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Dead Rising 3 demo available now, first DLC out Christmas Eve
If you're not dead set on Dead Rising 3, don't dead fret: There's a new demo on the Xbox Games Store with your name on it. Hop to the New Game Demos section to check it out. Also, publisher Microsoft revealed details on the game's first piece of story DLC, "Operation Eagle." A Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq the DLC will be available on December 24. First, the demo: It restricts you to a 20-minute sojourn at Los Perdidos, but if you want another go by the end of it, you can. Each Gamertag can take the demo for a spin two times, but no more than that. As for Operation Eagle, as the name suggests there's a Federal air to the storyline: The President of the United States is missing, and your mission as Spec Ops Commander Adam Kane is to find her - or, as Microsoft's press release puts it, "capture" her. Sounds a bit like an undead version of 24 - or as it's otherwise known, Live Another Day. The Operation Eagle mission features five new weapons, a new combo weapon, a new vehicle, and of course some new rags to wear. It's the first of four major pieces of DLC announced for Dead Rising 3, all available via the $30 season pass. If you just want in for Operation Eagle, its standalone tag is $10.
The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 1 - All That Remains dated for Xbox 360
Season 2 of The Walking Dead premieres December 18 on Xbox 360, according to an update posted by Xbox spokesmajor Larry Hyrb today. That means Episode 1: All That Remains will be available on the Xbox Games Store next week, priced at $5. A season pass is due on the same date, priced $15, likely comprising access to the next four episodes. Developer Telltale Games hasn't confirmed any release dates for the opening episode, but its Steam listing notes it as available on December 17. The zombified adventure is due on PC, Mac, iOS, and "home consoles" this month, and will bite into Ouya at some point too. Hyrb's post also notes there'll be a Walking Dead sale on the Xbox Games Store around release time, in case anyone needs to catch up on Season 1. Episodes 2-5 of the opening season will be discounted by 66 percent between the 17th and 23rd of this month.
PSA: Blood Dragon puts the Cyber into Xbox's Cyber Monday sale
There are no surprises in the Xbox Cyber Monday sale, with today's deals lining up as announced last week. That said, there are at least a couple of offers worth highlighting, including one for the most appropriate game this Cyber Monday: Far Cry 3 - Blood Dragon. The standalone follow-up to Far Cry 3 is at 75 percent off, meaning you can gorge on all its 80s cyber-cheddar for $3.74. That's the standout deal to us, but the excellent Dark Souls at just $5 is not far off it. Other nods go to Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher 2, and L.A. Noire, each of those going for $7.49, and to co-op beat-em-up Battleblock Theater, which is down to $4.94. For the full list of one-day-only cyber-discounts, head over to Xbox.com.
Borderlands 2 gets Wattle Gobbler next week, third Headhunter DLC next month
Borderlands 2 players can get their collective teeth into a second Headhunter pack next week, when The Horrible Hunger of the Ravenous Wattle Gobbler launches on November 26. Gearbox is serving it up on Steam, Xbox 360, and PS3 at the digestible price of $3. The third Headhunter DLC, titled How Marcus Saved Mercenary Day, is due in December. As the name suggests there's a Thanksgiving air to the Wattle Gobbler DLC, with the head you're hunting this time belonging to a giant turkey. Should you succeed, you'll earn new character heads and skins as gaudy emblems of your seasonal success, you monster, you.
Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Episode 1 takes the plunge next month
Burial at Sea Episode 1 is dated for November 12, and the second piece of BioShock Infinite DLC will be available to download on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for $14.99 (or as part of the season pass). A friendly reminder, citizen: This is the first episode of the two-part Burial at Sea saga, and the second currently-in-development episode remains without a date or release window. It's tough to go deep (ho ho ho) into Burial at Sea without spoilers, but if you can take a modicum of spoilage, check out our video preview of Booker's underwater undertaking.
PSA: Halo 3 deployed on Xbox Live Games with Gold, available now
Halo 3 is available now on Xbox Live Games with Gold, meaning Gold members can download the game for free until the end of the month. If you've yet to finish the fight (really?), or you just want to finish it all over again, now's the time, Chief.
