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The Wolf Among Us retail versions listed for PS4, Xbox One
Listings for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of Telltale Games' episodic adventure game series The Wolf Among Us have surfaced at multiple retailers in North America, strongly hinting at an upcoming retail release for the current crop of consoles. GameStop, GameFly, and Best Buy each list PS4 and Xbox One versions of The Wolf Among Us alongside series compilations for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. To date, Telltale Games has not announced a retail release for The Wolf Among Us for any platform. We've contacted Telltale for comment, and await a response. [Thanks, John S!] [Image: Telltale Games]
Earthrise launch day arrives, sandbox title available for purchase
Zomg it's a sci-fi sandbox! You'll have to forgive our somewhat subjective enthusiasm on this one, as it's an increasingly rare occasion when we're able to announce the launch of something other than a themepark with classical fantasy elements. Yes, Earthrise is here to (hopefully) save the day for the sandbox die-hards in the audience, and Masthead Studio's skill-based title is available for purchase in both a retail edition (which features a poster and map) and a digital download from Direct2Drive (which comes with exclusive Overdrive armor). "Our team has channeled years of dedication and hard work into Earthrise, and we are thrilled for those fans who have been following us this entire time, as well as those who are just now checking us out, to experience the world of Enterra. We are already working on updates and expansion packs to be integrated within the next few months, and are excited to continue to develop and enhance the world," says Masthead producer Atanas Atanasov. As of press time, the server has not come up, and a couple of us have been unable to enter our activation keys into the account page on the Earthrise website. Fear not though, as we've got plenty for you to do while you're waiting impatiently to check out the world of Enterra. Join us after the break for a launch-day roundup of all the recent Earthrise news, interviews, and videos to get yourself up to speed and ready for action.
Final Fantasy XIV launch day roundup
For those of you not fanatical enough to pre-order Final Fantasy XIV and start playing last Wednesday, today marks the official worldwide retail release of the highly anticipated Square-Enix MMO on the PC. You can bet we've been knee-deep in coverage for the game, especially considering the fact that we have some fans on staff and a weekly column dedicated to it. For that reason, and to help you navigate your way through the news and info leading up to launch, we've compiled a handy roundup of our FFXIV coverage. Follow along below and after the jump for our best FFXIV articles to help you on your way through Eorzea. First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIV There are times when my job is kind of a mixed blessing. Case in point: It falls to me to talk about my first impressions of Final Fantasy XIV, which is about as not for everyone as a game can possibly be. It features some things that seem custom-built to annoy certain players into apoplectic fits, starting with the controls and the hardware mouse that has been absent for the whole of beta. (I don't know whether it'll be in the launch today. But probably!) I would be remiss not to mention any of these elements. What scares me about Final Fantasy XIV I am not the biggest Final Fantasy fan. But that's more because I lack for time, not because I lack interest. I played FFXI, but only until level 18 or so, and even then I would only return once in a while. The game was punishing to a solo player even with the recent changes that gave more opportunity to level. There was something ever-alluring about the world, however -- something complex and deep, and I knew that, if I could just become more powerful, it would show itself to me. Skip to the present and to the FFXIV beta. A World of Warcraft player's guide to Final Fantasy XIV So you're a veteran player of World of Warcraft, and you're ready to take a step away from the game that you've been playing for however many years and start in on something new. And you even know where you want to forge your new home: Eorzea, the continent on which Final Fantasy XIV's adventures take place. It should be a fairly easy transition, yes?
AoC's Godslayer going retail with exclusive items
In an era where more and more game companies are opting to deliver expansions (and full games) solely through digital downloads, it's refreshing to see a major game update getting the retail box treatment. Rise of the Godslayer, the first expansion for Funcom's Age of Conan fantasy MMORPG, will be coming to game outlets near you in the form of a deluxe box featuring the new game content plus the full version of the original Hyperborian Adventures release. "We are proud and excited about Rise of the Godslayer, and combining the expansion pack with the very latest version of the original game makes for what is undoubtedly the ultimate retail release of Age of Conan," said Morten Larssen, Funcom Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Additionally, players purchasing the retail pack will receive an exclusive puma pet as well as a starter package of unique in-game items that aren't available elsewhere. Stay with Massively for further Age of Conan coverage, including full details on the expansion release dates and exclusive offers as they become available.
