xcom-enemy-unknown
Latest
XCOM: Enemy Unknown PC download on sale at Amazon
Commander, you'll find a wave of new recruits joining you soon. Thanks to a special XCOM initiative promotion, we're opening our doors like never before in an attempt to bolster our ranks against the enemy threat in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, offering enlistment via Amazon for $16.50.Look, we don't want to say you're doing a bad job, it's just – well have you looked out your window lately, Commander? Oh, right, you're underground, sorry. Just know that there are aliens everywhere now, we could really use the extra muscle and the council thinks this is a solid move for a positive monthly report in March.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown coming to Mac
Good day, Commander. If you've been unable to experience XCOM: Enemy Unknown due to an allegiance for programs that run on OSX, your wait will soon be over. The award-winning turn-based strategy game is on its way to Mac in an "elite edition," which bundles all previously released downloadable content, including the Slingshot and Elite Solidier packs, along with the second wave update.XCOM took the silver in our 2012 Game of the Year awards. We've followed up with publisher 2K Games for a narrower release window on the Mac edition.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown headed to Mac in Elite Edition
Strategy game fans got some great news today with the announcement that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is coming to Mac (can we please call it "OS XCOM" now?) this spring. The highly rated game from Civilization developer Firaxis is being ported to OS X by Feral Interactive from last October's PC release. Dubbed the Elite Edition, the Mac version will include three DLC add-ons: Slingshot, Elite Soldier and Second Wave. Pricing and an exact release date will be confirmed closer to launch. A reboot of the classic X-COM: UFO Defense, which was released in 1994 by MicroProse, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based title that sees players commanding a squad of elite soldiers in combat against extraterrestrial threats. The game also includes a base building element where players expand their secret XCOM headquarters, research alien technology and train their forces before sending them into battle. [Via MacRumors]
Abduct XCOM: Enemy Unknown PC for $16
If for some reason you still haven't let XCOM: Enemy Unknown get its sharp, slimy hooks into you, Green Man Gaming has a heckuva deal on the PC version. Already discounted to $20, you can knock it all the way down to 16 bucks with the coupon code GMG20-P4DLK-FKYRS.We suggest you use the savings on building satellites. Like, as many as possible. Always.
Download XCOM for $25 from Amazon
In turn-based strategy terms, here's how to acquire XCOM: Enemy Unknown for $25. Order your browser to go to this Amazon link. Spend 25 money units to purchase and download the PC version XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Alien Activity Play XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Rejoice over substantial savings.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown now on Xbox Games on Demand
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is available now from the the Xbox Marketplace's Games on Demand section. All it will cost you is a sectoid arm and a muton foot, which converts roughly to $59.99 (in the United States).For those not stuck in underground bunkers while the planet is under attack, more cost-effective hard copy options can be delivered to your door for $10 less (or more). But how you want to go spending your hard-earned alien limbs for one of the best games of last year is your choice, Commander.
XCOM's 'Second Wave' DLC available today, adds new gameplay options
Today marks the announcement and release of XCOM's second batch of DLC, "Second Wave," on all available platforms. The new content comes via a free update, adding multiple new options designed to appeal to players looking for a new and different challenge. Specifically, the update adds a new menu of options that significantly alter the way XCOM is played.Damage Roulette, for example, gives all weapons a much wider range of damage – potentially stealing a killing blow or possibly bestowing a last ditch pistol shot with extra punch. Another option, Not Created Equally, gives all rookie soldiers random stats, while Hidden Potential causes stats to increase randomly with each promotion. Firaxis designer Jake Solomon tells Joystiq these options allow for more versatile soldiers, even some that go against the grain of their classes. Heavies with incredible accuracy? It could happen.%Gallery-175173%
