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Strider somersaults onto PS4, Xbox One and other systems this Feb.
Strider brings its sci-fi ninja platforming to PS4 and PS3 on February 18 in North America, with Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Steam welcoming the game the day after. The latest revival of the classic series comes courtesy of Double Helix, the studio behind the recent return of Killer Instinct, and the fare to get back on board is $15. The other news from today's announcement is Strider includes two challenge modes in addition to the main story mode: Beacon Run is a slice-and-dice speedrunning challenge, and Survival mixes up harder and harder waves of enemies to defeat. Both modes feature leaderboards, as does the main campaign. Joystiq ninja extraordinaire Dave Hinkle got hands-on time with the game couple of months back, and he was encouraged by its ability to mix old with new. "Even in my brief encounter with Strider, I felt it successfully toed the line between those old-school sensibilities of punishing platforming segments and unforgiving enemies with modernized mechanics such as ciphers and catapulting," he wrote. "Strider didn't feel like a mindless affair of running left-to-right and slashing everything in sight. Instead, Strider made me think about how I needed to stab every enemy in my path, proving that the mind is the ninja's greatest weapon." [Image: Capcom]
SWTOR lays out 2014 roadmap including two digital expansions
Star Wars: The Old Republic Senior Producer Bruce Maclean delivered a roadmap today for 2014 in the game including a promise of two more digital expansions before the year is out. "Expect to see two digital expansions in 2014 just like you did last year," Maclean said, "with one similar to Galactic Starfighter in scope and one more closely resembling Rise of the Hutt Cartel." Maclean also gave out a few specific dates for the near future. Tomorrow, February 4th, Galactic Starfighter will open up to the free-to-play crowd with additional content for all. Game Update 2.7 is scheduled for April 8th and includes two new flashpoints, a nightmare mode Dread Fortress operation, a Quesh Huttball warzone, and an additional space battle zone. Then on June 10th Game Update 2.8 will arrive with a nightmare mode Dread Palace operation and more ships for the Galactic Starfighter battles. One thing to note is that the team will be moving to a nine-week cycle between major content releases to allow for more minor patches and bug fixes.
Shroud of the Avatar raises $3 million in crowdfunding and prepares for Release 2
Shroud of the Avatar has hit a significant fundraising milestone and is throwing a party to celebrate. Richard Garriott announced that the title has crossed the $3 million mark and he will be hosting a late-night video hangout on Thursday, January 23rd to mark the occasion. In other Shroud of the Avatar news, the game will roll out Release 2 next week for select backers. Details of the release will be, erm, released on Wednesday the 22nd. If you haven't backed the game and want to experience Release 2, it will cost you $45. Portalarium also showed off the Founder Edelmann Village Waterfront Cabana, founder starter weapons, and the incredible cooking pot of prosperity.
Nokia Lumia 1320 lands in China first
Large-phone lovers on a budget, rejoice: Nokia's 6-inch, $339 Lumia 1320 smartphone is now available in China. That's a bit earlier than the January 2014 time-frame it first promised, and the Finnish company said it'll also roll out in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries (likely in Europe) in the coming weeks. It packs a whopping 3,400mAh battery for the long-winded, but otherwise has middling specs: a 720p screen, dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of expandable storage and a 5-megapixel camera. Unfortunately, there's no word of an arrival date for those in the US torn between a tablet and phone -- but given the LTE bands we saw at the FCC, don't hold your breath.
Start digging with The Cave on Android
Android fans need go without oddball adventure game The Cave no longer, as the game found its way to that platform late last week. The Cave costs $4.99 on the Google Play store, and arrived a few weeks after making an appearance on Ouya. The adventure game comes from The Secret of Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert and Double Fine, the developer Gilbert left in March. The Cave first launched in January on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux and Wii U. Our review of the XBLA version considered it the "cruelest of Double Fine's games," noting its sharp writing and somewhat tiresome repetition.
The Daily Grind: Do you like staggered or modular launch schedules?
