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Marvel Super Heroes star in LittleBigPlanet Vita re-release
Just over two years after the adorable burlap creatures of LittleBigPlanet first reached Sony's Vita, the charming, creative platformer is being relaunched with an extra helping of Marvel Comics cross-brand synergy. Dubbed LittleBigPlanet PS Vita: Marvel Super Hero Edition, the new version of the handheld game features all the content included in its original release as well as a host of Marvel Comics-themed DLC. Exactly which heroes might appear is unknown, though given the long history of Marvel Comics character skins in LittleBigPlanet, it could be anyone from the ubiquitous Thor and Iron Man to more esoteric faces like Forbush Man and Squirrel Girl. In total, 18 character costumes will appear in the re-release, alongside three mini-games, "Avengers: Ultimate Escape, S.H.I.E.L.D Interceptor and Hero Rush." According to the EU PlayStation.blog, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita: Marvel Super Hero Edition will reach European territories on November 19 at a price of €20. There's no word on a North American release just yet, but we've attempted to contact Sony and will update this piece when we hear more. [Image: Sony]
Destiny State of Service: Launch Day
This is State of Service, an ongoing review of the online service of a recently launched game. Thursday, September 11 | T-minus 28 days until final verdict Current State of Service: Good Summary: After some connection issues at launch, Destiny's online performance has been smooth. A limited number of Destiny players who jumped into the game on launch day ran into problems, losing connection to the game's servers or stalling out on loading screens. These issues were resolved and the servers appear to be functioning just fine now. Members of the Joystiq staff have reported a clean bill of health for the servers we're playing on, across PS3, PS4 and Xbox One. On launch day, editor Danny Cowan was booted out of a mission because of a connection error, but he's not run into additional problems since then. Otherwise, we've noticed that our game worlds appear to be underpopulated and every now and then we'll see excessive load times. We haven't encountered many public events in Destiny, with most of the staff reporting seeing just one during individual playtime. While worth noting, these aren't game-breaking issues. This is the "Launch Day" installment of State of Service, while our Day Three report is due to hit tomorrow. Joystiq Reviews Content Director Richard Mitchell is working on our Destiny review and it will go live as soon as possible. If you encounter any connection problems while playing Destiny, let us know in the comments, or on the Joystiq Twitter or Facebook accounts. Use the hashtag "#sos" and specify your platform, please.
The Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us to hit PS4 & Xbox One soon
Telltale Games narrowed down the release window for its debut on PS4 and Xbox One, with The Walking Dead scheduled for sometime in October. Disc versions of Season 1 (including the 400 Days DLC) and Season 2 are confirmed for retail shelves next month, followed by the premiere season of The Wolf Among Us in November. The Walking Dead Season 2 and The Wolf Among Us are also getting retail releases on PS3, Xbox 360 and Vita, though Telltale's wording suggests they may not release alongside the PS4 and Xbox One games. There's nothing official on concrete release dates, but Amazon's been listing October 14 for TWD Season 1 on PS4 and Xbox One since June, with Season 2 dated for October 21. GameStop also has those dates listed, and both retailers have The Wolf Among Us on the new consoles for November 4. According to the listings, each game is priced at $30. [Image: Telltale Games]
Free DLC tracks, cars coming to Driveclub post-launch
Driveclub developer Evolution Studios has revealed new information on the racing game's planned post-launch DLC, a scheme that includes quite a bit of additional content in both free and premium formats. According to Evolution's community manager Jamie Brayshaw, at launch Driveclub will feature 25 tracks, each of which will boast multiple routes from start to finish. Over the course of the following year, the developer plans to release seven more tracks at no cost to players alongside new, gratis vehicles which will appear each month. While all of that content is free, Evolution also plans to release for-pay DLC content at the same time, which will add an additional 38 cars and 176 events to Driveclub. Individual pricing on this DLC is currently unavailable, but those interested in picking up everything coming to Driveclub will save some money by purchasing all the DLC at once via the game's $25 Season Pass. According to Brayshaw this represents a 60 percent savings over purchasing all of the content piecemeal. Driveclub is currently slated to launch on the PlayStation 4 on October 7. [Image: Sony]
Assassin's Creed Unity video steals your attention
Ubisoft issued a new walkthrough video today for Assassin's Creed Unity to showcase the game's cooperative multiplayer mode, taking players through a heist mission. The PS4, Xbox One and PC game's launch was recently delayed to November 11.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 to debut in four weekly episodes
Capcom will tell tales in Resident Evil Revelations 2 across four downloadable episodes that are due to be released weekly, each priced at $6. The upcoming sequel will later be available in a $25 complete season package that includes additional, undisclosed content. A $40 complete disc version is also scheduled, again with extra content. The Japanese studio's dabbled with episodic formats before, and it did present the previous Revelations game in TV-like episodes, albeit within a complete game, similar to Remedy's Alan Wake. Capcom didn't note how long each episode will last beyond "hours," but it did promise cliffhanger endings to keep users twiddling their thumbs from week to week.
