 | Android-powered microconsole Gamestick launching October 29 Sep 12th 2013, 16:01 PlayJam's 2-inch $80 console releasing next month across the world at retailers like GameStop and Amazon. 
PlayJam's $80 microconsole Gamestick will launch at retailers across the world on October 29, the developer announced today. The Gamestick is a Kickstarter success story and has moved from paper to production in nine months. The USB-enabled console was originally targeted to launch in June, but was pushed back to meet "stringent QA targets." Those who backed the Gamestick's Kickstarter campaign will receive their units ahead of the October 29 launch. These units will ship at the end of the month before the global rollout in October. Powered by Android, the Gamestick features an ARM Cortex A9 CPU and a Mali 400 GPU, as well as 8B of onboard storage and a Micro SD slot. The system also features built-in Wi-Fi, 1080p playback, Bluetooth 4.0, and "full parental control" with content filters. Included with every $80 package are one Gamestick console, one Bluetooth control, a power adapter, and all other cables needed to get the system running. The console is available to preorder today through Amazon and GameStop, among others. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Harry Potter spinoff films will get game adaptations Sep 12th 2013, 15:32 Just-announced movies based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be spun into video games from Warner Bros. 
Warner Bros. today announced (via Deadline) a new series of Harry Potter spin-off films based on the Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them written by fictional author Newt Scamander, and said these properties will be developed into games as well. J.K. Rowling will make her screenwriting debut for the Fantastic Beasts films. The story will be original and set in the wizarding world, though it is not a sequel nor a prequel to the Harry Potter universe, but rather an extension of the fiction. Fantastic Beasts will start in New York, 70 years before Harry Potter's story begins. Video games based on the popular Harry Potter films were developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is unclear if Warner Bros. will develop the new Fantastic Beasts games internally through its Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment label or license them out. No release date for the theatrical release of the first Fantastic Beasts movie was announced, nor were details regarding platforms for the tie-in games. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a required textbook for Hogwarts students. J.K. Rowling released a real-world version of the book in 2001 to support the Comic Relief charity. The most recent Harry Potter game was 2012's Kinect-required Harry Potter for Kinect. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Imagine Dragons debuting new song through Infinity Blade III Sep 12th 2013, 15:10 Rock band's new song "Monster" will see worldwide debut in Chair Entertainment's new iOS game out next week. 
Rock band Imagine Dragons will debut their new song "Monster" in Chair Entertainment's upcoming iOS game Infinity Blade III, which launches on September 18, the developer announced today. The song is available for preorder today on iTunes. "Monster" is a result of a collaboration between Chair Entertainment and Imagine Dragons and can be heard in Infinity Blade III during a "crucial" battle. In addition, players who click on the album cover appearing in-game will earn the exclusive "Imagine Dragon Axe," which will trigger the song to be played anytime it is used. "Chair has always been on the cutting edge of mobile gaming. Infinity Blade has been massive and we felt the song fit perfectly with the tone and visuals," Imagine Dragons said in a statement. "We're pretty big gamers ourselves, so we couldn't be more excited." Chair Entertainment co-founder and creative director Donald Mustard told GameSpot that the developer has long been a fan of the band, and working with them on the song was "one of the most surreal experiences of my life." Infinity Blade not only features a song from Imagine Dragons, but its opening animated short was directed by Ben Hibon, who co-directed the acclaimed The Tale of Three Brothers sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. The short is called Infinity Blade: Origins and will also feature the voice work of Lord of the Rings actor John Noble. The opening sequence will serve as a means to catch players up on the Infinity Blade story leading up to Infinity Blade III. Infinity Blade III is "truly a next-gen gaming experience," according to Mustard. The game makes use of the iPhone 5S' new 64-bit A7 processor to achieve character resolution four times that of a character from a console game, according to Chair. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's interview with Mustard. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Dishonored Game of the Year Edition revealed Sep 12th 2013, 15:03 New bundle launching October 8 for $40 includes Knife of Dunwall, Brigmore Witches, Dunwall City Trials, and Void Walker's Arsenal DLC. 
