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Roundabout goes cross-buy on PS4 and Vita
Roundabout, the spinning-limo game from former Harmonix designer Dan Teasdale's studio, No Goblin, is heading to Vita on top of its planned launch on PS4 and Xbox One. Teasdale announced the new platform on the PlayStation Blog, noting that it's a Cross-Buy and Cross-Play game between PS4 and Vita. "We're remastering all of the FMV in high-bitrate 1080p to take advantage of the PS4′s horsepower!" he writes. "The PS Vita version is no slouch, either – in fact, it's the same full experience that you'd experience on console." Yep, Roundabout includes full-motion video scenes. It's all done in a 70s B-movie style, so lactose intolerant people beware: It's going to get cheesy. Roundabout hit PC via Steam in September and it's due out on consoles in early 2015.
UK Charts: CoD Advanced Warfare dethrones FIFA
After six weeks unchallenged, even FIFA 15 can't stop Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare from taking top spot in the UK. EA's latest sterling factory falls to No. 2, while according to Chart Track, Sledgehammer's shooter outsells the combined first week sales of Titanfall, Destiny and Wolfenstein: The New Order - by 14 percent. Of course it helps when you're on all platforms and, oh we don't know, a Call of Duty. It might be more revealing to contrast and compare Advanced Warfare against Ghosts, and the 2014 game did beat its annual predecessor's first week in the UK. However, Advanced Warfare debuted on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, while Ghosts launched on PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Wii U. The Xbox One version of Ghosts arrived the following week, and for that matter the game's PS4 and Xbox One copies launched before the respective consoles did... For more on this week's UK charts including the full top ten and the music video (yes it's still going), advance beyond the break.
Terraria hits PS4 on Tuesday - can you dig it?
The PlayStation 4 version of 2D exploration/sandbox game Terraria will surface on November 11, according to a new post on the PlayStation Blog. According to publisher 505 Games, the PS4 version is almost three times as large as the PS3 version, featuring more than 1,000 new items. The PS4 version will also feature a "pinch to zoom" feature using the DualShock 4's touchpad so players can zoom out and see the world of Terraria on a different scale, as well as a bevvy of other improvements. Perhaps the best news for intrepid pixelated prospectors however is that the PS4 version of Terraria will be cross-play compatible, so you'll be able to join up with likeminded players on PS3 and PS Vita. To that end, 505 Games is also bundling a free copy of the Vita version with a new purchase of the PS4 version for a limited time. [Image: 505 Games]
Sony's new PS4 headset is a Silver lining, available now
Not everything that glitters is gold, you know. Sometimes taking home silver can be just as satisfying. Case in point: if you're a PlayStation 4 owner in need of a headset but don't want the wireless PlayStation Gold model, perhaps you'd be interested in their new, wired Silver model, which began shipping to retailers earlier this week. The headset features virtual 7.1 surround sound, in-line volume and mic controls and a retractable boom mic. The PlayStation Blog post announcing the Silver's debut also mentions that there will be audio preset modes created by developers specifically for PlayStation games - for example, Far Cry 4 will have its own equalizer profile, as will The Last of Us, Infamous: Second Son, Watch Dogs and Destiny. The PlayStation Silver headset is now available for $69.99. [Image: Sony]
Citizens of Earth delayed, taking office in January 2015
The launch of Citizens of Earth has been delayed to January, Atlus announced today. The game will now enter office on January 20, 2015. Citizens of Earth was previously expected to arrive in September, then set a date for this month before its delay this week. Developed by Eden Industries, the game incites memories of other quirky, lighthearted RPGs such as Earthbound. In Citizens of Earth, the Vice President of the World investigates strange happenings in his town while recruiting 40 different citizens as battle party members, delegating his team to fight in his place. While Citizens of Earth fell short of its $100,000 CAD ($91,600 USD) goal on Kickstarter in October 2013, Atlus picked up publishing duties for the game this past April. The game will cost $14.99 (€11.99) and will be available on PS4, Vita, 3DS, Wii U and PC. [Image: Atlus]
Europe's heroic Vita Mega Pack has Worms, Ratchet & Clank
Sony Europe revealed a new "PS Vita Heroes Mega Pack" for its handheld system today, bundling together five games and a memory card for the console just in time for the holiday season. Slated to launch on November 19 (November 21 in the UK), the pack includes the following games: Worms Revolution Extreme Ratchet and Clank Jak and Daxter Lemmings Touch LocoRoco Players can opt to pick up the games alone with an 8 GB memory card for €40 ($49.75). Those without the console can also choose to purchase the games, memory card and a PlayStation Vita in one pack for €200 ($248.80) instead, the same price as a standalone Vita system. Sony issued other "Mega Pack" bundles for the Vita in the past, including the more recent adventure game pack revealed in August, which includes Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Tearaway and Gravity Rush. [Image: SCEE]
