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Yoshida: Project Morpheus is 85% complete
Work on Sony's Project Morpheus virtual reality hardware is nearing its completion, as Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida told The Wall Street Journal that the company "finished 85 percent of the work needed to make the product available." Yoshida would not say when the headset would launch, nor would he comment on its price. He did add that a bulk of Project Morpheus' components are also found in smartphones, which would drive the device's price down. Sony announced Project Morpheus at GDC in March as a VR headset that offers a 1080p display with a 90 degree field of view and full 360 degrees of head tracking. Sony will use Project Morpheus to compete for attention in the virtual reality space with Oculus VR, which was purchased by Facebook in March for $2 billion. Sony said Facebook sought out Project Morpheus before acquiring Oculus; Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe later noted in June that the company invited Sony to check out its Oculus Rift prototypes. We went heads-on with Project Morpheus at GDC and took its luge demo for a spin at E3 in June.
Giana Sisters 2 coming to Wii U, Xbox One, PS4
Developer Black Forest Games is prototyping a sequel to its 2012 platformer Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams that could see a multiplatform release as soon as next year, Nintendo Life reports. Studio co-founder Adrian Goersch confirmed that the follow-up is slated for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo's Wii U. Development is still in its early stages, but Black Forest Games is currently targeting a "late 2015 or early 2016" launch date. Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams was initially funded through a successful Kickstarter project in 2012, and went on to sell more than one million copies across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC platforms. Prior to its crowdfunded return, the Giana Sisters series began life as a Commodore 64 Super Mario Bros. clone before settling its differences with Nintendo for a 2009 DS release. [Image: Black Forest Games]
GTA 5 adding first-person vehicle view on PC, next-gen
A since-pulled support article on Rockstar's website points to some new features for Grand Theft Auto 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. According to the article, seen above, the revised versions of GTA 5 will feature a first-person mode for vehicles "that shows the interior of the vehicle, including working speedometers, tachometers, dash lights, and more." The game will also include a first-person mode "while on foot." Rockstar plans to offer an "overhauled character selection screen" as well as new Easter eggs and random events for the game's story mode. The developer noted that new animals will appear in the city of Los Santos, and appears to be determining whether animals will also appear in the game's online modes. Lastly, it added that players transferring characters from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will receive "new weapons and a free garage in GTA Online." GTA 5 will reach PS4 and Xbox One on November 18 and launch on PC in 2015. [Image: Rockstar Games]
BioShock Infinite: Complete Edition listings point to Nov. release [update]
Update: A 2K spokesperson confirmed to IGN that BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is on the way. The spokeperson said, "We can confirm that the BioShock Infinite Complete Edition is coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC later this year, and we will be sharing more information about it very soon." BioShock Infinite may rise again in a new Complete Edition, going by listings on GameStop and Amazon Canada. Both retailers have the re-packaged edition of Irrational's game for Xbox 360 and PS3, priced $40 (US & CND) and due for release on November 4. 2K has not announced any new versions of BioShock Infinite, so we've reached out to the publisher for clarification. The box art on GameStop says the Complete Edition "includes all add-on packs." Also, the product details list the base game plus the Clash in the Clouds arena combat mode, the pair of Burial at Sea episodes, the Columbia's Finest gear and upgrades pack, and the similar Early Bird Special add-on pack which came with the season pass.
Dark Souls 2's 'Crown of the Ivory King' pushed back [update: NA too]
Update 2: Bandai Namco has confirmed that Crown of the Ivory King has been delayed in North America. Like its European and Japanese counterparts it will now debut on September 30. Update: We've yet to hear back from Bandai Namco America, and the game's US homepage is still advertising the DLC for tomorrow, September 24. Once we confirm if the delay includes North America or not, we'll update this story. Bandai Namco Europe announced a week's delay for 'Crown of the Ivory King,' the third and final chapter in the coronation trilogy of Dark Souls 2 DLC. The add-on content was due on September 24, but according to Bandai Namco's European branch launch it's due now on September 30 for Xbox 360 and Steam, and October 1 for PS3. Also, Famitsu reported a delay to September 30 in Japan. We've reached out to Bandai Namco America for stateside info. When approached, Bandai Namco Europe provided Joystiq with From Software's statement on the delay: "The [sheer] scope of Crown of the Ivory King facilitated the need for a bit more time to deliver to level of polish that the previous two chapters of The Lost Crown trilogy embodied. It is From Software's intent to only release Crown of the Ivory King with the highest level of quality possible."
