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Indie fighter Skullsgirls Encore re-debuts on PSN come February 11
Having finally sorted its issues with original Skullgirls publisher Konami, developer Lab Zero Games has revealed the date the game will return to the PlayStation Network: February 11. Instead of simply re-releasing the fighter, Lab Zero is offering players an upgraded version of the game dubbed Skullgirls Encore. While very similar to its predecessor, Skullgirls Encore technically qualifies as an entirely new game. As a result, none of the DLC released to date for the original Skullgirls will be compatible with Encore, according to Lab Zero Games. To offset this inconvenience, Skullgirls Encore brings a host of gameplay tweaks as well as a new character, a meek opera singer named Squigly who attacks foes via an erudite, dragon-like parasite. Further, Lab Zero is offering Skullgirls Encore at no charge to those who previously purchased the original incarnation of Skullgirls on PSN. So far there is no word on when Skullgirls Encore will see an Xbox Live Marketplace release, but Lab Zero has issued two trailers for the fighter. You'll find a launch trailer above, while below the break lies footage focused on newcomer Squigly. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
Zombie Driver HD publisher bankruptcy causes PSN Japan, XBLA delisting
Add the Exor Studios-developed Zombie Driver HD to the growing list of delisted downloadable titles. According to the developer, the XBLA and PSN Japan versions of Zombie Driver will soon be taken down due to the bankruptcy of its publisher Cyberfront Corporation. "We are currently working on getting the game re-published on XBLA however we can not confirm at this time when or if this will happen. EXOR Studios owns the IP, but we can not publish the game ourselves due to Microsoft's policies," Exor COO Pawel Lekki tells Joystiq. Though the vehicular combat game will also be pulled from the PlayStation Network in Japan due to its publisher's closure, Lekki says the company is already solving the issue with Sony, assuring the game will be back online "at a later time." Perhaps ensuring a similar situation will be avoided in the future, Microsoft's Xbox One console allows for self-publishing in its digital storefront. Currently, Microsoft's policy on Xbox 360 only allows for titles to be submitted to its Xbox Live Arcade marketplace under the banner of an approved publisher. Zombie Driver versions on Steam, PSN in the Americas and Europe, Windows Store and on Ouya are not affected by the game's publisher woes.
Xbox kicks off Countdown to 2014 deals tomorrow
Microsoft is counting the days to 2014 with sales on a random assortment of digital Xbox 360 goodies, Major Nelson announced. Each day brings new, limited-time deals beginning tomorrow with discounts on the Games on Demand version of Borderlands 2 (75 percent off) and the game's collection of DLC. In addition to the limited daily sales, Xbox Live has a slew of discounts on a mishmash of digital content beginning tomorrow and running until December 23. Highlights include Spider-Man: Web of Shadows for 67 percent off its regular price, Guardians of Middle-earth for 67 percent off, and 65 percent off BioShock Infinite. For a complete list of discounts, check Major Nelson's blog, where daily deals will also be posted.
Alice in Chains DLC strums along with Rocksmith 2014
If you've already played the entirety of Rocksmith 2014's set list behind your back while your guitar was on fire ... well, maybe you should go on tour. Five songs from Alice in Chains have been added to its DLC lineup though, so you'll still have something to practice with when you're not on stage. You rock star, you. The new offerings include "Man In The Box," "Hollow," "Would?," "Check My Brain" and "Them Bones." You can pick and choose by paying $2.99 per song, or you can buy them up collectively for $11.99. The DLC is currently available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and will reach the PlayStation Store on November 19.
Xbox Live Marketplace rebranded as Xbox Games Store
The Xbox Live Marketplace has a new name to go with its brand new console: the Xbox Games Store. As visible on the Xbox homepage, the Xbox 360's online marketplace was rebranded this week ahead of the Xbox One's launch in November. When approached to confirm the rebranding, a Microsoft spokesperson told Joystiq, "That's right, [Xbox Live Marketplace] is now called the Xbox Games Store, and will sit alongside the Xbox Music Store and Xbox Video Store. This is to make it easier for consumers to find content both on Xbox 360 today and Xbox One when it launches in November." Given all the pre-Xbox One streamlining going on, including the switch to real-world currency on Xbox Live, a new moniker for the Xbox 360's online marketplace (and soon to be the Xbox One's) is not a big surprise and maybe not the biggest news either. Still, it does mean after nearly eight years we have to say sayonara to Xbox Live Marketplace, a name that sort of rolled off the tongue in an after-eight-years-it-really-should way.
Best of Disney App enters Xbox 360 kingdom
Disney trailers, clips, animated shorts, web shows and more from the magic kingdom have come to Xbox 360. The Best of Disney app is available on Xbox Live Marketplace now as a free download for all Gold subscribers, housing content from Disney Channel, Disney XD and The Walt Disney Studios.
