Citing increased real-life criminal activity originating in the online space, the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communication has placed a number of tight restrictions on massively multiplayer titles. These include bans on any and all advertisements for online games, as well as regulations forcing ISPs to shut off service to gaming cafes and retailers after hours.

More drastic is the Ministry's decision to stop allowing any additional online games to come into the nation until further legislation on the matter can be considered. Man, that's harsh! Why can't they follow China's example, and just regulate the content of these games instead of -- oh, wait. Vietnam is doing that as well. Awesome.

Vietnamese government implements restrictions on online games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After the surprisingly funny Sordahon's Journey videos, it's disappointing to see SouthPeak return to a more traditional style for its latest Two Worlds 2 trailer. Sure, you might actually learn something about the game -- the fact that it looks worlds better, for example -- but where's the fun in that?

Continue reading Video: Two Worlds 2 gets all serious

Video: Two Worlds 2 gets all serious originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casual giant Zynga is shutting down its Street Racing game on August 2, immediately rendering void all the in-game items players bought with real money. Zynga offered no explanation in the announcement, simply suggesting that players try other Zynga games. Naturally, people whose fake worlds have crashed around them are upset, starting a petition in Zynga's forum to stop the game from disappearing.

Zynga told Develop that it wouldn't be offering refunds on the money spent in-game, opting instead to give credits equivalent to the cost of any purchase made in the last 90 days, plus an extra 100 units of virtual currency, all usable in other Zynga games. Which is really going to satisfy the people planning to stop playing Zynga games when Street Racing goes away.

Zynga shutting down Street Racing game, offering credit for in-game purchases originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yeah, now that we think about it, Princess Zelda in Spirit Tracks wasn't exactly the most flattering portrayal of the titular heiress. In Ocarina of Time, she masqueraded around as this badass ninja, in Twilight Princess, she was a killer with a bow and arrow -- heck, in Wand of Gamelon, you actually get to play as Zelda. As Awkward Zombie points out in last week's Wrapup-winning comic "Off Track," all she can do in the series' second DS outing is follow a dotted line, often into a wall, obstacle or slavering jaws of a hideous beast.

Second and third place went to Digital Unrest's "Incognito" and Penny Arcade's "Planting a Flag," respectively. If you've got a strip you'd like to see in tomorrow's Wrapup, make sure you drop a link in the comments, or send in a tip!

Readers pick best webcomic: Off Track originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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System 3 has announced yet another Ferrari-licensed racing game, Ferrari: The Race Experience, presumably a follow-up to last year's Ferrari Challenge Deluxe. Like System 3's previous efforts, this will be hitting both Wii and PlayStation 3. However, PS3 owners will only be able to find the game on the virtual shelves of the PlayStation Network. Why? System 3 explains that it's become too costly to deal with retail. "The vast amounts of money required in securing a decent in-store presence through co-operative marketing [makes it] easy to see why some games are doomed before they start. By going down a download only route, System 3 is quietly confident that it can service consumer demand directly and efficiently."

While many of System 3's future releases will be exclusive to download platforms, the company did admit that it can't give up on retail altogether. "Obviously we are not moving away fully from boxed product as we are committed to maximising our games across all formats and Wii games, for example, are still only released as physical product."

Ferrari: The Race Experience steers towards Wii and PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shake off that sense of deja vu. We're talking about a different Cabela's game here: Activision has just announced Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011, the next installment in its iterative series of hunt-em-down-and-shoot-em-ups. It's set to stalk retail shelves "late fall" and will be available on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS systems. Every version sans the DS installment will come packed with the Top Shot Elite controller, a wireless gun peripheral created by the same people at Activision who brought you the Guitar Hero controllers.

Activision is apparently putting a lot of production value into this latest Cabela's title, tapping Brad Santos, screenwriter and creative director, to pen the tale of Cole Rainsford, who has joined his estranged father in the African safari to hunt dangerous animals terrorizing local villages there. See, kids? Hunting is a noble pursuit.

Feel free to track some screens from the upcoming game (and the controller) in our gallery below. If you prefer your game a bit more lively, then head past the break for a teaser trailer.

