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Saints Row 4 refused classification in Australia, Volition 'reworking' game for territory
The Australian Classification Board made Saints Row 4 the first game to be refused classification in the country since the introduction of the R18+ rating at the start of the year. In a statement released this morning, the ACB said it classified the game "RC (Refused Classification)" in accordance with the new guidelines. Publisher Deep Silver told us developer Volition is reworking the game's content for the territory. "In the Board's opinion, Saints Row IV, includes interactive, visual depictions of implied sexual violence which are not justified by context," reads the ACB's statement. "In addition, the game includes elements of illicit or proscribed drug use related to incentives or rewards. Such depictions are prohibited by the computer games guidelines." Following the news, Deep Silver provided Joystiq with the following statement. "Deep Silver can confirm that Saints Row IV was denied an age classification in Australia. Volition, the developer, are reworking some of the code to create a version of the game for this territory by removing the content which could cause offence without reducing the outlandish gameplay that Saints Row fans know and love. Saints Row IV has been awarded PEGI 18 and ESRB M ratings where fans can enjoy their time in Steelport as originally intended." After many years of pressure due to a number of high-profile games being banned, the Australian government finally passed the law last year allowing games intended for those over the age of 15 to be bought in the country, and that law came into effect this year on January 1. In today's statement, the ACB noted it's classified 17 games under the R18+ rating so far, including Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, and Dead Island: Riptide. Saints Row 4 is set to arrive in North America on August 20, and Europe on August 23.
Volition working with modders, will release official Saints Row tools
Up until now, Saints Row: The Third modders have had to rely on community-created tools to make Volition's game even more lively. Jeff Thompson, Volition's studio director of programming, is currently preparing official engine tools to share with the mod community, prominent modder IdolNinja explains in a blog post. In addition to Saints Row: The Third documentation, Thompson is preparing official Saints Row 2 tools – something IdolNinja explains is a "test run" for Saints Row 4. "In simple terms, the modding community will finally be able to create and offer new clothing, new vehicles, new guns, new NPCs, new missions, and even new world geometry which will greatly extend the life of the series and enhance the Saints Row games in ways we never even dared to dream of," IdolNinja explains. IdolNinja concludes that Thompson is expected to send something along this week, though there's no indication if that'll be the Volition mod tools or just the first steps in making that happen.
PS Plus freebies this week: Saints Row: The Third, Gods Eater Burst
When the PlayStation Store updates tomorrow, both Saints Row: The Third and Gods Eater Burst will be available as free downloads. Saints Row is a PS3 game, while Gods Eater Burst initially launched on PSP but is also compatible with PS Vita. Last week at E3, Sony detailed plans for PlayStation Plus moving forward. While it's required for online multiplayer on PS4, it won't be necessary for video services or certain free-to-play games, and won't see a price increase during its transition to next-gen.
Saints Row 4 elects for even more chaos
When Saints Row: The Third was still in development, we talked about it as "a dinner of doughnuts." The first mission in the game was just as stimulating and over-the-top as the last mission of your average Grand Theft Auto game. But if Saints Row 3 starts on the last mission of other sandbox games, then Saints Row 4 picks up even later than that: in the end credits. When Saints Row 4 begins, you are no less than the leader of the free world, and your first walk through the White House (complete with scantily dressed staffers and chained-up pet tigers) is like a congratulations for a job well done. You get to choose between making healthcare free or ending the deficit, you get re-introduced to a bunch of familiar faces from the series (who now all have cabinet-level positions in your administration), and the biggest prize of all is that you're on a first-name basis with your Vice President, Keith David (yes, the Keith David, brilliantly playing himself). Starting Saints Row 4 feels like you've just finished a long journey, and you've won the day once and for all. And that's when the aliens show up to kidnap your friends. You order the turrets raised from underneath the South Lawn, you get in a fistfight with the alien overlord, and – oh – you get superpowers.%Gallery-191107%
Steam free-play weekend: Civilization 5, Saints Row: The Third
Civilization 5 and Saints Row: The Third are free to play on Steam, starting now and concluding on Sunday, June 9 at 1 p.m. PT. Both games are on sale for 75 percent off, bringing Saints Row: The Third to $10 and Civilization 5 to $7.50. All accompanying DLC is also on sale. Civilization 5, which launched in 2010, is set to receive the Brave New World expansion in July, introducing new civilizations and mechanics to Firaxis' flagship series. Saints Row 4, meanwhile, is due on August 20 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. An elaborate special edition, which includes a dubstep gun, was announced yesterday.
