Square Enix game director Tetsuya Nomura has elaborated on the choice to bring Final Fantasy 15 - previously known as Final Fantasy Versus 13 - to next-generation consoles instead of PS3, the original platform when the game was first announced in 2006.

In an interview with Famitsu (via Polygon), Nomura said Square Enix moved the game to Xbox One and PS4 because "the lifespan of the current generation of consoles was starting to pose a problem" to Square Enix. "We had originally thought about making this announcement last year, but due to assorted reasons that got delayed. This meant that the lifespan of the current generation of consoles was starting to pose a problem to us. If we were a year later, other companies will have more time to research the next generation, and releasing the game against their products on the older generation could have caused us to look inferior when people inevitably compared us."

Keeping Final Fantasy 15 on the current generation posed too many concerns to Square Enix - concerns that the final game wouldn't match what the company set out to do. "With current-gen systems, we couldn't fully express what we wanted to do in this project," he said. "There were more and more things that we would've had to change the form of. However, the assumption was that we'd go ahead with a current-gen release, so went through a trial-and-error process to do as much as we could. So we built an alpha version about a year ago, and the company response was 'If you remained bound to the current generation, will it will be the product you envisioned?' They suggested shifting fully to next-gen, and that was the spark that led to the move."

As for a PC port, Nomura says it largely "depends on the demand" - if enough people want it, then Square Enix may pursue it. The full interview can be read through the source link below.

Nomura: Final Fantasy 15 on PS3 may have 'caused us to look inferior' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beneath our descriptions of violence, twisted psyches and new features within Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, there lies relevant information about the game that you surely shouldn't miss: It's due out this year - Dennaton co-founder Denis Wedin told us at E3 that it would be "late 2013" - and it's coming for sure to PC, Mac and Linux via Steam.

Dennaton is talking with console companies about potential releases, and regarding Vita specifically, Wedin said, "We hope so." Wrong Number is a darker, more emotional journey through the lives of multiple, playable characters as they rampage throughout the '90s, enacting their own brands of bloody justice. Wedin wouldn't divulge how many playable characters were in Wrong Number, but the demo featured the Pig Butcher and the Fans - and there will be a playable lady character in there, Wedin told us.

Dennaton doesn't have any plans for multiplayer in Wrong Number, at least not at first. They may add something down the line, Wedin said, but the story in the main campaign is the priority.

"We tried to give different storylines to the characters, tried to work with different emotions - not just being crazy or like a psychopath," Wedin said. "We tried to give them other backstories." Wrong Number tackles deep feelings and character motivations, but it isn't a complete break from its Hotline Miami roots, Wedin stressed:

"We're super proud of how [Hotline Miami] works and people seem to like it a lot, so we're only going to add more enemies and more weapons and more and more. So if you love the feeling and the pace of the difficulty in the first game, it's going to be in the second one."

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number due out 'late 2013' for PC, Mac, Linux originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield 3 and Saints Row: The Third go marching onto PlayStation Plus in Europe next month, joining the continent's Instant Game Collection along with three others. Yup, marching was the common link we could find between two very different headliners, although we suppose destruction and loud noises would have worked too. The other PS3 game coming to the subscription service next month is Payday: The Heist, while Unit 13 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus are the duo hopping onto Vita.

Thankfully, there are no complicated schedules to mull over with July's changeover: all five games are to be added to the service on July 3. As ever, that means five games make their way out, all on July 3 too. Waving their goodbyes are Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, The Cave, Rayman Origins, and Coconut Dodge.

PS Plus in Europe adds Battlefield 3, Saints Row: The Third in July originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Company of Heroes 2 open beta, originally scheduled to conclude yesterday, has been extended through this Sunday, June 23, until midnight Pacific. In this latest phase of testing, beta recruits will have access to new multiplayer maps in the rotation. Players will also receive double XP this weekend in auto match multiplayer modes.

A general reminder that all that major wartime experience will transfer over to the full game if players pick up CoH 2 within 60 days of launch (and use the same steam account as the beta). Company of Heroes 2 storms the Stalingrad of retail next Tuesday, June 25.