Falling Skies combats an invasion on September 30
Falling Skies: The Game, the turn-based alien invasion battler that takes place between the third and fourth season of TNT's similarly-named sci-fi drama, will pull strategists into the fight on September 30 on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC. Pre-orders placed at GameStop will expand the controllable roster to include Tom Mason, a central protagonist in Falling Skies and leader of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment. Note that the Wii U and PC versions of Falling Skies will only be available via digital download, whereas the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will have disc-based counterparts. Weekend Editor Sam Prell's E3 preview found intense similarities to XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but noted Falling Skies' take on the playstyle seemed "shallow and uninspired." [Image: Little Orbit]
Earn an honest living in Farming Simulator 15 on October 30
Farming Simulator 15, the latest in the million-selling series (yes, really), will start tending the PC's fields at ungodly hours on October 30, developer Focus Home Entertainment has announced. Crops will also be planted on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4, but they won't be ready for harvest until early 2015. Lest you think tending this season's livestock will feel exactly the same as last year, Farming Simulator 15 includes a new graphics and physics engine, a revamped interface and new activities such as logging. There's also support for 15-farmer online play to consider, as well as whatever the series' devoted modding community is bound to cook up. [Image: Focus Home Interactive]
PlayStation Now's creator explains how game streaming came to Sony
With the PlayStation Now beta just opening to a larger chunk of the gaming population, you might be wondering how the streaming service came to Sony in the first place. Why did Gaikai drop its entire PC audience to join a console maker? Thankfully for you, Gaikai chief David Perry has just shed light on that transition in an interview with GameInformer. Simply put, streaming on computers was becoming a nightmare for Perry's team before the 2012 acquisition. The sheer number of compatibility problems was "massively reducing" the number of titles Gaikai could support, and the software required increasingly elaborate tricks (such as image recognition) just to run at all. The company wanted to escape these headaches by going to a platform with standardized elements like controllers and copy protection. When Sony came knocking, it quickly became clear that the PlayStation was a good match -- it solved many challenges in one fell swoop.
Persona 4: Dancing All Night delayed, Persona team leading development
Atlus' Persona team is now leading Persona 4: Dancing All Night's development troupe, according to IGN's translation of a blog post from the game's producer and director, Kazuhisa Wada. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva series developer and Dancing All Night collaborator Dingo will continue working with Atlus on the routine for Vita, but a delayed Japanese release to January 2015 suggests the rhythm game needs some more time to practice. Dancing All Night was first announced alongside spinoff Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, fighter expansion Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and the next entry in the main series, Persona 5. We know that P4 Arena Ultimax's ring opens on September 30 and that Shadow of the Labyrinth's dungeons will flood with monsters on November 25, but Persona 5 and Dancing All Night share a less specific launch target of 2015. [Image: Atlus]
Project Scissors is a spiritual successor to Clock Tower
Nude Maker, a Japanese developer led by Clock Tower series creator Hifumi Kouno, has begun development on a new horror-focused franchise. According to the studio's press release, Project Scissors is meant to be a spiritual successor to Clock Tower, and will involve Masahiro Ito, creature designer for the Silent Hill series, Takashi Shimizu, director of the Ju-on films, and other "well known talents in the Japanese game industry" that will be announced later on. In Project Scissors, a luxurious cruise ship has a murder mystery problem. Once enough of the crew fall victim to the killer, the ship is essentially adrift at sea, leaving passengers to share an inescapable space with whatever is keen on knocking them into the afterlife. Solving the mystery is the player's focus, although the increasingly-difficult goal of not dying is of comparable importance. Project Scissors will eventually welcome aboard iOS, Android and Vita owners, but a release date and a glimpse of the game itself are currently as elusive as Project Scissors' killer. [Image: Nude Maker]
Driveclub bundle fills passenger seat with white PS4 in Europe
