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New Hawken trailer tours the Facility, picks up slack

Image This latest Hawken trailer details the game's newest map, Facility, which is just one of many new additions recently applied to the game. As of press time, no mechs have been spotted wearing short skirts, long jackets or any combination of the two. ... Continue Reading

Battleblock Theater adds 'Rose' prisoner in honor of Mother's Day

Battleblock Theater adds 'Rose' prisoner in honor of Mother's DayMother's Day is tomorrow, in case you had forgotten, and to celebrate the Behemoth has released a new, limited engagement prisoner actor for its grand shows of bravery and daring do: Rose.

Anyone that logs into Xbox Live and boots up the full version of Battleblock Theater between now and Thursday, May 16 should receive Rose automatically. What you won't receive automatically, however, is a happy mama, so make sure and do something especially special for the special lady that made you special.

GOG adds 10 games for OSX: Guilty Gear, Rise of the Triad and more

GOG adds 10 games for OSX Guilty Gear, Rise of the Triad and more
GOG has added 10 more jams to its ever-growing list of OSX-compatible games, almost all of which have never been available on an Apple platform previously.

Mac folk running OSX 10.6.8 or newer can now partake in Syndicate Wars, Rise of the Triad: Dark War, Blade Stone: Planet Strike, Strike Commander, Slipstream 5000, Darklands and Litil Divil. Anyone with OSX 10.7 or newer can also pick up Evil Genius, the phenomenal Guilty Gear X2 #Reload and the experimental (for better or worse) Guilty Gear Isuka. As is typically the case at GOG, most of these games also include bonus goodies, ranging from digital manuals, to wallpapers and complete soundtracks.

Ascend: New Gods renamed to Ascend: Hand of Kul

Ascend New Gods renamed to Ascend Hand of Kul
Signal Studios' free-to-play asynchronous multiplayer XBLA strategy game Ascend: New Gods has had its name changed to Ascend: Hand of Kul. "A year has passed since our big unveil at E3 2012, and the New Gods are no longer 'new,'" as Signal Studios representative explains in a lighthearted update on PlayXBLA. "It was a tough decision, but during their board meeting in The Sanctum a couple of weeks ago, the New Gods decided to step down from power."

Aside from the fact that Hand of Kul is a "more story-centric name," no further explanation was given for the change. Well, no further real explanation. At any rate, please adjust your complicated, all-encompassing video game databases accordingly. Y'all have those too, right? It's not just us?

Rumor: Microsoft set-top box in prototype stage, supports Kinect

With the next Xbox reveal just ten days away, it's as good a time as ever to revisit a report that dates back to November 2012: Microsoft's reported interest in developing a set-top box, or "Xbox TV." Anonymous sources recently told the Wall Street Journal that Microsoft has come as far as producing working prototypes of said media device. Those prototypes reportedly work with Kinect, and are built to provide streaming services for viewers.

The Wall Street Journal also noted that it's unclear whether Microsoft will introduce the as-yet-unannounced device at all. We've contacted Microsoft for comment and will update as we learn more. In the meantime, we recommend that you take a ten-day nap, because the rampant speculation leading up to the Xbox reveal on May 21 probably won't go away.

$15,500 not enough for Sega Pluto prototype

$15,500 not enough for Sega Pluto prototype
Roger Vega (aka YouTube user kidvid666) continues to have trouble unloading his purported Sega Pluto prototype console, one of only two rumored to exist in the world. The auction, originally listed on eBay earlier this month, has ended with a final bid of $15,500 and its reserve price unmet. As such, no money will exchange hands and Vega's Pluto will stay where it is.

This is Vega's second attempt at selling the device. His first auction, listed on vintage gaming auction site GameGavel, also failed to meet its reserve with a high bid of $7,600.

It may seem odd that no one is willing to drop more than 15 large and some change on what may be the rarest game console in existence – especially considering how much people have paid in the past for other historical relics – but the world of gaming archeology is more complicated than that. Since a Sega Pluto had never been seen in the flesh until a few weeks ago, one has subsequently never been sold at auction before, and therefore there's no established perception of the device's market value.

Also, removing the Sega Pluto from its pedestal will trigger a giant spherical boulder to drop from the ceiling and chase whoever wins the auction, which could be a bit of a deterrent.

Super Mario Bros 2 coming to Wii U Virtual Console next week


Super Mario Bros. 2 is coming to the North American Wii U Virtual Console service on May 16. The game will launch at $4.99.

Super Mario Bros. 2 joins a fairly light list of games on the Wii U Virtual Console, including those that launched the service in April, such as Excitebike, Ice Climbers, Punch Out and Super Mario World. Earthbound will be coming to the service at some point this year as well.

Get Black Ops 2 for $40, Trials Evolution for $15 on Steam this weekend

Steam's deals for this weekend are action-packed, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is 33 percent off ($40.19), while the Deluxe Edition also on sale for $53.59 until May 13. Early birds can play the game for free until 1pm Pacific on Sunday.

Trials Evolution is also part of the weekend sale, as the game's Gold Edition is 25 percent off ($14.99) until May 13. The special edition of the game also includes the single-player tracks and skill games from Trials HD.

SyFy renews Defiance for a second season

The SyFy network has picked up Defiance for a second season. Production on the 13-episode season will begin in August in Toronto, and is expected to air in 2014.

The show also has a companion MMO of the same name by Trion Worlds. It's a popular one at that, as it recently saw its millionth user sign up to play. Plus, Defiance will receive five DLC releases this year, so things are looking up for fans of both the game and the show.

