S. Prell
Articles by S. Prell
Rosalina amiibo exclusive to the Target Galaxy
Lucario, Shulk and Meta Knight aren't the only amiibo figures to sign exclusivity deals with various retailers across the country; now Princess Rosalina and her Luma buddy (which are packaged together as one figure) will also take some extra effort to track down. According to an online listing, the figure - which is due for release in February - will be sold exclusively at Target. Who knows how popular this particular amiibo will end up being or how many units Nintendo will ship, but if it's got your eye, it might behoove you to grab it while you can; Nintendo recently announced that, while the company may return select amiibo to shelves after their first run has sold out, "other [less popular] figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment." [Image: Nintendo]
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a last-minute shopper
Confession time, readers: I have hardly done any Christmas shopping. Only a handful of people on my list are completely taken care of, meaning I still have a bevvy of brothers, sisters, step-family, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and one very sweet grandmother (Hi Grandma!) to buy gifts for. Part of this is due to simply not knowing what they would like (I refuse to buy gift cards), but I'll admit I could have been more proactive and not procrastinated as much as I have. Still, that makes this coming week very exciting to me. I like the challenge of trying to find the right gifts, and I also enjoy the mass of shoppers seen at the local mall. It forces me to sometimes think outside the gift box, so to speak, and come up with unique ideas for a present. But what about you? Did you line up outside your favorite store for Black Friday and close out your shopping early, or are you taking your sweet time like me? Maybe neither, and all your gifts are handmade? Tell us your thoughts on the shopping season below, after you vote for this week's favorite webcomic! Penny Arcade (The Elucidator) MGDMT (I just got DA:I ... ) Critical Miss (Target Audience) ReadySoup (Nathan Beefcake) Ctrl+Alt+Del (Console War, p36) Awkward Zombie (Gnostic)
PlayStation Plus' free games totaled more than $1,300 in value per subscription this year
Sony would, of course, like you to see its PlayStation Plus service as a bargain, but how much value does it really add to your gaming life? Well, according to data compiled by UK publication Push Square, quite a lot, actually. After combing through the 2014 selection of games offered as part of the service's Instant Game Collection, Push Square reports that Sony offered $1,349.29 worth of games in North America, and £960.64 worth of games in Europe. Now, there are some caveats to this data. While the games themselves are free to add to your collection and free to play while you have a current PS Plus subscription ($50 for a year in the US), once your subscription lapses you'll lose access to said games. Push Square's numbers also do not separate games by system, so you only got the full, $1,349.29 value of games if you owned a PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and a PlayStation Vita. Still, considering that the average monthly Metacritic score (factoring in all games) was 79 for the US and 78 in Europe, as well as the fact that PS Plus also grants subscribers access to discounts, giveaways, Share Play and online multiplayer on PS4, it's not a bad deal. And that's how you (possibly) saved more than $1,200 in 12 months on your game collection. [Image: Sony]
DayZ creator unveils new studio, RocketWerkz
Dean "Rocket" Hall has accomplished several great feats in his life; alongside creating the popular mod DayZ, which helped kickstart the survival genre of games, and conquering Earth's tallest boss (you may know it as Mount Everest), he can now add "starting his own studio" to his list of achievements. RocketWerkz is the name, and it'll be where Hall makes his games. Hall announced the news via Twitter, telling any prospective "programmers, artists, etc." to email him their information, noting that initial jobs would be on-site in Dunedin, New Zealand. Hall told Eurogamer in June that he wanted to create "a Valve in the South Pacific, if Valve focused on making games and not making Steam." Hall also said that he'll make himself available as work continues on the standalone version of DayZ, even after his departure from former employer Bohemia Interactive. [Image: Dean Hall]
Killer Instinct update 2.2 brings raptors and reindeer
