Monthly Archives: December 2011

Microsoft’s launched YouTube, Blinkbox, MSN and Muzu.TV onto Xbox 360. The YouTube app will enable users to search for videos on the service, while Blinkbox users will get access to 10,000 movies with added voice and body Kinect controls. Muzu.TV will provide music videos, while the MSN app will push its entertainment content.

The new Xbox dashboard launched last week. Thanks, MCV.

The Last of Us rollercoaster keeps on going: Naughty Dog’s confirmed it’s bringing two new avatars featuring main characters Joel and Ellie to the PS Store, with a dynamic theme and a HD version of the trailer that aired at the VGAs also set to drop. More details on ND’s website here.

The Last of Us is due to arrive late 2012 or early 2013 for PS3.

EA’s announced Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances as a browser-based strategy MMO. Being developed by Ultima Online developer Phenomic, it’ll be set within the C&C: Tiberium universe, and is built around HTML5, meaning it can be accessed through any web-compatible device. The announcement of Tiberium Alliances comes as it was announced at the VGAs that BioWare Victory is developing C&C: Generals 2 as a PC exclusive for 2013.

You can sign up for the closed beta on here. Via EG.

Several ex-developers of the recently shuttered Visceral Games Melbourne have banded together to form mobile games studio PlaySide. Headed by Gerry Sakkas as CEO, PlaySide will begin production on games from January 16 next year. Sakkas said the main aim of creating the company was by bringing in “people who were accustomed to aiming for AAA quality, take that talent, and tailor it to a mobile audience.”

More on Kotaku Australia.

“Music licensing is a one-time deal. The songs from the original games were only licensed for those specific games on those specific platforms at that specific time. Any other versions created later would need new licensing deals. This is also why not all songs from earlier Guitar Hero games are importable into later games: they only signed permission for it to be used in that one game. Any change means it’s a different deal.” – Activision’s Dan “OneofSword” Amrich on why it’s unlikely Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD will have the soundtracks of both THPS1 or 2. No Jerry Was a Race Car Driver, then.

Finnish developer 10tons got in touch this morning to let us know that newly-released iOS puzzler Swingworm has been discounted from $2.99 to $0.99 today. The sale is “limited,” so get on it. It’s a simple thing where you drag the head and tail of a worm around levels to grab fruit. In addition, griddy puzzle game Azkend is free for iPhone right now. Grab this quick. I played the sequel in Tampere in Finland last week, and could hardly put it down. Do it: the lack of cost won’t last for long.

Rockstar’s maturation this generation has dumped parachutes and defined the modern console market, pushing the company from Mail-bait and Jack Thompson’s favoured target to a creative giant focused on seriousness and emotion. Johnny Cullen explains.

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NCSoft’s announced it’s to make Aion free-to-play from February next year.

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The latest issue of Famitsu’s reporting this morning that Capcom will launch a demo of Asura’s Wrath on January 10. The taster will include additional content that wasn’t seen in the TGS demo. The full game, coming from CyberConnect2, launches in Japan on February 23, with a European launch on February 24 and in the US on February 21 for PS3 and 360.

Thanks, Andriasang.

A PR firm has been fined up to $7,000 after a majority of balloons, released as part of a stunt promoting THQ shooter Homefront, fell into San Francisco Bay.

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The latest Famitsu’s reporting this week Tecmo Koei will launch Ninja Gaiden 3 in Japan on March 22 for PS3 and 360. It also has listed standard and “collectors editions.” As far as we know, no special editions for the game have been announced as yet. A western release date hasn’t been announced other than “early 2012.” We’ll email TK Europe this morning.

Thanks, Andriasang.

Kid Icarus: Uprising was one of the first games Nintendo revealed for its spanking new handheld. Where the heck is it? Gaze upon its soon-to-be-released form through the break.

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Japanese and US community portal Square Enix Members has been taken offline after the publisher detected a security breach.

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A new piece of DLC for Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me arrives with this week’s console updates, as well as on PC. The download adds about three hours of content, will set you back 800 MS Points, $9.99 or local equivalent, and weighs in at 3.22GB. Admire this launch trailer while you wait for the servers to feed it to you.

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MP1st received reports and a screenshot showing one Xbox Live member’s 5,000 day ban from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – that’s almost 14 years. Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling confirmed the number isn’t an error. “If you see this message, it means you’ve been Permabanned (for something bad),” he explained.

Thanks, Kotaku.

The pay-what-you-want Humble Bundle scheme offers you the chance to score some of the hottest tickets in indie gaming on the super-duper cheap: Bit.Trip Runner, Jamestown, Super Meat Boy, and more.

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The revamped classic Sonic CD will hit iDevice and console networks with this week’s update, which is is early as tomorrow for some of you. Launch trailer and more through the break.

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After yesterday’s teaser, Major Nelson has dropped a more complete Xbox Live Marketplace schedule, featuring new Games on Demand, a pile of DLC, and a small collection of new Arcade titles.

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Hideo Kojima has revealed one idea surrounding Metal Gear Solid 5 was a game based on The Boss and the Cobras from the landing of Normandy. [Spoilers for MGS3 and part of its ending are below the break]

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Sony has released its usual update on what delights will grace the US PlayStation Store in this week’s update.

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