Continue reading Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 is about more than just shooting animals

Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011 is about more than just shooting animals originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If we were to place a single bet on what we thought Square Enix's recently filed European trademark for "Gun Loco" would end up being, we'd almost certainly be proven wrong within a few months. Instead, we've got three hypotheses, which we've ranked below in order of likelihood. Now all our bases should totally be covered.

1. Gun Loco: A stylish, fast-paced shooting game. Features over-the-top gunplay and comedically bad voice acting.
2. Gun Loco: A psychological thriller about an evil scientist who invents a laser capable of driving ordinary people into irreversible fits of insanity.
3. Gun Loco: An FPS in which the hero locates a gun capable of shooting entire freight trains at enemies. (Please, please, Square Enix -- let it be this one.)

Square Enix registers European trademark for 'Gun Loco' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Star Wars: The Old Republic website reveals a new world for the MMO: the "smuggler's moon" of Nar Shaddaa, orbiting the Hutt homeworld. It's a huge city full of fugitives and other criminals, and is host to an ongoing war between the Hutt Cartel and the Exchange Syndicate -- you know, the kind of thing that a Jedi pays no attention to because he's too busy bringing down the government of the whole galaxy. It also kind of looks like something out of Phantasy Star Online.

Have you ever noticed how in science fiction, entire planets will just have one defining feature? Like in Star Wars: Hoth is an ice planet, Dagobah is 100% swamp, Coruscant is one enormous city, and this place is a different planetwide city. Based on all the planets we've lived on (pretty much the one), that doesn't seem like how it works. Of course, the Star Wars universe is the one with lightsabers and Wookiee best friends, so there's definitely value to its interpretation of civilization.

Visit scenic Nar Shaddaa in Star Wars: The Old Republic originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumors have been flying around about a subscription-based Call of Duty game for some time now -- Activision boss Bobby Kotick loves the idea, because he loves money, and the company's other subscription-based game, World of Warcraft, is quite the cash-printing machine. So why not go down that road?

Many still believe Activision will, including Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey. With the publisher's plans to break into China and Korea, Hickey told IndustryGamers he sees Call of Duty as the perfect platform for accomplishing that goal and strengthening ties with NetEase, the online powerhouse of the Chinese market. "We expect the Company [NetEase] could extend their relationship with Activision Blizzard, by establishing an additional license to operate Call of Duty Online in China and Blizzard's unannounced MMO, which will likely leverage their Battle.net platform," he said. "The eventuality of COD in China could bring an additional +$50 to +$100 million in sales and +$0.15 to +$0.30 in EPS in its first year of operation." EPS, to clarify, is short for "earnings per share."

Who knows what's in store for the future, but for now, rest assured: you won't ever have to fork over extra cash to play Modern Warfare 2 online.

Analyst: Call of Duty Online could make $100 million in its first year originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still waiting for your PC version of Battlefield 1943? Okay, first, we feel obliged to tell you that you should probably check out Battlefield: Bad Company 2. But second, you might want to know that EA is apparently issuing refunds for pre-orders of the title to folks who reserved the PC release. VG247 asked EA about said refunds, and was told, "All pre-orders can be canceled with refund at any time and we do not have any further information at this time about a release date for the PC version of Battlefield 1943." We asked an EA rep for clarification this afternoon and were told that pre-orders for any game can be refunded at any time -- furthermore, the rep specifically pointed out "Battlefield 1943 is not canceled, but we don't have any news about a release date at this time."

Last we heard, the game was on track for release sometime this year and the game's producer even assured us that the PC version was still in the cards as recently as last March. So, while unfulfilled PC fans eagerly awaiting the game's release may ask for their pre-order money back, it also appears that whatever interest EA earned on your money since last October when pre-orders opened will remain in the publisher's hands. How nice of them! Perhaps it'll be used to support the game with DLC? Yeah, we're not holding our breath either.

Battlefield 1943 for PC remains on track, still no release date originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How does one turn a hot dog into a chili dog? Open a bag of ice on the floor! Speaking of, It's been pretty hot lately (northern hemisphere bias!), but thankfully we haven't noticed it with the embarrassment of riches that's been the summer release schedule. Check out our reviews section if you're looking for the latest. What's everyone playing this weekend?

