Headline RePLAY – 3.8.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Valve shoots down rumors about a “Steam Box” console, Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken duke it out with Tekken’s Kazuya in a new live-action short film and an Angry Birds Space PSA from space!

Valve is on the rumor patrol again, this time to shoot down claims that they are working on a “Steam Box” gaming console.

“We’re prepping the Steam Big Picture Mode UI and getting ready to ship that, so we're building boxes to test that on,” Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi told Kotaku. “We’re also doing a bunch of different experiments with biometric feedback and stuff like that, which we've talked about a fair amount. 

“All of that is stuff that we're working on, but it's a long way from Valve shipping any sort of hardware.”

When pressed about the possibility of a Valve console, Lombardi refused to provide any definitive answers.

“What you're saying is, there's definitely nothing coming any time soon, nothing at GDC or E3, but what you’re not ruling out is the possibility that, hey, maybe someday Valve would make hardware,” he said. “I think that's accurate.”

*Source: Kotaku

In tribute to Street Fighter X Tekken’s release this week, Thousand Pounds Action Company published their latest short film titled “Street Fighter: The Devil Within”. The film delves into Ryu’s inner struggle with the “Satsui no Hadō” (“Surge of Murderous Intent”) while Tekken regular Kazuya Mishima attempts to coax it out through brute force.

Thousand Pound Action Company is best known for their anime and videogame inspired martial arts choreography and films.  

*Source: YouTube

Don Petit, a NASA astronaut, stationed 242.5 miles above the surface of the Earth at the International Space Station, is going to give us a physics lesson involving an Angry Bird, a pig, and bungee. It’s almost like a PSA to take our math and physics courses seriously to join him in—spaaacceeee!

The end of the trailer has our first glimpse of Angry Birds Space gameplay which consists of gravity mechanics, planetary orbits and the physics of smashing buildings like a meteor. 

Rovio has additionally revealed that the game will feature 60 levels, new birds, new abilities, and secret bonus levels. Free updates are also included alongside in-app purchases of course.

Angry Birds Space is slated for release on March 22.

*Source: YouTube

Headline RePLAY – 3.7.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Peter Molyneux departs Lionhead Studios, new studies on the benefits of videogames and Apple’s new iPad.

Peter Molyneux, the creative mind behind Populous and Black & White, is the latest to announce his departure today from Microsoft and Lionhead Studios.

“It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave Microsoft and Lionhead Studios, the company that I co-founded in 1997, at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey,” Molyneux told Kotaku.

“I felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture,” Molyneux continued. “I'd like to thank the team at Lionhead, as well as our partners at Microsoft Studios for their support, dedication and incredible work over the years.”

Molyneux took to Twitter to announce that his “new independent venture” is to be a new company called “22 Cans” which he described as “something really amazing, scary and brave.”

*Source: Kotaku & @pmolyneux

We often see studies on the negative effects of playing videogames, but new studies are showing that videogames can change a person’s brain— for the better.

According to the Wall Street Journal, new studies by universities suggest that gaming can improve creativity, decision-making and perception. Other benefits can include improved hand-eye coordination and vision.

One study found that action-game players “made decisions 25% faster than others without sacrificing accuracy.” Researchers also discovered that the most skilled players can make/act on choices “six times a second” which is “four times faster than most people.”

Additionally, researchers found that women were “better able to mentally manipulate 3D objects,” an ability that men “are generally more adept.”  

Most of these studies examined adults instead of children.

*Source: Wall Street Journal

New iPad, new specs, which means more options for game development! The new iPad that was announced today is no different, boasting full HD 1080 resolution and a quad-core A5X processor.

Apple says the new processor is “twice as fast” and offers “four times the performance” of a Tegra 3.

*Source: Engadget

Headline RePLAY – 3.6.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Blizzard buffs World of Warcraft’s Scroll of Resurrection program, Marvel discontinues their relationship with SEGA and Mass Effect 3 receives massive negative user reviews on Metacritic.  

 

In a bid to reverse subscriber bleeding in World of Warcraft, Blizzard’s Scroll of Resurrection program, which allows current players to bring back a friend to Azeroth, is about to receive a huge buff. It includes a variety of benefits that greatly reduces the barrier of reentry for returning players:

• A single character leveled up to 80. 
• A free upgrade to the Cataclysm expansion. 
• A free character realm transfer and faction change.  
• 7 free days of game time. 
• A limited edition mount: Spectral Gryphon for Alliance, Spectral Wind Rider for Horde.

The one real caveat is that only accounts that were inactive since March, 4 2012 are eligible.

Previously, the Scroll of Resurrection provided a triple experience boost, free levels up to 60 and an exclusive mount.

*Source: Blizzard

Movies, comic books and videogames never really worked well together: movies or comics based on videogames are train wrecks and the reverse is rife with poor gameplay that causes the gnashing of teeth. So, it might be a blessing that Marvel is done with SEGA for the time being.

“There are no current plans for additional Marvel games to be published by SEGA,” said Marvel’s TQ Jefferson.

SEGA was recently responsible for Captain America: Super Soldier videogame based on the 2011 movie in addition to Thor, Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk.

