Gaming News that doesn't need a thread

Beyond Good & Evil HD on PSN next week

Clearly that May launch window wasn?t sticky enough, so let?s try it once more. Beyond Good & Evil HDhas been dated for PlayStation Network; next Tuesday, June 28th ($9.99), should be the day.And looks like this could be really it. A new trailer, with flashy review quotes and all, has been put out to mark the occasion:As a bonus to those who make haste and pick up the adventurer within two weeks will also get two (count ?em!) free PSN avatars.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/23/beyond-good-evil-hd-on-psn-next-week/

 

Sledgehammer?s Call of Duty spin-off put on hold

You?d think we would be talking about Modern Warfare 3, but then, you would be wrong. Before Sledgehammer got drafted to join Infinity Ward to work on MW3, the San Francisco-based studio was creating an action/adventure spin-off for the highly popular series. Regardless, word has it that the virtually oblivious title has actually not been forgotten.?Right now Sledgehammer?s 100% focused on*Modern Warfare 3,? said Activision Publishing head Eric Hirshberg. ?We haven?t announced the future slate or future plans for the studio. They were originally working on an extension of the*Call of Dutyfranchise into an action/adventure genre and that?s a game I still want to play.?And just to make it crystal clear,*?all I can say is right now they?re 100% focused on*Modern Warfare 3,? added Hirshberg.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/23/sledgehammers-call-of-duty-spin-off-put-on-hold/

 

Jun 24, 2011Bethesda Announces Free Brink DLC, To Go Live In Early July

Bethesda?s announced the first batch of Brink DLC: Agents Of Charge. It?s set to go live in early July on PlayStation 3, and will be available for free for two weeks after launch.The content will include two new environments, five new player abilities, two new outfits and two new weapon attachments. Strangely, we can see ourselves jumping back into Brink to play this ? while the game certainly had its issues, the game?s fast-paced nature really appealed to us.http://www.pushsquare.com/27890/bethesda-announces-free-brink-dlc-to-go-live-in-early-july/

 

Jun 24, 2011PlayStation Store Still Offline In Japan

While we?ve been happily been getting back to normal after the PSN hack here in the West, the Japanese PlayStation Store has remained offline. In a short update [translated by AndriaSang], the company apologised for the on-going downtime, stating that it was still making adjustments with multiple organisations.The PlayStation Store is back online in practically every other country bar Japan. squiggl squiggl. Sony has not yet issued a timeline for the service?s full restoration in its homeland.http://www.pushsquare.com/27868/playstation-store-still-offline-in-japan/

 

Rumour: PlayStation 3 To Get Price-Drop At GamesCom In August

Why Not Release This Silver PlayStation 3 In The West As Well Sony?t?s not really a rumour is it. Everyone?s expecting the PlayStation 3 to get a price-drop this year, and there?s no better positioned event than August?s GamesCom. Sony?s known for bringing the heat to the European event, while its competitors flounder. Sounds like a no-brainer to us.MCV?s got the report, citing a new price-point of between £179.99 and £199.99 will be announced for the PS3 at GamesCom. The latter sounds more realistic to us, giving Sony even more wiggle room a few years down the road. Current 160GB PS3 bundles RRP for about £249.99, so it?s a hefty drop being touted.http://www.pushsquare.com/27862/rumour-playstation-3-to-get-price-drop-at-gamescom-in-august/

 

Private Online Journey Beta To Kick Off Next Week

that game company?s art-house multiplayer experiment, Journey, will get a private online beta from next week. The company confirmed the test on its Twitter page. If you want to get in, you?re advised to keep a check on the PlayStation Blog and thatgamecompany?s Facebook page, though apparently spaces are going to be very limited.Journey itself is due out in the Autumn.http://www.pushsquare.com/27856/private-online-journey-beta-to-kick-off-next-week/

 

Jun 24, 2011 BioShock Infinite Looks Crazy Amazing

[video=youtube;7o8-hwwISyg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o8-hwwISyg[/video]Irrational?s released a new developer diary for BioShock Infinite. No doubt if you?ve been reading previews for the game, or listening to podcasts, you?ll have heard about this section from the game?s E3 demo where Elizabeth ? your side-kick throughout the game ? opens up a portal (or tear) into a 1980s sidewalk while trying to save a horse. The potential for other psychological craziness is high.http://www.pushsquare.com/27853/bioshock-infinite-looks-crazy-amazing/