Saints Row 4 Steam pre-orders go live, Commander in Chief Edition
Steam has a pretty sweet deal for pre-orders of Saints Row 4: Commit to the game early and get the Commander in Chief Edition and three weapons skins inspired by Team Fortess 2, the Rainblower, the Flamethrower and the Rocket Launcher. Also, anyone who already owns Saints Row: The Third on Steam gets 10 percent off Saints Row 4 – and bonus, The Third is on sale for 75 percent off right now through June 10. The Commander in Chief Edition includes the 'Merica weapon, Screaming Eagle plane and Uncle Sam suit. Saints Row 4 is due out on August 20 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
Saints Row 4 gets dramatic for the sake of humanity
Saving humanity is serious business. Like, super serious. And the Saints know how to give the situation the gravitas it deserves in this Saints Row 4 trailer.
Saints Row 4's PAX East presentation mechs it up
Saints Row 4's behind-closed-doors demo from PAX East is now available for public consumption. Senior Producer Jim Boone from developer Volition narrates the walkthrough featuring the inflato-ray and the dubstep gun Boone also covers weapon upgrades, customization, superpowers, the new enemy type and... mechs.
Saints Row 4 president shows off superpowers
Here's Saints Row 4 doing what it does: being crazy. Watch the president (that'll be you) being a person of action, not words. Who's got time for diplomacy? Hail to the chief on August 20.
Saints Row 4 gets 'Commander in Chief' pre-order bonus
Publisher Deep Silver – new owner of the Volition-developed Saints Row series – has announced that Saints Row 4 is getting a special "Commander in Chief" edition, available for free to everyone who pre-orders the upcoming game.Earning the special edition content means you'll get a snazzy Uncle Sam outfit, a "Screaming Eagle" jet, and a "'Merica weapon," which boasts flamethrowers, "dub step guns," and rocket launchers.Saints Row 4 will see the Third Street Saints voted into presidential office on August 20 in North and Latin America, and August 23 in other regions.
MMO Burnout: Yucking it up with Saints Row The Third
So how would you feel about running around in an open-world action title smacking enemies with a giant dildo? The answer to that question will go a long way toward determining whether or not you'll dig Saints Row The Third, which is, naturally, the third installment of Volition's sordid sandbox saga. If that question made you laugh, utter some version of "hell yeah," or type "Saints Row 3 dildo" into your Google image search box, you and SRTT will get along famously. If you shifted uncomfortably in your seat, grumbled about kids these days, or fired off a how-dare-you email in the general vicinity of the Massively tip box, well, you can probably skip the rest of this week's MMO Burnout.
Saints Row 4 gets pimpin' August 20
Saints Row 4 has received an August 20 release date, publisher Deep Silver just announced. We are told that Saints Row 4 is not simply the Saints Row 3 "Enter the Dominatrix" standalone expansion in a different wrapper."That expansion was canceled and elements of it were rolled into Saints Row 4," a spokesperson for publisher Deep Silver tells Joystiq. "There will be a director's cut of Enter the Dominatrix released as DLC when SR4 comes out."Saints Row 4 is being developed by Volition, which Deep Silver picked up along with the Saints Row IP during the THQ auction, and will launch August 20 in North America and August 23 everywhere else. The game is being developed for PC and "current-gen consoles." In a follow-up, we clarified that does not include Wii U.%Gallery-182946%
THQ bid winners, prices and runners-up
Joystiq has obtained details on the winning auction bids for the various THQ intellectual properties and licenses made available during the company's bankruptcy auction. We've listed the winning bids and runners up below.To clarify, we've noted whether the asset is a studio, intellectual property (IP) or license.Relic (studio) and Company of Heroes (IP)Winning bid: $26.6 million - Sega CorporationBackup bidder: $26.3 million - Zenimax MediaTHQ Montreal (studio), with 1666 (IP) and Underdog (IP)Winning bid: $2.5 million - UbisoftBackup bidder: N/A
Volition acknowledges Saints Row 3 PC performance issues
Certain owners of the PC version of Saints Row: The Third have had performance issues, such as low framerates and generally slow performance. In a statement on the game's forum, Volition clarified that the problem seems isolated to AMD and ATi GPUs. "This has mostly been seen with cards in the 5xxx or 6xxx range."Volition reports that efforts to patch these issues have shown "mild improvement." Unfortunately, "we're still not up the level of quality we all expect from a Volition game, and we thank you for your patience as we work with AMD for a solution." If you're affected by this issue, maybe it'll make you feel better to know Volition's working on it? Not quite as good as it would feel to play Saints Row: The Third, but at least better.[Thanks, Keith.]