*Source: Hollywood Reporter

It’s hard to tell if the massive influx of Mass Effect 3 negative reviews by Metacritic users a day after the title’s release is genuine or the act of an organized mob. The negative reviews are present on all platforms the game can be played on.

According to Kotaku many of the users reviewed no other games and created accounts just to downgrade Mass Effect 3. The user score for each version of Mass Effect 3 is “generally unfavorable”— much lower than its critical reception by the press.

Metacritic editor-in-chief Marc Doyle told Kotaku that they removed user reviews that were in violation of their terms of use and will continue to be on the lookout.

*Source: Kotaku

Headline RePLAY – 3.5.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: A scandal at the Pokémon Videogame Championships, Capcom responds to the Street Fighter X Tekken DLC controversy and rumors about the return of the Darkstalkers!

While the Pokémon Videogame Championships were underway in Birmingham, UK, a Spanish Team was busy with having a drunken “poo” fight in a hotel corridor. It is exactly unsavory as it sounds: human feces were involved.

PokéChamp21, a competitor, detailed the incident on the Pokémon World forums: “After 30 - 40 min. in my room relaxing with a quick snooze I awoke to the sound of banging coming from down the hall from where the 'Spanish Team' were staying in. It seems that at some point after they had turned up and when we went to Wether Spoons the Spaniards had decided to have a 'Poo' fight in the corridor and this had upset the staff and several guests (naturally) at the hotel enough to call the Police and have them leave.”

The report has been verified by other sources in attendance at the tournament.

*Source: Nintendo Life

When an enterprising hacker discovered that downloadable content already exists on Street Fighter X Tekken’s game disc, a bloc of fans were outraged. In response, Capcom issued a statement to explain the matter:

“The character information and files were intentionally included on retail versions of the PS3 and Xbox 360 game to save hard drive space and to ensure for a smooth transition when the DLC is available, allowing players who choose not to purchase the content the ability to play against players that did,” said Capcom.

“As a reminder, the retail version of the game will be the only disc-based version consumers will need to own and all future upgrades will come from post-launch DLC.”

Capcom Community Manager Brett Elston elaborates: “By including these 12 characters on the disc, the idea was to ensure easy compatibility between players who do and do not choose to download the characters when they arrive as DLC.”

“This move also furthers our desire to avoid a "Super" version of the game down the road,” said Elston. “Everything you need to enjoy this game for months (and years) to come will be accessed by the retail disc available this week.”

“I understand the reaction, but SFxT is a damn fun game with a ton of content right out of the gate and more stuff - all designed to keep this fresh - to come.”

*Source: Capcom-Unity

Rumor has it that Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono, whose credentials include Street Fighter IV and Street Fights X Tekken, is working on a long awaited Darkstalkers 4.

According to a reliable VentureBeat source, the new Darkstalkers game has been in the works since last year and will be operating under a modified version of the Street Fighter X Tekken engine.

Recently, it looks like Capcom has been trying to resurrect Darkstalkers in the public eye by releasing the original Darkstalkers on PSN last year and a recent ESRB rating on Darkstalkers 3 for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. 

Darkstalkers makes vampires, werewolves and even a trigger-happy Little Red Riding Hood look good, but is often eclipsed by Capcom’s Street Fighter. Darkstalkers first made its debut in arcades in 1994 and had its last major release with Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower in 2004.

*Source: VentureBeat

Headline RePLAY – 3.2.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Commentary on alleged DOOM 4 screenshots, Mojang employees receive a hefty bonus and Mass Effect 3 PC pre-orders are available for pre-loading!

Rumors about DOOM 4 being axed can be waved away by PR, but the alleged screenshots that came with them this week weren’t so easily dismissed. id Software has stepped up to the stage to respond:

“Those images have nothing to do with what you’re gonna see in DOOM 4,” said id’s Matthew Hooper via Twitter. “When we officially show things, you’ll see awesome.”

While Hooper’s statement is not a direct denial, he does assure fans that id Software is striving to meet their expectations.

“When we officially show things,” added Hooper, “fans will be happy.”

*Source: VideoGamer

Before tax, Mojang head honcho Markus “notch” Persson received $3 million in dividends—all of which he decided to distribute to his employees.  

“Before tax, my dividends from Mojang for 2011 was about three million dollars,” notch Tweeted. “I chose to distribute that to other employees.”

Many a Mojang employee went on Twitter to express their elation about the decision. Lydia Winters, Mojang’s Director of Fun, expressed how she was “happy for everyone @ Mojang” while business developer Daniel Kaplan was shedding tears in “shock and happiness.”

Congratulations to the hard workers of Mojang!

*Source: @notch, @LydiaWinters, @Kappische via Joystiq

Mass Effect 3 is just around the corner, but other than stockpiling on food and excommunicating the outside world for a week, what more can you do to prepare for the war with the Reapers? For PC owners that pre-ordered the title and don’t want to spend time watching a download and installation bar, EA is offering the option to pre-load the game via its Origin online service.

All PC-owners have to do is to launch the Origin client, sign in, navigate to their Game Library and click on the “Ready to Download” button on Mass Effect 3 and voila!

