As hinted last week, Gearbox has more DLC coming for Borderlands 2. The “Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2” will add 11 levels to the current cap and a new Digistruct Peak Challenge. This expansion will be $5 (not included in Season Pass) and will release before the end of October. No additional DLC will be needed to use it. A fifth story expansion is also coming, “T.K Baha’s Bloody Harvest.” This one will be a throwback to the “Zombie Island of Dr. Ned” from the first Borderlands. Without further details, the assumption is that this horror-themed add-on will probably come in October and also won’t be included with the Season Pass. Randy Pitchford of Gearbox added that they have plans for one or two more DLC expansions.

Soul Calibur II HD Online has been announced for XBLA and PSN. No date was revealed but the release will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the game this Fall. Despite Heihachi originally being a PS2 exclusive, he will be in both versions. GameCube exclusive Link is almost definitely out, and the XBox exclusive Spawn is probably out as well (licensing issues). This is good news for the many fans who would argue this was the best game in the series.

Several more characters have been confirmed for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. The “big” news is about the big figs. We’ve known since the game’s reveal that characters like Hulk would be made to a larger scale than the normal minifigs, but Hulk has been the only one confirmed until now. The recent reveal tells us several more characters we will see in the larger format: Kingpin, Rhino, Lizard, Colossus, Blob, Juggernaut, Thing, and Iron Man’s Hulkbuster. Howard the Duck and a playable Stan Lee were also confirmed at Comic-Con. The game is set for release October 22nd on virtually all consoles.

Despite Microsoft’s reversal of the always online requirement for XBox One, not all of the games will be so disconnect friendly – which is obvious for certain types of games. Forza MotorSport 5 shouldn’t be one of the obvious games. It won’t require you to be “always” online, though it will require DLC to complete it. Initial reports were that the game would require a download before you could start playing, which is incorrect. You’ll need the download in order to complete the game instead. Not all of the tracks, cars, etc. will be included on the disc. Later content in the game will have to be downloaded before you complete it. This can be done in the background while playing, but if you don’t have high speed internet access you’ll find yourself paying full retail price for only part of a game. Oddly, this reminds of people who complain about the exact opposite problem, shipping a disc with “DLC” on it. Which will be more annoying next-gen: buying a physical disc and having to download the retail content, or having to pay extra for “DLC” that’s on the physical disc you already own?

The announcement of Saints’ Row IV left a few fans wondering about the fate of the “Enter the Dominatrix” DLC that was planned for Saints’ Row III. The expansion was nearly complete but then apparently shelved. Volition has confirmed that the add-on still exists and will be releasing for the fourth game, as a documentary-style story, within 45 days of the August 20th retail release. This will actually be more of a “Director’s Cut” (with developer commentary???) of concepts they had when it was planned for the third game. All of the basic elements will be there, just not in the exact way they were initially visualized. The whole thing seems a little bizarre, but what should I expect from a game that features a gangster being elected president and fighting of aliens with dildo-shaped probes.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has become so successful it’s now branched away from video games in multiple directions and the mythology remains interesting. While we’re still awaiting more news about the upcoming movie and the release of Black Flag this October, the latest foray into comics has actually piqued my interest the most. Assassin’s Creed: Brahman is a graphic novel coming this Autumn. It features a new Assassin, Arbaaz Mir. As the title would suggest, Arbaaz is of the highest caste in 19th century India. The novel will apparently “dive into the rich lore of the Assassin’s Creed universe, unveiling new information and teasing future storylines.” Brendan Fletcher and Karl Kerschl are writing. A preview is available here. This concept page reminded me that the series was actually conceived as a Prince of Persia title that shifted focus and became a new franchise.

There have been a few announcements for various Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games recently. How many of them are actually happening is a little hard to know, but we can add one more to the mix. Out of the Shadows, based on the current Nickelodeon cartoon, has been confirmed as a downloadable. Meanwhile, Magic Pockets is developing an Activision-published retail title based on the cartoon as well. This is expected to be more closely tied to the show, bridging the gap between seasons one and two. It will, of course, have four player co-op. Other features announced include secondary weapons, an an upgrade system, and multiple modes. It is a side-scroller, like the classic games, and it’s coming to XBox 360 October 22, 2013.

