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Double Fine’s New Adventure Game Breaks Kickstarter Record, Exceeds Fundraising Goal First Day

Michael Futter — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:30:45 +0000

If you happened to go to sleep early last night, you may have missed a little story about Tim Schafer’s DoubleFine Productions (Costume Quest, Brutal Legend and assorted other awesomeness) starting a Kickstarter project to fund a new game and documentary. The project, called DoubleFine Adventure Game, had an ambitious goal of $400,000 with a deadline of 34 days. In a matter of 8 hours, the project was fully funded with over 10,000 donors chipping in to make the project a reality. As of publishing, the project has nearly raised double its goal as nearly 17,000 gifts have come in. According to a tweet from Kickstarter, this is kind of a big deal:

Double Fine Adventure has broken Kickstarter records for most funds raised in 24 hrs & highest number of backers! kck.st/A9k3jH

— Kickstarter (@kickstarter) February 9, 2012

If you are unfamiliar with Kickstarter, the website was founded to help individuals and small teams find funding for creative projects. The charitable giving system in the United States is complex, requiring federal and state approval in order to collect charitable contributions and provide tax incentive for individual donors. Additionally, foundations typically do not award grants to those that don’t have a 501(c)(3) determination letter from the federal government. This means that the bulk of funding available in the country isn’t accessible by individuals or small-groups. As a society, we’ve lost the patronage model. There are few wealthy benefactors left that fund solo artists for the sake of new visual and performing works.

Enter: Kickstarter.

Kickstarter has turned the fundraising community on its ear by operating counter to contemporary fundraising practice. Instead of requiring the enormous infrastructure that comes with being a charitable organization, the site provides a vehicle for projects to receive crowd-sourced patronage. Instead of a single wealthy donor, Kickstarter encourages people to find a project they are interested in and make a gift in any amount. Whereas some fundraisers pay lip service to the, “no gift is too small” mentality, Kickstarter lives by it. The beauty of it all is that, once the project is funded, the creator retains complete autonomy in the execution.

There are no donors attempting to impose their will and no corporate entity focused on balancing the budget. Kickstarter ensures the integrity of the projects on the site by requiring an all-or-nothing agreement. Creators must indicate how much is necessary to complete the project as detailed. If the goal is not met, funds are returned to donors. This has bred creative promotion techniques, which, in turn, led to enhanced utilization of the site.

Double Fine decided to take advantage of the service for a number of reasons. First, they wanted to demystify the game development process. According to the Kickstarter page, Schafer and company believe that the larger a studio is, the less light shines through. One major component of Double Fine Adventure Game (the official name of the project) is to create documentary following the creation of this new game. Second, they want artistic freedom.

In the videogame industry, developers often require publishers in order to begin work. Retail games can cost well over $10 million to create, and smaller titles like those that appear on Xbox Live and Playstation Network aren’t exactly cheap, running up bills in the millions. Publishers want to see a return on that funding. It’s an investment. Using this Kickstarter project, though, gives Double Fine a great deal of creative freedom.

The project will take six-to-eight months and result in a classic point-and-click game and multi-part video documentary. Backers at the $15 level or greater will be part of a behind-the-scenes community, receive the game (via Steam when completed, gain access to the beta along the way and have the video series available as it rolls out. From there, the benefits for investment only get sweeter (all reward tiers include all lower-level benefits):

$30: HD download of the documentary, game soundtrack
$100: DoubleFine Adventure poster (suitable for framing), thanks in the game credits
$250: DoubleFine Adventure poster signed by Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert and the design team
$1,000: Mini-portrait of the donor painted by the game’s artist
$5,000: Larger, original painting used in the final game
$10,000 (only one available and you’re too late): Lunch with Tim Schafer and Ron Gilbert, tour of the Double Fine offices

So, why is this such a big deal? While a number of independent studios have found success with Kickstarter projects, Double Fine is the largest and best known to ever pursue this avenue of funding. Given their success, we are very likely to see other mid-sized studios jump on the idea. It won’t become the exclusive way games are funded, but with so many interesting games dying on the vine due to lack of publisher interest, we could see a new injection of creativity.

Gamers tired of military shooters and cookie-cutter sequels are going to get their fix from a new drug. Finally, it serves as a reminder of how important reputation is. Every single one of those 17,000 donors is a pre-sale for the game. On Day 1, Double Fine Adventure Game turned a 100% profit provided Tim and team stick to the $400,000 budget.

Power to the people.

Sony: Re-branding the Way We Talk About the Way We Talk

Michael Futter — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:00:30 +0000

When you wake up on Wednesday, February 8, and stumble to your Playstation 3, you’ll notice something a little different on your XMB.

Sony recently announced a re-branding of the Playstation Network. The online service, which enables gaming over the internet on the PS3, along with music and movie streaming, will be re-branded as the Sony Entertainment Network. This change will impact only the Playstation 3 and the Vita , but not the PSP. It’s a confusing move for those that don’t plan on upgrading to the new handheld right away.