Company of Heroes 2 open beta extended through June 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.

"Yu-WHAT NOW?"

If you own a PSP, you may already be familiar with Acquire's RTS-like YU-NAMA series. NIS America released the first two entries stateside as Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! After Bruce Wayne's lawyers stepped in, the games were retitled What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? Sony further complicated matters when it later localized the third entry in the series as No Heroes Allowed!

At this point, it might just be easier to refer to the series by its Japanese title, Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida. Sony apparently agrees, as a PlayStation Mobile-exclusive spinoff game was recently released in North America as YU-NAMA: The Puzzle. It's a shame that the series can't seem to hold on to a single consistent title, as it means that PS Vita owners might miss out on one of PlayStation Mobile's best releases to date.

Continue reading YU-NAMA: The Puzzle - Minion mayhem on PlayStation Mobile

YU-NAMA: The Puzzle - Minion mayhem on PlayStation Mobile originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In the midst of the E3 madness, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot acknowledged Rayman Legends' delay was over concern of low sales on and of Nintendo's Wii U.

"What happened was that we saw the Wii U was not going to sell enough of those games. The game is going to be fantastic, and we didn't want those creators to wind up in a position where even after making a fantastic game, they didn't sell well enough," Guillemot told VentureBeat. "We decided that we had to come out on enough machines that players can try it out on any one that they have, and give more time to both improve the game on the Wii U and create versions for the other consoles."

Low sales of Nintendo's latest console has certainly had an impact on third-party support. EA acknowledged it needs to see stronger sales to get back involved, and although Activision has Skylanders for the platform, we're still waiting for confirmation that Call of Duty: Ghosts will make it on the platform. Although, it should be noted that historically Activision's announcements of CoD on Nintendo platforms arrive later.

Nintendo is aware of its current predicament and hopes its first-party games between now and 2014 make the Wii U more attractive again.

Ubisoft admits Wii U sales drove Rayman Legends delay originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those who opted into the Steam client beta may see some interesting language alluding to game sharing in the "steamui_english" file of the latest update. It's suggested that Steam users will be able to set a shared game library - when the original owner logs into the game, the game sharer gets a prompt to quit out.

If you want to see the file for yourself, you'll need to be running the beta version of Steam - go into Steam settings and opt in, then restart the client. Then, you'll need to head into your public folder and open the "steamui_english" file in a text editor like Notepad. Final step: crack open a cold soda, sit back and feel good about being a computer genius.

Rumor: Steam beta update file suggests game sharing is coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS hardware and software continue to dominate weekly sales.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D debuted atop the Japanese software chart during the week ended June 16.



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A new PS4 promotional video reveals users can choose to either get the single-player or multiplayer portion of Killzone: Shadow Fall first when downloading the game. The vid, which shows off the console's interface, uses the example of a Shadow Fall player pestering his friend to play the game with him ASAP. We doubt Shadow Fall will be the only game with this feature on PS4, but the extent of its implementation remains unclear.

The video also explores the idea of clan-based flirting for the hip, young, and cool, but we'll leave that for another time. Slightly more notable, perhaps, is the apparent ability to seamlessly switch from things like the PS Store and watching shared videos to going back to the game you're playing, demonstrated in the vid via a double click of the PS button.

PS4 vid shows Killzone: Shadow Fall download can be split into single-player, multiplayer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BioShock creator and Irrational Games boss Ken Levine is making a return foray into films by taking on the screenplay for the Warner Bros. remake of Logan's Run. According to Deadline, the move is very much a unique and temporary one for Levine, who will continue on Irrational Games, but Logan's Run has long been a "passion project" for him. Levine first pursued a career as a film screenwriter before being hired by Looking Glass Studios and going on to found Irrational.

There's no word yet on when Levine's take on the iconic 1976 sci-fi film and the book it's based on will hit screens. In any case, a tweet from the man himself would suggest he's thrilled with the move: "I think the 10 year old me gave the 46 year old me a high five."

