S. Prell
Articles by S. Prell
Square Enix augments store with Cyber Monday sales
You may have survived Black Friday, but don't get cocky - America loves to shop, and a slew of online deals is about to invade the interwebs thanks to Cyber Monday. One such deal comes to us courtesy of Square Enix, which is cutting prices of items sold via its online store by 60 percent. There are more than 225 games, DLC packs and physical collectibles on sale, including games like Thief, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, Drakengard 3, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Tomb Raider. The deals end Monday evening at 11:59 Pacific. [Image: Square Enix]
The Force is strong with Weekly Webcomic Wrapup
Forget Black Friday, the real showstopper for me this week was the teaser for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens. I love the Star Wars universe and routinely remind people that my favorite game of all time is, to this day, Star Wars Galaxies because it let me explore and live in a galaxy far, far away. So, taking a small breather from games for a second, what did you think of the teaser? (If you've yet to see it, go ahead and click that link in the firs paragraph). Anything stand out as particularly awesome/not-awesome? Are you a series veteran or will this be your first Star Wars film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, right after you vote for your favorite webcomic after the break! Penny Arcade (Iron Horse) MGDMT (This could be us but you playin) Critical Miss (The Tapestry) ReadySoup (Divine And Conquer) Ctrl+Alt+Del (Horsepool Lane) VG Cats (Meanwhile ... Last Week ... Sorry)
Classic Star Wars skins make the jump to Minecraft for Xbox
Did the teaser for JJ Abrams' Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens ... ahem ... awaken within you a burning nostalgia for the Star Wars franchise? If so, you're in luck: skins designed after Galactic Civil War-era Star Wars characters are now available for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Priced at $2.99, the Star Wars Classic Skins Pack features Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca and a lot of others (seriously, check out the full list after the break, 'cause it's 55 skins long). There's even a Jawa skin if you're feeling so inclined. Utini!
Kickstarter suspends funding of blood-collecting game device
A modified blood collection unit that draws blood from game players whenever their controller rumbles launched on Kickstarter earlier this month, but unfortunately for the Canadian duo behind the project (and video game-loving vampires everywhere), Kickstarter has suspended the project's funding drive. According to CNET, Kickstarter itself has stated that its policy on project suspensions is to offer no comment. The project creators told Joystiq in an email that they "don't have an answer yet" as to why they were suspended. "Our guesses are that perhaps it has to do with our tie in to medical equipment or charity, or safety concerns since we're not officially partnered with a blood clinic yet (but we're working on that)." The project creators claim on their page that, "by running carefully monitored tests with medical professionals, we've created a unit that makes blood donation easy, fun and nearly painless." However, none of the team involved are credited as said medical professionals. Instead, they are identified as "two dudes, who normally work as digital creative experts at advertising agencies, who took some time off."
Kojima to show new Metal Gear Online at The Game Awards
Just because legendary super spy Solid Snake tends to fly solo doesn't mean you have to: Metal Gear Online is coming back, reintroducing the deadly game of cats-and-also-cats to the Metal Gear series. To go along with this revelation, there's some good news and bad news. The bad news is we don't know anything else about this new version of MGO yet. The good news is we won't have to wait long to find out more, as series creator Hideo Kojima will premiere Metal Gear Online at The Game Awards, which will air December 5. We assume there will be plenty of ! in the audience. [Image: Konami]
Winter is coming - Telltale's Game of Thrones releases December 2
Telltale Games has revealed that Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series, its adaptation of/contribution to HBO's Game of Thrones universe (which is itself based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin) will arrive on PC, Mac and American PS4s on December 2. The following day, it will release for Xbox 360, Xbox One and European region PS4s. Finally, on December 4, the citizens of Westeros will come to iOS devices. In case you haven't been keeping up with the Targaryens, the first episode, titled "Iron From Ice," will introduce House Forrester, an ally of House Stark. The Forresters, appropriately enough, rule over the largest forest of ironwood in Westeros. Ironwood, you see, is a very tough, dark type of tree that grows in northern Westeros, including the wolfswood. Judging by last week's teaser, House Lannister is watching the Forresters with keen interest. Um. You may want to wiki some of this before next week. [Image: Telltale Games]
