Thomas Schulenberg

Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Stiq Figures, January 19 - 25: All-time favorite game edition

I've used my time with Stiq Figures to ask you about your favorite specific elements, moments and quirks from video games, and reading your responses has become to feel like a weekly check-in with a bunch of gaming-oriented friends. With this being the final edition of Stiq Figures however, it's time to focus on the obvious question: What's your all-time favorite video game? I'd love to hear your reasoning, but don't worry about justifying your selection to any of us – this is all about the game you love or enjoy the most, even if it's an unconventional choice. For one last time, lure me (and hopefully others) to games I normally wouldn't try by using Stiq Figures as a platform to broadcast passion for your favorite games. Thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts with us for all these months, and before you do it again, be sure to check this week's Japanese hardware sales after the break!

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Lady Hammerlock joins Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's playable lineup

Lady Hammerlock, sister to researcher Sir Hammerlock and heir to the family's fortune, will add a bit of class to Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel's playable lineup on January 27. Aurelia is included in The Pre-Sequel's season pass, but a related press release notes that fans who prefer to pick up DLC a la carte can also don her fashionable demeanor for $9.99. Lady Hammerlock's progression branch into Huntress, Cold Money and Contractual Aristocracy skill trees. Huntress focuses on sniping, offering a skill that dishes out critical hit bonuses for each consecutive shot on a target. Cold Money is all about ice damage, as made evident by one of its abilities implementing Cryo damage with any equipped weapon. Contractual Aristrocracy is all about status, as suggested by one of its unlockables reaping Lady Hammerlock bonuses from kills made by her peasant teammates. When firefights call for desperate measures, Lady Hammerlock's Cold As Ice action skill spawns a Frost Diadem Shard that chases down and latches onto targets, dealing constant damage until they finally keel over so that the shard can move onto its next target. If you sat out The Pre-Sequel in hopes of a current-gen port but still want to freeze things to death as Lady Hammerlock, don't fret – Borderlands Handsome Collection will include all season pass DLC when it arrives on March 24. [Image: Gearbox]

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Entertainment By Thomas Schulenberg

Homeworld Remastered Collection coming February 25

Homeworld Remastered Collection, a compilation that includes Gearbox's modern take on Relic Software's strategy game series, will make contact with Steam on February 25. As announced during Gearbox's presentation at PAX South 2015, the bundle includes original and updated versions of Homeworld 1 & 2, with Gearbox's recreations featuring new voice recordings and a remastered score. Homeworld Remastered Collection will provide commanders with space fleets for $34.99 at launch, though a 15 percent discount ($29.74) is available to those who preorder. The bundle also grants access to Homeworld Remastered's Steam multiplayer beta, a mode that serves as a joined multiplayer mode for both games. Races, maps, game modes and features from both games will be ready for battle once the multiplayer beta launches. [Image: Gearbox]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Stiq Figures, January 5 - 11: Gaming memorabilia edition

Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Joystiq writes about gaming-themed figurines, apparel and trinket-stuffed special editions fairly often, but there are scores of referential collectibles out there that never reach our front page. It can feel pretty impossible to scoop up (or find room for) everything that piques your interest, but every once in a while something comes along that's just too difficult to pass up. For me, it was the Christopher Lee's series of Mario prints, which rolls up memories from the NES' Super Mario Bros. trilogy, Super Mario World and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. I've had the tendency to go overboard with gaming decorations in the past, but Lee's series struck me as a clever, subdued way to celebrate my ideal source material. I particularly appreciate that "subdued" bit whenever I have guests over that are dismissive of games – I don't feel the urge to cover these prints up the way I did with my more obnoxious past tributes in order to spare myself from snide comments. Can tributes to gaming be found somewhere within your living space? Perhaps a miniature Mega Man stands guard beneath your monitor, or a replica of your favorite weapon hangs by your game collection? Tell us about the real-world souvenirs you've gathered from your gaming adventures, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales data after the break!

