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Square Enix triple packs March to the US
The Ultimate Action Triple Pack and Ultimate Stealth Triple Pack from Square Enix will launch for Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on March 31, a spokesperson confirmed to Joystiq today. The Ultimate Action Triple Pack includes Tomb Raider, Sleeping Dogs and Just Cause 2; the Ultimate Stealth Triple Pack features Thief, Hitman: Absolution and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. North American Amazon listings for both packs hit the 'net earlier this week, with a price tag of $30 each. The Ultimate Action and Ultimate Stealth packs launched in Europe last year. [Image: Square Enix]
Square Enix action, stealth triple packs head to North America
Square Enix is preparing to launch the Ultimate Action Triple Pack and Ultimate Stealth Triple Pack for PS3 and Xbox 360 in North America this year, according to listings on Amazon spotted by @Wario64. The Action Triple Pack includes Tomb Raider, Just Cause 2 and Sleeping Dogs; the Stealth Triple Pack features Thief, Hitman: Absolution and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Each bundle is $30 and available for pre-order. The release date – December 31, 2015 – is most likely a placeholder. The Stealth and Action triple packs launched in Europe last year for £30 / €40 each. We've reached out to Square Enix for clarification on the release date. [Image: Square Enix]
Humble Square Enix Bundle features Hitman, Deus Ex, Anachronox
The Humble Square Enix Bundle launched today, offering multiple games from the Deus Ex and Hitman franchises for a user-determined price with proceeds benefiting GamesAid and Make-A-Wish. All bundle buyers receive Steam-redeemable Windows versions of Hitman, Hitman 2, Daikatana, Thief Gold, Mini Ninjas, and Anachronox. Toss in a few more bucks to beat the average purchase price (currently $6.10), and you'll also get Deus Ex: Invisible War, Deus Ex: The Fall, Hitman Absolution, Battlestations: Midway, and the Nosgoth Veteran Pack, along with additional bonus games to be announced at a later date. A purchase of $14.99 or more will also unlock copies of Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, Just Cause 2, and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. The Humble Square Enix Bundle will remain available through August 5. [Video: Humble Bundle]
Square Enix to focus on JRPGs, niche appeal following Bravely Default's success
Square Enix president Yosuke Matsuda mused on a potential shift in the company's focus in a recent interview with Nikkei Trendy (via Siliconera), admitting that the publisher "lost [its] focus" during recent attempts to engineer mass-market games for a worldwide audience. "Regardless of whether they're for smartphone or console, there's a difficult element to developing global titles, so we'll be making them without focusing too much on the 'global' aspect," Matsuda told Nikkei Trendy. "For example, in the past, when we developed console games with a worldwide premise, we lost our focus, and not only did they end up being games that weren't for the Japanese, but they ended up being incomplete titles that weren't even fit for a global audience." Matsuda specifically cited Io Interactive's Hitman: Absolution as a victim of this practice. "The development team for Hitman: Absolution really struggled in this regard," Matsuda admitted. "They implemented a vast amount of 'elements for the mass' instead of for the core fans, as a way to try getting as many new players possible. It was a strategy to gain mass appeal. However, what makes the Hitman series good is its appeal to core gamers, and many fans felt the lack of focus in that regard, which ended up making it struggle in sales." Square Enix reported disappointing sales for Hitman: Absolution and fellow mainstream-appeal effort Tomb Raider last year, resulting in a corporate restructuring and a shift in its publishing strategy. The worldwide commercial success of Square Enix's Nintendo 3DS JRPG Bravely Default has since made Matsuda reconsider the company's approach. "Bravely Default [...] ended up selling well all around the world," he notes. "For the new games we'll be developing from this point on, while this may sound a bit extreme, we've been talking about making them as heavy JRPGs. I believe that way, we can better focus on our target, which will also bring better results." [Image: Square Enix]
Deadlight, Hitman Absolution join gratis Games With Gold in April
Whether you'd prefer to gingerly hop your way through the decrepit ruins of humanity or dispatch targets with the cold, remorseless professionalism of a trained killer, Microsoft's Games With Gold promotion has something for you. Come April 1, Hitman: Absolution will be available as a free download for all Xbox Live Gold members. Our review awarded Hitman: Absolution 4 of 5 stars, and said that while it has minor flaws, the grim gameplay and glee of assassinating a difficult target overrides any technical issues. Hitman: Absolution will only be available for free until April 16, at which time it will be replaced by Deadlight. This post-apocalyptic platformer, developed by Tequila Works, received 3 of 5 stars in our review. While Jess found certain gameplay elements frustrating, she fell for Deadlight's art design and meticulous world building, and enjoyed the experience overall. As with all Games With Gold offerings, the only requisite for downloading the above games is an active Xbox Live Gold membership. Full details on how to enroll in Xbox Live Gold can be found on the Xbox website. [Image: Square Enix]