Ken Levine is writing Logan's Run remake for Warner Bros. originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Publisher 2K Games announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will have pre-order and post-launch downloadable content, which is about as shocking of a revelation as knowing Marmite will divide humanity into the two groups of the next great war.

"We're excited that our stories will provide a new perspective on the war effort, much like how our critically acclaimed Minvera's Den DLC for BioShock 2 allowed us to present a unique perspective of Rapture," said Morgan Gray, development director at 2K Marin.

The game's pre-order bonus is the "Codebreakers" side mission. In it, Special Agent Carter and his squad must reestablish contact a top-secret government communications facility, eliminate any threats and decrypt the employee's combined lunch order. There are no details about the post-launch DLC, but the first pack "will be available exclusively to Xbox 360 players."

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will fight the future on August 20 and 23 in North America and internationally, respectively.

The Bureau declassifies DLC plans originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unearthed from a crate thought lost to Hangar XCOM, this gameplay trailer shows how 2K Marin meshes real-time shooting with strategy in The Bureau. Time can be slowed down while players get tactical via a radial menu, from which they can command Special Agent Will Carter and his trusty squadmates.

Also, it shows us that if you're going to see off an extraterrestrial invasion, you may as well do it dressed to the nines - Carter is the definition of dapper in that vid. Independence Day could only have been improved if Jeff Goldblum had boarded that spaceship in a tux.

The fashion of alien warfare aside, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified touches down on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on August 20.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified files 'Battle Focus' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't worry, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is just as violent as Hotline Miami.

In fact, it has everything that made Hotline Miami so brilliantly bloody - and then it adds more. More characters, more emphasis on narrative, more enemies, more weapons, more underground electronica bands, more masks and more ladies. Playable ladies.

In a demo at E3, one half of Dennaton Games, Denis Wedin, showed off two new, playable characters in Wrong Number: the Pig Butcher and the Fans. The Pig Butcher starred in an early trailer for Hotline Miami, and he's a throwback to the mass murderers of classic '90s slasher movies. That trailer begins with the disclaimer, "Based on true events," because it's for a horror film within the Hotline Miami universe, where these vigilante rampages truly did go down.

The Fans really are the fans, Wedin said.

"They symbolize the players that want Hotline Miami 2 to be exactly like Hotline Miami 1," he said. "They collect masks and get phone calls - and that will be in there, but we don't want to make the same game one more time. We're trying to work with different storylines and what motivates the characters to actually go inside a building and start killing people."

After the demo concludes, Wrong Number makes it clear that "more emotion" doesn't equate "less violence."

Continue reading Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number unmasked: Blood, drugs, feelings

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number unmasked: Blood, drugs, feelings originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A new firmware update for the PS3 is live, but a significant number of reports indicate it's locking users out of their systems. Posters on the official PS3 Support forum noted they couldn't boot their systems after the update, and some users said restoring file systems didn't resolve the issue.

According to the PlayStation Twitter account, the 4.45 update includes trophy notification options and improves system stability - hmm.

We've reached out to Sony to clarify the situation. While the issues don't seem to be affecting all users, it might be wise to stay clear of the update for the time being.

Update: Sony Computer Entertainment sent us the following statement this morning:

"We are aware of reports that the recent PlayStation 3 system software update (version 4.45) has caused the XMB to not display on a small number of PS3 systems. We have temporarily taken 4.45 offline and are investigating the cause of the problem. We will announce when the system update is available for download as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience."

PSA: PS3 users reporting 'bricked' systems after 4.45 firmware update [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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3DS firmware update v6.0.0-11 should satiate the needs of those who have collected every single StreetPass puzzle piece and beaten StreetPass Quest twice (or more). The update, only available in Europe at the time of writing, adds four purchasable Mii Plaza games in addition to the original two. Those four are StreetPass Squad, Garden, Battle, and Mansion.

