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Clementine 'definitely a part of' The Walking Dead Season 2

Clementine returns in season 2 of Telltale's The Walking Dead
Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors told San Diego Comic-Con panel attendees that The Walking Dead darling Clementine "will definitely be a part of" the game's second season. Likewise, the fate of another character, Kenny, "will be explored."

Further details concerning Season 2 were not offered. The Walking Dead: 400 Days was released this month and served as a short bridge into the next season.

Velocity Ultra: One tiny ship's journey through hyperspace

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

Velocity Ultra One tiny ship's journey through hyperspace
Shoot-'em-ups often cater to a hardcore niche, so it's encouraging to see developer FuturLab take an alternate approach to the genre with its recent PlayStation Vita release Velocity Ultra. The finished product effectively blends its core shoot-'em-up mechanics with puzzle elements, resulting in a novel experience.

Velocity Ultra resembles a typical vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up on its surface. Players blast enemy ships on the way through each timed level, rescuing survivors in order to boost scores and post-stage rankings. The timer gives the game a frantic pace, but it's never so strict as to make gameplay frustrating. If you don't care about your rank on the leaderboards, you can casually stroll through the majority of the game's levels with more than enough time left over.

Giving the player control over pacing is a brilliant move, and Velocity Ultra encourages new strategies as its challenges ramp up in ferocity. Each level scrolls at a leisurely pace by default, but if you're the competitive (or over-caffeinated) type, you can hammer on the Vita's right shoulder button to engage hyperspeed and scream through every level as quickly as possible. It's a risky decision, but it pays off in the form of post-level accolades and unlockable trophies.

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Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational PS3 drives onto PSN next week [update]


Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational drops onto PS3 in next week's PSN update in North America, a treat for those awaiting the console port of the Vita game. Publisher Sony Computer Entertainment quietly mentioned a while ago the PS3 version, released in Japan last year, was in the works for the west. Similarly quietly, this week's PlayStation Blogcast spills the beanies on the arcade golfer's PSN arrival - there's no news of a physical version.

In Japan the PS3 port, which supports cross-platform play, features additions including two new characters, two new courses, and two new modes, including one completely devoted to those short-but-sweet Par 3 holes. We'll keep our ears to the fairways for further details on the western version.

Update: World Invitational PS3 will cost $19.99, a PlayStation Blog post reveals. It also notes the PS3 version offers local multiplayer for up to four, features PlayStation Move support, and downloadable content is cross-buy between the two versions. As per the Japanese version, cross-platform online play is available too. Finally, Europe is getting the PS3 version next week too, where it'll be priced €14.99/£11.99.

JAW crowdsourcing Mudokon voices for Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty

Conversation with the various denizens of Oddworld has been a staple of the series since it began back in 1997, when Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee's GameSpeak engine made farting in a video game easier than ever. There were also important gameplay uses for the system, and it served as a vital cornerstone in establishing the charm and character of the game's universe by giving voice and personality to its NPCs.

Now, developer Just Add Water wants to give your voice and personality to the Mudokons in its forthcoming remake, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee New 'n' Tasty. Throwing your voice into the ring is relatively easy, provided you've got the right gear: A "decent microphone," an audio capture device capable of recording at 24bit/96kHz, some noiseless/feedback-free cables and a Soundcloud account.

A short script of required phrases has been posted on Just Add Water's official blog – once your takes been recorded, they are to be uploaded to your Soundcloud account as .wav files (remember those?) and shared with the official Oddworld account. The deadline for submissions is next Friday, July 26.

June NPD: 3DS still on top, Ouya sales 'light' [update]

June NPD 3DS still on top, Ouya sales 'light'
The NPD Group has published its monthly report outlining the performance of the physical sector of the video games retail market, with unsurprising results with respect to both the industry's overall performance and which games sold the most between June 2 and July 6. Nintendo's 3DS remained the best-selling piece of hardware for its second month in a row with "nearly 225,000" units sold according to Nintendo, while the Xbox 360 held its spot as the best-selling home console by moving 140,000 units.

The overall industry brought in $593.3 million from the sale of hardware, software and accessories (read: Skylanders toys and digital currency giftcards) at brick and mortar retail locations. This was a 15 percent year-over-year decrease from the $700.6 million the industry brought in during the same period in 2012.

The hardware sales segment and its collectively accumulated $142 million suffered the most severe year-over-year loss out of the three subsections, down by 30 percent from last year's $201.5 million.

