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PS Store This Week: Dishonored 2, Robinson The Journey, Cartoon Network Battle Crashers, more
Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin will sneak onto the PlayStation Store later this week with the release of Dishonored 2. Both characters will be playable in the stealthy steampunk adventure from Arkane Studios, which will be available to download for the PS4 on Friday.
Elsewhere on the PlayStation Store, the PlayStation VR’s lineup of titles continues to grow this week with the release of Robinson: The Journey (from Crytek) and Eagle Flight (from Ubisoft). Both offer players the chance to explore uncharted territory, including a mysterious island in Robinson, and the sky itself in Eagle Flight.
Finally this week, Cartoon Network fans will be able to bash and crash their way through the channel’s many shows in Cartoon Network Battle Crashers for the PS4.
More information on all of these titles (and a few other new releases) can be found after the break. And a complete rundown of this week’s new add-ons and discounts is available at the PlayStation Blog. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dishonored 2
Aksys will release 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward collection on PS4, Vita in Spring 2017
Over the Summer, Aksys Games announced plans to bring Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999) and Virtue’s Last Reward to “other platforms” in the near future. Today, the publisher confirmed that both games will be bundled together in Zero Escape: The Nonary Games for the PS4 and Vita.
Aksys delivered this news through the PlayStation Blog, where they also confirmed that 999 will receive a complete graphical overhaul:
What’s that? You’ve already managed to escape the clutches of death and played both games through to completion? Fear not! 999 has been rebuilt from the ground up and now features HD graphics, as well as English and Japanese voice acting. Prepare to experience 999 as it was intended, and lose yourself in unparalleled immersion.
Zero Escape: The Nonary Games will be released in Spring 2017.
UPDATE: Late last night, developer Spike Chunsoft tweeted that Zero Escape: The Nonary Games will also be released for the PC next Spring.
Posted in News, PC, PS4, Vita
Tagged Zero Escape: Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward
SteinsGate 0 will be released for PS4, Vita on November 29
PQube has announced that SteinsGate 0, the prequel to one of the most popular “visual novels” of all time, will be released for the PS4 and PS Vita on November 29. If you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes work that goes into translating a game of this size, SteinsGate 0’s Localisation Lead, Adam Lensenmayer, shared some thoughts about the localization process at the PlayStation Blog:
Over the last year I feel like I’ve really gotten to know the cast, like they’re a part of me. Localizing SteinsGate 0 was a really big job — a 5 month project from the time we got the script to the turn-in date. We worked at it several hours a day, five days a week. The project came to us in the form of several massive spreadsheets, and we started at the beginning and worked our way to the end.
Lensenmayer also promised that SteinsGate 0 will answer “the biggest, most long-running mystery in the series,” and a new trailer for the game can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged SteinsGate 0
Titanfall 2, World of Final Fantasy, Skyrim Special Edition, more added to PS Store
The PlayStation Store is about to get a little more epic this week as a handful of big games are now available to download on the PS4, PS3, and PS Vita.
First up, the Titanfall franchise will make its PS4 debut this week with the launch of Titanfall 2. The second collaboration between EA and Respawn will add new Titans, new weapons, new multiplayer options, and an expansive new single-player campaign to the series.
Also available this week is World of Final Fantasy, Square Enix’s reimagining of the Final Fantasy franchise for younger players. Designed using the “chibi” art style, World of Final Fantasy will merge together many of the greatest heroes and villains from the franchise’s lengthy history in an RPG that’s now available to download for the PS4 and PS Vita.
And speaking of epic RPGs, Bethesda will bring The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition to the PS4 this week. In addition to the main game and all its expansion, the Skyrim Special Edition will include support for mods and additional technical wizardry that adds “remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more” to the game.
PS4 and PS3 owners will also be able to launch into some epic dance moves with the release of Just Dance 2017.
Finally, a pair of episodic games will receive new chapters this week on the PS4 and PS3. Batman: The Telltale Series will reach the halfway point with Episode 3: New World Order. And The Odd Gentlemen will bring the King’s Quest reboot to a close with Chapter 5: The Good Knight.
More information on all of these games (and a big batch of other new releases) can be found after the break. And, as always, the PlayStation Blog has a complete rundown of this week’s new add-ons and discounts. (more…)
Posted in News, PS3, PS4, Vita
Tagged Batman: The Telltale Series, Just Dance 2017, King's Quest, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, TitanFall 2, World of Final Fantasy
Square Enix is “committed” to bringing more Dragon Quest games to the US and UK
Dragon Quest Builders was released for the PS4 and Vita a few weeks ago, and Square Enix’s Noriyoshi Fujimoto recently sat down with MCV to discuss the game’s development.
Naturally, the conversation eventually shifted to questions about the future of the Dragon Quest franchise in Western locales like the US and UK. While Fujimoto couldn’t make any specific announcements, he did confirm that Square Enix is “committed” to launching more Dragon Quest games outside of Japan:
MCV: How do you think Dragon Quest Builders will affect the series’ Western performance going forwards?
Fujimoto: 2016 marks the 30th anniversary of Dragon Quest series. It’s not as well known in the West as we would like but it really plays an epoch making role in the console gaming history. If gamers were to “discover” Dragon Quest now, they may be surprised to the sheer breadth of the universe, in terms of variety and depth. But they would also have instant access to something that has taken us 30 years to build. Dragon Quest Builders is definitely a great way of getting the feel of Dragon Quest while having great fun right from the start.