We'd love to tell you about the games themselves, but StreetPass Mii Plaza has crashed on us every time we've loaded up the new Shop page - reports on NeoGAF indicate others are also struggling with crashes. One NeoGAF user reports each game costs £4.49 ($7), while all four can be obtained in a value bundle going at £13.49 ($21). There's no official word from Nintendo, perhaps indicating the patch went out earlier than scheduled.

What we can confirm is another feature in the new update, and that's the ability to create save data backups. Accessible via 3DS Data Management in System Settings, the new feature lets you create or restore backup save data, but only for software downloaded to the 3DS. The new feature may not be compatible with every single game; we tried it for our freshly obtained Animal Crossing: New Leaf, only to be greeted with a message telling us "this software's save data cannot be backed up."

3DS update adds four purchasable Mii Plaza games, save data backup originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Team2Bit's 2D brawler, Fist Puncher, is preparing to light up Steam on June 21. You can pre-order Fist Puncher right now for a buck off its $10 asking price.

Fist Puncher, published by Adult Swim Games, stars black belt holder and neurosurgery practitioner Dr. Karate, who is out to save the city of Los Cruces from the evil grips of the Milkman. Fist Puncher was financed through Kickstarter last April, and an alpha for the game was made available back in September.

Fist Puncher cracking down on Steam June 21 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Oculus Rift creators recently secured $16 million in funding from investors, on top of their September Kickstarter bounty of $2.4 million - and they're going to use that cash to bulk up the team.

"We're using the funding to ramp up on hiring more smart people, the best and brightest that we can find," Oculus Rift CEO Brendan Iribe told Engadget. "The dev kit as it is now, that we're shipping, will stay the same, and the software side will just keep getting better."

Oculus Rift currently employs fewer than 50 people, and the new hires will be mostly engineers, Iribe said. Right now the headset is in development for PC games, but that doesn't mean other platforms are out of the running completely.

"We're always looking at other platforms, looking at consoles; we're also looking at Android and the mobile side in a big way - but right now we really are focused on the PC platform," Iribe said.

Sony President Shuhei Yoshida said he loves the Oculus Rift, though the PS4 doesn't currently support the VR headset. Yoshida wouldn't say if the PS4 will support Oculus Rift in the future - and he said it with a big smile, Engadget noted.

Oculus Rift using its millions to hire more staff originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gunpoint success allows dev to become independent, Mac and Linux ports on the way originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No More Heroes and Killer is Dead dev Grasshopper Manufacture is "heavily relying" on Unreal Engine 4, with next-gen games in mind. Speaking to Joystiq at E3, Grasshopper CEO Goichi Suda, most commonly known as Suda 51, confirmed his studio's use of Epic's next-gen engine when asked about his thoughts on the PS4 and Xbox One.

"As a developer, we're heavily relying right now on Unreal Engine 4," Suda told us. "That works really well with both systems - or in the sense that we could go either way."

Grasshopper recently revealed it has a stylistic action game in development that isn't Killer is Dead - and it isn't No More Heroes 3 either. As Suda told Siliconera back in April, it's a new game coming to one or more consoles. He also teased to Siliconera the game was either running on Unreal Engine 3 or Unreal Engine 4, adding that if he said which one then "you would know about the platforms."

Suda told Joystiq we can expect Unreal Engine 4 in Grasshopper games "if it's a big title, or if it's suited to that title," all of which suggests a next-gen landing for said secretive game.

As for the future possibility of No More Heroes 3, Suda told us, "Travis [Touchdown] is one of the characters I'm really fond of, that means a lot to me. So if there was the opportunity to create another sequel then yeah, I'm always up to the idea."

Suda 51 and Grasshopper are using Unreal Engine 4 'heavily' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is ready to fire off its next DLC salvo on July 2 on Xbox Live, with PS3 and PC versions to follow. The Vengeance map pack includes new multiplayer maps Rush, Detour, Cove and Uplink, which a remake of Summit from the original Black Ops.

