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Deals with Gold: Catherine, EA Sports UFC, Fallout
Deals with Gold isn't fooling around, as five Xbox One games and eight Xbox 360 games are discounted this week. Of the bunch, one game is on sale for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members, as all Xbox One players can download EA Sports UFC for half-off. The other four Xbox One games on sale for Gold subscribers are Stick it to the Man, KickBeat Special Edition, Divekick and CastleStorm's Definitive Edition, each for 30 percent off their respective prices. As for Xbox 360 players with an Xbox Live paid subscription, both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are 67 percent off this week through Games on Demand as well as Catherine, which is 60 percent off. Serious Sam Double D XXL and Serious Sam 3: BFE as well as the latter's Jewel of the Nile DLC are 67 percent off on XBLA. Rounding out the group is Foul Play, Pool Nation and How to Survive, each discounted by, you guessed it, 67 percent. The deals are good through Monday, November 17. [Image: EA Sports]
Catherine stalks PS Plus EU on May 1, Velocity Ultra shoots in May 15
Raunchy puzzler Catherine is one of the five games coming to Europe's PlayStation Plus next month. The not-so-sheepish Atlus game joins Malicious and the previously announced Hitman Absolution in the PS3's Instant Game Collection on May 1.Meanwhile, Vita-owning subscribers can power up with a couple of shoot-em-ups. First up is the oddball steampunk of Sine Mora on May 8, and that's followed by Velocity Ultra on May 15. The Vita upgrade of Futurlab's Mini was penciled in for May in North America, so its arrival on PS Plus EU likely means it'll be released on PSN the same week.As ever, newbies shooting up the place forces old stuff to scream in terror as it flees the service. F1 Race Stars, Okami HD, and Quantum Conundrum leave a collective puff of smoke on May 1, with Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward and Thomas Was Alone soon scampering after on May 8 and May 22 respectively.
Dishonored sneaks onto Games on Demand next week
Well, we say "sneaks" in the headline, but Dishonored could just as easily stab and/or blunderbuss its way onto Xbox Live Games on Demand – it's all a matter of personal preference, really. At any rate, Arkane Studios' whale-punk powerhouse will be available through Microsoft's digital distribution platform on Tuesday, January 29, for an indeterminate price.Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 will also be available on Games on Demand next Tuesday, accompanied by Catherine's European, Middle Eastern and Asian releases on the service. Meanwhile, Just Dance 4's "Dance Pack 4" DLC boogies onto XBLA for 240 MS Points, while various Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption DLC packs are marked down by 50 percent until January 28.So! If you've been dishonored by a dangerous hunt, or are feeling max-payne over Catherine, or were told to "just dance for redemption" at gunpoint during a bank heist, Tuesday might be an emotional trigger day for you. Otherwise, enjoy your digitally distributed whatever.
Platinum's Kamiya hoping to announce his own game in 2012, Fumito Ueda loves Portal 2, and more
Since Bayonetta's late 2009/early 2010 debut, director Hideki Kamiya has gone relatively quiet. And while he remains that way for now, it seems we may see some movement from him this year, as he told 4Gamer in its big "looking back on 2011" Japanese developer feature (via Andriasang) that he "would like to announce a new game and make a comeback on the game scene and be known as more than just some guy who posts on Twitter," as his hope for 2012. Bizarrely, he didn't name a single favorite game from the last year, choosing instead to say "nothing in particular" struck his fancy, while Nintendo's eShop "3D Classics" were his favorite entertainment content last year. The feature also features a cadre of Square Enix devs, who hilariously all named Skryim their favorite game of the year (with the exception of a single producer), while the no longer Sony-affiliated Last Guardian creative lead Fumito Ueda put Portal 2 at the top of his list. He was also quick to point out that "The Last Guardian is in development, with the staff hoping to meet expectations even though with each game they taste the difficulties of creation." Okay then! Catherine and Dark Souls also got nods from a variety of devs, as did Super Mario 3D Land. And hey, you know where we stand.
Best of the Rest: Jordan's picks for 2011
Catherine I have a soft spot for the bizarre and the esoteric. If something is complicated, either through the machinations of its mechanical workings or through the intricacies of its conceptual nature, its hard for me to focus on anything else until I feel like I really understand what I'm looking at. Catherine gave me something to think about, and also made me think about myself, which isn't something I can usually say about puzzle/dating games. The experience is complicated in both the literal and metaphorical sense; its ever-changing puzzle gameplay and surprisingly deep, multifaceted story are the result of brilliant design decisions, exceptional writing and an amazing localization job by Atlus. Catherine managed to satiate my craving for the intellectually surreal while immersing me in the delightfully idiosyncratic world of Japanese storytelling.
