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0 CommentsEve Online players receive 50,000 skill points after server downtime
By Jenna Pitcher at 12:08a 06.05.13
CCP has given Eve Online players 50,000 unallocated skill points following the company taking Eve Online and Dust 514 servers offline for two days over the weekend due to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, according to an update on the Eve Online website.
"Last weekend EVE experienced its longest downtime in quite a while and as a result CCP has decided to give everyone 50,000 unallocated skill points," the update states. "The cause of the downtime was a malicious attack on our servers but nevertheless we want to make sure that all our players walk away with uninterrepted skill training plans."
The skill points were allocated to all active accounts today during the roll-out of Eve Online's Odyssey expansion; however, trial accounts will not receive skill points. CCP notes...
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0 CommentsGuacamelee costume DLC delayed due to Pollo Power patch bug
By Jenna Pitcher on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Developer DrinkBox Studios has discovered a game progression-blocking error in Guacamelee's "Pollo Power" patch that was due to go live today alongside the game's new costume downloadable content, resulting in the studio pulling the patch and DLC from going live on the PlayStation Store until the issue is resolved.
The Pollo Power patch, which the costume DLC is dependent on, lets PlayStation 3 players switch between Juan and Tostada via the game's checkpoints and gives PlayStation Vita users the choice to play as Tostada. The Costume DLC includes three skill altering costumes for the two characters: chicken Pollo Luchador, Identity Swap and The Skeleton.
"If you had a game saved after obtaining the 'Pollo Power,' downloading and installing the patch will cause you to be unable to...
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1 CommentDC Entertainment to unleash Batman: Arkham Origins interactive comic adaption
By Jenna Pitcher on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
DC Entertainment plans to release an interactive digital comic based on Batman: Arkham Origins using its new DC2 Multiverse interactive digital comic product, the company announced.
Revealed at the opening of Time Warner's "The Future of Storytelling" exhibition at the Time Warner Medialab in New York, DC2 Multiverse digital comics layer "dynamic artwork" onto traditional panels. The digital comics will allow readers to alter the story's outcome through selecting characters, storylines and plot developments. According to DC, each chapter of a comic has "dozens of possible story outcomes."
The digital comic titled Batman: Arkham Origins, based on the upcoming video game of the same name, will use DC2 Multiverse. While DC2 Multiverse features dynamic artwork and the "choose your own...
Former IGN editor joins Chair
By Colin Campbell on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Games journalism veteran and former IGN editor-in-chief Hilary Goldstein is joining Chair Entertainment as integrated media manager.
The Epic Games-owned company is best known for its Infinity Blade games on iOS and for 2009 Xbox 360 platformer Shadow Complex. Chair, based in Salt Lake City, says it's planning to reveal its next game later in 2013.
Goldstein worked at IGN for ten years, before leaving in 2011. Following a stint at Wikia, he freelanced as a consultant for various games publishers and has published two comic-book series.
He told Polygon that his experience as a journalist and editor will help him to connect fans of Chair's games with the company's activities. "There's quite a bit of overlap with working for a big games site. I'll be creating the stories that people...
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5 CommentsBasement Crawl announced for PlayStation 4
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Polish developer Bloober Team will release its next title, Basement Crawl, as a PlayStation 4 launch title.
No other details about the game were provided to Polygon, aside from the concept art above. Previously, the developer worked on titles such as logic-based platformer PlayStation Vita title A-Men, arcade game Double Bloob and tower defense title Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder.
According to the company's website, the development team specializes in 2D games.
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10 CommentsHumble Indie Bundle 8 adds four games to its lineup
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Four more games have been added to the latest Humble Indie Bundle, bringing the pay-what-you-want package to a total of 11 titles.
Humble Indie Bundle 8 buyers can now pick up Tiny and Big in Grandpa's Leftovers, Intrusion 2, English Country Tune and Oil Rush by beating the average sale price — around $5.66 at the time of this posting. Those who've already purchased the bundle will get all four games and their soundtracks for free.