Buried, a new Zombies mode variant, is included with Vengeance along with the Ray Gun Mark 2 weapon, available exclusively in Zombies mode. No pricing is announced in the video above, though the two previous DLC offerings - Revolution and Uprising - were both priced at 1,200 MS Points ($15) each.

Continue reading Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 gets 'Vengeance' DLC map pack July 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 gets 'Vengeance' DLC map pack July 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.

There was a time when the beat-em-up was king, a time when Streets of Rage, Final Fight and Golden Axe were at the top of the heap. Combo Crew on iOS and Android looks to return to those days, offering several unique fighters, lots of combos and plenty of bosses to bruise, clobber and otherwise pummel.

The impressive part is that it does all of that with just two fingers.

Continue reading Combo Crew lets you beat 'em up with two fingers

Combo Crew lets you beat 'em up with two fingers originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We spoke with Bungie's Chris Butcher, engineering lead for online shooter Destiny, about the overall concept of the game and its mishmash of genres. Destiny is primarily a shooter, as shown in gameplay footage released at the show, but we also discuss some of its other flavors and social components.

Butcher, being the engineering guy, also gets some time to geek out about the game's lighting and animation.

Destiny's online battlegrounds explained by Bungie originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A "bigger" and "beefier" version of 17-BIT's tactical strategy game, Skulls of the Shogun, will hit Steam next month, boasting six new maps, a multiplayer progression system, and a new four-chapter epilogue.

Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-Fide Edition features all of the content found in the Xbox Live Arcade and Windows 8 versions of the game, including real-time multiplayer, hotseat support, and asynchronous multiplayer modes. The Steam version's exclusive chapter introduces a new playable protagonist, along with a new unit type equipped with teleportation spells.

Buyers who pre-purchase Bone-a-Fide Edition will receive instant access to a beta version, which includes the first single-player campaign chapter and all 36 multiplayer maps.

Continue reading Skulls of the Shogun heads to Steam next month, beta available now

Skulls of the Shogun heads to Steam next month, beta available now originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The weekly PSN update is live, unlocking Capcom's collected quest classics, Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara. Joining the 2D beat-em-up is Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, which finally makes its way to PSN after its Xbox Live Arcade debut back in March.

The Jak and Daxter Collection - which includes all three original PS2 games, Jak and Daxter, Jak 2 and Jak 3 - steps up on PS Vita today, along with Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. Rounding out this week's update are free PS Plus games Saints Row: The Third and Gods Eater Burst.

For the full list of this week's PlayStation Network content, hit up the PlayStation Blog.

PSN Tuesday: Dungeons & Dragons, Giana Sisters, Jak & Daxters originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Max Payne 3 is due to land on Mac on June 20, after launching on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in May of last year. We found the shooting in Max Payne 3 to be so satisfying that we questioned our overall perspectives on video games, violence and probably life itself.

Check out the game's Mac specifications here, and prepare to have your world rocked by some stellar shooting. From mid-air.

Max Payne 3 makes the slow-mo leap to Mac on June 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Capcom's arcade brawler compilation Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara hits the PlayStation Network in North America tonight (and Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow), D&D fans in Japan might want to hold out for an upcoming PlayStation 3 retail release, which offers exclusive features and enhancements not found in the digital version.

The PS3 retail version's Facebook page describes the release as a treasure trove for retro gaming connoisseurs, comparing it to the well-received Street Fighter Alpha Anthology on the PlayStation 2. The collection includes a color-edit feature, and allows multiple players to play as same character. The retail edition also offers an in-depth series of options, allowing players to toggle features like random damage and breakable weapons. A similar "House Rules" system was announced for the digital release.

The digital version set for release this week is developed by Iron Galaxy, who previously produced arcade compilations like Darkstalkers Resurrection and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins. NeoGAF member toypop notes that the PlayStation 3 Blu-ray version of Chronicles of Mystara is developed by an internal Capcom team staffed by developers of the original Dungeons & Dragons arcade games.

The PlayStation 3 retail version of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara will launch in Japan this August. Capcom confirmed with Joystiq that the retail edition is exclusive to Japan, and is not scheduled for a North American release.