Steam weekend sale discounts Deus Ex, Hitman and other Square Enix games
Steam is hosting a Square Enix publisher sale this weekend, discounting games in the Hitman, Just Cause, Legacy of Kain and Deus Ex series, among others. On now until Monday, March 31 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, the Director's Cut edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution ($4.99), the Just Cause Collection ($7.49), the Sleeping Dogs Collection ($9.99) and the Hitman Collection ($11.24) are each 75 percent off. Individual games and DLC packs in each bundle are either 75 or 76 percent off as well, for those that already own pieces of the collections. The sale also includes the Dungeon Siege Complete Pack and Legacy of Kain Collection, both 60 percent off ($7.99 each). Additionally, The Last Remnant and Mini Ninjas are both discounted to $3.99 for the weekend, 60 percent off their previous prices. The Steam sale overlaps Square Enix's other sale on the Humble Store, which ends tomorrow and features Tomb Raider's Game of the Year edition for $12. [Image: Square Enix]
Hitman: Absolution to get Elite Edition on Mac this spring
) If you're wondering what that gleaming sphere popping above the bushes is, veering closer and closer to your MacBook (why do you leave your MacBook out in the yard?), Agent 47 and Hitman: Absolution is coming to Mac this spring courtesy of Feral Interactive. No news yet on a more specific date for the 2012 stealth adventure, or how much will ring up on the till when you scan 47's neck. Feral notes all the game's additional content features in the codenamed "Elite Edition," including the standalone sharpshooting of Hitman: Sniper Challenge. [Image: Square Enix]
IO says next Hitman will go back to the sandbox
IO Interactive wrote an open letter to Hitman fans this morning, detailing the direction for the Agent 47 game the studio is working on. Doing everything next to apologize for Hitman: Absolution, the studio said the next game will go back to Agent 47 at the "prime of his career" (in gameplay terms that should mean Blood Money), with the support of his handler Diana Burnwood and the shadow organization she works for. "We've adopted an open, non-linear level design approach to the game, ensuring the game will play out across huge, checkpoint-free, sandbox levels," the IO letter notes. "Our aim is to create living, breathing and believable levels which will allow gamers to play around with the AI to create those unique moments every fan of the Hitman franchise loves." Absolution's clever Contracts Mode will return, which allowed players to challenge friends to different level scenarios, but Agent 47's Mary Poppins-like bottomless "magic pockets" featuring an entire arsenal won't. The studio plans to share more "further into 2014."
New contracts find their way into Hitman: Absolution's dossier
Square Enix has added some new featured contracts to Hitman: Absolution today. Somebody wanna wake up Agent 47 and tell him to suit up? These new contracts, which are custom scenarios conjured up by developer IO Interactive, are specific to each platform. On PC, the new contract takes Agent 47 to a haunted house, while the PS3 contract tasks him with taking down a pyromaniac with a penchant for selling ice cream. The Xbox 360 contract, pictured above, highlights a massacre in a donut shop. Hitman: Absolution launched in late 2012 and added some new mechanics to the sandbox murder formula established by earlier entries in the series. In our review, we said the game "has its flaws," but they're negated by the game's "healthy dose of stealth and creative assassinations." IO Interactive is currently working on a new entry in the series for next-generation consoles and PC.
Amazon's Square Enix bundle has four games for $15
Amazon has put a hit out on most of Square Enix's recent, notable catalog, and it can all be yours via Steam keys for $15. The digital bundle includes Hitman: Absolution Professional Edition, Sleeping Dogs, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Just Cause 2 and its Aerial Pack DLC. The offer is good until September 16 and offers a few cheap open-world games, in case you don't think the incoming Grand Theft Auto 5 is your sort of thing.
PSN Tuesday: Tales of Xillia, Dragon's Crown, ibb & obb
This week's PSN content jamboree is headlined by a pair of Japanese games: the beautiful beat-em-up Dragon's Crown from Vanillaware and Namco's surprisingly charming JRPG, Tales of Xillia. Rounding out this week's high-profile games is ibb & obb, the long-awaited co-op puzzler with an emphasis on gravity from Sparpweed Games. PlayStation Plus members can snag a free copy of Hitman: Absolution, which kicks off a solid month of free content on PS Plus. Subscriber discounts extend to the Rayman series today, Escapevektor, Superfrog and more – the full list of content can be seen over on the PlayStation Blog.
PS Plus August freebies: Hitman Absolution, Runner 2, Star Wars Pinball
The August incentives for PlayStation Plus subscribers have been revealed, starting tomorrow with a free copy of Hitman: Absolution. IO Interactive's latest entry in the stealthy kill-em-up series deviates from the established formula, our review says, but offers a "healthy dose of stealth and creative assassinations." Other free games up for grabs in August are PS3 games Runner 2 and Star Wars Pinball, Machinarium on PS Vita and Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower, compatible with PS Vita and PSP. Tomorrow's PSN update will also yield discounts on Rayman content and a few new games – all of which you can see listed over on the PlayStation Blog.