Mass Effect 3 is coming out next week on March 6th.

*Source: EA

Headline RePLAY – 3.1.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed 3 speculation, a patent troll is targeting big companies and a new development studio is founded by the creators of Fable.

Confirmation, ahoy! Ubisoft has just confirmed the image we saw yesterday of Assassin’s Creed 3 on their Facebook page by posting the cover art for the game depicting the same white-cloaked, tomahawk-wielding assassin in the backdrop of the Revolutionary and British armies duking it out.

If confirmation from the source wasn’t enough, Game Informer also revealed the art for their April cover story— the same image from yesterday crafted by comic artist Alex Ross.

It looks like the next locale in the war between the Templars and the Assassins is the 18th century: the American Revolution!

*Source: Ubisoft

A patent troll may be on the loose under the guise of “GameTek LLC.” The company is suing companies like Facebook, Zynga and EA over US Patent #7076445: “System and methods for obtaining advantages and transacting the same in a computer gaming environment.” Basically, GameTek claims it patented the use of virtual currency to buy items in a game, which includes almost every modern title in existence.

Industry Gamers tracked the patent back to when it was filed in 2000, which was then granted to Shawn Cartwright in 2006, then assigned to Theados Corporation in 2011, and ultimately passed to GameTek. GameTek previously went bankrupt in 1997 and closed a year after, but is currently not engaged in any business other than pursuing the lawsuit.

GameTek is seeking a judgment on the aforementioned companies for infringing on the patent and to prevent them from doing so again in the future in addition to “reasonable” attorney’s fees and whatever else GameTek may be entitled to.

*Source: Industry Gamers

Fable’s art director, technical director and executive producer all left Lionhead Studios to join the franchise’s creators in forming a new UK-based development studio called “Another Place Productions.”

Simon Carter, one of the two brothers that created Fable, left Lionhead last June in hopes to join his brother, Dene Carter, working on games for digital platforms like XBLA, PSN, Steam and mobile devices. Other members of the Fable team that joined the Carter brothers include art director John McCormack, technical director Guillaume Portes and executive producer Jeremie Texier.  

Another Place Productions’ mission is to create “high-quality, meaningful experiences that will inspire audiences worldwide.”

It is unknown how their departure will affect the development of the Kinect-centric Fable: The Journey, or any other projects.

*Source: Gamasutra

Headline RePLAY – 2.29.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: The Binding of Isaac gets rejected from the 3DS’s eShop, Blizzard layoffs and the star of Assassin’s Creed 3 may be revealed.

The Binding of Isaac is an indie game that was released on Steam in late 2011. It’s named after the biblical tale of the same name—except in this version, Isaac tries to escape his mother, who was tasked to sacrifice him, by navigating through randomized, Legend of Zelda-esque dungeons. According to Isaac’s creator, Edmund McMillen, the game’s “questionable religious content” was enough for Nintendo to reject it from being sold on the 3DS’s eShop.

“Nintendo is saying that Isaac can’t ever exist in the 3DS shop ever,” said McMillen. “All I know is they passed on it due to problems the religious aspects of the game might cause. I don’t have details on what aspect of “religion” they are most bothered by, but I did hear that they didn’t care about any blasphemy in games, but cared more about religion period and how something based on the bible might effect things.”

“Honestly it was a pretty muddy response,” continued McMillen, “but I did hear that religious games are far more bothersome than blasphemous ones, and the game being based on a story in the bible and being “by the book” in a lot of ways could have actually been an issue.”

“It’s nice to have the freedom to publish something that speaks its mind about religion on a platform like Steam.”

                                                                                                                                                                  

*Source: Edmund McMillen’sTwitter via Destructoid

Blizzard is reducing its global workforce by 600 workers following a review of the company’s organizational needs. 90 percent of the layoffs are from departments not related to videogame development; specifically World of Warcraft’s development team will not be impacted.

“After evaluating our current organizational needs, we determined that while some areas of our business had been operating at the right levels and could benefit from further growth, other areas had become overstaffed,” said Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime. “As a result, we need to scale down some of our departments and part with some of our colleagues and friends here at Blizzard.”

Morhaime acknowledged how difficult the situation was for those affected, so Blizzard is offering each laid off employee a severance package in addition to other benefits.

“I also want to emphasize that we remain committed to shipping multiple games this year, and that our development teams in particular remain largely unaffected by today’s announcement. We’re continuing to develop, iterate, and polish Blizzard DOTA, Diablo III, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, as well as other, unannounced projects.”

*Source: BusinessWire & Blizzard

Ubisoft’s announcement on Assassin’s Creed 3 left a lot of unanswered questions: When and where is it set? Who is the main character? A Best Buy employee may have the answer to these questions.

The unnamed employee sent Kotaku a picture of the game’s promotional art, which possibly features Assassin’s Creed 3’s star.

As of now, the art is completely unconfirmed, but if accurate, the rumors about Assassin’s Creed 3 being set in the American Revolution are true. The background contains the Continental flag and the assassin is wearing an 18th century military jacket, a tomahawk, a pistol and appears to be Native American.

*Source: Kotaku