At an SDCC demo of Killer Instinct on XBox One, Ken Lobb (Creative Director, Microsoft Studios) explained a little more of the video storage process. According to Lobb, “The idea is you’re always recording. The last five minutes of any game you’re playing are always being stored on your hard drive. Say you’re playing online and you just did the best thing ever – you can’t pause as you’re playing online. You can say ‘Xbox, record that’ and it’ll grab the last 30 seconds of gameplay for you to play around with later.” Which, frankly, is the first Kinect perk I’ve seen that interests me. PS4, on the other hand, continually records your last 15 minutes. Without the voice activation, the longer recording time will be important. On both consoles, footage can be edited in multiple ways and instantly published as well as streamed by your friends.

The Martian Manhunter character add-on releases for Injustice: Gods Among Us next week, but there’s some content this week as well: 40 new STARS Labs missions, free with your Season Pass. That’s 10 missions each for Lobo, Batgirl, Scorpion and Zod. The missions will be $1.99 if you don’t have a Season Pass.

It’s sad news for Darkstalkers fans, of which there apparently aren’t very many. Because of Resurrection‘s poor sales, Capcom stated they have no future plans for the franchise. Things like this are always subject to change, but that’s where your occult fighting franchise stands for the now. Resurrection was only the latest in Capcom’s string of updated legacy titles, all of which have been slowly declining in sales. The company is not planning to update any other titles for now, leaving Street Fighter as their only viable franchise in the genre.

Following a Facebook poll and a vote at Comic-Con, the newest Tekken Revolution character has been decided. While still unnamed, the Female Vampire was a character conceptualized for Tekken 6 but ultimately dropped because the staff was too lean towards the end of the project. The original plans had her as a martial artist that could also use supernatural powers like fireballs. We’ll have to wait and see how much of that is retained or altered. She should be joining the free-to-play fighter this Fall.

The latest character reveal for Batman: Arkham Origins is the original tea partier, the Mad Hatter. He was a minor character in Arkham City, but looks to have a much larger role in this prequel. The game releases October 25, 2013. I apologize that I don’t have a picture worth including. The reveal is still exclusive to the Official XBox Magazine and the only image floating around the internet is a flash-addled picture of the magazine itself.

MercurySteam has announced that Lords of Shadow 2 will be their last Castlevania title. Producer Dave Cox explains:

I’ve always thought that this was a torch being passed down. Nobody on the team ever felt like we owned Castlevania. We always felt it was our responsibility now but it wouldn’t be ours forever. Let’s do what we’re going to do, tell our story, and move on.

So we’ve told Japan headquarters that this is the last one for us… there’s nothing worse than when somebody’s got something to say, and when they’ve said it, they just keep talking. We’ve got a beginning and end, and it’s a cool ending and a cool story. Once we’ve done that, it’s time to say to somebody else, ‘now it’s your turn.’ Maybe it will be a young producer in the company looking for his first break. I think you’ve got to bring in fresh blood.

The spin-off, which revitalized a series in sore need of freshening up, will conclude in Winter 2013.

Crystal Dynamics’ reboot of Tomb Raider has proven highly successful for them. I know I enjoyed the hell out of it. A sequel is on the way, but that won’t be the next step in Lara’s new universe. Gail Simone is writing a comic, coming in 2014, that will lead directly into the sequel. According to Simone, “I chose to do this series solely because I loved the game so much, so we’re definitely keeping the tone of the game.” “The biggest difference is,” Simone continued, “the game told a claustrophobic story in an isolated setting. We are going globetrotting. We start just a few weeks after the end of the game, and this is all in continuity, it will be Tomb Raider canon, and lead DIRECTLY into the sequel. This is what got me excited; we get to be part of Lara Croft history.” Dark Horse is releasing the book February 26, 2014. Could that be a hint as to when we’ll see the sequel?

Still holding out hope for Rockstar’s Sony-exclusive Agent? After ten years it’s hard to think this could still be a thing, but apparently it is. The game was originally being developed by Rockstar San Diego and slated for PS2 back in 2003; at E3 2009 Rockstar North was in charge and it was heading for PS3. Tt once again seemed to have died on the vine. Now, Rockstar has just renewed the trademarks for both the name and the logo of the Cold War thriller. With Rockstar releasing Grand Theft Auto V in September, could they be resuming work on Agent? Will it still be a PS3 exclusive? Will it be heading for PS4 now? Is it still Sony exclusive at all?

Kind of a robust early edition this week. Let’s keep the hot news rolling, check in Friday for the rest of the week’s news.

