News
11 CommentsCall of Duty: Ghosts clip offers a brief look at the game in progress, teases reveal
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 19, 2013 05.19.13
Infinity Ward released a brief teaser for Call of Duty: Ghosts that features a look at the game in an early design state.
The video, which you can watch here, was posted via Vine and loops approximately five seconds of footage. Following rumors and a leaked promotional poster, Call of Duty: Ghosts was officially announced earlier this month for Windows PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and next-gen systems. Few details are currently known about the game, but it will deliver a new story, cast and setting.
A first look at the game is expected at Microsoft's next-gen Xbox unveiling taking place on Tuesday, May 21.
Call of Duty: Ghosts is currently slated for launch Nov. 5 of this year. The game is available now for pre-order.
News
19 CommentsBatman: Arkham Origins villain Deathstroke will be playable through DLC
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 19, 2013 05.19.13
Deathstroke, the villain in Warner Bros. Montreal's upcoming game Batman: Arkham Origins, will be available as a playable character through downloadable content, according to a posting on Amazon.
The post is part of a pre-order offer, but does not give details on the extent of Deathstroke's playability. In Batman: Arkham City, players were able to take on the role of Catwoman through downloadable content. Batman: Arkham Origins was announced in April for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC and Wii U. The game takes place before series predecessors Arkham City and Arkham Asylum, where Batman is still young and "unrefined." Early reports suggest that the game will have multiplayer options.
Batman: Arkham Origins is currently scheduled for release Oct. 25.
Deals
29 CommentsBioShock Infinite on sale today only across all platforms
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 19, 2013 05.19.13
BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games' widely acclaimed first-person shooter, is now on sale through Amazon's Deal of the Day special across all platforms.
Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version are available for $39.99. Windows PC players can pick up Infinite as a physical copy or digital download for $34.99, a 42 percent discount off the game's usual price. The sale will only run today.
Publisher Take-Two Interactive has shipped more than 3.7 million copies of BioShock Infinite since its launch March 26. Irrational Games also recently announced that it would release a cuddlier, plushie version of Songbird, the game's mechanical, bird-like creature.
News
0 CommentsCity Interactive teases Alien Rage with a new trailer
By Megan Farokhmanesh on May 18, 2013 05.18.13
A teaser trailer for Alien Rage, the first-person arcade title formerly known as Alien Fear, gives viewers a first look at the game.
Alien Rage is being developed by City Interactive, the company behind titles such as Lords of the Fallen, Sniper Ghost Warrior and Dogfight 1942. Alien Rage is a downloadable title that, according to the game's description, will feature 10 different weapons and 14 boss fights. You can watch the trailer above for a brief glimpse at the game in action.
Alien Rage will launch later this year for Steam, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. City Interactive recently announced that it would debut a playable version of its fantasy action-RPG, Lords of the Fallen, at E3 2013.
The Besties Podcast
12 CommentsThe Besties Podcast 57 - The talking helicopter
By Russ Frushtick on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
On this week's episode of The Besties, there's some derisive Snoopy talk, as well as an anthropomorphic helicopter. Griffin has his doubts and Justin changes his pick at the last minute, much to the chagrin of the other Besties.
03:50 - Best reason to hate Snoopy (Sid Meier's Ace Patrol)
10:25 - Best way to waste $20 (Injustice on iOS)
19:00 - Half time: Daft Punk and a new car
24:00 - Best gaming news story of the decade that is getting worse and worse with every passing day (Shadow of the Eternals)
38:40 - Best way to remake a retro franchise (Thunder Wolves)
41:00 - The winner is...
Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:
Download MP3
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes
News
17 CommentsDust: An Elysian Tail headed to Steam May 25
By Dave Tach on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Dust: An Elysian Tail, the hand-animated action role-playing game from creators Dean Dodrill and Alex Kain, will be released on Steam May 25, according to the game's Steam listing.