You won’t need to do anything. Your password, games and saves will all be exactly where you left them. The purpose, according to a Sony rep, is to unify the gaming services with other Sony products… except for the PSP.

I was struck, though, by how similar the name sounded to Nintendo’s first home console. Perhaps Sony is planning on dumping the Playstation brand for something else. Could the “Sony Entertainment System” be looming in our future?

New Video Game Releases: Feb. 6 – Feb. 12

Garrett Hartman — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:28 +0000

Finally, the type of Rock’em Sock’em release week that is fun to write about. While maybe not the Superbowl of release weeks, with so many big and varied releases, it could easily be mistaken for a busy November release week. Let’s take a look at a few of the notable releases of this week.

Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning is a single-player action role-playing game put together by a dream team including executive designer Ken Rolston (lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion), story writer R.A. Salvatore (celebrated fantasy writer), artist Todd McFarlane (creator of Spawn and famous comic book artist) and Big Huge Game owner Curt Shilling (Hall of Fame MLB pitcher and gaming enthusiast). With a team like this and great early reviews, you’d be fool not to pick it up for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

The Darkness II revisits the ongoing saga of possessed mobster Jackie Estacado from 2007′s hit The Darkness. Promising interesting new gameplay tweaks, such as the ability to quad wield and increased use of darklings, this is indeed a promising release to look for on PC, 360 and PS3.

For gamers looking for more Batman there is Gotham City Imposters. While not featuring the Gotham’s Caped Crusader, the game will be played from the perspective of two teams each trying to kill the other: one with people dressed like Batman and the other with people dressed like The Joker. Players will be able to customize their costumes, gadgets and other aspects of the game with 8 player action that takes place with an over-the-top visual style. Gotham City Imposters releases this week on XBLA, PSN and PC.

Shank 2 sees the return of avenging assassin Shank. Once again Shank is forced to go on the offensive as those closest to him come under atteck. Using an arsenal including dual handguns, chainsaws, machetes, plus all-new weapons and a brand new set of moves to protect those close to him, his enemies don’t stand a chance. Shank 2 releases this week on XBLA,PC and PSN.

Pick of the Week: I am a big fan of 2007′s The Darkness. At the time it had breathtaking graphics, an offbeat style and gameplay mechanics to make it both unique and satisfying. At the same time, it would be hard to overlook the pedigree of the team that put together Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. It’s a close one, but Reckoning by a nose - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Below is the full list of new releases.

PlayStation 3

Dance Magic
Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition
Gotham City Impostors (PSN)
Jak and Daxter Collection
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning CE
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Shank 2 (PSN)
The Darkness II
The Darkness II LE
The House of the Dead III (PSN)
The Simpsons Arcade Game (PSN)

Xbox 360

Dance Magic
Fallout: New Vegas – Ultimate Edition
Forza Motorsport 4: February American Le Mans Series Pack (DLC)
Gotham City Impostors (XBLA)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning CE
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations
Shank 2 (XBLA)
The Darkness II
The Darkness II LE

Wii

NADA

Gotham City Impostors
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Shank 2
The Darkness II
The Darkness II LE

3DS

Balloon Pop 2
Resident Evil: Revelations

Jewel Link Chronicles: Mountains of Madness

PSP

NADA

The Simpsons Arcade Game Coming to XBL and PSN

Catherine Cai — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:00:42 +0000

Bring yourself back to the days when you frequented arcades. Perhaps you never did, or perhaps your only experience with the arcades was at the local Chuck E. Cheese. Regardless, The Simpsons arcade game was a classic, and if you’ve yet to play it you are truly missing out. Yes, I’m talking about that side scrolling beat-’em-up game where you control one of The Simpsons and proceeded down the streets of Springfield, destroying everything in your path. The story of the game eludes me, but I certainly remember that beating people using Bart was extremely entertaining.

All of this brings me to the reason behind this trip down memory lane. Konami has decided to bring the arcade game to both XBL and PSN. The port has three modes: Quarters, Survival, and Free Play. It will be offered on XBL starting this Friday, February 3rd, and on PSN on February 7th. However, PlayStation Plus members will be entitled to this game for the low low price of absolutely free! Unfortunately, Xbox gamers are going to have to fork over 800 MSP or $9.99 to fart like Bart.

[Via PlayStation Blog]

RipTen Review: AMY (XBLA)

Gavin Bard — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:30:59 +0000

The Reviewer

(not) by

Edgar Allan Poe

To you the gamer pessimist, I ask you honor one request;
My credibility and past you might not know,
But I promise I write not in jest, heed my words about this mess.
Regarding AMY I attest, no matter your opinions on game journos
Trust the reviewers, this game blows

You might think we’re mostly wrong, every review same dance and song,
our arguments so rarely strong. It makes you skeptical of scores this low.
You start to think “it can’t be as bad as this, can’t trust them further than I can spit,
Besides Jim Sterling hated it. What the hell does that guy know?”
Look- trust the reviewers, this game blows.