Hydrophobia flooding retailer shelves as well as XBLA
As details slowly drip out of Xbox World 360's recent hands-on with upcoming water-based puzzler Hydrophobia, the game's developer, Dark Energy Digital, is putting Internet-less Xbox 360 owners' fears to rest. In addition to releasing the game as three chapters on Xbox Live Marketplace, Hydrophobia will be getting a disc release at the end of next year. Also of note, despite the game's grandiose scale, it weighs in at under 250MB -- well under the allowed 2GB file size for XBLA releases that Microsoft recently increased. We've reached out to Dark Energy Digital to nail down some of the more slippery details on Hydrophobia and will update you as soon as we hear more.%Gallery-74474%
Runes of Magic's Elven Prophecy releases September 15, collectors items announced
Frogster has just announced a September 15 release date for Runes of Magic's next content update, Chapter II - The Elven Prophecy. The update will bring players into new zones, like the Savage Lands, in addition to adding a new race to Runes of Magic -- the elves. September 15 will also mark the release of a boxed version of Runes of Magic for Germany, France, and Spain (at a recommended retail price of €9,90). That boxed version will include a few collectors items: Manticore pet Printed manual Poster-sized world map of Taborea Time-limited mount: Thunder Wartiger
The Daily Grind: Will you be picking up the EVE Online retail box?
It's been a while coming, but EVE Online's new expansion, Apocrypha, is here - and the 13 hours of downtime that goes with it, as James noted last night. Of course, along with this enormous chunk of new expansion content, EVE players in North America also have the option of picking up a special copy of EVE Online from their favorite retailer. It comes with all updates including Apocrypha, a special ship specifically for the retail box, and two months of free game time as opposed to the normal month most games come with. (Apparently, Europe & Asia Pacific will get theirs on the 12th.) Our question this morning is for all the die-hard fans, as well as those curious and thinking about trying it; will you be picking up a copy of the shiny EVE Online retail box? Are you picking it up just for the sake of two free months and a cool ship? Or are you totally new to EVE and it seemed like a good time to jump in and try it out?
Rumors surface of extras included with EVE Online retail release
Some of the biggest news to come out of EVE Fanfest 2008 was the publishing deal struck between CCP Games and Atari. The March retail release will mark the first time the game can be seen on store shelves since EVE Online's launch over five years ago. Players have wondered what benefits there might be in purchasing the game at a store, versus the game most of us have always known, which has been a purely digital distribution. While this is still relegated to the category of "rumor", images of the box and descriptions of its content have begun to turn up on the sites of retailers. One UK game retailer lists the details what's included with the box: 60 days of game time, instant access to factional warfare (i.e. automatic standings via an in-game certificate), a guide to the game's careers, a VIP Pass (essentially the Buddy Program), and a special edition ship -- which, in this case, is listed to be a shuttle with increased cargo space. Fair enough, but is it real? Well if your German isn't too rusty, you can also see details of the retail release as they're listed at Amazon in Germany.
Next EVE Online expansion named Apocrypha, launches March 10
The other day we picked up on a video interview with the CEO of CCP Games, who announced a firm March 10th release date for the next EVE Online expansion -- but until today, that expansion wasn't given a name. CCP Games announced the "Apocrypha" expansion this morning, and a bit of what it'll bring to EVE.The Apocrypha feature page isn't up yet -- so more details are likely to emerge -- but thus far they've confirmed two new game mechanics will be coming to EVE in March. Wormhole exploration is an upcoming feature that will allow EVE's explorers to discover new technology, used to create the next iteration of ships in New Eden -- Tech III. These modular ship designs will potentially allow for thousands of different configurations of ships to suit different purposes, and are a far cry from the Tech I and Tech II ship hulls currently flown in New Eden. In addition, Apocrypha will bring Epic Mission Arcs. The release states: "These branching, far-reaching mission strings are full of meaningful stories and more intelligent and deadly adversaries."