Walmart and Amazon list more Amiibo figures for December 14
We already knew that Amiibo figures for Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi, Pit and Zelda would be worming their way into our hearts and onto our shelves sometime in December, but Amazon and Walmart seem to have narrowed that window down to a single day: December 14. When browsing Walmart's website, a release date of 12/14/2014 can be seen next to each of the aforementioned figures, ditto for Amazon. And it's not just online listings - the official Walmart Twitter account has also seemingly confirmed the date. "Yes, the release date for Captain Falcon Amiibo is set for December 14," the "Walmart Elves" tweeted to a prospective Amiibo purchaser after he inquired if the date was official. Of course, numbers on the internet and even Santa's helpers can be wrong from time to time, but it probably wouldn't hurt to stake out your spot in line if there's a particular figure you need to add to your collection. [Image: Nintendo]
Team Ninja's Ni-Oh is not dead-oh, needs 'a little time'
We wouldn't blame you if you didn't remember the announcement and reveal of Tecmo Koei's Ni-Oh - it's been eight years since the game reared its samurai armor-clad head during a non-playable demo at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show. Since then, it went dark and was later revived as a Team Ninja project - albeit a very quiet one. However, the wait may finally be coming to a close. "I have heard rumors that it's been stopped, but it's actually very much in development," Team Ninja Producer Yosuke Hayashi told GamesBeat in an interview. "We still need a little time before showing it off, but it is starting to come together and feel good. You should definitely keep an eye out for it in the future." Ni-Oh will have some fairly infamous company, should it ever actually see the light of day: Duke Nukem Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines also saw numerous periods of quiet and multiple developers jumping onboard before release, and well ... we don't really have to tell you how well they went over. But then, Xbox 360 game Prey was also in that boat, and it was ... alright.
SCEA boss: 'You can't effectively test' for games like Driveclub
Wondering why Driveclub, a game that has required several post-launch fixes, didn't receive more testing to make sure everything was running smoothly before it was pushed out the door? According to Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) President and CEO Shawn Layden, it's because games like Driveclub, which focus heavily on online communities, can't be effectively tested. "In the development cycle, we try to do all things. In the development cycle, we try to test against every possibility. We have a [Quality Assurance] team, we have a QA plan. You do a beta test, you scope against that," Layden recently told IGN. "But now, in a connected world, you can't effectively test in your house or in your beta group what it means to have 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 users hit your service. And the guys [at the studio] are struggling with that. It's throwing up things they had not anticipated." Layden noted that progress reports from developer Evolution Studios show continued improvement, and called the problems experienced so far a "hiccup." For their part, Evolution has been quick to apologize for Driveclub's issues, going so far as to offer free DLC and extending Season Passes. [Image: Sony]
Minecraft: Pocket Edition gets a facelift with update 0.10
Minecraft: Pocket Edition was patched to version 0.10 this week, an update that brought with it not only the usual bug fixes and general improvements (baby animals can now swim instead of sinking like rocks to a watery grave, for example), but visual enhancements as well. A graphical update may sound strange for a game where the entire aesthetic design is based around low-resolution blocks, but the differences should be noticeable. As described by the official Minecraft: Pocket Edition Twitter account, there is now "more watery-looking water," "foggier-looking fog," "even more particles," and "tinted lighting on terrain and mobs." Of course, it's fine to be happy that you won't be murdering some poor baby animal just by setting it in water anymore. That's okay, too. [Image: Microsoft]
The Alienware Alpha has come for your money, Earthlings
