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Telemundo, Neon Alley channel apps available now on Xbox Live

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Entertainment apps for TV network Telemundo and anime platform Neon Alley are now available for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace, Major Nelson announced via his blog today. Telemundo, which broadcasts only in Spanish, will feature soap opera "novelas" and shows such as Caso Cerrago, 12 Corazones, La Patrona and more. Neon Alley plays uncut and English-dubbed anime in HD. The channel will feature exclusive North America premieres as well as news. Both apps are compatible with Kinect. Neon Alley requires both a Gold membership and a $6.99 subscription after a limited-time one-week free trial. Telemundo and Neon Alley are available under the app section.
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Telltale’s DC Comic Fables game still in production, will use a different name

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

The Walking Dead developer Telltale Games is still hard at work on an episodic game based off the DC Comic Fables, but the game will be sold under a different name, CEO and co-founder Dan Connors told IGN. Speaking with the publication during the DICE Summit last week, Connors explained that the team is still "hammering" out details on the game. "We're based on the property, but we'll have a new name," Connors said. "We haven't announced it yet. We're still hammering it out. We want to make sure that people know it's associated with the DC comic and Bill's work and everything else. It's delicate. But it won't be called Fables." Fables is Bill Willingham's comic series about characters from folklore who have been forced out of their homes and now reside in New York City. The series...
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GDC hosting talks about Dishonored, Journey, Wii U development and NASA

By Dave Tach on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

GDC 2013 will host talks about Dishonored, Journey, Wii U development and NASA's first game, according to a press release from the show's organizers. In a talk called "Empowering the Player in a Story-Rich World: Co-Directing Dishonored," Arkane Studios' co-creative directors Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith will discuss design principles as they relate to story, audio and visuals. In "Designing Journey," representatives from thatgamecompany (our bet is on co-founder Jenova Chen) will discuss the game's three-year development process and the lessons learned along the way. Nintendo will hold two talks, one about adding Miiverse support to games and the other about developing Wii U software with HTML and JavaScript. Representatives from NASA will also be in attendance to speak about...
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BBC program names Media Molecule's Siobhan Reddy as one of the UK's most powerful women

By Dave Tach on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Siobhan Reddy, LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway developer Media Molecule's studio director, is one of the U.K.'s 100 most powerful women, according to the BBC radio program Woman's Hour. According to the program's official website, Reddy's inclusion on the list of "movers and shakers who shape the way we live today" ranks her among Queen Elizabeth II, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Victoria Beckham. A panel of female journalists, authors and a minister of parliament compiled the Power List. "Thank you!! So incredibly surprised & honoured to be on #womenshourpowerlist," Reddy wrote on Twitter in response to a tweet congratulating her. A South African native, Reddy moved to the U.K. at 18. She co-founded the Guildford, U.K.-based Media Molecule in 2006 after a stint at Criterion...
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Halo 2 PC multiplayer support extended through June, 343 investigating 'further support options'

By Dave Tach on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Halo 2's Windows PC multiplayer support will extend through June and Halo 4 developer 343 Industries is investigating "further support options," according to a tweet from David Ellis, a designer at 343. A Halo Waypoint community manager announced last month that the multiplayer servers would be taken down this Friday, Feb. 15. The developer made the decision after months of monitoring, which revealed that player activity peaked "consistently at approximately 20 players or less." The multiplayer component of Halo 2's Xbox counterpart shut down in April 2010. In an interview last November, Xbox co-creator Kevin Bachus credited the company's cooperation with Bungie and Halo 2's launch in 2004 with shaping the future of the Xbox Live service. According to Bachus, their work was...
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Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 getting worldwide console demos

By Dave Tach on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, CyberConnect2's upcoming anime-styled fighting game, will arrive as a demo Feb. 19 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Europe and Australia and at an undetermined date in North America, according to a pair of tweets on the publisher's official U.K. Twitter account and a confirmation from a Namco Bandai representative. The publisher announced in early January that CyberConnect2's supersaturated fighting game, which includes over 80 combatants culled from the Naruto Shippuden anime series, is set for a March 5 release in North America. A demo is also headed to Japan on Feb. 19, according to a post on the game's official Facebook page. "No word on a North American demo at this time, although we wouldn't be surprised if it also releases on the same...
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Serious Sam Double D XXL gun diary gives the lowdown on weapons

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 4:00p 02.12.13

Serious Sam Double D XXL's latest Gun Diary offers a look at the game's weapon system and choices. There are four upgrades available for eight different gun types, though the video only covers two weapons and four upgrades. A Tommy gun by itself might not be impressive, but with updates like the Death Adder, it's a powerful weapon that's perfect for taking on thick crowds. Another upgrade, the Turret Tosser, will create a turret and fill it with Tommy gun ammo. Turrets will auto-target enemies for easy dispatching. The Laser gun is another powerful option, and with the Health Leech upgrade, players can suck the life out of enemies. Upgrading the Laser gun with the Electrostatic Orb, on the other hand, will arm players with powerful electrical energy. Check out the video above to see...
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Creat Studios' Germinator launching March 5 on PS3, coming to PS Vita later

By Samit Sarkar at 3:42p 02.12.13

Germinator launches March 5 on PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network and will be available on PlayStation Vita afterward, developer Creat Studios announced today on the PlayStation Blog. The puzzle game features a 75-level campaign. The story justification for the bubble-popping action is that Germinator tasks the player with quarantining a suburban disease outbreak; that's accomplished by destroying germs of the same color that grow and stick together on the screen. Germinator also includes 75 Puzzle mode levels, an unlimited Arcade level and two-player local multiplayer gaming. According to Scott Hyman, vice president of publishing at Creat Studios, the PS Vita version of Germinator will be released "in the coming weeks." When asked in the comments of the PlayStation Blog post if...
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God of War: Ascension video offers an inside look 'at vo-mocap'