The co-creators announced the Steam port earlier this year at PAX East, when they were hoping for an April release. Next Friday's Windows PC version will support Steam Achievements and Steam Cloud, and Dodrill wrote on Twitter that he'll be "looking at 'possible' Mac/Linux ports in the future."
For more on the game, you can read Polygon's Dust: An Elysian Tail review of the Xbox 360 version and our feature chronicling the game's four-year development.
News
3 CommentsDefiance developer Trion Worlds hit with layoffs
By Samit Sarkar on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Trion Worlds, the studio behind the new MMO Defiance, has suffered layoffs as it transitions into a post-launch phase for the game.
A representative for the studio confirmed the layoffs in a statement to Polygon. The rep did not comment on the severity of the cuts, except to say that reports of them being as high as 70-80 percent of the studio are "grossly exaggerated." According to the statement, the layoffs do not affect the development of Rift or Trion's other games, which include the real-time strategy title End of Nations.
The rep also denied reports that Trion employees were being escorted out of the building or won't receive severance pay.
Here's the full statement:
To best position Trion in a rapidly changing industry, we have reorganized our teams and are expanding our...
News
20 CommentsReport: Xbox 360 dashboard update will tweak UI, pave way for next-gen features
By Dave Tach on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
An Xbox 360 dashboard update slated to enter beta in late June or early July may pave the way for features in Microsoft's next-gen console, The Verge reports.
According to The Verge's sources, the update will bring user interface tweaks like smaller Live Tiles and light and dark dashboard themes. The update would also begin the company's transition away from Microsoft Points in favor of currency and gift card systems. Depending on the results of the beta, the dashboard update could go live for all users in August to aid in the transition to the next-gen Xbox.
According to Polygon's sources, the new console will tweak Achievements, rethink DRM and incorporate social features like streaming video. Microsoft will reveal the next-generation Xbox at an event next Tuesday, May 21, and...
News
27 CommentsMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance headed to PC
By Dave Tach on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Platinum Games' action-focused spinoff of Hideo Kojima's stealth series, is headed to PC, Kojima revealed on a recent podcast.
Jean Pierre Kellams, a producer at Platinum Games, also confirmed the news in a tweet, saying he's "excited to see Rising hit the PC." We've reached out to Konami for details on the PC port and will update with more information as we have it.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 earlier this year, and you can check out Polygon's review to learn more about its cyborg ninja action. The game's most recent downloadable content, which follows the dog-like cyborg Blade Wolf, launched earlier this week.
News
3 CommentsRazer Atrox Arcade Stick for Xbox 360 opening pre-orders May 21
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Hardware manufacturer Razer will open pre-orders for its Xbox 360-compatible Atrox Arcade Stick on May 21, the company announced today.
The Atrox Arcade Stick is built with "modding enthusiasts" in mind, according to the product page. Razer designed the body of the arcade stick to be easily accessible, opening with the press of a single button, so users can customize the button and joystick layout, as well as swap out the top panel with different designs.
Razer announced the Atrox at the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, stating the company would seek input from the fighting games community throughout the hardware's development. The final version of the Stick includes tournament-grade components, including high-quality Sanwa Denshi buttons and interchangeable sticks.
The official licensed Xbox...
Video
2 CommentsNarco Terror dishing out justice this summer to XBLA, PSN and PC
By Emily Gera on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Narco Terror, the upcoming arcade twin-stick shooter from Slovenia-based developer Zootfly, is slated to hit this summer on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Windows PC.
The game was first announced during E3 2012 and was recently given an "MA+" rating on the Australian Classification Board.
Narco Terror allows for up to two player drop-in/drop-out co-op and features both local and online multiplayer. The title, which is being published by Deep Silver, tells the story of one man's war against the nefarious forces behind a drug cartel.
