ExtraLives aims to hit $100K for charity with Pokémon marathon this weekend

The good folks at ExtraLives.org have raised $91,837.25 since 2009, and they're hoping Pokémon will help put them over the $100,000 mark this coming weekend. Starting up on Saturday, December 29, the team is going to start up three different Pokémon sessions at the same time, marathoning Nintendo's addictive little monster capture RPG all the way into 2013.

They'll start with the old Game Boy titles, and then make their way up into the DS era, campaigning the whole time to try and raise money for charity.

The marathon will begin at noon on Saturday, and each of the three streamed screens will be running a different version of Pokemon, so you'll get to see for sure just how different the game is if you go with Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle for your first pet. The infamous Pokémon bootlegs will also be making an appearance. All the money will be going to Free the Children, so it's for a great cause.

Our heartfelt holiday donations: Let us show you them.

Video: Look before you leap in Assassin's Creed

Description

The American Colonies, 1775. A brave young warrior fights to save his homeland. But what begins as a struggle over territory turns into an extraordinary journey that will transform him into a Master Assassinâ€"and will forever change the destiny of a nation. You are Connor, warrior son of a Native American mother and British father. As the colonies draw closer to revolution, you will dedicate your life to the freedom of your clan â€"becoming the spark that ignites the revolution into full blaze. Your crusade will take you through blood-soaked battlefields to crowded city streets, to perilous wilderness and beyond. You will not only witness historyâ€"you will make it. Set against the backdrop of one of the bloodiest Revolutions in world history, prepare to be drawn back into the centuries old battle between the Assassin’s Order and their sworn enemy, the Templars. Unleash lethal new skills and experience a stunningly realistic world created by Anvil Next, a new engine that redefines gaming. Welcome to an entirely new chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga.

Pid's 'Easy Mode' brings balance, universal enjoyment to Steam

The Easy Mode that Pid developer Might & Delight promised earlier this month is now live on Steam, offering "a version of the game that can be enjoyed by everyone." This would include us, we assume, especially since we found Pid to be "one of the most annoying games" of the year, with manic, frustrating difficulty spikes.

"In Pid's Easy Mode we have redesigned nearly all levels and maybe most importantly made all the boss fights shorter and more simple," Might & Delight writes on the Steam announcement. "We have studied the reviews and playthroughs on YouTube thoroughly to determine how we can create a version of the game that can be enjoyed by everyone. We have also reworked small parts of Normal Mode and the difficulty spikes that people encountered!"

The patch also allows pl ayers to change difficulty mid-game, without having to restart. Pid on, people.

Trials HD & Evolution star in today's Xbox Live Countdown to 2013 deal

Today's Xbox Live's Countdown to 2013 deal is full of Trials and tribulations, minus the tribulations. The Xmas Eve offering knocks 400 MSP off both Trials HD and Trials Evolution, seeing bikers viciously flung off price crashes of 400 MSP and 800 MSP respectively.

The games' add-ons are also discounted in today's deal, making each of the Big Thrills and Big Pack DLC for Trials HD as well as Origins of Pain for Evolution available for 200 MSP.

Black Ops 2 reigns for sixth week in UK to capture Xmas No 1 spot

Let's face it, it was going to take a Christmas miracle to knock Call of Duty Black Ops 2 off the festive top spot in the UK charts. Despite a valiant but not quite miraculous effort from Far Cry 3, which saw an 86 percent rise in sales on the back of meaty holiday discounts, the latest CoD ruled the roost once more to become this year's Xmas No 1, as well as the only game to top the UK charts for six weeks in a row in 2012.

That near-doubling of Far Cry 3 sales helped the open-world shooter leap over Hitman: Absolution into second place. Otherwise it's much as you were for the UK's penultimate sales week, with the same collection of top ten games playing a very restrained, possibly hungover version of Musical Chairs.

You can find the UK top ten snoring loudly on the couch after the break.

Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending December 22:

1. Call of Duty Black Op 2
2. Far Cry 3
3. Hitman: Absolution
4. FIFA 13
5. Just Dance 4
6. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
7. Assassin's Creed 3
8. Halo 4
9. Lego The Lord of the Rings
10. WWE '13

Zynga Japan closing

As was originally suggested by Zynga CEO Mark Pincus back in October, Zynga Japan will be closing its doors as part of a company wide "Cost Reduction Plan" this January. The decision was made official by an announcement on Zynga Japan CEO Kenji Matsubara's Facebook profile, where he thanked users for playing his company's games.

Three of Zynga Japan's games have already been discontinued: City builder Machitsuku, Scrabble clone Mojitomo and monster training RPG Montopia. Zynga Japan's mobile card battling game Ayakashi (available in the US as Ayakashi: Ghost Guild) will continue to operate beyond the developer's official closure at the end of January, 2013.

Other branches affected by the Cost Reduction Plan include Zynga Austin, which suffered a significant reduction in staff, along with Zynga Boston, which was closed entirely.

Stiq Figures, December 10 - 16: E.T. edition

Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something â€" meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.

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Those hoping to unwrap the latest, hottest game this week should hope they don't accidentally warp back in time 20 years, as they might accidentally get E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Not the movie, sadly, but the awful licensed Atari 2600 game.

To sympathize with kids that were stuck with this movie tie-in game in 1982, we're subjecting ourselves to this Christmas commercial for the Atari atrocity. Okay, maybe we're not being fair, there might be someone out there that likes this game.

3DS LL: 206,973 [UP] 70,600 (51.77%)
Wii U: 126,916 [DOWN] 181,226 (58.81%)
3DS: 112,052 [UP] 36,926 (49.15%)
PS3: 42,976 [UP] 5,982 (16.17%)
PSP: 33,002 [UP] 13,365 (68.06%)
Vita: 14,446 [UP] 3,407 (30.86%)
Wii: 10,346 [UP] 3,632 (54.10%)
Xbox 360: 1,760 [UP] 544 (44.74%)
PS2: 1,102 [UP] 198 (21.90%)
DSi: 320 [UP] 75 (30.61%)
DSi LL: 221 [UP] 42 (23.46%)

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is not festive enough

With Christmas only a few days away, some folks look forward to holiday-themed music disappearing from radio stations for the year, or not seeing hundreds of holiday movie specials on TV. Sure, up until the holidays there are millions of people that seek out this festive entertainment to get into the spirit of the season.

But what about gamers? I have troubles coming up with a sizable list of games to play during these wintery months. Often, it boils down to late December being the season of playing-whatever-you-get-as-a-gift, or for some it's a moment when players can dig deep into their backlog (though that's what Four in February is for). What if you want to play something festive that gets you in the spirit of the season?

While you help me put a list together, check out last week's webcomics and vote for your favorite after the break!

A Very Mario Christmas (< a href="http://www.dorkly.com/comic/47543/a-very-mario-christmas">Dorkly)
Street Fighter X Mega Man (Another Video Game Webcomic)
Size Matters (Legacy Control)
Based on a true story (Manly Guys Doing Manly Things)
What Billy wants... (Extra Life)
A Comic (Penny Arcade)
Luigi's Holiday Vacation (Brawl in the Family)

'GamesMaster' Sir Patrick Moore has died

Revered British astronomer, writer, and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore has died, aged 89. As the BBC reports, Sir Moore passed away peacefully yesterday at his home in England.

Sir Moore was one of Great Britain's most recognizable personalities. He had a glittering career as a writer and broadcaster of astronomy, most famously presenting BBC mainstay The Sky at Night for over half a century. Yet Sir Moore wasn't afraid to present himself unseriously, as British gamers who grew up in the 1990s will undoubtedly remember.

As the face, or more specifically the cyborg head of GamesMaster, Sir Moore was an integral part of one of the few successful video game shows TV can boast. Although his stint on GamesMaster was likely only a minor sideline in his incredible life, this tribute video by Big Daddy D shows just how memorable it was.

Why Mario's Martinet is Runner 2's narrator

During a recent Nintendo event, Gaijin Games revealed that Mario voice actor Charles Martinet is acting as narrator for Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien. His performance is a break from what we traditionally think of when we think of Martinet, as it's a lot lower-pitched and less accented than the Mario family. But you can definitely tell it's-a him ... because he introduces himself.

"We wanted to get Charles because obviously he's recognizable," Gaijin Games founder Alex Neuse said in a follow-up interview. "We like him, he's funny, and silly, and great, and awesome. We wanted to have a whimsical character voice that's reminiscent of old cartoons. You remember those old Looney Tunes when they would do 'the car of the future!'" The visual design of the game is meant to recall cartoons, with bright, colorful, rounded visuals and angular, minimal Saul Bass-esque cutscenes.

