Archived News:

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2015 International Transgender Day of Visibility - World Backup Day - Día del Taco (Mexico)

Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy Announced

Ubisoft announces a new series of 2.5D games they are calling the Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy for Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. These will follow the stories of three assassins through three territories, kicking off with Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China on April 21st in the Americas and in EMEA territories the following day. This will be followed down the road with the releases of Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India and Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia, and first game will be free to owners of a Season Pass for Assassin's Creed Unity. The Assassin's Creed website has details along with an announcement trailer showing off platforming gameplay similar to the original Prince of Persia. Here's a bit:
Developed by Climax Studios in collaboration with Ubisoft Montreal, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles brings the thrill of being a Master Assassin to 2.5D. Players will journey to three distinct civilizations and time periods throughout history including the Ming dynasty at the start of its downfall, the Sikh Empire as it prepares for war in India and the aftermath of the Red October revolution. Each chronicle stands on its own with a unique setting, art style, story and Assassin, but is tied together narratively.

Players will embody legendary Assassins, including Shao Jun from the animated short Assassin’s Creed Embers™, and Arbaaz Mir and Nikolaï Orelov from the Assassin’s Creed graphic novels. Slay from the shadows, master the art of parkour and take the leap of faith in a collection of stunning, living paintings. Each chronicle has its own artistic signature, from the beautiful brush paintings of China to the vibrant colors of India and the distinctive propaganda art style of Russia.
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Trials Fusion After The Incident DLC Released

A new DLC pack called After The Incident is now available for Trials Fusion, rounding out the Season Pass for their motorcycle racing game. This is out now for the Windows edition, adding 10 new tracks, 24 challenges, five trophies, and new objects for the track editor. The pack is shown off in this trailer, and here's word:
Today, Ubisoft released After the Incident, the final of six planned downloadable content packs for Trials Fusion™ Season Pass, which brings to the game 10 new tracks, 24 challenges, five trophies, and new objects for the track editor.

In After the Incident players investigate the causes of the disaster that have divested Earth. Following tragic events, the flourishing world as we know it has brutally passed away, leading to a vast field of ruins and the broken dreams of a whole civilization. Riders must proceed with caution as they navigate through ruined cities and devastated ecosystems.

Trials Fusion is continuously being updated to add new features, downloadable content and track editor items, as well making the game the ultimate racing experience.

The Season Pass is still available for $19.99. Season Pass holders will receive immediate access to After the Incident as well as the previous five DLC packs. Riders without the Season Pass will be able purchase After the Incident for $4.99.

Developed by RedLynx in collaboration with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kiev, Trials Fusion™ has sold over 1.7 million copies and offers players an unlimited array of obstacles and challenges as they race against the clock to set track records.

For the latest information on Trials Fusion™, please visit www.trialsgame.com.
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Steamship Ahoy - Son of Nor

Son of Nor is now available on Steam, offering a third-person action/adventure that centers around terraforming with support for VR and various alternative input devices. Here's word from Steam News:
The World is Your Weapon in Son of Nor, a third-person action-adventure! Alter the environment with your terraforming abilities, use telekinetic powers to bend the dynamic surroundings to your will and cast powerful elemental spells that can be combined to wreak havoc on your enemies!

Steamship Ahoy - theHunter- Primal

Steam News announces the release of theHunter: Primal, offering the chance to be the thing that killed the dinosaurs in what they call "the most realistic prehistoric survival game ever created" (hard to tell if they are serious). The game is 20% off for the next week, and they illustrate the launch with a new trailer. Word is:
The most realistic prehistoric survival game ever created. Featuring a huge Cretaceous environment populated by horrifying all-stars, such as T-Rex, Triceratops, Utahraptor, Velociraptor and Quetzalcoatlus. The hunting & wildlife experience of the renowned developer Expansive Worlds is combined with all new survival elements where up to 16 players face extreme peril in an effort to prove themselves in a cruel world of survival vs. both each other and the greatest predators known to man.
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Pix the Cat for OS X and Linux

Owners of Pix the Cat on Steam will now find they also have access to the OS X and Linux editions of this action/arcade game as well as the previously released Windows version. For those who have been awaiting this moment, the game is currently on sale for 20% off to celebrate the news. Here's a description of the game:
Pix the Cat features many different game modes including single and multiplayer modes, some changing the theme and aesthetic. Including Arcade, Nostalgia, Laboratory, and Arena modes, you'll play as Pix - who plays Pix - heading deeper and deeper into levels upon levels in a Snake-meets-Pac-Man digital world.

Enjoy a kinetic and stylized world within games where, in the arcade mode, your task is to liberate ducklings and trail them to the safe-zones without hitting the walls, getting stuck, or running into your feathered friends, gaining the highest score possible and comparing them on the leaderboards. Completing "achievements" opens up new game modes and unlocks fantastic artwork, hilarious announcer voices and your favorite tunes from the game's soundtrack! Among other surprising surprises...

Finally, Arena mode pits you against 3 friends in local multiplayer! With two players facing off on the same keyboard, connect additional controllers and blow your enemies to smithereens in epic battles of cats, ducks and eggs.

