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SteamWorld: Heist expands to consoles, PC platforms
Image & Form's turn-based strategy game SteamWorld Heist is coming to "all current platforms," studio CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson revealed this week. SteamWorld: Heist is now scheduled for release on the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and Xbox One, along with Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. Heist follows up on the studio's mining-themed action game SteamWorld: Dig, which was featured as one of last month's free PlayStation Plus releases. Image & Form is also considering a mobile release, though plans have not yet solidified. SteamWorld: Heist will premiere as a staggered release across all of its announced platforms starting in spring 2015. [Image: Image & Form]
Sony rings in the holidays with four weeks of PSN discounts
Sony wants to make it a bit easier to avoid the hazards of brick and mortar retailers this holiday season with a fully digital, four week-long PlayStation Network sale on television shows, movies and games for each of the publisher's platforms. From now until the end of December, PlayStation Network visitors will find a wide swath of releases available at up to 65 percent off. Those discounts jump as high as 75 percent off for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Highlights include the PlayStation 4's alternate history shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order at $36 ($30 with PS Plus), both crude cartoon adaptation South Park: The Stick of Truth and racing sim Gran Turismo 6 at $20 ($16 with PS Plus) and Capcom's lesser known yet highly addictive action platformer Dustforce for $5 ($4 with PS Plus). A full list of ongoing discounts can be found on the PlayStation.blog. If you can't find anything appealing there, have patience. This promotion adds new discounts each week, with the biggest discounts presumably arriving as we inch closer to December 25. [Image: Bethesda Softworks]
Cyberpunk bartending for racist corgis, Waifu in VA-11 HALL-A
VA-11 HALL-A is like Papers, Please, but with alcohol instead of immigration papers. Developers at Sukeban Games lovingly call VA-11 HALL-A a "booze-em-up" game. It's set in a post-dystopian, corporate-controlled society where every citizen is infected with nanobots designed to oppress, and law enforcement agents called White Knights trawl the streets, ensuring no one breaks the law. And of course there are racist corgis with translation devices. As a bartender in a small downtown joint called VA-11 HALL-A – or just "Valhalla" to regulars – players meet and talk to a wide range of people, hearing stories of this brave new world and helping customers through their issues. "While the player can perform different actions besides bartending – changing the tunes in the jukebox on past versions of the game is a good example – the bartending will be the only way the player has to interact with the character," Programmer Fernando Damas tells Joystiq. "This is mainly because that format offers a more seamless experience between gameplay and story. It also offers a more complex yet easy-to-understand approach to the choices menu and dialogue trees these kind of games have."
Y2K: Paranormal elevator death, new RPG systems, no hipsters
Y2K stars Alex, a young man with thick-rimmed glasses, a full beard and a flannel shirt over a nerdy retro tee and jeans. He fights enemies with vinyl records. Need more hipster cred? Developer AckkStudios describes the plot of Y2K as follows: "When an erratically behaving elevator claims the life of a young woman, unemployed recent college graduate Alex Eggleston takes to a primitive 1990s message board to find answers about the death of this stranger. His quest for answers leads to more questions as his research points him to a mysterious van the internet has dubbed the 'Death Cab.'" Yes, Death Cab. Y2K may seem like a hipster paradise, but AckkStudios co-founder Brian Allanson tells Joystiq that Alex isn't a hipster – he's just a guy who knows what he likes. The same goes for the entire, real-life development team. "For the characters in the game: No, they don't view themselves as hipsters," Allanson says. "Alex is a little bit oblivious to the fact that he's so hip. He's just living his life with his interests. Personally, speaking for the team, we don't call ourselves hipsters. If someone called us that we'd accept that as a description because we are some young people making an indie game – and that's pretty hip, I guess. Although we're really nothing like the characters in Y2K."
20th Anniversary Edition PS4 pays homage to original PlayStation
On the morning of the PlayStation's 20th birthday, Sony's gone full time-warp by unveiling the limited edition 20th Anniversary PS4. There are just 12,300 units worldwide of the commemorative console, and Sony warns there's "very limited" supply in the US & Canada. The "Original Grey" PS4 echoes the clean hue and colorful logo of the first PlayStation, along with the iconic grey and black design of the DualShock. The system and controller are both embossed with a special pattern of the four PlayStation face buttons, with 2s in front of the circles to make 20s in honor of the anniversary. Also, each system is numbered with a plate in the bottom-right corner of the front, showing which of the 12,300 it is. In addition to standard extras and special packaging, the birthday boy PS4 comes with the PlayStation Camera, vertical stand and mono headset, all in the same Original Grey color. If you fancy Sony's link to the past, you'll need $499 (499 euros) and you'll want to watch the PlayStation Experience event on Saturday, December 6 at 10AM PT (1PM ET). Sony says pre-orders open on December 6, and it'll reveal more details in the Experience keynote.