Editorial: 'I'm tired of saving the world'
Heavy Rain asks us "How far would you go to save someone you love?" Few games bother with this sort of question because the answer is intensely personal. Most games would rather task you with saving the world than with rocking a baby to sleep or patching up a failed relationship. This intransigence on the part of developers to create idiosyncratic stories that resonate with the individual is holding the medium back. Why should gaming's prime inspiration be Michael Bay instead of David Lynch, David Mamet, Paul Thomas Anderson, or even Mel Brooks? An interactive medium like this has the potential to tell complex stories in ways that are sublime, irreverent, and evocative. Gaming could explore the human condition by interfacing with the player like books, movies, and TV never could. Instead, we do battle with rogue Russian nationalists, storm Normandy for the 47th time, or fight off an alien invasion. I can't relate to any of this. I'm tired of saving the world, and the industry is belatedly coming to the same realization. My favorite games of 2011, L.A. Noire and Catherine, spent generous time on character development, with highly personal stories that resonate with the individual.
Catherine has a date in Europe: Feb. 10, 2012
Catherine's publisher in Europe, Deep Silver, is hoping for a lucrative intersection between Valentine's Day, nightmarish puzzle scenarios, and indecisive bachelors. The creepy, curious blend of block shoving and relationship anxiety will arrive in PAL territories on February 10th, the Friday closest to that saccharine holiday for sentimental sweethearts. (NO, we're not bitter. If you called every now and then you'd realize that.) Catherine will be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in a standard edition for £44.99, and less cheaply (£54.99) in the "Stray Sheep Edition." That's the pizza box that comes with a "seductive" poster, a pair of coasters and the "RAVE" shirt that you should never, ever wear.
Catherine to get 'Stray Sheep' edition in Europe
After waiting months to get their hands on Atlus's bizarre Catherine, it looks like Europeans will get a little something extra for their trouble. Publisher Deep Silver will release a special "Stray Sheep Edition" of the game for its European launch next year. Like North America's "Love Is Over" edition, the Stray Sheep edition comes packaged in a pizza box, though the rest of the contents differ significantly (no boxers, for one). Inside the box, the set includes coasters from the in-game bar, Stray Sheep, an exclusive and "seductive" Catherine poster and a T-shirt designed after that of protagonist Vincent. The Stray Sheep edition will be available for £54.99 when Catherine launches in Europe this coming February.
Catherine tempting Europe in February
Catherine, the game that can be described feebly as a romantic nightmare puzzle sim type thing, is heading to Europe in February 2012. Deep Silver is taking care of Atlus' curious cargo over there, and announced the release window today alongside a double-sided cover for first-edition copies. The flip cover shows Catherine, a mysterious and illicit temptation for the protagonist. Reverse it and you'll find Katherine, his long-term girlfriend that's making a move toward marriage. "This way consumers will get the opportunity to select their personal preference," Deep Silver says, "as to which of the women in his life the game's main character, Vincent, should choose." If your game cases are proudly displayed in the living room, we suggest you go with the K-lady.
Spooky Savings: Amazon's 'Un-BOO-lievable' Halloween sale
Autumnal consumerism is usually linked with holidays based around turkeys and/or trees, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from conjuring up some scary-good deals to celebrate All Hallow's Eve. The available gambit of creepy-eepy savings is fairly all-inclusive, ranging from Halloweenish gore-fests like Dead Island, Rise of Nightmares and Left 4 Dead, to the more subtle, yet still emotionally horrifying Catherine. There are a few odd-balls in there like Dead or Alive Dimensions and Duke Nukem Forever, although we suppose Duke is terrifying in a more abstract sense of the word.
Catherine moves 500K copies worldwide
Relationship-infused puzzler Catherine has definitely shipped (and maybe sold) 500,000 copies globally, according to financial results published by Atlus parent company Index. Andriasang also points out strong brand performance by Atlus' Persona series during its latest fiscal year, ended August 31, 2011. Atlus had a slight communications snafu in early August when its cake (above) reported the game sold 200,000 copies -- given our experience with the truthfulness of cake, this should have been immediately suspect. Turns out, Catherine shipped 200K copies, but still sold a respectable 78K during July in North America. We've followed up with Atlus to confirm the shipped vs. sold conundrum and will update when we hear back. Either way, not bad for a niche Japanese game -- and it should teach Shadows of the Damned to put a tantalizing picture of a woman undressing on the cover next time. (Oh, who are we kidding? There won't be a next time.)