For ten dollars it might tempt, but cheap doesn’t make its quality exempt
I hope your purchase I preempt, take that wallet and keep it closed
There is nothing worth your money here, a survival horror game without fear,
controls so bad you’ll shed a tear, the gameplay needs much NoDoz.
Trust the reviewers, this game blows.

It must be said- AMY isn’t lacking heart, but that is where compliments and I must part
This game marks a trainwreck as its start, an opening so apropos.
Like a child’s plate with spinach, I don’t think this game is finished.
At no point do glitches diminish, but your frustration will sure grow.
Trust the reviewers, this game blows.

Graphically it may seem decent, but not for gaming eras recent.
The animations are malfeasant, look at how she holds that phone!
AMY’s strength is its aesthetics, but they’re still as clear as Dianetics
Even with flawless cosmetics, it wouldn’t cover up what we know
Trust the reviewers, this game blows

Just playing AMY is energy sapping, three hours in and you’ll be napping
I’d rather listen to Randy Savage rapping. The more you play the more time slows.
You’d think your thumbs had the plague, with controls that feel like you have stones for legs,
No solace in a plot so god damn vague- AMY has far more cons than it has pros.
Trust the reviewers, this game blows.

In the loosest sense it is like Ico, except a direct comparison would be psycho,
the difference too far to be be seen by Tycho. For arguments sake lets juxtapose.
AMY’s puzzles are simplistic, each one solvable by methods heuristic.
Did I mention Amy’s autistic? Probably not, I’m bad at aping Poe.
Still- Trust the reviewers, this game blows.

AMY also suffers from awful combat, every attack is inaccurate and flat.
Lana has Johnny Bench fingers but needs his bat. Is that a crowbar or a pillow?
The game’s design flaws are massive, and more obvious when your character is active.
It’s an Occupier with a Gene Sharp book forcing you to be passive, a strategy I oppose.
Trust the reviewers- this game blows.

It isn’t so bad its good its just terrible, playing AMY as an experience is unbearable.
It’s so bad I had to rip off Poe for this parable. There are no highs in AMY, just lows.
I know we reviewers aren’t always right, and you may want to play AMY just for spite,
but playing this was a true bleak plight. It drove me crazy and it shows.
Seriously, just this once, trust the reviewers- this game blows.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ It doesn’t look terrible.

+ Flashback was an awesome game.

+ There are some decent ideas buried under all of the things that don’t work. A sequel would probably end up being okay if they hear the near universal criticism and adjust accordingly.

+ It is still way better than Rogue Warrior.

- Just one enormous escort mission/fetch quest. Should have made it timed just to get the unholy trifecta. Even then, it could have worked if it wasn’t so technically broken. At least you could stuff Ashley in a trashcan.

- Checkpoints are as rare as unicorns and as reliable as vertically oriented economic systems. AMY embodies the idea of fake difficulty

- I couldn’t find rhymes for “generally terrible voice acting.”

- Ten dollars more than I would pay for an unfinished beta.

- It gives Shaq Fu a run for the money as Paul Cuisset’s most puzzling mistake.

1 (RIP) to 4 are varying degrees of a bad game. A 1 (RIP) being a game you would actually pay money to not play, and a 4 is something that just barely fails to be mediocre. Read more about our scoring system in detail here.

AMY was developed by VectorCel and published by Lexis Numérique. It was released on January 11th, 2012 on XBLA for 800 MSP and January 17th, 2012 on PSN for $10. I think that’s the same, I was never good at converting fake currency into real currency. Haha, I’m just kidding, all currency is fake! Death to capitalism! A copy of the game was actually purchased for the purpose of this review, seriously. I’m a starving artist and I bought this thing for you people. The game was played until chapter 5 and wasn’t completed because life is just too fucking short. And yes I know Ico doesn’t rhyme with psycho before you say anything, I’m banking on most of you not realizing that.

Twisted Metal Multiplayer Demo Rolls Out January 31

Todd Schlickbernd — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:42 +0000

Twisted Metal is rapidly approaching its Valentine’s Day (February 14th for those living under lonely rocks) release, whereupon all future inter-relationship disputes should be settled with vehicular destruction, manslaughter and otherwise twisting of metal.

If enthusiasts didn’t think the free downloadable version of Twisted Metal: Black was enough (I know I did), there’s now a multiplayer-only demo releasing for Twisted Metal on January 31st as confirmed by Sony’s Senior Social Media Specialist during a recent episode of the PlayStation Blogcast. No details appear to have been released regarding content, but it’s fair to assume that there will be vehicles, weapons, and clowns. And metal.

Source: PlayStation Blog

UKIE to Launch PC Download Chart

Sam Naylor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:30:43 +0000

The UK’s games trade body UKIE has announced that a beta version of its PC Download Chart will launch in February.

The chart comes thanks to both UKIE and “Disney Interactive Studios, Focus Multimedia, Get Games, Green Man Gaming, Mastertronic, NCsoft, Sega, Square-Enix, Ubisoft, Warner Bros and other top PC game publishers and digital distributors.” This is the first time a digital chart has been attempted.

After this PC chart is established the body will move on to PSN and Xbox Live charts.

Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE said:

Having this digital data alongside our UKIE Games Charts for boxed products will allow the games industry to lobby government even more effectively and allow our members to make informed and fact based commercial decisions.

It will certainly be interesting to see exactly how well digital downloads are doing. I rarely buy disc-based PC games, and I’m sure many other are like me- so I’m expecting big numbers. Let us know what you think below.

GTA III and GTA: Vice City Rated by ESRB as PS2 Classics

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:30:29 +0000

Good news for PlayStation gamers as it appears Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City will be on PSN as PS2 classics soon.

According to Siliconera, both games were re-rated by the ESRB for release on the PSN. Unfortunately the beloved GTA: San Andreas hasn’t been rated as of yet. Interestingly enough, SCEA is shown as the publisher, not Rockstar.

New Video Game Releases: Jan. 23 – Jan. 29

Garrett Hartman — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:30:59 +0000

Another release week without, yet again, a full physical release title. Though this week won’t be a complete dissapointment with a few key digital releases.

PS3 shooter fanatics should should be thrilled with a PS3 release of the PS2 shooter classic Killzone. Disappointingly, Killzone will not be getting the HD treatment, but it should make for a great pick-up for those who missed out on the PS2 classic.

The PSN finally gets ScaryGirl which can best be described as wondrous adventure into a distinctive and beautifully bizarre world.

The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff adds some sizzle to their home life! From stylish bedroom sets to spa-inspired bathroom furnishings to romantic new lingerie and hairstyles, your Sims will relax in comfort and style with this add-on available on the PC.

Play Oil Rush and engage in a global war for oil in the flooded post-apocalyptic world of Oil Rush, a real-time naval strategy game based on group control that combines strategic challenge of classic RTS with sheer fun of Tower Defense, all wrapped in state-of-an-art visuals. Oil Rush will be available for PC.

Pick of the Week: When Guerrilla games first released Killzone in 2004, it was created as a Halo killer. While it did not reach its lofty goal, it was still recognized for Amazing graphics and an intense gameplay experience. Being that I have never played the original, I will definitely pick-up this PSN re-release (although I’d be happier if it were in HD) – Killzone

Check out the full list of this week’s new releases below.

PlayStation 3

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations-Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack (DLC)
Killzone (PSN)
Scarygirl (PSN)

Xbox 360

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations-Mediterranean Traveler Map Pack (DLC)

Wii

NADA

Oil Rush
The Sims 3: Master Suite Stuff

3DS

NADA

Kids Learn 2Think: A+ Edition

PSP

Stick Man Rescue (PSN)

Trine 2 PS3 European Release Delayed Yet Again

Catherine Cai — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:28 +0000

European players looking forward to getting Trine 2 via PSN, ATLUS and Frozenbyte sends their apologies. Trine 2 for the PS3 will be delayed, again.

In their announcement, ATLUS and Frozenbyte didn’t give a reason for the delay nor an expected date for release. I can only assume that they’re continuing to have problems with Sony’s Quality Assurance process.

We regret to announce that the European release of Trine 2 for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will be delayed a short while longer.

We sincerely apologize for the frustration this ongoing delay has caused our European fans, as it is a frustration we (ATLUS and Frozenbyte) also share. We assure the community that everything within our influence is being done to release Trine 2 for PAL PS3 system users as soon as possible, and we humbly ask for our fans’ continued patience and understanding.

New Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD Screens Kickflip it Old School

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:15 +0000

Activision and Robomodo want to bring the Tony Hawk series back to its roots. No more gimmicky controls like with Tony Hawk: Ride, just solid tried and true gameplay with a standard controller. Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD will be the series’ first game on consoles that will be offered exclusively as a downloadable game.

The screens look solid and fun. Check them out below.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD launches sometime Summer 2012 on PSN and XBL.

UFC Undisputed 3 Demo Becomes Available Next Tuesday

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:30:25 +0000

THQ has confirmed that a demo for UFC Undisputed 3 will become available next Tuesday (Jan. 24th) on PSN and Xbox Live.

Which fighters will be available and additional demo details will not be revealed until Tuesday as THQ teased in a Tweet:

Demo details and fighters included will be announced/revealed the day it launches, let your speculation continue =)

UFC Undisputed 3 releases on February 14 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

via: Kotaku

Dead Island ‘Ryder White’ Story DLC Announced – Screens and Details

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:26:16 +0000

Deep Silver has announced new story DLC for Dead Island, which allows gamers to play out the story of Ryder White.

The DLC will focus on what Ryder had been doing in the events before and during the Dead Island campaign, and it shows his dual identities as a military man and a loving husband.

The content will bring with it several new hours of new content under a playable Ryder, as well as two new blueprints and weapons. It’s being billed as a single player campaign.

Ryder White DLC will be available on February 1 on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam.

