginary Justin Roiland cartoon. Luckily for me, the lovely ToonBog decided to put those sounds to moving pictures, which is pretty neat. It's pretty interesting. 

Unlike Ants In My Eyes Johnson, this cartoon for Team Blue has a pretty overt message. It's a message that leaks into a lot of the stuff I say and do, because it's a message that's beaten into my brain day in and day out for as long as I've been writing about video games. 

It wasn't long ago that some Daisy fans beat it into me hard. They were livid at me for three days. I gave them the requested attention and validated their concerns, but I'm not sure that it mattered. Their main point of contention with me (aka "beef") was that I failed to understand that "the dumb stuck up blonde bitch didn't deserve to die."

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News:: That sure is a lot of racing games in the latest Humble Bundle

One or two racing games per year is my cap. They can be great in moderation, a nice change of pace from whatever else you're playing. The latest Humble Bundle is for people who go full speed ahead at these kinds of things -- 10 racing games, many of which are made redundant by newer versions in the same series.

Fabled racing game developer Codemasters is the subject of this week's Humble Bundle. Here's what's in it. Those who opt into the "pay what you want (but at least $1)" tier get:

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News:: Half-Life: A Place in the West - Chapter 4 hits Steam tomorrow

The fourth issue of the digital fan made comic, Half-Life: A Place in the West, will be hitting Steam tomorrow (November 29). You'll be able to unlock the issue at 8 am PST/ 11 am EST and it will feature 30 brand new panels to further expand the story of Albert Kempinski's journey to reunite with his daughter.

Co-creator of the comic, Ross Joseph Gardner, says, "We started work on Chapter 4 since before we even released Chapter 3, and we're extremely proud of the result. While we're pleased with all the chapters we've put out, and the quality on display from all our wonderful artists, we really feel that Chapter 4 marks a significant leap in quality to us. A Place In The West started out as a fan project, and I think since then the comic has really come into its own. We couldn't be more excited about taking the story forward."

I've checked out the first three issues and I find the premise really interesting. Maybe I'm just itching for more Half-Life in the absence of another game, but the comic has some solid artwork and an intuitive interface that makes for breezy reading. Not much story has currently happened, but the entire saga is planned for 13 issues, so we're barely 1/3rd of the way done.

If the cover has you interested, you can nab the first issue for free on Steam. Subsequent issues are $1.99 each and seem to be releasing every few months.

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News:: Bungie cancels Destiny 2 stream to address fan frustration and 'goals for the game going forward'

Bungie has shelved plans for its third and final live stream for Destiny 2's Curse of Osiris DLC in favor of addressing growing concerns in the community over the state of the game and its future direction.

"Tomorrow, we had planned to conduct the final stream prior to the launch of 'Curse of Osiris' to show off some of the weapons and armor the expansion includes," the studio told fans today. "Instead, we are investing all our efforts into delivering some higher priority information about Destiny 2."

On Wednesday, Bungie will publish a blog post in place of the stream, which was intended to highlight "new rewards coming with Season 2 and the Curse of Osiris expansion." Had they moved forward with the presentation as originally planned, you can imagine how that would've gone over.

Rather, with tomorrow's post, "You'll hear from studio leadership about their assessment of Destiny all up, they'll talk about our goals for the game going forward, and you'll also learn about how we're reacting to your feedback with some game updates that will arrive in the next few weeks."

It's clear that a not-insignificant portion of Destiny 2 players are frustrated with where the game's at right now, where it might be headed, and most of all, Bungie's lack of candid communication. On paper, this blog post is a step in the right direction. In execution, well, we'll see tomorrow.

Incoming Developer Commentary about Destiny [Bungie Forums]

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News:: Infamous driving sim Desert Bus now playable in VR

Those maniacs at Dinosaur Games actually did it! They brought Desert Bus -- a game about painstakingly driving from Tuscon to Las Vegas in real time, without breaks -- to virtual reality. Desert Bus VR is available today as a free download on Steam for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift.

