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XBLA's Hasbro Family Game Night adding Pictureka!, Connect 4x4 and Jenga
EA's Hasbro Family Game Night collection on XBLA will receive three new titles this summer: Pictureka!, Connect 4x4 and Jenga. It's relatively easy to imagine how the Xbox 360 interpretations will work with Pictureka! and Connect 4x4. Pictureka! is a hide-and-seek visual game, whereas Connect 4x4 is a twist on the classic title, which supports more players and includes a "super squares" mode with power-ups on the board. As for Jenga -- and its real-world repercussion of creating a mess once your block tower topples -- EA might just capture some of that Boom Blox magic in HD. Although, we still posit that playing Jenga on a computer screen is about as suspect as clothed Twister.
Impressions: Transformers: War for Cybertron
Remember those other awful Activision Transformers games based (in some part) on the Michael Bay movies? No? Good, let's work from there. Transformers: War for Cybertron, developed by High Moon Studios (The Bourne Conspiracy, Darkwatch), takes its inspiration from the G1 universe of the '80s cartoon. Actually, that's not entirely accurate. It's more like what the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie is to the original. The characters are the same, their motivations are similar; however everything has a whole new (in this case, literal) paint job. Lead Designer Matt Tieger tells us the game presents "nothing that violates your expectations" and the studio worked closely with Hasbro to stay true to the original idea of the Transformers ... speaking of the original idea of Transformers, there will also be action figures based on the game's interpretations of the characters. In War for Cybertron, players participate in two campaigns, one following the righteous Autobots and the other shadows the misunderstood Decepticons. Both campaigns take place on the Transformer home planet of Cybertron and, as Tieger puts it, "Ends up with them having no place to go." Each campaign features three-player online (no offline or "couch") co-op. For the Autobots, the level we saw featured Optimus (not a Prime, yet) and Bumblebee meeting for the first time, and rolling along in the always awkward "third wheel" spot was Ratchet. The Decepticons included Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Soundwave and Megatron. Of course, in both cases, there are several more playable characters. For fans of the original series, many of the voices will sound wrong -- sadly, in some very important instances, the cartoon's original voice actors have passed away. %Gallery-86611%
EA Hasbro games sold eight million units at retail in 2009
Not since The Bushwhackers have we seen such an excellent pairing of two entities. EA and Hasbro's partnership has paid off in dividends, as a recent press release boasts that eight million copies of Hasbro titles have been sold in the US alone at retail last year. The eight million figure applies only to retail releases, not digitally distributed titles across consoles and mobile -- which admittedly have also been successful. The release has some other interesting tidbits, like how the combined efforts of the two have seen 20 different Hasbro brands released on 18 major digital platforms. EA attributes the success of these games to three things: the rise in popularity of family-friendly video games; a demand for games targeting girls; and the popularity of Hasbro's well-known toys and games. Any way you slice it, we're glad it's been such a fruitful venture for both companies, because we'll soon get to play Risk on our Xbox 360. It's only about a billion years too late, but hey, we'll take it! And we'll also take Asia – you'll never stop us now!
Risk: Factions sets the stage for war with two trailers
There's no gameplay in the two recently release Risk: Factions trailers, but the clips do give context to the previously presented and purrrr-fectly bizarre screenshots. With animation that looks like it's straight out of Penny Arcade Adventures -- not surprising, considering both are done by Powerhouse Animations -- the trailer sets the stage for a grand war between humans and felines. Of course, there are still three other factions yet to be revealed. We really have no idea what to think about Risk: Factions, but we're definitely interested. Sure, it seems a bit silly, but regular Risk is included in the package and the game is being developed by Stainless Games, the same studio that did XBLA's incredibly competent Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers. XBLA has been without Risk too long, so let's get this puppy (possible faction?) out the door. %Gallery-83207%
First Risk: Factions screens released, surprisingly cartoony