The choice of Martinet after nationwide auditions felt right for reasons beyond the sound of his voice. "I think that Mike [Roush, Gaijin Games co-founder] and I were both really excited about it," Neuse said, "because our games have been on Nintendo platforms and it kind of felt like ... it's a home, the Nintendo stuff, and he's part of that home, even though he was living in another room until now."

As for the (classy) self-introduction â€" "I'm Charles Martinet, and now it's time for Bit.Trip Presents Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien" â€" that found its inspiration in a terrarium. "We wanted him to be 'Charles Martinet' and not just some no-name narrator for a few reasons," Neuse said. "Primarily, because we loved Seaman. Do you remember when Leonard Nimoy introduced Seaman?" Nimoy narrated your progress in the Dreamcast game, as you fed and cared for a man-faced fishmonster. Rather than act as an anonymous narrator, Nimoy's op ening monologue tells the player "My name is Leonard Nimoy, and I will be your guide." Neuse said "I liked Seaman a lot and I thought the whole game was fun, but I thought that was almost the funnest part of the game. It was so out there."

Martinet's work in the game includes narration of cutscenes and occasional interstitial videos, along with fake product placements that pop up at the start of the game â€" like the "Burger Mouth" commercial above. Martinet even contributed some material while recording those ads. "Mike and I came up with most of them," Neuse explained. "We were all just having so much fun recording them because they're very silly. And Charles started coming up with some. I think two or three of the ones he came up with are in the game, that we weren't planning on doing. Like Tim's Tomato Grinds."

Runner2 is coming to PC, Mac, Linux, PS3, Xbox, and Wii U early next year. Pre-orders are already open on Steam.

Dance Central 3 finds Gaga under the tree, LMFAO at New Year's

PARTY INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH HOT TRACKS FROM LADY GAGA AND LMFAO!

Cambridge, MA â€" December 21st, 2012 â€" Take your holiday parties to the next level with all new add-on tracks for Dance Centralâ„¢ 3, including music from Lady Gaga and LMFAO!

On Tuesday, December 25, two hits from Grammy Award-winning entertainer Lady Gaga will be available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace or in-game Dance Central 3 Music Store! The tracks include "Paparazzi" from Lady Gaga's 2008 debut The Fame and "Alejandro" from 2009's The Fame Monster. These hits can be purchased individually for 240 Microsoft Pointsâ„¢ each or as part of a pack for 400 Microsoft Points.

And perfect for your New Year's Eve celebrations, LMFAO's "Sorry for Party Rocking" will be available for download on December 31! The track will be available as a single for 240 Microsoft Points or as part of a pack with the previously released LMFAO track, "Party Rock Anthem," for 400 Microsoft Points.

Harmonix cont inues to grow the library of playable tracks in Dance Central 3, with previously released add-on content that includes PSY's "Gangnam Style," as well as singles from Carly Rae Jepsen and Usher. Dance Central 3 features the biggest library of gaming's most danceable music, with a massive library of previously available content compatible with Dance Central 3, in addition to tracks players can import from Dance Central and Dance Central 2*!

December 25
Lady Gaga â€" "Paparazzi"
Choreographer â€" Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty â€" Tough
Lady Gaga â€" "Alejandro"
Choreographer â€" Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty â€" Moderate
("Paparazzi" and "Alejandro" will be available as singles for 240 Microsoft Points each, as well as bundled together as "Lady Gaga Pack 02" for 400 Microsoft Points.)

December 31
LMFAO â€" "Sorry for Party Rocking"
Choreographer â€" Kunle Oladehin
Difficulty â€" Legit
("Sorry for Party Rocking" will be available a s a single for 240 Microsoft Points, as well as bundled with the previously released "Party Rock Anthem" as part of "LMFAO Pack 01" for 400 MS Points.)

Be sure to follow Dance Central on Twitter (http://twitter.com/dance_central) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dancecentral) for the latest news!

###

Show full PR text

PARTY INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH HOT TRACKS FROM LADY GAGA AND LMFAO!

Cambridge, MA â€" December 21st, 2012 â€" Take your holiday parties to the next level with all new add-on tracks for Dance Centralâ„¢ 3, including music from Lady Gaga and LMFAO!

On Tuesday, December 25, two hits from Grammy Award-winning entertainer Lady Gaga will be available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace or in-game Dance Central 3 Music Store! The tracks include "Paparazzi" from Lady Gaga's 2008 debut The Fame and "Alejandro" from 2009's The Fame Monster. These hits can be purchase d individually for 240 Microsoft Pointsâ„¢ each or as part of a pack for 400 Microsoft Points.

And perfect for your New Year's Eve celebrations, LMFAO's "Sorry for Party Rocking" will be available for download on December 31! The track will be available as a single for 240 Microsoft Points or as part of a pack with the previously released LMFAO track, "Party Rock Anthem," for 400 Microsoft Points.

Harmonix continues to grow the library of playable tracks in Dance Central 3, with previously released add-on content that includes PSY's "Gangnam Style," as well as singles from Carly Rae Jepsen and Usher. Dance Central 3 features the biggest library of gaming's most danceable music, with a massive library of previously available content compatible with Dance Central 3, in addition to tracks players can import from Dance Central and Dance Central 2*!

December 25
Lady Gaga â€" "Paparazzi"
Choreographer â€" Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty â€" Tough
Lady G aga â€" "Alejandro"
Choreographer â€" Marcos Aguirre
Difficulty â€" Moderate
("Paparazzi" and "Alejandro" will be available as singles for 240 Microsoft Points each, as well as bundled together as "Lady Gaga Pack 02" for 400 Microsoft Points.)

December 31
LMFAO â€" "Sorry for Party Rocking"
Choreographer â€" Kunle Oladehin
Difficulty â€" Legit
("Sorry for Party Rocking" will be available as a single for 240 Microsoft Points, as well as bundled with the previously released "Party Rock Anthem" as part of "LMFAO Pack 01" for 400 MS Points.)

Be sure to follow Dance Central on Twitter (http://twitter.com/dance_central) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/dancecentral) for the latest news!

###

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate videos show 3 monsters being hunted

Description

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate utilises the functionalities of the Wii U console and Nintendo 3DS system to provide players with a truly intuitive hunting experience. The touch screen feature of both platforms allows players to quickly access in-game books, weapons, field maps and mini games whilst the high quality graphics of Wii U and 3D visuals of Nintendo 3DS powered by the latest iteration of Capcom’s MT Framework deliver a unique and stunning world for players to explore. Taking advantage of the portability of Nintendo 3DS, players can exchange their guild card that contains all their hunter’s information with other players via StreetPass. Players can experience the world of Monster Hunter alone or in four player local play using Nintendo 3DS. Finding nearby hunters to adventure on quests with is now even easier via the local Nintendo 3DS search feature. Wii U players will be able to enjoy the hunt with Nintendo 3DS players via a local wireless connection. Gamers that own both a Wii U and Nintendo 3DS can take advantage of the inter compatibility of save data between the two consoles, taking the hunt from the living room wherever they go.

'Project V-13' kind of returning through Black Isle fund drive

"Project V-13" has returned from obscurity, tied to another name returning under mysterious circumstances: Black Isle Studios. Interplay's mystery studio, which former Black Isle founders are not involved with and don't really know about, has started a funding drive for a game called "Project V13," a "post-apocalyptic strategy RPG," introducing the longtime Interplay staff working on the game.

The original plan for Project V-13 was to make an MMO in the Fallout universe, a plan that is no longer possible, because Interplay no longer owns the rights to make a F allout MMO, following a protracted legal battle with Bethesda.

There's no evidence that this new version is massively multiplayer. Its strategy RPG gameplay involves character creation, and rebuilding and management of facilities within an abandoned "colony." There are references to "meeting friends" and "fighting neighbors," suggesting some kind of multiplayer, but this game is very likely neither Fallout nor MMO. "PV13 has been in development for years," the funding site notes, "but we've had to make some major changes recently. We believe the changes are for the better and we're excited about working on this new iteration of PV13."

The fund drive is Mayan Apocalypse-themed, of course. By paying into the fund drive, you move a countdown clock forward, postponing the apocalypse, as it were. You also get access to a backer-only forum.

What you don't get is the game. The funds raised will go toward a "prototype," which will then be shopped around to raise ad ditional development budget. There's no indication on the website that backers will get access to this prototype, either.

So, while you may think of Kickstarters as extended pre-orders, this non-Kickstarter drive should be seen as more of a "donation."

The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Full Bore

Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Whole Hog Games' Jake Federico talks fundraising for Full Bore, a platformer about friendship and, well, boars.

What's your game called and what's it about?

Our game, Full Bore, follows the story of a young boar named Frederick as he gets caught up in the troubles of the Full Bore Mining Company.

