Monthly Archives: March 2016
DriveClub Studio Closed Down by Sony
Sony has confirmed the closure of Evolution Studios, creators of MotorStorm and DriveClub.
Last year the developer was hit with layoffs that affected 55 people. Now GamesIndustry.biz reports Sony has made the decision to make the rest of the staff redundant.
"Where possible we will try to reallocate people onto other projects," says Sony's statement. "If appropriate opportunities are not possible within the company, we will assist staff in any way we can, including speaking with local employers and with other development companies."
Yakuza 0 Western Release Window Announced
Yakuza 0 is coming to North America and Europe in early 2017, Sega has announced.
Yakuza 0 was first announced for a western release at PSX 2015. There was some confusion over whether it would be coming to Europe too, but Sega has now confirmed this is the case.
The Yakuza prequel came out in Japan last year on PS3 and PS4, however Sega is only localizing the PS4 version for release next year. A physical edition will be released in addition to the digital one, and Sega is targeting a simultaneous release in both territories.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Nuk3town Map Now Free
The previously pre-order exclusive Nuk3town map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 has now become freely available to all players on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, alongside a new personalization pack of Nuk3town-themed in-game cosmetics.
The updated version of the Black Ops' series perennially popular close-quarters multiplayer map will be added to map rotation across a number of playlists, and a Nuk3town-only playlist will be available for the next week, according to an Activision blog post.
Choose Whether to Kill Gary Busey or Gary Cole in Hitman
The Hitman developers have asked fans to choose between Gary Busey and Gary Cole.
But this isn't a popularity contest, as whoever "wins" the vote will become a target in an upcoming Hitman contract this summer. In the video below, the two actors each give very convincing arguments as to why they deserve to die.
Head over to ChooseYourHit.com to make your decision. Either #KillBusey or #KillCole.
Io Interactive and Square Enix have stepped up the Hitman marketing game this time around, with ChooseYourHit following on from British children's entertainers The Chuckle Brothers playing Hitman in real life.
Next Rise of the Tomb Raider DLC Release Date Announced
The Cold Darkness Awakened DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider is coming out on March 29.
This is the third and final piece of downloadable content, and according to the announcement on Xbox Wire it will have Lara Croft encountering "an army of nightmarish predators."
"A decommissioned Cold War research base has been breached, unleashing a deadly affliction from its Siberian slumber," reads the description. "As the illness seeps into the wilderness surrounding the base, Trinity soldiers transform into bloodthirsty killers who thrive on carnage. To prevent the affliction from spreading, Lara must rely on her wits, physical agility, and crafting abilities to overcome this new enemy and shut down the decommissioned base."
How Journey Changed a Young Girl’s Life
Sony has released a heartwarming video showing a young girl's dream coming true as she visits Thatgamecompany, creators of Journey.
Sophia Ouellette was just 15 when her father was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. It was a tragic period in her life, but she has now spoken out about how playing Journey with her father in late 2012, just before his passing, helped both of them gain peace. Check out the video below.
"Towards the end of the game it suddenly gets really cold and icy, and it becomes really difficult to progress," said Sophia. "Eventually your character sort of gives up, you can't go on any longer and at that point my dad and I thought it might have been the end of the game, it was sort of a sad ending.
Accidental Free Fallout 4 Season Passes on PS4 Revoked
After a mistake led to UK PS Store users being able to "purchase" the Fallout 4 Season Pass for free last week, Sony Europe has now announced that those who did get a free download have had their order revoked.
"The Fallout 4 Season Pass was briefly made available erroneously free of charge on PlayStation Store in the SCEE region on Friday 18th March", said an SCEE spokesperson. "This was an error and has now been removed. For consumers who may have tried to purchase the Fallout 4 Season Pass during this time, regretfully, these orders will not be fulfilled."
The Binding of Isaac Dev Announces New Game
The Binding of Isaac developer Edmund McMillen has teased a new game, The Legend of Bum-bo.
McMillen isn’t giving away much at the moment, but a post on the Isaac Tumblr gives a few details. Namely, it’s a turn-based puzzle RPG “thingy,” which features a randomly generated something, and James Id – the man responsible for all the Isaac trailers – is handing programming, along with 3D elements such as art.
Plops
Capcom Celebrates 20 Years of Resident Evil With New Developer Interviews
Capcom is celebrating 20 years of Resident Evil with new behind-the-scenes content about the survival horror series.
It was on March 22, 1996, that we first opened those mansion doors to a whole new genre of video games. Since then, the series has sold over 66 million copies worldwide and spawned six major game releases, as well as several spin-off titles and Hollywood movies.
The developer interviews will roll out over the next year and feature insights from a selection of team members who "played a vital role" in developing the series and the Resident Evil brand itself.
The first in the series features an interview with producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has been involved with the series (and subsequent movies) since the very first instalment. Despite acknowledging that he's "not fond of horror" himself, Kobayashi credits the secret of Resident Evil's success to a great horror atmosphere, its various puzzles and its wide variety of stories and activities.
Rockstar Classics Bully and Manhunt Arrive on PS4
Two much-loved PS2 Rockstar games, Bully and Manhunt, are now available on PlayStation 4.
Both are priced at £11.99 a pop and are playable via the PS4’s PS2 emulation software, meaning each boasts 1080p up-rendering, as well as Trophies, Share Play, Remote Play, Activity Feeds, and Second Screen support.
Unfortunately if you’re in the UK, Bully still has the rather ludicrous title of Canis Canem Edit (dog eats dog) despite everyone nationwide calling it Bully.