I must have missed my coffee Tuesday, because I just noticed I never hit publish on 7/16’s VGQH. Some of this may be old news to you, since I’ve pulled the biggest stuff from earlier this week. Sorry.

A Collector’s Edition version of Batman: Arkham Origins has been revealed by the German Amazon site. I can’t locate the details now, but PS3Gen was able to capture a picture highlighting the edition’s details. Keep in mind, this is not confirmed and may only be available in the EU, but it’s likely the US version will be something similar. This particular pack includes an “holographic” box, art book, metal 3D case, 23cm (9″) Batman and Joker figurine, and two DLC add-ons (Batman skin, Deathstroke character challenges). It was listed for €100. For what it’s worth,the Deathstroke DLC seems to be a pre-order incentive on the US Amazon, as well as a $10 gift card. The game launches October 25, 2013.

Also worth noting, the new 52 version of Copperhead has been confirmed as one of the eight bounty hunters looking to kill the Caped Crusader in Arkham Origins. This female version of the long-time Bat-villain may not be familiar to those who haven’t read an new 52, but I have no doubts she’ll be a great character for the game. This makes six of the eight high profile enemies confirmed (Deathstroke, Deadshot, Bane, Joker, Black Mask, and Copperhead). Who’s missing?

Going to Comic-Con this weekend? This will be the first chance for the public to get hands-on with the PlayStation 4. Be sure to head to the PlayStation booth (#301) for your chance to try the new DualShock 4 on games like Knack, Driveclub, and Octodad. More interested in Vita and PS3 games? Try out Tearaway, Spelunky, Arkham Origins (and Blackgate), and Beyond: Two Souls. They’re going to be giving away Vitas daily so it’s definitely worth a stop if you have the time in your busy Con schedule.

Speaking of PlayStation, the PSN Play 2013 promotion has been announced. Two of the four titles are PlayStation exclusives. As in years past, pre-ordering any of the titles gets you XMB and there’s cash back if you buy more thane one of them. The promotion starts July 23rd with the cross-buy Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark (formerly Stealth Bastard in its PC release). The releases continue July 30th with Cloudberry Kingdom and August 6th with ibb & obb. Those three are $10 each. The final game, Duck Tales: Remastered will be $15 on August 13th. PS+ members get extra 20% off. Check the PS Blog for details on each game and how the promotion works.

Microsoft may have turned around some policies for the XBox One post-E3, but it seems they are far from decided on exactly what features will be nixed and which will be kept. When they dropped the DRM and “always” online requirements, they also dropped the family sharing features that were mentioned but never clarified. Now, there has been an online petition (because those are so relevant to anything) to restore family sharing that may or may not have had an impact on the latest statement from Microsoft. According to Marc Whitten, Chief Product Officer, “If it’s something that people are really excited about and want, we’re going to make sure that we find the right way to bring it back.” Which is great that they’re still listening to customers. But how can they be excited about a feature you never fully explained? If you think family sharing means that nine of your friends will get a copy of any game you buy that you can all play together then please skip this entire paragraph. None of it will make sense to your misconstrued notions. By most reports, the sharing would actually have been a limited demo of the game and you could carry any progress you made into the full release if you decided to buy it yourself. At its most liberal, you may have been able to load a purchased game onto ten different consoles, but only one device would be able to run it at a time, which would be verified by an internet connection. Regardless, if it returns at all it will be in a post-launch update. Whitten also explained the stripping this feature was not directly connected to altering the DRM policy. It was more a problem of quickly devoting resources to the DRM change, and poaching those resources from the project to implement family sharing. Despite any confusion or bad press, Whitten still believes in the product and believes they are on the right track: “I think it’s pretty simple. We’ve got to just talk more, get people understanding what our system is. The thing that’s really gratifying is that people are excited about the types of features that are possible, and it’s sort of shame on us that we haven’t done as good of a job as we can to make people feel like that’s where we’re headed.” Frankly, I agree with him. I’ve made my next-gen decision, and I have my doubts about both systems. But, long run, I think both will be just fine and will make many customers happy. Unfortunately, having both do well means the damn fanboys still won’t shut up.