When European racers start burning rubber on Driveclub's streets on October 8, PS4-less fans will face one of the most timeless questions in all of tech upgrades: white or black? The PlayStation Blog has detailed console bundles for either shade, though what's under the cardboard hood of each box differs a bit. Those enamored with the Glacier White PS4 can steer a matching controller in a bundled copy of Driveclub for €439.99. The Glacier White bundle will appear in France, Germany, the UK, Greece, Israel, Portugal, Norway, Spain, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Belgium and Luxembourg. Drivers after the standard shade of PS4 can pick up the Gamer Edition bundle, which offers a black PS4, two DualShock 4 controllers, a PlayStation camera and a copy of Driveclub for €499.99. Oddly enough, the Gamer Edition will be a bit more rare than the Glacier White bundle, with sales planned for the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium. If this the "Driveclub bundle" concept sounds familiar, a basic, European-only package announced in July will offer a black PS4 and Driveclub for €440. None of these bundles have been confirmed for the States yet, but you can always learn more about Driveclub via our extensive video preview, regardless of which market you're in. [Image: PlayStation]
Destiny servers down, blame the cattle [Update]
Bungie's Destiny is currently experiencing issues with matchmaking and login on all platforms, according to a (since-deleted) tweet from the Bungie Help Twitter account. You can see a screenshot version of said tweet after the break. This marks the first time since we wrote our week one State of Service review for Destiny that servers have encountered a serious problem. We have reached out to Bungie and Activision, and will update if we hear anything back. Update: The only thing Bungie's Guardians should have to fear at the moment are the various agents of The Darkness out to blast them to bits; the servers are back up.
Sony games division to launch internet TV by end of year
While the PlayStation 4 continues to sell like black, plastic hotcakes, not all of Sony's business divisions are doing so well. Thus, it shouldn't be too surprising that the company is trying to push their little slanted box's success as much as they can. Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, told the Wall Street Journal that includes launching an internet television service by the end of 2014, as well as a service that could stream games onto mobile devices other than Sony's own Vita - though the latter has no planned release window. It's not clear if the proposed video steaming service would change release plans for Powers, the Sony Pictures Television-produced adaptation of the comic of the same name. House told the Wall Street Journal he was "absolutely focused" on creating a profitable ecosystem that would benefit Sony as a whole, but some doubt how far the PS4 can carry such a burden. The Wall Street Journal reports that Merrill Lynch analyst Eiichi Katayama said that, while games can be a source of stable income, "for a company with such diversified income streams as Sony, it would be wrong to portray games as a business that could support the company alone." [Image: Sony]
Weekend-long PSN Flash Sale discounts a pack of racers
Even if your weekend pace is relaxed and leisurely, you should still be able to reach the PlayStation Store's Flash Sale before it ends on September 22 at 3pm EST. You can make up for your slow-and-steady demeanor by setting lap records in this Flash Sale's racing-oriented deals, unless you prefer to destroy everything in sight in Burnout Crash. Pack leaders include Need for Speed: Most Wanted for $4.99 on PS3 and Vita, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for $9.99 on PS3 and Vita, Cel Damage HD for $2.49 on PS3, PS4 and Vita, Crazy Taxi for $2.49 on PS3, and GRID Autosport on PS3 for $12.49, among others. You can check the PlayStation Blog's complete breakdown of the sale's standings, or just round the corner as fast as possible and race straight into the deals. [Image: PlayStation]
Tropico 5 delayed on PS4, now arriving in 'early 2015'
Despite prior word that Tropico 5 would reach the PlayStation 4 during 2014, a new announcement from publisher Kalypso Media bumps the banana republic simulation to "early 2015." Kalyspo offers no explanation for the PlayStation 4 delay, but does note that the Xbox 360 version of Tropico 5, which has long been scheduled for a November 2014 release, has not been delayed. In more positive news, the aforementioned message issued by Kalypso announces the launch of both Mac and SteamOS versions of Tropico 5. "Starting today, Mac & SteamOS users can now visit the island paradise of Tropico in the award-winning dictator sim," the announcement states. Those suddenly interested in picking up a copy of Tropico 5 can find the game either on the Mac App Store or Steam. [Image: Kalypso Media]
Bandai Namco TGS pics? Yeah, when Dark Souls 2 freezes over
The third and final round of Dark Souls 2 DLC, Crown of the Ivory King, is a blustery romp through a frozen kingdom, complete with snow and giant ice beasts. Bandai Namco has dumped a lineup of screenshots from Tokyo Game Show on us, including images for Tales of Hearts R, Tales of Zestiria, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 and those Dark Souls 2 shots. See them all in the galleries below. Also check out our reviews of Dark Souls 2 and its first bit of DLC, Crown of the Sunken King.