You can try the demo of Full Bore here, or visit the website to see a trailer, preview the soundtrack and see more screenshots.

The game is an open world, where players explore the old tunnels of the Full Bore Mining Company in search of ancient secrets, treasure and things better left undisturbed. The mechanics of the game are created by the interaction between Frederick and the various blocks that make up the world.

The challenge of the game ramps up as block types are introduced and the player must figure out how to combine their unique behaviors to traverse the world. Exploration in Full Bore is driven by knowledge, instead of arbitrary goals and item collection.

We are running a Kickstarter for Full Bore. If all goes well, we will be releasing in March.

What will you do if your Kickstarter doesn't succeed? How about if it does?

If our Kickstarter isn't successful, Full Bore will have to become our side project. All three of us would have to get full time jobs and work on the game part-time. We would finish it eventually, but there's no way we would be able to make our goal of a March release without severely compromising the quality of the game. We love Full Bore, but it could take years without some outside help.

If funding succeeds, two team members will work non-stop to complete the game in time for March. Last member will work a day job to help pay for food.

Do you think $12,500 is a low, average or high amount to ask for, for an indie game?

Certainly $12,500 is a low amount in context of game development budgets in general. For an indie project, $10,000 -$20,000 seems like a common goal. We are asking for the amount of money that we need to finish the game. There will be no profit, every dime will be used to make the game. We hope to make our living with conventional sales once the game is completed and released. Hopefully we can make a big enough splash to fund our next game.

What inspired you to make Full Bore?

We wanted to make games free from clutter. Mass-market games often aim to create complete experiences by providing many things to do, frequently at the expense of depth in their core mechanics. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but this trend had us itching to make a focused game that still had an interesting world.

When we set out to mak e Full Bore we wanted to make a highly focused arcade game, but as development progressed we gradually opened up more of the world for the player to explore. We wound up with an open world where both the environment and the challenges of the game are built out of the same blocks. In this way we were able to have an open-world game, but maintain focus on a single, well-explored mechanic.

There is also the irrational adoration of boars.

Why a boar?

Full Bore was conceived in reverse. We started with the name of our studio, Whole Hog Games, and jokingly thought that Full Bore would make a great title for a game about, naturally, boars that bore. The three of us kept talking about this world of digging boars underground, fell in love with the concept, and decided Full Bore was the game we should be making.

What's the coolest as pect of Full Bore?

The coolest part of Full Bore is the seamless blending of world and puzzle. Rather than incorporate block puzzles into the world, the whole world is made of puzzle blocks. This unification means that passages and treasure can be hidden almost anywhere, and it takes a keen eye and a solid understanding of the game mechanics to uncover everything there is to find.

Why develop independently, rather than work for an established company?

Making a creative work is a personal thing. When you get a group of people together who care deeply about the project there is a lot of conflict. You have to be good friends, or you end up disliking the whole team. Personal investment in a project and creative conflict are what make a game unique. This kind of intimate process doesn't happen in the industry at large. It's what gives indie games their special flavor, and it is an amazing, though trying, ride for the peo ple making the game.

We're not anti-corporate either; Casey spent almost three years working for legendary Japanese developer ARC System Works. He left them on good terms â€" we even hosted one of their new hires for cultural exchange earlier this year.

Do you see yourself as part of a larger indie movement?

Yes. The time is right for passionate individuals to create the games they care about. Computers are powerful enough to do interesting things without costly tech. Social networks make getting the word out and distributing a game practical on a small budget. The reach of the internet makes it possible to be successful even if your game is niche.

Sell Full Bore in one sentence:

Full Bore is an exploration puzzle game, where curiosity and logic drive the player through a story about the trials of growing up as an impoverished digging boar.

What's next?

More games! You can expect t o see us continue working on our ideal of making tightly focused games. We have a bunch of ideas, but Full Bore is our baby â€" we want to love and nurture it into a great game before we think too much about what is next.

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Full Bore needs $7,000 to reach its Kickstarter goal of $12,500, with 23 days to go. If you didn't get bored and you made it this far, maybe consider checking out the backer rewards.

If you'd like to have your own shot at converting our readers into fans, email jess [at] joystiq [dawt] com, subject line "The Joystiq Indie Pitch." Still haven't had enough? Check out the Pitch archives.

Darksiders 2 statue brings Death and Despair into your living space

SOTA TOYS ANNOUNCE DARKSIDERS DEATH AND DESPAIR STATUE

LOS ANGELES, Calif., (Dec 6, 2012)

"Death, astride Despair amid the shattered landscape of the apocalypse. Death and Despair are lit by the unearthly flames that emanate from Despairs ethereal body. High intensity LEDs light the mane, tail and wind-buffeted hooves of Despair as he carries Death to their next ordeal.

Death is the iconic lead character in THQ's blockbuster post-apocalypse title Darksiders 2, released 2012. Darksiders follows the travels of our unlikely hero and the trail of his namesake that he leaves in his wake."

The Death and Despair Statue takes the Resin Statue Multimedia experience to new levels. Lit internally by high-intensity LEDs, this exquisitely painted and molded statue will draw attention in the brightest day or darkest night.
· In the standard 12" scale format, Death and Despair are in the same scale as the War and Ruin statue (Released 2011), as well as the Samael statue (Released 2012).

· Powered by standard AC power or via a supplied USB (and any powered USB device) there is never a need to rely on batteries to enjoy the hellish glow of Death astride Despair.

· Scheduled for release in Q1 2013.

Final Penny Arcade 3 DLC on Steam this week, card game coming to iOS

"The Beginning of the End" is the final set of free DLC coming to Penny Arcade's On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness 3, and Zeboyd Games has announced that it's arriving on PC and the Xbox this Thursday, December 20. The DLC, which aims to fill in the story between the first three episodes, will bring a new playable character to the series, along with new enemies and new spells to fight them with.

As you can probably tell by the title, the DLC will set up the final game in the franchise, which is due sometime in 2013. This week, "The Beginning of the End" will only arrive on Steam and Xbox Live Indie Games, but Zeboyd says it'll be out for iOS, Android and Mac very soon.

And elsewhere in interactive Penny Arcade news, Playdek and Cryptozoic have created a digital version of the Penny Arcade deck-building card game â€" it's comi ng to iOS this week as well. Penny Arcade: The Game: Gamers vs. Evil will be out on Apple's platform tomorrow for $4.99. There are so many different options out there to play with the Penny Arcade license that they should probably upgrade it to a nickel at some point.

Last issue of Nintendo Power available now, founders look back

The last issue of Nintendo Power is on newsstands today, giving you one final trip into the magazine that kickstarted many a Mario and Zelda obsession. To commemorate the occasion, Gamasutra has a nice feature up with the magazine's founders looking back on its history.

According to one of the founders, Howard Philips, the original draw of Nintendo Power wasn't the game news or the features; back then, it was the maps and the gameplay tips that really drew readers in. "I'm just gaga over it now," he remembers, "thinking of how fun it was to pull out a map of Zelda and see the entire world, and be able to go through it with your fingertip and then say, 'Okay, there's where you can burn that tree,' or push that rock, or whatever. It was so cool. Getting that in the hands of kids was â€" from my perspective â€" the real big win that we were after." Considering the industry's own thoughts on Nintendo Power and its legacy, there are probably a lot of readers out there who agree.

Ludum Dare 25 closes out today with some banging indie games

The relaxed version of Ludum Dare 25 ends today, while the 48-hour game jam closed out yesterday, and all this means that there are some brand spankin' new indie games you can play right now. Most developers are now posting links to their jam games, both in download and browser form, on the Ludum Dare blog.

A few that take clever advantage of the jam's theme, "You are the villain," are Deadland, You Are The Goatman, Train Splat, The World is Mine!, Super Witch Hunter Pro (pictured above) and of course Mike Schramm's (of the Schramm Joystiqs) Space Liberators. There are tons of diamonds in the Ludum Dare rough, so browse the blog to find your favorite.

Resident Evil 6 takes on PC on March 22

Plenty of Resident Evil 6 news for you today kicking off with the PC version. It's now been confirmed that the PC version of Resident Evil 6 will be available as a digital download in North America from Friday March 22, 2013, with European PC gamers able to purchase both the digital version and a disc based version from the same date.

Both the digital and retail versions of Resident Evil 6 PC will contain all the content found in the original console release plus receive any additions contained in any free title updates such as Ada Wong's campaign being accessible from the outset and the challenging No Hope difficulty mode.

