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2K Games kills off 'BioShock' for iOS
When 2K Games launched a port of the original BioShock for iOS last year, fans of the adored franchise were ecstatic. But it looks like that joy has, unexpectedly, come to an end for some of them. Much to the surprise of people who had already purchased the mobile title, 2K Games appears to have pulled it from the App store -- if you deleted it from your device, there's no way to get it back. The company had recently cited compatibility issues with versions of iOS 8.4 or higher, bad enough that users couldn't play it, but it said a fix was in the works. Now, however, the developer appears to have given up completely. According to a forum post on Touch Arcade, a 2K Games customer service rep told a fan the removal was "a developer decision."
Play 'Evolve' free this weekend on Xbox One and PC
Wondering what to do with your three day weekend? Turtle Rock Studios is hoping you'll (re)visit its co-op shooter Evolve, courtesy of a few days of free access on Xbox One and PC. Even if you already own it, it may be time to knock the dust off because besides the flood of players, it's unlocking all the DLC for you to try, and just permanently unlocked a new monster, the Meteor Goliath. Thanks to its 4-on-1, primarily multiplayer setup, having a strong base of online players is key, and this is one way to try and refresh the ranks. The free preview is already under way, wrapping up on the 7th, at 11:59PM PT on Xbox One, and at 10AM PT on PC.
'Mafia III' looks like the 1968 version of 'True Detective'
The first trailer for Mafia III takes us down to the American bayou in 1968, tied up and bloodied in the backseat of a car while Vietnam veteran Lincoln Clay menacingly espouses the true meaning of "family." Clay is Mafia III's main character and he represents a shift away from the snappily dressed, mainly white mobsters of previous Mafia games. Clay is an orphan who finds his family in the black mob of New Orleans, and when the Italian mob slaughters his new kin, Clay vows revenge and turns the city's organized-crime power structure on its head. Mafia III is due to hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC in 2016.
Play as the Terminator if you want to live in 'WWE 2K16'
WWE 2K16, the latest installment in Take-Two's yearly wrestling franchise, will feature a familiar face stretched around a nigh-indestructible metal skeleton: the Terminator, as portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. The Terminator is a playable character in WWE 2K16, but only for those who pre-order the game on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One or Xbox 360. Pre-orders are live now and the game is due to hit shelves on October 27th, just in time to perfect your "Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator as a wrestler in a WWE video game" Halloween costume.
2K is reportedly bringing college basketball back to its games
For the first time in years, college basketball teams may soon be playable in a video game. ESPN's Darren Rovell reports that 2K Sports has licensing deals in place with ten schools and plans to include them in an upcoming title. That list of teams includes Arizona, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, UCLA and more according to SB Nation -- some of college basketball's big-name programs. If you'll recall, EA cancelled the 2014 installment of its college football title after a lawsuit over the use of player likenesses and the NCAA pulling its licensing deal. When it comes to college hoops, though, there hasn't been a game in several years, so this would be a welcome release for folks who've been waiting.
'XCOM 2' infiltrates PCs in November
Prepare for permadeath. XCOM 2, the sequel to 2012's wonderfully rich strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is due to hit PC in November. XCOM 2 comes from publisher 2K and developer Firaxis Games, the very same team behind Enemy Unknown. They've been teasing a big announcement with a website for the Advent Administration, a futuristic government that advertises gene therapies and other technologies that rid humans of all illness -- but the site has been hacked with messages that suggest all is not as rosy as it seems.
Pelicans' Holiday is T-Rexing in NBA 2K15 glitch video
We're fairly certain that New Orleans Pelicans basketball player Jrue Holiday has perfectly functional arms in real life. As demonstrated by YouTube user wEEman33, it appears that NBA 2K15 disagrees. As seen in the video shared shared above, a recent glitch in the game caused Holiday's arms to seemingly retreat into his body following a server-side update to its MyTeam mode, leaving his hands to jut out from his shoulders like fish fins with opposable thumbs. To make matters worse, the shirtless Holiday was also missing part of his torso and occasionally disappeared, but none of it stopped him from sinking multiple three-point shots. According to Operation Sports, the special armless "Sapphire" version of Holiday no longer exists, as Visual Concepts issued a patch to squash the bug yesterday. 2K Sports' basketball game is no stranger to horrifying glitches; NBA 2K15's face-scanning feature resulted in numerous monstrosities for created players. The publisher had fun with the issue, offering fans Halloween masks based on the face-scan glitch to print out and wear. [Image: 2K Sports]
'Borderlands' on PS4 and Xbox One comes in a $399 edition with a robot
No, the trend of recycling games for modern consoles isn't over yet -- if anything, it's gathering steam. Gearbox and 2K have unveiled Borderlands: The Handsome Collection, a bundle that spruces up both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (along with their downloadable content) for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. If you buy the garden variety $60 edition when it arrives on March 24th, you'll get the obligatory improved graphics, cross-platform saved games and four-way split-screen cooperative action. They're nice touches, although it's hard to see a die-hard fan buying this role-playing influenced shooter a second time just for those perks. This is more for first-timers who missed what all the fuss was about.