Continue reading WRUP: Stayin' cool edition

WRUP: Stayin' cool edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you impressed by the Kinect's powerful motion-sensing capabilities? Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet -- the guys from Mega64 somehow managed to reach through a fold in time and retrieve the fourth version of the device. Unless -- ah, yes, of course. It's a joke. Pretty sneaky, Mega64.

Continue reading Mega64 reveals the fourth iteration of Kinect hardware

Mega64 reveals the fourth iteration of Kinect hardware originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The official schedule has been announced for this year's QuakeCon, which is taking place August 12-15 in Dallas, Texas. In addition to the usual id gallery, none other than Jason West and Vince Zampella of the newly formed Respawn Entertainment will be in attendance.

The ousted Infinity Ward heads will sit on a panel the Friday morning of the conference called "Building Blockbusters," talking with Tim Willits and Tom Howard of id and Bethesda about how to make big games (like the "huge summer blockbuster" they're supposedly working on). Todd Alderman, also of Respawn, will sit on a panel the previous day speaking about "The World of Design" with a few other developers.

Elsewhere in the schedule, John Carmack and Richard Garriott will hold court on Thursday evening discussing rockets and space travel, and Friday and Saturday afternoons will bring preview panels for RAGE and Brink. Sounds like an excellent weekend of FPS gaming -- so if you're in Dallas (or plan to be there), the event is free and open to the public.

Respawn Entertainment, Richard Garriott to appear at QuakeCon 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Controversy is not new to games, but few tend to attract it as eagerly as the upcoming Splatterhouse remake. Following our E3 preview of the game, we were unsure if Namco Bandai's effort would be little more than fodder for your local news looking to stir up viewers. I chatted with producer Dan Tovar at Comic-Con last week to find out if there's more to Splatterhouse than blood, guts and a sensational headline.

"I was a huge fan of Splatterhouse since as far back as I could remember," Tovar told me. "Played the crap out of all three of the original games back in the '80s and '90s, and so when I came to Namco years ago, they were looking for concepts to get going in the next couple of years. I asked them, 'Are we going to be able to do old properties?' and they said yes. Splatterhouse was on the top of my list, so we just went to work trying to get a concept together, and it just snowballed from there."

Continue reading Splatterhouse producer talks blood, guts and paying homage

Splatterhouse producer talks blood, guts and paying homage originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All good things must come to an end, friends, but -- wait a second, is war really a good thing? We guess not. In that case -- hey, great news! The virtual streets of Kabul are about to become a great deal more peaceful, as the Medal of Honor beta is slated to come to an abrupt stop tomorrow on PS3 and PC, and August 9 on Xbox 360.

We know you're sad, but think about all the good you've done, figuring out all the things that were wrong with the game's online multiplayer component before it came out. Think about all the grief you saved your future self -- and, for that matter, our future self! We owe you a great debt of gratitude. Or rather, we will. In the future.

Medal of Honor beta ending tomorrow on PS3 and PC, August 9 on 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you want to play some Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 before it comes out later this year? If you're a hardcore enough Naruto fan, you'll want to navigate the Japanese PlayStation Store to find the demo (under New Releases). If your kanji isn't up to snuff, don't worry. PSN Stores has recorded a video of the demo that you can watch after the break.

Continue reading Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 demo now available on Japanese PSN

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 demo now available on Japanese PSN originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie has something special in store for Halo fans that have been with the series since the beginning -- on PC, at least. The developer has revealed on its official forums that those who purchased the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved and activated their CD key before May 26, 2010 will receive "a small visual flair" in Halo: Reach. (Flair, no matter how small, is very important to some people.)

Why that date? Bungie is going to pour over a list of keys activated (by joining a multiplayer game) before then in an effort to ensure that only valid ones -- i.e., those not produced using a key generator -- are rewarded. As for the reward, Bungie is assuring its community that it is "not armor or anything in the Armory," so no one is "missing out on something like Recon or Flames, it's just a little indication that people have been part of a certain Halo community for a while."