Besides having more modern visuals, this version also supports multiplayer in which "passengers can sit, wave, and even throw ads of paper at the driver." There's also a radio to keep you company.

Best of all, this is for a good cause.

"Desert Bus VR was made in-part to support Desert Bus for Hope, a volunteer organization that holds the eponymous annual event to raise money for game industry charity Child's Play. Participants play Desert Bus in a telethon-style stream, with others pledging donations in exchange for incentives that can include everything from prizes to increasing the length of the Desert Bus play time."

Curiously, the game is playable "in standard digital reality" if you can't or won't do VR.

Desert Bus VR [Steam]

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News:: Square Enix CEO says Deus Ex isn't discontinued

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the most recent entry in the series, didn't set the world on fire. 2011's Human Revolution revitalized Deus Ex and designated it as a still-valuable property for Square Enix. Mankind Divided felt like a step backward of sorts, as it was largely met with indifference and then quickly forgotten about.

Despite this reception, Square Enix again emphasizes that it's not giving up on Deus Ex. In an interview with GamesIndustry International, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda explains that putting Deus Ex on hold was more a reality of finite resources than anything else.

"We have never said anything about discontinuing that title but for some reason that's the rumor out on the market.," Matsuda said. He continued "What I can say is Eidos Montreal has always developed Deus Ex, and the issue is we do not have limitless resources. We have several big titles that we work with and that's partly a factor in what our line-up looks like. Of course, it would be ideal if we could work on all of them all of the time, but the fact of the matter is some titles have to wait their turn. The reason there isn't a Deus Ex right now is just a product of our development line-up because there are other titles we are working on."

Those "other titles" Matsuda speaks of include the multi-game partnership that Square Enix and Marvel announced early this year. Also, a new Tomb Raider is expected to be announced sooner rather than later. There isn't a new Deus Ex on deck because all of Square Enix's studios are busy with other stuff.

While Adam Jensen isn't a priority right now, that's not to say that Square Enix hasn't thought about Deus Ex at all. Matsuda commented "We are already internally discussing and exploring what we want do with the next installment of it." Just don't expect it anytime soon.

East meets West: Yosuke Matsuda on growing Square Enix's global empire [GamesIndustry International]

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News:: Parkasaurus is a dang good name for a dinosaur park simulator

With the reveal of Parkasaurus this week, I'm now keeping tabs on two separate dinosaur management sims (the other being Frontier's Jurassic World Evolution). That makes me ridiculously happy.

Parkasaurus is all about designing your park to best suit your dinosaurs' needs and your paying customers' preferences, as tends to be the way. If and when any of the attractions "accidentally" get loose and start a ruckus, you'll be able to put them to sleep in a first-person shooter mode.

In terms of building exhibits, "each dinosaur requires a unique biosphere, which means the shape of exhibit, materials used, ecology, plants, elevation and humidity all play a key role in whether the Dinos, and the park, thrive...or become extinct."

WashBear is aiming for a spring 2018 release on Steam Early Access. If all goes to plan, the game will have about a six- to eight-month run before it sees a full launch on PC. Looks pretty darn cute.

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News:: Crawl is headed to Nintendo Switch on December 19

Crawl wasn't necessarily top of mind as a game I'd like to see ported to Nintendo Switch (mostly because I didn't know it was under consideration), but yeah, that'll translate well! It's releasing on December 19, which should make it a little easier to round up friends and family.

If you missed the original PC version or the prior console releases, Crawl is an up-to-four-player competitive dungeon crawler in which one person is the valiant hero and everyone else is out to ruin their day and take their spot. I've always loved the game's creature designs, especially the bosses.

The Switch version will cost $15, just like the others.

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News:: Ho-oh is now flapping around Pokemon Go raids

Thanks to the diligence of trainer's around the world during Niantic's global catch challenge, legendary Pokemon Ho-oh will now be appearing in raids for the mobile catch-a-thon. He won't be limited to any regions, so you should start seeing him appear in gyms near you. You'll have until December 12 to catch him!