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition hits PS3, Vita in January
Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition will launch on Vita and PS3 in January, Devolver Digital announced via Twitter today. The game will arrive in North America on January 13, 2015 and in Europe the following day. The port was revealed in August 2013, months after its launch on Steam in March. The PC, Mac and Linux versions of the Megaton Edition includes the core game as well as three DLC packs, and is still available for $10. It also received competitive and co-op multiplayer gameplay modes in a January update, allowing up to eight player to duke it out across the three platforms. The PS3 and Vita versions hit a few bumps since Abstraction Games took on the porting duties; the games were submitted to Sony in May and ran into "lots of certification issues" as of September. [Image: Devolver Digital]
PSN Store Update: Digital Pros and CoDs
We're knee-deep in silly season, so it was already a stuffed-enough PlayStation Store update. Factor in that we've just had the first Tuesday of November and therefore the PlayStation Plus slew of games, well, we've got a fair bit to get through here. First off, there are the retail releases that get their downloadable accompaniments. That's MotoGP 14 (PS4 $60, PS3 $40 and Vita $30), The Wolf Among Us ($25 on PS4 and Vita), the standalone Toy Box download for Disney Infinity 2.0 ($20 on PS4 and PS3 for a limited time, regular price $30), Rocksmith 2014 ($60 on PS4), and finally the small matter of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ($60 on PS4 and PS3.) If you've got $100 to burn, you qualify to be a Digital Pro thanks to CoD: Advanced Warfare - Digital Pro Edition. Earning this prestigious title comes with the added benefits of the season pass, a bonus multiplayer map and other in-game goodies.
Retro City Rampage DX hits digital platforms next week
An upgraded version of VBlank Entertainment's 8-bit styled sandbox action game Retro City Rampage debuts for the PlayStation 4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, WiiWare, PC, and Mac platforms next week, developer Brian Provinciano announced. Retro City Rampage DX boasts a number of improvements over the original 2012 game, including a new HUD, an overhauled weapon-selection system, zoom options, tighter controls, and new graphics modes. The PlayStation Store release supports Cross-Save functionality across all three platforms, and includes a new trophy set as an upgrade incentive. "For DX, every single mission's been re-tuned," developer Provinciano adds. "Vehicles. Weapons. Challenges. Visual Effects. Visual Enhancements. Checkpoints. Difficulty. Challenges. From the game's core to sprinkles on top, such as parking garages and waypoints, it's more than just a new coat of paint." While Retro City Rampage will be delisted from digital services following next week's launch, the original version of the game will be included as a bonus extra in DX. Retro City Rampage DX will debut first on PlayStation consoles on November 11 for $9.99, and all other platforms will follow in the days afterward. [Image: VBlank Entertainment]
PSA: Last chance to grab Spelunky and more on PS Plus
Heads up, would-be explorers: today is your last chance to pick up a free PlayStation Plus copy of Mossmouth's roguelike platformer Spelunky for the PlayStation 4, PS3, and Vita before it returns to full price tomorrow. The rest of October's freebies also expire tomorrow, making today your final opportunity to grab Batman: Arkham Asylum, Rainbow Moon, Dust: An Elysian Tail, and Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. Make sure to check out Pix the Cat on the PS4 and Vita, too -- it's an oddly compelling mixture of Snake and Pac-Man Championship Edition, and it's the one game I've played the most out of last month's PS Plus additions. November's featured games, including The Binding of Isaac Rebirth and SteamWorld Dig, will be available to PlayStation Plus subscribers when the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow. [Image: Mossmouth]
Robin Hood stealth game Volume stars actor Andy Serkis
Volume, the stealthy follow-up to Mike Bithell's Thomas Was Alone, stars famed character actor Andy Serkis as the main antagonist – the powerful and dastardly CEO, Guy Gisborne. Serkis is best known for portraying Gollum in the Lord of the Rings films, though he also starred in The Prestige and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, among many other films. Bithell announced Serkis' involvement on Twitter and he released a short audio clip of Serkis on the job. Hear the audio sample after the break. So, yeah, the role of Guy Gisborne in Volume will be played by the awesome Andy Serkis. Yes. That one. - Mike Bithell (@mikeBithell) October 31, 2014
PlayStation Plus subscriber count adds up to 7.9 million
7.9 million users are signed up to PlayStation Plus, a figure Sony said was a factor behind the success of the company's games division last quarter. Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Kenichiro Yoshida divulged the subscriber count during Sony's investors call, following its earnings release last week. When asked about the PlayStation division's prolific second quarter which saw an 83.2 percent year-on-year improvement in revenue, Yoshida first put down the momentum to Destiny and FIFA 15, noting both games contributed "quite significantly." He then added that "at the same time" the PS Plus subscription service had reached "7.9 million members."