 

New MotorStorm Apocalypse DLC won?t cost you a penny

Evolution Studios gave players of its raucous, all-terrain PS3 racer, Motorstorm Apocalypse, some free DLC this past Wednesday. The meat of the DLC comes in the form of a new day-and-night track based around the historic prison island of Alcatraz, IGN reports.*On ?The Rock?, players can joyride around Alcatraz during the day on Jailhouse Rock, and at night on Lunatics Unite.In addition to the new courses, the update includes some vehicle performance re-tuning for better balance, a new Special Event Pack (Stone: Jack of Clubs), and improved game servers and connectivity.To get in on the new free content, players need only download a game update when launching MotorStorm.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/25/new-motorstorm-apocalypse-dlc-wont-cost-you-a-penny/ Rockstar offers us free DLC LA. Noir, now others are throwing the word free around maybe the DLC characters for games like MK & MvC3 will be cheaper now.

 

Rumour: Sony Gearing Up For PlayStation 4 Unveiling Next Year

PlayStation 4: Probably A Lot Like PS3 But With Newer Components.IndustryGamers is speculating that Sony will unveil the PlayStation 4 next year. The website cites an anonymous source from a top developer, though naturally no names were mentioned. Rumours have already pledged an XBOX 360 unveiling for 2012, though they were resolutely denied.Analysts were less confident about IndustryGamers? rumour:?I think it?s unlikely [that PS4 will be announced in 2012]. Wii U isn?t going to pressure anyone, it?s*Nintendo?s catch up to this cycle, and the other guys are going to see*if the tablet integration is worth copying first. That means nobody is*going to finalize specs till they see if Wii U succeeds. I am sticking*to 2014, so an ?unveil? in 2013,? said Wedbush Securitites analyst Michael Pachter.http://www.pushsquare.com/27911/rumour-sony-gearing-up-for-playstation-4-unveiling-next-year/

 

Review / White Knight Chronicles: Origins (PSP)

Hang on, this isn?t right. This is a White Knight Chroniclesgame, how has it actually managed to be, dare I say it, fun?Indeed, unlike its home console brethren, White Knight Chronicles: Origins actually stands out as a strong addition to the Sony line-up thanks to some key changes in both gameplay and format. Now on PSP, this JRPG admittedly faces stronger competition than if it had stuck to the bigger system, but it also makes a stronger case for fans to pick up and play.The improvements are obvious from the off. Starting a new game brought up the traditional groan of the character creation screen, but instead of having a new avatar as a pointless, hollow figure in the background like in the console games, he actually takes centre stage in Origins.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/26/review-white-knight-chronicles-origins-psp/

 

Yu Suzuki Leaving Sega Job in Favor of Advisory Role

The Shenmue creator will make the move in September.Shenmue creator and longtime Sega employee Yu Suzuki has revealed he'll be leaving his current position within Sega in favor of an advisory role later this year. "I'll be leaving my current job at Sega this September, and after that point I'll remain on as an advisor," he told Gamasutra. Suzuki formed his own studio, YS Net, in 2008 before changing his role at Sega in 2009. He retired from his job as research and development creative officer in favor of working in what was described at the time as a "diminished capacity." It was recently announced that he had taken on a producer role at Premium Agency, a developer that's working on smartphone games and a fighting game for Kinect.http://www.1up.com/news/yu-suzuki-leaving-sega-job-favor-advisory-role

 

PushSquare?s Most Anticipated PlayStation Games Of Holiday 2011

Look: we get it. You?ve spent the past few years learning about how pivotal the Team ICO titles are, but you?ve never actually experienced them for yourself. You?ve looked on eBay, but the original PS2 titles fetch a packet. You?ve all but given up.Thankfully HD remasters do serve a purpose after all. With Sony readying a bundle of both ICO and Shadow Of The Colossus later in the year, they intend to open up creator Fumito Ueda?s imagination to a whole new generation. Both games have been remastered in 3D for those of you with compatible televisions, but the biggest upgrade is the bump in resolution bringing both games into the HD era.http://www.pushsquare.com/27675/pus...-games-of-holiday-2011-5-team-ico-collection/

 

Thank u Kimmy i'm glad u like it. I so love Rangiku too. She's beautiful sweet & sexy but i so think she's hiding something, like some secret from her past.