With the four new titles, the bundle's regular value is more than $150.
The Humble Indie Bundle 8 launched last week with Hotline Miami, Awesomenauts, Dear Esther, Proteus, Capsized, Thomas Was Alone and Little Inferno, as well as six soundtracks. The sale ends Tuesday, June 11.
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0 CommentsFirefall’s final public beta starts June 7
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Firefall, Red 5 Studios' massively multiplayer, free-to-play shooter, will enter its final public beta Friday, June 7, the developer announced via press release.
Following tester feedback, the latest beta includes new locations and missions, updated progression and crafting systems, new abilities and improved targeting. Firefall's public beta will run for three days and includes a special contest that gifts winners high-end gear and a special unlock, the Infiltrator Nightvision Goggles.
Public betas began in January of this year, and Firefall's open beta kicks off July 9. The Founder's Pack, which includes permanent XP and squad bonuses, in-game currency and more, will be available until July 8.
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29 CommentsReport: Wii U basic model being removed from GameStop stock on June 18
By Michael McWhertor on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
The Wii U's basic model, the white version of the console that comes with 8 GB of storage, may soon be a thing of the past. According to a report on Kotaku, retailer GameStop has notified employees that existing Wii U Basic Set hardware will be "recalled" on Tuesday, June 18.
That's one week after Nintendo holds a Nintendo Direct broadcast timed with E3 2013 and a Wii U "software showcase" at the expo where it's likely we'll learn more about the company's plans for its underperforming console.
When contacted for comment about the GameStop recall, a Nintendo spokesperson told Polygon, "We do not comment on our business practices with retailers."
The Wii U Basic Set retails for $299.99 in the U.S. and comes with 8 GB of storage. A Deluxe model, which comes in black, boasts 32 GB of...
Translated Japanese Dark Souls art book set for U.S. launch
By Colin Campbell on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
A hardback art book featuring the environments, weapons and inhabitants of From Software's much-loved RPG Dark Souls is due to be launched in North America in October.
Licensed and translated by Toronto-based Udon Entertainment, Dark Souls: Design Works includes interviews with game director Hidetaka Miyazaki as well as a selection of the fantasy-combat game's artists.
The 128-page full-color art book (8.25" wide x 11.75" long) will be priced at $39.99. Amazon is currently offering a pre-order price of $28.91.
Udon marketing manager Chris Butcher told Polygon, "North American gamers really connected with Dark Souls. Its dark, creepy edge appeals to people. You can see how much effort the game's creators put into making a world that players would be curious to explore."
He...
Android developers offered cut to sell controllers
By Colin Campbell on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
Game developers are being asked to increase the use of Android TV-connectivity and controllers through an affiliate program organized by Green Throttle.
Developers have been invited to feature ready-made ads and banners in their Android games, in exchange for between 10 percent and 20 percent commission on sales. Green Throttle's Atlas controller sells for $39.95 for a standalone unit and $79.95 for a two-controller package that comes with a TV adaptor.
Zach Fuller, a spokesperson for Green Throttle told Polygon, "Adapting games for Android-based devices like Ouya and GameStick, and for controllers like Green Throttle Atlus is becoming more common for developers, especially if the games lend themselves to controllers. It makes sense for players to connect their mobile devices directly...
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9 CommentsDuckTales Remastered heading to Windows PC this summer
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
DuckTales Remastered, Capcom and Disney's revival of the classic NES game, will be available for Windows PC this summer, Capcom announced.
The game will be available via Steam, Origin, Impulse, GamersGate, Green Man Gaming and more for $14.99. DuckTales is expected to launch for PC "within or around the same window" as its other platforms.
DuckTales Remastered was announced in March for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network for $14.99 and Wii U's eShop for $15. The game will feature hand-drawn sprites and a 3D world, as well as remastered 8-bit songs. Check out the video below from IGN for a side-by-side comparison of the original game and its current version.