Show us your co-op gaming space
When I first mentioned on Twitter (@Sliwinski) I planned on getting a second PlayStation 4 to set up for a couch co-op dual screen Destiny experience, I expected the standard vitriol of the internet. Surprisingly, many of you responded that you were already doing this! Whether it was because of roommates, spouses, significant others or children, you were already rocking the multi-screen co-op console/PC experience. Have you got a custom co-op space of your own? Show it off! Send us a pic so we can add it to our gallery we'll put together here on Joystiq. (Bonus points if you get your pet in the pic.) Be sure to let us know why you decided to do it! How important is a local co-op set up in your gaming life?
Destiny ships $500 million, highest-selling digital console release
Activision announced this morning it has shipped over $500 million worth of MMO-shooter Destiny into "retail stores and first parties worldwide" as of day one. The number is a little messy to extrapolate because it mushes up the "shipped" dollar figure we try to avoid reporting when possible, with the nutritious digitally distributed "sold" number. The takeaway here: Destiny is on track to be another billion-dollar franchise for Activision Blizzard. The publisher is swimming in cash and has an enviable portfolio that includes World of Warcraft, Call of Duty and Skylanders. The company also has a quieter monster hit in Hearthstone, which we know has continued to increase "revenue and engagement," but the company has yet to give any specific data on how successful it is beyond noting it "brought in millions of new accounts on Battle.net."
Bloomberg: Mojang's Notch 'unlikely' to stay on after MS buyout
If Microsoft's reported attempt to buy Mojang is successful, a Bloomberg source says founder and owner Markus "Notch" Persson is "unlikely" to stay on at the Swedish studio afterwards. According to the source, which Bloomberg notes as a person "familiar with Microsoft," the two companies are finalizing details after agreeing a framework and approximate price, which The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg believe to be in excess of $2 billion. Bloomberg's insider adds Persson will remain to help during a transition period, but will probably leave the company afterwards. Yesterday The Wall Street Journal claimed Microsoft is in talks to buy Minecraft studio Mojang, and "three people with knowledge of the talks" back that up for Bloomberg. Both Microsoft and Mojang declined to comment to Bloomberg, while a Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq, "We don't comment on rumors or speculation." According to the reports, the deal could be finalized this week.
PSN Tuesday: Destiny, NHL 15
Happy Destiny day! You can celebrate by playing Destiny on PS4 and PS3, or by playing NHL 15 on either of those systems. The choice is all yours. Destiny comes in two forms on Sony systems: a $60 option for either PS3 or PS4, and a $90 Digital Guardian Edition that gives you the game across both platforms. NHL 15 is $60 on both PS3 and PS4. Also on PS3 is Mega Man X5 for $6 and Alawar Farm Frenzy Bundle for $6. Pre-orders for The Evil Within on PS3 and PS4 are now live. Plus members can snag that pre-order for $54, rather than the full $60, and there's a Grand Theft Auto series sale happening right now. We're playing a bunch of Destiny this week live on our Twitch channel – catch all of the action here or there. NHL 15 is missing a few fan-favorite modes, and we also have some things to say about that.
