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Greenlight Hopeful Reprise is Free for One Day

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:54:22 +0000

Have you been checking out Steam Greenlight regularly since it first opened up? If not, you've been missing out on voting for some very promising looking independent games. If you have, then chances are you came across Reprisal sometime in the last month.

This RTS title is inspired by the likes of Populous and looks incredibly attractive with nice pixel design. Unlike some games on Kickstarter or Greenlight that are far from finished, the product is done and simply hoping to get enough votes to land on the Steam Store. You can vote for it here, if you like, and then check out the game's homepage.

Why vote? Aside from potentially helping Reprisal into the spotlight you can also pick up the game for free for today only. No, it won't come with a Steam key since it's not even on Steam yet, but you can get a complete download for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Here's the trailer so you can see if this is the kind of game you're interested in upvoting on Greenlight:

Rush Bros. Races Onto Steam

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:21 +0000

Today another Greenlight success has made it onto Steam. The game is Rush Bros. by XYLA Entertainment and it looks to be a fun racing/platforming hybrid. There are some 40 levels to traverse and the soundtrack is courtesy of Infected Mushroom, although players can pipe their own MP3 and OGG files in.

Players who enjoy multiplayer modes may want to give it a look, since Rush Bros. includes local and online multiplayer. If you're playing locally, then be prepared to deal with splitscreen. Online, you can play against other PC players or go against Steam for Mac users.

Rush Bros. is currently 10% off on Steam and will be for a week. Players who really want to check out multiplayer can get two copies of the game for $14. Otherwise, it costs $9. Here's their official launch trailer:

GRID 2 Gets a Ridiculous Special Edition

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:49:03 +0000

So, we're used to seeing many games get limited/special/collector's editions these days. Sometimes they're very fairly priced, and other times they are a bit too expensive. Some come with a heaping boat load of tangible nonsense, while others simply slap the word "limited" over their case alongside a single piece of pre-order DLC.

What we don't see often (or ever) is a special edition that includes a car. No, not a toy car, or DLC, but an actual car. That's exactly what is supposedly on offer with the GRID 2 BAC Mono Edition through European retailer GAME. Of course, it also comes with a digital rendition of the vehicle in game, as well as racing gear and helmet.

The BAC Mono racecar that comes with this edition is what makes it cost £125,000 ($189,000). In all likelihood, there is only such BAC Mono Edition available, if that. What this serves is a great marketing tool to show the ridiculous divergence between what it costs to have fun with supercars in a video game versus what it would cost to live out that fantasy.

What is the most you would be willing to pay for a special edition?

IGF Finalist 7 Grand Steps Comes to Steam Next Month

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:37:35 +0000

The Independent Games Festival and its associated series of award nominations are pretty important for the indie game community. Often, when a game ends up as a finalist or wins any awards that is a sign they're about to become critically acclaimed by the community as well.

7 Grand Steps: What Ancients Begat is just the latest game from Mousechief, who is known for previous work on Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble and The Witch's Yarn. It managed to be one of the finalists for the IGF Nuovo category. This appears to be with good reason too, as the board game-styled adventure seeks to chronicle the history of our ancestors. Each playthrough is different and heavily narrative based.

According to Mousechief, one trek through the various generations takes 15-20 hours to complete. With an asking price of $15, that's a pretty hefty amount of content. Check out the trailer and if you're interested then pick it up on Steam or Mousechief's site when it launches on June 7th:

Contrast Emerges on PSN/XBLA/Steam Later This Year

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:14:08 +0000

Contrast is a game that you might not be familiar with, but it managed to have a successful Greenlight campaign a while back. Thanks to interested gamers, it was known the title would come to Steam, but it also drew the attention of a publisher.

Focus Home Interactive have partnered with developer Compulsion Games to help the game see launch on PSN and XBLA as well as PC. Unfortunately, with these new platforms, a delay is in order. No date is given for the current release of Contrast other than around the "end of 2013".