Borderlands 2, Pre-Sequel bundle announced for PS4, Xbox One
Let's be honest, we all saw this coming: Publisher 2K has assembled The Handsome Collection, which includes Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (with all DLC) on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The collection launches March 24 and 27 in North America and internationally, respectively. There will also be a Borderlands: The Handsome Collection Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition, which includes everything in the standard mega box, with the addition of a remote controlled Claptrap steward robot, a collectible steel case and 12 "exclusive" lithographs. Where as the standard bundle will cost $60, the limited run of 5,000 Claptrap-in-a-Box Edition will cost $399. In fairness, a real Claptrap, along with research and development, would cost much more.
Sid Meier's next exploration game has you roving the galaxy
Legendary game maker Sid Meier is clearly fond of exploration on a grand scale -- hot on the heels of the alien world colonization of Civilization: Beyond Earth, he's ready to take on an entire galaxy. He and Firaxis have unveiled Starships, a follow-up title that has you establishing your own galactic empire, forging alliances and (naturally) engaging in tactical starship battles with customizable vessels. The developers aren't revealing much about the exact mechanics, but there will be "cross-connectivity" with Beyond Earth that has one game affecting the other. You won't have to wait long to see how it works for yourself, at any rate, since the game will reach iPads, Macs and Windows PCs in early 2015.
Sid Meier's 'Starships' blasts off this year
The house Sid Meier built, Firaxis, will send out an "interstellar strategy game" for PC, Mac and iPad in early 2015. According to 2K's initial announcement, players will research new technologies and spaceship designs, pierce through the unknown reaches of the galaxy and fight in turn-based combat, all hinged on "distinctive" maps and dynamically created combat missions. "My goal was to create an experience that focuses on starship design and combat within a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration," says Meier. Publisher 2K is also teasing cross-connectivity between Starships and last year's turn-based Civilization spin-off, Beyond Earth.
Fourth Evolve monster granted with pre-orders or separate purchase
Turtle Rock Studios' four-versus-one multiplayer shooter Evolve will receive a number of add-ons following the game's launch in February. For $25, the game's Hunting Season Pass will introduce four new playable hunters this spring, one for each class in the game. Each hunter will also be available for purchase for $7.49 each. Season pass holders will also get exclusive access to three monster skins at Evolve's launch: Magma Goliath, Magma Kraken and Magma Wraith. Turtle Rock Studios also revealed the Behemoth, a fourth playable "tank of a monster" that transforms into a rolling boulder, available this spring for $15. The Behemoth will also be part of the Monster Expansion Pack, a bonus for those that pre-order or pre-purchase Evolve. That expansion pack itself features a free Savage Goliath skin at the game's launch. Additionally, the developer revealed two special edition versions of the game today, each available for pre-purchase. Evolve's Digital Deluxe Edition features the monster-slaying game, its season pass and the Monster Expansion Pack for $80, available on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. PC players get a special collector's edition to themselves as well: Evolve's $100 PC Monster Race Edition features the same goodies as the Digital Deluxe Edition as well as a fifth monster, two hunters and four monster skins that will be exclusive to PC Monster Race Edition players for 30 days. Evolve will launch on February 10 and is available to pre-download starting today on Xbox One. While you can find a new trailer for the game to showcase the Behemoth after the break, stay tuned to Joystiq Streams at 4:00 p.m. ET today for a livestream of Evolve in action. [Image: 2K Games]
Evolve PC specs sniffed out
When it comes to Evolve's newly-revealed PC specs, it's not quite "survival of the fittest." You do need a fairly decent rig to be part of the 4v1 fun, but the CryEngine shooter accommodates 4GB of system RAM and 1GB of graphical power at a minimum. You can check out the full minimum and recommended requirements below the break, but there are a couple of extra infobits worth noting. First, 2K says Evolve supports 4K resolutions "right now," so you should be able to hunt down oodles of definition when the PC closed tests start anew on January 16. However, 2K adds SLI (Scalable Link Interface) isn't supported "out of the box." The publisher says teams are working to get the multi-GPU turbocharge working with the game ASAP. It's not long now until the hunt begins in full for PS4, Xbox One and PC on February 10. It's even less long until Evolve's Xbox One open beta, which is due to run across January 15-19. PS4 owners can also test the game out starting January 17, as long as they have a Big Alpha invite and PS Plus subscription.
