UPDATE: You can download the Xbox 360 demo hereand also on the PlayStation Store.
Today, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. revealed that they are planning on releasing a demo for their upcoming fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us onto the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE. It will be available on April 2nd in the U.S., April 3rd on PlayStation Network in Europe and April 4th in Australia and New Zealand, which places it a good two weeks before the game’s release on April 16th. No information was released about a possible Wii U demo at this time.
Interestingly enough, the demo will feature an odd number of characters with Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor battling it out on the Gotham City arena. To go along with this announcement the company also released a gameplay trailer focusing on Black Adam of Captain Marvel fame who was officially announcedlast week. Check it out below.
Reality Squared Games have announced that Yitien, a Chinese-themed browser game developed by Teamtop Games will be launching their beta phase on March 29th. This highly-anticipated RPG has been well received in China, and currently has 20 million total registered players with an average of 500,000 players logged in at once.
Yitien features elements from many different browser and client games in addition to several unique new gaming mechanics.The most interesting new feature that jumps out is titled the Grove of Valor. This is a unique event held at 8:15 PM every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It is divided into three divisions based on character level and the 500 strongest players from each level division can fight in the Grove of Valor. Upon entering, players will begin fighting one another. Winning a battle earns 2 points and losing earns 1 point. Each player has 20 lives. The event will last until only one player is left standing. When the event ends, the player with the most points will be declared the winner and will receive EXP, items and a special title commemorating the players victory.
However, this is not the only new feature and the developers say that the beauty of Yitien is in its versatility and its variety. From more traditional, turn-based RPG battles to a multi-player arena to a familiar game called Rock, Paper, Scissors, they claim Yitien has it all.
Yitien will be one of the first games of its kind with an entirely Chinese theme to be released in the Western market. And the developers hope that Yitien will help to bridge the ever-shrinking gap between the East and West.
For those who received their early OUYA consoles as their Kickstarter reward, Pingo is out today. It will also be available when the OUYA hits stores in June. Pingo is a game by 1-Pup of both skill and luck that is based off poker hands using a standard deck of cards. The cards are laid out in a 5 by 5 grid, and you must make poker hands within that grid.
There is also a new high score contest being held. Players will be able to compete for 3 prize packages. The prizes for the contest consist of:
Grand Prize:
OUYA Controller
A Physical “Reigning Champion” Pingo Trophy
Your name, featured in the Pingo credits as “Reigning Champion”
A custom, Vector Digital Pengu Avatar
A custom Pingo Pengu plushie
A signed sketch of your personal Pengu Avatar
Pingo Sticker Set
2nd Prize:
A Signed “Reigning Champion” Pingo Certificate
Your name, featured in the Pingo credits as “Reigning Champion”
A custom, Vector Digital Pengu Avatar
A signed sketch of your personal Pengu Avatar
Pingo Sticker Set
3rd Prize:
A Signed “Reigning Champion” Pingo Certificate
Your name, featured in the Pingo credits as “Reigning Champion”
Pingo Sticker Set
… and more?
The contest will take place from March 28th to May 9th. To find all the details on how to enter the contest and more about 1-Pup, go here. You can also check out the video below.
Brought to you by Bulkypix, Runaway: Twist of Fate Part1 is now available for $5.49 and can be purchased on the App store here.Runaway: Twist of fate is a dark and humorous adventure game with graphics worthy of a 2D animation movie.
In Runaway: Twist Of Fate the main character Brian has been accused of murdering Colonel Kordsmeier. In order to avoid his sentence, Brian fakes his own death. With Brian’s loyal sidekick Gina, they start an investigation of their own. You will meet dozens of charismatic characters in many colorful settings, while solving up to 200 riddles and puzzles.
If some challenges are too hard, there is a clue system in place to help guide you in the right direction. You will play as both Brian and Gina, alternating roles in each chapter. The App will be divided into two parts because of how large it is.
Follow Bulkypix on twitter to stay updated here, or like them on facebook here.
Today Chillingo announced the launch of Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops. You can lead your team of Special Ops soldiers to victory in over 20 action packed missions. Chillingo has published made games like Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Contre Jour, Orc Vengeance, The Gods, Pixel People, Anomaly Warzone Earth plus many many more.
Tiny Troopers 2: Special Ops will feature brand new upgrade systems with new missions and enemies. There will also be enhanced graphics and improved gameplay controls.
To purchase the game for 99 cents on the iTunes store for either your iPad or iPhone, you can go here.If you want to find out more about Chillingo you can visit their website here, or follow them on twitter here. Stay tuned our review for the game will be live shortly.