What is Contrast anyway? The title is a 2D platformer which has players shifting between the real and shadow world. It also appears to inhabit a 1920s-styled time frame which is not often seen in games. Here's Contrast's official teaser if you're still unsure about it:

Joe Danger 1 and 2 Coming to Steam with Added Features

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:31:30 +0000

Hello Games have had a successful run with their Joe Danger franchise so far. Both the original and Joe Danger 2: The Movie were welcomed by PSN and XBLA users. However, anyone on a PC could not take a look at either title. Today the developer has revealed they're bringing both games to PC via Steam.

For having to wait years, the PC versions are seeing a great deal of additions. There is new content such as levels, but that is just the beginning. The in-game level editor has been updated with all the various features Hello Games actually used to craft their games. This fully-featured editor is also supported by Steam Workshop which means players can show off their best levels to others easily.

Other features added include being able to race against your recorded ghost, full support for Steam's Big Picture mode, and some other goodies that have yet to be revealed. No date was specified for launch, but hopefully Joe Danger and Joe Danger 2 will be available for Steam users sooner rather than later.

Class of Heroes 2 Treks Onto PSN This June

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:13:08 +0000

For Gaijinworks and MonkeyPaw Games, Class of Heroes 2 will be quite the learning experience. The game was initially put to a fan poll to see if anyone was interested in buying it. When the PSP and JRPG audience responded in droves they decided to go through with the release as a limited physical launch as well as PSN download.

The limited edition was actually limited and is no longer on sale, but thankfully a PSN release has no such restrictions. Class of Heroes 2 hits on June 4th at the cost of $25. Also, if all works accordingly, the title will run just fine on both PSP and Vita.

Marketing and PR Manager of MonkeyPaw Games, Ray Almeda, said this about the upcoming launch:

“Class of Heroes II is just one of many J-RPGs that deserve to be played by more gamers around the world and we hope, for the hardcore fans, that other companies realize that these kinds of opportunities are also possible.”

Hopefully this means fans of niche titles that would otherwise dodge Western release shall see more attention in the future. If there's one great thing about digital games, it's that developers and publishers can be more daring about the titles they bring to different regions.

Best of PlayStation Collection Vol. 1 Confirmed for June Launch

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:10:15 +0000

If you've been keeping an eye on the upcoming Best of PlayStation Collection Vol. 1, then you're likely already aware of the reporting Siliconera did last month. At the time, it was stated that this retail release would come out in June for the cost of $20. Today the PlayStation Blog revealed that this information was half true.

The Best of PlayStation Collection is just the start of a series of disc-based copies of popular PSN titles. Vol. 1 includes Fat Princess, Sound Shapes, Tokyo Jungle, and When Vikings Attack! Games such as Sound Shapes do not have Cross Buy functionality in this release, nor additional paid DLC.

When will you be able to pick up Best of PlayStation Collection? It's out on June 25th at the price of $40. Sure, it's not as great a deal as Siliconera had initially estimated, but it is still $15 cheaper than buying each of these games separately on PSN.

The Warriors Closing in on PSN Release

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:56:42 +0000

When Manhunt came to PS2 Classics on PSN last week, Rockstar Games stated that The Warriors would also be making its way onto the service soon. It looks like they were serious about saying "soon" because the game will be made available next week.

The game based on the much-loved 1979 film of the same name is certainly less controversial than Manhunt. Of course, it is still rated M. When it comes to PSN it will be at the cost of $10, which is perfectly in line with other PS2 Classics releases.

With The Warriors soon available on PSN, the service now boasts a ton of Rockstar's catalog. Bully, Red Dead Revolver, and all PS2 versions of Grand Theft Auto are already there.

What is your favorite or least favorite Rockstar game of all time?

Aksys Bringing Two Unannounced Titles to E3

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:40:47 +0000

So, we know what XSEED Games is bringing to E3 but what of other Japanese game-focused companies? Aksys Games recently announced that they will indeed be at E3 2013, with both known titles as well as a few surprises.

Here's what we know they'll have in tow:

A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda EX (360)
Muramasa Rebirth (Vita)
Two new titles

Asksy isn't a company afraid to localize niche titles so we've got to wonder what these two games are. Both of them will not only have trailers but also be available in playable form for convention goers. Expect Game Podunk to check out the two secret titles during E3!

