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'Portal' turning into a game of hyperdimensional pinball
Developer Valve legendarily has a hard time counting to "3" but that doesn't mean getting your hands on some new Portal action is too far out of reach. It just might not be in a place you'd expect. The long-running Zen Pinball series is taking a Newell-blessed trip to the test chambers with the "Aperture Science Heuristic Portal Pinball Device" table. As you might expect, there are plenty of nods to the series, with GLaDOS passive aggressively taunting while Chell jumps through the eponymous ingresses and co-op robots ATLAS and P-Body handling multi-ball duties. It's $2.99 for consoles, Mac and PC and $1.99 on mobile come May 25th.
'Adventure Time' may finally be getting the game it deserves
The Adventure Time TV show has been a huge success, but the accompanying video games rarely offer the same level of quality. Developer Vicious Cycle is hoping to change that with Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations, a new 3D puzzler featuring the 12-year-old boy and magical dog. The game is being pitched as an "action-oriented twist" on the graphic adventure genre, which has been enjoying somewhat of a renaissance recently thanks to titles like Broken Age. In the new game, friends Finn and Jake are professional investigators, unravelling disappearances and other strange events in the crazy Land of Ooo. It's the most visually impressive Adventure Time game to date (which isn't saying much), and promises a healthy mix of puzzles and combat. If you're interested, it'll be landing on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, 3DS and PC this November.
The 'Journey' game soundtrack will be available on vinyl
Sony and Thatgamecompany are proud that Journey's soundtrack was good enough to make it the first game nominated for a Grammy -- so proud, in fact, that they're releasing the score on vinyl. Spend $35 and you'll get a double LP of Austin Wintory's original score for the music-driven adventure, complete with art on each side of both discs. You'll have to wait until August to start listening, although you can get a $60 limited edition print of the album art this June. Is this overkill for a game that you can easily finish in an afternoon? Quite possibly, but it's a testament to how soundtracks like this are increasingly finding relevance beyond your console.
Volkswagen's latest 'Gran Turismo' concept is a 500HP hatchback
For those who think Volkswagen's Golf GTI and Golf R hot hatches just aren't "hot" enough, the carmaker's latest virtual concept for Gran Turismo 6 (PlayStation 3) may be up your alley. The GTI Supersport Vision Gran Turismo offers up more than 500 horsepower in a hunkered-down, all-wheel-drive, two-door hatch that's slightly faster than its real-world inspiration. In fact, the carmaker says this virtual concept can hit 62MPH (100KPH) in about 3.6 seconds.
'Mortal Kombat X' and the comedy of violence
Mortal Kombat is synonymous with violence -- hell, it's baked into the franchise's name. But despite how increasingly gruesome the series has become with each successive release throughout its 23-year history, it hasn't lost sight of keeping the tone light as a counterbalance. Whether that's a head popping up saying, "Toasty!" in falsetto after a particularly brutal uppercut, or turning an opponent into a crying baby that slips on a puddle of frozen urine at the end of a match, humor is just as intrinsic to the game as its bloodshed. What the series delivers is cartoony, over-the-top violence akin to the B-movie horror of something like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive. Fatalities, Mortal Kombat's signature, end-of-match moves, are shockingly gory, for sure, but somehow developer NetherRealm keeps the game from feeling like torture porn. "We're not out trying to make Saw or a horror film," says NetherRealm Lead Designer John Edwards. "We don't take ourselves too seriously."
'Skullgirls' on PS4 gives you the chance to brawl with your PS3 friends
If you were quick to buy a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you've probably had that horrible moment when you realized that your friends with last-generation systems couldn't join you in online games. You won't have to leave them behind when Skullgirls arrives, however. The fighting game's senior animator, Jonathan Kim, has confirmed that the PS4 version will let you take on PS3 opponents. The notion of a cross-platform strategy isn't completely new, since titles like Guilty Gear Xrd Sign do it. Still, it's helping to establish a welcome trend -- you may not always have to abandon your favorite players to get a new console, or feel pressured to upgrade just to keep up with the Joneses.
This is Sony's streaming TV service, PlayStation Vue
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-366276{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-366276, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-366276{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-366276").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Wondering what Sony's new live streaming TV service, PlayStation Vue, looks like in action? Well, if you live in Chicago or New York City or Philadelphia, you can go try for yourself on PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4. There's a seven-day free trial! But if you're one of the billions of people outside of the trio of introductory markets, we've got a video walkthrough for you above.