June was also the first month of availability for the Ouya, the Kickstarter-funded Android microconsole that kicked off a growing craze for Kickstarter-funded Android microconsoles. "Retail sales for Ouya (not counting direct sales through ouya.tv) and were relatively light for a new console," an NPD analyst Liam Callahan said in a statement. "This may be due to the lack of a major marquee title driving consumers to seek out the console, low awareness due to Ouya being a new brand, or low inventory volume due to manufacturing constraints."

The period's 10 best-selling games were lead by three different console exclusives: The Last of Us, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and the physical SKU for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition. New physical sales of console and portable games in general were down 10 percent from last year, ringing up $296.1 million at the end of the period.

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Vita crawling with Worms Revolution Extreme in Q3 2013

Vita crawling with Worms Revolution Extreme in Q3 2013
Worms Revolution Extreme was announced for Vita today, and will launch on PSN in Q3 2013. The game will include a single-player campaign with 47 missions and 25 puzzles, with a series of environments such as "Sewer, Farmyard, Spooky, Beach, Mars, Funfair or Medieval."

Worms Revolution Extreme will also feature local and online multiplayer play for up to four players with Classic, Deathmatch and Forts modes. Lastly, the game will get a cross-gifting feature called Treasure Mode, which allows players to unlock up to ten "special gifts" by linking their Vitas to their PS3s. How Treasure Mode exactly works wasn't stated, though it's likely through the related PS3 game, Worms Revolution.

Retro City Rampage 'Retro+' graphics crash onto PS3, PS Vita

Those purty Retro+ graphics added last month to the PC version of Retro City Rampage have made their way to Theftropolis on the PS3 and PS Vita. The latest version is available on PSN now, bringing the PS3 and PS Vita versions of Retro City Rampage up to par with the PC version.

Retro+ ups the overall visual fidelity of Retro City Rampage by doubling on-screen color count and turning on dynamic soft shadows. Purists can take it the other way with "Rom City Rampage," a true 8-bit version of Retro City Rampage scaled down to mirror how the game would run on NES hardware. The final piece of this update increases the length of Retro City Rampage's trial version for all.

Coincidentally, Retro City Rampage is on sale for $5 right now across PC, PS Vita and PS3. The PS3 and PS Vita versions are cross-buy enabled.

FIFA 14 will have 19 'authentic' Brazilian teams

EA Sports announced that it reached licensing agreements with 19 soccer clubs in Brazil today, and will be bringing those teams to FIFA 14 this year. FIFA 13 had 20 Brazilian teams, but not all of them were exactly "real."

Unlike the English Premier League, Brazilian league team licenses are negotiated on a team-by-team basis. FIFA 14 will include 19 authentic teams, "meaning authentic kits, club name, crest and real players," an EA representative told Joystiq.

"However, unlicensed clubs can still feature in-game under our FIFPro license which enables us to use real player name/likeness," EA added. So of those 20 Brazilian teams in FIFA 13, a handful were unlicensed clubs. That means fully-licensed teams such as Internacional, Nautico and Ponte Preta in FIFA 14 were seen as I. Porto Alegre, N. Recife and P. Campinas in FIFA 13. "We call these clubs 'art generic' because an artist makes the kit/crest look very similar. Football fans know the difference," EA said.

FIFA 14 will only include clubs from the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A league (the top league of three within Brazil's professional soccer system) with the exception of Palmeiras, a popular team that was recently relegated to Serie B. EA does not have licensing agreements in place for use of team logos and kits for two Serie A teams that were in FIFA 13 and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2013, EC Bahia and SC Corinthians. The publisher is still in negotiations for "additional club and league licenses and will have more announcements to make." FIFA 14 is due out in North America on September 24, and will also come to PS4 and Xbox One later this year.

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Angry Birds: Star Wars forces its way onto consoles


Angry Birds: Star Wars is headed for every console in the galaxy, with courses plotted for North America on October 29, and globally November 1. The sci-fly crossover that came to smartphones, tablets, PC, and Mac last year will be remastered for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, Vita, and 3DS with 20 fresh levels exclusive to the new versions, along with new two-player co-operative and two-to-four player multiplayer modes.

The news follows the announcement of Angry Birds: Star Wars 2, which will bring the Star Wars prequels together with Skylanders-like toys when it launches for mobiles on September 19.

Dragon's Crown roaring into Europe

Dragon's Crown roaring into Europe
A NIS America newsletter in the Joystiq inbox says the publisher is bringing Vanillaware co-op hack-and-slash Dragon's Crown to Europe, although no further details were noted beyond a fall release window. The Vita and PS3 game, mixing the Muramasa and Odin Sphere studio's hand-painted visuals with a diverse array of brawling heroes, comes to North America on Atlus' shoulders August 6.