Given the cut-off date, the keys from any copies of the game that may be on shelves right now aren't eligible. Owners of the original Halo for the Xbox are out of luck, too, as Bungie says, "we have no way of telling if you've played the Xbox version." The exact nature of this especially exclusive tip of the hat to old-school franchise fans will be revealed on Bungie.net "a couple of weeks before Reach launches" on September 14.

Halo: Reach in-game 'flair' awaits some owners of Halo for PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the latest Insomniac Games newsletter, the company hints that it will be releasing news about a brand new title in the coming weeks, specifically for the PlayStation 3, ruling out its multi-platform project with EA. "Sometime between now and the Penny-Arcade Expo over Labor Day weekend," says the newsletter, the Burbank-based studio will pull the curtain off of the project. And during PAX 2010 there will be a panel in the Serpent Theater on September 4 at 6:30 p.m., moderated by G4's Adam Sessler, that will see Insomniac "discuss (and demo!) our upcoming PlayStation 3 project."

So we can all agree that it's Resistance 3, right?

Insomniac to announce new game before PAX, demo it there originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EA announced today that, in addition to some generally underwhelming digital goodies like early access to shotguns, the Medal of Honor Limited Edition will come with an invitation to the Battlefield 3 beta, being developed by MoH's multiplayer team at DICE. As for when to expect that beta to begin, an EA representative tells Joystiq that the company has "no further details" and that it'll start "within 12 month of Medal of Honor's release."

Check out our multiple previews on Medal of Honor to find out what your Tier 1 self is in for when the game begins its retail assault on October 12.

Medal of Honor LE tied up with Battlefield 3 beta invite originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To love the Virtual-On series -- like really love it -- is to have some fantastically deep pockets. Sega has announced (via Siliconera) that 4-on-4 robot battle fest Virtual-On Force will arrive in Japan on December 22. While a casual player might plunk down the standard ¥6,090 ($70) for the regular edition, the true fan would undoubtedly fork over ¥10,290 ($119) for the collector's edition. The Virtual-On Force "Memorial Box" comes packed with the game, a six-disc soundtrack and Virtual-On Chronicle 15, a booklet that explores the 15-year history behind the bot-blasting series.

Of course, to be that true fan, you would have already pre-ordered your $350 twin-stick controller from Hori. Hmm? You say you haven't ordered the collector's edition or the massive controller? And you call yourself a "fan."

Virtual-On Force dashes to Japan in December, collector's edition announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sucker Punch Productions' Comic-Con 2010 panel offered a fairly comprehensive look at the past, present and future of the inFamous franchise, discussing a variety of topics ranging from protagonist Cole McGrath's creative origins to the inspirations behind his new crimefighting venue, New Marais. Of course, the biggest revelation came at the end of the panel, when the development team was forced to address Cole's biggest oft-criticized weakness: his selective inability to climb chain link fences.

Will our hero be able to conquer these sinister, interwoven palisades in the upcoming sequel? Answers await in PlayStation.Blog's video wrapup of the panel, posted just after the jump.

Continue reading inFamous 2 Comic-Con panel acknowledges Cole's fear of fences

inFamous 2 Comic-Con panel acknowledges Cole's fear of fences originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can't be bothered to pony up the $15 entry fee for Limbo? Don't fret, miser -- just check out PSN user bra2008's take on the Summer of Arcade title in the PS3 platformer platform, LittleBigPlanet. As seen in the video below, the level does a nice job of capturing the aesthetic of its inspiration.

Continue reading LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy gets stuck in Limbo

LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy gets stuck in Limbo originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey, Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack, there's a new sheriff in town -- the "town" in this case being the set of "Collections of Three Laserdisc Games on Wii." Digital Leisure and publisher Destineer are partnering to release Dragon's Lair Trilogy on Wii this fall.

Despite the name, the "Trilogy" is only two-thirds Dragon's Lair: in addition to Dragon's Lair and Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp, the disc will include Space Ace. And for those of you who want to watch the remastered animation, but who firmly insist that these aren't video games, you can remove any vestige of interactivity and just enjoy the games in "Watch Mode."

The collection will retail for $30, which is relatively good news for this guy.