D&D: Chronicles of Mystara gets enhanced PS3 retail release in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo is working on a free-to-play version of Steel Diver, the 3DS launch title that served as a submarine simulator, shoot-em-up and strategy game, Nintendo executive Shigeru Miyamoto told IGN at E3. Nintendo will develop a fresh game, with new design, for the free-to-play version. Miyamoto didn't announce any platforms, but said Steel Diver will be available at retail along with the digital launch.

"There is something we're doing with the Steel Diver idea that I think is going to open things up with that game," he said. "It's going to be very fun. We're exploring from a perspective of where we can take that from a multiplayer standpoint - it's going to have this four-player battle mode that I think is going to be very interesting."

Nintendo was unsure about how to handle the free-to-play model, whether with microtransactions or subscriptions, but the team's main focus was to retain entertainment value, Miyamoto said. The free-to-play Steel Diver should pop up direct from Nintendo "relatively soon."

Last year during E3, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata noted (again) that the company wasn't interested in developing free-to-play games, but reassured investors that the Wii U supported that structure.

Steel Diver is Nintendo's first free-to-play game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After a rocky and disappointing first year, the 3DS has transformed into a juggernaut of Japanese RPGs, with developer Atlus leading the charge. This year alone, the company will have four first-person RPGs to its name: Etrian Odyssey IV, Soul Hackers, Shin Megami Tensei IV, and the upcoming Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl - not bad for such a relatively niche product.

The only issue comes from the fact that this particular subgenre rarely offers the accessibility of your typical Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, though Atlus hopes to remedy this issue when The Millenium Girl launches this fall.

Continue reading Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl is a friendlier remake

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millenium Girl is a friendlier remake originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Humble Bundle 6 lasts for two weeks and includes PC, Mac, Linux and Android versions of five games for the low, low price of "anything": Aquaria, Fractal, Organ Trail: Director's Cut, Stealth Bastard Deluxe and Pulse. Pulse is the outlier, available for Android only.

Pay more than the average and snag Frozen Synapse and Broken Sword: Director's Cut. Frozen Synapse is in late beta on Android and has some known issues, and it's best played on tablets, the developer notes. All games come with their respective soundtracks, too.

Currently the Humble Android Bundle's average is below $5, so act fast and get seven games for less than one single-digit piece of American money. Or, knowing that you can allocate your money among charity, the developers and Humble itself, you can pay the equivalent of a double-digit piece of money. Or triple-digit. All of these games would cost $95 separately, and it's safe to expect more additions before the sale ends in two weeks. Because that's how Humble Bundles roll.

Humble Bundle 6 adds Android to PC lineup: Aquaria, Stealth Bastard originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shadowrun Returns is scheduled to release for PC and tablets on July 25, a slight delay from developer Harebrained Schemes' original release window, which in itself was already a delay. Harebrained has also gone ahead and noted some highlights on its site from backers using the game's editing tools, which will ship with the game.

If you've missed checking out Shadowrun Returns, here's 20 minutes of footage.

'Shadowrun Returns' on July 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vlambeer founders Rami Ismail and Jan Willem Nijman didn't think Ridiculous Fishing would win an Apple Design Award. Sure, it was in the running, but it was a long shot, and they had other places to be during the ceremony at WWDC on June 10 (E3, anyone?). Just in case, they asked Ridiculous Fishing collaborator and indie extraordinaire Zach Gage to go to the show, and he did. In flip flops. And shorts. And Ridiculous Fishing won.

"Holy shit," Ismail laughed during our chat at E3. He was still getting over the fact that Ridiculous Fishing won an Apple Design Award, and that Gage collected it in what's commonly considered summer beach attire.

So far Ridiculous Fishing sales have hit the "hundreds of thousands," Ismail said, and after the Design Award, sales spiked again. Even Elijah Wood got hooked on Ridiculous Fishing - or, as Ismail put it, "The Hobbit played it!"