Sony's PlayStation Vue TV service to launch in the next two weeks
Sony's PlayStation-based streaming live TV service won't go live nationwide until sometime later in 2015. If you live in Chicago, Philadelphia or New York City, however, the service lights up "in the next two weeks." That's according to Sony Computer Entertainment head Andrew House -- he's the top PlayStation exec at Sony. House told the Wall Street Journal as much in an interview today, though he stopped short of providing details on pricing or launches in other parts of the US.
Taking laps with the Thrustmaster T300RS racing wheel
Let's get this out of the way up front: The market for the Thrustmaster T300RS is incredibly narrow. At $400 (the price of a PlayStation 4!) it's far beyond an impulse buy and demands you're taking every aspect of your living room racing experience Very Seriously. That's something I discovered when the company sent me a demo unit to try. You see, at Casa de Seppala, my couch sits about 6 feet from my 65-inch TV. In between those two are an area rug and a coffee table I got for $75 on Craigslist. It's an awesome setup for movies and every other game I've played, but when it came time to put the T300RS through its paces, I couldn't figure out if the wheel was ill-suited to my space or vice versa.
'The Order: 1886' is the latest in a long line of beautiful, boring games
The Order: 1886 isn't anything new, but man, is it pretty. Every review I've read mentions just how absurdly good-looking the PlayStation 4 exclusive is (out today); that praise is buried under heaps of valid criticisms regarding monotonous gameplay and hackneyed storytelling. Based on what I've played, I'm inclined to agree. Regardless of the pretty visuals, I've yet to be tasked with doing anything particularly interesting. The cover-based shooting is adequate, but I just can't shake the feeling that I've done it all before in better games. What's more, the narrative is incredibly dull: non-interactive scenes plod on for too long, helmed by characters I have zero connection with, spouting rote dialog that's difficult to decipher more often than not. Its just not very good. But it is pretty!
Your PlayStation account is ready to grow up when you do
What does upgrading a PlayStation Network sub-account to a master account have in common with buying lottery tickets? Well, now both are things you can do when you turn 18. That's right: You won't have to start a new account (or lose any of those platinum trophies) to get an unrestricted connection to game-broadcasting, messaging and PSN Store spending limits. For now, you have to handle the process via the Sony Entertainment Network website, but the PlayStation Blog says that it's en route to the PlayStation 4 as well. Xbox Live has had this feature for awhile, of course, so it's nice to see Sony's listened to its community and followed suit. Naturally, if you're a parent and don't think your kid is ready for unfettered access to everything PSN offers, Sony's quick to note that this is in no way mandatory. Given some of the things we've seen and heard while playing online with adults, that's almost positively one for the "win" column.
Games of a Lifetime: Alexander's picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Hunt the Wumpus One of my earliest game experiences was playing Hunt the Wumpus on the TI-99/4A. I can't recall if we had this early home computer because my mother had gone back to school for a degree in computer science, or because my aunt worked at Texas Instruments. Anyway, I played a lot of Hunt the Wumpus, which was like Minesweeper meets Evolve. You're tasked with moving a hunter through various interconnected circles, where red dots indicated the Wumpus was two spots away, but there were also bats that could move you to another location and insta-death pits that were telegraphed like the Wumpus, only with green dots. It was one of the earliest games I can remember playing consistently, teaching me before I was in kindergarten on how thoughtful game design can convey a wealth of information.
