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Scribblenauts Unlimited pops up on European Wii U eShop despite delay [update: and it's gone]
Update 1: Soon after this story was posted, Scribblenauts Unlimited was taken off the eShop. We've not yet heard from Nintendo, but it looks like the eShop launch was a gaffe.Update 2: Nintendo sent us the following statement: "Scribblenauts Unlimited for Wii U which was recently delayed for Europe was made available today to download on the Nintendo eShop for a short period of time. This title has now been removed from the Nintendo eShop. We are very sorry for any confusion this may have caused and we hope to make further announcements on the European launch of these games very soon." Here's a curious one: Scribblenauts Unlimited is now available on Europe's Wii U eShop, despite Nintendo officially delaying the game's arrival in the continent earlier this week. As spotted on NeoGAF and verified by us, the game is listed on the console's online shop for purchase and download, priced £49.99/€59.99.There are a few things odd about this. For one, the same can't be said for the 3DS version, which isn't on the handheld's eShop. Secondly, Nintendo's statement from earlier in the week made it clear that changes needed to be made within the game before it could be launched in Europe. Thirdly, if the Wii U eShop launch is intended - and given that Unlimited doesn't appear on the portal's main page and has to be searched for to be found, it may well not be - why is the game available online but not in physical form?All in all, this underlines what's been a bewildering approach to bringing Unlimited to Nintendo systems in Europe. The 3DS and Wii U games launched in other regions around the Wii U's launch, and were expected to in Europe until, at the last minute, they were given a 2013 window. Then, just three days ahead of their listed releases today, publisher Nintendo announced a delay, leaving Europeans waiting for the games once more.We've reached out to Nintendo for comment.
Bastion sales reach 1.7 million
Speaking at DICE today, Supergiant Games founder Amir Rao mentioned that Bastion has sold 1.7 million copies across all available platforms.Rao's presentation at the annual executive conference explained how Supergiant Games went about porting Bastion from XBLA to PC and mobile. The company's porting team was ... well, it was eight people that composed the entire company. Staggering the releases of Bastion allowed them to keep the quality high and test ideas as the game expanded to other systems."We didn't lose an opportunity by not sim [simultaneously] shipping," said Rao. He pointed to his employment experience at EA, and simultaneously shipping Red Alert 3 for PC and Xbox, as an example of split focus.Bastion's slow multiplatform creep has been successful, with over 90 percent of sales occurring after its original launch month. Rao didn't mention any more upcoming ports of Bastion, but says it's the number one request they receive at Supergiant.
Scribblenauts Unlimited delayed in Europe, no ETA provided
Scribblenauts fans in Europe are left waiting for Unlimited once more after Nintendo delayed the game's arrival in the continent, just days ahead of release. Nintendo's announcement didn't provide any date or window for the delayed launch.The 5th Cell game was initially expected for the Wii U's launch in Europe, but was then given a release date of February 8. That push-back was, according to 5th Cell CEO Jeremiah Slaczka, "due to things outside of development." This time, Nintendo says it's emerged that changes need to be made before the 3DS and Wii U games can launch in Europe.When approached, a Nintendo representative told us, "This is all the information we have at present," referring to the statement we've reproduced after the break. We've also reached out to developer 5th Cell for comment.
UK gets Injustice: Gods Among Us Special Edition with Red Son DLC
Our UK friends get a Special Edition of Injustice: Gods Among Us for Xbox 360 and PS3 when it launches April 19. The Special Edition version comes with an exclusive "Steelbook" and the Red Son DLC pack.The packed-in DLC includes 20 missions set in the Red Son timeline and three character skins for Superman, Wonder Woman and Solomon Grunday. North American players have their own limited edition options, as Injustice: Gods Among Us also has Collector's Edition and Battle Edition versions. %Gallery-177883%
Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition seeking Australian classification
Warner Bros. will submit Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition for classification in Australia. GameSpot reports the fighter will seek a rating under the country's new R18+ classification for games. Mortal Kombat was refused classification in the region when it launched two years ago and also lost a subsequent appeal.Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge will be Australia's first game classified as R18+. Australia finally relaxed its censorship laws last year to allow games intended for those over the age of 15 to be sold in the country.
Injustice: Gods Among Us hits April 16, Battle Edition revealed
Injustice: Gods Among Us thwacks retail shelves in North America on April 16. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment previously announced an April window, but today it confirmed the release date for Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U, along with the reveal of the Battle Edition.The Battle Edition, not to be confused with the already revealed Collector's Edition, costs $149.99, and PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are coming to GameStop and EB Games stores in the US and Canada, although it's also been confirmed for Wii U. [Update: Warner Bros. says the Wii U confirmation in its press release was an error.]. The big inclusion, as you can see above, is the special fight stick controller, along with three DLC skins of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman as they are in DC Comics' The New 52 revamp. Among other features, the fightstick offers "adjustable illumination" for the joystick and buttons, just in case you're picky about how your controllers light up.%Gallery-176365%
Lego Marvel Super Heroes assemble in autumn 2013
Lego Marvel Super Heroes will fly, swing and smash into retail in the fall of 2013. This latest Lego collectathon from TT Games will "complement the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes construction toy collection," which already includes scenes from X-Men, Iron Man, Avengers and Spider-Man franchises. Expect to see it on just about everything, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC, Vita and 3DS.The game will have an original storyline in which Nick Fury needs the help of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine and "other heroes" to stop Loki and Galactus. Okay, Lego Galactus sounds pretty awesome."Players will brave the ultimate mission to save the world as they explore famous landmarks in LEGO New York and take the adventure beyond Earth to iconic locations in the Marvel Universe," said TT Games Publishing managing director Tom Stone.Players will unlock over 100 characters from across the Marvel Universe, which also includes Wolverine, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Deadpool. No word on whether Howard the Duck will be playable.
