VooFoo-Studios
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Pure Chess surrounds, checkmates PS4 this April
If gaming platforms are squares on a chess board, VooFoo Studios' Pure Chess almost has the PS4 surrounded. Its debut on the PS3 and Vita in May 2012 was followed by ports to the 3DS, Wii U, iPhone and Android, leaving a curious gap on Xbox platforms. That doesn't matter, though - the PS4 is about to be conquered in April, resulting in a checkmate of all of Sony's gaming platforms. Strategy enthusiasts can set up a game for $7.99, or go for the Complete Edition for $14.99 to get extra locations and set themes. If you're like our own Jess Conditt, or if you haven't won a game of chess in your life, Pure Chess includes tutorials for strategies of various skill levels. In contrast, if you're a chess master that's tired of obliterating beginners, Pure Chess offers leaderboards and tracks your ELO (a score based on a player's aptitude at outwitting opponents). Yes, it's essentially just a pretty version of chess, but can the chess board buried somewhere in your basement host matches with people hundreds of miles away? ... It can? That's, um ... huh. [Image: Ripstone Games]
Sony incentivizes Vita Cross Play with free PS3 DLC, and vice versa
In the expensive, devious world of advertising, a successful word of mouth campaign is worth its weight in gold. Building something into your product that's fun to show off and talk about makes the purchase feel justified to the buyer, and instills a sense of "Dude, I want this" in the buyer's friends. You've got to give them something to talk about, though, which is why Sony is making the Vita's Cross Play functionality easier to jump into via free DLC for two of its titles.Well, free with purchase, we should say. Anyone who buys Hustle Kings for the Vita will be able to download the PS3 version of the game for free, and vice versa. Wipeout 2048 pilots that already own Wipeout HD and its "HD Fury" pack will receive the Vita DLC versions of both at no charge when they're released this spring. Sony describes this as "promotional" pricing, so we doubt free cross-platform transference will always be the norm. For now though, it's a good step towards establishing Cross Play as more than a gimmick in the minds of Vita owners and their friends.