Bethesda today announced a Dishonored Game of the Year Edition, due out October 8 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC for $40. In addition to the main game, the Game of the Year Edition includes previously released downloadable content, including The Knife of Dunwall, The Brigmore Witches, Dunwall City Trials, and Void Walker's Arsenal. A double-sided poster is also included with the bundle. The Dishonored Game of the Year Edition was first revealed last month through a listing on the Australian Classification Board. Dishonored launched in October 2012, with Bethesda saying a month later that sales were "far exceeding" expectations, making future games in the franchise likely. A sequel is reportedly in development at Arkane Studios' office in Lyon, France. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | LOTRO: Helm's Deep expansion out November 18 Sep 12th 2013, 14:18 Fifth expansion for aging MMO releasing this fall; Base and Premium versions available for pre-purchase beginning today. 
The fifth expansion for the free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game Lord of the Rings Online--Helm's Deep--will launch on November 18, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced today. The expansion is now available for prepurchase through the $60 Premium Edition and $40 Base Edition. The Base Edition includes all Helm's Deep content, as well as the Hauberk of the Hammerhead chest piece, the title of Helm's Enforcer, and 1,000 Turbine points. The Premium Edition packs in the Armor of Hammerhand armor, an additional 10 quest log slots, the Crystal of Remembrance (adds one additional legacy to legendary weapons), the titles Helm's Enforcer and Helm's Avenger, and 2,000 Turbine points. In addition, all Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep prepurchases will receive the Shield of Hammerhand (+25 percent experience) and the Steed of the Hammerhand, an exclusive Rohirrim mount with matching War-Steed appearance. These bonuses can be used immediately in the game. The Lord of the Rings Online: Helm's Deep expansion, as its name suggests, brings players to the Battle for Helm's Deep. Players can enlist as a soldier in the Battle of the Hornburg as early as level 10 and earn rewards--win or lose. The expansion also introduces new landscapes across the Western Rohan lands, including the Westemnet of Rohan, Edoras, Dunharrow, and the Hornburg within Helm's Deep. The Helm's Deep expansion also increases the level cap from 85 to 95 and introduces new skills and updated class specializations. In the content, players will encounter Aragorn, Eowyn, and Eomer as they help restore King Theoden to his throne. For more on the expansion, check out GameSpot's preview of the content. Helm's Deep is the fifth expansion for Lord of the Rings Online. It follows Mines of Moria (2008), Siege of Mirkwood (2009), Rise of Isengard (2011), and Riders of Rohan (2012). The game adopted a free-to-play business model in 2010, which resulted in monthly revenue jumping three times over. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Xbox One playable at Microsoft stores this month Sep 12th 2013, 13:33 Road to Launch tour starts in New England next week with fans able to go hands-on with next-gen console at Microsoft stores. 
The Xbox One doesn't launch until late November, but gamers can go hands-on with the next-generation console beginning next week at Microsoft Stores in New England. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has announced the Xbox One Tour: Road to Launch event, which begins in New England and will feature stops across the United States and into Canada. The tour kicks off at the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Burlington, Vermont, on September 19 from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Killer Instinct and Forza Motorsport 5 will be playable at the event. In addition, those who attend will receive $25 off a $75 purchase, though this excludes Surface and Surface accessories and Xbox One and Xbox One accessories. The next day on September 20, the Xbox One Tour stops in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Shops at Prudential Center from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Other stops include Microsoft Stores in Orlando, Florida; Edmonton, Canada; and Scottsdale, Arizona. All events are free and open to the public. Microsoft said it expects "large crowds." The Xbox One launches in 13 regions on November 22. The platform's launch lineup, described by Microsoft as the best in the history of a console release, features 23 games. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Princess Peach confirmed for new Smash Bros. Sep 12th 2013, 13:22 Nintendo reveals latest playable character to join roster for upcoming Wii U and 3DS fighting game. 