RipTen Review: Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD (PSN)

Catherine Cai — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:12:59 +0000

I’ve never had any experience with the Oddworld series before Stranger’s Wrath except for a scant few minutes with Abe’s Oddysee, so hardcore Oddworld fans, bear with me. I’m not privy to all of the names of the different species in Oddworld and why they’re unique, nor do I know the relation of Stranger’s Wrath to the other games in the series except that it seems that the developers didn’t attempt to force an “odd” wordplay out of the title, although from what I can tell, it’s only related to the other titles simply because it’s set in the Oddworld universe.

Since Stranger’s Wrath is an HD port, I thought it was probably a good idea to take a look at the source material. No, I didn’t go on an adventure scouring retailers and the Internet looking for the original Stranger’s Wrath for Xbox.

Yeah, I cheated.

I bought Stranger’s Wrath as a part of the Oddbox off of Steam, which packages Abe’s Oddysee, Munch’s Oddysee, Abe’s Exoddus, and Stranger’s Wrath into a ridiculously cheap bundle.

Comparing the PC version of Stranger’s Wrath, which has yet to get the HD treatment (although it’s in the works), to the PSN version, the changes are obvious. Just Add Water has gone above and beyond the call for this HD release, although to be fair, when I hear HD remaster I usually expect little more than the game to be blown up to HD resolution and have its shaders updated. Just Add Water really put in the work to do Stranger’s Wrath justice. The game’s graphics have been touched up by sharpened textures and more saturated, vibrant colors, enough to make me croon that the game looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous. That’s quite an impressive feat, considering that Stranger’s Wrath is done in the style of a spaghetti western and most of the environment you trek across is desert. And since the game’s graphics are stylized, it’s hard to believe that the game was released in 2005.

Stranger’s Wrath is about Stranger, a gruff, bad-ass Clint Eastwood-esque bounty hunter who tracks down Oddworld criminals in order to fund an expensive and frequently referred to but mysterious surgery he urgently needs to have. The plot doesn’t get more complicated than this, except a few hitches and a bit of a twist towards the end that makes the purpose of the surgery clear.

Clint Eastwood as seen in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The plot moves on between sections of the game that are broken up by missions. Every few missions or so, there’d be a cutscene that would move the action of the game forward, which causes the game to feel monotonous at points where the action lulls. The game also tends to have difficulty spikes and combined with the lulls, I almost put the games down at some points since there’s little motivation to move on without any of the plot driving the game forward and boss fights that are window-punchingly frustrating.

Besides a few plot hiccups, Stranger’s Wrath is solid. It’s gameplay mechanics feature a seamless blend between first person and third person, which is so well done that it makes Stranger’s Wrath shine. The game is primarily played in third person for the platforming and melee elements, although after the first half an hour, melee combat becomes less effective since all of your enemies wise up and start carrying guns. Then, the first person shooter elements start becoming more useful. Stranger uses a collection of small cute animals and bugs as ammo for his crossbow, each with different status effects ranging from electrocution to blunt force trauma, to bring down his enemies.

The reticule in first person is sluggish and reloading often takes four or five seconds longer than it should. Since Stranger’s Wrath isn’t a twitch shooter, this doesn’t pose much of a problem, except when you’re embroiled in boss fights involving multiple enemies. The game usually encounters the aforementioned difficulty spikes here, as Stranger doesn’t really have an effective way of dealing with multiple enemies at once except to uselessly flail at them in melee combat.

Just Add Water’s remaster of Stranger’s Wrath is probably one of the best on the PSN, and probably should stand as some sort of model for other companies who look to re-release their games. The game’s been given a nice fresh coat of paint that makes it look new and worth every penny.

Here’s the Rundown:

+ Stranger is Clint Eastwood in animated form

+ Switching between first and third person is almost seamless

+ The game’s atmosphere brings me back to my days when I was but a wee lass

- Fighting multiple enemies sucks

- Difficulty spikes makes me want to stick my tongue in a hot oven

- This isn’t on Xbox Live yet (stupid Microsoft size restrictions)

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was originally developed by Oddworld Inhabitants and Just Add Water, and published by Just Add Water. Its HD remaster was released on PSN on December 27, 2011. A copy of the game was graciously provided by the publisher. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath was played lovingly to completion in about 12 hours.

Sony is Porting Killzone to the PSN. Sorry, No HD

Catherine Cai — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:34 +0000

For those of you who have never experienced the original Killzone, Guerilla Games and Sony games is giving you another chance by porting it to the PSN. Do note that this isn’t a HD remaster or a remake, just a straight port, so you’ll be stuck with the same old standard-def PS2 graphics.

The port is slated for a January 24th release, to be priced at $9.99 for US players. Sorry, European gamers. You’re going to have to wait until Guerilla or Sony confirms that it’ll also be available in Europe.

[Via Eurogamer]

New Video Game Releases: Jan. 9 – Jan.15

Garrett Hartman — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:55:09 +0000

Now that we’re past the holiday season, we can start to look for an increase in both the quantity and quality of new releases. While the end of January no doubt holds promise, we are unfortunately saddled with a mediocre release week.

Arguably the biggest mutliplat release this week is Choplifter HD. An update of the successful 80′s Sega arcade and Master System hit. Choplifter HD distinguishes itself from other games in the genre as the focus is more directed at rescuing. Choplifter HD will be available on XBL, PSN, and PC.