We’re committed to bringing more Dragon Quest titles in the West as we believe it truly has potential to succeed even better. So watch this space.
Square Enix plans to make good on their promise soon, as they’ll partner with Nintendo to release Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King on the 3DS sometime next year.
The publisher will also launch Dragon Quest XI: In Search of the Departed Time on the 3DS, PS4, and Switch in Japan next Spring, but it’s currently unknown if a Western translation is in the cards.
Posted in News, PS4, Vita
Tagged Dragon Quest Builders
New Retail Releases: Titanfall 2, World of Final Fantasy, Skyrim Special Edition, More
EA and Respawn Entertainment will storm their way into stores this week with Titanfall 2 for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. In addition to expanded multiplayer options, Titanfall 2 will include a single-player campaign for the first time. We can finally say it… Your Titanfall sequel is ready.
Also available this week is World of Final Fantasy, a new “chibi” RPG from Square Enix that celebrates the grand history of the Final Fantasy franchise. Designed primarily for a younger audience, PS4 and Vita players will still need to save the world from an evil mastermind. Thankfully, they’ll be aided by dozens of heroes from previous games in the series.
If you’d rather skip all the fighting and just dance, Ubisoft has you covered with the launch of Just Dance 2017 on the PC, PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Just Dance 2017 includes dozens of songs, and the new Just Dance Machine mode, which will throw an assortment of different dance styles at players.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition will make its PC, PS4, and Xbox One debut this week, as Bethesda plans to relaunch their epic RPG on a new generation of platforms. And Telltale will bring together Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure on a single disc for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Finally this week, one of my favorite puzzlers of the year, Tumblestone, will receive a retail release on the PS4 and Wii U.
A complete list of this week’s new retail releases can be found after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Just Dance 2017, Minecraft: Story Mode, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, TitanFall 2, Tumblestone, World of Final Fantasy
Voice actor strike reveals unannounced games like Lego Marvel 2, Brothers in Arms, more
SAG-AFTRA, a union representing voice actors and stunt performers, authorized a strike against game developers that began this morning. As part of the process, the union has published a list of projects that members are no longer allowed to work on, and it includes several unannounced games.
It wasn’t much of a shock to learn that EA Sports is already hard at work on Madden NFL 18 and NHL 18, but listings for Lego Marvel 2 and Brothers in Arms were a bit more surprising (though not unexpected). While WB Games has yet to make any noise about a new Lego Marvel game, Gearbox confirmed the existence of a fourth Brothers in Arms game last year.
A large number of mobile games also make up a large part of the list, as well as a few games that are denoted only by codenames. For example, Take-Two is working on something called “Alligator,” while EA is developing games under monikers as diverse as “Odin,” “Fearless,” “Scorpion,” and “Timbits.” We may never know what these codenames refer to (they may even belong to games that have already been released), but one of the union’s major demands is for developers to be more transparent during the hiring process and to use a game’s actual title when contracting with vocal/stunt performers.
Finally, several highly-anticipated 2017 titles will be affected by the strike including Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue, Injustice 2, and Crash Bandicoot Remastered. So hopefully the two sides can reach an equitable agreement soon.
UPDATE: A representative from WB Games has informed us that the inclusion of “Lego Marvel 2” in the SAG-AFTRA strike list is actually a reference to Lego Avengers, which was released earlier this year. However, Lego Avengers was announced in January 2015, several weeks before the union’s deadline for projects that must be part of the picket line.
I’m not sure why it was included on the list (it’s possible the union goofed), but the official line from WB Games is that “Lego Marvel 2” is definitely not a reference to “Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2” or any other unannounced game. That said, I’d be very surprised if WB Games isn’t working on another Lego Marvel game, and we’ll likely hear more about “Lego Marvel 2” in the future.
Posted in 3DS, Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Tagged Brothers in Arms 4, Crash Bandicoot, Injustice 2, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, Madden NFL 18, NHL 18
Voice actors represented by SAG-AFTRA union go on strike against game developers
Negotiations between game developers and the voice actors and stunt performers represented by the SAG-AFTRA union began in February 2015, but after more than 18 months of discussions, the two sides appear no closer to an agreement. Because of the impasse, and to protest against a contract they believe is decades out of date, the members of the union went on strike this morning.
“SAG-AFTRA has gone to the negotiations table with serious concerns affecting voiceover and stunt performers,” said Ray Rodriguez, the Chief Contracts Officer for SAG-AFTRA. “It’s time for video game employers to take our concerns seriously and negotiate a modern contract based on actor safety, industry precedent and best practices.”
This strike won’t affect all developers, and currently only applies to games that went into production after February 17, 2015 at Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac Games, Take-Two Interactive, and WB Games. However, the strike also extends to several independent vocal production studios that do a lot of contract work with the big publishers.
The game developers are offering an immediate 9% salary hike for all performers, and “additional compensation” depending on the number of recording sessions. However, the union’s demands for better working conditions went unmentioned in a statement from the Chief Negotiator for the game developers.
The SAG-AFTRA union plans to push the game developers for a better deal over the next few weeks, and their first order of business is encouraging all members to join a picket line in front of EA’s headquarters this Monday, October 24.