Regardless of your feelings toward Kickstarter or crowdfunding in general, you have to admit that it's starting to have an impact on the way games are made. More specifically, two of the larger crowdfunding projects -- Shroud of the Avatar and Star Citizen -- are doing away with a traditional launch date in favor of a staggered release schedule. Star Citizen has already released a playable piece of pre-alpha content, and just yesterday we learned that Shroud of the Avatar's initial client will be available as early as next month. What do you think about these newfangled rollouts? Do you like the opportunity to see games in their raw, pre-beta states, or do you prefer to wait on a more traditional or feature-complete release day? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EverQuest releases 20th expansion, Call of the Forsaken
There should be a really big cake somewhere in SOE's offices today to celebrate the fact that the studio just pushed out its impressive 20th expansion for EverQuest. Call of the Forsaken launched today with a host of new features including a new storyline, four additional zones, enhancements to the mercenary system, heroic adventures, and (of course) more raids. Senior Producer Thom Terrazas had a speech prepared on this occasion: "The launch of EverQuest's 20th expansion is a testament to the dedication of all of the talented people, developers and members of our awesome community, who have contributed to the game over the years. As we approach the 15th anniversary of EverQuest in 2014, the influence of the franchise is unparalleled in the MMO genre. This latest expansion demonstrates our continued commitment to bring the highest quality content to one of the most dedicated player communities in the industry." The expansion for the free-to-play title is $39.99 for the regular edition and $89.99 for the collector's edition. EverQuest is currently running a "welcome back" promotion that includes a gold membership and a goodie bundle to those who log in by the 15th. [Source: SOE press release]
Xsyon reaches the top 100 in Steam Greenlight
It's not surprising that a title as odd as Xsyon has had a hard time receiving much funding. The game has a dedicated community, but it launched a Kickstarter campaign last year that failed rather thoroughly. But the team at Notorious Games is still swinging for the fences, this time by putting together a pitch for Steam Greenlight in the hopes of getting on Valve's popular digital retail client. And as of this writing, that's going pretty well. Greenlight is Steam's process for vetting smaller games in the community, allowing new developers to submit a game and the community as a whole to vote it up or down based on whether or not they want to play it. Xsyon has made it into the top 100, ranked at #83 of over 1,000 games currently looking for approval. Players and fans who want to see the game succeed can head over to Steam and vote for the game now.
Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 to manufacturers ahead of October 18 launch
We caught the first Windows 8.1 (aka Blue) news back in March, and after several betas and a preview, it's been bundled off to manufacturers. That's a mere five months from alpha code to gold master, a feat that Microsoft trumpeted as "an unparalleled level of collaboration" between customers and Windows product teams. Now, manufacturers will be able to ramp up their production lines with the new version in time for the holidays, as Redmond emphasized in its Blogging Windows post. Current Windows 8 owners will get the update for free, but all end users will have to hang on until the official October 18th release date. With a month and change left, though, it looks like all the ducks are in a row to herald the return of the tech world's most infamous button.
Sony to share 'release plans' for PS4 on August 20
Sony's August 20 press conference at Gamescom may tell PS4 enthusiasts exactly when they'll be able to shell out $400 for the new console, a post to the European Playstation Blog announced this week. The update describes the show's content as a briefing on Sony's "release plans for PlayStation 4." Announcements concerning the PS3 and Vita are also planned. You can start virtually camping out for the conference here, which begins at noon EST. In contrast, Micorosoft has scheduled a keynote led by Corporate VP of Microsoft Phil Spencer. Spencer described its August 20 conference as a "really short" show emphasizing developers and their games, including an exclusive installment to "Europe's biggest franchise."
Windows 8.1 reportedly scheduled for mid-October launch
Getting acquainted with Windows 8.1 has been a slow process that started early this year, but it looks like it'll finally hit shelves in roughly two months. According to an unnamed source cited by ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, the RTM build of the operating system is still on track to hit manufacturers by the end of August, and the OS -- along with new hardware carrying it -- will be publicly available come mid-October. Those hoping to get their hands on the near-final software ahead of time via MSDN or the sunsetting Technet are out of luck, however, as the outlet's tipster claims the final portions of 8.1 won't be obtainable through those means until general availability. If you need something to help pass the time until then, you can always dive into our in-depth hands-on with the update formerly known as Blue.
Civilization Online not currently planned for North America
You might be tremendously excited about Civilization Online right now, especially if you read our interview with Jake Song yesterday. But if you live in North America, it's time to crank that excitement down to a dull interest because XLGAMES and 2K Games are not currently looking at a release in the region. 2K Games PR Manager Brian Roundy delivered the bad news: "Civilization Online is developed by South Korea-based XL Games in partnership with 2K, and will be available first in Korea. No release date has been set. There are no plans for a North American release at this time." This doesn't mean all hope is lost, of course. It might be that the studios are holding their cards close to their chest or that they don't want to commit until they see how it performs in Korea. But if you were camping in front of a retail store (why?) for this release in America, you should probably go home for now.
Ultima Forever arrives on iOS
Avatar! Get out of bed, put on some clean underwear, and leave a note for your mom -- there's adventuring that needs doing! Mythic's Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar is out for the iOS and can be played on the iPad 2, iPod 5, and iPhone 4S or higher. Mythic had recently held Ultima Forever back to fiddle with its economy and fix bugs, but it seems as though everything is solid enough for the studio to finally pull the trigger and launch it worldwide. Ultima Forever is free-to-play with optional in-app purchases. Mythic is working on Android and PC versions as well. It's a whopping 881 MB to install, so make sure you have the room before you check out this latest chapter in the Ultima series!
Final Fantasy XIV beta phase 4 starts on August 17th
The latest Final Fantasy XIV live letter with producer Naoki Yoshida included some pretty big news for the community: the dates of the last beta phase and early access. Beta phase 4 will run from August 17th until the 19th (with previous participants welcomed starting on the 16th) and early access for preorders and Legacy subscribers running from the 24th through the 26th. Followed, obviously, by the launch on August 27th. All progress made during phase 4 will carry over to full release, although the level cap for the test phase will be set down at 20. Players will have access to the Arcanist class as well as the first implementation of the game's PvP area and a housing area for testing. The transcript of the live letter also includes more interesting tidbits such as confirmation that Arcanist will not be the only class with multiple jobs. Keep an eye on the transcript for more information as the letter progresses.