Another title to look for is Amy, an innovative survival horror title from the original creator of the 90′s classic Flashback. Amy takes place in an apocalyptic future populated by zombies, demons and other unsavory types. The cooperative gameplay featured in Amy is a deep and unique system that requires players to strategize in order to protect Amy and keep both characters alive. Amy releases this week on both PSN and XBL.

Pick of the Week: The original Choplifter serves as one of those 80′s arcade classics that is still playable today and this HD modern update looks to be both entertaining and addicting. Meanwhile, Amy has more than a few features that make it unique and a pedigree you can’t deny – Amy

Check out the full list of this week’s releases below:

PlayStation 3

Amy (PSN)
Choplifter HD (PSN)
Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat
National Geographic Challenge!

Xbox 360

Amy (XBLA)
Choplifter HD (XBLA)
Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat

Wii

Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Case of the Crumbling Cathedral (WiiWare)

Choplifter HD

3DS

Crush 3D
My Pet Puppy 3D

What’s Your Type?

PSP

NADA

EA Sports NFL Blitz is Ready to Roll with Ray Rice Running for the Ravens from Rutgers!

Chad Lakkis — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:44:41 +0000

I can still remember the arcade release of NFL Blitz in 1997. My serious arcade playing days ended a year or two after the release of NBA Jam in the early 90s, but NFL Blitz still coerced a few quarters from my pocket from time to time.

The HD remake video looks sick, and despite having a player from a team I despise on the cover, I may just find myself dipping into my pocket once again to play this bad-boy. You can get a hold of it on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 points and PlayStation Network for $14.99. Video and press release below.

EA SPORTS NFL BLITZ NOW AVAILABLE
HD Version of the Arcade Classic Hits

PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade for Only $14.99

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – January 4, 2012 – Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: EA) announced today that the all-new HD version of NFL Blitz™ from EA SPORTS™ is now available via digital download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for 1200 points and PLAYSTATION®Network for $14.99. A remarkable value, NFL Blitz features the arcade-style gameplay that made the original game a hit, but takes the experience to a whole new level with immersive online* game modes in high-definition.

The recharged NFL Blitz offers fans the opportunity to battle rivals 7-on-7, fight their way through the Blitz Gauntlet, take over the online leaderboards in Blitz Battles, or create a true dream team by collecting player cards in Elite League. Featuring the twitch gameplay and ultra-responsive controls of the original game, combined with all-new single-player and cooperative game modes, NFL Blitz hits the virtual gridiron with blazing 60fps/60Hz gameplay. Challenging to master, yet easy to pick up and play, NFL Blitz is reborn as the ultimate arcade football experience for a new generation.

“We look forward to introducing the over-the-top football action that made NFL Blitz a classic arcade hit to a new generation of gamers,” says Cam Weber, General Manager of American Football for EA SPORTS. “And we are excited to deliver to fans of the original game, the new NFL Blitz complete with online features and in high definition for the first time.”

Fittingly, with NFL Blitz entering into a new era, fans were given the opportunity to choose the NFL player who would become the first-ever digital cover athlete for an EA SPORTS game. Fans exercised their right to vote for the NFL Blitz cover during the 2011 Spike “Video Game Awards”, choosing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice over fellow Pro Bowlers Roddy White and Patrick Willis. NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice announced the news, revealing Ray Rice as the fan-voted winner at the end of the award show.

First released as an arcade game in 1997, NFL Blitz quickly became one of the most memorable football titles in video game history. In 1998, the first console version became available for the Nintendo 64™ and PlayStation® computer entertainment system, with several console editions released between 1998 and 2003. The new NFL Blitz by EA SPORTS is the first version of the game to carry the NFL license since 2003 and is the only version to be released for HD consoles to date.

NFL Blitz is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. NFL Blitz has been rated “E10+” by the ESRB. For exclusive NFL Blitz news and assets please visit: http://www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNFLBlitz. Be a part of the discussion on Twitter® by using #NFLBlitzisBack.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers experiences that ignite the emotions of sport through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA basketball, NCAA® Football, Fight Night boxing, EA SPORTS MMA and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, and EA SPORTS Active.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

* Internet connection and EA/Origin account required.

Anonymous Ready to Trash Sony Again… This Time Over SOPA

Catherine Cai — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:23:46 +0000

If you don’t remember Anonymous, they were the same hacker group who allegedly brought down the PSN back in April of this year.

This time though, Anonymous is going after Sony because of the company’s support for SOPA, the new act in Congress regarding Internet piracy. If you’re not sure what SOPA is, you can read a decent summary of it here. But I can give you a very quick tl;dr. It’s your parents… trying to regulate the Internet. Now I know there are tech savvy adults out there, but there’s also the adults out there who can’t make head or tails of how email works. Realize that a large majority of Congress is made up of people older than your parents who are trying to regulate piracy without an actual working knowledge of how piracy works. Yeah, that’s scary. In the end, if SOPA is passed, YouTube videos showing gameplay can cause you to be persecuted for piracy.

