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Scribblenauts Unlimited not coming to Europe until 2013 [update]
Scribblenauts Unlimited won't reach Europe until next year, developer 5th Cell revealed this week. Posting on Twitter, the developer noted "2013" is the European window for both the Wii U and PC versions.With Unlimited being a Wii U launch arrival in North America, fans expected it to join the system in Europe on November 30. Posting on NeoGAF, 5th Cell CEO Jeremy Slaczka said the 2013 window for Europe is "due to things outside of development," and not related to localization issues.There's also confusion over the Australian release, with 5th Cell and publisher Warner Bros. apparently contradicting each other. According to 5th Cell, Unlimited is actually limited to North America until 2013. However, Level Up Times reports it's coming to Australia on November 28, according to a Warner Bros. representative. We've reached out to the publisher for clarification and will update if we hear anything.Update: A Warner Bros. representative tells us details on the European distribution of Scribblenauts Unlimited are coming soon.
'Midway Arcade Origins' puts classic coin-ops on Xbox and PS3
Warner Bros. Interactive is bundling its archive of Midway arcade games once again, for sale on PS3 and Xbox 360. Midway Arcade Origins is a collection of "more than 30 classic, genre-defining Midway titles from the golden age of arcades," including Gauntlet, Joust, Spy Hunter, Marble Madness, Defender, and Rampage. There's no online multiplayer, but there are new Achievements, Trophies, and leaderboards.The Backbone-developed collection will be available this November for $30. That's less than $1 a game! Or, as far as we're concerned, it's $30 for Marble Madness's music, with a bunch of free games included.
Gotham City Impostors F2P arrives on Steam very, very quietly [update: trailer]
A free-to-play version of Gotham City Impostors apparently launched very quietly on Steam yesterday. Monolith Productions' multiplayer shooter, originally released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC in February as a paid-for download, is now available to download onto PCs for free. What's curious is there seems to be zero official word from Monolith or publisher Warner Bros. Interactive on the matter. What's more, the game appeared as an unofficial listing on Steam's Open Steamworks database earlier this week.There are downloadable content packs listed on impostors' Steam page too, although the price list looks oddly incomplete. It very much seems the game launched accidentally, but it's definitely there. We're downloading it right now, and people are playing it.We've reached out to Warner Bros. Interactive for comment.[Thanks, Ethan]Update: Warner Bros. Interactive sends us a press release, which you can find after the break. It says those who download the new Steam version have "will have access to the original game, as well as all DLC packs, which includes new maps, weapons, mascots and more." There's also a 'Migration to Steam' page up on the game's website, which offers 'exclusive rewards' to anyone who' previously purchased the game.
LA Noire team's 'Whore of the Orient' headed next-gen, published by WB
A new website for LA Noire dev Team Bondi's next game, Whore of the Orient, popped up this morning (as discovered by OPM), along with new information about the barely mentioned "great untold story." The game is headed to "next generation games consoles and PC" with Warner Bros. Interactive as publisher.The game's set in 1936 Shanghai, China – "Whore of the Orient. Paris of the East," as the website calls it. A "group of Western cops hopelessly trying to keep the lid on and keep the peace" seems to be the focal point of the game (the group's known as the "International Police Force"), though it's unclear exactly what kind of game it is. It sounds to be just as hard-boiled as Team Bondi's last effort, LA Noire, and the gritty look of the image above incurs the same comparison.Team Bondi leader Brendan McNamara is once again at the head of the project, leading the remnants of LA Noire's dev team picked up by Kennedy Miller Mitchell.
Pre-order Scribblenauts Unlimited for one of three 'Rooster Hats' [update]
Pre-orders from the original Scribblenauts earned some lucky fans a replica of Maxwell's "Rooster Hat." For Scribblenauts Unlimited, Warner Bros. and 5th Cell have escalated the situation to one of three different hats. Pre-ordering the game at GameStop will get you one of the three Rooster Hats above, in classic Maxwell red, pink to match the hat worn by his sister Lily, or blue like Maxwell's "doppelganger."GameStop will also offer a 3DS bundle with the game, a Maxwell silicone case, and a pencil-shaped stylus.[Update: The PC version had previously been announced by WB. Our apologies.]
Bastion heading to iPad tomorrow [updated]
The kid is sauntering over to Apple's iPad tomorrow in Bastion from Supergiant Games. New Zealanders – beyond the beautiful rolling hills and verdant greenery – get iOS games ahead of the rest of the planet due to the position of the sun and how that relates to our definition of time, you see, so it's already available in that territory. The game has a set launch date of August 30, but some territories are already in the future.Anyway, Bastion's iPad-only for now, which Supergiant says was a decision made due to "technical reasons." Additionally, the team, "felt the game experience would not translate well to the iPhone's smaller screen."When it arrives on the US App Store, it'll cost $4.99 and there's no demo version – you could always try it out in Google Chrome first? Don't hesitate to let us know if you see it pop up on our digital shores, which should be sometime tonight around 11PM ET. And head over to Supergiant's page for a ton more info about the new release.Update: This story was updated to reflect the official announcement of Bastion on iOS.