Dragon's Lair Trilogy for Wii: one step closer to porting Dragon's Lair to everything originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Valve has singlehandedly reinvigorated the Mac gaming world by making its Steam content delivery service compatible with the Mac. It has been steadily populating the service with Mac-friendly versions of its mega-popular games; however, apparently that isn't enough. Now Valve is going to help other developers make Mac games, by releasing elements of its graphics code.

Business development director Jason Holtman told GamesIndustry.biz that Valve will release some code to developers signed on with the company's Steamworks infrastructure, in order to expedite the development of Mac games (and thus speed up the population of Steam). "So our Steamworks partners will have access to some of the hard work that we do to get our games up on Mac," Holtman said, "and they'll be able to incorporate that into their games -- and our hope is it gets them there faster."

Holtman also provided clues as to the success of Steam's Mac edition, stating that "we're seeing between a 15 and 20 percent increase in games that have a Mac version on Steam." It turns out that Mac owners will buy games if they're available!

Valve offering parts of its Mac graphics code to Steamworks devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On August 2, Amazon is having a pretty sweet deal on the Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 bundle, but if online retailers aren't your thing, Joystiq has just discovered from a reliable source that a new initiative at brick-and-mortar retailer Best Buy will discount both the Final Fantasy XIII and Splinter Cell: Conviction bundles to $299.99 permanently, starting August 1, and lasting until the retailer runs out of stock. How else did you think the retailer would clear shelf space for the new hotness?

Each bundle comes with the titular game, two wireless controllers, a 250GB HDD and Xbox 360 console. The suggested retail price of each bundle right now is $349.99 (they both initially launched at a $399.99 price point), so this saves consumers a cool $50.

Source: Best Buy offering $300 FF13, Splinter Cell Conviction Xbox bundles next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Podcasts

Honestly, we don't even know what to say about this one. When we don't have many video games to talk about, we start making our own, like Dolphin Olympics 3 and Halo: The Creek, which is both about Dawson's Creek and a social game, but also Halo.

The is the podcast where you either unsubscribe or emerge a changed man or woman. It's hard to predict, frankly. A big danke schoen to Alan Black whose photoshop is a big hit with the sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies and dickheads.

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes
[Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Hosts: Justin McElroy (@justinmcelroy), Ludwig Kietzmann (@ludwigk) and Chris Grant (@chrisgrant)
Music: "Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)" by Jon Black, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller
For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group
New to the show?: Listen to Episode Zero
The Do It Line!: 1-(877)-JOYSTIQ

See all of this week's links after the jump.

Continue reading Joystiq Podcast 147 - Halo: The Creek edition

Joystiq Podcast 147 - Halo: The Creek edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After the fate of its Offset Engine-powered MMO was left in doubt when the Project Offset team at Intel left the building, Red 5 Studios -- founded by former Blizzard crew -- has confirmed plans to show off its debut effort, a team-based online shooter, at PAX Prime in September. We knew that the developer intended to forge ahead with its game using "highly modified" Offset Engine tech; we just didn't know until now what the nature of the title was or when we'd see it.

It would seem that the $15 million Red 5 received from China's The9 (former operator of World of Warcraft in that territory) got the company through a rough patch, and that its game -- intended for a worldwide market -- will finally have its day in the sun. (If the sun even comes out in Seattle, that is.)

Red 5 Studios standing by to show team-based online shooter at PAX '10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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THQ and 4A Games have announced Metro 2033's minimalistic DLC, the "Ranger Pack," will launch on Xbox Live Marketplace and Steam next Tuesday, August 3. The update will allow players to traverse the game in Ranger Mode, which "dramatically" reduces the amount of ammo you'll stumble upon but increases the damage dealt by players and enemies alike. It also adds a "Ranger Hardcore" mode, which does the same thing, but completely does away with the player's HUD, meaning you'll be able to see all those things that are killing you with unparalleled clarity.

The pack, which also adds new weapons and Achievements to the game, will arrive as a free update for Steam users -- though Xbox 360 players will have to purchase it from the Marketplace for 240 Microsoft Points ($3).