What do you think the unannounced games might be?

Final Fantasy XIV Finally Hitting PS3 with a Collector's Edition

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:21:49 +0000

Final Fantasy XIV was in an incredibly tight spot when it launched back in 2010. Although it looked far better than the previous online title (Final Fantasy XI), it was met with widespread negativity. Due to the vast issues with the title, subscription fees were delayed for an entire year. Eventually, Square Enix decided to restart the game with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

A Realm Reborn is not an expansion pack but a total reboot of XIV's world. Many improvements were brought to the game which will hopefully make it far more successful than its predecessor. The original version was set to release on PS3, but only ever saw PC launch. A Realm Reborn, however, will be the first taste of the game on PS3 later this year.

To celebrate the relaunch, a Collector's Edition is also being made available for PC and PS3 users. It includes the game and additional content disc, soundtrack CD, art cards, account security token, and art book. Of course, a few exclusive DLC mounts and armor also come with it. All together, the Collector's Edition costs $80. If you'd rather skip the frills and just get the standard edition, Final Fantasy XIV will cost $40. It's out on August 27th but if you opt for the more expensive version you'll be granted early access into the game.

XSEED Announces E3 Lineup

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Sure, a lot of eyes will be on Sony and Microsoft as they discuss their upcoming consoles in detail, but that's not all E3 will be about. A great deal of new games will also be showcased for those consoles as well as all the devices currently available. With E3 right around the corner, XSEED Games have shared a list of products that they'll be bringing to the event.

Their main games are as follows:

Killer is Dead (360/PS3)
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace (PS3/Vita)
Rune Factory 4 (3DS)
Valhalla Knights 3 (Vita)
Ys: Memories of Celceta (Vita)

Under the brand Marvelous Online, they are also bringing a handful of smartphone and Windows-based titles, which are the following:

Battle Space (Browser)
Cross Horizon (Android/iOS)
Knights in the Sky (Browser)
Ninja Warrior (Android/iOS)
Pandora Saga (Windows)
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine (Windows)

Of course, the main attention of the gaming world will be the first list of titles, especially in regards to Killer is Dead and Rune Factory 4. Regardless, it looks like their booth will be pretty jam packed for this year's E3!

Which XSEED property are you looking forward to most?

Nintendo Download - Featured Games 5/23/13: Kirby Extravaganza

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:09:54 +0000

It seems that Kirby is the theme of the day in today's Nintendo Download update as three classic Kirby games have arrived on the Wii U eShop: Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Course, and Kirby's Dreamland 3. All three represent the entirety of Kirby's efforts on the SNES, with the exception of Kirby's Avalanche, which was a modified version of Super Puyo Puyo for North American audiences.

Also, Nintendo is running a promotion where if you buy two of the Kirby games, you get the third free. The promotion ends on May 30 at 9am PST, so you have a week to decide if you want to go for it.

Aside from that, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D makes its way to the 3DS eShop tomorrow (May 24th), as well as NARUTO Powerful Shippuden, which previously saw a retail release back in March. Finally, there's Groove Heaven, which is a new original rhythm game for the eShop.

Check out the full list of games below:

Wii U eShop

Kirby Super Star (VC)
Kirby's Dream Course (VC)
Kirby's Dreamland 3 (VC)

3DS eShop

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (available 5/24)
NARUTO Powerful Shippuden
Groove Heaven

DSiware

No new titles

Sales

The "Denpa" Men: They Came By Wave - 20% off

Next Nintendo Direct Scheduled During E3

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:10:52 +0000

In the past, Nintendo usually announced Nintendo Direct presentations only a day or two before they actually happened, but this time they're giving everyone plenty of notice for their next one which is scheduled for their usual time slot in the past when they would normally have a E3 press conference. That is, the Tuesday morning after Microsoft and Sony have their conferences the day before; this year, that day falls on June 11.

