q3 2011
Latest
Beat Hazard Ultra coming to PSN in September
Joystiq Indie Pitch game and current Steam/XBLA release Beat Hazard will appear in an upgraded form on PSN this September, as Beat Hazard Ultra. Cold Beam Games' Steve Hunt wrote the PSN release of the music-based shooter himself, which is crazy. The twin-stick shooter generates levels from either the included music or any music on your hard drive. The PSN update adds online play, in either competitive or cooperative modes, so you can subject a friend to a seventeen-minute "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" gauntlet. You can even turn the music-responsive visual effects up to 200% of normal, to really traumatize your co-op partner.
Spelunker HD drops into Euro PSN tomorrow
PS3 owners in Europe interested in extremely methodical, simulated cave exploration will get a treat tomorrow. Tozai Games announced that Spelunker HD will be released on the Euro PSN this week, allowing more challenge-seeking gamers to step into the shoes of gaming's most delicate hero. In retro or modern graphical modes, you'll navigate through dark caves, looking for keys and treasure, while maintaining your air supply and avoiding the spikes, stalactites, ghosts, bats, birds, and short falls that will end your life. The announcement offers good news for North American spelunkers, as well: the European and American versions will share leaderboards and servers, meaning we'll see an infusion of new players for the up-to-six-player co-op.%Gallery-130238%
Splinter Cell HD Trilogy hits Euro PSN tomorrow [update]
The PS3 Splinter Cell Trilogy release has been, perhaps, too stealthy for its own good, placing decoy release dates and then slipping by them unnoticed. The European PSN may have finally caught Sam Fisher -- the PlayStation Blog announced that the collection (which bundles HD versions of Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, and Chaos Theory) will be released tomorrow for €29.99/£23.99 with single games for €9.99/£7.99. European PSN releases frequently occur the same week as North American PSN releases, so it's entirely possible the Trilogy will be out today in America on PSN. We're checking with Ubisoft. As for the retail version, the latest we've seen is September in America. The European PS Blog says the Blu-Ray release will happen "at a later date." Update: An Ubisoft rep tells us we won't see Splinter Cell on PSN in the US today.
Indie time travel RTS Achron enters our timeline August 29
We still don't understand how the time-shifting RTS game Achron works -- the concepts of rewinding, summoning reinforcements for things that haven't happened yet, and whatever other kind of chrono-frippery Hazardous Software has put into the game are well, well over our heads. The best way to understand Achron, we suspect, is to play it, which you'll be able to do starting August 29. Hazardous sent Joystiq a note letting us know the new date -- a note we suspect arrived from a future in which the game is already out, hence the certainty of the date. If you'd like to travel into the future yourself, you can pre-order the game for $29.95 and hop into the beta.
Hamilton's Great Adventure (finally) coming to PSN August 23
You probably won't be surprised to hear that Fatshark's PSN explorer-and-bird treasure hunting expedition, Hamilton's Great Adventure, won't be arriving on time -- because "on time" would have been April and that deadline has passed. A subsequent July release date also sailed on by. Today, Fatshark announced a new release date, slyly blaming the delay on protagonist Ernest Hamilton taking five weeks of paid vacation. It'll now be released on August 23 in North America and August 24 in the rest of the world -- just in time to compete with Street Fighter 3. But if you don't want to wait, you can check out the PC version that came out in May.
Bastion coming to PC on August 16, soundtrack available right now
Xbox Live Arcade's Bastion has gotten its launch date on the PC. Bastion will be available as a $14.99 download on Steam August 16, one day before From Dust debuts on the platform. You're getting two Summer of Arcade goodies in one week! Additionally, we'd like to point out that the Bastion soundtrack is currently available as a $10 download, replete with a new narration intro and bonus track, "The Pantheon (Ain't Gonna Catch You)." If you're looking for an actual physical disc, maybe to clutch against your bosom tightly as you fall asleep at night -- hey, no judgment here -- then you can shell out $15. The actual CD comes in a custom wallet, featuring original art by Jen Zee and (optionally) signed by composer Darren Korb. If you're really distrustful of your mail man (or don't want to wait until September when the disc ships), you can snag the album at PAX Prime in Seattle at the end of the month. Before you go diving into those beautiful tunes, take some of our advice: the songs are definitely best heard first in-game.
DS adventure game Touch Detective touches down on iOS today
If you're a DS fan from way back, you might remember Touch Detective, a quirky adventure game released by Atlus in 2006. If you missed it back then, you can check it out now on iOS. Developer Beeworks has released the spooky point-and-click today as an episodic iPhone game -- you can get the app for free (iTunes link), and then buy episodes in $3.99 bundles or $8.99 for all of them. If you do buy all the episodes, you get the new bonus episode "Funghi Breaks Out!" starring the phallic sidekick character from the main game. No, even more phallic than you're thinking. Imagine a character who is a mushroom, but drawn to be as phallic as you could possibly make something by accident, and then a little more phallic than that.%Gallery-129957%
Driver: San Francisco delayed a week to September 6
Whoops, looks like Driver: San Francisco didn't run the red light and is now delayed one week. Originally expected to reach stores on August 30, the shift-y racer will now arrive September 6. Ubisoft has also released a new video explaining the game's multiplayer features -- an experience that we've been pleasantly surprised with ever since our first test drive at E3. Check out the video above and see what could potentially be one of the most compelling multiplayer experiences of the year.