Metro 2033 'Ranger Pack' DLC coming to Steam and XBLM next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sega parent, Sega Sammy Holdings, has reported net sales of ¥91.3 billion ($1.05 billion) for its fiscal first quarter, which ended June 30. The outcome compares favorably to the ¥60.5 billion ($700 million) recorded by the company during the same period last year -- and it's mostly due to pachinko sales. Still, Sega's consumer products division -- the part that makes home video games -- also enjoyed increased sales, bringing in ¥20.9 billion ($241.8 million), minus ¥636 million ($7.36 million) in operating losses.

Despite the generally upward trend, Sega reported slow sales of its major Q1 titles, Iron Man 2 and Alpha Protocol, due to "adverse market conditions." Iron Man 2 sold 1.12 million units across multiple platforms, while Alpha Protocol only sneaked into about 700,000 homes.

Sega sales up in fiscal Q1, despite Alpha Protocol's disappointing performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last year's "Hardened" and "Prestige" editions of Modern Warfare 2 set a precedent -- a precedent apparently being reinforced by similar "limited editions" for Call of Duty: Black Ops, as spotted by IGN. The listing was seen over on Buy.com (it has since been pulled) for "Hardened" and "Prestige" editions of the forthcoming CoD sequel for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, though unfortunately no details are given in the listings.

For its part, Activison told Joystiq "We haven't made any announcements to date," but we would be downright shocked if the two editions don't pop up in a press release in the coming weeks; we're only a few months out from the game's release, after all. As for what we can expect to be packed in with the two versions -- listed at $80 and $150 (just like last year) -- we're not so sure. Perhaps an actual, working ghillie suit to combine with those night vision goggles? We can only dream.

Continue reading Report: retailer lists 'Hardened,' 'Prestige' editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops

Report: retailer lists 'Hardened,' 'Prestige' editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, Activision and FreeStyleGames have gone ahead and signed on some pretty big guns to craft mixes for their upcoming rhythm title, DJ Hero 2 -- it makes sense that they'd go after the biggest gun. We're talking about DJ Tiesto, a man who most leading scientists in the field agree is made of beats. Like, his physical structure is composed entirely of beats and high synth, and also glowsticks.

Don't believe us? Check out the video after the jump to see some of Tiesto's in-game work. Just don't blame us if you're reading this post at your job, and then you get fired when you start uncontrollably full-on raving.

Continue reading DJ Tiesto joins the cast of DJ Hero 2

DJ Tiesto joins the cast of DJ Hero 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virtual Play Games unearthed a collection of ancient relics, believed to have been called "Intellivision games" in their time. To allow modern audiences to examine these historical artifacts for themselves, Virtual Play has built a mobile exhibition called Intellivision Lives!, which requires only a Nintendo DS for admission. In other words, the publisher's putting a bunch of old games on a DS cartridge and selling it this September.

The collection includes classics like Astro Smash, Armor Battle, Night Stalker and Shark! Shark! (a precursor of Flow), as well as six unreleased games, for a total of 60 titles from Mattel's console. The DS touchscreen substitutes for the Intellivision controller's number pad, with an image of each game's custom controller overlay!

The last we heard of this project, it had been banished from DSiWare. It'll finally be out (as a cartridge-based game) this September, and we'll get a chance to play ... these games that have been out since 1982.

Intellivision Lives! comes back from the dead this September originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This message is for the many Joystiq readers who are also in charge of business development at game publishing companies -- or for those few impulsive, wealthy Joystiq readers eager to start a new business venture at the drop of a hat.

You see, there's this DS game Fractured Soul. It takes the "two worlds on two screens" concept (as seen in titles like Reflection and Chronos Twins) and makes a fast-paced arcade experience out of it, with the player shifting back and forth at high speed in both platforming and shmup levels. Unfortunately, we can't play it, because developer Endgame Studios needs a publisher. N3V Games has already signed on for Australia, so that leaves ... everywhere else in the world.

That's where you come in. Watch the trailer after the break and give it some thought.

Continue reading Please publish Fractured Soul on DS

Please publish Fractured Soul on DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yesterday, Curve Studios announced a Q4 2010 launch window for the PSN version of its retro-inspired blow-em-up platformer, Explodemon, though the WiiWare, PSP and PC versions were not mentioned. We contacted the developer about these omissions, and PR Manager Ed Fear confirmed our suspicions, explaining, "For the moment, we're focusing only on the PS3 version."