Furthermore the digital version will take full advantage of Steam functionality by supporting the following features:
· Cloud saving
· Steam Achievements
· Friends support
· Game overlay
· Leader boards

Spec-wise, this is what you'll need:
Minimum specs
· OS: Windows Vista®/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8
· Processor: Intel® CoreTM2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or better, AMD AthlonTM X2 2.8 Ghz or better
· Memory: 2 GB RAM
· Hard Disk Space: 16 GB free hard drive space
· Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800GTS or better
· DirectX®: 9.0c or greater
· Sound: Standard audio device

Recommended specs
· OS: Windows Vista®/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8
· Processor: Intel® CoreTM 2 Quad 2.7 Ghz or better, AMD PhenomTM II X4 3 Ghz or better
· Memory: 4 GB RAM
· Hard Disk Space: 16 GB free hard drive space
· Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 or better
· DirectX®: 9.0c or greater
· Sound: Standard audio device

Capcom recommends PCs equipped with NVIDA GeForce graphics processors to deliver the best experience when playing Resident Evil 6 PC. Stand by for the first in-game assets from the PC version coming early next year.

Continuing its on-going commitment to listen to feedback from Resident Evil 6 players and, wherever pos sible improve the gameplay experience, Capcom is pleased to confirm that a second free title update for Resident Evil 6 will be available on January 22, 2013. This follows the first free update for the game which is available from today. This second free update will deliver the following enhancements:

Agent Hunt Mode
· Available without having to complete a campaign
· Selectable criteria for joining a session
o Stage selection
o Region selection
o Players can determine whether to join a session based on campaign player's settings such as infinite ammo or friendly fire setting
Stage selection
· Individual stages within chapters can be accessed at any time once completed
General
· QTE assist
o QTE assist is currently part of the Amateur difficulty level, and automatically completes QTEs for the player. With this update, players can optionally activate QTE assist on any difficulty level.
· Adjustments
o Some sections of the game have had their difficulty adjusted to provide an improved experience

Finally, Xbox 360 owners will be able to purchase Resident Evil 6 as a digital download when it releases as a Games On Demand title this holiday season.

Sony's 'Play Days' sale discounts PS3 accessories, Move bundles

Starting tomorrow, PlayStation 3 accessories (and even two actual games) will be discounted by up to 60 percent at participating retailers. The "Play Days" promotion, as Sony calls it, knocks dollar-dollar-bills-y'all off the MSRP of pretty much anything that plugs into a PlayStation 3, from Dual Shocks, to Move bundles, charging stations and media remotes. Wonderbook bundles and Sports Champions 2 will also receive holiday prices starting this Monday.

The promotion runs until Saturday, January 12, so folks buying stuff for the PS3 they received during whatever winter-time gift-giving holiday they celebrate will be able to save some scratch as well. Hit the source link below for the full list of discounted products, or watch the above trailer and write very, very quickly.

Participating retailers:

• Amazon
• Best Buy
• Fred Meyer
• Fry's
• GameStop
• Hastings Entertainment
• Ingram Entertainment
• Kmart
• Mecca Electronics
• Meijer Inc.
• Nebraska Furniture Mart
• Pioneer Distributors
• Shopko Stores
• Solutions 2 Go
• Sony Retail Stores
• Synnex Corp.
• Target
• Transworld Music Corp.
• Walmart

New GameSpy owners Glu Mobile shut down multiplayer servers without notice

Players of quite a few old PC games, including Neverwinter Nights, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, SWAT 4, Hidden and Dangerous 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront, are reporting that the GameSpy-powered multiplayer servers behind those titles and more have been shut off without notice. The GameSpy service was sold to publisher Glu Mobile from IGN a little while ago, so it's that company that's apparently responsible for shutting down these servers.

Another one of the games affected was Sniper Elite, and developer Rebellion says its hands are tied: Glu wants to charge a lot of money to turn the servers back on, and Rebellion doesn't have the resources to transfer the multiplayer on this old title to another service. Rebellion points out that fans of the game did get seven years of service for free. And while GameSpy's matchmaking is down, players of some of these games can still connect up online manually by IP.

Angry players have taken to GameSpy's old Facebook page to register their wrath, but there's no official response just yet.

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is always saving the day

When I was in high school, a friend of mine asked a surprisingly thought-provoking question about the "larger-than-life" kind of dreams he tended to have: Why did he not go home and "just kind of hang out" at the end of his dreams?

While my friend's thought doesn't make sense in retrospect, the fundamental idea recently came up when thinking about video games. Games are often grand, important adventures in which players guide the protagonist so that they will "save the day." Sure, games like Heavy Rain introduce interactive, albeit mundane and arguably trivial tasks like brushing your character's teeth. Not being tasked with saving the world isn't a new concept by any means, but one might begin to wonder if being a large-scale hero is the starting point players have come to expect.

That's why we should be hap py for webcomics like the ones you should totally read below, and then vote for your favorite after the break. They usually celebrate the small stuff in games!

Super 16 Candles (ReadySoup)
Everyone Loses (Drawing Nothing)
Mega Man 25th Anniversary (Dave the Direman)
PSA (Manly Guys Doing Manly Things)
Thanks, Mom! (Magical Game Time)
Timber (Legacy Control)
Where Legendary Pokemon Come From (Dorkly)
Scatamancy (Virtual Shackles)
3;

Epic clarifies lack of 'Down But Not Out' in Gears of War: Judgment multiplayer modes

Gears of War: Judgment still includes the series standard "Down But Not Out" (DBNO) mechanic in some modes, Epic Games clarified today. The Gears of War community forums went into a downward spiral after Gears Senior Producer Chris Wynn tweeted, "DBNO is not in any of the [multiplayer] modes." We knew this to be inaccurate as of last week, when we played Judgment's enjoyable OverRun multiplayer mode, so we contacted the studio for clarification.

"DBNO (Down, But Not Out) is featured in the Gears of War: Judgment campaign. As for competitive and co-op multiplayer, a DBNO-like feature exists in OverRun, wherein the Medic class has the ability to revive teammates who are downed with our new stim grenade. The difference is they are stationary and are not crawling around. Grenadiers on the Locust side can go DBNO and then be revived by another Grenadier or a Kantus," Epic informed Joystiq. "And for obvious reasons, our new Free-For-All mode doesn't feature any sort of DBNO. We have more modes to announce in the future, so we can only comment on the modes we've announced so far."

The fact that the company won't comment on modes it hasn't officially announced yet is what is complicating this issue. During our visit last week, the company wouldn't acknowledge Horde mode was part of Judgment either. Gears fans will have to take a "wait and see" approach to what's actually going on, since Epic doesn't want to deviate from the marketing plan.

WRUP: The GOTY chat

Okay, we're a couple weeks out from the end of 2012. This is when we ask you to tell us about the games that didn't get enough attention. What would be amiss when we nail down the best of 2012?

Oh, and what's everyone playing this weekend?

• Alexander Sliwinski (@Sliwinski): If I'm lucky, I'll finish Far Cry 3 this weekend. I also must complete The Walking Dead.
• David Hinkle (@DaveHinkle): I'm a few matches away from unlocking my first Specialization in Halo 4 multiplayer, so I'm sure I'll get that done this weekend. Otherwise I'm finally looking forward to getting into XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
• JC Fletcher (@jcfletcher): My Wii U TV-plus-lil'-TV time is going into Scribblenauts Unlimited this weekend. When I'm only playing games on one tiny screen, Persona 4 Golden.
• Jess Conditt (@JessConditt): A Walk in the Dark, because I'm still pretending I don't have a bunch of games to catch up on for the end of the year. Also, it's so, so pretty.
• Jordan Mallory (@Jordan_Mallory): Last weekend's Mass Effect plans were preempted by sudden Black Knight Sword obligations, so I'll be tucking into BioWare's game. Time permitting, I'll also make my way through Dishonored for GOTY considerations.
• Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK): I'm going to pick on those leftover games with realistic completion times, so it'll be Di shonored, Black Ops 2 and ... Syndicate?
• Mike Schramm (@MikeSchramm): Finished Walking Dead last weekend. This weekend, it's Mass Effect 3.
• Mike Suszek (@MikeSuszek): Who's got two thumbs and used those two thumbs to get through another episode of The Walking Dead? THIS GUY. Also, I have a three hour live draft for my Madden 13 league this weekend. Hopefully I don't get the next Ryan Leaf.
• Richard Mitchell (@TheRichardM): I'm on vacation, so I'll be soaking up some Florida sun, reading The Hunger Games, visiting Di sney World, and turning 30. And, some Borderlands 2 with cousin-in-law, some Vagrant Story on Vita, and Crashmo.
• Sinan Kubba (@Shoinan): So many games to catch up on, wow. Torchlight 2 will be just one of the everything I play this weekend.
• Steven Wong: Playing Dishonored, because assassinations are always better when you add black magic and steampunk.
• Xav de Matos (@Xav): Exploring the grand epic that is Xenoblade Chronicles for 2012 consideration. So far, it's outstanding.

