The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition Arrives April 17, Existing Owners Get Free Upgrade

by Mike Bendel on January 27, 2012 @ 11:20 am


CD Projekt RED’s announced via the Good Old Games storefront that The Witcher 2 will receive an Enhanced Edition update come April 17. All existing and future owners will get the update free of charge. Here are the deets on what’s in store:

Additional hours of gameplay: New major adventures set in previously unseen locations, expanding the story and introducing new characters, mysteries and monsters.

New Game Introduction and Cinematics: All new animations and cut scenes, including a new, three and a half minute pre-rendered cinematic depicting the assassination of King Demavend of Aedirn. BAFTA Award winner and Academy Award nominee Tomasz Baginski brings this key historical event to life, setting the stage for the story told in The Witcher 2.

A pretty hefty update. Might be high time for another playthrough.

Valve Introduces Steam Mobile App, Currently In Closed Beta

by Mike Bendel on January 26, 2012 @ 11:58 am


Once again, Valve has taken convenience a step further with the introduction of the mobile Steam app for Android and iOS platforms. Currently in closed beta, users can use the app to chat with friends, keep tabs on daily Steam deals, browse community groups and view user generated content such as screenshots.

This means you’ll never miss another Steam sale, which could potentially be bad for your wallet, but hey, we’re grateful anyway.

“The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers,” said Valve president Gabe Newell.

“Seeing which of your friends are online and playing a game, sending quick messages, looking at screenshots for an upcoming game, or catching a sale – these are all features customers have requested. Mobile is changing way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone.”

Those who wish to join the beta can sign-up for possible inclusion by hitting up this link from their mobile device. The app is also now available in the associated iOS and Android markets.

Rayman Origins Hits PC March 29

by Mike Bendel on January 26, 2012 @ 10:38 am


Update: According to a tweet from Ubisoft PR, retail editions of Rayman Origins on PC will ship without DRM.

Ubisoft’s announced that its majestic platformer Rayman Origins will arrive on PC March 29. Featuring beautiful hand-drawn visuals, the title retains the charm of Rayman’s original platforming romps, while introducing four player jump-in/jump-out co-op.

As a pre-order incentive, Ubi tells us that those who reserve the game now at “participating retailers” will receive a  downloadable copy of Rayman 2. Steam in particular was not mentioned, but we’d be surprised if it doesn’t turn up there soon.

We’ve included the system requirements, which look quite modest, after the break.

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Insomniac Done With Resistance Franchise

by Mike Bendel on January 26, 2012 @ 10:13 am


There has been speculation that Insomniac’s decision to venture into multiplatform development would signal the end of its involvement in the Resistance franchise, and it turns out that is indeed the case. By way of a VG247 report, CEO Ted Price confirmed that the studio will not be handling development on any Resistance titles going forward.

What studio will pick up the mantle? Sony clearly has plans for the franchise, considering Nihilistic is working on Resistance: Burning Skies for the Vita. It’s likely we’ll see future mainline entries picked up by one of Sony’s internal studios, however.

Insomniac is currently working on Overstrike, a 4 person co-op action game funded by EA.

Blizzard: No BlizzCon In 2012

by Mike Bendel on January 25, 2012 @ 11:06 am


BlizzCon — Blizzard’s annual celebration of all things Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo — will skip 2012, according to a statement released by the company today.

This comes amid the company’s “jam-packed” schedule, as both Diablo 3 and StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm are slated for a release later this year. Perhaps Blizzard doesn’t want to take the chance of delaying their arrival any further. That said, it isn’t the first time BlizzCon has taken a break, as there wasn’t a show  in 2006 either.

Still, the absence of BlizzCon comes off as a bit surprising, considering it’s like a mini-E3 for Bliz fans these days. The attendance numbers certainly prove it — around 26,000 people attended last year’s show.

Report: Uncharted Golden Abyss Multiplayer Mode Planned

by Mike Bendel on January 24, 2012 @ 7:55 pm


While the Japanese version of PS Vita launch effort Uncharted: Golden Abyss is strictly a solo experience, a developer reportedly told Destructoid at a recent Sony event that an announcement regarding multiplayer will be made soon for the title.

No further details were spared, only that it’ll be “something different,” presumably to complement the portable format. There’s no word if we’ll see it on launch day, either, though we  suppose it could always be added in via a patch later. Who knows, if Sony is adding in multiplayer for the US release, perhaps we’ll see other improvements as well.

Gears of War 3 Fenix Rising DLC Review

by Justin B. on January 24, 2012 @ 3:06 pm

Fenix Rising, the third piece of downloadable content included in the Gears of War 3 Season Pass, was made available on January 17th and we were given the opportunity to review it.  The new content includes five new multiplayer maps, a new “re-up” option similar to Call of Duty’s prestige option, four “new” character skins, and additional weapon skins achieved through re-upping.

Jump past the break to find out more about the new content and our impressions.

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EA Signs 11 New Partners On Origin

by Mike Bendel on January 24, 2012 @ 11:06 am


EA’s Origin continues to expand, with the company announcing today that it has taken yet another step to broaden its content selection by welcoming 11 new publishing partners to the service. To mark the occasion, Trion Worlds’ MMORPG Rift is now available through the service.

According to a Gamasutra report, users can also look forward to offerings from Robot Entertainment, CD Projekt Red, Freebird Games, Recoil Games, Autumn Games, 1C Company, inXile entertainment, Paradox Interactive, Core Learning Ltd. and N3V Games in the near future.

There’s no word on what titles we’ll see specifically from the aforementioned publishers, but you can bet that majority of them will be bringing the bulk of their Steam catalog over.

Sony Revises US PS Vita 3G Pricing

by Mike Bendel on January 23, 2012 @ 2:53 pm


Sony issued a slight update to the pricing tiers for the 3G version of PS Vita over the weekend, revealing a 3GB package for $30 a month which replaces the previously announced 2GB for $25 option. Below that is the entry 250MB plan for $15 a month. Applicable to North America only, both are offered exclusively through roaming partner AT&T.

Undoubtedly, it’s a slightly better value proposition if the paltry 250MB isn’t enough, but our thoughts on the 3G version haven’t changed. Too expensive of a premium for what it offers, especially when you could always use your phone as a mobile hotspot instead. The PS Vita goes on sale February 22 in the states, with pricing set at $300 for the 3G unit, $250 for WiFi only.

Diablo III Senior Producer Leaves Blizzard

by Mike Bendel on January 23, 2012 @ 11:08 am


As Diablo III’s long-winded dev cycle continues, senior producer Steven Parker has announced via Twitter that he is no longer working at Blizzard.

“Hey Twitter, I’m no longer working at Blizzard or on D3. I’ve had a great 5 years there and those guys are going to kill it with Diablo,” said Parker. There’s no word on where he is headed.

What does it mean for the project? Probably not much, we certainly wouldn’t be concerned. High-level departures midway into development can be a blow, but Blizzard is way past that point as it would seem most resources have been diverted to simply polishing up the game and taking in feedback from the beta.

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