Like the last Direct, this one is slated to focus on upcoming Wii U software for the Fall and beyond. Nintendo has already confirmed that they will be showing off new information and have playable versions of new 3D Mario, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. games, and it's likely they'll have a slew of other games to announce as well.

So mark your calendars for June 11, 2013 at 7am PST/10am EST if you plan to see what Nintendo has in store for E3 and the Fall.

Are you excited for Nintendo's announcements?

Retro Game Music Bundle Goes Live with Great Soundtracks

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:42:37 +0000

Chances are, if you're reading a gaming site then you've probably been playing video games for a while. You may have even played them since you were a tiny little child. If so, then the launch of the Retro Game Music Bundle today may bring back some fond memories.

The Game Music Bundle people worked hard to provide a selection of soundtracks which were never released before for their respective games. There are two tiers - $1 and $10 - which both include a bevy of content.

Here is the $1 tier:

7th Guest and 11th Hour Original Soundtrack
Duke Nukem 3D: Original Soundtrack
Myst: The Soundtrack
Jazz Jackrabbit 1 & 2
Tyrian

At $10, the 2nd tier includes modern and retro games:

Alter Ego Dreamwalker OST
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure: Original Soundtrack
Double Dragon Neon
Duke Nukem II: Original Soundtrack
Edge
Jazz Jackrabbit 3
Lava Blade
Magnetis - Original Game Soundtrack
Major Stryker: Original Soundtrack
NUKEM: Duke 3D Remixes
Shadow Warrior: Original Soundtrack
Stargunner: Original Soundtrack
Wacky Wheels: Original Soundtrack

Overall, that is 18 soundtracks for your listening pleasure if you pay $10 or over. Definitely check this out if you've got a fondness for retro game music. The bundle is live right now and will be for 13 more days.

Epic Mickey 2 on Vita Adds Enhanced Features

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:27:50 +0000

Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two originally arrived during the holiday season of last year on 360, PS3, Wii, and Wii U. The push for Mickey and Oswald's adventure was great although it didn't turn out to be the blockbuster hit of the season. Regardless, Vita owners will get their chance at the game soon.

Specifically, the game launches on June 18th. What awaits those who make Epic Mickey 2 on Vita their first foray into the game? As you might expect, some additions have been implemented to make the title feel right at home on the system. These include added touch screen control for paint/thinner as well as camera movement. Menu navigation and other uses of the touch screen show they've tried to make sure the Vita version is not simply a rushed port.

Other additions include ad hoc network functionality for multiplayer mode. It was not stated whether or not this version includes Trophies, but that is likely. In case you were wondering, Epic Mickey 2 is also not a part of the Cross Buy promotion, but that seems more common with digital-only titles anyway.

Grand Theft Auto 5 Gets Two Special Editions

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:08:55 +0000

Collector's editions of games seem to come out very frequently these days. The more money put into a game, the higher chances it has of getting one or more special editions as well. Grand Theft Auto V is undoubtedly an expensive triple A title and as such is getting two neat little editions.

The Grand Theft Auto 5 Special Edition was announced by developer Take-Two today includes a collectible steel book, map of Los Santos and Blaine County, and digital content including additional weapons, outfits, and more. Both versions also come with the Atomic Blimp DLC. This edition happens to be $75.

What if you're interested in a version with more tangible items? That's where the Collector's Edition may appeal to you. It includes all the contents of the Special Edition as well as other items. These include a bag, key, and hat. Digital goods include custom characters and added vehicles. Taking the plunge with this set will cost you $150.

Grand Theft Auto V is coming on September 17th to PS3 and 360.

Winners Announced for Indies Crash E3

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:47:15 +0000

A few years ago, many wacky and unusual games were able to be seen at E3 in an area known as Kentia Hall in the Los Angeles Convention Center. Unfortunately, the hall was then taken out of the event floor space which left these smaller developers and publishers without a spot to showcase their wares. It has been like that for a while now and will probably never return.

In the current generation, many of us are aware of indie games but that is primarily due to being huge fans of gaming. What about all those who simply tune in during E3 to hear about the next triple A titles? They are completely blind to most indie titles and would be for E3 2013 as well if it weren't for Indies Crash E3.

