Video
0 CommentsBioShock Infinite's Burial at Sea: Episode Two DLC promo comes with an Irrational message
By Colin Campbell at 1:00a 03.11.14
Here's a new marketing approach from Irrational Games.
Its new DLC for BioShock Infinite, called Burial at Sea: Episode Two arrives later this month. Irrational recently announced its own closure as founder Ken Levine sought a smaller, more focused new operation.
And so this promo doubles as a straight-up declaration of the new content's benefits, as well as a resume for the many people who worked on the game's creation. Interviewees' contact details are presented as well as the specifics of the work they contributed.
Burial at Sea: Episode Two puts players in the role of Elizabeth as she explores the world of Rapture during its fall.
News
0 CommentsPixeljam's Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork coming to iOS March 13
By Tracey Lien on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Pixeljam and James Kochalka's Galaga-style platform hybrid Glorkian Warrior: The Trials of Glork will launch on iOS devices for $2.99 on March 13, the studio announced today.
Successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2010, Glorkian Warrior is a comedic endless shooter that features procedurally-generated invader flight patterns, a variety of weapons and power-ups and no in-app purchases. Its developers describe it as "a platformer like Mario or Metroid ... a shooter like Galaga or Moon Patrol [and] some parts are fast-paced like Canabalt or Dino Run."
Opinion
66 CommentsTitanfall's achievement lies in allowing the player to find fun in failure
By Ben Kuchera on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
The Titanfall servers have been packed with press, industry folks and people who are likely on the development team itself. When the game’s servers are turned on only to be filled with level 28 characters, it’s safe to assume that the individuals playing have some inside knowledge of the game.
Then you bump into the IGN crew, who seem to be preternaturally adept at the game, although they’re likely playing as a team in the same room, their skills aided by alcohol consumption and other unfair advantages that allow me to feel better about my losing streak.
The community that exists before launch doesn’t much resemble the player base that will exist when the game is released, and this often leads to matches where your kill / death ratio exists as something of a sick joke. There...
Video
6 CommentsTower of Guns - Overview video
By Griffin McElroy on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Tower of Guns is a strong contender for Polygon's "Most Literal Game Title of 2014" award.Everything you need to know is right there on the tin: You're tasked with sieging a vertically-oriented building, which is composed of walls, guns, floors, more guns, ceilings and other assorted guns. Oh, right — there are also doors, like the tower's front door, which you'll see a lot, because you're going to die bunches trying to climb the tower. True to form, most doors can only be opened by shooting them with a gun; so dedicated is Tower of Guns to the themes presented in its title.
In today's Overview, Russ Frushtick and I take an upwards stab at scaling the tower, which does not go as poorly as you might expect. Don't get me wrong; we don't reach the peak — but we also don't die in the...
Culture
6 CommentsBioShock Infinite Elizabeth Noir statue can be pre-ordered for $250
By Tracey Lien on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Irrational Games announced today on its website that hand-painted statues of BioShock Infinite's Elizabeth character in her Burial at Sea noir outfit are now available for pre-order from the studio's online store.
The statue stands 12 inches tall and features Elizabeth in femme-fatale make-up holding a hand-rolled cigarette and a thimble on her finger. Only 400 statues in total were made, 50 of which have been signed by Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine.
The four-pound statue can be pre-ordered for $250, while the signed statue is available for $500.
News
0 CommentsHow Hohokum's 'inspirational playlist' turned into a soundtrack
By Dave Tach on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Hohokum was designed with music in mind and an "inspirational playlist" at hand, Ricky Haggett, developer Honeyslug's designer and co-founder, revealed today on the PlayStation Blog.
The first trailer for the upcoming whimsical exploration game featured music from Scott "Tycho" Hansen. Getting the song into Hohokum proper began with a meeting.
"I met with you, Ricky, and you showed me some early test versions of the levels which used my song 'L' as the music," Tycho said in an interview with Haggett. "I was immediately stricken with how well your vision resonated with the sound. It was a very fitting use of the music and I was just honored for the opportunity to have my work associated with such a beautiful work of art."
Press play above to watch a trailer for Hohokum's Fun Fair...
Video
Pokémon Honedge created by Man at Arms
By Colin Campbell on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
News
3 CommentsThe Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 launches April 17
By Megan Farokhmanesh at 8:30p 03.10.14
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing 2 will be available for $14.99 on Windows PC and Mac via Steam April 7, developer Neocore Games announced today.
Those who buy the game now will gain access to the closed beta; pre-orders are available in tiers ranging from $15 to $1,000. Tier-based perks include helmet skins for each class, future downloadable content, extra copies and in-game NPCs modeled after the buyer.
Pre-orders are available via Neocore's website.
The steampunk-themed action role-playing game is a direct sequel to The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing. Van Helsing is based loosely on Bram Stoker's Dracula and follows a vampire hunter as he defeats roaming monsters. Check out the trailer below to see the game in action.