Red Orchestra 2 celebrates Fall 2012 content pack with free Steam weekend

Red Orchestra 2 Free Weekend, New Content, Double XP and 75% off!
13 December 2012, Roswell, GA

Everyone will get to play Red Orchestra 2 multi-player completely free on Steam from today through Monday 17 December, to celebrate the release of the Fall 2012 Content Pack. Now you can try the game, plus all the content added in the Game of the Year and Fall 2012 Content Packs, which are completely free to everyone who owns the game. Not only is the game free this weekend, but if you decide to pick it up before Monday we're selling it at 75% off! There is also a trailer (http://www.youtube.com/user/tripwireinteractive) to showcase the new content added in the free Fall 2012 Content Pack including the new map Barashka.

In case you've forgotten the Fall 2012 Content Pack is, of course, free to everyone who already owns the game and includes:
Barashka, the new map, which is a re-imagining and re-working of an old favorite from the original Red Orchestra. This bring s in combined arms combat, villages, bridges and a river crossing to fight for. The map features both Territory and Countdown game modes.
Simplified and improved match flow and user interface for the Countdown game mode, which will make it much simpler to understand, making for much more instant and direct battles. Just to encourage everyone to try out the changes, we'll be issuing Double XP towards your Honor from today in Countdown mode!
Of course, there are a host of other updates to the game. These include requests from the community, such as walk while actively firing machine guns from the hip; increased stamina pool in Classic; chat system refinements and more.

So don't miss out, the free weekend is on now! Grab the game from Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/app/35450/) and don't forget and tell your friends.

You Don't Know Jack on eye oh ess now

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK® LANDS IN THE APPLE® APP STORE™ TODAY

Popular Trivia Game Allows for Play Across iOS Devices or Against Facebook Friends

Chicago, December 13, 2012-YOU DON'T KNOW JACK®, the multi-million selling interactive trivia franchise, makes its debut on iOS devices today. To download YOU DON'T KNOW JACK for free on the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/you-dont-know-jack/id552164252

"In May, we launched the Facebook version of YOU DON'T KNOW JACK looking to combine the party-atmosphere of console and PC gaming to the asynchronous social gaming space where people could play wherever they want," said Harry Gottlieb, founder of Jellyvision Games and inventor of YOU DON'T KNOW JACK. "After six months of tweaking the Facebook game, we're ready for the small screen, starting with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch."

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK on Facebook, six months past launch, has been received with great critical ac claim and won the "Best Social Game" category for the 2012 SPIKE TV Video Game Awards last week. The iOS version will have persistent play with users of the Facebook version and all key functionality remains the same between apps.

Players of the mobile version can choose to play in guest mode or via Facebook Connect, the latter of which brings party-style play to mobile in three important ways. First, players are automatically matched against their Facebook friends who have already played that specific episode, either on iOS or Facebook. Second, a player is provided a direct option to challenge other Facebook friends at the end of every episode. And third, all players may share results, brag and taunt friends through Facebook, bringing the same fun experienced during a game of YDKJ on the couch into the gameplay experience.

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK will constantly produce new content that engages players with questions on current pop culture and news players are discu ssing on Facebook, tying gameplay into the social experience more than any previous game.

Players on iOS will access the same content as those using the Facebook version. Cookie Masterson, the game's popular and sassy host is back, as is the game's core structure, with outrageous questions that range from Mozart to Psy. The game will be free-to-play with free games provided frequently. Users can also win free games through achievements, and multi-token packs are available for purchase.

This new version of YOU DON'T KNOW JACK represents Jellyvision Games' latest in a history of innovations within the interactive trivia space. When YOU DON'T KNOW JACK first launched in 1995, it was the first game to truly immerse the user into a fully interactive game show experience, making players feel like the game's host was talking directly to them. The company also created Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for PC, which at the time was the fastest-selling PC game in history, and the TV game show Smush, which aired on the USA Network. To date, the YOU DON'T KNOW JACK franchise has sold more than 5 million units and generated $100 million in revenue with versions for CD-ROM, consoles, iOS and tabletop.

Devil May Cry makes jump to PC January 25, 2013

DmC DEVIL MAY CRYâ„¢ ARRIVES ON PC ON JANUARY 25TH

London, UK. - 13 December, 2012 - Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed that DmC Devil May Cry™ will be available at European retail and via digital download for Windows® PC on January 25th 2013.

Developed by QLOC S.A. for Windows PC, DmC Devil May Cry will include full AMD support, reinforcing the stunning visuals of the game. The title will feature both AMD Eyefinity multi display technology and AMD CrossFireâ„¢ technology, allowing gamers to harness the power of two or more graphics cards to dramatically increase the game's performance. Senior Capcom Producer on DmC Devil May Cry, Alex Jones, commented "DmC Devil May Cry's performance on AMD is amazing, it pumps our already incredible visuals and effects to the next level, making it an even more immersive and intense experience."

The PC version will be compatible with both keyboard and mouse, Xbox 360® co ntroller and all third party direct input controllers. Players can enjoy the game at 60 fps or even higher with no maximum limitation, creating a stunning visual experience for PC gamers.

Gamers that download DmC Devil May Cry via Steam will be able to take full advantage of features such as Cloud saving, achievements, friends support and leaderboards.

The recommended and minimum specs for DmC Devil May Cry on PC are as follows:

Minimum System Requirements:

OS: Windows Vista®/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8
Processor: AMD Athlonâ„¢ X2 2.8 Ghz or better,
Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or better
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 8 GB free hard drive space
Video Card: ATI Radeonâ„¢ HD 3850 or better,
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800GTS or better
DirectX®: 9.0c or greater
Sound: Standard audio device

Recommended System Requirements:
OS: Windows Vista®/XP, Windows 7, Windows 8
Processor: AMD Phenom™ II X4 3 Ghz or better,Intel® Core™2 Quad 2.7 Ghz or better
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space: 9 GB free hard drive space
Video Card: AMD Radeonâ„¢ HD 6950 or better
DirectX®: 9.0c or greater
Sound: Standard audio device

For more information and the latest PC assets for DmC Devil May Cry visit www.capcomeuro-press.com. DmC Devil May Cry will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® on January 15th 2013 in North America and Europe.

Insurmountable odds in Fuse's wave-based 'Echelon Mode'

Echelon mode in Fuse is what Insomniac CEO Ted Price calls "co-opetitive," a variant on the Gears of War 'Horde' mode. Players must survive twelve waves of increasingly more difficult enemies â€" the exact configuration of each wave is randomized, though you're always guaranteed two boss battle waves.

Price calls Echelon "co-opetitive" because while you're ultimately working together to ensure group survival, the constant money drops â€" essentially experience points â€" are something teammates will scramble to grab. With collected cash, players can purchase and upgrade abilities, and progress in Fuse carries across all game modes.

"Part of our goal here is to make this a friendly game â€" if you've had experiences in multiplayer games before where you jumped in and had your head blown off in the first couple seconds, we don't want that to happen in Fuse," Insomniac CEO Ted Price tol d Joystiq. "We want Fuse to be a game where you're actually working with players and competing for cash and status. But it's always a friendly competition."

I found Echelon mode to be an improvement over the stale wave-based combat formula, with the interplay between the four main characters' weapons in Fuse providing a seemingly endless variety to the conflict. Those big chain combos when teammates are working together are so satisfying, providing seconds of sweet ignorant bliss as I forgot I was playing a variant of Horde mode.

"It's pretty tough. Keep in mind we're still tuning things," Price told me following my session with three other video game journalists. "As every developer will tell you, you get pretty good at playing your own game and your QA teams get pretty good. What's nice is that even though it is tough, people are using the weapons in the way that we designed them, in some cases naturally coming together to work as a team because you have to."

The enemies of Echelon mode are no pushover in Fuse. As far as I know, my group reached the furthest in the demo, losing out to the la st few enemies of the sixth wave. Enemy accuracy and their sheer numbers mean moving outside of cover is a fatal mistake. Doubly so if you're moving to revive a teammate.

In fact, one boss wave turned into homicide by disintegration. A massive robot picked up my character and melted him on a molecular level with its chest laser. It was a pretty great sequence â€" I desperately pounded on the controller to try and get free as I watched its chest laser slowly warm up then fire.

Ultimately my team never survived Echelon mode, but I enjoyed the struggle and would gladly sign up for another tour of duty come release in March 2013.