Alienware and parent company Dell have made good on the promise to release a console-sized, TV-oriented PC by year's end with the Alienware Alpha - a not-quite Steam Machine that runs Windows 8.1 and comes with an Xbox 360 controller (as opposed to running SteamOS and utilizing a Steam Controller the way a "true" Steam Machine does). For $550, you can order the base model, which comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics card, Intel i3 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. For $700, you can double the RAM and storage capacity to 8 GB and 1 TB, respectively. For $800, the Alpha will come with an i5 processor instead of an i3 (as well as the additional RAM and storage space). Lastly, for $900, you can get an Alienware Alpha with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M, i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage. If you prefer to do your shopping in person, the Alpha is available at select Walmart and Fry's Electronics locations. Online, you can order via Walmart, Fry's Electronics, Dell, Best Buy, GameStop, Amazon, NewEgg, Sam's Club and Tiger Direct. Hey, maybe you'll even get one in time for the supposed Steam Fall Sale start date of November 26 and put it to use right away. [Image: Dell]
Just Cause 3 won't launch with multiplayer, but Square Enix says it 'does make a lot of sense'
The recently-announced Just Cause 3 will not feature multiplayer capability when it launches in 2015, but developer Avalanche Studios and publisher Square Enix are being coy about the mode being patched in down the road. In an interview with Game Informer, Avalanche CCO and co-founder Christofer Sundberg said that although the team was focusing on the single-player content for now, they would consider it "maybe sometime down the line." Taken on its own, that statement doesn't seem too encouraging. However, Shinra Technologies - a subsidiary of Square Enix that aims to pioneer cloud-based gaming technology - has several key personnel sharing Avalanche Studios' office space. Jacob Navok, senior vice president of business for Shinra, told Game Informer he and his staff were working on a "possible future collaboration" with Avalanche. "What we see in the near future are cloud games that are developed from the ground up as well as games that are in an existing pipeline that we will enhance," Navok said before presenting an oddly-specific hypothetical situation. "For example, taking a game that doesn't have multiplayer right now and easily giving it multiplayer is what we imagine for enhancements." When Game Informer asked Navok if Just Cause 3 could or would be that game, Navok responded, "I think it does make a lot of sense." [Image: Square Enix]
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup fears Black Friday
There's a famous quote I often find myself referencing when the holiday shopping season starts, as it is about to do this week. Here, I'll share it with you now. Ahem: "You are not prepared!" - Illidan Stormrage, World of Warcraft. Yes, Black Friday (or "Black Thriday" as I've heard it called, since many stores are now opening their doors on Thanksgiving) is nearly here, and not all the raids and dungeons in the world can prepare you for the madness. In fact, while things are relatively calm and pleasant in my neck of the woods, there will no doubt be many shoppers who are injured or come into serious conflict this week. Since we check in with our webcomics every weekend, this is my chance to make sure I remind you to be cautious and take care of yourself in the midst of the shopping crazes. For the veteran shoppers, why not leave your tips and tales in the comments below, after you've voted for your favorite webcomic after the break? This week's selection includes: Penny Arcade (Helm's Deep) Hejibits (Financial Fondness) ReadySoup (It Had To Be Turtles) ActionTrip (Bizarre Creed) Nerd Rage (One Forward, One Back) Awkward Zombie (Aggressor Layton)
Report: Steam Fall Sale begins November 26
The Steam Fall Sale will commence on November 26, the day before Thanksgiving, and run until December 1, according to VG247. The site reports that an email sent by PayPal, encouraging account holders to stock up on Steam Wallet codes, has beaten Valve to the punch and revealed dates for the annual spree of wallet genocide savings before an official announcement. Of course, by listing the dates before Valve has confirmed them, PayPal runs the risk of being incorrect. We doubt that's the case, seeing as PayPal works closely with Valve to act as one of Steam's methods of payment, but we'll keep an eye out and let you know when things become official. [Image: Valve]
Amazon tells Tales From Deep Space on Fire tablets
Tales From Deep Space, from Amazon Game Studios and co-partner Frontier Developments, has achieved lift-off and can now enter the orbit of 2013 Kindle Fire and later tablets, according to a press release from Amazon. The game shoots a spacefaring salesman named E into the depths of space with a helpful robot named CASI. Together, the pair must escape the space station known as "Big Moon." If you and a friend both have a Kindle Fire HDX and/or a Fire 2014 model tablet, one player can control E while the other controls CASI. Tales From Deep Space is one of Amazon's earliest forays into gaming; Amazon Game Studios was founded just two years ago. Since then, they've acquired Killer Instinct developer Double Helix, as well as Portal co-creator Kim Swift and Far Cry 2 lead designer Clint Hocking. [Image: Amazon]