Fear added, "We're a small(ish) company, so it doesn't make sense for us to split our limited resources between several different versions, especially given that there'd be quite major graphical differences for the Wii/PSP editions. So, in order to really make Explodemon shine, we're putting all of our efforts into the PS3 version." Fear did note that the studio still wants to see the game on as many platforms as possible, though Curve will have to "seriously evaluate other targets once we've shipped the PS3 version."

Curve Studios 'focusing only on' PS3 version of Explodemon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There will be no track packs in next week's Rock Band DLC update. Instead, eight individual songs will be released, demonstrating a wide array of artists. Several bands will even be making their Rock Band debuts, including The Decemberists and dc Talk.

It's an eclectic group of singles on deck -- check out the full details after the break.

Continue reading Rock Band Weekly: Blondie, Decemberists and many more

Rock Band Weekly: Blondie, Decemberists and many more originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spacefaring game designer Richard Garriott has been awarded $28 million in his lawsuit against former employer NCsoft. The Austin American-Statesman reports that Garriott was seeking $47 million -- a much higher figure than earlier reports -- to cover the losses he incurred after being forced to quickly sell his stock in the company at a low point in the market following his termination. He was apparently in quarantine after his $20 million trip into space when NCsoft dropped the banhammer on him. Garriott's agreement with NCsoft was that he would have 10 years to sell his stock if he were ever fired, and NCsoft argued unsuccessfully that he left the company voluntarily.

Garriott said he was "extremely pleased with the jury's decision" in a statement released to the Statesman. Meanwhile, an NCsoft lawyer confirmed that the company is still "considering all options for next steps in the legal process." It might be best to just move on at this point -- you know, start over with a tabula rasa.

Richard Garriott wins $28 million in NCsoft suit originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We understand your apprehension when it comes to trusting in a launch date for RUSE, Ubisoft's oft-delayed WWII-based RTS. While befitting of the game's title, the publisher's habit of announcing a release date and then (surprise!) changing it -- numerous times over the course of the year -- has grown from a bothersome trick to just plain mean. When Ubisoft's Aymeric Evennou recently tweeted that the date was now set for September 7 (September 9 in Europe; and September 10 in the UK), we couldn't help but feel we were being set up again.

However, Ubisoft has independently confirmed with Joystiq that Evennou's posted release dates were accurate and that RUSE will launch in the US on September 7 across PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. (We should note that this confirmation came without a pinky swear.)

For the last time: RUSE to deploy Sept. 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brothers Claudio and Luis may not dress like you've always known the Marios to dress, they may operate in the Eggplant rather than Mushroom Kingdom, and they may battle a giant, evil platypus named Bruiser, but make no mistake: Super Claudio Bros. is a musical about the life and times of Mario. But the real shock to me, reviewers and attendees alike? It's really good, even if you didn't grow up with a controller in your hand.

Continue reading Mario musical Super Claudio Bros. jumps on DC

Mario musical Super Claudio Bros. jumps on DC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An expanded retail version of Nintendo's DSiWare Art Academy art trainer and creator is being released in Europe next week. To mark the occasion, Nintendo Spain has produced a series of four videos showing famous works being reproduced on a DSi XL. Watch them all after the break.

Continue reading Van Gogh, Caravaggio paintings reproduced in Art Academy

Van Gogh, Caravaggio paintings reproduced in Art Academy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We can easily wrap our minds around the hobby of coin collection -- after all, coins are pretty awesome, and at the end of the day, you're really just spending money on money, making it a relatively low-cost endeavor. However, DC Direct's recently pressed World of Warcraft-themed currency -- which comes in a set of one bronze, silver and gold coin, each featuring a faction leader and major city from the MMO on both sides -- is a bit beyond our understanding.

According to G4, these three coins were on sale at Comic-Con for $69.99, though their real-life spendability is negligible at best. Heck, even if you wanted to use them to purchase your Artisan Riding skill and mount, you'd have to shell out well over $350,000 in order to do so. Then again, those things ... aren't real. But these coins are! And, as we've said, coins are awesome. We're so conflicted!

World of Warcraft currency becomes real-world coins originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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