Gears of War: Judgment's new hotness: OverRun mode

I do enjoy a nice surprise and Gears of War: Judgment's 'OverRun' mode was the highlight of my recent visit to Epic Games. The mode combines Gears of War 3's team-defense Horde mode and team-offense Beast mode, with a dash of Battlefield's objective-destroying Rush variant, to create another compelling team experience within the Gears universe.

Although Epic still isn't talking about the changes to the cooperative defense-focused Horde mode for Judgment, OverRun feels more like an evolution of Beast mode. Here's the basics: two class-based teams of five, one side COG and the other Locust, face off with the COGs defending and the locust destroying a sequence of objectives. The team with the most points after playing both roles wins.

The maps for OverRun are custom made for the mode, with each objective in the chain becoming more difficult for the Locust to destroy. I played the Junkyard map for about two hours and, much like Horde, you're going to need to play this mode with a group of friends. Without proper communication, it will be nearly impossible to win against a team that's using basic coordination.

For the COGs, that coordination involves having an engineer repair fortifications munched on or blasted by locust tickers, while a scout tosses out motion trackers to identify locust positions, as the healer drops a stim grenade on the engineer, while the solider and everyone else provides fire support. Of course, the team could be two engineers, with a floating healer and a pair of soldiers as support. The COG makeup depends on what the locust are throwing out.

The locust team interface is similar to that of Beast mode in Gears of War 3. The first row of spawnable locust are "free," while the second row of more powerful creatures require accumulating points through kills or breaking barriers. The first row contains the ticker, wretch, grenadier and kantus. An initial strategy could be to have two tickers go out, explode on a barrier, have the wretch jump over the barrier to distract the COGs, while the grenadier breaks the barrier and the kantus heals while providing some cover fire. Or, you know, the whole team could just spawn as tickers, chew through defenses and exploding when discovered. This latter strategy is most effective early on.

A complication that did arise over playing the same map for a couple hours is that the locust team was practically guaranteed to complete every objective, with the win being awarded on end-game point tallies. Whether this was a balance issue of the mode or intended wasn't very clear, but a team that obtains enough points to unlock the second tier locusts of rager, serapede, mauler and corpser will overrun the COG position. My way of winning nearly every final section as locust was: save enough points for the corpser, get close to the objective, then burrow under the ground to distract the COG, then pop up right on the objective and break it open like a piñata. Even if my corpser became the focus of the COGs (and it was), the COG would be so busy trying to kill me they wouldn't p ay attention to the four other locust that were about to kill them and take the objective between their respawn. See, there's definitely some balance issues to work out.

If you watched the original announcement of OverRun during E3, you may have noticed the bloodmount mentioned. The bloodmount has now been removed and replaced by the rager, a new locust to the series. The rager is a smaller than normal locust equipped with the long-range breechshot, who then turns red like a lobster and Hulks out (pictured above).

OverRun has some balancing issues to work out, but like Horde before it, is a great multiplayer alternative. It's something for players who want something competitive with friends in the Gears universe, but are looking for something more strategy than team and free fo r all deathmatch.

Gears of War: Judgment arrives exclusively on the Xbox 360 on March 19, 2013.

Warhammer 40K board game 'Space Hulk' adaptation coming to PC, Mac, iOS

While the thought of The Incredible Hulk jumping from planet to planet, crushing puny things along the way, is certainly appealing, Space Hulk is entirely different. It's a 3D, turn-based strategy game from independent studio Full Control, set in the Warhammer 40K universe and based on the original board game from 1989.

Space Hulk follows the "Sin of Damnation" campaign from the third edition board game and puts players in the boots of a Space Marine squad as they fight to survive against an alien race called Genestealers, within the confines of a der elict ship abandoned long ago. There will be single-player and multiplayer in Space Hulk, the latter even offering cross-platform play between PC, Mac and iOS users. An included editor will allow players to create their own levels and share them with the community.

Space Hulk will launch sometime in 2013, and developer Full Control has already promised future expansions and DLC for after the game is released.

Skyrim - Dragonborn review: Miraak-ulous

The first thing I did in Solstheim was kill a cop.

I didn't want to. I was trying to steal a key to a jail cell. I didn't know what was in the cell--I just knew I wouldn't be able to open it otherwise. I guess I'm a bad thief, as the Dunmer guard immediately pulled his sword. My housecarl and I made quick work of him.

I took the key, searched the cell and found a hidden passage. There was also a bed. I hadn't slept in over a year, literally, since whenever I last played Skyrim, so I took a nap before searching that hidden passage. Bad idea: I woke up in a daze, far away from the cell, on the outskirts of the town I was visiting, dutifully hammering on a giant monolith called the Earth Stone. Something, or someone, had transported me in my sleep. The Earth Stone had been taken over by the cult of Miraak, the ancient Dragonborn turned false God who wanted me dead. I probably shouldn't have killed that cop.

Dragonborn, the third round of DLC for Skyrim, brings Solstheim into the HD era. This icy patch of land was first introduced in the Bloodmoon DLC for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. If you've played that you might remember the tribal Nord settlement of Skaal Village or the tiny Riekling race and their Bristleback boar steeds. If Skyrim is Scandinavia, then Solstheim is Greenland with dragons and snow goblins.

Your journey to Solstheim starts with two masked cultists trying to kill you in the streets of a Skyrim city. (Any city will do-these cultists know how to find you.) They talk about the original Dragonborn, some joker named Miraak, and then die quickly under your boot. A note on one of their bodies refers you to Windhelm, where a confused boat captain can be persuaded into giving you a ride to the Solstheim city of Raven Rock. After about three minutes of detective work (give or take an unnecessary cop-killing or two) you'll learn about the Templ e of Miraak and the weird mind control that has drawn some of Solstheim's best and brightest into toiling endlessly on shrines to Miraak while extolling his might in unenthused, zombie-ish monotones. That's Miraak's schtick: Part history, part myth, this ancient Dragonborn warrior king is planning a return to Solstheim, bending the people's will in preparation. His first step: Take over the All-Maker stones. Step two: Kill the new Dragonborn. That's you, if you didn't remember.

Undermining Miraak's plan requires some repetitive questing. There are six of those All-Maker stones throughout Solstheim. You'll know you're at the right place if you find a dozen plebes hammering away on giant rocks while mumbling about how awesome that Miraak guy is. Hit the stone with the new Bend Will dragon shout, defeat the shambling, Lovecraftian horrors that appear, and then move on to the next stone.

Those monsters are called Lurkers, and they're basically dark-skinned giants who sp it tentacles for powerful melee and range attacks. They kind of look like Blackheart from the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting games. Freeing stones from Miraak's influence grows increasingly harder, as more Lurkers pop up each time. Another new enemy type, the Seeker, resembles a shorter Lurker who floats, has tentacles on its face, and can clone itself and cast powerful spells. Remember mind flayers from Dungeons & Dragons? Then you're already familiar with Dragonborn's Seekers. Lurkers and Seekers both come in three varieties, each deadlier than the last.

It's too easy to accidentally kill NPCs in the battle after cleansing a stone, as Miraak's former thralls will join in against the monsters and regularly get in your way. There was one stone in particular that I retried several times because either my loyal companion (Lydia, always and forever) or an NPC named Ulves who serves a somewhat useful role later on kept wandering in front of my firebolts or axe swings. Stuttering is also a regular annoyance at the onset of these battles, with occasional brief pauses at inopportune moments, as if the game is wheezing under the weight of so many characters on screen at once.

There are other quests, with new settlements to discover and NPCs to interrogate. There are Black Books to decipher, the same dark treatises that perverted the arrogant Miraak from a hero into a would-be God. Each book briefly transports you to Apocrypha, the Daedric realm that Miraak currently hangs out in. These trippy excursions stand out visually from the rest of Skyrim, with craggy outcroppings and giant cathedrals floating in pea-green space, with bridges hanging in mid-air and small cyclones of eldritch tomes circling the hallways. If you can survive the onslaught of Seekers and Lurkers in Apocrypha you'll learn powerful new abilities from each Black Book. Over the course of Dragonborn you'll also learn all three words of the Bend Will shout, which lets you control all manner of man and beast, eventually even taming dragons that you can ride like flying horses. Dragonborn offers a hefty chunk of content.

Narratively, Dragonborn has a relatively tight focus. Quests will rope you in to the same dungeon crawling, temple marauding, dragon stalking, NPC talking drama you expect from an Elder Scrolls game, but every major mission is a clear-cut step on the path towards messing up Miraak's business once and for all. And that business is some of Skyrim's more effective storytelling: Miraak, an ancient Dragonborn who fell prey to the evil magic of the Black Books and was exiled to the mystic nether-world of Apocrypha, detects the rise of a new Dragonborn and tries to return to Skyrim to absorb your power, or something. It's more ancient evil mumbo jumbo, but Miraak cuts an imposing figure with his horned mask, dragon steed and p sychedelic pocket dimension. He's instantly one of Skyrim's most memorable foes, and taking him down is a (very difficult) delight.

