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Forza Horizon gets a Season Pass, $50 for access to all DLC
Microsoft has announced a Season Pass DLC plan for the upcoming Forza Horizon, the latest entry in the racing series that is set in a virtual representation of the state of Colorado. The Season Pass will cost $50 USD (or 4,000 Microsoft Points), and grant access to the game's Expansion Pack set to arrive in December.Season Pass holders will also nab each of the six car packs as they're released over the next year, as well as five exclusive Season Pass vehicles and a batch of launch day rides. Turn 10 will reveal all of these cars gradually on its Twitter feed. The Season Pass (which represents a 17 percent saving on all of this content) will be available for purchase on October 23, right when the game turns the key for launch.In addition, we've got tracklists for each of the game's three radio stations, all churning out tunes during the in-game "Horizon Festival." Have a look at the songs, after the break.
Borderlands 2 will have 'non-season pass' DLC, Pitchford promises
Borderlands 2 is getting four confirmed slices of DLC as part of the Season Pass, but it has even more planned, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford tells Kotaku. We already know about one piece of additional non-Season Pass content, the Mechromancer."We will have other, non-season pass related DLC," Pitchford says. "The additional character (Mechromancer) is one kind of example."We've heard rumblings of themes for future Borderlands 2 DLC: One may be an expansion on the weapons manufacturer Torgue, and another might involve Sand Skiff-like transportation. Pitchford reiterates a vehicle-focused DLC approach."Since we finished the game, we've started with some new ideas that we expect will show up in DLC," Pitchford says. "Some new vehicle types are on-deck – awesome stuff."All of the Season Pass DLC packs will be "big," similar to the third expansion for the original Borderlands, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Knoxx raised the level cap, added 30 new enemy types, new weapons, new vehicles and improved the AI."The stuff we're planning and working on for the Campaign DLC Season Pass is big DLC stuff – more like Knoxx," Pitchford says. "We're extremely far along with the first campaign DLC. The second DLC is also in amazing shape. The third DLC is a little farther out and the fourth DLC is just in the pre-concept stages."
Pitchford: Borderlands 2 DLC may skate on the sand a la Star Wars
We expect a stream of quality downloadable content post-launch for Borderlands 2, if DLC for the first game is anything to judge by. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford teased fans at a panel during Gearbox Software Community Day in Dallas, saying the team is channeling Star Wars: Return of the Jedi for one piece of content."I've always wanted to ride a sail barge and drive a Sand Skiff," Pitchford said. "I've always wanted to do that, and we've got some cool stuff that's along those lines."Borderlands 2 will have four pieces of DLC by June 2013, available for $10 each, or all together for $30 as part of the season pass.
God of War: Ascension Euro dates announced, along with Special / Collector's Editions
God of War: Ascension will be available on March 13, 14 or 15, depending on whether you plan on buying it in greater Europe, Australia/New Zealand, or the UK/Ireland, respectively. Meanwhile, North American folk can still expect to rain bloody death down upon their enemies on March 12.Non-North American revenge aficionados looking for something a little more substantial than just the game itself will have both Special and Collector's editions to choose from, which each contain varying levels of goodies, both in-game and out. The Collector's Edition is identical to the North American version and includes a steelbook case, eight-inch Kratos figure, digital copy of the soundtrack, a PS3 theme and avatars, a double multiplayer XP boost and a voucher for all future DLC.Special Edition, on the other hand, includes everything listed above except for the statuette and the DLC pass. No pricing information or pictures of the packs have been released as of yet, thought details are expected in the "near future," according to the European PlayStation Blog.