Here’s one that perplexes me a bit, Sony is auctioning off items from it’s Bid for Greatness campaign, but you’ll bid with your Gold trophies on PSN. I’m a little sketchy on how this is going to work, but I do know you won’t actually sacrifice your trophies. Apparently you’ll log in to the Bid for Greatness site and basically be issued credit for each gold trophy you’ve earned on PS3 and Vita. Bid with your trophies, and if you bid the most, you’ll win the item. Once you’ve spent a trophy on an item, you won’t be able to use it again on another auction. Auctions will run 24 hours. There’s some seriously cool stuff (the Black Hand costume from Killzone: Shadow Fall and Clicker costume from The Last of Us are already gone) and it’s free so you may as well go for it. I doubt I have enough gold trophies to win anything (the Clicker costume was at 709 when I checked yesterday), but I may as well try. Here’s what’s still up for grabs:

• 7/19 Dragonborn Dagger from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
• 7/20 Witch Doctor Mojo from Diablo 3
• 7/21 Crane Scene Concept Art by PlayStation
• 7/22 Witch Doctor Cursed Skull from Diablo 3
• 7/23 Delsin Rowe’s Outfit from InFamous: Second Son
• 7/24 Dragonborn Shield from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
• 7/25 Captain Kenway’s Cutlass from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
• 7/26 Dragonborn Sword from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
• 7/27 Dragonborn Stalhrim Mace from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
• 7/28 Witch Doctor Ceremonial Garb from Diablo 3
• 7/29 Helghast Sniper Outfit from Killzone: Shadow Fall
• 7/30 Captain Kenway’s Outfit from Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Sony announced via Twitter this week that they will be shutting down servers for several games near the end of January: “Advisory: Online multiplayer services for MAG, SOCOM Confrontation, and SOCOM 4 will be ending on 01/28/14.” Online multiplayer is a major part of the two SOCOM games, but the single player experience should unaffected. MAG, however, is online only. This happening is something you likely knew and accepted when you spent your $60 on it in January 2010, but it once again raises some discussion points about games. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. How much art has been destroyed or allowed to decay over the years simply because we didn’t recognize what the value would be at a future date? Much of early film history was lost simply because no one thought it would have any value now. We now have all sorts of museums, societies, and paid professionals that restore and catalog that history, along with maintaining archives when possible. Video games could suffer the same fate, simply because not enough people recognized them art in time. Ultimately, because of emulators and other technology, we could still be experiencing the original Super Mario Bros. in 100 years, just like we can still watch MGM’s The Wizard of Oz. But will we still be able to experience MAG, a 256 player online shooter? What about World of Warcraft? Even if we can modify code so the game will run without connecting to a server, what experience will you have without the other players? Big questions, and this probably is not the place for them – but thanks for indulging me.

Although, speaking of old games, the original 1992 Genesis version of Flashback is going to be included in VectorCell’s HD reimagining. This is one of those cult games that don’t necessarily have the name recognition or sales numbers, but does have a loyal following. The core team from the original game are also the ones behind the remake, which is coming to PSN and XBLA on Agusut 21st ($10).

WiiU owners may still be a bit sore about the delay of Rayman Legends while it gets ported to other consoles, but at least it’s getting some more content. Forty levels from Rayman Origins are being revamped and included, in the new art style. These levels won’t need to be unlocked, they’re available from the start, and they aren’t required for the story if you don’t want to play them. Michel Ancel also mentioned there’s a football-ish mini game included, Kung Foot. I’m assuming he means soccer, not American football, but I could be wrong. We’ll know for sure September 3, 2013.

With the decision not to renew the license, NCAA ’14 (which launched last week) will be the last EA Sports football game to bear the collegiate organization’s logo. The licensing agreement between EA and the NCAA will officially expire in June 2014. Andrew Wilson, EA Sports’ Executive VP, says “EA Sports will continue to develop and publish college football games, but we will no longer include the NCAA names and marks. Our relationship with the Collegiate Licensing Company is strong and we are already working on a new game for next generation consoles which will launch next year and feature the college teams, leagues and all the innovation fans expect from EA Sports.” So, it looks like nothing is changing from a gameplay or franchise perspective. My understanding is that their games will still feature the same schools, teams, logos, stadiums, etc. but won’t carry the governing body’s blessing or corporate image. Does this mean another developer can sign with the NCAA and use all of those assets as well, or did EA get exclusive individual licenses from the Collegiate Licensing Company? I’m curious to see how this plays out, as the football genre sorely needs some competition.

Angry Birds Star Wars has over 100 million downloads according to Rovio, which isn’t really a surprise. Obviously inspired by such success, they are now working to port the game to consoles. This HD version will include 20 brand new levels, two player co-op, and a four player competitive mode. It’s scheduled for October 29th on 360, PS3, and Vita.