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Entertainment By Thomas Schulenberg

Grey Goo trailer depicts why we should never leave Earth

Our dreams of finding intelligent life in the depths of space usually involve more chipper scenarios than what's seen in this narrative trailer for Grey Goo, which launches this week. Can't we just have lighthearted destruction a la Lilo & Stitch? Why all the threats of extinction? [Image: Grey Box]

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PC Gaming

PC Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

How many hours would it take to clear your Steam library?

It's exceedingly easy to let your Steam library spiral out of control when faced with daily deals and seasonal sales, but at least SteamLeft provides a fun estimate of just how many hours you could spend plowing through it all. SteamLeft uses How Long to Beat's crowdsourced averages to estimate a playtime for any Steam library, offering a fairly reasonable argument that maybe we should slow down and spend some of this money on our savings accounts instead. As haunting neat as it is to get a time-based conversion of our libraries, SteamLeft's suggestions for alternative time sinks are probably our favorite part of the experience. For example, we could run 108 marathons instead of spending 493 hours playing through our Steam library. We could also listen to Mulan's "Be A Man" 7,405 times, which we'll just go ahead and get started on now. What's the hour count for your libraries? What ridiculous feats could you conquer if only you were driven mad with devotion to similarly-time consuming tasks? Share your stats with us ... and then join us when we inevitably buy more games we don't have time for during the next seasonal Steam sale. [Image: SteamLeft]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Warhammer 40K RTS Battlefleet Gothic: Armada announced

Tindalos Interactive is developing Battlefleet Gothic: Armada, a real-time strategy adaptation of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K tabletop series. Publisher Focus Home Interactive's announcement explains that Armada will focus on the Imperial Navy's Battlefleet Gothic and its attempts to spare the galaxy from awful things, spread courtesy of the Chaos Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Players will command fleets comprised of ships from Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Ork forces. Leaders can also customize the weaponry, defense and support sub-systems of ships within their fleet, altering their performance and battle-specific special abilities. Experience and promotions will also be awarded to ships as they survive bouts of war. Armada isn't Tindalos Interactive's first crack at the RTS genre; the studio shared a glimpse of its futuristic, fight-over-precious-resources RTS Etherium early last year. We're still waiting to see how that turns out though – Etherium is currently scheduled to launch its assault on PC sometime in 2015. [Image: Focus Home Interactive]

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Entertainment By Thomas Schulenberg

Pix the Cat to loop Steam users into its combo fever this month

Pix the Cat, a frantic score-chaser that plays as a blend of Pac-Man and Snake in its central Arcade mode, will weave its way onto Steam later this month, developer Pastagames announced earlier this week. A starting price has yet to be offered, but to lend a sense of what to expect, Pix the Cat is currently a $16.49 cross-buy purchase for PS4 and Vita on the PlayStation Store. Beyond its timed, combo-driven Arcade mode, Pix the Cat offers Nostalgia, Laboratory and Arena gameplay types. Nostalgia is a black-and-white challenge of collecting ducklings, but unlike Arcade mode, a round ends when players run headfirst into walls or trip over their trail of ducklings. Laboratory is a slower burn, shifting its focus from blazing-fast clear times in favor of puzzling challenges. Lastly, Arena is a four-player coliseum-style battle affair, equipping contestants with tricks like missiles and mines to help them blast opponents out of the competition. Pastagames' announcement also notes that Pix the Cat has made its way into "more than a million houses" since it was offered to PlayStation Plus subscribers in October. [Image: Pastagames]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

PSA: Monday is the last day for H1Z1 refunds

Following complaints over a change of heart regarding the selling of vital resources in zombie survival game H1Z1, Sony Online Entertainment is offering refunds for those upset with the change in design. SOE President John Smedley tweeted instructions for unsatisfied survivors on Friday, noting in the game's Reddit community that the no-questions-asked refund policy will be available until Monday, January 20 for those that purchased H1Z1 before 10:30 PST on January 16. The offer follows unrest from a change in plans for the types of supplies that can be gained from in-game transactions, such as the purchasable tickets for airdrops. In an eight-month-old Reddit thread, Smedley stressed that the team would "NOT be selling Guns, Ammo, Food, [or] Water," explaining that it would "suck in our opinion if we did that." Those plans have since changed.