On Sale

  • Gang Beasts on Steam. Save 33%.
  • Humble Indie Bundle 14 on Humble Bundle.
  • Octodad: Dadliest Catch on Steam. Save 67%.
  • This War of Mine on Steam. Save 33%.
  • The Vanishing of Ethan Carter on Steam. Save 60%.

Evening Previews

  • Diablo III on Battle.net. First Look: Season 3.
  • Star Citizen on WIRED. "Fans Have Dropped $77M on This Guy's Buggy, Half-Built Game."

Into the Black

Link of the Day: Mad Max- Fury Road TRAILER 2. Thanks nin.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Released

Sierra announces the release of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved, which adds a bunch of new content to Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, and is available as a free upgrade for owners of the original Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. Here's the official trailer, and here's word:
Sierra™ today shatters its own high score with the release of Geometry Wars™ 3: Dimensions Evolved, a free title update which nearly doubles the content in its critically acclaimed arcade shooter, Geometry Wars™ 3: Dimensions, developed by Lucid Games.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved ignites the single-player Adventure mode of the original game with 40 additional levels, featuring new boss battles, 3D grid shapes and objectives, as well as a new drone (the Sweeper) and super ability (the Detonator). Adventure mode’s progression requirements have also been rebalanced to make it significantly easier for players to unlock and advance through the full experience.

In addition, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved introduces a “Hardcore” mode featuring 20 dedicated levels with individual leaderboards for die-hard, no-loadout Geometry Wars™ purists to tackle without a drone or super. The game now offers over 100 stages of rapid-fire action across several game modes, including an expanded Classic mode, Bonus challenges, local co-op for up to four players and online competitive multiplayer for up to eight.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved will be available later today in North America as a free download* for current owners and $14.99 for new users on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems through the PlayStation®Network; Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft via the Xbox Games Store; and Windows PC, Mac and Linux via Steam.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game Length

A tweet from Damien Monnier responds to a question about how much gameplay to expect from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt when gamers get their eager hands on the upcoming RPG sequel. The question was: "How long is the game (including side quests)," and the Senior Games Designer from The CD Projekt RED replied: "@Ryldux mmmm hard to say, if you do everything I d say 200+ hours." Thanks PSU.

Evolve DLC Adds Monster, Hunters, Observer Mode, and More

2K Games and Turtle Rock announce the release of a new batch of DLC for Evolve, including two free maps, a new playable monster, new hunters, a new free Observer mode, and more. Here's word:
2K and Turtle Rock Studios announced that the Evolve™ experience is expanding today with the launch of a host of downloadable content* including the fourth playable Monster, Behemoth, four new playable Hunters, a free Observer Mode, and more. Those who own Evolve but do not purchase Behemoth or the four new Hunters can still play against or alongside these new characters online and against them offline, adding depth and replayability for the entire Evolve community without dividing players based on what additional content they own. Additionally, a free Observer Mode means more new content for all Evolve players to enjoy.

Evolve’s new Monster and Hunters are unique in appearance and abilities. Behemoth is a tank of a Monster that becomes a giant, destructive boulder and rolls through the environment for quick traversal. Behemoth is free for those who pre-ordered Evolve from participating retailers as part of the Monster Expansion Pack, and is available separately for $14.99. For complete details on Behemoth, visit: http://evolvegame.com/news/evolve-fourth-monster-behemoth.

Four new Hunters also join the Evolve lineup: Torvald, a cyborg Assault character with a mortar cannon for an arm; Crow, a Trapper with a pet Batray for tracking Monsters; Slim, a genetically modified combat Medic; and Sunny, a Support character equipped with a mininuke grenade launcher. Each new Hunter expands the Evolve experience with new weapons, equipment, and abilities. The four Hunters are available as part of the Evolve Hunting Season Pass along with three Monster skins** for $24.99. Each Hunter can also be purchased separately for $7.49. For complete details on these four new Hunters, visit: http://evolvegame.com/news/introducing-evolves-next-four-hunters.

Observer Mode is a free feature designed to provide the Evolve community with the tools to observe and add commentary to Evolve. Observer Mode allows a sixth user to passively enter a custom game in Evolve, enhancing any live streaming by seamlessly switching to view any of the five players. Observer Mode includes an informative HUD that updates in real time throughout the match, showcasing player health, survival odds, perks, the mini-map, and more. For complete details on Observer Mode, visit: http://evolvegame.com/news/observer-mode-coming-soon-to-evolve.

Additionally, two free maps are available today exclusively, first on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and will be available for Windows PC and PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system on April 30, 2015. The Broken Hill Mine and Broken Hill Foundry maps introduce two distinct environments and bring additional depth and replayability to the entire Evolve community free of charge. For complete details on these new maps, visit: http://evolvegame.com/news/two-new-free-maps-coming-to-evolve.