Hohokum dev's latest boasts llamas that go boom
Super Exploding Zoo is a game that developer Honeyslug describes as a "arcade-y tower defense-y explode-em-up," though most players will simply know it as "that game where explosive llamas stop an alien invasion." "That old family favorite, the Super Exploding Zoo, is under attack from evil aliens who've come to devour all the lovely, tasty animal eggs," reads the developer's brief story synopsis. Since humanity is useless in the face of alien invasion, it's up to a squad of militant animals to fight off the omelette-loving extraterrestrials. Some critters feature their own unique abilities – the crocodile can ford rivers while the meerkat can dig – but regardless of which critters you lead into combat, gameplay in Super Exploding Zoo boils down to a war of attrition against increasingly lethal waves of alien invaders. Helpfully, Honeyslug mixes things up a bit with the addition of puzzle stages and online multiplayer gameplay. Super Exploding Zoo is slated to appear on the PlayStation 4 and Vita handheld where it will feature cross-play functionality. Honeyslug has yet to reveal a release date for either version of the game. [Image: Honeyslug]
Harmonix announces closure of moribund Rock Band Network
Despite a nearly half-decade-long run, developer Harmonix has made the decision to shutter the Rock Band Network, effective immediately. As a showcase for Rock Band Network authors to share their music with potential fans, the Rock Band Network eventually grew to include 2,121 downloadable songs. When you include the Rock Band Network alongside the series' official DLC tunes, the total Rock Band series tracklist comes to a staggering 4,221 songs. Despite its impressive utility, in the end the Rock Band Network was laid low by mounting technical problems. "Some of those problems were server side here at Harmonix, while others were entirely outside of our control," reads the developer's official announcement. "At this point, with Harmonix resources devoted to several other titles in development, we're no longer able to operate RBN with the kind of consistency that it deserves." Edit: This article initially stated that the Rock Band Network allowed users to upload their own tracks. It has since been altered. [Image: Harmonix]
Sony brings PlayStation Now game streaming to the PS3
You don't need a fancy current-gen console to stream all those Sony classics -- the company announced last night that its Netflix-esque PlayStation Now open beta is finally, well, open to PlayStation 3 owners in the United States and Canada. It's about time, really: PS3 owners have been part of the more selective closed beta program since January, but Sony opened the early access gates to folks with PlayStation 4s first. As always, though, be sure to keep a few things in mind before you take the plunge. You'll get access to some 150 PS3 titles as part of the deal (including forthcoming hits like inFAMOUS and Ultra Street Fighter IV) but rental prices for these games tend to range between $3 and $20. That span isn't awful, but considering you'd be able to pick up physical copies of some of those games for about the same price, you'll have to think about just how valuable picking up new games while immobile on the couch really is.
Destiny combines arms in the Crucible this weekend
The next two community events for Bungie's Destiny will start this weekend. We had names for the two events before, Combined Arms and The Queen's Wrath, and now we have dates and descriptions for them as well. The Combined Arms event is an "all out war on a massive scale" in the Crucible multiplayer section. Players form fireteams of up to six, driving across the map and making use of increased heavy weapon ammo drops. The event starts today and lasts through the weekend. Next up is The Queen's Wrath, a set of bounty missions that begin on Tuesday, September 23 and runs through Monday, October 6. By completing the mission, players earn unique rare and legendary gear. The following two Destiny events are September's Salvage mission and October's Iron Banner mission. This week's Vault of Glass quest was first conquered roughly 11 hours after it opened. Bungie opted to double its well-broadcasted shooter's public events for players to encounter while patrolling areas in the game. [Image: Bungie]