Why do companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft support it then? Because, in short. They’re businesses. Any excuse to stop piracy is a good thing for them. And the videogame industry is not unfamiliar to piracy.

So, Anonymous is now threatening to bring down Sony’s network, yet again. Well, they’ve done it before. They probably can do it again, despite the new security measures that Sony has probably put in. My only question now is why Anonymous is only targeting Sony. Why not Nintendo and Microsoft?

RipTen Review: Trine 2 (XBLA)

Chris Carlson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:00:27 +0000

Trine 2 combines a beautiful, artistic and vibrant world with platforming, puzzles and action / RPG elements to create one of the most visually stunning and entertaining downloadable titles of 2011. These puzzles aren’t solved alone however. Having the ability to simultaneously switch between three distinct characters makes Trine 2 one brain-twisting experience.

Throughout the game you’ll be using each of your three characters abilities to solve countless puzzles: Amadeus who is a wizard which can conjure boxes and platforms and has the ability to levitate multiple objects; Zoya is a thief who wields a grappling hook and a bow, and Pontiusis a fearless (fat) knight with a sword and shield (and hammer)

As you venture through the game you’ll have the ability to level up each of the three characters further increasing their skills. While these do make puzzle solving easier, leveling up isn’t necessary if you’re looking for a real challenge. Trine 2 also offers many different ways to play. If you want to try solving each puzzle by using just Zoya for instance, you’re more than welcomed to do so. If things get to tough however, you can always switch to another character to help complete the current section.

Aside from puzzle solving, Trine 2 also offers a bit of combat. It’s not the strongest aspect of the game as it’s rather basic. Most of the enemies die in a few simple hits and aren’t very challenging, But when trying to solve platforming puzzles at the same time, it certainly makes things a bit more difficult.

However the challenge is actually where I found issues with Trine 2. As challenging as it can be sometimes, the checkpoint system used in the game completely ruins it. Instead of reloading to a checkpoint and having to re-complete what you’ve done, the game just “warps” you to the area. This can be done at any time by accessing the pause menu. So, you never really have the fear of dying because you’ll never lose any progress. While the puzzles aren’t easy, this system almost makes the game too easy.

This tends to make mini-boss like enemies insanely easy as you can simply spam the checkpoint system and repeat the same attacks without the worry of the enemies health returning back to full. It’s not a deal breaking, but it’s certainly an easy way out for gamers who can’t overcome the challenge.

As I mentioned before, Trine 2 is a simply beautiful. The colors are perfect, bloom is used just right, the environments feel like-like. Overall it’s just one of the most beautiful downloadable titles I’ve seen in a long time. Even though some of the environments can be repeated, you’ll never get bored of seeing the same beautiful scenery.

The animations on the other hand are rather dull and don’t offer much variety, but the simple fact that you’ll have multiple ways to tackle each puzzle makes up for it. I would often find myself in the middle of solving a puzzle, just to realize I could have done it a completely different way. This is what makes Trine 2 so excellent. On your second playthrough, you can challenge yourself by completing different puzzles in multiple ways to further increase the replay value.

If that’s not you’re type of thing, co-op is also offered. Up to three players can take on the entire single player campaign playing freely as any character their heart desires. Unfortunately, the downside to co-op is that nothing will be changed. If you’ve already beaten the game by yourself, you’ll be doing the exact same puzzles over, but with a friend instead.

This is rather disappointing as a separate co-op experience with its own unique puzzles would have made a great time with friends. I’d rather be able to only complete certain puzzles and levels with friends, that way going in I would have no idea what to expect. Maybe in Trine 3? Or Trine… Trine?

Overall, Trine 2 is simply a fantastic experience that any gamer who is a fan of puzzle platforming games should at the very least, try out. You just simply can’t go wrong with a beautiful downloadable title such as this that offers so much and takes a different approach at puzzle solving.

Not only that, but if you have a friend to jump in from the get-go, you’ll have one hell of a weekend. Bottom line is, if you’re looking to get your brain twisted for the holidays, Trine 2 is the game you’re looking for. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s The Rundown:

+ Beautiful. Simply beautiful

+ Great physics and puzzle solving

+ Fantastic use of characters and abilites

+ Multiple ways to solve the same puzzles

+ Co-op

- Co-op, due to the lack of separate levels

- Some puzzles are overused a bit too much

- The current checkpoint system ruins much of the challenge

9 and 9.5 represent the pinnacle of the genre, a game that defines what that genre should be about. These scores are for games that you not only feel would be worth your purchase, but you would actually try to convince your friends to buy them as well.

Trine 2 was developed by Frozenbyte, and published by Atlus. It will be released on XBLA and PSN on December 21st, 2011. A review copy was provided by Atlus for the purpose of this review. Trine 2 was played until completion taking around 6 hours to finish. It’s so pretty!