The Sims 4: Get to Work Released

EA announces the release of the Get to Work pack for The Sims 4, offering the first expansion for the lifestyle simulation. Here's word:
It’s time to get to work in The Sims™ 4. Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) announced that The Sims 4 Get to Work* is now available on PC and Mac in North America. In this first expansion pack for The Sims 4, players can deepen their relationships with their Sims by actively controlling them in three new careers (Doctor, Detective and Scientist) as well as creating and customizing their own Sim retail business.

In the three all-new careers, players will actively control their Sims’ decisions throughout the workday. They will meet fellow co-workers, explore the new career venues and decide whether to work toward that next promotion or wreak havoc on the workplace.

Start saving lives as a Doctor – take your Sims to work at the Hospital to examine patients, run x-rays, make diagnoses, perform surgeries and even deliver babies. Doctors will also make house calls to visit sick Sims. Sims can become sick through close interactions with other ill Sims and find relief by ordering medication.

Solve crimes as a Detective – your Sims will start their days at the Police Station to pick up new cases. Then they’ll be dispatched to crime scenes where they will gather evidence, track clues and collect witness statements in order to identify suspects and make arrests. Back at the Police Station they can search suspects, take their mug shots and fingerprints; even interrogate them in hopes of a confession. Sims in the Detective career can also patrol the streets and issue tickets to neighborhood menaces.

Climb the inventive heights as a Scientist – develop your Sims’ analytical mastermind to craft diabolical creations such as the Cloning Machine or the SimRay, which gives Scientists the ability to freeze other Sims, control their minds and transform objects. Scientist Sims can also create the ElectroFlux Wormhole Generator to whisk themselves away to Sixam, the mysterious home world of fan-favorite Aliens, who make a much anticipated return to The Sims 4.

In addition, players can run their own retail business by purchasing or creating a retail location, designing the store front and selecting what items to sell. Players can set prices, hire and manage employees, customize uniforms and work to make the final sale. From clothing boutiques to art galleries, or bakeries to bookstores, there is no limit to the type of retail business that can be created. Also new are the Photography and Baking skills that give Sims new things to learn, new things to do and achieve and new creations to sell.

Dying Light April Fools Plans

Techland is taking an unusual approach to April Fools Day, providing advance warning that Dying Light players are getting a one-day superpower buff to celebrate the occasion. Here's a trailer, and here's word:
Something unusual is going to happen in the world of Dying Light tomorrow that will radically change the game experience for one day only.

In an emergency broadcast, the Global Relief Effort has urged the survivors of Harran to use extreme caution when handling Antizin injections. The latest batch of Antizin has been exposed to a foreign contaminant. The chemical in question is non-toxic, but anyone affected might experience odd side-effects for up to 24 hours.

“All undelivered Antizin crates have been destroyed, and we would like to assure the survivors that untainted drops will resume as of April 2nd. We urge all the survivors to use extreme care when exhibiting symptoms of the contaminated Antizin injections.” – says Hudson Jenkins, spokesman for the GRE.
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Raptr Expnds

WSJ.com has word that Raptr has raised $14 million in funding to expand their service to become more of an "Instagram for gamers" (we still haven't figured out who the original is for). Here's word:
Raptr’s goal is to create an Instagram of sorts for its users, enabling them to record, edit and share key moments of their game play with fellow gamers on a new network called Plays.tv.

Although the Mountain View, Calif.-based startup has enabled users to record gaming highlights for nearly a year now, it officially launched Plays.tv on Tuesday and announced the fresh funding to support its expansion.

While the premise is hardly new–fan-generated gaming content represents 98% of all gaming content on YouTube while sites like Twitch and Kamcord were created specifically for gamers to share their content–Raptr has something different in mind.

It is only focused on PC gaming, a platform that is expected to grow 33% to reach $35 billion in 2018, according to data released in March by the industry nonprofit Open Gaming Alliance. Kamcord is focused exclusively on mobile games.

And unlike Twitch, which specializes in live-streaming experienced gamers with large followings, Raptr is targeting amateur gamers to record and share their top moments.

Morning Crowdfunding Roundup

Game Reviews

Hardware Reviews

Out of the Blue

Well we tried Heroes of the Storm as a group last night, and we were genuinely terrible. It's a funny situation, as we're all pretty dedicated gamers, but we don't always have the greatest teamwork, and none of us has really played a MOBA before, much less this game. We had a lot of fun, however, so at least we can laugh at ourselves (someone suggested we use voice chat, and we Skype while playing, regardless of the game, so there are always plenty of yucks). There were also laughs to be had with the beta software, like having to alt-tab to a browser to look up how to exit a viewing a replay (spoiler alert: F10). Bad as we were, we're down to try again.

Stormy Links: Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play: Money Movers 2.
Double-Edge.
Smash Car Clicker.
Story: Third "Tron" To Be Called "Ascension?"
Science: Volvo Cars Life Paint. Thanks HARDOCP.
Images: What color is Artery's dress?
Media: Leeroy Jenkins ruins the hostage rescue. NSFW.
This Guy Is Obsessed With March Madness. His Girlfriend, Less So. Thanks nin.
Ice Skating With Chainsaw. From the future director of one-legged ice skating.
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