'Borderlands 2 Season Pass' announced, all four DLC packs for $30
Borderlands 2 will have at least four downloadable content expansions by next summer. 2K Games announced a $30 season pass this morning, available at launch, which will make the four pieces of $10 DLC accessible for the price of three. The season pass is available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.Pass holders will be able to download the new content as it goes live, with all four "scheduled to be available by June 2013." Borderlands 2 – and the Season Pass – will cooperatively roll into retail September 18.%Gallery-160312%
Rumor: Assassin's Creed 3 getting a 'Season Pass'
Those crafty Templars at Ubisoft are at it again, seemingly planning to subjugate the masses with a "season pass" for Assassin's Creed 3. A letter purportedly sent to GameStop employees both thanks them for their "hard work" in snapping up pre-orders of AC3 from customers, and, more importantly, warns them of an upcoming "season pass concept" for this October's game."We are currently in the process of creating a complementary development team that will begin working on post-launch episodic content to continue the Game of the Year experience that Assassin's Creed 3 will undoubtedly deliver," reads the letter. It's not exactly uncommon for Ubisoft to support its games post-launch, and the AC franchise is no exception – each of the last three AC games, starting with AC2, were bolstered by post-launch content.Precedents set by previous "season pass" offerings dictates that a variety of DLC (multiplayer, single-player, or both) would be packaged and sold ahead of its launch, giving the buyer an aggregate discount across all of it. Ubisoft enacted such a scheme with the last AC title, Revelations, albeit only via PC. Still, neither Ubisoft nor Gamestop can confirm this letter or a "Season Pass" for AC3. And no, DLC for Assassin's Creed 3 has not yet been announced, outside of the ambiguous "special DLC" heading exclusively to PlayStation 3 players.
Quantum Conundrum coming to PC June 21
Square Enix has finally laid down a launch date for Quantum Conundrum: The game will arrive on Windows via Steam on June 21. You can preorder the game right now either as a standard edition, or as a "season pass," with three exclusive Team Fortress 2 items, a downloadable soundtrack, and all of the future puzzle packs.Preordering the game also earns you 10 percent off, and you'll be entered into a sweepstakes to win the opportunity to have your portrait hung up in the in-game world. Snazzy! Quantum Conundrum will also arrive on Microsoft's XBLA and PSN, though Square is only sticking with "summer" as a date for those versions so far.
UFC Undisputed 3's Season Pass bundles fighters, fights
There's going to be a lot of DLC for UFC Undisputed 3 -- strangely, not including shirts, despite no UFC fighter ever seeming to have one -- so it's fortuitous that THQ is offering a Season Pass to help you round it up for a little bit cheaper.The Season Pass, a 1360 Microsoft Points or $16.99 purchase, will include the "Fight of the Night" and "International" Fighter Packs, the "Ultimate Upsets" and "Mixed Bag" Ultimate Fights Packs, playable Alistair Overeem, and the "all unlockables" key to get all the content normally unlocked through gameplay. And if you happen to pre-order from ShopTHQ, this season pass is free. Not a bad deal for a lot of UFC stuff (and THQ could use the money right now).All this stuff will also be available separately. In addition, there's some DLC that isn't part of the Pass, including the $3 "Create-a-Fighter Boost," which gives you extra points for your custom fighter, and two sets of "Ultimate" fights that are already free at launch. Check after the break for details on each pack.
PSA: AC Revelations 'Mediterranean Traveler' DLC out today
It's not unusual to feel as if you can't get enough of Ezio -- that's part of his legendary charm, after all -- and today you can break off a little more with the Assassin's Creed: Revelations Mediterranean Traveler DLC pack. Mediterranean Traveler includes new trophies/achievements, and three new and three fan-favorite maps from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood: Jerusalem, Constantinople and Dyers for the new, and Firenze, San Donato and Siena for the old.Mediterranean Traveler is part of the Revelations Season Pass for PC, a $23 deal that includes all DLC for 20 percent less than purchasing the packs individually. For those condemned to paying full price, Mediterranean Traveler is available to download for $9.99 on PSN and PC, and for 800 MS Points (while they last) on XBLM.%Gallery-145549%
Xbox Live savings, day 7: Forza 4 content discounted
You've got yourself a brand new copy of Forza Motorsport 4 from Grandma, a full day off from work for holidays, and a general attitude of not accepting standard pricing, right? Perfect, because Microsoft is offering major discounts -- today only -- on Forza 4 content over Xbox Live, including that "Drifter Race Suit" your Avatar has been asking for. Okay, okay, the normally $30 "season pass" is also being discounted to $22.50, while last month's "November Speed Pack" is also lowered in price to 280 MS Points ($3.50) from 560. That Drift Racer suit is also half off but, you know, you probably don't need that. No matter what your Avatar tells you.