Special Edition of Indie Game: The Movie spooled up for July 24


A new version of Indie Game: The Movie, the 2012 documentary chronicling the lives of indie video game developers chasing their dreams, will be released on July 24.

This special edition will include 300+ minutes of footage, including over 100 minutes of never-before-seen film that will include epilogues for some of the developers featured in the film. The Team Meat fellers, prominently featured in the film, also provide some new commentary tracks, as do directors James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot.

The special Indie Game: The Movie will be available through Steam and the official site for $15, or for $5 if you already own the first version. If you pre-order now, a DVD boxed set is available for $59 (regularly $69), while the Blu-ray version is down to $69 from $89.

Boxed sets won't ship until August, at which point they'll revert to their full prices. Both DVD and Blu-ray special editions will be signed by the directors, include exclusive artwork from Edmund McMillen, and offer a code for the digital special edition. Indie Game: The Movie is currently available for streaming on Netflix Instant, as a rental or purchase on YouTube and, until July 22, a $2.99 purchase on Steam, thanks to the Steam Summer Sale.

Cloudberry Kingdom hits all major platforms starting July 30



Cloudberry Kingdom is a sadistic platformer with randomly generated levels, and it's not likely to be any easier on any particular console, so take your pick. It's coming to PSN on July 30, XBLA and Steam on July 31, and Wii U eShop no August 1, for $10 across the board. Later this year, Cloudberry Kingdom will hit Vita, too.

Cloudberry Kingdom has been on our radar since September, when developer Pwnee Studios showed off its hardcore gameplay. For something so cute, it can get absolutely masochistic - that's the hardest gameplay mode. The game has a unique AI system that generates new levels on each run-through, three game modes, up to four-player co-op and multiplayer, a level creator, 10 heroes and voice acting by Hercules himself, Kevin Sorbo.

Cloudberry Kingdom is up for pre-order now on PSN, discounted to $8 as part of the PlayStation Store PLAY campaign.

No plans for Ultra Street Fighter 4 on Wii U, Xbox One, PS4

Capcom No plans for Ultra Street Fighter 4 on Wii U, Xbox One, PS4
Ultra Street Fighter 4 is not yet planned for Wii U, Xbox One or PS4. Responding to fan inquiries on Twitter, Street Fighter series producer Yoshinori Ono said Capcom has no plans to pursue any platforms beyond Xbox 360, PS3 and PC for the fighting game's latest incarnation.

Ono has been quite active on Twitter in the days following the announcement. He dashed fan suggestions that he's working on a Street Fighter for next-generation consoles and reiterated that many have asked for a PS Vita version of Ultra Street Fighter 4. He also said he's been talking to Capcom about a 3DS version of Ultra Street Fighter 4.

Ultra Street Fighter 4 adds five new characters, plus new modes, stages, features and fan feedback-fueled balances on top of the current Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition Ver. 2012 (phew!) update. Ultra Street Fighter 4 will be available as $15 DLC for Super Street Fighter 4 or SSF4: Arcade Edition; or as a physical disc for $40.

PS Plus in Europe to get NFS: Most Wanted, Spec Ops, Mafia 2

The August delivery of PlayStation Plus games in Europe is almost here, designed to further entice the continent to stay in front of its PS3s and Vitas and away from the ever-relentless sun. July 31 sees three more PS3 games join the Instant Game Collection, with a tough choice for headliner between Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Spec Ops: The Line, and Mafia 2. The same day brings two Vita entries to the Collection, namely the Nordic madness of When Vikings Attack, and the one block to rule them all that is Lego: Lord of the Rings.

There's only so much space in the IGC inventory, and no amount of clever Tetris swappery will prevent the departure of five games in turn. That means you have until July 31 to grab Catherine, Battlefield 3, Malicious, Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, and Unit 13.

Rayman Legends bonus: 40 levels from Rayman Origins, 'Kung Foot' soccer spinoff

Rayman Legends bonus 40 levels from Rayman Origins, 'Kung Foot' soccer spinoff
Ubisoft is on the cusp of titular video game perfection, having announced the inclusion of 40 levels from Rayman Origins to this year's exuberant platforming sequel, Rayman Legends. That's right, the game will have some Legends and a few Origins. Dare they throw in a smattering of ... Revelations?

According to Ubisoft designer and Rayman rein-holder Michel Ancel, the bonus Rayman Origins levels are immediately accessible and optional to the completion of Rayman Legends. The selection of stages, including a few devious Tricky Treasure runs, has been graphically updated to suit the style of Legends.