Steam's Holiday Encore Weekend reprises discounts on Dishonored, XCOM and more
Steam's Holiday Encore Weekend has kicked off, and it's essentially the digitally distributed PC gaming equivalent of one of those Top 40 best-of compilation CDs: Now That's What I Call The Best of Steam's 2012 Holiday Sale, Vol. 1.Running until 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday, January 7, the sale encompasses much of Joystiq's 2012 Game of the Year list, including The Walking Dead, Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, as well as a few of our favorite games from last year, such as Skyrim and Saints Row: The Third. There's 24 deals in all, some of which span multiple games in a franchise, like the Batman, Borderlands and Portal sales. We doubt this compilation will see a Vol. 2, however, so best "get while the gettin's good," as our southern grandmothers would have said.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2012: XCOM: Enemy Unknown
In the ultimate showdown of "us versus them," your decisions will determine the fate of countless soldiers, the XCOM project, Earth and, oh yeah, humanity. No pressure, Commander.XCOM: Enemy Unknown doesn't just update and re-imagine a classic PC game for a new generation. It executes on bringing a deep strategy game to consoles without skipping a beat. Developer Firaxis is well-known for creating accessible epic-scale strategy through its Civilization series. In XCOM it applies those skills acquired over a very long career – talents that went underappreciated with Civilization: Revolution – and streamlines the strategy genre to a point where everyone can feel welcome, and aficionados of the genre can recognize the brilliance in the simplicity.%Gallery-167636%
Steam Holiday Sale, day 9: Assassin's Creed, Prototype, Left 4 Dead franchises and more
The majority of mainstream shopping holidays have now reached a complete stop, but the sales live on – especially in the case of Valve's annual Steam Holiday Sale, which today enters its ninth day of dealing out discounted digital sundries.PC gamers can save 25 to 75 percent on every game in the Assassin's Creed series, 75/50 percent off Prototype and Prototype 2 respectively, get Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for a cold dead $7.49, Limbo for a spooky $2.49, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion for an astronomically low $13.59 and Just Cause 2 for a justified $3.74.Yesterday's deals also remain active for another 20 hours or so, including LA Noire for $4.99, FTL for $4.99 and 33 percent off XCOM: Enemy Unknown. As always, flash sales and community choice sales change throughout the day.
Steam sale continues with great deals on FTL, XCOM, and more
There are only four days left in 2012 after today, which means you're running out of chances to save money on games this year. Steam understands this, and today's iteration of sale prices is designed to help you pick up some of the best games of 2012 for super cheap.FTL, the great indie space roguelike, is down to $4.99, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown is at $33.49.Elsewhere, award winner The Walking Dead is only $12.49, the ambitious Spec Ops: The Line is available for $10.19, and retro dungeon RPG Legend of Grimrock is $3.74, which is less than that carton of eggnog you polished off last weekend.
XCOM Memorial Wall on Facebook dedicated to fallen soldiers, friends
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a brutal lesson in life, love and the fragility of human flesh. Your squad members will die, dozens of them, while you are forced to watch in omniscient yet helpless real-time. Each game has its own graveyard, though if you want to share your losses with the world, there's an app for that.The XCOM Memorial Wall on Facebook hosts all of the fallen soldiers added by mournful players. Add yours by simply clicking that big button on the top and filling out the appropriate assets. Turns out Facebook can be used for some pretty cool (and heart-wrenching) things, after all.
PSA: Skyrim, XCOM, Max Payne 3 DLC available today
It's a big day for big games to get comparatively smaller add-ons.The Skyrim "Dragonborn" DLC launches today on Xbox 360; you'll have to wait until next year to play it on PS3 and PC. XCOM: Enemy Unknown players on all platforms can recruit Zhang today in the "Slingshot" DLC. And Max Payne 3 players can unearth the title character's "Painful Memories" with a set of new multiplayer maps and weapons, though he'd probably prefer leaving them repressed.He's kind of a downer as it is.