Today GAMEVIL® announced the release of their latest title, Spawn Wars 2, for iOS devices and google play. Spawn Wars 2 is a third party title developed by AppPlus and published by GAMEVIL® through their $10m Partner Fund. If you’ve played War of Reproduction, which was the number 1 title in over 20 countries and hit more than 7 Million downloads worldwide, there’s a good chance you have been anticipating this sequel for a while now. Made to be played in full HD, with all new puzzles and added action gameplay this game shouldn’t be missed.
It is a simple touch and drag game, implementing unique puzzles and greatly balanced difficulty progression. Creative strategies are encouraged in this game due to the varying and unique environments players will have to manoeuvre through. Featured in this game is a new mode titled “Hero Mode”. Within this mode players will play as a “Hero Cell” and play in a style of game reminiscent of an action RPG which is fantastic for when a level gets too frustrating and you just feel like destroying some things. This is the ultimate puzzle RPG.
Those hoping to play Onechanbara Z: Kagura in some form may have an easier time with importing the game soon. Today Play-Asia placed a listingfor an Asian release of Onechanbara Z: Kagura for the PlayStation 3 which is set to be released in June.
Originally Onechanbara Z: Kagura was only released on the Xbox 360 in Japan but was never localized in English. If the game does indeed become available for the PlayStation 3 this means that, while the game itself will still be in Japanese, those who wish to play the title can easily import the region-free PS3 version compared to the region locked 360 version which was released back in January 2012.
Today it was announced after the last re-run of Senki Zesshō Symphogear on Tokyo MX TV that the anime will be getting a second season and that second season will be coming very soon. Senki Zesshō Symphogear G as it is called will be premiering in the Summer 2013 anime season starting in July.
A teaser video was then released which contained the text saying “Those days of passionate battles … once more! Farewell, Gungnir.” Considering Symphogear is an original title, it is unknown where the plot will go from here, but all three girls will be returning to likely fight against the Noise once more. As for Symphogear in the West, FUNimation streamed the first season but they have not revealed plans to release the title in English as of yet.
We’ve gotten to the point with games where we don’t have to argue that they’re a legitimate medium any more and events like D.I.C.E. and the Game Developers Choice Awards serve to enforce that perspective. They’re big deals; they might not boast the flashy suits of something like the Oscars or the Emmys but they definitely end up on glossy magazine covers and mean just as much for sales, the community and the fans as their cinema counterparts do.
Tim Schafer was a pretty cool host, slamming every gripe you could possibly have about the gaming industry as a whole. In his introduction to the Ambassador Award, Mark DeLoura gave an impassioned speech on how games have elevated themselves to the status of art. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Roger Ebert. Let’s get to what really matters, the awards:
Best Downloadable Game
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Best Narrative
The Walking Dead
Developed & Published by Telltale Games
Best Visual Arts
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Ambassador Award
Chris Melissinos
The Art of Videogames at the Smithsonian (68,000 people attended)
Best Technology
FarCry 3
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal
Published by Ubisoft
Best Game Design
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Best Handheld Mobile Game
The Room
Developed and Published by Fireproof Studios
Innovation Award
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Best Audio
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany
Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Pioneer Award
Steve Russell
Spacewar!
Best Debut Game
FTL: Faster Than Light
Developed and Published by Subset Games
Audience Award Winner
Dishonoured
Developed by Arkane Studios
Published by Bethesda Softworks
In Memoriam
Will Townsend
Joe Skivolovke
Paul Steed
Mike Singleton
Steve Kordek
Adam Adamowicz
Bill Sears
Kenji Eno
Normand Corbeil
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr Ray Muzyka & Greg Zeschuk
Game of the Year
Journey
Developed by Thatgamecompany Published by Sony Computer Entertainment
That’s it for the awards. You can find the IGF Awards, the Independent Games Festival’s ceremonies that preceded the GDC Awards here.
Opening for the Game Developers Choice Awards, the Independent Games Festival Awards offered a platform for indie developers to showcase the best of the best. It’s serious business too. Outside of the exposure they will receive from winning an award there’s over $50K, an assured place on Steam for all finalists and access to the Microsoft Development Network for the winners.
So who can we look forward to seeing more of? Check out the winners below:
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Cart Life
Richard Hofmeier
Nuovo Award
Cart Life
Richard Hofmeier
Excellence in Visual Arts
Kentucky Route Zero
Cardboard Computer
Excellence in Audio
140
Jeppe Carlsen
Excellence in Design
FTL: Faster Than Light
Subset Games
Best Student Game
Zenith
Arcane Kids
Technical Excellence
Little Inferno
Tomorrow Corporation
Audience Award
FTL: Faster Than Light
Subset Games
It’s good to see a bit more diversity in the selection of winners than some other award competitions out there. If you want to check our coverage of the GDC Awards click here.