News
12 CommentsRainbow 6: Patriots pre-orders removed from retailer database
By Emily Gera on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Long in-development Ubisoft title Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6: Patriots is no longer on retailer GameStop's database while pre-orders have also been removed, IGN reports.
The title's deletion suggests Patriots, which was first announced in November 2011, may have been cancelled by Ubisoft. While some retailers will automatically deactivate database entries after a long period of time, according to IGN a source close to GameStop claims the retail company "actively flipped a switch" to eliminate the title from their system.
According to the source, GameStop rarely deletes titles from major publishers without official confirmation that the game has been cancelled.
Commenting on the matter, a Ubisoft spokesperson said: "We have nothing further to share about Rainbow 6: Patriots at this...
News
15 CommentsSkullgirls final DLC character is Macho Man Randy Savage-inspired Beowulf
By Jenna Pitcher on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
Lab Zero Games' Skullgirls fifth DLC fighter is Beowulf, as voted by backers of the game's IndieGoGo campaign.
Beowulf's playstyle execution is classic pro wrestling. He will have a folding chair that he can use to slam opponents into and use as a platform to do slams off. He can also use it like "Captain America's shield," where he can throw it, but it has to be retrieved to be used again.
"In addition to standard pro-wrestling moves like dropkicks and powerbombs, souvenirs from past victories may aid him in battle - after all, it's only illegal if there's a referee," his description reads.
His gameplay style inspiration draws from seven real-life wrestlers and video game characters, such as WWE's Macho Man Randy Savage, Street Fighter4's El Fuerte and Captain America from the...
Culture
0 CommentsRemember Me, Broken Age and Twitch talks announced for GDC Europe
By Jenna Pitcher on May 17, 2013 05.17.13
The first set of featured talks announced for Game Developers Conference in Europe is a lecture on art and rendering for Dontnod's cyberpunk game Remember Me, Double Fine talking about scalability in upcoming Broken Age and insights from streaming service Twitch.TV.
Dontnod's senior 3D engine programmer Sebastien Lagarde will show how the studio created the sci-fi version of Paris in his "The Art and Rendering of Remember Me" lecture. He will delve into the dynamic reflection techniques, rendering workflow and image enhancement techniques the studio used to create Remember Me's environment.
In a lecture titled "Approach to Scalability," Oliver Franzke from Double Fine Productions will talk about Broken Age's debugging and rendering techniques used for environments and characters...
Speed Run
10 CommentsDavid Jaffe, Nintendo, Panopticon, Metro: Last Light, Dawngate: Speed Run
By Alexa Ray Corriea on May 16, 2013 05.16.13
Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe is joining indie developer Pixelbionic as creative advisor on its upcoming vehicular combat game, Autoduel. A new Nintendo Direct will hit tomorrow morning focusing on Wii U and 3DS games coming this summer. Sony released a teaser trailer for Panopticon, an unannounced title set in a futuristic totalitarian world. Electronic Arts is moving into MOBA, according to a website listing unannounced competitive title Dawngate. Former THQ president Jason Rubin shared an article yesterday saying Metro: Last Light developer 4A Games suffered hardships and poor working conditions during the game's development — and 4A responded, saying that while conditions weren't the best, the team's passion drove them forward.
Twisted Metal creator David Jaffe returns to...
Video
0 CommentsRide to Hell: Route 666 video teaches the basics of tactical biker warfare
By John Funk on May 16, 2013 05.16.13
After Jack Ride's biker gang the American Heroes is destroyed, he vows revenge — and how the player can help him get it is the focus of this "rock-through" gameplay trailer for Ride to Hell: Route 666.
Players must customize Jack's weaponry, bike and gang members in order to get the upper hand on the enemy. Brawlers are strong melee attackers, Gunners shoot from range, and Medics keep the team topped off while poisoning foes. The gang leader can roam free-form as directed, while other gang members fight in formation.
The second in a trio of biker-gang games under the Ride to Hell banner, Route 666 will hit XBLA and PSN this summer.