Persona 2: Innocent Sin graduates to PSP Sept. 20
The PSP just got more personal -- Persona 2: Innocent Sin has an official release date of September 20 in North America, and it is available for pre-order, for $40, right now. Pre-orders from Gamestop and Amazon will get a free 10-track CD featuring original, remixed and arranged songs from Shoji Meguro, who composed Persona 3 and 4, and more recently, Catherine. Atlus also released a new trailer for Innocent Sin, which can provide you an atomic series-nostalgia-bomb above.
NPD: Catherine sold 78K copies in July
No, the cake isn't quite a lie, but it did omit a key slice of information. Last week, Atlus trumpeted strong first-week sales for its eccentric puzzle game, Catherine, via a celebratory cake: "200,000 sold in the first week," it exclaimed. Try: 200,000 sold-in the first week (meaning shipped). Following today's NPD report of video game sales in North America, you may have been curious as to why Catherine didn't appear among July's top ten best sellers. The lowest-ranked game, Mortal Kombat, had sold 85K units by month's end. Catherine came in below that, selling 78K copies in its first six days (still making it Atlus' biggest launch yet). Another weird, well-received Japanese game, Shadows of the Damned, sold 14K during its second month -- proving that there will be no cake in hell.
Mega64 goes on a date with Catherine
Does completing Atlus' incredibly successful Catherine give you the necessary skills to woo the ladies of the world? Mega 64 attempts to answer that very question in the only way they know how.
Cake: Catherine shipped 200,000 units in first week [update]
Yesterday, Atlus released the news that Catherine was its "largest launch" ever, but it didn't reveal the specific sales numbers behind that milestone. Joystiq has received word from a reliable cake that approximately 200,000 copies were sold shipped in the first week. While, as journalists, we are committed to protecting our sources, we don't think there's any way we can prevent this source from being eaten by Atlus staff. Atlus is now celebrating two happy events within a week: the surprise hit status of the relationship drama/puzzle game, and the arrival of a cake. Update: According to NPD data and Atlus, the 200,000 number represents copies shipped, not sold. Catherine sold 78K copies in July.
Catherine marks Atlus' biggest launch ever
"Catherine can boast the largest launch in the 20-year history of Atlus," Atlus VP of sales and marketing Tim Pivnicny told IGN in a statement this week. Though he did not reveal any sales numbers for the eccentric, adult-oriented puzzle game, he added that "Catherine has exceeded our highest expectations." The game launched in North America on July 26 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, apparently garnering enough attention pre-release to post record-breaking sales numbers. Without any numbers provided by Atlus, it's hard to gauge just how well Catherine is doing, but the NPD results should help elucidate the matter within a few weeks.
Catherine review: Love is far from over
The words "relationship simulator" and "puzzle game" generally aren't the most common of bedfellows when it comes to genre classifications. Even less common is the idea of making a game focused on infidelity and its consequences into a tried-and-true archetype for success. Catherine is all of these things and, somehow, Atlus has managed to extrapolate everything that makes romance enthralling and compelling and successfully build a puzzle game around it.%Gallery-122916%
Catherine heading to Europe with Deep Silver
Catherine is packing her bags for Europe. Atlus and European publisher Deep Silver have formed a professional relationship that will see the dramatic puzzle game making its way to PAL territories. Catherine will get some language lessons on the way, offering localized text in French, Italian, German and Spanish. Atlus explained to us earlier this week that the company couldn't announce Catherine's European plans until it locked down a European publisher. The one thing missing from today's announcement is a launch window, something we hope to get during Europe's Gamescom convention, which is just a few weeks away.
Atlus: Catherine EU launch requires EU publisher
Catherine is complicated, and so is the business of publishing and distribution. Following up on German site GamersGlobal's report that there was no release in sight for Catherine, we contacted Atlus about the subtleties of the EU situation. Atlus USA's PR and sales manager Aram Jabbari explained there are "no plans at this time" regarding Catherine's launch in the territory, because the company needs to find a suitable publishing partner. Atlus doesn't have the European infrastructure, so it must first find a distribution partner before it can start promising launch windows. Jabbari cited Atlus titles Persona 4 and 3D Dot Game Heroes, distributed by Square Enix and SouthPeak, respectively, as examples of European partnerships. This is all to say that it's not that Catherine isn't coming to PAL territories, it's just that Atlus needs to find the right buddy. Gamescom is around the corner -- it would be the perfect time to set up or finalize a deal. Catherine will be ready to start her relationship with North America on July 26.
Catherine launch trailer causes mental blocks
If you haven't studied up on Catherine, it might surprise you to know it's not just a weird game about women and sheep-men. In fact, the core gameplay is actually an ordinary block puzzle game. As ordinary as any puzzle game with giant, angry babies can be, anyway.