Killer Instinct for Xbox One is about to get a cup of Christmas cheer with patch 2.2, which will bring holiday-themed costumes for fighters TJ Combo, Orchid and Sabrewulf, as well as the re-introduction of Riptor, a fighter from the game's original 1994 release. Players who own Orchid or play as her when she is part of the free character rotation will be able to do battle decked in holly jolly red-and-green stockings. Those who have purchased the Ultra edition of Killer Instinct's Season One will also be able to equip Orchid with oversized candy canes, as well as place reindeer antlers and a red nose on Sabrewulf's adorable face. If you own the Ultra edition of Season Two, you'll be able to give TJ Combo a white beard and Santa hat. As for the return of Riptor, developer Iron Galaxy states on the Killer Instinct forums that they are aiming to release her from captivity on December 17 for Ultra edition owners, and December 23 for Combo edition owners. "Full transparency: we hit an issue in Cert that paused us long enough to put the date in slight risk. SLIGHT," creative director at Microsoft Studios Adam Isgreen wrote. "We are all good to land it as long as there are no further hiccups." The cybernetic dinosaur will also receive a trailer to show off her unique talents on Monday, but just looking at her, we have no doubts about her lethality. Sheesh, where's Chris Pratt when you need him? [Image: Microsoft]
GX3 takes place in San Jose next December, tickets on sale
GX3 - or "The Convention Formerly Known As GaymerX" - will be held December 11-13 at the San Jose Marriott, located in (good guess!) San Jose, California, according to an update on the event's Kickstarter page. Those looking to secure their place at the convention can purchase tickets at an Early Bird discount via the GX3 Eventbrite page; prices range from $70 to $595, depending on how much swag and extra access you'd like to go with your three-day pass. Founded in 2013 as GaymerX, a convention aimed at creating a safe space for LGBT gamers, the event has since shifted its message to inclusivity of all (though non-LGBT people were never barred from attendance). Hence the new title and subtitle for the 2015 convention: "GX3: Everyone Games." The 2015 event seemed unlikely after issues arose concerning a donation, but that dispute was quickly settled. At the same time, other companies such as Devolver Digital chipped in, helping the organizers secure funding. Joystiq attended GaymerX2 in July - did you come out and see us? [Image: GaymerX]
The Iron Banner returns to Destiny on December 16
Raids, strikes, missions and console-exclusive content aren't the only things heralding the arrival of Destiny's first expansion, The Dark Below. Lord Saladin and The Iron Lords will return to Destiny's PvP mode, the Crucible, for another round of the Iron Banner event on December 16. Bungie Community Manager David "DeeJ" Dague detailed the news - along with plenty of other updates, such as fixes, tweaks and clarifications about how gear will work once The Dark Below is available - as part of the Bungie Weekly Update. DeeJ wrote that while more details about "the experiments happening in the PvP labs" are still incoming, players should know now that participating in the Iron Banner event gives them a chance to earn level 31 gear (the current level cap is 30), and that participants do not need to own The Dark Below to compete. The Iron Banner event, like much of Destiny's content, has seen several major changes throughout its lifespan. After high-level players complained about not feeling powerful enough in relation to low-level players, Bungie introduced "Iron Banner 2.0," which was received better. Whispers of Iron Banner 3 say it features a major villain who turns out to be a red herring thrown in to distract from the fact that the plot is actually adapted from the "Extremis" storyline. Or are we thinking of some other, iron-related trilogy? [Image: Activision]
Loadout brings mayhem and a skin pack to PS4 December 16
Practice your war face while you can, PlayStation 4 owners, because it won't be long before Edge of Reality, developers of hyperviolent shooter Loadout, will want to see it in action. The studio's popular game launches on PS4 December 16. Of course, simply launching on a new platform isn't enough; you have to throw in some goodies for the faithful customers picking up the product. Hence, Edge of Reality is adding a SuperFan Bonus Pack - unique to PlayStation Plus members - that colors the Loadout crew in blue and white warpaint. Loadout will be free to download and play when it launches. [Image: Edge of Reality]
PlanetSide 2 PS4 beta sign-ups are live, soldier
Last month, it was reported that Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 would make it to the PlayStation 4 by year's end as a playable beta. We're quickly closing in on the end of that release window, but there's still hope: sign-ups for the PS4-flavored PlanetSide 2 beta went live this week, meaning you can now put your name in the proverbial space-hat for a chance to participate in large-scale interplanetary warfare. Simply head over to the PS4 branch of the PlanetSide 2 website and enter your email address if you'd like to enlist. Doing so will grant you this message: "Thank you for submitting your email address! We will keep you updated as we prepare to launch PlanetSide 2 on the PS4." [Image: Sony Online Entertainment]
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is celebrating an anniversary