Smedley announces SOE is no more, becomes Daybreak Game Company
In a surprising move, CEO John Smedley just announced on Reddit that Sony Online Entertainment is leaving behind its Sony roots and becoming Daybreak Game Company after being acquired by the investment firm Columbus Nova. This change allows the company to publish online games on multiple gaming platforms, including the XBox. Smedley also assured players via Twitter that all of the games in the company's portfolio are staying and will continue to be a part of the new company. Here's the full announcement plastered on the official forums of each of the company's games: Dear Players, Partners and Friends, Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more! As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward. So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in. Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together. Thank you for your continued support. See you in game! The Team at Daybreak
EVE Evolved: The end of EVE Evolved
By now, you will have heard that Massively is being shut down along with Joystiq and countless other blogs run by AOL. That unfortunately means this will be my final article for Massively and marks an end to the nearly seven-year run of the EVE Evolved column, which now holds over 350 articles on topics ranging from ship fittings and opinion pieces to guides and expansion breakdowns. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your readership and to express just how much playing EVE Online and writing for you really have impacted my life. I've been asked by so many people over the years for tips on breaking into the games industry as a journalist or MMO blogger, but the truth is that I lucked into this gig. When a post on the EVE Online news page said that some site called Massively was hiring an EVE Online columnist, I almost didn't bother applying. I was a prolific forumgoer back then and had written some guides for EON Magazine and my own blog, but I wanted to get into game development and had very little confidence in my writing ability. What I didn't know then was that writing for Massively would help improve my writing skills immeasurably and even help give me the confidence to launch my own game development studio. Massively gave me a platform on which to talk about EVE Online and an eager audience to share my game experiences with, but it turned into something much more profound. There have been low points dealing with trolls and organised harassment and tough times with budget cuts, but there have also some incredible experiences like attending the EVE Online Fanfest, investigating monoclegate, watching CCP redeem itself in the eyes of players, and collaborating with some of the best writers in the games industry. In this final edition of EVE Evolved, I look back at the start of the EVE Evolved column, break down my top ten column articles of all time, and try to put into words how much this column has meant to me over the years.
2D fighter Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax will reach the West
Following its Japanese debut last November, Sega has announced plans to publish Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax on the PlayStation 3 and Vita handheld in Western territories later this year. As the title suggests, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a dream match of sorts that pits characters from the Dengeki Bunko line of Japanese light novels against one another in fairly traditional (if visually spectacular) 2D combat. Because Sega's publishing the game, Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax also features some notable characters from the company's extensive history in games, including Selvaria Bles from Valkyria Chronicles and Virtua Fighter icon Akira. No specific launch date has yet been nailed down for Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, but Sega plans to release the game to both retail and the PlayStation Network at some point this Summer. [Image: Sega]
Square Enix triple packs March to the US
The Ultimate Action Triple Pack and Ultimate Stealth Triple Pack from Square Enix will launch for Xbox 360 and PS3 in North America on March 31, a spokesperson confirmed to Joystiq today. The Ultimate Action Triple Pack includes Tomb Raider, Sleeping Dogs and Just Cause 2; the Ultimate Stealth Triple Pack features Thief, Hitman: Absolution and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. North American Amazon listings for both packs hit the 'net earlier this week, with a price tag of $30 each. The Ultimate Action and Ultimate Stealth packs launched in Europe last year. [Image: Square Enix]
Find a way to watch Life is Strange's launch trailer
In Life is Strange you don't need a Cher button to turn back time. The $5 first episode of the teen drama is available now on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and it's on the way to PS4 and PS3 later today. For more on Dontnod's new joint, make some time for our preview. [Image: Square Enix]
The Big Picture: Virtual Los Angeles' minimalist skyline
Hello darkness, my old friend. No the image above isn't a minimalist poster for the Jack Nicholson classic Chinatown on Etsy, it's what Grand Theft Auto V's version of Los Angeles looks like when the game's textures are stripped away, leaving just the architecture behind. It's part of a series dubbed los_santos.obj by Kim Laughton, and should you be in the far east, you can check it out at China's Monadigital. As a few of Kotaku's commenters point out, the pieces look just a bit like the indie adventure game Kentucky Route Zero. We're curious, though: What do you think? Monadigital's website was down last we checked, but Laughton's posted more from the series on her Tumblr page in case you're interested in seeing more.
Watch Marshawn Lynch play Mortal Kombat X, say more than 7 words
Yes, this Conan O'Brien "Clueless Gamer" bit features Mortal Kombat X (which, by the by, Ermac was just confirmed for). More importantly, we now know that sportsballer-of-few-words Marshawn Lynch likes to play Toad in Mario Kart, while Rob Gronkowski is all about the Bowser. For several reasons that shouldn't need elaboration, this video is possibly NSFW. [Image: WB]
'Lego Jurassic World' game packs four movies' worth of brick dinosaurs
We have no idea how Jurassic World is going to turn out come summer, but we do know that it's getting Lego-fied for Lego Jurassic World. The game follows all three Jurassic Park stories in addition to this June's blockbuster, and it'll be available for basically every platform you can think of. Short on imagination? Well then, here's a list: 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Phew. The dino-centric series has always had a bit of a mixed showing when it came to solid video game adaptations (the Sega Genesis movie tie-in and the Xbox's Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis were great, though), but the folks at Traveller's Tale have a pretty good track record with their Lego games.