This competition's inaugural event has been a success. The purpose was to grant a handful of independent developers a golden ticket of sorts. Instead of having to have an already massive fanbase or shelling out for a nearly $1000 ticket, these indies are now getting a free ticket to the event. As part of winning, they also have received a PR team which will do their best to make sure big gaming sites are aware of their games.

Here are the ten winners announced today:

Saibot Studios with Doorways
Sunstone Games with Kaiju Combat
Neuro Games with Project Neumann
Raspina Studio with E.T. Armies
TripleClaim Game Collective with Bananaz in Space
Spiffy Goats with Glorious: Companions
Pardis Game Studio with Shabgard - Down of Darkness
Behold Studios with Knights of Pen & Paper
Frozen Pixel Studio with Nucleotide
Man Fight Dragon with Black Annex

Here's hoping their win in the competition will get these indie developers some much-needed press. Hopefully the Indies Crash E3 event will also continue to happen for future conventions.

Skyward Collapse Coming to Steam Tomorrow

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:18:27 +0000

Arcen Games, known best for titles such as AI War: Fleet Command and A Valley Without Wind, are just about to release their latest game. This is pretty exciting considering their last title, Shattered Haven, launched just this March. The company is returning to the strategy genre with Skyward Collapse.

In Skyward Collapse, players will take god game-style control over the continent of Luminith. Unlike other games of this type, players can create gods and creatures to place in the world but cannot actually control them once they're out. The task then becomes keeping a balance between warring factions without one decimating the other.

This may seem a bit challenging, which is why there are multiple difficulties available for each type of gamer. Those interested should be aware that Skyward Collapse is out tomorrow via Steam as well as the official Arcen Games website. It will be DRM free through them, but of course that's not the case with Steam.

Game Podunk Roundtable: Did Microsoft Manage To Impress With the Xbox One?

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:10:19 +0000

Yesterday we all learned about the final remaining console to be announced in the next generation race: The Xbox One. Though the name was a bit of a surprise, no doubt many were excited to hear details about this successor to the 360 and how it would improve on and change the current Xbox gaming scene.

Unfortunately, there are still a few things that remain ambiguous about the system. It's been revealed that it will require an internet connection to play games, but how often will you need to be connected? One representative said every 24 hours though others are playing coy with the official answer. How will this affect consumers' reception of the console?

Another thing that remains uncertain is how the Xbox One will handle used games, with some reports saying that it will charge a full-priced fee to consumers who use a used disc, but Microsoft's Major Nelson is saying that it's not written in stone yet. So what does this mean for you? Should you be excited for the Xbox One?

The GP staff assembled their thoughts on the matter and shared their initial impressions about the console (both good and bad) below.

Jason Clement | Editor-in-Chief

"If there's anything that truly took me by surprise about yesterday's announcement, it was the name they Microsoft went with. 'Xbox One' could quite possibly be one of the biggest misfires in video game console naming since the Wii U was revealed in 2011, and not because it sounds bad, but because it may ultimately lead to confusion among consumers. Don't believe me? It's already happening in Bing's search engine.

Aside from the name, there wasn't much that excited me. Understandably, they're holding their biggest game announcements for E3, but sports and TV offerings didn't exactly strike a chord with me, and the obscured information we're getting about the console's DRM tells me that Microsoft are more concerned about taking control away from consumers as much as they can to suit their own needs. There are obvious concerns with this, and Microsoft will have a lot to prove with the console when E3 finally arrives in a few weeks."

Marcus Estrada | Managing Editor

"The Xbox One seems to be heading toward exactly what Microsoft wants - control of the living room TV. While I expect there will eventually be games I'm interested in for the system, as of now, they aren't playing to my interests. That's fine, as I don't expect any company to ever do so, but they also seem to be pushing me away as well. If used games cost an extra fee (aside from purchasing them used to begin with) then that is an annoyance. So too is the idea of games that are not otherwise online possibly making use of always online connectivity. Having suffered some really bad internet connectivity issues as of late, I can see that my household isn't ready for that, and that is true of some others as well.