Duke Nukem Forever getting fanciful hats (and new multiplayer modes/maps) this fall
We may not have liked Duke Nukem when we last hung out back in early June, but hey, now he's got a variety of thoroughly enjoyable hats -- we're easily swayed! And he'll be showing off that variety of hats in a handful of new Duke Nukem Forever multiplayer maps and modes this fall, in the "Hail to the Icons" Parody Pack. As its name implies, the DLC parodies several games, which we'll allow you to decipher for yourself in the descriptions after the break (take a wild guess at which game those hats are poking fun at). Gearbox and 2K have yet to name a price or firm release date for the content, only giving it a "fall" window. But if you're really into checking the new stuff out as soon as you can, 2K Games is also holding a multiplayer event at its Novato, CA offices in early August -- the main site has details on how to get involved. And finally, we'd be remiss if we didn't remind you that if you joined the developer's "First Access Club" before DNF dropped back in June, the pack will be free when it eventually launches. We believe Duke would say, "Hell yeah." (But you know, it'd be all gravelly, because that's how he speaks.)%Gallery-129221%
From Dust PC launch delayed one month, available Aug. 17
Eric Chahi's upcoming experiment in nature manipulation, From Dust, won't arrive on PCs until mid-August. The company confirmed as much to Joystiq this afternoon, specifically noting, "From Dust will hit XBLA this Wednesday and will release on PC on Wednesday, August 17." That's just three weeks until the game arrives on PC -- more than enough time to practice your lava redirection and bridge carving techniques with a mouse.
Street Fighter 3: Third Strike goes Online starting August 23
You're not tired of news about Capcom fighting games yet, are you? If so, uh... sorry. We've got some great posts just below this one, some of which aren't about fighting games. Now, for the rest of you, Capcom announced the release dates for the XBLA/PSN update of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. You'll be able to fight for the future in the online version of a past Street Fighter starting August 23, when it hits PSN. The XBLA release follows the next day. Check out a trailer above to see some of the stuff added to this version of the beloved 1999 fighter -- like GGPO-based online play, graphical filters, and challenges.
GoldenEye 007: Reloaded gets official, aiming for 360 and PS3 this fall
It seems that those leaked screens for another Activision-published GoldenEye project were legit, or at very least had the name of the forthcoming release right. GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is apparently an HD port of last year's Wii game, coming to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this fall from Eurocom. Activision announced the game this morning via press release, which describes the game as having "the legendary story campaign," "brand new Mi6 Ops Missions" (which are new, objective-based levels), and a revamped multiplayer component. Rather than a simple up-scaling of the Wii game, Reloaded is said to be "built on a brand new engine" and run at 60 frames per second. But beyond the HD update and Mi6 missions, it seems that the game is a repeat of last year's Wii shooter -- you can even play it with the PlayStation Move, should you prefer a more Wii-like experience. And while we were fans of the Wii title, it's perhaps best not to get too jazzed about the second release of a reimagining of a game we played on Nintendo 64 in 1997.
Apple Q3 2011 earnings released: Impressive, most impressive. (Updated)
Apple hit another home run in the third quarter of 2011. Total revenue for the quarter reached US$28.57 billion, as compared to $15.70 billion in the same quarter last year. Earnings per diluted share were $7.79, as compared to $3.51 last year. Net profit reached a staggering $7.31 B. All of these figures crushed the professional analyst estimates and even surpassed some of the more optimistic amateur AAPL watchers, as tracked by Phil Elmer-Dewitt. Sales numbers for Apple's lineup of products are as follows: 3.95 M Macs (14% year-over-year unit increase) 20.34 M iPhones (142% yoy increase) 7.54 M iPods (20% yoy decrease) 9.25 M iPads (183% yoy increase) That earnings per share number is really quite amazing; it's more than double the number from last year. Additional details will be available in the earnings conference call at 5 pm ET. We'll be listening in to the conference call and liveblogging all the fun -- join in! Show full PR text Apple Reports Third Quarter Results All-Time Record Revenue and Earnings iPhone Sales Grow 142 Percent; iPad Sales Grow 183 Percent CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 third quarter ended June 25, 2011. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $28.57 billion and record quarterly net profit of $7.31 billion, or $7.79 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $15.70 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion, or $3.51 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 41.7 percent compared to 39.1 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter's revenue. "Right now, we're very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this fall." The Company sold 20.34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.25 million iPads during the quarter, a 183 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 3.95 million Macs during the quarter, a 14 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.54 million iPods, a 20 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. "We're thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Right now, we're very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this fall." "We are extremely pleased with our performance which drove quarterly cash flow from operations of $11.1 billion, an increase of 131 percent year-over-year," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $25 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $5.50." Apple will provide live streaming of its Q3 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on July 19, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq311.