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Reviews

Reviews By Thomas Schulenberg

Joystiq Weekly: New 3DS XL, The Talos Principle review, no more review scores and more

Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. This was a busy week, but our decision to drop numerical review scores is probably what will have the longest-lasting effect on Joystiq. While not everyone has expressed support of the decision, we immensely appreciate the effort and thought many have put into discussing the topic with us. We hope our transition into using "In Other Words" text summaries and the new Joystiq Excellence Award will be more effective at conveying our stances and better at helping you find games that you'd actually enjoy. Even if you're indifferent about the discussion of reviews though, plenty happened this week beyond our shift in examining games. The New 3DS XL will reach us next month, Xbox One consoles slipped back to their $350 holiday price, The Talos Principle surprised us with its depth, and 3D After Burner 2 transcended the fabled "arcade-perfect" status of arcade ports. All those stories and more are waiting for you after the break!

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Entertainment By Thomas Schulenberg

Wesley Arthur's re-creation of Bully's dorms is sharp, untidy

Wesley Arthur isn't working on his Masters at Bullsworth Academy, but that didn't stop him from paying a visit to the stomping grounds of Jimmy Hopkins, protagonist and general mischief maker of Rockstar's Bully. Arthur's work, seen in the above tour, is a faithful, HD recreation of the game's dorm environment built in Unreal Engine 4, complete with backing music written and recorded by James Smith that's inspired by Bully's original soundtrack. Is this a good time to bring up those trademarks that were filed in 2013 for "Bully" and "Bully Bullsworth Academy"? What about Polygon's interview that took place between those filings with Rockstar's Dan Houser, who responded to the idea of a Bully sequel with "I know I want to" and "Well, hopefully, you never know"? ... What's that? It's actually the worst time and we should fall down a well? Hmm. [Image: Wesley Arthur]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Physical copies of Dying Light delayed in several regions

Dying Light is scheduled for an outbreak on January 27 in North America, but it could take a bit longer than that to make contact with physical copies of Techland's zombie survival game in other regions. A post to the game's official Facebook page notes that a "short delay" in the distribution of Dying Light's disc-based copies will be suffered in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. "As physical production has a longer lead time than digital there is some delay in the aforementioned territories," the update reads. "We will share information on the availability of physical copies as soon as it is confirmed." The post also states that Dying Light will see a "global digital release" on January 27, but Steam stores in multiple regions still list a launch date of January 30. If you both prefer physical copies of games and optimism, this means you've got more time to stock supplies and outline truces with fellow survivors. Be mindful of your picks though, lest a member of Team Not Dying switch sides and take a bite out of you in Dying Light's player-vs-player mode. Update: This post has been updated to note the January 30 release dates listed on Steam. [Image: Techland]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

The Long Dark welcomes 250K survivors, January update to nearly double size of wilderness

The Long Dark, Hinterland Studios' Northern woods survival simulator that's currently in Early Access, has surpassed 250,000 sales since launching on Steam's service on September 22. Unfortunately, the life expectancy for its inhabitants isn't very lengthy – an infograph coordinated with the sales announcement notes that only 24 percent of players have persevered for more than five days, with only 1.4 percent of players demonstrating the wit needed to last 50 days. While a dedicated story mode is still on the way, an update planned for later this month will nearly double The Long Dark's stretch of wilderness, adding fresh locales and threats amongst the game's snowy pines. We look forward to learning whether that helps or hinders the probability of its playerbase lasting more than a week. If you've yet to brave The Long Dark's chill, PC and Mac users can endure the elements for $19.99 on Early Access. [Image: Hinterland Studios]