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

A new God of War: Ascension video gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at "vo-mocap," Sony Santa Monica's motion capture procedure. The video features actors Jennifer Hale (Lysandra), T.C Carson (Kratos) and Troy Baker (Orkos) suited up and on-set to act out scenes from the game. After their performance is through, the cinematic animators take the footage and recreate it within the game. According to a post from producer Ariel Lawrence, vo-mocap is great because it allows voice actors to work together. "Delivery, timing, and efforts all come more naturally because the actors are able to play off of each other," Lawrence wrote. "They see how far apart they are from each other physically. They can watch emotions play out on each other's faces and respond appropriately. They can...
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Bungie's Destiny reveal coming Feb. 17

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Bungie will officially reveal details on its upcoming sci-fantasy, action shooter Destiny on Feb. 17 via its Facebook page, the company announced. Little information is currently known about the game, other than what was leaked last November through an advertising document. The game is described as a "fun and accessible" shooter with elements as "deep, tangible and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise." Reports at the time placed the game for a 2013 release on Xbox 360 and Microsoft's next-gen console,with future games being released on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. A new Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube page have been created for Destiny, as well as a new forum on Bungie's site.
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Kickstarter is wearing itself out, says Gas Powered Games CEO

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Gas Powered Games CEO Chris Taylor is "a little more on the cynical side" when it comes to Kickstarter and thinks the platform is "starting to wear itself out," VentureBeat reports. Taylor recently spoke at the Casual Connect event in Europe, where he touched on the company's experience with recently canceled Kickstarter, Wildman. "It's a numbers game," Taylor said. "Someone has lightning in a bottle. This business is really, really tough. It's turning into a lottery business, unless you work 12 hours a day, seven days a week and study gaming for decades." According to Taylor, the "heyday" of gamemaking has passed. "There was a heyday in the 1990s where you could burst in the door of a publisher and you could get a contract," Taylor said. "You blew your budget anyway, and they dealt...
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Revolution DLC hits PSN, PC Feb. 28

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 1:18p 02.12.13

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's latest downloadable content, Revolution, will be available for PlayStation Network and Windows PC users on Feb. 28, Activision announced today via press release. Revolution includes four new multiplayer maps — Hydro, Grind, Downhill and Mirage — as well as a new zombie level called Die Rise. The DLC also includes a new mode called Turned, where players take on the role of zombies rather than soldiers, and a weapon called the Peacekeeper. Revolution was already released for Xbox 360 on Jan. 29. The DLC will be available as a standalone pack for $14.99 or free with a Season Pass purchase. Those who pick up a Season Pass, priced $49.99, also get the Nuketown Zombies map and an in-game calling card for free.
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Wargaming.net League announced for World of Tanks competitive play with $2.5M prize pool

By Samit Sarkar on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

World of Tanks developer Wargaming.net is entering the eSports fray with the formation of the Wargaming.net League, the company announced today. Wargaming.net is planning to launch its new eSports league in the first quarter of 2013. The company will run it in the traditional eSports format, with regional tournaments and playoffs that whittle down the player base to a select few who will compete in a Grand Finals event. The Wargaming.net League will feature a total prize pool of $2.5 million for the 2013 season of play. "Running our own eSports league allows us to truly focus on making World of Tanks not only a compelling and challenging eSports discipline, but also one that's incredibly entertaining for spectators," said Andrei Yarantsau, VP of global operations at Wargaming.net, in...
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ESA and California Attorney General partnering for Los Angeles digital education project

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

The Entertainment Software Association is partnering with California Attorney General Kamala Harris to bring a new online educational program to Los Angeles public high schools, the organization announced today. The ESA Digital Living Project will be powered by education technology company EverFi. The program's goal is to educate students in technology, and will use "instructional designs," simulations and other media to teach them the necessary skills sets to effectively and safely use it. The organization will release more information on the Digital Living Project this Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m. PT. in a media-only event held at the Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnet High School in Los Angeles. Attorney General Harris, ESA senior vice president Erik Huey and EverFi COO Tammy...
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World of Tanks developers talking with Day 1 about Reign of Thunder mech game

By Brian Crecente on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

World of Tanks developer Wargaming.net hasn't quite decided yet what to do with Day 1 Studios' free-to-player mech combat game Reign of Thunder, the publisher's founder tells Polygon. Free-to-play combat king Wargaming.net purchased Chicago-based Day 1 Studios last month for $20 million, renaming the studio Wargaming West. The official Reign of Thunder website powered down "for now," thanking supporters. At the time, the newly named studio said it would be focusing exclusively on the development of an "unannounced console title." Speaking with Polygon during last week's DICE summit, Wargaming.net founder Victor Kislyi said they purchased Day 1 because "they have great console experience and they have an engine which is multiplatform." While the company is hard at work on the...
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Rayman creator and development team protest Rayman Legends launch delay

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Feb 12, 2013 02.12.13

Rayman creator Michel Ancel along with members of the Rayman Legends development team are protesting Ubisoft's decision to delay the game's launch to September, according to a photo shared by Zelda Informer writer Daniel Switzer on Twitter. The photo above shows Ancel holding a poster bearing a drawing of Rayman crying, the speech bubble from his mouth begging, "Please." The text surrounding the character states, "Release Rayman, support Ubisoft Montpelier." The background of the poster includes crowds holding banners bearing Ancel's name, "Wii U," "Rayman" and the game's original European release day of Feb. 28. In conjunction with the company's annual earnings report last week, Ubisoft chief marketing and sales officer Geoffroy Sardin announced that Rayman Legends, previously a Wii...