Paul Dini explains absence from next Batman game
Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City writer Paul Dini isn't working on the next Batman game from Rocksteady, but we already knew that much. However, other than some vague tweets, we didn't know why that was the case. The reason turns out to be much less thrilling than any of his Batman scripts: "The last talk I had with Warner Interactive about future games was while I was doing promotion for Arkham City last September. Naturally as there was such a rush of interest about Arkham City, everyone was asking me about a third game, and frankly, I had been wondering about that myself. When I asked about the possibility of working on a third game I was told that as Rocksteady had just finished wrapping the second one, it would be a while before everyone was ready to sit down and discuss future plans. That said, it was intimated that for future games, Warner and Rocksteady might not be looking as much to freelance writers, the message being, that if I had something else interesting coming my way, I might want to take it."Dini says he wasn't included in Arkham City's DLC projects, and he hasn't been tapped for work on the rumored Silver Age-themed Batman game, said to be Rocksteady's next project. He's since taken on other work that makes him "unavailable to take on anything new until 2013." He's not bitter, though, even noting that "If we wind up working together again at some point, that would be cool, too."
Layoffs hit Warner Bros. Seattle studios [update: WB confirms]
An unknown number of layoffs are affecting WB Games Seattle staff – the umbrella name "WB Games Seattle" comprises Monolith Productions, Snowblind Studios, and Surreal Software. A source close to the studio confirmed reports to us this afternoon, following statements from 3D Realms founder George Broussard on Twitter, stating, "Another Warner Brothers layoff going on as we speak. In progress now. Shame. Hope people land safely."WB Games Seattle is currently working on Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle-earth, and it's unclear if any other projects are currently in production. Layoffs hit the studio last November, and were said to have affected "60ish" people. Warner Bros. didn't respond to request for comment as of publishing.Update: WB issued the following statement, confirming the layoffs: "Due to shifting business imperatives, WB Games Seattle has made staff reductions. The group will continue to remain an integral part of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment."
Injustice's two newest fighters pulverize (and get pulverized) in Comic-Con trailer
Wondering what Nightwing and ... uh ... that Cyborg dude will play like in NetherRealms' next big game, Injustice: Gods Among Us? Well too bad! Er, rather, you can find out above. Sorry about making you feel bad.
Boon hopes Injustice: Gods Among Us is 'first step' in a new direction for NetherRealm
With the success of Mortal Kombat, it's hardly shocking that Ed Boon's NetherRealm Studios is already at work on another fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us. But Boon wouldn't mind getting away from the fighting game rigmarole, granted Injustice "does well.""If it does well, we would like to see our next step be a non-fighting game, maybe something unique in its own right," Boon told PlayStation Blog. "This is our first step in that direction."But this doesn't mean Boon's ready to look beyond Injustice just yet. There's a lot planned for the DC brawler, including a DLC character campaign comparable to what we saw in Mortal Kombat. "We'll definitely want to introduce unexpected characters [via DLC] to Injustice. That'll be our strategy. It's comparable to Mortal Kombat, but being really aggressive with our DLC characters."
Report: Rocksteady's next Batman game to be a Silver Age-based prequel
Rocksteady's next game could be yet another Batman adventure, albeit in a new timeline, Variety reports. According to unnamed sources speaking with the film industry publication, Rocksteady's currently at work on a "new, highly stylized" Bats prequel game "that revolves around Batman's first meeting with the Joker."This new game – not expected until 2014 at least – is supposedly set in the Silver Age of comics. Warner Bros. has yet to confirm the news, and Rocksteady hasn't said a peep about any new projects since Arkham City wrapped last year. And as far as we know, no one's discovered any hidden rooms in Arkham City that reveal future games. Hey, it wouldn't be the first time!
Sony invests in cloud-streaming with purchase of Gaikai
The gaming cloud company Gaikai, which partnered with Warner Bros. Interactive last March to stream an hour of gameplay in two different AAA games and more recently was in the news for partnering with En Masse to offer an instant streaming version of TERA's demo, was just acquired by Sony for the sum of $380 million. What does this mean for the company with numerous games across different platforms? Sony Computer Entertainment President Andrew House explains that the company "will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices." For more insight into the realm of cloud-streaming MMOs, check out Massively's look at Gaikai and browser-based gaming.
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard, elsewhere in this Guardians gameplay video
Sometimes when we start up a game with branching story paths or "evil" character options, we'll get down with our bad selves and go for the dark choices, intent on violently slaughtering the goody-two-shoes right off the "light" side. With Guardians of Middle-earth, we don't think we'll be able to do that, though.Perhaps it's because we're invested in the lore of Lord of the Rings, because we've spent years devouring the books, films and Trivial Pursuit board games, and we've rooted for Frodo, Gandalf and the good guys to win the whole time. Choosing to play as Sauron now would feel dirty.That said, the first-ever gameplay trailer for Guardians of Middle-earth makes each side look equally cool, and it promises the game will launch this fall, for XBLA and PSN only. Go Gandalf! Really, go -- Sauron's like right behind you.