Another separation between XBox One and PS4 has surfaced. While Microsoft is still exploring the option of adapters to use your 360 headset on the next-gen console, Sony has confirmed that your PS3 wireless headset will work on PS4. The new console will come with a wired headset anyway. Microsoft asserts that enough improvement has been made to the microphone on the new Kinect that headsets won’t be needed.

Ubisoft has confirmed the limited edition bundle for Watch Dogs. It looks like a pretty decent, though fairly standard, set. It will include a 9″ Aiden Pearce figurine, steelbook case, collector’s box, vigilante mask, artbook, and soundtrack. This does look a bit pricey though, ringing in at $130. The PS3 and 360 versions of the game are scheduled for release November 19th. XBox One and PS4 versions are expected sometime in November along with the consoles.

Double Helix and Capcom are updating another classic game franchise. Strider, first released in arcades in 1989, is coming to next-gen consoles. The newest version will take place in alternate universe where Strider Hiryu will use his ultimate ninja skills in what appears to be an open world with combat mechanics similar to Devil May Cry or God of War. As a ninja, Strider is an expert with throwing daggers, acrobatics, and a plasma sword. No confirmed date yet, but it’s slated as “early 2014.” Zombietron has the trailer.

Randy Pitchford of Gearbox was recently asked on Twitter if there would be more Borderlands 2 DLC, a thing he had already hinted. What’s surprising is that he didn’t issue the normally cagey response a question like that normally earns. His answer was “Saturday, yes.” This will likely not be included in your Season Pass, and could follow up on the tease at the end of “Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep.” I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

Michael Angeli is best known for being a screen writer for Battlestar Galactica. But his current project is actually a video game. Speaking at Sand Diego Comic-Con, he mentioned that he’s been working with Sony Santa Monica, most famous for the God of War series, on a new project. I think this amounts to good news. BSG was good until the last season, and God of War was good until Ascension. Something new and fresh for both should be great. I’ll just have to remember to not get attached.

That should do it for this week. I’ll be sure get both editions up next week. Enjoy the weekend and keep your eyes on Comic-Con, I expect at least one major announcement coming this weekend but I won’t say what it is in case I’m wrong. Don’t want to get any hopes up.

Capcom announced yesterday that they are releasing a remake of Strider, coming in 2014. The trailer shown below has me hoping to be crushing baddies with zany ninja combos sooner than later. Being developed by Double Helix, the same studio behind Killer Instinct for the Xbox One. This shows a lot of promise. Check it out and comment below!!

Thomas Winkley is the Video Game Editor for Big Shiny Robot, you can find him on twitter @thomaswinkey or via email: Thomas@bigshinyrobot.com

Nintendo released their “mini” Nintendo Direct this morning discussing updates to the 3DS operating system and a few games. The biggest update is the Nintendo Zone Street Pass. When this release you will be able to get tags by connecting to a Nintendo Zone instead of passing the users themselves. If you enter a Nintendo Zone you will download the tags from those who have previously visited as well as leave your tags for the next passers-by. Along with the new method of street pass they announced new games to utilize those tags with.

Monster Manor: Using characters collected in tag you will unlock pieces of a mansion to build and explore whether it be to fight ghosts or collect treasure.
Warriors Way: Tag to create large armies to battle against other warlords and conquer the world.
Mii Force: Use your tags to blast enemies.. simple enough.
Flower Town: You tag people and build a garden.. and take pictures to share.

All of these games released last week and are $4.99 on The eShop or $14.99 for a bundle of all four.

Mario and Luigi Dream Team is releasing on August 11, and there is a full trailer with gameplay available to watch on the video as well. Pikmin is coming the 4th, never you worry it will be here no sweat! Nintendo also reinforces the amount of games hitting this year for 3DS, Pokemon X and Y (October 12), Windwaker HD, Wonderful 101, and more. Instead of listing everything I’ll simply say that Nintendo wants you to know that they’re releasing games. They also announce the release of Earthbound for the WiiU eShop, yeah folks, Earthbound is here. The free manual that released with the game initially is available online through the Earthbound website. Lots of good stuff through Nintendo, I hope you all enjoy! Comment below.

Thomas Winkley is the Video Game Editor for Big Shiny Robot! You can find him on twitter: @thomaswinkley, or via email thomas@bigshinyrobot.com

Just before the grand finals at Evo 2013 Capcom showed the official announcement trailer for Ultra Street Fighter 4. Featuring the characters discussed at their panel earlier, it will release in early 2014 as a digital upgrade for $14.99, or a full pack for $40.00. Those purchasing the $40.00 disc will also receive $40 worth of DLC as well. Here is the trailer!