Sky+ app gets Series Links just in time for them to become irrelevant
Demanding American consumers make sure that if a DVR app doesn't ship with global Spotify support or HDD-management capabilities, it's kicked to the kerb. Demure UK consumers command less respect -- we're happy if our software does anything useful at all. That's why Sky hasn't rushed in updating its Sky+ app for iOS and Android, but in December it'll finally enable users to add Series Links (like Season Passes, only shorter and with fewer filler episodes) at the push of a touchscreen. Sadly you don't get the option to stream from your home box, so don't uninstall that Sky Go app if you're looking for a profanity-laden dose of Deadwood at the grocery store.
THQ announces the first Saints Row: The Third season pass
Ah, gaming. There's always something new to be excited about! Last year, it was the online pass, which has become standard practice for almost any game with a meaningful multiplayer component released in 2011. But publishers are always looking to innovate, and this year has seen the rise of the Season Pass. The newest game to boldly ask for your money in advance? Saints Row: The Third! Offering a full fifteen percent off of the DLC if you were to buy all four releases separately, the Saints Row: The Third season pass will get you three mission packs – "Genkibowl VII," "Gangstas In Space," and "The Trouble With Clones" – and the Nyte Blayde DLC pack, which comes with a sweet "vampire-hunting sports car." No word on if the car does the hunting by itself, but with Saints Row there's no way to be sure. The DLC covered by the season pass will release between January of 2011 and "Spring 2011." You can find the full details and press release after the break.
Uncharted 3 'Fortune Hunters' Club' is a DLC season pass
Uncharted 3's "Fortune Hunters' Club" is really more of a "Bargain Hunters' Club," offering savings on future DLC for the latest Drake-shaker. It's the latest in the growing number of "season pass" DLC deals, offering a discount for the bundled pre-order of "the first four multiplayer map packs and the first three multiplayer skin packs." All told, the $24.99 purchase gets you around $45 worth of content, Sony says, plus an exclusive theme and an XMB message service to keep you up with new DLC. If the kind of fortune you seek is "more Uncharted 3 stuff," then you can hunt for the pre-order link today on the PlayStation Store.
Forza Motorsport 4 gets a $30 season pass, redeemable for six DLC packs
Turn 10 Studios has announced that it will sell a Season Pass for Forza Motorsport 4, giving players access to six DLC packs the developer plans to launch over the next year. The ticket is priced at $29.99 -- a 30 percent discount from the combined prices of the six expansions -- and comes with a bonus American Muscle car pack on launch day. Is $30 too much to spend on a Coronet Super Bee? God, we hope not. The six DLC packs in question will launch between November 2011 and April 2012, which might be too slow a drip for the high-octane, Forza-consuming audience. We suggest Turn 10 hold off on releasing any of the DLC, and then, in the middle of February: Booyah, a thousand new cars.