Click to Kitty-size Usually, when playing the physical, real-life version of Risk, we like to pretend that we're bloodthirsty conquerers -- ones capable of forging (and betraying) alliances with hated enemies, and eradicating the military forces of neighboring nations with extreme prejudice. We don't think we've ever envisioned ourselves to be person-sized felines during a heated global bout. Not that we have anything against the idea, per se -- it's just never occurred to us to try. The first batch of screenshots from EA's upcoming XBLA version of the strategic board game, Risk: Factions, depicts the scenario mentioned above in an unexpectedly animated fashion. If said fashion looks familiar, you've probably played the Penny Arcade Adventures series -- Powerhouse Animations, which brought Gabe and Tycho to life in those Hothead-developed adventure titles, also did the cinematics for Risk: Factions. Judging by the extremely Penny Arcade-looking soldiers seen above, we're guessing they had some input on character design, as well. According to the press release which accompanied the images, humans and cats are just two of the five factions featured in the game. Anyone wanna place bets on the remaining three? Our money's on Spartans, Huns and puppies. %Gallery-83207%
Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast sues Atari over Dungeons & Dragons rights
You might be wondering right now, "What's Massively doing covering a lawsuit between two companies that aren't MMO companies over a non-MMO product?" Well, dear readers, if you would come with us on a trip down memory lane, you might remember a certain MMO developer suing a certain publisher over a certain set of rights pertaining to, you guessed it, Dungeons & Dragons Online. Well, it seems that Atari has sub-licensed the Dungeons & Dragons rights out to Namco-Bandai, and Hasbro isn't too fond of that. Namco-Bandai is seen as a competitor to Hasbro's products, and Hasbro's contract with Atari specifically forbids them from doing any licensing like this. Namco-Bandai has recently purchased Atari's distribution wing in Europe, renaming it to Namco-Bandai partners.
Hasbro suing Atari over alleged breach in D&D licensing agreement
It seems the Dungeons & Dragons franchise has brought more legal troubles upon Atari than it's probably worth. In August, Turbine Entertainment, developer of the MMO based on the tabletop game, sued the publisher for failing to "devote the necessary resources" to promoting and distributing the online RPG. Now, Hasbro, owner of subsidiary company Wizards of the Coast, which is the current owner of the D&D franchise, is suing Atari for allegedly breaching a licensing agreement the two parties struck up concerning Atari's use of the popular role-playing brand. Hasbro's main complaint in the suit is that Atari might have taken part in an "unauthorized sublicensing relationship" with Namco Bandai during the latter's purchase of Atari's European distribution company this past March. According to the suit, Namco Bandai is a direct competitor to Hasbro and Wizards, and allowing them any access to the D&D license is a violation of the contract agreed to by Atari. Hasbro seeks compensatory damages, and also to terminate the allegedly violated licensing agreement, denying Atari further access to the brand. In a press release statement, Wizards of the Coast president Greg Leeds said, "while unfortunate that we had to take this action, it is crucial for us to protect the Dungeons & Dragons brand." Leeds later added, "we have been working for several months now to reach resolution with Atari, and they have left us with no other choice than to pursue legal action." Atari isn't taking these complaints lying down -- the publisher just distributed its own statement through PRNewswire, claiming, "Hasbro has resorted to these meritless allegations, in an apparent attempt to unfairly take back rights granted to Atari." The statement goes on to say, "we regret that our long-time partner has decided to pursue this action. Atari will respond appropriately through its legal counsel in court."
Battleship now syncing on iPhone
Adding to its growing roster of Hasbro board games retooled for board-less play, EA has christened the iPhone / iPod touch version of Battleship on its maiden voyage to the iTunes App Store. The game distinguishes itself through an animated play field, cutscenes depicting the damage being done to the enemy fleet and the fact that people won't stare at you on the train like they used to when you broke out the physical board game and started playing with friends. Priced at $2.99, Battleship supports pass-around and local WiFi / Bluetooth multiplayer. We do not support playing the game near water, as Apple's touch-based devices have a moisture sensor to rat you out when you tell the Genius Bar you don't know why they stopped working. Battleship ($2.99, EA Mobile):
ESRB rates Monopoly for PSP
Good news for PSP-toting board game fans: GamerBytes recently spotted an ESRB listing for a PSP version of Monopoly. With the addition of a new version of Monopoly for the PSP -- now rated by the ESRB -- EA is close to bringing a version of the classic board game to every available gaming platform (only the DS is left out at this point). There isn't much known about the PSP version, though it does have support for up to four players. It's not clear if it will be a full retail game or a PSP Mini, though the recently released iPhone version would probably make a prime target for the Mini market.