The Wolf Among Us howls a launch trailer
The next graphic adventure series from the studio behind The Walking Dead makes for the streets this week. You can pick up the first episode of The Wolf Among Us, Telltale Games' adaptation of the Fables comics series, starting Friday, October 11. It'll be available then on Xbox 360 and PC, while a North American PS3 version is set to arrive a few days later on October 15. The first episode costs $5, but if you want to go all-in on the five-episode season, it's $20 on PS3 and Xbox 360. A Steam pre-purchase of the season knocks 10 percent off the asking price, taking it down to $22.49.
Time-tinkering platformer Constant C to land on Xbox 360 next spring
5pb Games (aka Mages) is bringing puzzle platformer Constant C to Xbox 360 in Spring 2014, though there's no word on the recently Greenlighted Steam version. The game's Steam Community page also promises Mac and Linux versions "in the near future." Constant C, already out on Windows PC via Desura, is based in a space station where time suddenly freezes - anything goes in space. The puzzling comes from making objects move through time, as well as some gravity shifting that's a little reminiscent of And Yet it Moves. As for the Xbox Live version, 5pb promises some "console-specific enhancements" such as revamped localization. There's no word yet on price, but the PC version goes for $10.
BioShock Infinite down to $20 on Xbox Games Store
The price of a ticket to reach the floating city of Columbia just got a whole lot cheaper. If you're looking to play Irrational Games' latest, BioShock Infinite, the game has been reduced to $20 on the Xbox Games Store. There's no telling whether this is a permanent price reduction or limited-time sale, so if you're interested, you may want to act fast. BioShock Infinite launched earlier this year and has since issued one DLC pack, the Clash in the Clouds arena combat pack. Another add-on episode, Burial at Sea, is also in the works and takes players down to Andrew Ryan's underwater metropolis Rapture – the setting for the first BioShock game.
Microsoft: First 'ID@Xbox' games in early 2014
Corporate VP Phil Harrison says the indie games launched through Microsoft's Xbox One initiative are likely to show up starting in early 2014, following "an avalanche of interest" in the ID@Xbox program introduced last month. Now it's simply a matter of poring over all of the applications and getting the console shipped out to developers. "I don't think we're going to see things at launch. I don't think it's realistic to see a developer get the programme and build a game and get it into the market on November 22," Harrison told GI.biz. "It's reasonable to expect in early 2014 we'll start seeing the first games come through." The goal for Microsoft is to eventually enable all retail Xbox One consoles to double as development kits for self-publishing. As for indie games on Xbox One, they won't be segregated from the big AAA games – indie games can utilize Achievements and all the pricing freedom available to any other game on the Xbox Games Store. The Xbox One will be available on November 22.
Fable Anniversary delayed to February 2014
Fable Anniversary won't cluck in until February next year after Lionhead Studios pushed back its due date today. In a blog post, Lead Designer Ted Timmins didn't give a reason for the delay to the chicken-kickin' remake, originally announced for this holiday, but noted that when Anniversary does arrive it will be available both online and at retail. Lionhead unveiled Anniversary in June as an HD revamp of Fable and its Lost Chapters expansion. Anniversary won't look to just improve the visuals, but also the user interface, loading times, controls, save system, and other features.
Girl Fight hits XBLA this month
Girl Fight will finally fill the void of games featuring scantily-clad women beating each other up when it comes to Xbox Live Arcade on September 25. Majesco first announced the 3D fighter with a to-the-point press release back in February 2012. Developed by Kung Fu Factory, Girl Fight features local and online multiplayer for two combatants, and online leaderboards, too. It's also coming to PSN sometime this fall.
2D co-op brawler Final Exam penciled in for November
Final Exam, formerly Obscure, will bring its mix of survival horror and 2D co-op action to the Xbox 360 Games Store, PlayStation Network, and PC on November 8. Final Exam is tied to Hydravision's perhaps ironically named Obscure horror series, developer Mighty Rocket Studio formed from the French team's ashes. Mighty Rocket promises "many allusions" to the Obscure series in Final Exam, despite the switch to sidescrolling brawling. Final Exam was first expected back in the spring, so hopefully the extra development time translates into a stronger game. The trailer suggests some promise, at least, and as long as Final Exam applies itself well in the coming months, it may well make the grade.