Don't miss our interview with Capcom on how it plans to balance the game's nostalgia with modern mechanics.
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7 CommentsSpyParty beta launches today
By Dave Tach on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
The open beta for SpyParty, Chris Hecker's "espionage game about subtle behavior, performance, perception, and deception," launched today with sign-ups available through the game's official website.
Accessing the beta costs $15, which will also get beta testers a copy of the game when it ships. The open beta for the Windows PC version follows a closed beta that focused on load testing for the asymmetric multiplayer game. Hecker told Polygon that he'd been working on the beta "until the last possible second" before it launched today.
"This is it, finally!" Hecker wrote on the official website. "The SpyParty Early-Access Beta is now open to everyone. No more signing up with your email and waiting years for your invite. No more watching streams and Let's Play videos but not being able...
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21 CommentsRussian hacker creates an unauthorized PC port of The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile, justifies it as a 'restoration of justice'
By Dave Tach on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
A Russian hacker who goes by "Barabus" created an unauthorized Windows PC version of Ska Studios' Xbox 360 game The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile and released it last week, characterizing his actions as a "restoration of justice" in a comment on Indie Statik.
Ska Studios released the side-scrolling beat-em-up The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile in April 2011 for Xbox Live Arcade. Barabus wrote (via Google Translate) in the GameDev.ru forums that the "authors are not very nice to publish the game exclusively for the Xbox 360, making it impossible for PC gamers to play in such a great game."
While acknowledging that piracy "is bad," Barabus denied that his actions constitute piracy because Ska Studios have ignored the PC and that the developers therefore weren't losing money.
"On the other...
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5 CommentsBoardwalk Arcade featuring classic arcade games opens July 6
By Dave Tach on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
The Boardwalk Arcade, part of the National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., will open July 6 and feature historic boardwalk and arcade games, according to organizers.
Through Sept. 8, the Boardwalk Arcade will feature the old-school arcade games Donkey Kong, Cruis'n USA, Pop Cycle, STUN, and Warrior. Fix It Felix Jr., a game and arcade cabinet based on the game that appears in the animated film Wreck-It Ralph and created by Walt Disney Animation Studios, will also be at the Boardwalk.
In addition to the Boardwalk Arcade, the National Museum of Play will also host Atari by Design: From Concept to Creation through Sept. 8. The show, which began on June 22, hosts exhibits about many early Atari games, including Gauntlet, Red Baron and Street Fighter.
You can learn more about the...
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9 CommentsSerious games sector growing, but commercial demand remains untested
By Samit Sarkar on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
The ever-expanding game industry is increasingly making room for games on serious real-life topics like social and economic issues, although those titles' commercial viability remains unclear, reports the New York Times.
Atypical games like last year's contemplative desert adventure Journey, from thatgamecompany, occasionally attain mainstream success, but they're the exception to the norm — both in terms of the nature of the games themselves and their potential for widespread popularity. While Journey was published by Sony Computer Entertainment, most major publishers remain unwilling to take risks on these kinds of games because of a perception that there's a limited audience for them.
Serious games, for now, tend to be the domain of indie developers. The Times spoke with Borut...
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3 CommentsStarCraft 2's Spawning system launches today, unlocks content for Starter Edition players
By Dave Tach on Jun 04, 2013 06.04.13
StarCraft 2, Blizzard's spacefaring real-time strategy game, will receive a new Spawning feature today that allows players who own the full game to play with those who don't, according to a post on Battle.net.
With Spawning, those who download StarCraft 2's Starter Edition — a free, feature limited version of the RTS — will be able to join parties and play content that was previously available only to those who own the full version. They're "Spawned up" as long as they remain in the party.
"For example, when a Starter Edition player joins a party with a Wings of Liberty-level player, both are instantly playing Wings of Liberty," the post reads. "When those two players then join a party with a Heart of the Swarm-level player, they all immediately gain access to Heart of the Swarm...