EA bringing Battleship, Connect 4, Monopoly to iPhone
EA is getting good mileage out of this Hasbro deal. The latest platform to be assaulted with family-friendly adaptations of classic board games is the iPhone and iPod Touch, with Battleship, Connect 4 and Monopoly Classic en route from EA Mobile. There's no word on prices or release date as of right now, but we'll be sure to pass that news along once it's available. In the meanwhile, feel free to head into the gallery below to check out screens from each title. If you're reading Joystiq on an iPhone, you can totally pretend you're playing the games! %Gallery-76840% %Gallery-76841% %Gallery-76842%
Reminder: Hasbro games 50% off this week [update: Sorry! discounted too]
Update: We've confirmed with Major Nelson that Sorry! should have been priced at 400 as well. The price will be updated on XBLM "very soon." Just a quick reminder here to let everyone know that this week's XBLM Deal of the Week is discounted prices for nearly all of the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on Xbox Live Arcade. All this week, Gold Live members can pick up Boggle, Scrabble, Battleship, Yahtzee, Sorry! Sliders or Connect 4 for 400 ($5) each (half off the usual 800). Curiously, one game, the original Sorry!, has not been discounted and remains at 800. Still, if you've been waiting for a reason to pick up one of the other titles, this week looks like a good time to take the plunge. Browse the Hasbro Family Game Night collection on XBLM (sign in to see discounted prices)
Microsoft details October's Xbox Live Deal of the Week specials [update]
Update: Houston, we have prices! As you already know, this week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week is none other than Prince of Persia's 'Epilogue' DLC. We're not here to talk about that, though -- instead, we're here to give you the heads up on what the rest of this month has in store for penny-pinching purchasers looking for goodies on Xbox Live. So let's get to it: October 12 Hasbro Family Game Night (Battleship, Connect 4, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Boggle and Sorry! Sliders discounted to 400) October 19 Resident Evil 5's Versus mode (discounted to 240) October 26 Fable II Pub Games (discounted to 400) Pub Games is the only title with its planned discount listed, so you'll have to wait until the appropriate time to know how much the others are discounted for. We're sorry we boggled your mind with savings, only to battle your ship -- ah, forget it, that joke could never work.
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 arrives on Wii in October
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 hits the Wii (ever so gently) this October with more family-friendly games based on real-world Hasbro titles. The latest installment delivers: Operation, "Boppit," Jenga, Pictureka and Connect 4x4. It also includes Mii integration and a "Family Game Show" mode that allows multiple players to face off in a game night competition. For those with a collection itch, playing the various titles found in the game will unlock a slew of items for hosts Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to wear -- and unlike at home, the items aren't stored up their ... oh my, let's just end here.
Spell the day away with Boggle on iPhone
EA Mobile certainly hopes your fascination with crafting words from letter-filled grids on your iPhone hasn't waned -- the developer recently released a port of Hasbro's Boggle onto the App Store. Though it lacks Word Scramble's robust multiplayer system (and free-ness), it does possess one feature that justifies its $2.99 price tag: Achievements. Lots of achievements. Seriously, wordsmithing hasn't been this rewarding since you won those tickets to Dollywood in your fourth grade spelling bee. We take it back. This is way more rewarding than that. Boggle ($2.99, EA Mobile):
Joystiq interview: the EA/Hasbro game agreement
When it comes to the realm of board games, Hasbro is quite the ... player. Over the past couple of decades, it has absorbed Parker Brothers, Milton Bradley, Avalon Hill, Wizards of the Coast, Cranium, and others. Chances are that any board game, not to mention toys, you used to play with as a kid are now owned by Hasbro. In 2007, Electronic Arts signed an exclusive agreement with Hasbro to produce games based on some of the items in its vaults, and so far we've seen Scrabble, Hasbro Family Game Night, Trivial Pursuit, and more. EA also just announced Hasbro Family Game Night 2 for the Wii and DS, due out later this fall, which will add Pictureka, Bop-It, Operation, Jenga and others to the mix. But where are the titles like Risk, Axis & Allies, and Dark Tower? We spoke to Steve Flege, Senior Marketing Director for Hasbro Digital and Kyle Murray, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Electronic Arts about the deal, the first games we've seen, the pricing structure, and what's coming up next. The good news: we might be getting Risk on next-gen consoles. It's been on the PC, the PS1, the PS2, and the original Xbox, so it's about time. Roll those sixes! %Gallery-42087%
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Hasbro Family Game Night