PSN Tuesday: Game of Thrones, The Crew, Secret Ponchos
Ask your parents or significant other to pack you a basket of sandwiches, because you have an entire country to drive across in Ubisoft's The Crew, now available on the PlayStation Store for $59.99 (standard edition). If you prefer to travel within a fictional realm, the first episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series is also available for $4.99. Read our review here. The PS4 debut of Secret Ponchos, the previously PC-only online shooter from indie dev Switch Blade Monkeys, is available free for PlayStation Plus members ($14.99 otherwise). Other free PS Plus library titles include Injustice: Gods Among Us (PS4), the Hitman HD trilogy (PS3), Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut (PS3) and Vita games Titan Attack and Final Horizon. [Image: Ubisoft]
Last of Us art director abandons swans for tombs
The Last of Us Art Director Nate Wells has joined with Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, according to a tweet from the artist. Wells departed from Giant Sparrow after spending roughly eight months with The Unfinished Swan developer. The art director previously worked at Irrational Games for 13 years before leaving the studio for Naughty Dog in August 2012, then Giant Sparrow this past April. Wells' departure from Giant Sparrow follows the release of The Unfinished Swan on PS4 and Vita in late October, and the developer's next project largely remains a mystery. It announced "Edith Finch" in March 2013 before changing its announcement to "Unannounced Giant Sparrow Project." The next project will not be a sequel to The Unfinished Swan, though the developer said it's "not a million miles away either." [Image: Giant Sparrow]
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth dev has 'big plans' for expansion
It's been less than a month since The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth returned players to the dark, unsettling basement of action-dungeon crawler The Binding of Isaac with a host of new features, yet designer Edmund McMillen is already planning ways to expand the upgraded re-release. "[O]nce the holidays end, the [N]icalis gang will be jumping back into the abyss and digging into the very large design doc [I] have ready for [them]," McMillen writes in a recent blog entry. "[I] have big plans for this expansion, [I] hope to add a very huge chunk of gameplay in the form of a new game mode that will almost double the amount of things you can do, [I'm] very proud of this new design." Additionally, McMillen notes that the expansion will include additional enemies, bosses, areas, endings, items and a new playable character. As it's in the very earliest stages of development, there's no release date nor title for the next Binding of Isaac expansion. While you wait, McMillen would like your help adding new items to the game. He's currently accepting suggestions on Reddit. [Image: Nicalis]
Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire score Pokemon's biggest UK launch
In Brit-news, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire out-debuted Pokemon X and Y by 17 percent, earning the series' biggest launch in UK charts history. The 3DS remakes hit 3 million sales in 3 days ahead of last week's launch in Britain, where they topped DS titles Black and White to capture the country's Poke-record. The two games landed in sixth and seventh in this week's charts, but combined they'd have charted in third. As for the rest of the top ten, it was a case of big-selling musical chairs at the summit and underwhelming debuts for exclusives. Starting at the top, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare took back the No. 1 spot from Grand Theft Auto 5, which fell to third with FIFA 15 up to second. Lower down, PS4 racer Driveclub rose to eighth with a massive 999 percent jump in sales on the back of Black Friday console promotions. November 28 wasn't as prolific a day for two big-profile launches, though. Super Smash Bros. only rose to 13th following the arrival of its Wii U version, while LittleBigPlanet 3 came in even lower in 18th.