BloodRayne: Betrayal launching in the last week of August
Time is fluid, as we're reminded again by the announcement of Bloodrayne: Betrayal's late August launch. Originally expected for "early August," the game now has August 30 and 31 launch dates for PSN and XBLA, respectively. Developer WayForward has reimagined BloodRayne for the better, as we and the company recently detailed on The Joystiq Show. From what we've seen so far, this is a BloodRayne that doesn't suck.%Gallery-125881%
Nintendo 3DS gets free Netflix update in tomorrow's eShop update
Since Nintendo's 3DS launched back in March, we've been hanging on by a thread, counting the minutes until this week's eShop update. And no, it's not just because Extreme Hangman 2 is finally dropping on DSiWare: Netflix's streaming video application will be available on 3DS as well. Finally a chance to bring Agent Cooper on the go and make those smug short-form video users in Europe and Japan quit their braggin'! Nintendo revealed as much with an early announcement of its weekly eShop, DSi, and Wii Shop updates, also detailing several games that will be available for purchase across the Wii, DSi, and 3DS. We're particularly fond of the Virtual Console Game & Watch Gallery coming to 3DS, but fans of super old-school sports games may be more excited to hear about Baseball being this week's other retro re-release.
Section 8: Prejudice diving into PlayStation Store July 26
Timegate's undeniably beefy multiplayer-centric shooter, Section 8: Prejudice, has been racking up kills on Xbox Live Arcade since late April. In a little under two weeks, PS3 owners will get to see what all the fuss is about (hint: skydiving), as PlayStation Blog just announced the downloadable, $15 title will touch down on PSN July 26 in North America, and July 27 in Europe. To help jump-start the community's growth on the new platform, Timegate is handing out the Blitz Armor Pack and Overdrive Map Pack to anyone who grabs the game during its first week on PSN. What's more, the first 1,000 PlayStation Plus users to download the title will receive in-game Hunter Armor, as well as a free download of the original Section 8. You're essentially doubling your bang for your buck, and by "bang," we mean "whoosh," because that's the sound you make when you're skydiving.
A Space Shooter for Two Bucks goes 'Free' on iOS
It's a bold move to change the price of a game whose price is in the title, but Frima Studio figured out how to do so for the iOS release of its PSP Mini A Space Shooter for Two Bucks: replace the already-low price with "Free." For the iOS release, due July 28, it's been re-christened A Space Shooter for Free!, and reworked into a freemium experience. The free download features part of the original game -- with " an infinite supply of aliens to obliterate." For a dollar, you can upgrade it to the "Big ASS" version that unlocks the rest. So, it ends up being a space shooter for one buck. That's still fewer than two.%Gallery-128311%
Xenoblade Chronicles' European release bumped up to Aug. 19
Nintendo of Europe is taking full advantage of the goodwill it's earning with the localization of Xenoblade Chronicles. Nintendo has bumped up the European release date for Monolith Soft's Wii RPG from September 2 to August 19. It will still be available in either a standard edition or a special edition with a red Classic Controller Pro. In addition, the pre-order-exclusive special edition bundle will come with three posters. Nintendo of America's last word to date on the matter was that there were "no plans" for Xenoblade or the two other games on which the "Operation Rainfall" campaign is focused.
Deadliest Warrior: Legends to pulverize PSN on July 26
Deadliest Warrior: Legends may be old (spiked) hat for Xbox 360 owners, but for those of us with access only to a PS3, the game has yet to arrive. That's all about to change, as 345 Games tells Joystiq that its latest release will head to the PlayStation Network Store on July 26, pointy blade-equipped staff and all. Like its XBLA launch, Deadliest Warrior: Legends will run you $10 when it arrives in the coming weeks. No explanation was offered for the disparity in launch between 360 and PS3, but we're told Sun Tzu sends his sincerest apologies.
Limbo surfacing on PSN July 19, Steam August 2 [update]
Playdead is celebrating Limbo's first birthday by giving all of us a present -- a PSN release date for the gruesome yet gorgeous indie darling. Limbo will be creepy-crawling onto PSN July 19 in the United States, July 20 in Europe and at a to-be-announced date in Japan. The Limbo soundtrack, which would be great for overnight, solo camping trips in the middle of Dead Man's Woods, will be released Monday, July 11, due to popular demand. Playdead's Dino Patti finished his announcement on the PlayStation Blog with the promise (or threat) of a "little extra secret we have in store for you..." Update: Limbo will be launching on Steam worldwide August 2, according to an announcement on the official site.