Sunset Overdrive fails to derail FIFA 15 in this week's UK charts
We're used to FIFA reigning over UK charts like, well, rain over UK chaps (and chapettes), but this is plainly ridiculous. FIFA 15 is up to six weeks in a row already as the British best-seller, seeing off one major launch after another like it just doesn't care - and it probably doesn't. The latest victim? Insomnaic's Sunset Overdrive on Xbox One, which settles for second place. After debuting 7th, in its second week Wii U hell-raiser Bayonetta 2 is alarmingly AWOL after failing to stay in the top 40. In contrast The Evil Within holds steady in fourth, with the rest of the top ten made up by big hitters like Destiny, Shadow of Mordor and Forza Horizon 2. And of course, the Minecrafts. After stowing safely in the top ten for a few weeks, Alien: Isolation finds itself dragged down to 13th along with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel in 15th. For the full top ten and more on this week's new releases (and the spectacular return of the customary music video), point your good selves beyond the break.
PlayStation Experience's first batch of attendees revealed
The PlayStation Blog has revealed a portion of playable titles that will appear at PlayStation Experience, a fan event in Las Vegas that will feature panels and "hundreds of titles to play" from the PlayStation family of consoles. We've slipped a full list of known appearances from studios and demos after the break, but there a few things worth noting explicitly. For one, PlayStation Experience's list of playable games includes Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series, a multi-year project backed by significant names that we've yet to catch a glimpse of. While No Man's Sky is not listed as a playable title, the PS Blog notes that "something super special" is planned for Hello Games' vibrant, procedurally-generated space adventure during the show. Santa Monica Studio, Naughty Dog and Guerilla Games will be in attendance, and while they could just be showing previously-released games, there's always Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, or the chance of something new happening during a panel or presentation. We wouldn't mind hearing more about God of War 2 Director Cory Barlog's reunion-esque project with Sony Santa Monica, for instance ... If you're able to attend and are 18 or older, PlayStation Experience will run from December 6 - 7 at The Sands Expo and Convention Center. As previously announced, single-day passes will cost you $50, with weekend-long access priced at $90.