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News:: The last two Tomb Raider games have combined for 18 million sales

It's easy to forget exactly what kind of pull the Tomb Raider franchise has, especially considering its storied history that dates back more than two decades. The two action-filled blockbusters in the 2013 reboot arc serve as stark reminders. They've both sold a staggering number given the current triple-A landscape.

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry International, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda revealed that the newest Tomb Raider games have combined for nearly 18 million sales. That's 11 million for Tomb Raider (2013) and almost 7 million for Rise of the Tomb Raider. The latter was likely kneecapped to some degree by a timed-exclusive launch on Xbox One; it released on PC a few months later and on PS4 a full 11 months down the road.

Rumors have been swirling for more than a year now about the next Tomb Raider game (which is possibly called "Shadow of the Tomb Raider). These numbers seem to support the inevitability of a trilogy. So does this key statement from Matsuda: "Tomb Raider is a very important title and very important piece of IP for us, and nothing has changed about that."

Matsuda also takes some time to add context to Square Enix infamously stating that the 2013's Tomb Raider was a failure at launch despite doing 3.4 million sales. "The fiscal year prior to the one where I became president [in 2013] was one where overall our earning numbers were not very good. It was immediately before the end of that fiscal year, in March, that Tomb Raider came out so we had very high expectations for that. Looking back on that now, I think the target we set for ourselves was extremely high," he said.

Matsuda continued "I say this with the benefit of hindsight now, but at the time our numbers leading up to the release of Tomb Raider had been very poor and I think our people were probably banking on that and wondering how much it was going to help our final earnings. In the end, it didn't quite sell as much as we had anticipated." It wasn't that Tomb Raider's performance, in a vacuum, was weak; it's that it didn't do well enough to turn around the entire company.

East meets West: Yosuke Matsuda on growing Square Enix's global empire [GamesIndustry International]

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News:: Party brawler Gang Beasts hits PS4 in two weeks

Round up your pals, because Boneloaf's melee party game Gang Beasts is all set for a December 12, 2017 release on PlayStation 4 and PC for $20. Its oh-so-punchable "gummy miscreants" first appeared on Steam Early Access three years ago, so it wasn't your imagination -- it's been a wait!

If this is your first time hearing about Gang Beasts, today's trailer will catch you up. (Take special note of the competitive two-on-two soccer mode and the cooperative fend-off-waves-of-AI mode.)

Although this console version has taken a good long while to materialize, now that it's finally almost here, the timing works out rather well. I'd love to play this over the holidays with family.

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News:: Review: Mario Party: The Top 100

It seems as though the best of the Mario Party games are far, far behind us. The most recent installments have come out to lackluster reception, and are getting even fewer and far between as of late.

Nintendo takes a stab at recreating the original fun of the series through Mario Party: The Top 100, an “all-star collection” of the top mini games from throughout Mario Party history. Bringing folks back to the roots of what made Mario Party a hit in the first place with its classic, manic mini games is a hopeful attempt at injecting some life into the series.

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News:: Next up for PUBG? A mobile version in China

Battle royale games might not seem like they'd be the smoothest fit for smartphones, but they do exist, and they stand to make a lot of money right now while the going is good for the genre. To that end, Bluehole and Tencent have plans for a mobile version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds in China.

This announcement follows last week's news that an official, government-approved Chinese release of PUBG is in the works for PC with assistance from Tencent. To pull that off, tweaks will be made to fall in line with the country's "socialist core values, Chinese traditional culture, and moral rules."

This upcoming mobile game will necessitate similar changes, according to the companies. While the port is only announced for China at the moment, it's safe to assume that PUBG will eventually make it to smartphones worldwide. I can't imagine they'd leave that money on the table.

