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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]
Coreonline: A new cloud gaming service from Square Enix [update: how to 'earn' play time]
Square Enix has announced a new cloud gaming service called Coreonline, which will bring "high definition" gaming to browsers. Specifically, the service will "allows users to easily play popular, console quality games on the web." Coreonline will be accessible via Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer thanks to "a combination of Google and Square Enix's proprietary technology."Currently there are only two titles available, Mini Ninjas and Hitman: Blood Money. In the case of Mini Ninjas, the Coreonline site merely redirects users to the Chrome Web Store, where a streaming version of Mini Ninjas has already been available for some time. Blood Money, on the other hand, will play directly in the Coreonline store. We loaded the game, at which point we were asked to watch an ad, which "earned" us 10 minutes of play time. Ads can be skipped by purchasing individual levels or entire games, according to Square Enix.Lara Croft: Guardian of Light will be released on the service in October. Gyromancer and Tomb Raider: Underworld are also in development. At present, Mini Ninjas, Blood Money and Lara Croft support Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7. On Mac, Lara Croft and Mini Ninjas will only work in Chrome, while Blood Money does not currently support Mac at all.Update: It turns out that you "earn" minutes of play based on which ads you choose to watch. At the end of our initial ten minutes, we were given a selection of ads, each worth a number of minutes. A 1:17 ad for Kohl's for example, is worth 26 minutes of play time, whereas a 7 second ad for the Samsung Series 9 is worth 5 minutes.
Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure classified in Australia
Square Enix's eventual announcement of Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure will soon end up being less "reveal" and more like the complete opposite of any ninja's stealth training ever. The barely unannounced sequel has most recently been spotted on the Australian Classification Board site by Siliconera.This latest failure of ninjadom comes two months after a European trademark filing mentioned Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure... oh yeah, and then there was the web domain under the same name, as well. At the very least, we expect the game to come in clanking pots and pans like a two-year-old on parade at E3.
Trademark filing suggests new Mini Ninjas game
It appears that Square Enix may be planning another game filled with tiny assassins. A European trademark filing suggests the publisher is developing a new Mini Ninjas game, titled Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure. Adding to the evidence, Square has also registered a web domain under the same name.The original Mini Ninjas (pictured) was released in 2009, though it's also coming to Google's Chrome web browser soon. The web app is currently available in beta.
PSN Tuesday: Twisted Metal demo, Puddle, Madden
This week on PSN, you can try out the latest entry in the Clown Car Combat genre, with the Twisted Metal multiplayer demo, or Corporate Combat in Syndicate. Or ... not really combat with Puddle.You can also download Madden NFL 12 -- just in time for the Super Bowl! Not that you'll be playing Madden while the game is on, of course. That release joins a trio of IO Interactive games newly available for download: both Kanes & Lynches and Mini Ninjas. Find everything available this week on the PlayStation Blog.
Mini Ninjas playable in Chrome soon
Google's "Native Client" isn't merely a technology used to play Bastion in a browser window. It will also allow you to try ... Square Enix and IO Interactive's 2009 game, Mini Ninjas. The publisher announced that Mini Ninjas for Chrome is going into open beta sometime this month. It's designed to run in the upcoming version 17 of the browser. Square Enix plans to make more games from its "group-wide lineup" playable in Chrome in 2012. Perhaps those will include some more memorable fare.
Demos for NHL 10 and DiRT 2 join Lost Planet 2 and Mini Ninjas on Live
Need something to chew up your free time between constant attempts to sequence break Shadow Complex? Xbox Live Marketplace has been invaded by a slew of new game demos -- currently available to Gold members -- to help combat your boredom. With four demos hitting the Marketplace in the last two days, Xbox users are treated to a collection of completely different gaming experiences. Strap into the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT and race the Trailblazer event in DiRT 2, lace up your skates and hit the ice in the NHL 10 demo, show off your ninja skills in Mini Ninjas or jump online with up to four players and attack the evil Akrid in the Lost Planet 2 Co-op demo. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call a diverse selection of video game demos. Queue up the DiRT 2 demo Queue up the NHL 10 demo (and check out Xbox Canada's exclusive Q&A) Queue up the Mini Ninjas demo Queue up the Lost Planet 2 Co-op demo
Mini Ninjas demo sneaking onto PC, PS3, 360
Eidos has announced that a teeny, tiny, adorable demo for Mini Ninjas is on the way for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this week. The PC and Xbox 360 demos will be available this Wednesday, August 19. PC users will be able to download the demo from the official Mini Ninjas website, while Xbox 360 owners can grab it right from Xbox Live Marketplace. The PS3 demo will be available on Thursday, August 20, along with the usual PSN update. No details have been given as to what the demo contains, but we're fairly certain it will include ninjas. We're also guessing that said ninjas will be small in stature. Just a guess.
Mini Ninjas sneak into stores on September 8
Following the release of Hitman and Kane & Lynch comes ... Mini Ninjas? IO Interactive's first attempt at a children's game sure is stereotypically adorable, and it'll be available in North America on September 8. International releases will follow on September 11 in the UK and additional PAL territories and on October 9 in France and Germany. While the US release will be co-published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment and Eidos, the European releases will be published entirely by Eidos, a Square Enix joint.