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]
Hitman HD, Deadly Premonition join December's free PS Plus slate
Sony already mentioned that PlayStation 4 owners with subscriptions to PlayStation Plus will receive gratis access to both Secret Ponchos and Injustice: Gods Among Us in December, but this morning we learned of the other four games joining the service that month. PlayStation 3 owners with active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will have access to both bizarre horror game Deadly Premonition: The Director's Cut and the Hitman HD Trilogy, an upgraded re-release of Hitman 2, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. Vita owners will also receive two games: tower defense strategy game Final Horizon and neo-retro shooter Titan Attacks. As always, these free games are only available to those with active PlayStation Plus subscriptions. A one month subscription is priced at $10, while a year-long subscription features a $50 price tag. Sony has all the information you need to sign up at its online store. [Image: Ignition Entertainment]
PlayStation Co-Op Sale: Dark Souls 2, Far Cry 3, Rayman
In the spirit of the money-saving holidays (and Thanksgiving, we guess), Sony kicked off a new Co-Op Gaming sale today that discounts games with local or online multiplayer functionality. The deals end on December 1, and PlayStation Plus subscribers get a bigger discount than other PSN users: up to 80 percent off the price of some games. Of the group, there are ten PlayStation 4 games on sale through PSN this week, among which are Awesomenauts Assemble ($5.39), EA Sports UFC ($13.99), Mercenary Kings ($8.99), Rayman Legends ($19.59), Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition ($6.39), TowerFall Ascension ($7.34) and Trine 2: Complete Story ($7.99). Other notable deals include Borderlands 2 (PS3, $4.54), Dark Souls 2 (PS3, $19.59), Rayman Origins ($13.29 on Vita, $9.79 on PS3) and Far Cry 3 (PS3, $9.79). [Image: Ubisoft]
PSN Tuesday: Tales from the Borderlands, Geometry Wars 3
This week, PS4 and PS3 people get episode one of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands, Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions and the FIFA 15 Holiday Edition. There's also a demo of Tales from the Borderlands for free on PS3. PS4 now has Speakeasy, Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed, Aqua Kitty – Milk Mine Defender DX and Thomas Was Alone. PS3 players can now buy Jetpack Joyride Deluxe, the Armageddon Riders + Planets Under Attack Bundle and PSOne Classic Boxing. Vita gets Aqua Kitty as a Cross-Buy game with PS4, Jetpack Joyride Deluxe, Rocket RPG and Boxing. Pre-orders are now live for Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, both on PS4. [Image: Telltale]
Sony to shift focus from TVs, smartphones to PlayStation
Following a recent forecast that predicts Sony's mobile division will lose up to 30 percent of its sales by next Spring, the electronics giant has opted to increase its focus on the perennially successful PlayStation brand. According to a Reuters report, Sony has instituted a three-year plan for the shift that aims to reduce support for its mobile device and television divisions and to boost sales of the PlayStation division by 25 percent, up to as much as $13.6 billion. Sony is also relying heavily on sales of image sensors, which the corporation believes could increase by as much as 70 percent, thanks to their use in iPhones and an increasing number of Chinese-manufactured smartphones. "There's a lot of expectation for Sony now, but nothing is sure until there are results," Ichiyoshi Asset Management chief fund manager Akino Mitsushige told Reuters. "Getting out of the mobile market is an option, but they can't do that now, so they will need to make some fundamental changes." [Image: Sony]
Sony to refund Vita customers in FTC settlement over false ads
Sony Computer Entertainment America has settled with the FTC over charges that it produced false and misleading advertisement during the Vita's launch campaign from late 2011 to early 2012. Sony will provide refunds to Vita customers who purchased the device before June 1, 2012 – either a $25 cash or credit refund, or a $50 voucher for select games and services. Sony will email eligible customers after the settlement is finalized. The FTC alleges that some of Sony's claims about the Vita were misleading, including that the Vita "would revolutionize gaming mobility" by enabling remote play and cross-platform play with the PS3, allowing players to start a game on PS3 and finish it on Vita. Sony is barred from similar advertising practices in the future. The FTC alleges the following: "Sony claimed, for example, that PS Vita users could pause any PS3 game at any time and continue to play the game on their PS Vita from where they left off. This feature, however, was only available for a few PS3 games, and the pause-and-save capability described in the ads varied significantly from game to game.... Sony's PS Vita ads falsely implied that consumers who owned the 3G version of the device (which cost an extra $50 plus monthly fees) could engage in live, multi-player gaming through a 3G network. In fact, consumers could not engage in live, multiplayer gaming.... In reality, most PS3 games were not remote playable on the PS Vita."