The shortest, easiest way to say it: Hasbro Family Game Night lets you play Hasbro board games on your TV. There's not much more to say, really. Oh, each game will cost you 800. Before the anger starts flowing, you should know that most of these games cost more in the real world. Check out the latest XBLA in Brief and decide if Hasbro Family Game Night deserves a shelf in your digital game closet. Download Hasbro Family Game Night [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Conservative Christian site decries Game of Life's 'gay agenda'
Uber-conservative Christian site WorldNetDaily recently published a hard-hitting investigative report into Hasbro's downloadable PC title The Game of Life, an adaptation of a board game created by Milton Bradley in 1860. Their qualm with the game stems from the fact that it allows players to have same-sex marriages. A WND representative elocuted his or her hang-up with a review on the game's hosting site, explaining, "Many sections of society accept this as normative, but many also would consider this too mature a theme for children. Others would consider this downright offensive."According to the WND report, one unnamed "concerned mother" found that the inclusion of same-sex marriages raised questions in her six-year old daughter that she wasn't ready to answer. She posted a similar review containing these concerns, which was quickly deleted by an administrator for being "inappropriate." Her response to this censorship is where the story really jumps the shark -- "I had no idea how insidious they were being with pushing the homosexual agenda," she explained to WND.It's great when parents keep an eye on their youngsters' gaming habits, especially when they play said games with them. We understand a parent not wanting to discuss sexuality with a toddler -- what we don't understand is how the mere inclusion of same-sex marriages in the PC version of Life is the same as endorsing, or insidiously pushing, an "agenda." As WND concedes, even the original Life board game allowed players to bond two same-colored (and similarly gendered) pegs in holy plastic matrimony.[Via GamePolitics]
Mr. Potato Head presents: Hasbro Game Night Achievements
A list of Achievements has made its way online for this month's release of Hasbro's Family Game Night collection of Xbox Live Arcade titles. The list of 70 milestones totals 1400 Gamerscore points, which may seem like a Gamerscwhore's dream, but know that the sum is calculated using all seven separate XBLA games. Mathematically, that's seven classic board games (which we're told will cost 800 each) multiplied by the Arcade's standard 200 Gamerscore, which gives us the 1400 total. That said, Evel Knievel Mr. Potato Head still approves of the digital board games.
Hasbro Family Games to release mid-March, include Avatar support
Nestled in a press release announcing the inclusion of Yahtzee in Hasbro Family Game Night (something we already knew) is confirmation that four Hasbro games will be releasing on Xbox Live Arcade sometime this March. Scrabble, Connect Four, Battleship and Yahtzee will be the first four Hasbro titles made available when Xbox Live's special Family Game Night Destination launches next month. Boggle, Sorry! and Sorry! Sliders will release later this year. The press release also confirms Avatars will be supported and that each title can be purchased individually for 800 ($10). If that wasn''t enough information, we're told the Family Game Night Destination lets players launch Hasbro games from their own customized game room. This uniquely decorated space accommodates Mr. Potato Head, can be shared with friends and sounds to be somewhat inspired by Home. %Gallery-45867%
Yo Joe? More like: Oh no, G.I. Joe game impressions
EA is talking up its first G.I. Joe game, a movie spin-off, as "cross-generational." It's so easy to control that even "mom" can play. Which means, moms -- if you're reading -- not only will you be subjected to chaperoning a mission to the local theater to suffer through the G.I. Joe film adaptation this summer, you also may be expected to idle away your weekends with the game. Let's hope it's a short one.G.I. Joe: The Game plays as any generic third-person shooter, with the bonus of the aforementioned base layer Mom Controls®. Literally, all that is needed to proceed is the left thumb steering the on-screen character and the right index finger, locked down on the designated shooting button -- just keep on holding it and the game will automatically target a new enemy once the current one has absorbed too many laser blasts and disappears into the well known in-game ether. Of course, "hardcore" gamers will find melee and character-exclusive secondary attacks, along with a rolling dodge and cover mechanic mapped to their controllers.EA is throwing out some big-name inspirations for its game: Contra, Ikari Warriors and Ikaruga. We suppose you could consider G.I. Joe as a like-designed title in so far as it is built as an "arcade" throwback, with high scores being the ultimate reward. Actually, the ultimate reward is unlocking all twelve playable characters -- unlocking characters requires score points, though. Scoring is linked directly to difficulty setting and one's play. Dying, for example, decreases one's overall score, but, on the lowest difficulty setting, will not produce further setbacks. Think of this as a "no fail" setting -- you know, the one mom can play.