Saints Row: The Third downloadable for $10 on Amazon today
Saints Row: The Third is a great game and for the rest of the day the downloadable PC version is only $10 on Amazon. Think fast if beating someone with a giant purple phallus is worth the entrance fee, because this deal will end at midnight Pacific time (Spoiler: it's totally worth it in every way conceivable).If you find $10 too little to pay for so much game, there's plenty of DLC to purchase. Let your freak flag fly as a giant wiener! If you took that last line to mean something else than dressing up as a hot dog, we'd understand the potential confusion given the subject at hand.THQ announced late last month its Saints Row: The Third standalone expansion, Enter the Dominatrix, intended for September, will now be incorporated into "The Next Great Sequel in the Saints Row Franchise" next year.
Saints Row: The Third's latest DLC features witches and wieners
You know what Saints Row: The Third was missing? No, not angels, witches, devils or ninjas ... but dudes and dudettes in wiener costumes! Good thing the latest DLC pack for the game includes costumes for all of those things.
Saints Row: The Third is a steal for $17 on Steam this weekend
If you've been waiting to pick up Saints Row: The Third, this weekend is a good time to jump out of an airplane, shoot a few dudes mid-fall and parachute down to safety in Steelport. Until June 4, you can pick up Saints Row: The Third through Steam for $17.If you want all the DLC, the Season Pass is also on sale for $6.79 and includes the Genkibowl VII, Gangstas in Space and The Trouble with Clones DLC packs.
Saints Row: The Third gets 'freaking super powers' this fall in 'Enter the Dominatrix' expansion
In what is now becoming an annual tradition, one April Fools' joke is turning into a real-life thing. This time it's Saints Row: The Third's "Enter the Dominatrix" expansion. According to THQ, the new standalone content, taking place after the events of Saint's Row: The Third, will add "freaking super powers" for the price of $30.Enter the Dominatrix arrives this fall, and it'll bring a whole new angle to the world of the Saints: "alien warlord Zinyak and his malevolent race" are apparently trying to grab up all the Earth's resources and/or women. It sounds like those freaking super powers will come in handy, eh? The dubious character seen above – named "Paul," innocuously enough – will also play some role, which remains to be seen. THQ says we'll hear more about Enter the Dominatrix this summer, so keep an ear flap on your gimp mask unzipped for now.Update: THQ confirmed to us that Enter the Dominatrix is a standalone expansion and Season Pass owners will have to pay $30 like everyone else.Update 2: To be extra extra clear, THQ explained to us that Enter the Dominatrix is a standalone "boxed retail product" that can be played without owning the original Saints Row: The Third disc. It will be available solely at retail (on disc) at launch this fall.
Saints Row: The Third's latest DLC lets you dress like all the gangstars
Normally it's not recommended to go through life wearing the clothing and accoutrements of rival gangs, so it's a fantastic thing that Saints Row: The Third isn't even close to real life. Heck, they'll even make you pay for the privilege. The "Steelport Gangs Pack" is available now for $3.
Saints Row: The Third's 'The Trouble With Clones' DLC available now
Johnny Gat has returned as an evil clone, and the Saints Flow energy drink bestows super powers to those who consume it. Sounds like a tame day in Steelport. Saints Row: The Third's "The Trouble With Clones" DLC pack is now available for $6.99 (560 MS Points) on Xbox and PSN.