Van Helsing 2 was announced last July and is...
Report
141 CommentsThe final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there
By Chris Plante on Mar 06, 2014 03.06.14
The employees were shocked.Irrational Games, the developer that created the BioShock series along with a number of other critically beloved video games, was viewed, by a number of sources close to the studio, as closure-proof: It had pedigree, talent and — to the outside world — creative carte blanche from its parent companies, 2K Games and Take-Two Interactive.
When the studio's co-founder and president, Ken Levine, invited the team of nearly 100 employees into a meeting about the company's history last month, many were surprised to realize, as the presentation progressed, that this very history was coming to an end.
More than a half dozen individuals who worked for Irrational Games during the development of BioShock Infinite, some of whom were there that final day, agreed to...
News
7 CommentsUbisoft Toronto is developing five unannounced projects
By Alexa Ray Corriea at 8:00p 03.10.14
Ubisoft's Toronto studio is currently working on five unannounced projects, studio managing director Jade Raymond revealed during a talk at SXSW as reported by The Star.
According to Raymond, of the five projects, two are being co-developed with other game studios.
"There are definitely a lot of plates spinning," she said. "None of them have been announced."
Raymond also revealed that moving forward, she wants Ubisoft to focus on creating more games tailored to smartphones and tablets and build up the company's mobile library. She also said she feels Ubisoft will likely build more games with strong social elements and more ways for players to interact with each other through play.
"A good game on those devices is different from a good game on consoles, so I definitely believe they...
Top Games
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Spelunky
- Platforms: Win, XBLA, PS3, PS Vita, Win
- Publisher: Mossmouth
- Developer: Mossmouth
- Release Date: 07/04/2012
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Saints Row 4
- Platforms: Win, 360, PS3
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- Developer: Volition
- Release Date: 2013-08-20
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Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time
- Platforms: iOS, Android
- Publisher: PopCap Games
- Developer: PopCap Games
- Release Date: 08/15/2013
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Gone Home
- Platforms: Win, Mac, Linux
- Publisher: The Fullbright Company
- Developer: The Fullbright Company
- Release Date: 08/15/2013
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Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn
- Platforms: PS3, Win, PS4
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Developer: Square Enix
- Release Date: 2013-08-27
News
9 CommentsWarlords of Draenor launching this fall, digital pre-orders open
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
The digital edition of World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion, Warlords of Draenor, is now available for pre-order on the game's official website, Blizzard Entertainment announced today.
The game is available to pre-order as a Standard Edition for $49.99 or as a Deluxe Digital Edition for $69.99. The Digital Deluxe Edition rewards buyers with two mounts, warchief portraits in StarCraft 2 and a warsong pennant in Diablo 3. As previously revealed, Warlrods of Draenor pre-orders include an instant boost to level 90 for one character.
Players can also chose to pay $60 to level boost their characters — a price tag Blizzard attached so the process won't "devalue the accomplishment of leveling."
A character boost tutorial video is available below.
Warlords of Draenor was announced at...
News
2 CommentsWarner Bros. invests $18M in Machinima
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Machinima, the gaming-focused YouTube network, has secured an $18 million round of funding from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Machinima announced today.
The news confirms a report from Recode last week. Warner Bros. is leading the funding round, with participation from Machinima's existing investors, MK Capital, Redpoint Ventures and Google Capital.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with Warner Bros., the leading producer of exactly the type of content that resonates with our global audience of video gamers and millennial males," said Allen DeBevoise, chairman and CEO of Machinima, in a press release today. "There are myriad opportunities to connect Warner Bros.' content to our audience across YouTube and our highly successful apps, and similarly to maximize the value of our content by...
News
46 CommentsDriveClub goes 'back to the drawing board,' Sony says
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Evolution Studios' upcoming racing game, DriveClub, has gone "back to the drawing board" to ensure a high quality release, PlayStation software product development head Scott Rhode told IGN.
Originally announced as a launch title during the PlayStation 4 unveiling last February, DriveClub was delayed to 2014 in the West and removed as a PS4 launch title in Japan. Speaking with IGN, Rhode said that Sony is "willing to kinda eat that [cost]" that comes with pushing back a big title.
"What I will say is that it all comes back to that fundamental principle, and that's that we want to build great games," Rohde said. "And we really don't want to release a game before it's ready. And sometimes, this happens in the normal course of business, where we think we're on track to deliver what we...
News
12 Comments999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors hits iOS March 17
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
The English version of 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on iOS will be available worldwide on March 17, publisher Aksys Games announced today on its Facebook page.
Developer Spike Chunsoft launched the Japanese-language iOS port of the game, which was originally released in December 2009 on Nintendo DS in Japan, last May. Known as 999: The Visual Novel, the mobile version lacks the puzzles that were present in the original DS title; it plays out as a visual novel, with speech bubbles like the ones in comic books instead of pages to turn.