Lego Batman 3 goes beyond Gotham with DLC, season pass
When Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham launches in November, players will have three pieces of DLC to pick up, each part of a season pass for the game. The season pass costs $14.99 and promises access to six add-ons in total, three of which will be announced at a later time. It will be available to PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC owners, but not Wii U, 3DS and Vita. The DLC packs set to arrive alongside the game are The Dark Knight Pack, the Man of Steel Pack and the Batman 75th Pack, each with themed missions with story elements and free play modes. The latter has players following the exploits of the Joker and Harley Quinn as they set up "a variety of celebration set pieces," then play as the varying Batmans (Batmen?) through the hero's many years of existence. Future packs will include new playable characters, vehicles and levels. Each piece of DLC can be purchased individually for $2.99. Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will launch November 11 for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Vita, Wii U and 3DS. The game will also be featured in a PS3 bundle, slated to launch with the game. [Image: WBIE]
KickBeat Special Edition hitting PS4, Wii U next week
An upgraded Special Edition of beat-matching rhythm game KickBeat is coming to the PlayStation 4 and Wii U next week, developer Zen Studios announced today. Putting players at the center of a kung-fu brawl, KickBeat's gameplay is driven by the beat of featured tracks like POD's "Boom," Papa Roach's "Last Resort," and Rob Zombie's "Scum of the Earth." The Special Edition release includes additional levels not featured in last year's initial release for the PS3 and PS Vita, along with a music-analyzing feature that generates levels based on user-chosen tracks. KickBeat Special Edition is due to launch for the PlayStation 4 on September 16, while the Wii U version premieres on the 18th. An Xbox One port is also in the works. [Image: Zen Studios]
Report: New details on Resident Evil: Revelations 2
The November issue of Gamesmaster magazine dives deep into Capcom's upcoming spin-off sequel Resident Evil: Revelations 2 and returns with word on the game's place in Resident Evil canon, Claire Redfield's co-star Moira and more. According to Push Start, Gamesmaster claims that Resident Evil: Revelations 2 takes place between the events of 2009's Resident Evil 5 and series black sheep Resident Evil 6. Claire Redfield is the game's protagonist, but she's joined by Moira Burton, daughter of former STARS weapons specialist Barry Burton. As the game has two leading ladies, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 features both a singleplayer and co-operative campaign. Gameplay-wise, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is said to be a return to series tradition with a pronounced focus on survival horror, as opposed to the over-the-top action of the more recent Resident Evil entries. "I want this to be both a game that doesn't lose what made its predecessor great, while also bringing something new and exciting to the Resident Evil series," said producer Michiteru Okabe. "Achieving that lofty goal by bringing together past and future will make this an itchy-tasty prospect indeed." [Image: Capcom]
Red Dead Redemption rides again in latest GTA Online jobs
In its latest round-up of noteworthy, fan-crafted jobs found within Grand Theft Auto Online, the Rockstar Games blog pays tribute to the developer's classic 2010 western action-adventure Red Dead Redemption. Included in today's list are ten jobs inspired by and seeking to reimagine Red Dead Redemption within the engine that powers Grand Theft Auto 5. The PlayStation 3's "Grab The Bag" job recreates the Red Dead Redemption multiplayer mode of the same name where four teams compete for control of a bag by gunning one another down. "Tall Trees," by contrast, lifts its setting from a popular Red Dead Redemption hunting area, but in lieu of hunting bears and cougars, players take part in a deathmatch armed exclusively with pistols and shotguns. For full details on all ten jobs and links to where you can download the maps for your own enjoyment, click through to Rockstar's website. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Ray Rice to be removed from Madden 15 in Week 1 update
Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice will be removed from Madden NFL 15 in this week's update, EA Sports confirmed with Joystiq. The change will be part of the game's next roster update, which "will take place by this Friday," the publisher said. Rice was cut by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely from the NFL after a video of his domestic violence act from February surfaced on TMZ. The league previously suspended Rice for two games for the incident, and as a result of the suspension, current rosters in Madden 15 have him fourth in the depth chart order for Ravens running backs. It's not the first time EA has adjusted its sports game rosters following an athlete's criminal act; former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was removed from NCAA 14 and Madden NFL 25 in July 2013 after being charged with murder. [Image: EA Sports]
Unboxing Destiny Ghost Edition and the white PS4 bundle
When a box shows up hiding the first new intellectual property from Bungie in 13 years alongside a little, creepy plastic robot in it, there's only one thing to do: rip that sucker open and sift through its delicious limited edition innards. Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM) and Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski) dig into new limited edition Destiny sets. Watch it now and then in a few weeks get your hands on both when Joystiq gives them away. While the white PS4 and Ghost Edition giveaways are still some time off, Joystiq is giving away free copies of Destiny on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 right now. How do you get your hands on them? Just click right here. [Images: Activision/Bungie]
EA Sports delays NBA Live 15 by three weeks
In an effort to polish the game further, EA Sports has delayed the launch of NBA Live 15 by several weeks. The game will now launch on October 28 instead of October 7, the same day as its competitor, NBA 2K15. Word of the delay comes via an open letter from Executive Producer Sean O'Brien on the publisher's site. "We think we've come a long way since the launches of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 last November, and we're still working on tuning certain areas in 5-on-5 gameplay," O'Brien said. EA Sports will start discussing the game's updates with more frequency in the coming weeks through its new gameplay blog, as well. O'Brien's made a habit of drafting open letters for the public; in November, he admitted that the developer has "a lot of work to do" following the launch of NBA Live 14, and then stated the team has "a lot to prove" in June. NBA Live 15 is in development for Xbox One and PS4. EA has a bit of a history with delaying, then eventually canceling games in the series, as both NBA Live 13 and NBA Elite 11 were canceled in September 2012 and November 2010, respectively. [Image: EA Sports]
Bungie's leap forward with 'Destiny' isn't gameplay: it's social
"Waffles. Waffles with Swedish fish in them!" Destiny developer Bungie's community manager Eric Osborne is telling me about his crew's Halo LAN-party ritual. Lugging bulky CRT TVs everywhere ("You didn't have a 36-inch [Sony] Trinitron Wega?" he asks), snaking Ethernet cables around a possible stranger's house, sipping Mountain Dew in the kitchen between games of capture the flag, eating lots of cheap pizza. Or, in Osborne's case, breakfast food sprinkled with candy. "That was my experience!" It's easy for him to chuckle at how ridiculous his go-to game fuel sounds in retrospect. Back then, host advantage wasn't having non-lagging bullets -- it was knowing where the bathroom was and not having parents home. Times were a lot simpler.
Shadow of Mordor delayed on Xbox 360, PS3
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor won't storm retail's gates in September on previous generation consoles. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced this morning that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions "will take more time in development," with release dates now slated for November 18 and 21 in the Americas and UK, respectively. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Mordor are all set to ride on September 30 in North America and October 3 in the UK. The PC and Steam versions are also set for September 30 in the Americas and Europe.
PlayStation 4 surpasses 1 million sales in the UK
The PlayStation 4 is the first current-gen console to hit one million sales in the UK, making it the second-fastest of all to reach seven figures in the country's history. The Sony system took 42 weeks to pass the million barrier, four weeks less than the PS3 and eight less than the PS2. However, the crown for fastest seller remains atop the Nintendo Wii, which shifted a million to UK customers in just 38 weeks. Sony Europe's Chris Owen confirmed the figure as "sell-through," meaning it represents sales to customers rather than retailers. Sony UK boss Fergal Gera explained to Eurogamer the figures come from data compiler Chart Track.