Spy vs. Spy for iOS coming this summer, includes online multiplayer
We're going to ruin the fun for you, but it's in the service of announcing some other fun. The message above, obscured by reverse alphabetical cipher, reads: White and black spies resurface -(stop)- iPad -(stop)- iPhone -(stop)- iPod Touch -(stop)- online two players -(stop)- this summer -(stop)- this message will self destruct in five seconds -(stop)-So, to translate that all the way into legible English, WB's Spy vs. Spy remake will be released this summer on iOS, and will feature online multiplayer for two players. You can look forward to stealing your friends' important secrets, and planting bombs in their wall safes. But, like, in a way that it's totally all right to look forward to.
Lollipop Chainsaw's Akira Yamaoka-laden licks now available
Lollipop Chainsaw is out right now, but it wouldn't be complete without some aural stimulation: The Lollipop Chainsaw soundtrack, featuring tunes from Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill), is available today as well. The soundtrack includes collaborations between Mindless Self Indulgence's Jimmy Urine and Yamaoka, and a few licensed tracks from Five Finger Death Punch, The Chordettes and others.Check out the album's full track list, launched in North America by WaterTower Records, right here:
Guardians of Middle-earth brings MOBA to XBLA and PSN
Monolith Productions has one of the most varied histories in video game development. The studio first cut its teeth on first-person shooters, finding a cult hit in the popular No One Lives Forever series. Then, it was a vast experiment with The Matrix Online, before coming back to shooters with the Fear and Condemned series of games. And now, the company's trying to reinvent itself yet again with two licensed downloadable titles for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment: first Gotham City Imposters from earlier this year, and now Guardians of Middle-earth.Guardians of Middle-earth is a weird one. It's a licensed Lord of The Rings title, starring characters from Tolkien's series. It's a MOBA game, similar to League of Legends or DOTA 2, featuring Tolkien's characters fighting it out across a battlefield full of AI-controlled troops. And it's a complicated, deep online multiplayer title, designed for competitive play."What's so weird about that?" you ask? It's being developed only for consoles.%Gallery-157247%
Scribblenauts Unlimited and the birth of the ferret-headed librarian-throwing lamp
Scribblenauts Unlimited on Wii U has a lot of new stuff not found in its predecessors, like an open world full of both traditional Scribblenauts levels and simple "Starite shard" challenges (requiring you to make one item on the spot, basically), fancy HD graphics, and multiplayer.But by far the most revolutionary improvement for the sequel (in a series whose every improvement is pretty dang revolutionary) is the item editor, which lets you take any single item and change its color, add other items (or components thereof) to it, and then even change its behavior.For example, I started with a "lamp." I painted the shade three different colors -- is argyle a color? -- and then generated a "ferret," whose head I detached and stuck to the top of the lamp. Why not. Then, I altered the properties of the lamp so that the lamp was alive. Then I made it a weapon. I set it so that it was the kind that shoots projectiles, and I replaced the standard "bullet" with "librarian," resulting in a constant arc of librarians issuing forth.If, like me, you're proud of your work, you'll be able to share your items online. If you can't solve a problem with a regular item, why not ... mutate it cruelly?
The first Guardians of Middle-earth trailer puts LOTR's celebs in a fight to the death
Wondering what that DOTA-inspired Lord of the Rings game, Guardians of Middle-earth, will look like? So are we, as the first trailer for the game is little more than a who's who of LOTR, and features zero actual gameplay. But hey, Gollum's got a big rock! Don't you go taking his precious!
Lord of the Rings meets MOBA in XBLA/PSN 'Guardians of Middle-earth' from F.E.A.R. devs
Guardians of Middle-earth is the next "massive online battle arena" heading to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Warner Bros. Interactive's Monolith Productions is crafting the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit-themed MOBA, and the studio plans on launching the game this fall (ahead of this December's film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).According to the announcement, 10 players will battle in five-on-five matches set against the backdrop of Middle-earth. Various Lord of the Rings bulletpoints will be hit, of course, with characters like Gollum and Sauron available for fighting (as "Guardians" – think League of Legends' "Hero" characters). We'll assuredly get a closer look at the game next week during E3.
WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall
The last time Harry Potter used the magic of Kinect, the results were less than magical. Now, WB and developer Eurocom are bringing the world of Hogwarts to Kinect with a much more "traditional" Kinect experience; minigames. It's called, of course, Harry Potter for Kinect.The game follows the whole Harry Potter saga, with Harry, Ron, Hermione ... and you(r face scanned onto a player-created character!) You'll cast spells with gestures and voice commands, play Quidditch, choose a house, take part in duels, battle against Voldemort, and other Potterly activities.Harry Potter for Kinect will be in stores this fall, where it will sell many, many copies.%Gallery-156178%