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Dragon's Crown introduces the Amazon

Image Atlus released the sixth character trailer for Dragon's Crown today, and it features the Amazon - remember when you saw that word and thought of female warriors rather than online deals? What this Amazon lacks in outerwear (or anywear), she makes up for with brute strength. ... Continue Reading

Khaleesi, Sims 3 Dragon Valley is available May 30


It is known that The Sims 3 Dragon Valley will hatch on May 30. The digitally distributed expansion will add a new location, architecture and dragons to the franchise. Not big dragons, but baby dragons. "Pet dragons," according to EA. A DRAGON IS NOT A SLAVE!

Say what you will about all these expansions, but it's pretty clear now that by the time The Sims 4 launches in the first quarter of next year, The Sims 3 will conclude with an amazing collection of colorful expansions – and hopefully be sold in an incredibly discounted bundle. Sim hipster werewolves playing in the snow with their pet dragon while on college break? Sure!

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Infinite Crisis profiles speedy hero The Flash

Image The Flash, who unlocked his abilities through expert use of the sciences, will use his super speed as a passive damage boost in Infinite Crisis, allowing him to increase his output the more he moves around. He can also steal enemy movement speed, increasing his own. ... Continue Reading

GOG.com adventure game sale offers cheap thrills

Need some more adventure in your life? GOG.com has you covered, knocking 60 percent off a dozen adventure games. Notable games include The Longest Journey, Blackwell, Botanicula, Gemini Rue, Machinarium, To the Moon and, for some reason, Incredipede.

With the exception of Miasmata, Dreamfall and the Blackwell bundle, which are $5.99 apiece, all the games are $3.99 each. The sale ends Tuesday morning at 11:59 ET.

WRUP: Where do Sims go from here?

EA The Sims 4 is a 'singleplayer offline experience'
The SIms 4 was announced this week for early 2014. With The Sims 3 such a robust experience and still going full steam ahead, what type of original expansions can the next installment in mega franchise come up with? The Sims 4: Arctic Survival? Lunar Expedition? Noir Detective?

What's everyone playing this weekend?

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Wii Street U gets emotional, adds Miiverse support

Wii Street U gets emotional, adds Miiverse support
The Wii U's Google-powered maps app, Wii Street U, has just received an update, allowing users to take pictures of places and upload them to the Miiverse. The Wii Street U app launched in February as a free download on the Nintendo eShop.

Once uploaded, you can add emotional tags to your images, to better describe the place in question. Phrases like "amazing," "fun" and "scary" can be used – the latter coming in especially handy the next time you upload a pic of the robot band at Chuck E. Cheese's, we imagine.

Command & Conquer hoping to 'wash the stain of C&C 4 away'

Image Electronic Arts and developer Victory Games really, really want you to know that the upcoming, free-to-play Command & Conquer is a legit game. To get back to the roots of what made C&C the franchise it was, the new game is doing its best to make us forget the last ... five years. ... Continue Reading

The aging horror of Kenji Eno's D

This is Making Time, a column about the games we've always wanted to play, and the games we've always wanted to play again.


The inspiration to whip up a new column about an old game can come from anywhere, even a sad loss for the video game industry. In February, upon hearing about the death of Kenji Eno, I scanned Amazon and eBay for copies of his games, thinking I might write them up in remembrance, but ultimately never pulled the trigger on a purchase.

Two months later, I walk into a recently-opened used game shop (named ThrillHouse, if you can believe it), and what should I see under the glass? A boxed Sega Saturn copy of Kenji Eno's D in great condition, the creepy cover just as effective now as it was seventeen years ago. I gladly paid $30 for it.

Having played it for the first time since I was thirteen, D isn't as scary as I remember. While it isn't a very good game, I still find myself enjoying the experience.

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Shadow Warrior resurrected by Hard Reset developer

Shadow Warrior resurrected by Hard Reset dev, Flying Wild Hog
Flying Wild Hog, the developer behind sci-fi shooter Hard Reset, is resurrecting Shadow Warrior, with Devolver Digital set to publish.

In a reveal on Flying Wild Hog's Facebook page, the developer calls Shadow Warrior a "total reimagining." A teaser site featuring the first look at the new title has also appeared online; however, no other details have been revealed.

Shadow Warrior originally launched in 1997, created by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive. Upon its release, the shooter/slasher was heavily criticized for perceived Asian stereotypes and racial profiling. An iOS re-release was issued late last year.

EA executives Andrew Wilson, Stephen Bene unload stocks

Two of Electronic Arts' top-level executives have collectively unloaded a total of 57,085 stocks, following a general increase in EA's stock value after this week's Star Wars exclusivity announcement. According to SEC forms filed yesterday, EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson has sold his entire stake in the company: 32,085 shares at $21.42 a pop, for a grand total of $687,260.70.

EA senior vice president and General Counsel Stephen Bene followed suit, today exercising an option to buy 25,000 shares from EA at $16.06 per share for $401,500 in total, well below the current market value. Bene then sold those shares for $22.40 each, making $560,000. After subtracting the amount originally spent when the option to buy the shares was exercised, Bene made a net profit of $158,500. Unlike Wilson, Bene is still in possession of 6,700 shares of EA, according to SEC documents.

Nine minutes of Shadow of the Eternals gameplay revealed


Precursor Games has released nine minutes of gameplay footage from its CryEngine 3-powered horror-adventure game Shadow of the Eternals, giving a very thorough look at an early work-in-progress scene.

Pitched as a spiritual successor to Silicon Knights' GameCube cult hit Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Precursor's Shadow of the Eternals seeks backer support in an ongoing crowd-funding campaign. Backers have pledged over $134,000 toward Precursor's goal of $1.5 million, with 27 days left in the studio's funding campaign.

Developer Precursor Games purchased game assets and hardware from the now semi-defunct Silicon Knights, and several former SK staffers, including Eternal Darkness director Denis Dyack, have joined Precursor's team for the project.

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