Sega sale on Xbox Live: $5 VF5, $2 Guardian Heroes, $10 Sonic Generations, more
There's a pretty massive Sega sale going down on Xbox Live right now. Many games and DLC packs are $5 or less. In the $5 camp are Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Sonic Adventure 2, Jet Set Radio, Nights into Dreams and Crazy Taxi. Other downloads, such as Guardian Heroes, the Sega Genesis Sonic games (including Sonic CD) and Space Channel 5 Part 2 are only two bucks each. You'll also find a number of $10 Games on Demand titles, including Sonic Generations, Condemned, Sega Superstars Tennis ... and Sonic Unleashed. Finally, if you haven't tried out Ron Gilbert's latest adventure, you can pick up The Cave for $7.50.
DarkStalkers Resurrection and Dark Souls for $10 on Xbox Live this week
The word of the week on Xbox Live is "dark," evidently, as both DarkStalkers Resurrection and the Games on Demand version of Dark Souls are heavily discounted until June 4. You can pick up either game for $10. The marketplace also has Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for $15, along with some discounted DLC for the tactical shooter. We realize that one doesn't have "dark" in the title, but it does have "ghost." Both DarkStalkers and Dark Souls have ghosts in them, so it makes sense, see? PSN is running a DarkStalkers Resurrection deal of its own as well. Pick up Resurrection for $15 and you'll get a free download of the excellent Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix. PlayStation Plus members can get the same deal for only $10.49. This promotion also runs until June 4.
Metal Gear Rising, DMC plunge into Games on Demand
If you can spare the gigglebits on your Xbox 360, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and DMC: Devil May Cry are both available through Games on Demand on Xbox Live for $50 right now. Each will consume 7.34 GB and 6.57 GB, respectively. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is the slice-em-up starring series cyborg Raiden that Platinum Games took over full-time from Kojima Productions in 2011. DMC: Devil May Cry is Ninja Theory's reboot issued earlier this year, which re-imagines Capcom's world replete with a new Dante.
Xbox Live video, music purchases will transfer to Xbox One
Video and music purchased through the Xbox Live Marketplace will transfer to the Xbox One for storage and playback, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison confirmed to Polygon. Harrison noted the cross-platform media compatibility when asked about the Xbox One's reported inability to play Xbox 360 discs and downloaded games. "Actually, to be clear music, movies, television will [transfer]," Harrison said. "All that comes across. Anything that you've acquired from Xbox Video or Xbox Music will move across." Currently, Xbox Live Marketplace movie, television, and music purchases are playable across an individual user's Xbox 360, PC, and tablet and smartphone devices.
Coming soon to XBLM: Gunslinger, CastleStorm, D3Publisher deals
Major Nelson has posted the latest schedule for upcoming Xbox Live content. As previously announced, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger will be released this Wednesday. This week's Deal of the Week is a 50 percent off sale on lots of D3Publisher titles, including the new Karateka, the Puzzle Quest series, Pid and more. There's also an Alan Wake sale with games up to 83 percent off. Finally, Crysis 3 hits Games on Demand tomorrow. Next week, Hunters Trophy 2 – Australia hits Xbox Live Arcade and, although not mentioned by Major Nelson, CastleStorm will arrive as well. Next week's deals include discounts on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and its DLC, DarkStalkers Resurrection for $10. The Games on Demand version of Dark Souls will also be discounted, and it expansion, "Artorias of the Abyss" will be $7.50.
Flixster comes to Xbox 360 with Ultraviolet Collection support
The Warner Bros.-owned movie destination app Flixster has come to Xbox 360 with a new Kinect-enabled application available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Flixster on Xbox allows users to buy and rent films, access "the latest" film review scores from the critic aggregator source Rotten Tomatoes and look up local showtimes in the most clunky way possible ... on your television!As part of the Warner Family, Flixster on Xbox 360 also allows users access their existing UltraViolet movie collection. The app is available to download in select regions and only to those with a continued appreciation of DRM.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Avatar costumes point to more characters
Now that the Injustice: Gods Among Us demo is live on PSN and Xbox Live, the game's associated Avatar goodies have also hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. Of the many offerings available (Wonder Woman/Superman/Batman logo shirts, etc), the costumes for Killer Frost and Ares seen above are by far the most interesting, since those characters haven't been announced for the game.Considering that every other available costume is for one of the game's many playable characters, we feel safe in assuming that Ares and Killer Frost haven't been thrown in for giggles. More likely, these two villains are either unlockable fighters, or future DLC. We've reached out to NetherRealm studios for more information and will update with anything we learn.[Thanks, Sugg3s710n!]
Square Enix holding 50% off sale on Xbox Live Marketplace
A plethora of Square Enix games and DLC for the Xbox 360 are currently available on the Xbox Marketplace for 50 percent off. Until the recent ultimate deals, The Xbox Marketplace has generally had laughable "deals." See, we couldn't even use that word without putting it in quotation marks. As of late, however, the Xbox Live Marketplace is stepping up its game and wandering into Steam-esque style sales.There are a couple exceptions to the 50 percent discount, with Deus Ex Human Revolution at $14.99 (60% off), Kane and Lynch 2 at $9.99 (25% off) and Sleeping Dogs for $19.99 (44% off). The sale will conclude on March 18. Check out the full list of cost augmentations after the break.