PUBG going mobile with Tencent's help [GamesIndustry.biz]

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News:: Firaxis announces Civilization VI: Rise and Fall expansion

Early next year, Civilization VI is going to get bigger. Announced just today (with a CGI trailer), Firaxis is going to expand its premiere strategy series with Civilization VI: Rise and Fall. Launching February 8, 2018, this new expansion will focus on "Great Ages" and introduce a new concept where your empire can go through a dark period. A new city based loyalty system also means your cities are at a constant threat from your misdirection, so you can't rest on your laurels and expect to win.

"Rise triumphantly from a Dark Age and your next Golden Age will be even stronger – a Heroic Age," says 2K Games. "With the new Great Ages system in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, players can experience the ebb and flow of building empires amidst the challenges of history, either to lasting greatness or the dust of antiquity."

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News:: 10th anniversary BlazBlue character poll open right meow

Next year sees the tenth anniversary of Arc System Works' gorgeous anime fighter, BlazBlue. Beginning celebrations a little ahead of schedule, ArcSys have opened a character popularity poll, in which you can vote for Taokaka.

The huge roster of heroes, villains and bystanders are all eagerly waiting for your vote. Though the site is in Japanese, it seems fairly obvious that all you need do is click the blue button beneath Taokaka in order to vote for your favourite BlazBlue character: Taokaka.

It will be interesting to see whether the results will affect the DLC for BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, the exciting ArcSys fighter currently in development. Past popularity polls certainly paved the way for the rosters of Street Fighter x Tekken, Street Fighter V and King of Fighters XIV.

BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle launches in 2018 on PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

BlazBlue 10th anniversary character poll [Official Site]

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News:: Pokemon Ultra Sun & Moon's first ever Global Mission failed, just like the originals

For a good while Pokemon Sun & Moon players failed Global Missions. And I mean disastrously failed, to the point where many of us wondered if Game Freak was going to retire the feature altogether. I'm curious if that same question is going to linger for Ultra Sun & Moon too, as its first Global Mission was also a failure.

Tasked with catching 10 million Pokemon, the worldwide community only got roughly 5.5 million. If you participated you're entitled to at least 1,000 FC (Festival Coins), but the real reward is forfeit.

Although it wasn't clear why I failed, I think I can guess -- the esoteric nature of the event itself probably didn't help newcomers at all. If you recall, players need to play the game, get to the point in the story where they unlock the Festival Plaza (tucked away in a menu option), go into the Festival, complete the tutorial, then tether themselves to the Global Link.

It's one of Nintendo's many Friend Code-esque blunders -- and I wish the system was much more open to the point where you were automatically entered and seamlessly part of the effort.

Serebii.net [Twitter]

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News:: Hey big spender, what did you pick up this Black Friday weekend?

As retail stores across the USA fix shattered doorways and shelving units, while hapless shoppers repair equally shattered wrists and ankles, the curtain falls on another Black Friday weekend.

From Friday, through the horrendously-titled Cyber Monday, retailers slashed prices on a wealth of goods. From electrical items and top fashions, to the important things like amiibo and Hyperdimension Neptunia games, cash registers everywhere were ringing, not unlike the alarm bells that'll sound when December's credit card bill arrives.

So, what did all of youse guys and gals grab this weekend? My single purchase was DOOM for PS4 I found it for just £7, my price limit for anything. Anything. But maybe some of you came away with a new Nintendo Switch, or a plethora of 2017's best games. Then there are those of you who didn't buy anything, immune to the consumer frenzy. I salute you.

Share your hauls and stories below. Regardless of whatever you did during the four-day consumer nightmare, I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving weekend.

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News:: The Dragon Quest crossover event returns to Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV likes to keep players interested with three month major patch cycles, but in-between there's little events here and there that are the glue that holds it all together.

They're not above re-using them though, and just like the Yo-Kai Watch event, the Dragon Quest crossover "Breaking Brick Mountains" is returning later this month. From November 30 until December 14, you'll be able to battle Golems and earn cosmetic items.