Square Enix and Eidos announce joint lineup for Gamescom 2009
Though it's been quite some time since Square Enix and Eidos shacked up, the first time the two share booth space will be at the upcoming European trade show, Gamescom 2009. Aside from bringing the first publicly playable Supreme Commander 2, some highlights include Dissidia Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and ... Nier. Alright, maybe not Nier. The event announcement says that both Final Fantasy XIII (as a franchise unto itself, not just the eponymous iteration) and Final Fantasy XIV will be at the show, though it doesn't detail if hands-on time with either will be available, or how much new info to expect, unfortunately. Finally, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mini Ninjas will be descending from Eidos' camp. Gamescom 2009 kicks off on August 19 - 23 in Cologne, Germany. (Also, Pony Friends 2 ... finally!)
Hands-on: Mini Ninjas (Xbox 360)
click to enlarge Once the most feared warriors in all Japan, Ninjas have been made incredibly cute and cuddly just by shrinking them down. Yes folks, it's Mini Ninjas. Tiny little ninjas that can weave magic spells, possess animals and defeat evil. While utterly unlikely to instill fear into the hearts of rival feudal lords, they sure do make an adorable subject for a game.We've finally gotten to play the game, which has been veiled in shadowy secrecy since its January announcement. You'll find our impressions, new details, videos and an extremely versatile hat beyond the break.%Gallery-64448%
Mini Ninjas, big media update
Eidos sent out a ton of screenshots for Io Interactive's massively multiplatform miniature melee, Mini Ninjas, including our first looks at the Wii and DS versions. The latest game from the Hitman creators follows a trainee ninja named Hiro, the youngest ninja in his clan and the only one left, and his friends Futo and Suzume as they battle the Evil Samurai Warlord and his army of "mindless Samurai warriors," transformed from helpless forest creatures. Head past the break to see the Wii and DS galleries. We don't know if it's because the Wii version's graphics are extra-sharp or the 360 version's are extra-simple, but the game looks fairly consistent between the two platforms! Publisher Eidos plans to release Mini Ninjas this fall, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii, and DS.%Gallery-42641%
Mini Ninjas provide stealth kills in convenient travel size
The DS's Ninjatown will now have some competition in the adorable-ninja department, although Io Interactive's Mini Ninjas is more I-Ninja than Ninjatown. The action-platformer, announced for just about every currently-available gaming platform except PSP and phones, features a chibi assassin named Hiro and his traveling companions, as they travel to the Fortress of Doom to defeat the Evil Samurai Warlord. There's something kind of funny about setting ninja as good guys versus samurai! The game is due out Fall 2009 in both North America and Europe, published by Eidos. Head into our gallery for totally cute screens, and check out the also-cute (but surprisingly badass, and surprisingly panda) trailer above!%Gallery-42625%
Mini Ninjas revealed as Io Interactive's next game
Io Interactive has sneakily announced its next title: Mini Ninjas, which is coming to current-gen consoles, DS and PC this fall. The developer, whose last project was the site-imploding Kane & Lynch, appears to be going down a far more charming path with its latest title. Quite a departure from the gritty adventures of the aforementioned duo and Hitman's Agent 47, isn't it?Mini Ninjas has already been rated E10+ by the ESRB, and Io's general manager believes the game has "exceptional appeal" for both young and old alike. Check out the gallery below (and preview trailer after the break) to see if you think Mini Ninjas will bloom like a lotus blossom later this year.%Gallery-42639%
Mini Ninjas are invading your PS3 this Fall
Mini Ninjas is the next title from Io Interactive (Hitman series, Kane And Lynch) and, as you can see from the announcement trailer above, looks very different to anything they've done before. The game will be available this Fall on the PS3 as well as pretty much every other platform that exists ... except the PSP. The game focuses around the eponymous Mini Ninjas as they fight off evil mini (and not-so-mini) Samurai.You'll be playing Hiro, the mini hero, armed with your ninja magic and helped out by a couple of ninja friends "as you travel through a perilous world to reach the final confrontation with the Evil Samurai Warlord in his Fortress of Doom." From the sounds of it the story isn't going to be much of a selling point, but we're loving what we've seen from the video and the screenshots (check out the gallery below). In terms of art style alone, Mini Ninjas looks adorable. Hopefully the gameplay lives up to it. We're looking forward to seeing more throughout the year.%Gallery-42636%
Video: Mini Ninjas is all about stealth cuteness
Today, Eidos and IO Interactive unveiled their latest project, Mini Ninjas, a fresh IP that's all about too adorable ninjas. Trailer above, screenshots below and after you consume the media you should agree that Mini Ninjas has the charm, cartoonish look and humor that gives it the potential to be good. Key word there is "potential". Mini Ninjas will be releasing multi-platform later this Fall. Cute panda.%Gallery-42641%