PSA: Xbox Live issues reported, Cloud files inaccessible
The Xbox Live service is far from optimal right now, as Microsoft reports hiccups in the Xbox Live service and Xbox.com website. Users will notice inconsistencies and certain outages, affecting various apps across the Xbox 360 – our own tests show the Netflix, HBO Go and Hulu Plus apps functioning as normal right now. In addition to the reported outages, Cloud files are also affected. If you're trying to access your Cloud saves, you'll receive an error reading "0x807b0198." Microsoft is working to resolve the issues and will update accordingly.
Games on Demand sale: Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire, Midnight Club: LA
We're huge fans of the convenience of digital distribution – why trek out to the store like some caveman to buy a plastic disc when we could simply download a game through the innernette? Rockstar is trying to make a case for downloading by discounting four of its top games through Xbox Live's Games on Demand service.For today only, you can download LA Noire, Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3 and Midnight Club: LA for 33% off each – that comes out to $20 for LA Noire and Red Dead Redemption, $40 for Max Payne 3 and $10 for Midnight Club: LA. All of the games save for Max Payne 3 are going for more than their Games on Demand sale price on Amazon right now.Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention three of these games are included in Rockstar Games Collection 1. The only game not included is Max Payne 3, but that's fine because Max just loves being the black sheep of the family.
Forza Horizon 'Bondurant Car Pack' DLC coming Nov. 6
Though we suspect you'll be busy doing donuts in Master Chief's Warthog on November 6, the date also marks the release of the "Bondurant Car Pack" for Microsoft's other first-party fall release, Forza Horizon.Priced at 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox Live Marketplace, the November DLC includes a six-pack of new vehicles to augment the moments our review called "incredibly beautiful." But who needs to stop and smell the roses when you can inhale the sweet fumes of a 1965 Shelby Cobra or that 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon? (Okay, we probably should have used the new Lamborghini Gallardo as our second example.)Full list and details on the new rides can be seen after the break.
Windows 8 defaults direct cash payments for music and movies, puts Microsoft Points on backburner
Microsoft's real money to "Points" conversion has always been a point of contention among consumers, but that may all be about to change -- if the Windows 8 Zune Marketplace is any indicator, that is. Movies and music purchased via Windows 8 no longer default to the bizarre indirect system Microsoft set in place years ago with its Xbox Live platform, instead allowing actual currency for payment as well as MS Points (Windows 8 exclusively used the MS Point system for media purchases throughout beta). In fact, the system even automatically selects hard currency as the standard, reports The Verge. The MS Point system converts 80 MS Points to $1, and points much be purchased in a minimum of 400 point blocks -- a practice criticized as both deceptive and consumer hostile. Points were first implemented on Microsoft's Xbox 360 for purchase of games and associated content on Xbox Live Marketplace; the practice has since expanded to Microsoft's Zune music and movie platform, as well as Xbox.com. Direct payment is available as well, but only for select content, such as Games on Demand. As of this morning, the change hadn't affected the Xbox 360 Marketplace, though rumors earlier this year indicated that MS Points may be wholesale phased out by the end of 2012. Update: Microsoft offered us the following statement: "With Xbox expanding into new markets through Windows 8, we want to provide greater flexibility for you to purchase and access Xbox content by using your credit card. Local currency will be the primary method for making purchases in Windows 8. Current Xbox LIVE customers may also make a purchase using points. Microsoft Points continue to be the currency for purchasing content for the Xbox 360 console. We have nothing to announce regarding future plans."
Walking Dead Episode 3 hits today on PSN, tomorrow on XBLM, PC, and Mac
The Walking Dead: Episode Three: Long Road Ahead arrives on PSN today, and tomorrow on XBLM, PC, and Mac. The PSN price is $4.99, while on XBLM it's 400 MS points. PC and Mac players will have access through Telltale's Season Pass or various online portals, including Steam. International release dates remain unconfirmed, though Telltale Games hopes to have word on that soon.Telltale announced the news after yesterday teasing the next episode of the zombie-stuffed adventure would drop "very soon." Meanwhile, iOS shuffles along just behind the pack, with Episode Two releasing as an in-app purchase for the Walking Dead game tomorrow.
Toejam & Earl achievements pop up, Sega Vintage Collection 4 imminent
Achievements for the Genesis Rogue-like ToeJam & Earl have popped up over at Xbox360Achievements under the tag of Sega Vintage Collection. That suggests that not only is Toejam and Earl imminent on XBLM, but that it's part of the next bundle of Sega classics for both XBLA and PSN.The last Sega Vintage Collection (Numero 3) came in May, bringing old-timers like Super-Hang On, The Revenge of Shinobi, and Alex Kidd in Miracle World to 360s and PS3s. What the next collection may offer is anyone's guess - beyond ToeJam and Earl, that is.There remains no official Sega announcement on an XBLA or PSN release of ToeJam and Earl. However, back in July the creators of the game confirmed to XBLAFans that the publisher is planning to release it on XBLM and PSN. We've reached out to Sega for confirmation.