Demowatch: Diablo 3, FIFA 14, PES 2014, Etrian Odyssey Untold
What do Diablo 3, FIFA 14, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, and Etrian Odyssey Untold have in common? Fantastically little, really, they're drastically different games after all - well, apart from FIFA 14 and PES 2014. Not our best riddle, frankly. Oh wait: They all have demos coming out soon! Diablo 3 on consoles, FIFA 14 and PES 2014 get theirs this week, while 3DS RPG Etrian Odyssey Untold receives an eShop demo on September 16. The Diablo 3 demo is out now on Xbox Live (as a Gold-exclusive), and hits PlayStation Network later today. The demo goes as far as the Skeleton King, the action-RPG's first boss, and features all five Hero classes and both local and online multiplayer. Meanwhile, the FIFA 14 demo has already kicked off on PC and XBL, taking to the field on PSN later today. It lets you play as one of eight teams: Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris St. Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls, and Boca Juniors. As for the PES 2014 demo, it's out on XBL now too, and should hit PSN today. Bear in mind, Euro-folk, PSN tradition is for updates there on Wednesday, so FIFA 14, PES 2014 and Diablo 3 demos may arrive then. However, EA Community Manager Rob Hodson tweeted this morning to say the FIFA 14 demo could hit today, around 5PM UK time.
State of Decay to hit Steam Early Access in 'a couple of weeks'
Early Access to the zombifed landscape of State of Decay is coming in a "couple of weeks." Undead Labs Director of Community Samya Weathers said this week that there's no exact date for the keyboard-only Steam Early Access version, while the full keyboard-and-mouse game is still due for the PC portal later this year. If you're wondering what Undead Labs is planning beyond State of Decay, including its posited MMO sequel Class4, the Seattle-based studio is working that all out right now. "Discussions of future games are ongoing," said Weathers. "As in, going on now. Thank you from the bottom of all our hearts here at the Lab for making SoD a success, or these conversations wouldn't be happening!" State of Decay passed 500,000 sales shortly after hitting Xbox Live Arcade, and it looks like it's nearing the million mark; we see 938,000-plus players registered on the leaderboards. That's why those conversations are happening.
Former Cave head Asada working on Xbox One game at Mages
Makoto Asada is developing an unannounced Xbox One game at Mages/5pb, having left his job as head of shoot-em-up specialist Cave to work on the next-gen project. Asada moved on from Cave back in June after five years at the studio, having helped produce Guwange, EspGaluda 2, Akai Katana, and Deathsmiles among plenty of other games. Details on Asada's Xbox One game are sparse, but Dengeki Online (via Gematsu) does report it'll be packaged, and that more info should be forthcoming shortly. Mages also announced it's publishing Constant C, a 2D action-puzzle game that was one of the 100 recently Greenlighted on Steam. Mages is bringing Constant C to Xbox 360 as a downloadable game in early 2014, although it's unclear if that'll be limited to Japan or not.
Xbox Live Marketplace rebranded as Xbox Games Store
The Xbox Live Marketplace has a new name to go with its brand new console: the Xbox Games Store. As visible on the Xbox homepage, the Xbox 360's online marketplace was rebranded this week ahead of the Xbox One's launch in November. When approached to confirm the rebranding, a Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq, "That's right, [Xbox Live Marketplace] is now called the Xbox Games Store, and will sit alongside the Xbox Music Store and Xbox Video Store. This is to make it easier for consumers to find content both on Xbox 360 today and Xbox One when it launches in November." Given all the pre-Xbox One streamlining going on, including the switch to real-world currency on Xbox Live, a new moniker for the Xbox 360's online marketplace (and soon to be the Xbox One's) is not a big surprise and maybe not the biggest news either. Still, it does mean after nearly eight years we have to say sayonara to Xbox Live Marketplace, a name that sort of rolled off the tongue in an after-eight-years-it-really-should way.