 

Hellgate open beta this week

[video=youtube;FH-PLRSD8nY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH-PLRSD8nY[/video] An open beta for T3 Entertainment?s reanimated MMO Hellgateis due in both Europe and North America later this week. The testing commences on Thursday, June 30th, the company?s announced. This after a closed beta for the free-to-play title happened earlier in the month.Two new game modes will be included in the testing: the PvP Duel Area and the zombie-infested Cow Room. Plus, a celebratory mix of four special events are planned as well (official descriptions here).Thursday then. Those looking to kill some time can watch this 12-minute cinematic the game got just before E3.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/hellgate-open-beta-this-week/I would love to see this on PS3

 

OnLive to possibly join Microsoft and/or Sony

Note: this is not a buyout. OnLive is doing better and better and when a company seems to go nowhere wrong, it naturally wants to expand, which what Steve Perlman?s cloud-based gaming might be doing in the future. It?s been reported that OnLive is chatting with Microsoft and Sony to bring the service to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.?There are OnLive guys chatting [Sony and MS], but we?ll see where it goes. But it would absolutely work, we?re ready to work with everybody,? commented VP of engineering Joe Bentley enthusiastically during and interview. ?What people are realising and waking up to is everything could be a console, why shouldn?t you be able to take your game everywhere. I think the timing of this is perfect.?http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/onlive-to-possibly-join-microsoft-andor-sony/

 

Bungie?s Marathon coming free to iPad

[video=youtube;zQie6QPLUuY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQie6QPLUuY[/video]Bungie?s bringing Halo?s pixelated predecessor, Marathon, free to iPad.*In an interview with Bungie.net, software developer Daniel Blezek revealed that he started working to port the mid-90s sci-fi shooter shortly after the first iPad shipped in April 2010. He also revealed that the soon to be released iPad version will run at 30 FPS, will feature onscreen controls adapted from the original keyboard commands, and will for the first time have an aiming reticule to make repelling the invading S?pht and Pfhor hordes a little easier.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/bungies-marathon-coming-free-to-ipad/

 

HMV Canada sold to pay debts

Popular retailer HMV, more specifically, HMV Canada, has been sold. The Canadian installment of the company generated*£222 million (about $354 million) with an operating profit of £2.3 million (roughly $3.67 million USD) in the year ending April 24th, 2010. But, there was evidently more to it than met the eye as the fact of the matter was to ultimately sell HMV Canada and cash in the dough to pay off some debts.?The Board has fully explored the options available to it for HMV Canada, and believes that a sale to Hilco is the correct decision for the business at this time, whilst reducing the operating leverage in the continuing Group,? explained chief executive Simon Fox.HMV Canada constituted of 121 stores across the area affected.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/hmv-canada-sold-to-pay-debts/

 

L.A. Noire development described as ?hostile and brutal?

Cole Phelps? misplaced fury for grieving widows and traumatized teens is apparently nothing compared to Brendan McNamara, the head honcho of L.A. Noire?s Team Bondi, who has been accused by an anonymous ex-employee as being ?the angriest person I?ve ever met.?Following reports that 130 developers were omitted from the game?s credits, IGN has published an exposé featuring testimonials from 11 former Team Bondi-ites who reported working brutal 110-hour weeks, facing constant employee turnover and enduring abusive dressings-down in the middle of the office.?At first, it was fun. New studio, big, new game. As time went by and the project wasn?t coming together as fast as management wanted it to, they started to become aggressive and demanding,? said one insider. ?That led to people quitting, or being forced out when they didn?t obey direct orders. It became a nasty place to be.?http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/l-a-noire-development-described-as-hostile-and-brutal/

 

SCOTUS: California violent games law unconstitutional

The law which sought to ban the sale or rental of violent videogames to minors in the state of California has been deemed unconstitutional; The Supreme Court made the call with a 7-2 vote earlier today, saying in clear terms that ?video games qualify for First Amendment protection.??Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas-and even social messages-through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player?s interaction with the virtual world),? stated the Court (full *.pdf here).?That suffices to confer First Amendment protection. Under our Constitution, ?esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature . . . are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority.http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/06/27/scotus-california-violent-games-law-unconstitutional/