According to the game's website, 999: The Visual Novel requires iOS 5.1 or later and is optimized for iPhone 5, but will also be playable on iPod touch and iPad. The iOS port features higher-resolution art that's suited to iOS devices'...
News
1 CommentGDC's growing advocacy track means the industry is maturing, says GM
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
The Game Developers Conference advocacy track — in which industry personnel shed light on issues plaguing the industry and draw attention to cultural problems in need of addressing — is growing for this year's conference, a sign that the industry is becoming more mature, according to GDC general manager Meggan Scavio.
Speaking with Games Industry International, Scavio said it all came to fruition last year with the beginning of the #1ReasontoBe hashatag on Twitter. She believes the industry is beginning to mature as developers begin to address and instigate conversation about these issues on their own. Sessions this year include a panel on how video games socially affect boys and how designing more empathetic heroes could help them, a talk from Adam Orth about his experience with...
News
1 CommentBrooklyn-based startup Turbo gets SoftBank investment to build 'cross-screen' core games
By Michael McWhertor on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Turbo, a newly formed game studio based in Brooklyn, New York, announced an investment from SoftBank Ventures Korea and plans to release its first game later this year. Turbo's game development venture, which is focusing first on mobile, aims to bring refined gameplay mechanics to "natively developed cross-screen core titles."
Leading Turbo, which is comprised of game developers formerly from Nintendo, Sony, Riot, Q-Games, Rockstar Games, Zynga and others, is CEO Yohei Ishii, former vice president of business development at CCP Games North America.
"We're driven by the desire to create AAA-quality entertainment with multiplayer components across devices," Ishii said in a release. "Natively developed cross-screen core titles with seamless functionality and fun have been elusive. We're...
News
3 CommentsFrog Fractions developer launches $60K Kickstarter for sequel
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Twinbeard Studios, the company behind the mind-boggling 2012 web game Frog Fractions, launched a Kickstarter campaign today for a sequel that is tentatively called Frog Fractions 2.
According to the Kickstarter pitch, Jim Crawford, the sole developer who makes up Berkeley, Calif.-based Twinbeard, made the original Frog Fractions in a little more than one year as a side project beyond his day job. Frog Fractions, which is still playable for free on Twinbeard's website, purported to be a simple educational Flash game but turned out to contain multitudes of ... well, we'll let you discover that for yourself if you haven't already.
Crawford's pitch for a follow-up to Frog Fractions is vague by design. "I created Frog Fractions explicitly to evoke the air of mystery that all video games...
News
0 CommentsFrozen Endzone hits Steam Early Access
By Dave Tach on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
Frozen Endzone, Mode 7 Games' turn-based strategy game based on American football, arrived today on Steam Early Access.
The Windows PC game's beta edition is available in four configurations, each of which adds to the previous tier. The $24.99 Basic Tier unlocks the game. The $34.99 Soundtrack Tier adds the soundtrack. The $54.99 Mega Tier adds an additional EP and soundtrack plus Mode 7's other strategy game, Frozen Synapse. The $99.99 Ultimate Tier adds in-game gloves, shoulder pads, a Frozen Synapse team and a unique stadium block. Linux and Mac versions are "coming soon," according to the game's Early Access page.
Announced in March 2013, Frozen Endzone imagines a future were humanoid robots play a sport that resembles football. As of this writing, the beta version of the game...
News
3 CommentsAssassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Jackdaw Edition coming to EMEA, UK this month
By Megan Farokhmanesh at 3:30p 03.10.14
Ubisoft will release Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag Jackdaw Edition, which includes seven downloadable content packs, in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) territories March 27 and the U.K. March 28, the company announced today.
In addition to the full game, the Jackdaw Edition will include the Death Vessel Pack, Kraken Ship Pack, Crusader and Florentine Pack, Illustrious Pirates Pack, Multiplayer #1: Blackbeard's Wrath Pack, Multiplayer #2: Guild of Rogues Pack and Freedom Cry — a nine-mission, story-driven DLC. In addition to being released as DLC for Black Flag last year, Freedom Cry launched as a standalone game.
The Jackdaw Edition will be available as an Amazon exclusive in the U.K. for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Other territories, however, will also receive a Windows...
News
6 CommentsBears are the enemy of art in Halfbrick's new game, Bears vs. Art
By Samit Sarkar on Mar 10, 2014 03.10.14
The latest game from Halfbrick, the Australian studio behind Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja, is a puzzle title called Bears vs. Art, the company announced today.
As you can see in the debut trailer above, Bears vs. Art concerns a mild-mannered bear who lives in a forest and becomes irate when humans bulldoze his habitat to build, of all things, a museum for modern art. The bear takes it as his task to destroy the artwork housed in the museum, so he must solve puzzles to get past security measures such as lasers, spikes and portals, as well as human obstacles like museum visitors, security guards and thieves.
More than 125 different pieces of art, and the puzzles blocking the way to them, are available at launch in Bears vs. Art. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases, and is...
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