Hitman: Absolution is absolutely $12 at Best Buy
Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Hitman: Absolution are on sale for a mere $12 at Best Buy right now. While the deal includes free shipping, the game is no longer listed as available for shipping. Instead, those looking to save a few dollars on the game can opt to pick up a copy at select locations that still have it in stock. If the diminishing stock at our local stores is any indication, this deal many not last much longer.
Steam weekly deals: Hitman: Absolution, Hydrophobia, Anodyne
This week on Steam, Agent 47 takes more than a few lives – he knocks 50 percent off the price of Hitman: Absolution, bringing it down to $12.50. Also on sale for up to 75 percent off on Steam is the moody, 16-bit adventure Anodyne, Dark Energy Digital's Hydrophobia: Prophecy, 2002 strategy game Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood, adventure game The Book of Unwritten Tales, Postal 2 Complete (again) and puzzler Critical Mass. The sale ends on May 20 at 10 a.m. PT, even though Valve's weekly news post still says "May 6th." Shh – nobody tell Valve and let's see how long before someone on the team notices.
Hitman: Sniper Challenge, Gyromancer line up on Core Online
PopCap puzzler Gyromancer and Hitman: Sniper Challenge are the latest targets for Square Enix's browser-based Core Online service. Sniper Challenge, if you remember, was a pre-order bonus for Hitman: Absolution. What both games coming to Core Online does alert us to are changes to the service's payment structure. It was originally completely free-to-play, albeit with intermittent ads. However, free play is limited now to 20 minutes each day (still with ads). At 20 minutes a day, it's going to take about a month to complete Tomb Raider: Underworld. You can pay $2.99 per month to get full access to Core Online's library, which at present includes Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman: Sniper Challenge, Gyromancer, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Tomb Raider: Underworld, and Mini Ninjas. Alternatively, each game can be bought individually for $4.99.
Grab Hitman: Absolution PC for $7.49 at Amazon
You can snag a PC download of Hitman: Absolution from Amazon right now for just $7.49. And by "snag," we don't mean with garrote wire. Use your mouse, silly.
Tomb Raider, Hitman headline Origin sale in US and Europe
As part of an ongoing sale, EA has dropped the price of several downloadable titles on Origin, offering up to 50 percent off of recent releases such as Tomb Raider and Hitman: Absolution.Through April 30, Origin users can pick up a digital copy of Tomb Raider for $25, or for just a few bucks more they can snag the DLC-bundled Survival Edition. Hitman: Absolution is currently priced at $20, and a discounted selection of EA-published games (including Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3) is also up for grabs. A full list of featured games is here.Players in Europe can also get in on the action, as Square Enix reports regional price drops for Tomb Raider, Hitman and the Limited Edition of Sleeping Dogs.
Hitman Absolution coming to EU PS Plus May 1, PSN sale begins today
Hitman Absolution is the latest coup for PlayStation Plus in Europe. Agent 47's latest adventure sneaks onto the service on May 1, joining four other as-yet-unrevealed games next month. Considering it only came out in November 2012, Absolution's impending arrival marks another strong entry in PS Plus's European line-up, with Dead or Alive 5, Sleeping Dogs, Mass Effect 3 and Batman: Arkham City all coming to the subscription service in recent months.In the meantime, both Plus subscribers and others can take advantage of a new PSN sale for the region. The 'Declassified' sale starts today and runs until April 24, bringing savings to Crysis, Hitman, Metal Slug, and Tom Clancy games among others. Standout discounts include Hitman Trilogy HD for €11.99/£9.69, and €19.99/£15.99 for the Splinter Cell Complete Pack, which includes SC Trilogy HD, SC: Essentials, and SC: Double Agent. As usual, those prices and all the others in the sale drop a further 10 percent with Plus.You can snoop a full list of discounts on the PlayStation Blog.
Hitman Absolution companion app is a sociopath's best friend
Now you can buy clothes on your phone, just like a real contract killer. Actually, the Hitman ICA app does a lot more than that, integrating with Hitman Absolution in several interesting ways. You can browse player-designed "Contracts" on your phone and push them to your game, and you can buy weapons and disguises.There's also an "ICA Database" with various tips and guides, achievement tracking, stats, and more. This seems like the rare mobile companion that just makes the main game a nicer experience! It's free on iPhone and Android.
Hitman Absolution for $10 as Steam weekend deal
This weekend, you can become Agent 47 for a bargain price of $9.99. Hitman Absolution is 75% off through Monday at 10AM Pacific, as a Steam Weekend Deal. Agent 10 doesn't have quite the same cache.If you prefer, the Xbox version is also downloadable at a discount: it's $19.99 through Games on Demand.
