Culture
11 CommentsApril Fools: Eidos Montreal takes Deus Ex to the 8-bit past with Human Defiance
By Griffin McElroy on Apr 01, 2013 04.01.13
In one of the more elaborate fake announcements of April Fools' Day, developers at Eidos Montreal posted a landing page and video announcement for Deus Ex: Human Defiance, an 8-bit re-imagining of the studio's augmented action game. The fake game, which Square Enix began teasing yesterday afternoon, features what you'd expect from a Deus Ex title — bodily augmentation, moral decisions, international conspiracies — all wrapped in a much more pixelated exterior. The video's hosts, executive director Jean-Francois Dugas and production designer Jonathan Jacques-Belletete, also reveal how unpopular the project has been among Eidos' managers, leading them to raise the funds for its non-existent development themselves. As such, the landing page features a Kickstarter-like pledge tracker. ...
Report
18 CommentsToo many cooks in the kitchen: Video game writers discuss frustrations, techniques and authority
By Dave Tach on Mar 29, 2013 03.29.13
At a roundtable event at GDC 2013, a roomful of video game writers shared the tips and techniques that have helped them navigate some of the more precarious positions in their careers. Richard Dansky, the roundtable's moderator, who writes for the Tom Clancy series at Ubisoft, began the roundtable saying that he hoped that the writers could talk about their craft "and hopefully come away a little better." Throughout the panel, the writers spoke of a common misconception that many perceived: What they do is easy enough to be done by anyone. As a result, well-intentioned designers, producers and others on the product team often tell them how to do their jobs. Antony Johnston, who wrote ZombiU and Binary Domain, characterized the situation as a perceived "lack of authority" on behalf...
News
19 CommentsDeus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut officially announced for Wii U
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Mar 20, 2013 03.20.13
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is coming to Wii U, publisher Square Enix announced today. The game, titled Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Director's Cut, will be available on Nintendo's new console soon. The Director's Cut edition will use the Wii U's GamePad controller for many of Jensen's neural enhancements, including throwing grenades, sniping, map editing and hacking through the touchscreen. The game will also connect through Miiverse to grant players access to developer commentaries and other in-game guides. The Missing Link DLC and additional Tongs's Rescue mission will also be included in Director's Cut. Square Enix reports that boss fights and game balance have been tweaked, and AI and visuals have been improved. Rumors about a Wii U port began circulating early yesterday after...
News
12 CommentsDeus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut listed for Wii U on Amazon
By Emily Gera on Mar 19, 2013 03.19.13
A listing on Amazon.com points to a version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut for Wii U consoles, with a release date reportedly slated for May 7 in the United States. The listing states this apparent Wii U version contain "additional content," including the ability to use the GamePad for a new augmentation called the Neural Hub. While no developer is listed in connection with this title, Square Enix is still listed as publisher of this unannounced port. We have reached out to Square Enix for additional information.
Deals
5 CommentsXbox Live offers half-price discounts on Grand Theft Auto 4, Square Enix games
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 12, 2013 03.12.13
Grand Theft Auto 4 and its expansions are available at half price on Xbox Live this week, and Square Enix is offering discounts of up to 50 percent on select games and add-ons, Major Nelson announced today. The Games on Demand version of Grand Theft Auto 4 is on sale for $9.99. Its first expansion, The Lost and Damned, is discounted to 400 Microsoft Points ($5), while the second, The Ballad of Gay Tony, is half off at 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Those discounts run from March 12-18. Square Enix's sale is highlighted by discounts on Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($14.99, 40 percent off) and its DLC, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (600 Microsoft Points or $7.50, 50 percent off) and Sleeping Dogs ($19.99, 56 percent off) and its DLC. The sale prices are also valid from March 12-18. T...
News
1 CommentModified Deus Ex: Human Revolution classified in Australia
By Emily Gera on Mar 04, 2013 03.04.13
A modified version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is being re-submitted for classification to the Australian Classification Board, it was revealed on the board's official website. Despite having released to the country in 2011, the new classification of the "modified" version of the game is dated March 1, 2013. It is unclear whether this refers to a reissued version of the original title, new DLC or potentially a Wii U port. We have contacted publisher Square Enix regarding what this version of the title may contain.
News
14 CommentsDeus Ex movie 'moving like a rocket,' core approach prioritizes cyberpunk elements
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 22, 2013 02.22.13
The in-progress Deus Ex film, which will focus on Human Revolution, is being approached as a cyberpunk movie rather than a "video game movie" and draws inspiration from films including District 9, Looper and Inception, according to a recent interview with director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill Speaking with Crave Online, the pair said production is "moving like a rocket," and that the script draft they recently turned in to CBS Films has stirred excitement. "It's not a rehashing of the game," said Cargill. "What [viewers] want to see is, they want to see elements of the game that they love, but they want to see things that they hadn't quite seen in the game, that the game didn't allow them to see. So it's really allowed us to expand upon the things that happened in...
Deals
13 CommentsAmazon sale takes up to 75 percent off Max Payne 3, Sleeping Dogs and hundreds more
By Tracey Lien on Feb 21, 2013 02.21.13
Amazon is "farewelling" the month of February with a game sale that slashes up to 75 percent off more than 850 games, bundles and downloadable content. The sale sees games like Max Payne 3 reduced from $39.99 to $14.99, Sleeping Dogs reduced from $39.99 to $17.49 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution cut from $19.99 to $7.49. Buyers who use the code "CAGROCKS" at checkout will receive an additional 25 percent off their purchase. The Amazon deal is available now.
Feature
115 CommentsHigher calling: The new gospel of Christian games
By Patrick Stafford on Dec 20, 2012 12.20.12
Christian Games Developers Conference Christian Games Developers' Conference Tim Emmerich More than 100 developers gather every year at the Christian Games Developers Conference to discuss how they can make their games better. It's a diverse group, representing five continents in the conference's best year. It's a serious affair. They have volunteers, plenty of discussion. Even matching t-shirts. The conference was founded in 2002 by Tim Emmerich, a soft-spoken engineer who works at HP to pay the bills. He wanted to improve what he thought was a lack of support and experimentation in the Christian games community. "My expectations have been really blown away by the conference," Emmerich says. "I was just expecting 12 in the first year, and we got 30. Now we're...
Deals
11 CommentsSquare Enix holiday sale offers 50 percent off almost all games
By Samit Sarkar on Dec 12, 2012 12.12.12
Publisher Square Enix is meeting your video game gift-giving needs with a holiday sale in its online store that cuts prices on nearly every available game by 50 percent. The discounts don't apply to upcoming titles — you can't pre-order Tomb Raider at half price — or the company's most recent release, Hitman: Absolution, which is on sale for $39.99 (33 percent off). But everything else, including games such as Sleeping Dogs ($29.99), Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($14.99), Final Fantasy 13-2 ($9.99) and Just Cause 2 ($9.99), is available at a 50 percent discount. In addition, customers in the 48 contiguous United States who spend more than $100 will receive free shipping on their orders. The sale is only available in North America, and it runs from now through Jan. 2, 2013. Square...