Evolve goes gold, spawns lengthy intro cinematic
Left 4 Dead creator Turtle Rock Studios has completed development on its upcoming team-based monster shooter Evolve, and to celebrate publisher 2K Games has issued the above footage, a nearly three-minute-long intro cinematic pulled straight from the game. [Image: 2K Games]
Borderlands Remastered Edition listed by Australian ratings board
Borderlands may be the series to finally fill the void of cross-generation remasters, going by a new listing published by the Australian Classification Board. The MA15+ multiplatform rating for "Borderlands Remastered Edition" notes Gearbox Software and 2K Australia as the authors and 2K as the publisher. All that's missing is the official confirm from 2K [Update: When approached, a 2K spokesperson told Joystiq, "We have made no announcements and have nothing to state at this time.] From here on in we've firmly got our speculating psycho mask on. So, the three Borderlands - 1, 2 and The Pre-Sequel - came to the last generation of systems. So it would make sense for a remastered re-release to bundle the trilogy for PS4, Xbox One and PC. Throw in all the DLC (why not?) and a friendly price tag and you, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar.
Blackman to head 2K's Hangar 13 studio
Former LucasArts staple Haden Blackman will head a new studio for publisher 2K. Designated Hangar 13, the Novato, California studio is working on an unannounced next-gen title. Blackman was senior executive producer for the Star Wars games at LucasArts, working on Knights of the Old Republic and The Force Unleashed. After that, he founded and sold off Fearless Studios.
Evolve Medic Caira loves the smell of napalm and heals in the mornin'
Doctors in the real world may have goliath-sized tuition bills to pay off, but Medics in Evolve have it pretty rough too, what with the giant monsters and all. If you've wondered whether the Medic life is the life for you, here's a walk in the boots of Evolve's Caira. [Image: 2K Games]
WWE 2K15's 'My Career' mode crashing Xbox One systems
WWE 2K15 launched off the top ropes and into Xbox One and PS4 systems this week, and was met with a number of technical issues as it landed. Polygon reported that Xbox One versions of the game crashed during multiple attempts to play My Career mode, a game-breaking problem listed by others on 2K's official support forums. One player discovered a trick that appeared to solve the issue: Disconnecting their system from the Internet seemed to make My Career mode available to them. 2K's support team addressed other concerns, such as instances where PS4 players are unable to download add-on content like the Sting and Hulk Hogan characters. Additionally, the publisher offered a guide for players stuck on the game's demo match, which happens for those downloading the launch update at the same time. We've reached out to 2K for information on the game's early issues and will update as we learn more. [Image: 2K]
Watch, contrast and compare as GTA 5 slides from PS3 to PS4
Rockstar's new PS3/PS4 comparison vid for Grand Theft Auto 5 sits somewhere between chill-out and trippy. One moment there's greenery, deer and dolphins, the next there are people magically appearing out of nowhere. Were those people on the street always there, but just... invisible before? Are they ghost people? Maybe we're all ghost people? Whoa. Revelations aside, GTA 5 hits PS4 and Xbox One on November 18, and PC in 2015. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Upload your face to this WWE 2K15 trailer
2K offered a new trailer for WWE 2K15 today, showing off a bit of the game's superstar customization options. The latest entry in the wrestling series from Yuke's and Visual Concepts allows players to upload photographs to 2K's servers, importing their likenesses onto the heads of custom wrestlers. Head past the break to check out the video, which also boasts custom tattoo and logo options in the game's creation suite. WWE 2K15 is already available on Xbox 360 and PS3, having launched last week. 2K's wrestling series will debut on PS4 and Xbox One on November 18 in North America and November 21 internationally. The game features a historical rivalries "2K Showcase" mode as well as a My Career mode similar to the publisher's other popular sports series, NBA 2K. Its $25 season pass includes three additional stories for the 2K Showcase mode. [Image: 2K]