Continue reading Ridiculous Fishing creator reeling from Apple Design Award, talks TU

Ridiculous Fishing creator reeling from Apple Design Award, talks TU originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ampltude Studios' Endless Space will launch its first premium expansion, Disharmony, on June 26 through Steam. Publisher Iceberg Interactive will also have an English retail version - key-only box with 16 page artbook - two days later. The expansion is priced at 10 in both $ and € Earth currency forms.

The Disharmony expansion will add a new faction ("The Harmony") to the 4X strategy game, as well as new ship types, targeting and redesigned weapon systems, better AI, along with an "enhanced invasion mechanics."

Endless Space has sold over 300,000 copies and the developer has been quite generous with free add-ons, having done four since last year's July launch.

Endless Space: Disharmony settles on June 26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With all of the hubbub about next-gen at this year's E3, Earth Defense Force 2025 stood out as the product of an entirely different generation, one where wildly idiosyncratic Japanese-developed games both delighted and confused gamers willing to take a risk on untested and out-there concepts.

Technically, it's a complete mess, though I'm sure any fan of Earth Defense Force can tell you the series has never been known for its impeccable graphics or silky smooth action. Despite its rough edges in comparison to the polished Xbox One and PS4 games on display in the very same convention center, EDF 2025 still carries a unique charm.

Continue reading Earth Defense Force 2025 adds another cheesy chapter to D3's bug book

Earth Defense Force 2025 adds another cheesy chapter to D3's bug book originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grounding Inc's Crimson Dragon already had a lot in common with the Panzer Dragoon series. Given that it was under development by the same core team that worked on Panzer Dragoon, including creator Yukio Futatsugi, the similarities weren't exactly surprising.

After trying out the latest iteration of the game and speaking with Futatsugi at E3, it seems that any distinction between Crimson Dragon and Panzer Dragoon is nominal at most, especially now that Kinect is no longer a central feature. In the most vital of ways, this is a Panzer Dragoon game. As a longtime fan of the series, I can tell you that's a very good thing.

Continue reading Crimson Dragon is Panzer Dragoon with a side of laser-gravy

Crimson Dragon is Panzer Dragoon with a side of laser-gravy originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GOG.com, already home to hundreds of ridiculously cheap games, may be going a little bit crazy. The site is currently running a "#NoDRM" summer sale, discounting over 500 games, with most of them down to $5 or less. Then we have the really nutty deals like Alan Wake and Alan Wake's American Nightmare for $4.48 and several other games, like Torchlight, for free.

GOG.com summer sale: Free Torchlight, Alan Wake series for $4.48 and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam let six games and one piece of software through its Greenlight service last week during E3, granting each the ability to be distributed on the platform.

The greenlit games were Assetto Corsa by Kunos Simulazioni, DreadOut by Digital Happiness, Benjamin Hill's Ether One, GunZ 2: The Second Duel by MAIET Games, Stonehearth by Radiant Entertainment and Ben Falcone's first-person survival horror game for Oculus Rift, The Forest. Stonehearth, a sandbox strategy game, recently raised $751,920 on Kickstarter. Heaven Benchmark by Unigine was the lone piece of software that community approval last week.

Steam Greenlight sneaks out six more games, one more app originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though Mad Max has been a project spanning several years, going through several iterations in that time, Avalanche Studios CEO Christofer Sundberg claims it's not the game that was rumored in 2008.

God of War 2 lead Cory Barlog had reportedly gone to Avalanche Studios in 2010 to work on a Mad Max game, tied to a new movie. "I don't know what [Barlog] worked on before he started working with us," Sundberg told Polygon, "but when we worked together he wasn't on Mad Max."

Sundberg said the team has been in production on this Mad Max game for around 18 months, though it's been at Avalanche in some capacity for years now. "The game has gone through a series of iterations. We've been working for it for a couple years."

Mad Max is due in 2014, for PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. We saw the open-world action game game at E3 and caught up with our old hillbilly pal, Chumbucket.

Mad Max not Barlog's rumored project, says Avalanche CEO originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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