John Stewart Green Lantern Skin

Just after an intense match from the Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament, it was announced that Martian Manhunter would be the next DLC character for Injustice. They also announced the John Stewart skin for Green Lantern coming within the same time frame. The following trailer was shown at the event and is now available for your viewing! Check it out!

During the Capcom panel at Evo 2013, Capcom announced they will be releasing their balacne patch for Super Street Fighter IV with 5 new characters tagging a long. Hugo, Poison, Rolento, Helena, and a never before seen character. The enhancement will be fully shown off through a trailer tonight at 6:30 via the Evo Stream. Hopefully the fifth character will be revealed while they show off the different balance pieces for the game.

Elena	Hugo	Poison	Rolento

The fighting game community both locally and across the U.S. have discussed the possibility of this being Street Fighter Four Hyper Edition, and many expect to be proven correct this evening. Those that pre-order the new release will receive all costume content from previous versions to go along with their new disc. Can’t wait til tonight to see the awesome addition to SF!

Machinima has released yet another series of gaming inspired fan films through their “Machinima Prime” channel. The first film hitting is Fallout Nuka Break – Red Star. This is far from small budget, generally, when I think fan fiction or fan film I imagine something spun by high schol children in a classroom. The costumes, acting, and special effects definitely say otherwise in this set. Using artwork and scenery the creators do a great job tying the film to the fallout series, there’s even a scene where the history of “the red star” is explained using still motion in the same style as the Fallout’s “Pip Boy”. If you’re somebody who is even remotely familiar with Fallout this film is easy to dive into with a compelling story and solid cinematography. One moment in the film is a touch cheesy (wait for the battle against the giant green monster). But considering the genre it is still an impressive feat to see accomplished.

Oh, that green monster, sluggish yet powerful.

Sitting at a quick 24 minutes “Red Star” is a great tie in to the world of Fallout, and a lot of fun to watch. I loved the lead character played by Cameron Diskin. His cigarette smoking, strong silent persona blends well with the fact that he’s been wandering the wastes alone. I’ll stop ranting and simply tell you to watch this. You’re trying to avoid work anyway, I know what you do on a Friday.

comment below!

Thomas Winkley is the Video Game Editor for Big Shiny Robot! You can find him on twitter @thomaswinkey or via email thomas@bigshinyrobot.com

I’m not quite sure what to make of the Payday 2 Collector’s Edition bonuses. All those loonies that complain video game violence incites real world violence get just a little too much fodder from this one. This edition, available for pre-order at the normal $59.99, contains the usual soundtrack but it also includes a pair of what look to be blue nitrile gloves and the iconic red, white, and blue clown mask from the series. So it’s just what you need to actual perform a bank heist without leaving fingerprints or getting recognized. It also comes with a novelty wallet that looks like a stack of $100 bills. So you can at least look like a criminal after you buy the game, though you’d probably want to pick up a gun or six in order to pull off the jobs you’ll be doing in-game. This release August 13, 2013.

Users of the beta for the new XBox interface have had some trouble with their Microsoft Points converting to real money. According to a few reports, customers have tried to spend 1200MSP on a game or DLC only to have their funds instantly converted to real money, which should be the equivalent of 1200MSP, only to find they are short of funds. The reports I have found all seem to come from the EU, so it may not actually be a problem in the US, but it’s worth noting. Examples I have seen show that a 1600MSP game costs 15 Euro, but the users 1600MSP in their account is converting to 13.33 Euro. It breaks down fairly consistently through lower levels (1200=12E but converts to 10E, 400=4.5E but converts to 3.33E, etc.). This is a beta, and Microsoft has acknowledged the issue along with plans to fix it and reimburse customers as necessary. Which is, frankly, the point of beta testing. However, I wouldn’t recommend adding a pile of points to your account right now if it’s not necessary. The real money conversion will be happening for realsies this Fall.

Japan-o-philes, please make sure you’re sitting down for this before reading. I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Goichi Suda (Suda 51), the auteur behind Killer is Dead, Lollipop Chainsaw, and others is teaming up with the creator of Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, on a side-scroller from Namco Bandai. The game, called Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day, will be based on Otomo’s latest film, Short Peace. The film is actually a composite of four short films and is releasing later this month. The game is considered the fifth component and will be a PS3 exclusive, though I don’t have a confirmed release date. Gameplay is being described as 2D side-scrolling “high-speed effect action” using “effects” to take down enemies in modern Japan.