Sony denies hacker group's infiltration into PSN
There has been no intrusion into the PlayStation Network, Sony has told Joystiq in the wake of a hacker group reportedly leaking 2,131 PSN logins. "We have investigated the claims that our network was breached and have found no evidence that there was any intrusion into our network," a Sony rep wrote to Joystiq. "Unfortunately, Internet fraud including phishing and password matching are realities that consumers and online networks face on a regular basis. We take these reports very seriously and will continue to monitor our network closely." According to Cnet, the group leaked these logins in a public Pastebin document. However, both the group's Twitter account linking to the document and the document itself have since been taken down. Cnet reports that the group also revealed 1,473 Windows Live logins, and 2,000 2K Games logins. We've reached out to Microsoft and 2K to confirm network intrusion and will update if we hear back. [Image: Sony]
Assassin's Creed: Unity title screen crash workaround: remove your friends
Assassin's Creed: Unity has been plagued with bugs and glitches since launch, and developer/publisher Ubisoft has already issued several patches to combat the game's problems. Still, not all the kinks have been ironed out. For example, if you're experiencing crashes at the main menu, according to a recent posting to the game's live updates blog - which details fixes and workarounds as Ubisoft discovers and releases them - you can blame your friends. "We have discovered one of the issues that may cause the game to crash at the main menu after pressing the CONTINUE button. This issue affects all platforms," Ubisoft wrote on its Unity update blog. "For players who haven't experienced this issue, we highly recommend you take the following steps to prevent a crash: Do not add any IN-GAME RECENT PLAYER as a GAME CONTACT. If you already have GAME CONTACTS ... remove them." Ubisoft writes that a fix is in the works. In the meantime, in the city of Paris, we are all strangers. [Image: Ubisoft]
Unannounced Double Fine game canceled, 12 staff let go
Double Fine, the development studio behind games like Broken Age and Costume Quest 2, has been hit with a wave of layoffs. Gamasutra reports that 12 staff were let go after an unannounced project fell through with a publisher, though the studio will continue its work on other games unimpeded. "Our remaining projects - Broken Age, Massive Chalice, and Grim Fandango Remastered, were unaffected," studio founder Tim Schafer told Gamasutra. Neither the publisher in question nor the reason for the unannounced game's cancellation were disclosed. [Image: Double Fine]
Mini DayZ is what DayZ would have been like in 1994
You can now play DayZ for free using a web browser ... kind of. Mini DayZ, a fan-made tribute to Bohemia Interactive's zombie apocalypse survival game, has been posted to the publisher's website and is now free to play via Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Opera. It's missing a few features - namely 3D graphics and multiplayer - but if you ever wondered to yourself, 'What if we gave DayZ a top-down camera and retro graphics," now is your chance to find out. Mini DayZ is the work of CannedBits, a Russian player of Dean "Rocket" Hall's DayZ (which, in case you need a history primer, is a standalone game that began life as a mod for Arma 2 and arguably boosted the multiplayer survival genre into prominence). In posting the news about the game's availability via Bohemia to Reddit, CannedBits even caught the attention of Hall himself: "I have to say, I absolutely love Mini DayZ," Hall wrote. "I think it's awesome, amazing, addictive, and brings something really new to the experience. I'm so glad you've been able to make it even better! Ignore the haters, the vast majority of people think it's fantastic and I am one of those people." [Image: Bohemia Interactive/CannedBits]
Halo Plasma Rifle replicas enter Earth's atmosphere in Q3 2015
The replica masters over at TriForce have a new weapon up their sleeve in the epic battle to win your wallet. The company has gone and crafted a replica of the Plasma Rifle from Microsoft's Halo series, and is taking pre-orders on both "Brute red" and standard purple/blue variants. The cost: $600 total with a $150 deposit for the standard version, or $650 total with a $162.50 deposit for the red version. Both are full-size replicas, meaning these puppies are 24.5 inches long, 14 inches tall, and either 15 or 20 pounds (the website lists both weights, so this part isn't particularly clear). The rifles, which are limited to 500 copies for the standard edition and 150 copies for the Brute red edition, will begin shipping in fall of 2015. [Image: TriFroce/Microsoft]