Gears of War 3 gets $30 'season pass,' first DLC in November
Gears of War 3 will have a "season pass" for its downloadable content -- a strategy we're seeing used by Noir-ly everyone with a long term, post-launch DLC plan. Microsoft claims the 2400 Microsoft point ($30) season pass will "guarantee a 33 percent discount on the game add-ons," compared to purchasing them individually when released. The pass will be available on September 20 and include an "exclusive" Liquid Metal Weapon Set. The season pass will cover the "first four" installments of DLC, which will be released over the next year, with the first planned for November. No word yet if there will be more beyond that to squeeze from, er, generously discount to Gears fans. Gears of War 3 launches in Standard ($60), Limited ($80) and Epic ($150) editions on September 20. %Gallery-131921%
Apple stops renting TV shows in iTunes, could be working on a new kind of video service
Apple has pulled the plug on TV episode rentals via iTunes, abruptly leaving customers with only the option of purchasing per episode -- good thing you can watch those on your Apple TV streamed from the cloud -- or a Season Pass where available. AllThingsD has a quote from spokesman Tom Neumayr indicating this was in response to customers that "overwhelmingly prefer buying TV shows." Making the timing of the move particularly curious are once-again renewed rumors of an Apple HDTV and a WSJ profile of new CEO Tim Cook that indicates the company is "working on new technology to deliver video to televisions, and has been discussing whether to try to launch a subscription TV service." Like Google, any move depends on its success in negotiating a new delivery model from the networks, who so far have been averse to anything that threatens their existing relationship with pay-TV providers. It appears 99-cent rentals didn't move the needle, so we'll wait and see what the folks from Cupertino have up their sleeve next. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Age of Empires Online Season Pass offers all and future available content for one price
Now that the free-to-play Age of Empires Online MMORTS is out (and it's not all bad, apparently), let's start talking about how you can pay for it, shall we? Of course, the game is free to download, and you get the game's two empires to play with right away. But developer Gas Powered Games are working on releasing new content all the time, of course, and Microsoft has announced at Gamescom that those really interested in the game will be able to pick up a "Season Pass" that will grant access to all premium content currently available. That pass will cost $99.99, and last for the first six months of the game. At this point, we only know about a few different content packs, and there's a deal for a free Defense of Crete Booster Pack when you buy both Premium Civs, so everything on the market right now will set you back only about $60. But keep in mind that the Season Pass lasts until February of next year, so everything Gas Powered releases before then is yours to keep. If you like the game a lot, that will probably be worth the deal. One note of warning: Gas Powered also says that buying the Season Pass won't keep you from rebuying content accidentally, so don't forget and buy more stuff when your Christmas cards come in. But hopefully if you spend $100 on a free-to-play game, you won't really be tempted to spend any more than that, right?
Age of Empires Online introduces Season Pass, details pricing
Microsoft has released more information on the pricing plans that will soon be available to players of Age of Empires Online, the newest installment in the RTS series that launched just today. On top of the previously established Premium Civilization packs (weighing in at $20 each), the Defense of Crete booster ($9.99), and Empire Extras ($4.99), players will also be able to purchase a Season Pass. The Season Pass grants players a 30% discount on all cash shop items for six months. The Season Pass itself is reported to set players back a hefty $99.99, so it will likely only be useful for the most hardcore of Age of Empires Online players. But if you're planning on buying up every bit of content the company drops, it may save you a few bucks. In addition to the Season Pass, Microsoft also announced that players who buy the Greek and Egyptian civilizations will receive the Defense of Crete booster for free. For more information on the just-launched online RTS, check out Joystiq's hands-on impressions of the game.
TiVo Android and iPhone apps in the works, Season Passes soon at your fingertips
Sure, it's technically been possible to manage one's TiVo via the mobile web for a half-decade now, but earlier methods were neither intuitive nor enthralling. Earlier this year, the company released its iPad app -- a diddy that showcases functions like remote control features, ToDo List prioritizing and Season Pass management. After hinting at a number of apps for smaller-screen devices (boasting all manners of operating systems), the latest print edition of CEPro has delivered solid intel that the aforesaid whispers are becoming reality. With Honeycomb slates dropping left, right and center, we're wondering if the Android build will target tablets first and smartphones later -- perhaps even a merged edition once Ice Cream Sandwich crawls from the freezer. Either way, it'll soon make recording season-long reruns of The Hills even easier for those living within iOS or Android ecosystems, including updates from the places you're too embarrassed to mention in public.
TiVo launches online Season Pass Manager
All together now: finally. TiVo's just announced a new online Season Pass Manager, allowing users to manage their season passes from the comfort of a browser -- you can add, edit, and delete passes, as well as transfer them between TiVo boxes on your account. (That ought to make upgrading to a new TiVo a million times easier, which has been one of our longstanding complaints.) The best part? Editing the priority list online means you don't have to sit and wait while your TiVo figures it all out -- you can move things around at will in the browser and it'll all get sorted out before the changes get sent to your box. Nice. Of course, TiVo is still way behind FiOS and Comcast when it comes to remote and mobile DVR management, but it's nice to see the company address one of the biggest pain points with the device. Now just hit us with a serious Premiere performance update, alright? PR after the break.