Scribblenauts Unlimited for Wii U, 3DS heads to Europe in February
Scribblenauts Unlimited will arrive in Europe on February 8, Nintendo announced today. The game previously had an open 2013 release window. The game was a Wii U launch title in the States.%Gallery-165296%
Deathstroke carves himself into the Injustice: Gods Among Us roster
Slade Wilson is a mercenary and assassin (and hater of teenagers) in the DC Comics world known as Deathstroke – and now he's the latest brawler to throw down in NetherRealm's Injustice: Gods Among Us. Keen observers will remember he also made an appearance in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.Deathstroke likes guns and has a steel sword for close-quarter combos, evidenced in the video above. Plus, he's kinda got this whole Two-Face thing going on with his mask, but we're sure Batman accidentally punched him like eight times so he must know already.
Guardians of Middle-Earth on Xbox 360 Dec. 5
Guardians of Middle-Earth will launch on Xbox Live Arcade one day later than previously stated. The official Twitter account for the game confirmed the new Xbox 360 date of December 5.The account also confirmed the PS3 version is still on track to launch one day earlier on December 4. The PS3 version will be available both at retail and as a download through PSN.
Injustice trailer covers control differences from Mortal Kombat
NetherRealm Studio devs gab about their spin on the DC comic universe for Injustice: Gods Among Us in this trailer. There's plenty of gameplay footage to take in, along with control differences between this and NetherRealm's Mortal Kombat.
Green Arrow sets his sights on Injustice: Gods Among Us
The latest combatant confirmed for NetherRealm's Injustice: Gods Among Us is Green Arrow, billionaire Oliver Queen by day and bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero by night. Green Arrow is a core member of DC's Justice League outfit, so his inclusion in Gods Among Us makes sense. Also, there's a new TV show about the character coming soon so the timing there is pretty impeccable. Synergy!As you can see in the trailer, his bow comes in handy during battle – it allows him to continue juggle combos and in one sequence, he even uses it to freeze Nightwing. We're also shown some of the touted stage interactivity as Green Arrow pulls down a steam vent to daze The Flash.%Gallery-168042%
Scribblenauts Unlimited shows off 'Clownthulu,' object editor [Update: Wii U Gallery]
In the kerfuffle of today's Wii U announcements, Scribblenauts Unlimited shows off its object e-d-i-t-o-r and how to turn Cthulhu into "Clownthulu." He looks much happier, but still evil.%Gallery-165296%
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.
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.
Injustice: Gods Among Us may ditch clash system
NetherRealm announced a wager system in its DC Universe fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us, at E3 this year. Dubbed the clash system, this special function combines individualized cutscene cinematics with a process of betting your character's super meter, with the fighter betting the most winning the wager and getting the special move. It sounded confusing at E3, and it still is now at Gamescom, which is why NetherRealm is considering removing it from Injustice entirely."I can see the cinematic moves staying and the wager system going," NetherRealm's Adam Urbano tells Joystiq at Gamescom. NetherRealm is tweaking the clash system and may end up disposing of it entirely, while keeping the character-specific attacks and cinematics, Urbano says.
WB bringing 'Game Party Champions' to Wii U this holiday
For those who thought minigame collections were being left behind for the Wii U ... boy, let us tell you about Warner Bros.' Game Party Champions. Featuring skill ball, ping pong, table hockey and hoop shoot; this is the HD iteration of the series that's been lambasted not once, not twice, but three times on the Wii.Game Party Champions has three modes. Quick Play is for just hopping in, Story Mode is to "prove they're worthy of the 'World Champion' title" and, as the press release states, Party Mode has players taking turns with the WiiPad, while others use Wiimotes and "grief (wreak havoc) on their game." Is that what grief* means in the parlance of the gaming subculture, as defined by Prof. Horatio Newbs of Urbania University? We have learned something today.*Urban Dictionary, multiple authors, UrbanDictionary.com (Internet, Internetia, Urban Dictionary Press, 2012) p.231
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."
Jace Hall is out for Blood, asks fans what they want in a remake
Jace Hall, founder and former CEO of Monolith Productions, is looking to bring back 1997's original gore-fest of a game, Blood. Hall brings the idea up on The Postmortem, a Blood fan forum, gauging interest and asking for wish lists in a potential Blood remake."To be clear, I am thinking of bringing the ORIGINAL Blood game back as it was, with functionality alterations/enhancements that are similar but superior to ZDAEMON's," Hall writes. "I would also make it work on all platforms, and not just PC."Hall has all of the legal rights and issues "handled" and will get support from anyone with a legal investment in Blood, he says. Hall will be the one footing the bill the new game as well: "One thing to also know is that if I go ahead and attempt to bring Blood back, I will be the one actually paying the bill. It is certainly going to cost money to do this, and I will not likely be getting my money back. It will be all for the fun of it. Just something to know."Hall has reservations about releasing the source code for Blood, writing, "Part of what I'm hoping to achieve with this potential project is a game that really allows people to build measurable value in their cummulative game accomplishments." The conversation is on-going at The Postmortem if you'd like to share your blood-soaked dream list with Hall himself.
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."