Tetsuya Nomura, creator of the series, has teased that we may see Star Wars characters in Kingdom Hearts III. I wouldn’t expect it, but it is a possibility. I evaluate rumors like this by how the question arises. If someone had asked him on Twitter if it would be happening, he’s obviously going to give a vague answer so he can leave people hopeful. But if he raises the question himself, it shows he has a genuine interest. In this case, Nomura brought it up which means he’s definitely interested. But, the general assumption is that this game may be nearing completion and that would mean the Disney acquisition probably happened too late for its inclusion. Even when bringing it up, Nomura was quick to add that there are a lot of restrictions with Disney and that it may not happen, despite having great potential. Time will tell, but if it comes at all, I’d expect it to be DLC and probably not a major story event. If nothing else, I’d love to see some of the mash-up action figures that have been done be turned into alternate costumes. Jedi Mickey skin? Dark Trooper Donald? Yeah!

The first piece of Season Pass DLC for Metro: Last Light is set for release next week. The Faction Pack adds three new single-player missions. Each mission puts the player in the shoes of a different specialist. The Special Detachment Sniper of the Redline will try to infiltrate an outpost at night. The Reich “Heavy” will defend the frontline with some of the hardest hitting weapons in the game. The Polis Ranger will be exploring a Library for artifacts and treasure. The Faction Pack will be $4.99, or you can buy it and the other three planned packs as the Season Pass for $14.99.

Insomniac and Sony have announced Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus will be coming this holiday season. Brian Allgeier (Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time) is Creative Director. According to Community Manager James Stevenson, “Into the Nexus has a bunch of crazy new weapons and gadgets. Gravity is one of the themes of Into the Nexus: you’ll experience zero-g space, you’ll use gravity-defying new gadgets, and you’ll manipulate gravity to solve brand new Clank puzzles.” It is also their “biggest downloadable Ratchet & Clank game yet, dwarfing the size of both Quest For Booty and Full Frontal Assault.”

Just in case you were wondering, pre-order incentives aren’t going anywhere next generation. In fact, the bonuses for ordering Killzone: Shadow Fall were revealed this week. The Shadow Pack DLC includes exclusive OWL Skins, multiplayer Spotlight Move (for humiliating your kills), and the Official Soundtrack. So, a fairly standard bonus for a day one buy. No release date announced yet, but this is coming to PS4 sometime this year.

It’s not really news that Crytek has canceled Redemption, a game that was first revealed in 2011, but the reason is so laughable I just can’t help but repeat it. CEO Cevat Yerli was inspired to make the game after not being able to find his niece (no, that’s not the funny part). So they started making a third person shooter that sees the player character trying to protect Jelena, an AI companion. Yerli says this would have been something like a cross between The Last of Us and Crysis 2. Apparently play testers found the companion so annoying they just wanted to (or tried to) shoot her in the face. Not the reaction you want. According to Yerli, “At that point we knew – or I knew – this [was a] project we could not pull off yet. We don’t have the technology and the capabilities here. Not just the company, but the industry as a whole.” I may have to disagree with his logic. Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us have shown that likable AI companions are very possible in the industry. Still, if you know your game won’t compare favorably with those two, it’s probably best to drop it before you spend any more money.

Apparently Tekken Revolution has been doing quite well as a free to play fighter on PS3. Well enough they want to add three new characters. Namco has ten concepts to choose from for the three characters, and they want you to decide. They’ve got a poll up on Facebook and your votes will pick who gets added. Each possibility comes from some corner of the vast Tekken lore or was once considered for a past game but for any number of reasons. I’ll list the basic description but not the details, so check here for more information and vote here.

• Sexy Female Tekken Force Character
• Syake/Salmon
• Female Vampire
• Shin Kamiya
• Tougou
• Zombie Bride
• Female Paul
• Giant Praying Mantis
• Average, run-of-the-mill Old Man
• Ganmi-chan

Looks like that’s all for this week. Have a great weekend.

I’ve never been one to play Grand Theft Auto games. I usually run a few dudes and ladies over get the police chasing me and call it a day. But I cannot believe the amount of depth packed into GTA V. Coming September 17, this in depth look at game play is simply phenomenal.

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