But hey, this is Skyrim. The story is secondary. Dragonbon's quests might be "go there, do that, then do it again", but there's ample room for pointless tomfoolery in this massive fantasy world. Again, I didn't have to steal that cell key. I just wanted to see what was in there. That lead to a dead cop and permanent damage to my reputation in Raven Rock, but it also to the discovery of an underground lair with hidden treasure and more than a few deadly bad guys. That sheer open-endedness will entertain you for hours even if you ignore the quests. And in that regard, Dragonborn is the best of Skyrim's DLC so far, offering a significantly more substantial update than Dawnguard or Hearthfire. It's more than reason enough to return to Skyrim.

---

This review is based on an Xbox Live download provided by Bethesda. Skyrim: Dragonborn is available on Xbox Live for 1600 MS Points ($20). Dragonborn is scheduled for release on PC and PS3 in 2013.

Note: Joystiq does not provide star ratings for downloadable content reviews with the understanding that the quality of the core game's experience is unchanged from the retail release to DLC add-ons; see: Skyrim review.

Lovefilm now on Wii U in the UK

AMAZON'S LOVEFiLM LAUNCHES ON NINTENDO'S Wii U HOME CONSOLE

Following its launch on Nintendo's Wii home console earlier this week, LOVEFiLM, an Amazon company, has today announced its arrival on Nintendo's new high-definition games console, Wii U.

From today, LOVEFiLM members who own the latest addition to the Nintendo family can access the LOVEFiLM Instant application, which comes pre-installed on the device, from the Wii U dashboard. Once logged in, members can watch, search and browse titles from the LOVEFiLM streaming catalogue â€" all as part of their existing membership package. LOVEFiLM's Watch List is also included, allowing film and TV fans to add titles in the streaming library to a personalised queue for easy access later.

The new LOVEFiLM Instant app is also enhanced by the second screen functionality of the Wii U console. Members using the Wii U GamePad controller benefit from an improved user experience, including the ability to view video conten t on both the TV and GamePad, or access details of films or TV shows (such as casting or episode lists) when browsing the LOVEFiLM Instant library.

Nintendo Wii U aims to build on the success of its predecessor, which can be found in over eight million homes in the UK.

LOVEFiLM Instant is now available on a complete range of living room devices including Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, PlayStation®3, iPad® and Xbox 360 in addition to Wii and Wii U, plus a growing number of Blu-ray players and Internet-connected TVs.

Unlimited streaming packages start from just £4.99 a month â€" the lowest of any comparable subscription service.

Wii U's European late-night eShop restriction due to German law

Last week, European Wii U owners discovered to their horror â€" or lack thereof, if they were trying to buy ZombiU â€" that sales of 18-rated games on the eShop are restricted to a four-hour window between 11pm and 3am. Nintendo of Europe explained the restriction in a statement to Eurogamer, asserting that NOE's location in Germany is the cause.

"Legal age restriction requirements vary across a number of European countries," a Nintendo rep told the site. "Since Nintendo of Europe is based in G ermany, Nintendo eShop is complying with German youth protection regulation which therefore applies to all our European markets. Under German law, content rated 18+ must be made available only at night." The rest of Europe just suffers from collateral youth protection.

Nintendo of America is subject to no such legal concerns, and thus there are no timed content restrictions on the eShop.

Report: G4 to become the Esquire channel

Cable network G4 will be rebranded as the Esquire channel, acquiring the magazine's name and branding sometime in the early part of next year, The Hollywood Reporter, uhm, reports. The deal has been finalized between G4-owner NBCUniversal and Esquire-owner Hearst Corporation, according to The Hollywood Reporter's sources, and production of new content aimed at a "metrosexual" male audience is said to be underway.

While the channel's new content will feature some gaming-oriented material, subjects such as fashion, cooking and travel will also be covered in an attempt to capture a more sophisticated male audience. As X-Play and Attack of the Show have already been cancelled, we doubt any of G4's late gaming content will be resurrected in the channel's new form. We are, however, looking forward to finding out how to recreate Nathan Drake's designer look for an off-the-rack price.

Dark Souls 2 screens are a little shy

GREAT CHALLENGES AWAIT THE IRON-WILLED IN DARK SOULSâ„¢ II

FromSoftware Throws Down the Gauntlet to Gamers Seeking Unparalleled
Adventure and Hard Fought Glory, Coming to PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and PC

PARIS, FRANCE â€" December 8, 2012 â€" Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO

BANDAI Games Europe today announced that the critically acclaimed Dark Souls saga marches

forward with Dark Soulsâ„¢ II, currently in development at FromSoftware in Tokyo, Japan, for

PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and PC. Dark Souls II will continue a legacy of presenting its passionate

fans with the kind of unrelenting challenges that have become a hallmark of the series, while

presenting devilish new obstacles for players to overcome.

Built upon the foundation established by Souls series creator and Dark Souls II Supervisor, Hidetaka

Miyazaki, with development helmed by FromSoftware Director Tomohiro Shibuya, Dark Souls II will

f eature a new hero, a new storyline, and an unfamiliar world for players to survive in, while delivering

the uncompromising challenge and ultimate sense of empowerment that players hunger for. Epic

battles with gruesome enemies and blood-thirsty bosses await adventurers as they traverse and

conquer a devastated world filled with death and despair. Players will also discover a revamped server

based multiplayer experience that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing and

sharing with others. For those with enough tenacity and sheer force of will, great rewards await.

"There are few games that are as rewarding for players as the Dark Souls series, and Dark Souls

II will give every player that steps up to take the challenge a feeling of empowerment that they will

never forget," said Olivier Comte, Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Distribution at NAMCO

BANDAI Games Europe. "The game doesn't accept compromise, and neither do the brilliant people

at FromSoftware who will test their own tenacity as well as that of gamers in delivering us another

gaming landmark."

"This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in

gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the

player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order

to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series," says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware

Director on Dark Souls II. "The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an

experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay.

Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new

players to join our dark journey."

More details surrounding Dark Souls II wil l become available in the months leading to its release.

Begin your Dark Souls II journey at www.DarkSoulsII.com or join the Dark Souls II conversation on

Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DARKSOULS.

###

About NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S.
NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S., part of NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc., is a leading global publisher and
developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles and PC, with marketing
and sales operations in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia. The company is
known for creating and publishing many of the industry's top video game franchises, including PAC-MANâ„¢,
Tekken™, SOULCALIBUR™, NARUTO™, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN™, Dragon Ball®, GALAGA™, RIDGE
RACERâ„¢ and ACE COMBATâ„¢. More information about the company and its products can be found at
www.namcobandaigames.eu or

DARK SOULS™Ⅱ & ©2012 NAMCO BANDAI Games In c. ©2011-2012 FromSoftware, Inc.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, and Kinect are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries.

All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Press Release © 2012 NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is rewarding

With the VGAs airing last night, it certainly feels like that time of year, the time in which we reflect back on the year in video games and dole out honors for the best the industry had to offer. While we'll certainly have our own Game of the Year discussions in the coming weeks, it's nice to think about the purpose such awards have in the community.

I'd argue that it's not only a wonderful opportunity to reward developers for their efforts in delivering players their expressive work, but it's also a chance for players to participate in a conversation about what matters most to them in video games. When the VGA for Game of the Year went to Telltale for The Walking Dead episodic series last night, one might argue that it said plenty ab out the importance of narrative-driven games. One might also say that it indicates the waning importance of the best game of the year's presence on retail shelves instead of hard drives (even if that will change in a matter of days).

To me, these are the sorts of dialogues that should be opened up as we debate our end-of-the-year lists. As you mull over your personal GOTY consideration, I encourage you to take a look back at last week's webcomics, then vote for your favorite after the break!

Nintendo + Internet = Facefist (Dave the Direman)
Guardian Units of Nations (Drawing Nothing)
Evil Meetup (Legacy Control)
Assassin's Creed 3 (Another Video Game Webcomic)
The Most Dangerous Gamer (Dorkly)
Helmet Hair (Ready Soup)
Inverse Traditionality (Penny Arcade)
In retrospect (Extra Life)

Wii U's 'Digital Deluxe Promotion' is live

The Digital Deluxe Promotion, which allows Wii U Deluxe Set owners to earn points back for eShop purchases, is now available. Eligible Wii U owners can sign up with their Nintendo Network IDs right here (in North America) or here (in Europe), and begin earning ten percent of any eShop purchase as points, whether the game was purchased directly from the eShop, or as a download code bought at retail.