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PlayStation

PlayStation By Thomas Schulenberg

Toukiden: Kiwami battles fresh Oni on PS4, Vita in March

PlayStation 4 and Vita owners, we're trusting you to rid us all of the creepy beasts lurking in Toukiden: Kiwami once Koei Tecmo releases physical and digital copies on March 31 in North America and March 27 in Europe. What is that twisted take on felines seen above? Other than unsettling, we mean. As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, Kiwami will have "double the size and content" of last year's Toukiden: The Age of Demons (which is included with Kiwami), with additions including "newly discovered Oni, [over 100 Mitama], new Slayers, new moves, and twice as many stages." The post estimates that Kiwami's standalone story, which picks up three months after the previous battle to prevent another Awakening, is also "roughly the same size" as The Age of Demons'. If you've spent plenty of time saving the world in The Age of Demons, know that existing save data can be carried over. Koei Tecmo Europe's Chin Soon Sun has also confirmed that PS4 and Vita players will be able to take down Oni together. As for cross-buy compatibility, that's still up in the air – Sun has stated he'll share more info "when the time comes." [Image: Tecmo Koei]

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PC Gaming

PC Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Oddworld: New 'n Tasty on Steam next month; Vita, console ports still underway

Just Add Water, developer of Oddworld: New 'n Tasty, is getting ready to distribute the remaining ports for its revisit of the series' origins, and Steam users are next in line. A cloud save-compatible version of New 'n Tasty will be offered on PC, Mac and Linux via Steam on February 25 for $20 (£15, €20). A 10 percent discount will also be available for those that place pre-purchases, though further details and recommended specs will be shared at a later date. The related press release also notes that PS3 and Xbox One arrivals will follow sometime in early March, and a note from the Oddworld Staff states that the above versions will feature post-launch improvements that have been made to the existing PS4 version, including "old school" control settings. Series creator Lorne Lanning assured fans the remaining ports were being "adamantly worked on" about two months ago. At that time, Lanning also spoke of problematic limitations concerning the Wii U hardware, but the post from Oddworld Staff explains that work "continues on the Wii U and PlayStation Vita versions," adding that "recent progress is encouraging." If you're wondering whether all this waiting and extra development time is really worth it for a remake, consider Sam Prell's review of the PS4 version: "This HD remake is more than a simple reskin of nostalgia, and offers a compelling adventure with contemporary design that will satisfy most anyone's puzzle-platformer appetite." [Image: Just Add Water]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Amplitude revival now estimated for summer arrival

Amplitude's multi-instrument path to revival is a little longer than was initially anticipated, developer Harmonix has announced via Kickstarter update. The rhythm game's estimated arrival has been pushed from its initially-planned window of March, with Harmonix "currently targeting" a summer release. Harmonix explained the delay is partially due to Amplitude being the team's first project on PS4, adding that extensive work is being put into Amplitude's proprietary engine. Unlike traditional development setups where content or quality could be sacrificed in order to meet a publisher's deadline however, Harmonix stated that Amplitude's success on Kickstarter has allowed the team to "create the game we want to make and, more importantly, make the game that you want." Once Amplitude starts blasting notes on PS3 and PS4, fans will have a chance at jamming to original tracks from Freezepop, Anamanguchi and Super Meat Boy composer Danny Baranowsky, among others. [Image: Harmonix]

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Xbox

Xbox By Thomas Schulenberg

Early Halo: MCC buyers receive free month of Xbox Live Gold

Halo: The Master Chief Collection has provided a troubled walk down memory lane, but at least fans are being rewarded for their patience and support. Messages detailing a free month of Xbox Live Gold showed up in the inboxes of Spartans yesterday, referring to the gift as "appreciation for your continued support of Halo: The Master Chief Collection." The notice adds that players don't need to do anything further to redeem their free month of Gold. Bonnie Ross, head of development at 343 Industries, explained in an apology last month that a free month of Gold would be gifted to The Master Chief Collection players in an effort to "make this right." Additional thank-yous are coming in the form of a free, 1080p, 60 fps Halo 3: ODST campaign, due to arrive sometime this spring, and an exclusive nameplate and avatar. Anyone who purchased The Master Chief Collection between its November 11 launch date and December 19, 2014 is eligible to receive these gifts, though a reworked version of the Relic map from Halo 2 will also eventually be offered to all players via a free update. [Image: Joystiq]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Stiq Figures, December 22 - 28: Real-life video game replicas edition

Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Yes, I'm still stuck on the real-life Pac-Man maze that Budweiser built for a Super Bowl commercial. Running through replicas of gaming stages and scenarios was really more of a backburner-tier childhood dream, but now that my imagination's willing to daydream about more than training Pokemon, it's pretty fun to think about the gaming experiences I'd recreate if I had a pile of money to burn. Out of all the possibilities, I think I'd throw my millions at an on-rails Star Fox theme park cart ride. There would be four Arwings to emulate the Star Fox Team, each following its own rail, and most of the ride would be heavily inspired by Star Fox 64. Each group could compete for the high score while assisting each other with bogeys, gathering powerups and generally making Andross' life miserable. I feel like friendly fire would also be an incorporated danger, but only for whoever uses Slippy's ship. What about you? Would you fund an incredibly-dangerous venture into building F-Zero-style race tracks and vehicles? Maybe you'd rather clear a castle of monsters and turkey legs with just a whip and holy water? What about a to-scale paintball field that channels Halo's Bloodgulch map? Tell us what kind of gaming experiences you'd build if money and most logistics weren't obstacles, right after you check this week's Japanese hardware sales data after the break!

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Puzzle & Dragons exceeds 42 million downloads worldwide

In case you're not sure how the match-three puzzle RPG Puzzle & Dragons is managing a Super Mario Bros. crossover, here's some perspective: Puzzle & Dragons has earned 42 million downloads across iOS, Android and Kindle Fire HD devices worldwide since its release in February 2012, according to a press release from GungHo Online Entertainment. Japan is to thank for roughly 33 million of those downloads, but more than 6 million of the total is attributed to the North American audience. Last year's eShop-only Pokemon Battle Trozei offered gameplay that resembles elements of Puzzle & Dragons, but Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition will be Nintendo's first by-name contribution to the series. GungHo America has mentioned plans for an "overseas release" in relation to Super Mario Bros. Edition, but with a Nintendo representative referring to the game as a "Japanese-only announcement," Super Mario Bros. Edition's Western arrival could certainly use a stronger confirmation. [Image: GungHo Online Entertainment]

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PlayStation

PlayStation By Thomas Schulenberg

PS4 port of Ultra Street Fighter 4 will include Omega Mode

Ultra Street Fighter 4 will land combos on the PS4 this spring sporting a full wardrobe of DLC costumes, but move sets will also be freshened up with the inclusion of Omega Mode, a play style that offers alternate normal and special attacks for the game's entire roster. A post to the PlayStation Blog confirmed plans to bring along Omega Mode for Capcom's super-ultra-probably-final version of USF4, and if you've yet to see an example of the related move-set changes, they're fairly substantial. Omega Mode was added to the Xbox 360, PS3 and Steam versions of USF4 in December, as reported by Shoryuken. If you're not one to dig up the fairly-recent past, the future still holds fresh chances to hurl Hadoukens in the the PC and PS4–exclusive Street Fighter 5. [Image: Capcom]

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Apps

Apps By Thomas Schulenberg

Apps earn more than $10 billion in App Store revenue in 2014

Mobile marketplaces can feel dramatically over-saturated, but lest you wonder if developers are even chasing a worthwhile audience in that space, Apple has shed some light on just how much cash is in play: Developers earned more than $10 billion in revenue across the App Store's 24 software categories during 2014, with almost half a billion being spent across apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January 2015 alone. Apple puts the lifetime total earned by developers through the App Store at $25 billion. Considering the App Store launched in 2008, that means about 40 percent of total revenue earned by App Store developers was pulled in within the last year. It's worth noting that added store options, like last year's arrival of app previews and app bundles, have likely helped developers sell more than what was feasible in the App Store's infancy. Still, 2014's $10 billion revenue total shows the potential for success in the mobile space, so long as a developer can manage to garner visibility in the flood of apps that are currently available. All those Minecraft, Flappy Bird and Threes piggyback clones make a little more sense now, don't they? [Image: Apple]