I still fully intend to buy the system, but I will continue to not support digital-only content as Microsoft has proved for the second time they do not really care to allow legacy support for XBLA games. They did not offer original Xbox users transfers of their (very few) digital titles, and they are doing so again here. As a collector, this is going to be the biggest issue I face in the future, and it's a shame no one is really looking forward on this topic."

Marshall Henderson | Editor

"The Xbox One is a hot mess of absurdity. It introduces a lot of ideas, but very few of the good ideas are particularly pertinent to their extant market, and the other ideas are actively geared against that market, and any other market that would use their product for any of its independent uses. Typically after announcing stuff like this, the incumbent consoles might be expected to state their case to counteract their competition's announcements, but really, one could convey anything Nintendo or Sony would need to say by simply reading the verbatim statements of Microsoft's representatives in a more incredulous tone.

Frankly, Microsoft doesn't seem to be making a game console at all at this point. The representatives for the Xbox One have made it perfectly clear that their goal is television and sports, and the majority of their presented functions are not gaming-related at all, with the exception of the occasional backhand to gamers wanting to borrow games from one another or have any sort of experience with the console not pre-approved by Microsoft. This is a corporate market now, with consumers being expected to accept the terms of their purchases, rather than buying products that serve their needs. You don't owe Microsoft a damn thing, not to pay a fee on a used game you bought--oh wait not, oh wait maybe, not to connect to the internet at least once a day, not to keep your Kinect plugged up."

Harrison Lee | Staff Writer

"The Xbox One is a bit of a disappointment. It's a slick-looking DVR that offers voice functionality and high-quality motion control, or so we're led to believe. It also plays next-generation games, but Microsoft wasn't keen on advertising those bits. While I understand they want to save the gaming goodies for E3, it looked like the company had decided cable TV was the future of entertainment, and that the Xbox One will lead the way. I hope this isn't their philosophy because we're pushing away from standard cable service.

In addition, the attempt at targeting a much broader user base makes me think they might have made some hardware concessions in the GPU and visual fidelity performance sectors to account for the extra TV and media-related tech. Surprisingly, this next generation of consoles is apparently matching your average mid-grade PC, and without compelling exclusives to draw me to the One (or the PS4, for that matter), I'm probably going to hold out until a sale."

Jared | Features Editor

"The new Kinect is the most interesting thing Microsoft offered at their presentation. The voice recognition that they demoed was amazing to say the least and that supposed ability of being able to monitor your heartbeat was just a great way to show of how advanced this little doohickey could end up being. Everything else they showed off or announced was predictable. It is still too early to tell if the Xbox One is going to sink or swim, but they're really going to suffer if they keep refusing to give people a straight answer on all this DRM nonsense."

Gaiages | Community Manager

"I'm still not quite sure what to think of the Xbox One reveal. The 360 has been taking a certain... mostly non-gaming direction as of late, and the One seems to be following that same direction. With the ability to multitask between different forms of media and many of the new features not involving gaming at all, Microsoft is really striving for this to be an all-in-One device (pun completely intended).

I'm hoping we'll see more about the games during E3. With Microsoft's boast of a fair amount of exclusives and new IPs, they're going to have to reveal some of this at the show to really get gamers behind them.

A random thought, though, for the voice recognition... sure, it worked fine at the conference, but what about those with accents or speech issues/impediments? Seeing how excited Microsoft was about it, I sure hope the technology is up to the task to understand everyone."

If there's anything you can glean from these thoughts overall, two words seem to summarize our overall feeling of the Xbox One at the moment - hesitation and uncertainty. It's safe to say that some, if not many of you reading this might feel the same way as well, especially judging from reactions on social networks and the like.

Will Microsoft be able to get rid of the doubt and hesitation currently that persists around the Xbox One currently? We'll find out in a few weeks when they pull back the cover completely on the Xbox One at E3.

What were your thoughts on the Xbox One reveal? Let us know in the comments below!