Sure, it might not be the Weekly Webcomic Wrapup's anniversary or Joystiq's anniversary, but you'll notice I didn't specify which anniversary I'm celebrating in the headline. Besides, crashing someone else's party is totally acceptable, especially when they invite you and give out as many goodies as Sony and the PlayStation brand did today during the first-ever PlayStation Experience, which coincided with the PlayStation's 20th anniversary. There's honestly so much news that to go over it here would take up too much of your time, so instead let's talk about the concept of anniversaries - unless you missed our coverage and need to see what the PlayStation Experience was all about, in which case click up above for a backlink to this weekend's coverage. What was a meaningful anniversary to you, and why? Doesn't even need to be gaming related, but if so that's fine too. Personally, I still fondly recall Sonic's 10th anniversary and the release of Sonic Adventure 2, even if it did give us Shadow the Hedgehog. But what about you? Share your anniversary stories after the break, right after you vote for this week's best webcomic! Penny Arcade (Recursor) Critical Miss (The Task At Hand) ReadySoup (Booty Evolved Into Patootie) Ctrl+Alt+Del (Pip Pip) Awkward Zombie (Investigation Station) Nerd Rage (Super Subtitle Bros) VG Cats (Penwings)
Evil Within gets 1GB update to fix bugs, improve performance
If you were looking to experience a nightmare before Christmas, perhaps you looked to your Xbox One or PS4 and a copy of Bethesda's The Evil Within. If you bumped into not just hordes of monstrous killers but also gameplay-impacting bugs and glitches, good news: the game has received a 1GB patch to address those problems, though a posting on the Bethesda blog fails to detail exactly what has been fixed. "The ... update covers minor bug fixes and optimizations," a post reads. When asked exactly what that meant in the comments, Bethesda reiterated that these were "general technical improvements and bug fixing." Well, that certainly clears things up. Near the end of October, The Evil Within received another, larger patch that significantly improved technical performance. Whether this patch changes the experience as much, we'll leave for you to decide. [Image: Bethesda]
PewDiePie and Let's Plays at center of latest South Park
"The living room is dying," Kyle Broflovski solemnly states in this week's episode of South Park, as he loudly longs for the days when he and his brother Ike would spend their days together, playing Call of Duty and other video games. See, Ike isn't interested in playing games anymore. He's interested in watching YouTube stars like PewDiePie play and make commentary. Following up on episodes like "Freemium Isn't Free" and "Grounded Vindaloop" which also explored aspects of video games and game culture, "#REHASH" is the episode for anyone who just doesn't get what the big deal is with Let's Play personalities like PewDiePie. Watch the episode and see what we mean, bros. [Image: Comedy Central]
Pre-orders for 20th anniversary limited edition PS4 now live [Update: It's gone]
You can now pre-order Sony's limited edition PlayStation 4 designed to celebrate the PlayStation brand's 20th anniversary by heading to Sony's online store and throwing down $500. Better hurry though, as there are only 12,300 of these special gray consoles to be purchased, and we imagine enthusiasm for such an item will run high. Update: Well, that didn't take long. Less than 12 hours after pre-orders went live, the entirety of the 20th Anniversary Edition PS4 stock has been claimed. [Image: Sony]
Final Fantasy 7 coming to the PS4, not a full remake
An upscaled version of Final Fantasy 7 is coming to the PlayStation 4 in spring of 2015, Square Enix announced as part of the PlayStation Experience keynote. While this is good news for Final Fantasy and PlayStation fans, it's not the oft-rumored, infamous full remake of FF7 that many have clamored for. Instead, it is the currently-available PC version, ported to the PS4. [Image: Square Enix]
Yakuza 5 coming to western PlayStations in 2015
The Yakuza series is headed west. Sony announced during its PlayStation Experience keynote that Yakuza 5 will be coming to stateside PlayStation 3 systems next year, while Yakuza 4 and Yakuza: Dead Souls (both previously available in disc form for the PS3) will be available on the PSN starting this week. [Image: Sega]
Take a look, Lionhead prototype Inkquest is in a book (and free)