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Xbox

Xbox By Thomas Schulenberg

Pre-purchase Evolve on Xbox One, unlock characters early

Xbox Live Gold users can hunt some unorthodox, fire-breathing game once Evolve's open beta launches later this week. The beta will offer two monster types and eight hunter characters across 12 maps, but those willing to pre-purchase Evolve on their consoles (once the option to do so is available) will be able to deploy hunters Abe, Parnell, Caira and Cabot as well as the Wraith monster during the beta, 2K Games recently announced. What's more, the four extra hunters and the Wraith will remain unlocked from the get-go in the launch version of Evolve, giving those that pre-purchase a decent headstart with earning access to the game's roster. There's still future DLC additions to factor in of course, but if you decide the disc's cast is sizeable enough, you'll still be able to play matches with those that have splurged on roster additions. For the sake of clarity, this pre-purchase bonus will be available only for those that buy Evolve straight from the Xbox One Store. Pre-orders placed for retail copies will not earn the same shortcut for unlocking extra characters when Evolve launches on February 10. [Image: 2K Games]

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Gaming By Thomas Schulenberg

Real-world Pac-Man maze is what dreams, Super Bowl ads are made of

It appears someone on the Bud Light marketing team has shared our daydreams about emulating video game moments in real life. As you can see above, the difference between us is a substantial, dream-fueling marketing budget – according to Game Informer's take on a Chicago Tribune report, this life-sized Pac-Man maze was built in LA's Fashion District to be used in a 60-second Super Bowl commercial called "coin." In the ad, a man will reportedly find a message in a beer bottle that instructs him to go outside, where he will be given a giant coin for use toward a round of real life Pac-Man. We've taken the liberty of mailing a revised script to Budweiser, in which the man graciously gives up his chance to sprint through a glowing, Ghost-plagued maze so that all of us can have a shot instead. The script also notes that we will all run the maze perfectly, thereby forcing Budweiser to build six-foot-tall Ms. Pac-Man-themed mazes in our backyards. For free. We'll be sure to alert you all once our revision is cleared. [Image: LA Fashion District]

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PlayStation

PlayStation By Thomas Schulenberg

Arland Atelier Trilogy hits European PS3s in March

If you cleared Tales of Xillia 2 months ago and need another JRPG grind to tide you over until Persona 5, consider what you may have missed in years past – NIS America has announced plans to release The Arland Atelier Trilogy in Europe on March 6, 2015, with the trilogy bundling a compilation of adventures from developer Gust that debuted on the PS3 between 2010 to 2012. The single-disc, yet-to-be-priced collection will include Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland, Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland and Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland, which share an overarching timeline and cast members. We've reached out to NIS America to ask whether The Arland Atelier Trilogy will also eventually reach North America and will update this post accordingly. [Image: NIS America]

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Nintendo

Nintendo By Thomas Schulenberg

Nintendo sponsoring Apex 2015 tournament series

Nintendo will sponsor Apex 2015, a competitive gaming series that will include tournaments for every Super Smash Bros. title released on home consoles as well as games like Ultra Street Fighter 4, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire. Apex shared the news on Twitter, noting that Nintendo would help the series put on an "incredible" Smash Bros. event. Apex 2015's tournaments will run from January 30 – February 1, 2015 at the Clarion Hotel in Secaucus, New Jersey. If you're unable to attend, you can still check the event schedule and tune into one of the Twitch channels that will be covering the event. Nintendo's sponsorship is a welcome gesture of embracing the competitive fighting scene, especially when considering its alleged attempts to shut down the Smash Bros. Melee division of EVO 2013. Nintendo did eventually give the go-ahead to feature Melee in the tournament as well as EVO 2013's streaming schedule, but it's nice to see the developer stepping up its support for third-party tournaments from the get-go. [Image: Apex]

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