Iconic Nintendo character Princess Peach is the latest confirmed playable character for the upcoming and untitled Super Smash Bros. game for the Wii U and 3DS. The news comes from the official Super Smash Bros. website, where game director Masahiro Sakurai posted a closely cropped photo of Princess Peach. Princess Peach joins previously confirmed series mainstays like Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, Link, and Samus, as well as newcomers Mega-Man, Wii Fit Trainer, and Villager. Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS are expected to launch in 2014. There will be no cross-platform play between the two. For more on the new Smash Bros. game, check out GameSpot's interview with Sakurai. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Sony working to make sure PlayStation 4 won't sell out at launch, says CEO Sep 12th 2013, 12:47 Jack Tretton says PS4 production yields have been "phenomenal," and that the company is working to ensure stock will be available at launch. 
Sony's American CEO Jack Tretton has said that the company is holding back stock of the PlayStation 4 so machines will be available in stores on launch day. When asked by Fox Business about how many current preorders Sony had for the PlayStation 4, Tretton said that "it's everything we can manufacture. We want to make sure that consumers have an opportunity to buy one on November 15, and through the holidays, so we're holding back some inventory to make sure that people will have an opportunity to buy one." "We can pre-sell every unit we can manufacture," added Tretton, before saying that "production yields have been phenomenal, so this will be, by a magnitude of a lot, the biggest launch we've ever had." When pressed to give a number, Tretton said that Sony was unlikely to publicly release an updated figure--Sony announced that the PlayStation 4 had been preordered by a million customers at Gamescom 2013--but said that "there's so much pent-up demand for it that you could sell every one that you could create." Praising the new hardware, Tretton said that Sony was at "an all-time high right now" and that the PlayStation 4 "is the crown jewel in what has been a tremendous road for us since the debut of the original PlayStation here back in September of '95." Elsewhere in the interview, Tretton said that the PlayStation 4's advantages over Microsoft's Xbox One was the game lineup and $100 cheaper price. The PlayStation 4 will launch on November 15 in North America and on November 29 in Europe. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Microsoft acquires "Xbone" domain Sep 12th 2013, 12:37 Xbox One developer buys domain name after Major Nelson says it "disrespects" employees who are working on the platform. 
Microsoft has acquired the domain name for Xbone.com during the same week that director of Xbox Live programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb said the nickname "disrespects" developers. As spotted by Fusible, WHOIS records show that Microsoft Corporation is the new owner of Xbone.com. It is not clear who the original owner of the domain name was, though the name was first registered in March 2000. Writing on NeoGAF this week, Major Nelson said of the Xbone nickname, "I don't like it…it disrespects the teams that have put thousands of hours (already) into the development of the product. Sure, it's cheeky, but I don't care for it myself." Xbone.com currently redirects to a Bing search for "Xbone." The official Xbox UK Twitter account last week sent a tweet to rapper Snoop Dogg that read, "Here's dat xbone you been waitin' fo… #respec." The tweet was accompanied by an image of a dog bone with the word "Xbone" on it. The Xbox One launches on November 22 in North America and 12 others regions across the world. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Blitz Games Studios closing down Sep 12th 2013, 12:12 United Kingdom-based TV and movie game developer behind Epic Mickey 2 shutting doors after 23 years in business; 175 people to be let go. 
Blitz Games Studios--the United Kingdom-based developer behind numerous games based on TV and movie franchises--is closing down after 23 years. Founded in 1990, Blitz Games Studios encompassed divisions including Blitz Games, Blitz Arcade, and Volatile Games. Blitz Games Studios collaborated with Junction Point Studios on Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two and ported the game to the PlayStation Vita. In a statement today, Blitz Games Studios said it has ceased trading and that 175 developers had been let go. Of note, 50 of those 175 people will form a new studio to work on two of the developer's financially self-sustaining projects. More details will be released shortly. "We have managed to weather numerous storms over the last two decades that have sadly seen the demise of many of our friends and colleagues across the industry, but the run of problems we've had to face over the last year is unlike any we've seen before," Blitz Games Studios cofounder and CEO Philip Oliver said. "Frustrations with clients, the global economic crisis, and more than our fair share of simple bad luck have all conspired against us and we are no longer able to continue trading." Oliver said Blitz Games Studios management has "done all that we can do" to keep the company solvent, including coming "frustrating close" to having "major clients" sign on to commit investment for "significant" projects. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Valve to offer Steam deals to IGF 2014 Main Competition finalists Sep 12th 2013, 07:35 Main Competition finalists at the 2014 Independent Games Festival to be offered Steam distribution deal from Valve. 
