Monthly Archives: June 2015
Limbo Developer Playdead Delays Inside
Indie developer PlayDead has announced that its upcoming Xbox One title Inside has been delayed.
"Last year we announced that INSIDE would be out in 'early 2015'. It’s not!" the studio informed IGN via email. "After 5 years in development, we, more than anyone, are looking forward to the release. We are so close, but getting it right has taken a little more time than we anticipated."
Inside was revealed during Microsoft's E3 media briefing last year, and bears a striking resemblance to the studio's prior title, Limbo. Back in 2012, Playdead confirmed the game was "at least two years away," and now it looks like the wait is going to be even longer.
Steam Machine Release Dates and Pre-Orders Revealed
Valve has announced the first pre-order details for a series of upcoming Steam Machines and when they'll be available.
Though lots of Steam Machines have been announced, only a few will be available to pre-order now along with the Steam Controller. Doing so, however, will allow you to pick the hardware up several weeks before anyone else.
North American gamers will be able to pre-order an Alienware Steam Machine, Steam Link or Steam Controller from GameStop or Steam as of today and get their order on October 16, with the official launch not happening until November 10. This offer is only available for a limited time.
How XCOM 2’s Procedurally Generated Maps Keep You Guessing
The words procedurally generated spark the idea of endlessly interchangeable combinations of parts linked together in hundreds of different ways, creating something unique that may never be seen again. At its heart, that’s not terribly far off the mark, but as Firaxis Games discovered during the production of its 2012 reboot, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, there’s a gulf between random and procedural. And traveling from Enemy Unknown to XCOM 2 has meant discovering how to bridge that long divide.
Much of that learning process took shape during the development of Enemy Unknown – so much that it simply couldn’t be shaped and applied alongside the project’s already hefty development. Fortunately for us, those lessons are finally ready to be applied to XCOM 2’s shining white alien-built megacities, rugged forests, deserts, and snow-capped wildernesses (among other settings) that will serve as the battlefields in humanity’s war against the aliens’ occupying force.
Hannibal: 8 1/2 Extremely Disturbing Moments
Note: With Hannibal returning for Season 3 on Thursday, June 4th, we're re-featuring our look back at all of the fascinating carnage the series has given us in its first two seasons.
Spoilers through Hannibal: Season 2 follow...
I freely admit to being one of those people who thought that making a TV show based on Hannibal Lecter was a bad idea. Even more so given that it was to air on NBC. I mean, what good would it be to do a Hannibal series if you didn't couldn't coat it in the TV-MA content that a cable channel, or a premium cable channel, could allow?
Final Fantasy 15 Cuts Versus XIII Character and Scene
Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata has once again appeared in an episode of Square Enix's Active Time Report, revealing some very interesting information about the title.
Alongside confirming the updated version of the Episode Duscae demo will be released on June 9 at 8am PT / 11 am ET / 4pm GMT, he also revealed a series of big changes have hit the title as part of the transition from Final Fantasy Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV.
Tabata explained the narrative has changed in three major ways since it was originally penned by Final Fantasy veteran Kazushige Nojima for Versus XIII. One of the biggest involves the character of Stella, who was initially set up as Noctis' female counterpart and the heroine of the story. She has now been cut and will not appear in the story.
New Diablo-like Game Takes Place After Star Wars: Episode VI
Daniel Erickson is the developer of a brand new Star Wars game, but when he talks to me about working on his project with Lucasfilm, he sounds more like a secret agent.
“For some of the story stuff, literally, I have to go into a room by myself and carry nothing, and read a script or a piece of paper, or a description, in a white room under guard, and then walk out with nothing.”
Erickson is the senior design director on Star Wars: Uprising, an upcoming mobile game that takes place directly after Return of the Jedi. Its storyline is canon – official Star Wars lore – and to ensure Uprising doesn’t contradict the stories told in other properties, like The Force Awakens, Erickson is occasionally treated to very, very private bits of story.
3 New Official Star Wars Characters Revealed
Star Wars: Uprising, the just-announced action-RPG that takes place after the events of Return of the Jedi, adds at least three official new characters to Star Wars canon.
The game is set in the region of space containing Hoth and Cloud City, and centers on an Imperial leader bent on covering up Emperor Palpatine's death. The story was written in coordination with Lucasfilm to ensure the plot lines up with The Force Awakens and other canon.
The three new characters are:
Adelhard is in charge of the Anoat sector of space. When he receives word the Emperor was killed, he shuts down all travel and communications in and out of his system. Those who oppose the status quo or speak anti-Imperial “rumors” are killed. His enforcer and right-hand man is Commander Bragh.
New Star Wars Game Reveals the Story After Return of the Jedi
Star Wars: Uprising, an upcoming action-RPG for mobile, includes official story details about what happens after Return of the Jedi.
Speaking with IGN, Daniel Erickson, the Senior Director of Design at Kabam, shared an overview of Uprising’s plot. The story was written in tandem with Lucasfilm to ensure its canon is consistent with other official Star Wars stories, like the upcoming film, The Force Awakens, as well as the Aftermath novel.
Here’s the overview:
After Return of the Jedi, word of the Emperor’s death quickly spreads throughout the galaxy.When the news reaches the Anoat sector – which contains classic Star Wars movie locations like Hoth and Cloud City – local Imperial Governor Adelhard locks down the entire region. This “Iron Blockade” stops all incoming and outgoing space traffic and communications, trapping the people within. Adelhard denies all “rumors” of the Emperor’s death and kills anyone who speaks otherwise.
Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star Coming This Year
Mediatonic and Devolver Digital have announced that Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star will be coming during the second half of 2015.
The remastered holiday-themed sequel to last year's bird dating simulator will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC.
According to the press release, we can expect old friends and new faces, improved visuals, side stories, and of course, plenty of bird puns.
The original Hatoful Boyfriend will also be getting a release on PS4 and Vita this summer.
IGN reviewed Hatoful Boyfriend last year, saying that it "hatches surprisingly deep characters with an equally charming story."
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Confirmed
Sony has announced Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection will be available on October 7 in Europe and October 9 in North America.
The bundle, which brings together Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception in one collection on PS4, has been created in order to prep people for the release of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End next year. Only the single-player campaigns of the titles will be available.
Sony has also confirmed anyone who buys The Nathan Drake Collection will get access to the Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta later this year.
Remastered by Bluepoint Games, expect new achievements along with 1080p graphics at 60 fps, and better lighting, textures, and models. Gameplay improvements are also on the way, with an announcement on that front coming soon.