Marvel's Venom infects Zen Pinball games next month
Zen Studios announced a new table for its pinball games based on the popular villain from Marvel's Spider-Man universe, Venom. The table explores Venom's rivalry with Spider-Man as well as Carnage, the offspring of the dark Symbiote, hosted by the first of Venom's victims from the webbed superhero's comics, Eddie Brock. As with Zen Studios' other tables, the add-on will launch for multiple Zen Pinball and Pinball FX games on December 10 and December 11. It will cost $2.99 (€2.99/£2.49) for Zen Pinball 2 and Pinball FX 2 players on PS4, PS3, Vita, PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U. Those playing Zen Pinball, Zen Pinball HD and Marvel Pinball on iOS and Android will need to pay $1.99 (€1.79/£1.49) to access the Venom table in those games. [Image: Zen Studios]
Hatoful Boyfriend released from its cage: PS4, Vita in 2015
Finally, you can go to the park and feed the pigeons while simultaneously dating a handful of pigeons and discovering their bird-brained plot to overtake the world and enslave humanity. Finally. Pigeon-dating simulator Hatoful Boyfriend is due out on PS4 and Vita in early 2015 from Devolver Digital and Mediatonic. It'll be $10 (£7 /€8), and "a launch party is currently being planned in front of a bench in Central Park with a bar serving a range of high-end breadcrumbs," according to the press release. The PC version of Hatoful Boyfriend launched in September, based on the visual novel by Hato Moa. "I never dreamt when I first made Hatoful Boyfriend I'd see it on PlayStation," Moa says. "Thanks to the amazing fans and Mediatonic, I hope now even more people will discover pigeon love. All you need is dove." Hatoful Boyfriend is a surprisingly deep game about dating pigeons – yes, you really date pigeons – and uncovering the dark secrets of a new avian world. Our review describes the drop as follows: "The larger narrative kicks in and everything is suddenly colored with an awareness that something has gone horribly awry." For those just diving in, make sure to play through all of your pigeon-suitor options. [Image: Devolver Digital]
Grand Theft Auto 5 becomes the UK's all-time bestseller
The new king of Britain is Grand Theft Auto 5, after it claimed the crown for the most units sold in the nation in the ever of ever. On the back of hitting PS4 and Xbox One, Rockstar's latest crime circus usurped the former rule of Call of Duty: Black Ops, according to data-bods Chart Track. While Chart Track didn't report specific sales figures, MCV claims GTA 5 was at "almost 4 million" units sold in the UK ahead of its arrival on the newest systems. As per other re-releases, GTA 5 offers enhanced graphics on PS4 and Xbox One. In its case, however, there's also the undoubted showpiece of the new first-person camera. "Rather than lowering the camera and shoving it in the chests of its three protagonists, GTA 5's first-person mode adds detailed animations that give the perspective a feeling more akin to simulation than a shooter," said Joystiq's Xav de Matos in our updated review. GTA 5 isn't the only rock star in this week's UK charts, so head below the break to see how well Far Cry 4 and Dragon Age: Inquisition did, and just how badly Sonic Boom flopped. You'll also find the UK top ten and, as ever, the minimally-beloved customary music video.
Vib-Ribbon's return began with an attempt at stage cred
When president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America Shawn Layden praised Vib-Ribbon's outside-the-box concept during this year's E3, he hoped it would show his legitimacy as a nerd worthy of standing beside better-recognized faces of PlayStation like Adam Boyes or Shu Yoshida, according to a report from Wired. Excited fans flooded social media in response, but their joy turned to rage when Layden took a sharp turn from his fond remembrance to introduce the gameplay debut of Mortal Kombat X. As he was drinking in the backlash the following morning, Layden remembered that Vib-Ribbon was never actually released in North America. Instead of finding common ground with fans of the cult classic, he had reminded part of his audience of what they had never had a chance to play.
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd review - Pretty punisher
PS3, Vita We had the chance to stop her, but now it's too late. Hatsune Miku has taken over. At this point, Miku is a global phenomenon. The virtual pop idol recently infiltrated American culture in a guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman and as an opening act for Lady Gaga, but her worldwide success comes as a result of a fascinating mixture of official licensing and fan-made mythos. Miku herself may be rooted in sterile voice synthesis software, but it's the work of fans that gave her a vibrantly marketable identity. This unique melding of fandom and Japanese idol culture defines Sega's Hatsune Miku: Project Diva series, which showcases fan-made art and music alongside slickly produced rhythm-driven gameplay. The latest series entry, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd, introduces game-changing features and streamlines its predecessor's weaker elements while crafting a surprisingly diverse challenge for rhythm game veterans.