Ancel and the creative team are also tossing in "Kung Foot," a soccer-themed minigame that supports up to four local players (five if you're on Wii U). Controlling any of the available Rayman characters, players jump around, kick, punch and block a bouncing soccer ball wildly as they attempt to get it through the opposing goal. Kung Foot is pitched as a funny, aimless party game for friends too tired for anything serious – or, in the case of Ancel's team, for developers who just finished making Rayman Origins. It was a small in-engine game made just for the office at the time, but now it's being included with Rayman Legends.

Rayman Legends is due on Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita on September 3.

Lego Movie Videogame is the tie-in to end all tie-ins

Lego Movie Videogame is the tiein to end all tieins
Warner Bros. announced The Lego Movie Videogame this week, a video game tie-in to a movie about a toy. We're consequentially expecting the world to end when the toy-movie-video game comes out next year for just about everything - that's PS4, Xbox One, PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3, Vita, and 3DS if you're after specifics.

The game pits players as Emmet, acted by Everwood star Chris Pratt in the film, the figurine hero of the movie who's mistakenly identified as the Master Builder capable of saving the world. Going by early screenshots, it looks like the game won't deviate far from Traveller's Tales' tried-and-tested formula of platforming, exploration, and construction.

There's no news on whether or not the movie's all-star cast, including Will Arnett (as Batman), Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Will Ferrell, and Elizabeth Banks, features in the game. We'd have to say excluding Arnett in particular would be a huge mistake.

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'Bid for Greatness' with your trophies in Sony memorabilia auction


Sony has a big ol' pile of props, costumes and artwork left over from the production of its "Greatness Awaits" trailer that debuted during this year's E3. An auction website will now unload everything – but don't pull out your just wallet yet. You're going to use a different currency.

The site is called Bid for Greatness, and rather than dropping huge wads of cash for one-of-a-kind memorabilia, users will instead bid the Gold Trophies associated with their PlayStation Network accounts. Sony will place a new item up for auction every day for the next fourteen days, with each auction lasting 24 hours. Available items range from concept artwork to complete costumes, such as this Killzone: Shadow Fall outfit that (as of press time) has a high bid of 975 Gold Trophies.

Sony points out that Trophies bid on items will not be removed from their respective PSN accounts, so not only will the person who outbids you on something get that thing you wanted, they'll also have more trophies than you at the end of the day. Harsh.

Sony relaxes PSN Video Unlimited restrictions

PSN video restrictions relaxed
Sony has significantly altered its DRM policies for the PlayStation Network's Video Unlimited service, allowing users to download purchased content across multiple devices.

Previously, buyers had one-time access to videos purchased through the PlayStation Network, which effectively prevented the copying, redownloading, or transfer of Video Unlimited content. Sony's new policy, discovered by Shacknews, adds support for persistent cloud libraries, along with the ability to redownload content across supported devices like the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PSP.

The change in policy applies to new purchases as well as content bought prior to Sony's recent Terms of Service update. "If you purchase a copy, the video or TV show download will be available infinitely and can be transferred to other enabled devices," Sony's Video Unlimited website now states.

Best Buy: Wii U Pro Controller for $25 today, MLB 13 for $20

Best Buy Wii U Pro Controller for $25 today, MLB 13 The Show PS3 for $20
If you've been looking for a Wii U Pro Controller, today may be the day to pull the trigger. As Best Buy's deal of the day, it's only 25 bucks, half the usual price. As Dealzon notes, the controller is sold out for shipping, but still available for in-store pickup.

The retailer also has a great deal on MLB 13: The Show, which we awarded a whopping 5 stars back in March. The PlayStation 3 version has been marked down to $20, while the Vita version is only $10. Like the Pro Controller, the Vita version is no longer available for shipping, but in-store pickup is still an option if your local Best Buy has it in stock.

Retro JRPG Soul Saga ends Kickstarter at over triple its goal

Retro JRPG Soul Saga ends Kickstarter at over triple its goal
The Kickstarter for Soul Saga closed at more than triple its $60,000 goal. The PSOne-style JRPG proved it had a crowdfund hook with 5,600-plus backers who raised nearly $200,000. Once developer Disastercake finishes its victory fanfare, the Seattle-based dev will get hard to work bringing the Final Fantasy and Suikoden-inspired game to PS4, Wii U, Vita, PC, Mac, and Linux, where it's due in around a year's time.

The triple-attack on funding saw plenty of stretch goals met, meaning Soul Saga will include voice acting, a job board, legendary weapons, airships and airship combat, and plenty of guild features. While the fundraiser fell just short of the $200,000 goal for the Garen's Saga content, in which antagonist Garen will be playable in a similar way to Fou-lu from Breath of Fire 4, Disastercake decided it'll be included in the game anyway - and that comes with a Garen-tee*

*no t-shirt sorry just a bad pun move along nothing to see here

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