Independent Games Festival organisers have announced a renewed partnership with Valve for next year's IGF event. As reported on Gamasutra, Main Competition finalists at the 2014 IGF will be granted the opportunity to accept a distribution agreement for Valve's digital platform Steam. Main Competition finalists in jury-voted categories, including Excellence in Design, Excellence in Art, Excellence in Narrative, Excellence in Audio, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize will be eligible to receive Valve's offer. Past IGF finalists and winners include Braid, World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Minecraft, and Fez. This year's Independent Games Festival was subject to multiple changes, including the removal of the Technical Excellence category. This is not the first time that Valve has worked with the Independent Games Festival. The 2013 IGF finalists were also offered a distribution deal with the company. The 2014 Independent Games Festival will take place on March 19 next year in San Francisco, California, as part of the annual Game Developers Conference. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Locodoco forms South Korean team with Quantic Gaming to aim for North American LCS Sep 12th 2013, 05:49 Newly-formed South-Korean League of Legends team sets its sights on the North American League of Legends Championship Series. 
Korean League of Legends player Yoonsup "Locodoco" Choi, formerly of Counter Logic Gaming and Najin White Shield, has formed a new team comprised entirely of South Korean players, including Gun-woong "Woong" Jang previously of CJ Entus Frost. Under a new year-long contract with Quantic Gaming, the team has moved into the Quantic Gaming house located in Los Angeles and will attempt to qualify for the North American League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) later this year. Quantic…s lineup will consist of:
… Yoonsup "Locodoco" Choi - AD Carry
… Gun-woong "Woong" Jang - Top
… Gun-Hee "Gunza" Jung - Support
… Du Sik "Prime" Yun - Jungle
… Cheol Woo "Apple" Jeong - Mid
The team arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Speaking to GameSpot, Quantic Gaming owner Simon Boudreault revealed that they had been practicing together "for a while" in the Maximum Impact Gaming (MiG) house located in Korea. "We believe the team will be a major game changer to the North-American Challenger & LCS scene." Boudreault said. Commenting on the eligibility of Quantic…s Korean team qualifying for the North American LCS, Riot Games eSports Manager Nick Allen cited the three conditions each LCS player must meet. In addition to being at least 17 years of age, the player …must submit proof that, at the time of any LCS-affiliated match, he/she will be (a) legal resident of a country in their region, and (b) work-eligible in the United States…. Players cannot be an employee of Riot Games. Elaborating on Riot…s attitude towards international players or teams competing in the LCS, Allen added, "We…ve already seen some movement between the Leagues. Look at Curse…s Edward. Our League rules permit this sort of movement." The planning for the team took three months according to Locodoco, who chose the rest of the roster alongside Gun-woong Jang with those months consisting of "a month to find the right players and two months of scrimming with them and living as a team in Korea." When asked if he had any message he wanted to share with his fans in the west, Locodoco said, "Results first, trash talk after." Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
| | Diablo III: Storm of Light coming 2014 Sep 12th 2013, 02:24 Blizzard novel bridges gap between Diablo III and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion. 
Blizzard has announced release details of Diablo III: Storm of Light, the next novel in the Diablo series. The novel addresses events that take place between the end of Diablo III and its upcoming expansion, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. Characters Jacob and Shanar from the Diablo: Sword of Justice comic series serve as protagonists in the Storm of Light novel. Diablo III: Storm of Light will be out in 2014. Additional details, including where to preorder the novel, are available on the Battle.net website. Diablo III launched on the PC and Mac last year. The game recently made its debut on console to positive reception. The expansion, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, was announced for the PC at this year's Gamescom. Blizzard has not revealed a release date for Reaper of Souls. Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
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