Gotham City Impostors Is Not Your Average FPS (Hands On)

Chris Carlson — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:00:06 +0000

The last thing that comes to your mind when thinking of Batman and The Joker is a FPS. So, Gotham City Impostors is a very interesting game to say the least. At first sight, Gotham City Impostors may looks like just another FPS, but rest assured, it’s far more than that. In fact, I was quite surprised at just how damn fun this game really was. Best part of it all, it’s an XBLA/PSN title and it packs some serious punch.

What sets Gotham City Impostors apart from every other FPS in the over crowded market, is how much variety and customization is offered. No matter how you choose to play a FPS, there’s something here for you. So let me break down just how much customization is packed into this massive downloadable title, which is known as your “Secret Identity”.

First off is editing your loadouts. You have your standard primary weapon, back up weapon, support item and what every super hero can’t do without; a gadget. You’re primary and back up weapons include; assault rifles, submachine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, etc. You also get a mod for each one.

The Dawn Patrol assault rifle for example has a wide selection of mods such as a silencer, red dot sight, extended mags, or even a body odor sniffer that reveals the positions of nearby enemies as wavy yellow “stink clouds”. Last but not least is your camo. FPS these days can’t have an awesome arsenal and no camo, that’s just crazy talk!

The support items and gadgets are what really make Gotham City Impostors stand out. Your support items would be your grenades or flashbangs in other games. In Gotham City, shit gets real. Who needs grenades when you can use bear traps, shurikens, or even a boomerang that can target multiple enemies and stun them all within a matter of a seconds.

The gadgets on the other hand, are where the real fun comes into play. Not only are these reusable, there’s also objects within the maps that benefit some gadgets. Equip a pair of roller skates to move quicker and you can jump off ramps sending you soaring through the air. If you’re more of a flying type of guy, just equip a glider rig and you’ll be flying like Batman in no time.

This isn’t useful on the ground, but it can be if you’re in the right place at the right time. Vents will blow air up sending you into the sky if you have the glider equiped. From here, you can perform “Dive Bombs” on unsuspecting enemies. Yeah, it’s bad ass.

If you’re like me though, you’ll enjoy the grapple gun which can hook on to virtually anything pulling you straight in. Feeling lazy and don’t want to walk to the other side of the map? No problem. Pull out your grapple gun, aim, fire, and before you know it, you’re behind the enemy.

All of these mentioned above can be selected in your loadout giving you whatever experience you choose to have. There are pre-sets for starting out, but once you level up you’re free to use what ever you like, when you like. It doesn’t stop there either. Even though this is an FPS, you can even customize your character. Based on your performance in game, you’ll earn “Costume Coins”. These can be used to purchase new: hats, logos, capes, shirts, pants, shoes, etc.

There’s also clan support which is called “Gangs” in-game, and two other customization options set as “Classified”. So prepare on spending quite some time perfecting your hero. While all this is great, it’s the gameplay that really matters right? Rest assured because Gotham City Impostors is a fucking blast. The beta currently supports two maps and two game modes. Psych Warfare is where you grab a battery and plug it in to demoralize your enemies with propaganda. Unfortunately, due to the lack of participants currently in the beta, I was unable to ever find a match in this game mode.

Fumigation is the other game mode which is essentially Domination from Call of Duty, except better. There’s three control points placed on the map in which you capture and defend. However, you’re not working to a set score. You’re working towards 100%. What this means is, you could be at 99% and the other team could start dominating you bringing you down to 10%. What’s great is if you start picking up your slack, you always have a chance to come back and win without worrying about the team having a higher “score” than you.

At the same time, this can be really bad for newcomers. I’ve been in games that lasted just a few minutes because my team was unable to overpower the enemy resulting in a very quick and unpleasant match. When you have two good teams and all these different weapons and gadgets being used at once, it creates a really chaotic, yet satisfying experience.

The controls are easy to pick up and jump straight into you, if you played just about any other arcade style FPS, you’ll feel right at home. The only real problem I’ve encountered with Gotham City Impostors is lag spikes. They don’t necessarily happen every few seconds, but they do happen often enough to make it somewhat annoying. I’ve also had a few instances where the countdown would reach 1 second, but the game would never start. Thankfully, this is a beta! So hopefully these minor issues will be ironed out before release.

From the mass amount of customization and variety, to the easy pick up and play controls, Gotham City Impostors brings one hell of a great time. I’m not going to lie, when I saw the trailers for the game, I thought it was going to be really lame. However, after playing multiple hours with my friends, this is definitely a game I’m going to be picking up once it’s released in January. Oh, and did I mention this was an arcade title? Yes, yes I did. But I feel as if I should remind you seeing how this could easily pass as a full downloadable title with a similar pricing model to games such as Resident Evil 4 HD.

Definitely keep your eyes on Gotham, my friends.

RipTen Videogame Blog » PSN

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EA Sports NFL Blitz is Ready to Roll with Ray Rice Running for the Ravens﻿ from Rutgers!

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RipTen Review: Trine 2 (XBLA)

Gotham City Impostors Is Not Your Average FPS (Hands On)

EA Sports NFL Blitz is Ready to Roll with Ray Rice Running for the Ravens from Rutgers!