If you're like me and you already did the event back in 2014, you can't do it again, but for all the newcomers and alt characters out there, it's a fun little way to spend an afternoon. Bring on the Noctis crossover! He's already in Dissidia and Tekken 7 at this point!

The Return of Breaking Brick Mountains [Final Fantasy XIV]

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News:: 'Yooka-Laylee' arrives on Nintendo Switch December 14th

The wait is almost over: The whimsical, N64-styled retro platformer Yooka-Laylee will arrive on Nintendo Switch this December 14th. While versions for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in April, the game seems custom-tailored for Nintendo's hybrid home/portable console. After all, the game was made by former Rare Ware employees (which existed more or less as a second-party studio since the NES' hey-day) and its pick-up-and-play platforming is perfect for quick sessions on the go.

Via: Polygon

Source: Playtonic

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News:: Street Fighter V champ NuckleDu unlikely to attend Capcom Cup 2017

In news that shocked the fighting game community, The Street Fighter V Capcom Cup 2016 champion, NuckleDu, announced on Twitter that he is unlikely to return to the event to defend his title.

NuckleDu (Du Dang) claimed victory at the event last December, automatically qualifying him for entry at the 2017 tournament, to be held in Calfornia on the weekend of December 8. Du has partaken in the CPT events throughout the year, collecting enough CPT points to place him third in the global rankings.

However, after reaching out to both Capcom and his sponsor, Team Liquid, the champion made the surprise announcement, while also thanking the community for their support throughout the year. No reason was given for Du's decision, but here's hoping that all is well with the 21-year-old pro, and that we see him, and his monstrous Mika/Guile combo, back on the scene soon.

NuckleDu may not be attending Capcom Cup 2017 [Twitter]

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News:: The official Mega Man cookie jar looks like an urn that contains Dr. Light's ashes

ThinkGeek has been almost bankrolling Capcom for the past five years or so, licensing a ton of different Blue Bomber merch. Their newest invention is a Mega Man cookie jar, which is shaped like a Mega Buster. But given that it's ceramic, and is meant to be placed upright, it looks more like an urn.

Still, at $34.99, that's not a terrible price. I don't have the space for it and I'm more of a pie maker than a cake/cookie guy, but it's a decent enough Christmas gift. I could also put it in my will and rest eternally in merchandise, so there's that bonus.

I giggled a bit at the "officially licensed Nintendo merchandise" bit erroneously scrawled on the site. Is there something we don't know about? Did Nintendo finally buy the rights to Mega Man after he earned so much goodwill from the new Smash Bros.? We wish, right? Imagine a Retro Studios Mega Man game. Wait, I was talking about a cookie car...

Mega Man Cookie Jar [ThinkGeek]

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News:: Rumour: Assassin's Creed Rogue getting remade for PS4 & Xbox One

Over the weekend, not one, or two, but three Italian retailers opened listings for a supposed HD remake of Assassin's Creed IV spin-off title Rogue, which was originally released on last generation platforms back in 2014.

The retail sites list the as-yet-unconfirmed Assassin's Creed Rogue HD as coming to the PS4 and Xbox One sometime in 2018. While Ubisoft haven't confirmed said re-release yet, neither have the listing pages been removed. It would make sense for the studio to try and squeeze every penny out of the series' back catalogue, considering the success of the remastered Ezio Collection, released exactly one year ago.

The only real question I have here is about the concept of Assassin's Creed Rogue in itself. I mean, who in the blue hell wants to play as the super-evil Templar Order? Pfft... Not on my watch.

Assassin's Creed Rogue HD listed for retail [Kotaku UK]

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News:: The Walking Dead Season 8 Recap: 'The King, the Widow, and Rick'

"ALL OUT WAR."

It's the de facto tagline for the 8th season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It has been promoted as a convergence of wills and violence vis-a-vis the focal points of Rick and Negan.

We've seen promo material since last year that touts the season as such, like the this:

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