Fable Legends isn't the only game that's been cooking in the labs of Lionhead Studios. A game called Inkquest, which told the story of a girl trapped inside a book, was revealed back in September - though it was only a prototype and not destined to become a full-fledged game. Still, the concept and gameplay were at a point where the project was playable, so Lionhead has released the unfinished build for free to PC users. "This is the exact build that was featured in the [September] video - we haven't developed it any further," the company posted to their blog this week. "As such, there's bugs and rough edges, and none of the gameplay, visuals or features should be considered 'done.' That's the caveaty bit. Please do let us know what you think all the same – just bear in mind it's little more than a 'sketch,' and should be viewed as such." Inkquest comes from Lionhead Incubation, a department within Lionhead aimed at giving players a better look at the inner workings and incomplete projects of the studio. "We want the community to share in our failures-that-are-not-failures, and so over time we're going to be sharing some of those ideas with you, hopefully evolving into a regular cycle of interesting things for you to see or play," the company wrote in September. [Image: Lionhead]
Changes to Steam gift rules aim to deter resellers
Were you planning to purchase a game on Steam and then trade said game for another this holiday season? Well, you may want to plan ahead. Valve changed the rules regarding how Steam users can trade games purchased as gifts this week, making gifted titles untradeable for 30 days. "All new games purchased as a gift and placed in the purchaser's inventory will be untradeable for 30 days," Valve wrote in a recent announcement post. "We've made this change to make trading gifts a better experience for those receiving the gifts. We're hoping this lowers the number of people who trade for a game only to have the game revoked later due to issues with the purchaser's payment method." In other words, this is an attempt to curb the number of people who purposefully use fraudulent payment details to buy Steam keys in bulk and sell or trade them away, as users who purchase or trade for such a game have their access revoked once the payment fails. A gift that is not being traded can still be gifted at any time, Valve clarifies in the post; the only change is to how trades function. [Image: Valve]
Broken Age's second act slips to early 2015
Double Fine's Broken Age raised $3.3 million on Kickstarter back in 2012, but creator and studio founder Tim Schafer admitted last year that he wrote a game "so big that it would need even more money." Thus, Broken Age was split in twain, and the funds raised from sales of the first act helped fund the creation of the second act, which was due to arrive before year's end. Now, the release date for the conclusion of Broken Age has shifted to early 2015, according to producer Greg Rice. "The goal now is to get all the finale work done so we can hit Alpha on all of Act 2 by the end of the year. That means, as you may have guessed based on recent updates and documentary episodes, the Act 2 ship that will deliver the complete adventure is now looking like it will be early next year," Rice wrote on the Double Fine forums. "The game is looking really good and the team is working super fast, but we just gotta give the game the time it needs to really deliver on everything we're hoping it will be." Double Fine had to let go of 12 of its employees last week, when an unannounced project with an unnamed publisher fell through. Schafer told Gamasutra at the time that despite the setback in staffing, the development of Broken Age would not be impacted. [Image: Double Fine]
Development costs for This War of Mine covered in two days
This War of Mine presents a different vision of war than many gamers may be used to, trading QTEs and pew-pew 'splosions for somber reflection and grim analysis of war's collateral damage. And yet, despite its dreary, depressing atmosphere, developer 11 Bit Studios is likely smiling wide at the moment, as the game has sold enough copies within just 48 hours to cover development costs. 11 Bit revealed the good news in an infographic sent to Joystiq, along with a lot of other interesting information. For example, 11 Bit also revealed that while only 11 percent of players have beaten the game, 96 percent of the more than 2,700 user reviews recommend it. The gender gap is also minimal, as 56 percent of players were identified as male, while the remaining 46 percent were identified as female. To see the infographic in its entirety, read on after the break.
The answer to Star Citizen's $64M question: pets
As Star Citizen's number of crowdfunded dollars continues to climb, developer Chris Roberts and his team at Cloud Imperium Games continue to add new stretch goals to the game's development. This week, Roberts thanked his backers for pushing the game to $63 million raised, and revealed that if funds reach $64 million, the game will receive a pets system. "From Jones the Cat in Alien to the Battlestar Galactica's Daggit, pets have a place onboard starships ... and we want to give you that option in Star Citizen," Roberts writes. Pet options will include the familiar, terrestrial animals we already know and love (or should we say "wuv"?) as well as more "exotic" creatures. The stretch goal was added to Star Citizen's crowdfunding campaign in honor of the recently-deceased Paddington, a real-life dog who appeared in a video during the developer's initial drive for funds. [Image: Cloud Imperium Games]