Order and Chaos Online comes to Ouya
Order and Chaos Online, that scrappy little mobile World of Warcraft clone, is continuing to expand its presence in the gaming market. Its latest conquest? Ouya, the Android-based console that released in late June. Ouya Chief Executive Julie Uhrman welcomed the title to the Ouya family: "Ouya is excited to be working with Gameloft to bring the wildly popular Order and Chaos Online to the consoles world for the first time. This also marks our first MMO, expanding the gaming possibilities for all Ouya gamers." This isn't technically the first MMO for the Ouya, however. Vendetta Online premiered on the console several months ago. Order and Chaos Online is available for free in the Ouya Discovery store.
The Nexus Telegraph: What WildStar isn't revealing
We now know about the last two races coming to WildStar. We don't yet know about the last two classes, but that's pretty much assured for release in the near future. (I'm betting on PAX Prime, based on nothing more than speculation.) In fact, we're getting plenty of interesting and deep reveals... as well as a few things that the developers aren't talking about, things that are mentioned in passing and then allowed to just go unaddressed. Some of this doesn't really matter one way or the other, but there are some places where these unreveals are pretty worrisome. I'm not sure how much of this comes down to limited time for reveals and how much is actually shady, but in lieu of more information, I think some questions should be asked about why we've heard nothing regarding some stuff that, logically, should have gotten its own day in the revelation sunlight.
The Crew aims for Q1 2014 release
Buckle up, racing fans: You might be sitting in the driver's seat of The Crew early next year. In an investor's call, Ubisoft said that it's aiming for a Q1 2014 release for the persistent online racing world. Production Director Pete Young said in a recent blog post that the studio is striving to connect players through this racing title: "We're making it extremely easy to see the players that are around you, quickly group up with those guys, make new friends and take on missions cooperatively." The Crew will be available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. If it's got you itching for more info, check out Ubisoft's guided gameplay video from last month after the break.
Dragon Quest X working on a PC port, overseas release
Did you know that there's a Dragon Quest MMO? The popular and long-running RPG series came out with a console MMO version in Dragon Quest X, although to date it's been confined to the boundaries of Japan. This may be changing, however, as Square-Enix is eyeballing the PC and overseas market. Producer Yosuke Saito confirmed that the studio is working on a PC port of the console MMO: "The drive to release a PC version was there from the start of Dragon Quest X development. The biggest reason was that, when thinking about which platform was most likely to be connected to a network, the PC was the first that popped into our minds." The PC port of the game will be available in Japan in September. Square-Enix has been a little more secretive about an overseas release but did say that it's in the works. The studio isn't sure that it'll be rolled out in the same way that Final Fantasy XI was, as Saito thinks that Dragon Quest X will need to be released on separate servers for various countries and regions. "This is just my personal viewpoint, but different countries consume their games at different speeds and the way the communities are run also differ," he said.
Limbo now available on the App Store
As expected, the creepy but excellent Limbo is now available on the iOS App Store, and playable on your iPhone or iPad. Playdead won a lot of awards and critical acclaim with this title, which takes a mysterious young boy on a journey to save his sister through several environments. The game is an excellently designed platformer with interesting physics puzzles that get increasingly complex. The overall feel of the game can be a little spooky (especially that giant spider), but even scaredy cats will appreciate the craft of it. Limbo is US$4.99 on the App Store, which may sound expensive, but the same game is still $9.99 on Steam, so we're getting it for half price right away. If you haven't sat down to play it on a PC or console yet, definitely consider picking it up.
Daily iPhone App: Ending is an excellently pure gaming experience
Ending is one of my favorite kinds of games. It's an almost language-free experience. When the game starts, all you're given is a few arrows and a hammer as icons on the screen. That's it. The two arrows lead to the game's two different modes. The first is a puzzle mode, where you have a series of levels to navigate through. The way the game works is that you can move your little protagonist (represented by a stylized "@" symbol, in reference to the great roguelike genre) around by swiping, and you can conquer any of your "enemies" on the screen by swiping into them. The problem is that those enemies can also defeat you with one hit, so you need to make sure that whenever you move, you're not sliding into a square in danger. The second mode is an endless version of the puzzle stages, where all of the enemies that you gradually find in the puzzle game run after you right away. It's a wild take on the roguelike genre that doesn't use any words to teach you what to do: It's just a very pure game. The hammer launches a level-creation mode, which was cool, but confusing. Some things might require a little bit of language. Still, fans of the game probably won't need anything more than that mass of buttons, and the rest of us have plenty to play with in the other modes anyway. Ending is a terrific title, and it's one of those games that does a whole lot with very little. Developer Aaron Steed has put together a really interesting take on what's essentially dungeon exploration, and at a universal price of just US$0.99, this one is a must try.