Assaulting an alien battleship as a Triad defector in XCOM: Enemy Unknown's 'Slingshot' DLC
You probably remember the day that your best friend died on the field of battle in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. One of the coolest features of the Firaxis-developed remake is the ability to customize the names of individual soldiers that make up your army of alien-stompers, fostering a strong connection that adds weight to a soldier's permanent demise. It's unexpected, then, that for its first downloadable content in the rebooted XCOM universe – dubbed 'Slingshot' – Firaxis has decided to create a completely fictional character as its star.Zhang is a member of the Chinese Triad who defects over to XCOM when he comes to recognize the magnitude of the threat that the world faces. He's introduced in Slingshot's first mission via cutscene, a heavily scarred, besuited tough guy who stands as motionless as the Foo Dog statues that surround him.The Triad defector is a civilian in the first mission, a neutered unit that must be escorted by XCOM forces to a nearby evac location situated close to your Chinese cemetery rendezvous point. Alien forces attack from all sides, same as it ever was, and only tactical thinking sees you through. You'll probably think more than once "Why can't I just hand this Triad fellow a gun and tell him to point it at the invaders?"That opportunity comes later, as Zhang's defector status puts him on the outs with his former bosses. Complete the first Slingshot mission and your Triad buddy joins XCOM as a Heavy. He's just like any other soldier save for the fact that his name and appearance are locked. You don't even need to bring him along on the two Slingshot missions that follow, though his high stats might compel you to do so anyway.%Gallery-172363%
GameFly offers 20% off Black Friday discounted digital PC titles this weekend
GameFly has posted its sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday on digital PC games, and there are quite a few healthy discounts in there, on big PC titles from this year and last. And even beyond the prices on the website, you can use the code NOV20OFF for an extra 20 percent off these already discounted titles. We've got deals on deals here, people!You can look through the whole list of prices on GamerDeals, but the standouts are probably XCOM: Enemy Unknown for just $37.49, Dishonored for $29.99, Torchlight 2 for just $14.99, and Spec Ops: The Line and The Darkness 2 for $7.49 each.Only on Black Friday, you can grab Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning also for $7.49, and Hotline Miami is that same price on Saturday. And on Friday and Monday only, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is $24.99. All those prices are before the code discount, too, so if you need to stock up on PC titles, GameFly seems like one of the best ways to do so.
NPD: Dishonored sold 460K in October, XCOM hit 114K
October had two scrappy underdogs in Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The meticulous murder-em-up sold 460,200 units, according to the NPD, while the XCOM revamp from Firaxis sold 114,000 units.Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown launched on October 9 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC and through digital distribution, and later shared shelf space with big hitters like Assassin's Creed 3, NBA 2K13, Forza Horizon and NBA Baller Beats (kidding).The NPD only chronicles boxed retail sales in North America, so we don't have a full picture of the sales performance of either Dishonored or XCOM: Enemy Unknown. We already followed up with 2K for XCOM specifics, but the publisher told us it does not "comment on sales figures."
XCOM patch to solve roof visibility issues, make easy mode easier
Firaxis will soon be beaming down a patch for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The update should fix a number of issues, notably "abductor roof visibility problems," one of the game's more annoying headaches. Inaccessible SHIVs should also be addressed. A number of other fixes will be made as well, including better multiplayer connectivity and solutions for certain states that would make the game hang.And some good news for XCOM beginners: Easy difficulty will be made easier. Also of note, the patch will not address an issue where players who beat the game are greeted by a defeat screen. Firaxis is aware of the issue and looking into it.The patch is slated for all platforms "soon."
Borderlands 2 has shipped 5M units to date, XCOM a 'critical and commercial success'
Gearbox Software's Borderlands 2 has shipped 5 million units to date, Take-Two interactive announced this morning in its second quarter financials. The company also noted that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is "proving to be a critical and commercial success." Both games are remarked as having "strong digital sales.""Take-Two's second quarter revenue and earnings exceeded our outlook, driven by the breakout success of 2K's Borderlands 2 and robust demand for our catalog and digitally delivered offerings," noted Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. "Moreover, with Grand Theft Auto 5 slated for spring 2013, we are poised to generate substantial revenue and earnings growth in fiscal year 2014."Both Borderlands 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown currently hold near 90 Metacritic ratings.
Firaxis talks future XCOM content, 'Slingshot' DLC announced
2K Games and Firaxis have announced the first downloadable content for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Entitled "Slingshot," the DLC packs in three new Council missions with a unique story arc. The story takes place in China and, says designer Ananda Gupta, revolves around a "badass Triad operative named Zhang." Said badass will be a playable character and, unlike other XCOM soldiers, will feature a pre-designed face and a unique voice.We spoke with Gupta and Firaxis producer Garth DeAngelis to learn a little more about the Slingshot DLC and the developer's future plans for XCOM: Enemy Unknown.%Gallery-167636%
The Daily Grind: Are you into squad-based MMOs?
With the recent releases of XCOM Enemy Unknown and Pirate101, we've seen the rebirth of enthusiasm for turn-based squad strategy titles. While conventional MMO wisdom says that you bond most strongly with an individual avatar, there seems to be plenty of folks who really dig being in charge of entire teams. Personally, I love squad-based games and always have. I think they allow for the possibility of permadeath (of a single team member) while not hitting the reset button on everything, and that feels like a good compromise. Plus, I usually assign personalities to each member and enjoy feeling that they're growing together through all of these adverse circumstances. So what about you: Are you into squad-based MMOs? Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future? 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!