Resogun sets course for PS Vita
Arcade-style shooter Resogun will receive a PlayStation Vita version, developer Housemarque confirmed via Twitter today. The Vita port will be handled by Climax Studios, which developed the PS4 and Vita versions of another Housemarque original, Dead Nation. While no release date for the Vita version was given, the developer noted that "more details on the port will soon be released by Sony." Resogun launched alongside the PS4 in November 2013 as a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers. The game's first major "Heroes" expansion arrived this past June and added new survival and demolition modes to the shooter. The DLC launched shortly after a free update for the game patched in a ship editor and local cooperative multiplayer options. [Image: Housemarque]
PS Plus in November: Binding of Isaac, SteamWorld Dig
November brings PS4 owners a final tide of big 2014 releases like Assassin't Creed Unity and Little Big Planet 3, but it also brings PS Plus subscribers some slick downloadables like the long-percolating Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. Sitting alongside Isaac on PS4 is Image & Form's SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt. While you spend an inordinate amount of time underground in both games, Isaac has you exploring adorably grotesque, randomly-generated dungeons while SteamWorld has you digging through an interconnected, sprawling cave system under an Old West town. PlayStation 3 owners get a hearty selection of games as well. Luftrausers, Vlambeer's minimalist dogfighting escapade, joins strategy shooter Frozen Synapse Prime on Sony's elder statesman console. PS Vita owners can pick up The Hungry Horde as well as the tricky, creepy launch game Escape Plan. Lucky for them, Luftrausers, Rebirth, and SteamWorld are all Cross Buy on the platform as well. Vita owners with PS Plus are going to have a busy Thanksgiving. [Images: Nicalis]
Halloween Horror Streams: Resident Evil 2's righteous Raccoon City
Resident Evil's amazing remake is coming back in HD next year. The Evil Within made us remember Resident Evil 4's raw magic. Next year's brand new Resident Evil: Revelations 2 has us reflecting on Code Veronica's gothic madness. But where is the love for Resident Evil 2, that slice of brilliance which moved the original's haunted house horror into the big city? It had intersecting campaigns! It had giant, un-killable freaks in trench coats and people with spiky tongues and exposed brains! A young lady's father grew an eyeball on his arm! Then an alligator shows up for no good reason. It's one of the best horror games ever made. It put director and Platinum Games co-founder Hideki Kamiya on the map. Starting at 4:00PM EST on Joystiq.com/Twitch we'll be streaming Resident Evil 2 from the start. Leon meets Claire. Claire wears a weird leotard. Leon wears football shoulder pads for no reason. It's great. Joystiq.com/Twitch broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:00PM EST, but we stream at odd times all the time so make sure to follow us on Twitch. [Images: Capcom]
GungHo strikes publishing deal with Skulls of the Shogun dev
Puzzle & Dragons creator GungHo Online Entertainment America has secured a deal to publish games from 17-BIT, developer of the multiplatform tactical strategy game Skulls of the Shogun and the upcoming Galak-Z: The Dimensional. GungHo notes that it established the relationship in order to "[deliver] classic game experiences with modern technologies and hardware." The company previously partnered with developer Grasshopper Manufacture to produce PS4-exclusive Let It Die. "17-BIT's dedication to re-energizing classic genres for next-gen gaming fits perfectly with GungHo's core values and notably expands the breadth of our game portfolio," said GungHo America CEO Jun Iwasaki. "We pursued this partnership because we have high expectations for the developer and are eagerly awaiting to collaborate on their next major release." Galak-Z is due to launch this fall for the PlayStation Vita, PS4, and PC platforms. [Image: 17-BIT]
FIFA reigns in the UK, Bayonetta 2 debuts in top ten
FIFA 15 continues to rock the UK's sales charts, marking the soccer sim's fifth consecutive week at the top. EA's marquee sports game is followed by the PlayStation version of Minecraft, which reached Vita this month and made a sizable jump from ninth to second in the sales charts last week. Third on the list is The Evil Within, Bethesda's frightful survival horror game. Unsurprisingly, the middle of the pack includes Destiny, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. As far as new games go, the Wii U-exclusive Bayonetta 2 arrived at seventh in the UK's sales charts last week, a good spot for a single-console new release that also complements our five-star review of the game. Head past the break for the breakdown of the top-ten sellers in the UK, provided by Chart-Track.
Pixel horror finds a Home on PS4 in October
Home, the pixelated horror game from Benjamin Rivers, is due out on PS4 on October 28, "just in time for Halloween," Rivers writes on the PlayStation Blog. The Vita version will come out soon after, and it is a Cross-Buy game, meaning those who buy it on PS4 automatically get it on Vita, too. Home will be on sale for $3 for the first two weeks after the PS4 launch. "Home has been a weird little trailblazer, and it now has the honor of being the first title developed entirely within YoYo Games' Game Maker Studio environment to natively hit PlayStation consoles," Rivers says. "It's pretty amazing as an independent developer to be able to make console games, and I couldn't think of a better home for it (pun totally intended)." In Home, players wake up as a man with no memory of how he ended up alone in a stranger's house. As he makes his way to more familiar territory, he finds things that jog his memory, and the story changes as players decide what objects to pick up and what information to digest. We heard Home would hit Sony consoles this year back in March. [Image: Sony]