When you've accrued 500 points, you can redeem them for a $5 eShop credit. Nintendo notes that you won't earn points for Wii stuff purchased within the Wii compatibility mode, or on stuff purchased on 3DS, or on "passe s or subscriptions."

Spike VGA 2012 winners: Walking Dead takes GOTY, Journey floats away with a few awards

SPIKE TV ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 10TH ANNUAL "VIDEO GAME AWARDS"

TELLTALE GAMES' "THE WALKING DEAD: THE GAME" SHOCKS THE GAMING WORLD BY WINNING FOUR VECTOR MONKEYS FOR GAME OF THE YEAR, STUDIO OF THE YEAR, BEST ADAPTED VIDEO GAME AND BEST DOWNLOADABLE GAME

THE FUTURE OF GAMING IS REVEALED WITH THE SURPRISE WORLD PREMIERE OF "THE PHANTOM PAIN"

SHOW ANNOUNCES "DARK SOULS II" AND WORLD PREMIERES OF "THE LAST OF US," "BIOSHOCK INFINITE," "TOMB RAIDER" AND MORE

Fans Were Able To Play The "VGAs" Through A Groundbreaking Multiplatform Experience On Xbox Live

Los Angeles, CA, Friday, December 7, 2012 â€" Hosted by the acclaimed international film, stage and video game star Samuel L. Jackson, executive produced by Emmy® Award winner Mark Burnett and featuring world premiere footage from highly anticipated releases, Spike TV's tenth annual "Video Game Awards" (#VGA) proved to be the biggest night in gaming ever. Industry titans gathered as the network cel ebrated the outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the gaming universe over the past year during the two-hour global event which premiered LIVE on Spike TV on Friday, December 7 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT from Sony Picture Studios in Los Angeles. The live awards show simulcast on MTV 2, MTV Tr3s and streamed live on Spike.com, GameTrailers.com and for the first time ever, on Xbox consoles through Xbox Live.

A host of the most influential members of the gaming industry, as well as stars from the worlds of television, music and movies gathered at the biggest night in video games, and watched Telltale Studios win the two biggest honors of the year â€" Game of the Year and Studio of the Year. "The Walking Dead: The Game" also won Game of the Year, Best Adapted Video Game and Best Downloadable Game.

Other multiple award winners included "Journey," which won in three categories, including Best Independent Game, Best PS3 Game, and "Halo 4" which won two awards , including Best Xbox 360 Game, and "Borderlands 2" which took home awards for Best Shooter and Best Multi-Player Game.

Additional awards included "Half-Life 2" which was revealed as the Entertainment Weekly and Spike VGA Best Game of the Decade. From "Batman: Arkham City" to "Wii Sports" and "World of Warcraft," fans cast their ballots for their favorite game from the past ten years on EW.com/VGA and voted "Half-Life 2" the winner. Additionally, fans determined the winner of the Character of the Year category by voting live on vga.spike.com, and awarded Claptrap from "Borderlands 2" with the honor.

The "VGAs" debuted never-before-seen world premieres of the most anticipated games of 2013 and beyond including two surprise world premieres of Moby Dick Studios' "The Phantom Pain," "From Software's "Dark Souls II," as well as Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us," Epic Games' "Gears of War: Judgment," Obsidian Entertainment's "South Park: The Stick of Truth," Konami's "Cas tlevania: Lords of Shadow 2," 2K Games' "BioShock Infinite," Square Enix's "Tomb Raider," Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed III: The Tyranny of King Washington," and Microsoft Studios' "Halo 4: Spartan Ops."

"VGA" fans were treated to groundbreaking interactivity that let viewers "play" the show as it happened live in Los Angeles. Polls and viewer responses affected how the show progressed such as which video, music, set environments, props and custom exclusive videos they wanted to see next.

This year's show included presenters and appearances by major stars from all over the entertainment world, including host Samuel L. Jackson, returning hosts Snoop Lion, Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as Jessica Alba, Zachary Levi, Johnny Galecki, Adam Scott and "The Walking Dead's" Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun and Robert Kirkman. The show also featured a show-stopping rendition of "Castle of Glass," by Grammy Award-winning recording artists Linkin Park. Ad ditionally, Tenacious D ended the show with a jaw-dropping performance of "Rize Of The Fenix."

The "VGAs" also featured an epic musical Game of the Year tribute scored by Grammy Award-winning film and video game composer Lorne Balfe.

Don't load Assassin's Creed 3 while 'Hidden Secrets' DLC is downloading

Downloading the Hidden Secrets DLC pack for Assassin's Creed 3 caused "a very small number of players" to lose their save data, Ubisoft wrote on its forums. One player began a thread describing the issue and a few others joined in to share their own tales of woe. Ubisoft responded with the following message:

"Just a quick heads up, we're able to reproduce this issue at the studio and are working on a fix/workaround. From what we can tell, this problem seems to be rare and should generally only affect a very small number of players. That said, we're taking the speedy and complete resolution of this very seriously."

Barring a complete fix, Ubisoft offered a tip to avoid the glitch:

"Do not load your saved AC3 game while the DLC is downloading in the background. This appears to be the key trigger for this bug. You can do anything else you want to do, just don't load up your saved game and play it while the DLC is downloading."

Hidden Secrets launched for Assassin's Creed 3 Season Pass holders on December 4 and drops for the public on December 11.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus new modes detailed, new screens too

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus is the enhanced Vita port of the enhanced PS3 port of Ninja Gaiden 2. With that confusion in mind, it's good Tecmo Koei clarified some of the game's details such as its new modes, as well as releasing an assortment of screens.

One of the new modes is 'Tag Mission,' which allows players to switch between two ninja heroes on the fly, swapping in and out as they see fit. On the ninja heroes front, the three ninja ladies of Ayane, Momiji, and Rachel all get newly designed costumes in Plus 2.

The other new mode is 'Ninja Race,' which really is as it sounds. The twist is a sort of Ninja Gaiden take on Mario Kart, in that you can collect items and take down enemies to increase speed and attack power. Unlike Mario Kart, though, there's no indication it can be played outside of single-player.

It also seems much of the Vita-specific functionality is r eturning from Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, with Tecmo describing touchscreen and Sixaxis controls that very much sound like the first game's gyroscopic first-person aiming. The easier 'Hero' difficulty also makes a comeback in Plus 2, which is scheduled to release in Q1 2013.

NintendoWare Weekly: Scribblenauts Unlimited, tons more

Publishers are starting to be into the idea of retail games on the 3DS eShop. Today, Natsume and Warner Bros. drop some of their recent releases on the store, including the 3DS version of Scribblenauts Unlimited. There's so much we almost didn't notice Ninja Gaiden missing its release date! A few more Wii U retail games from D3 and Ubisoft also make the lineup.

There's even a Wii Virtual Console game, which makes this a historic week: for the first time, downloadable games have been released on four Nintendo consoles in the same week.

There's also a Skrillex video on Nintendo Video this week. So there's that.

Wii U

• Ben 10 Omniverse (D3, 1-2 players, $39.95)
• Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade (D3, 1-4 players, $29.95)
• Rise of the Guardians (D3, 1-4 players, $39.95)
• Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth (Ubisoft, 1-4 players, $49.99)
• Demo: FIFA 13 (EA, 1-5 players, free)

Wii3DS eShop

• Scribblenauts Unlimited (WBIE, 1 player, $39.99)
• Lego Lord of the Rings (WBIE, 1 player, $39.99)
• Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning (Natsume, 1 player, $39.99)
• Classic Games Overload: Card & Puzzle Edition (Telegames, 1-5 players, $29.99)
• Murder on the Titanic (Joindots, 1 player, $7.99)
• Mighty Bomb Jack (NES, 1 player, $4.99)
• Demo: Fractured Soul (Endgame Studios, 1 player, free):

DSiWare

Street Fighter X Tekken tags in big balance update Jan. 29

You know that big update coming to Street Fighter X Tekken in mid-December? We hope you marked your calendar in pencil because producer Tomoaki Ayano says the patch has been pushed back to January 29, 2013.

Word comes from the development blog, where Ayano addresses tweaks are coming to the throw system, gray-area life recovery speed and how quick combos work. Ayano doesn't go into specific details on how these systems will change, but he does say he'd like throws to be faster and may change how the life gauges shake when taking damage. Completely redefines the game!

Footage of Ruffian's Streets of Rage leaks out

Video has surfaced of what is reportedly a downloadable Streets of Rage remake from Crackdown series developer Ruffian Games. Uploaded to Vimeo by one "Huff Allium," the footage shows off some familiar, rage-filled streets, now rendered in 3D.

It's not clear whether this is actual gameplay footage or something pre-rendered. Either way, it looks significantly different from the Streets of Rage that Sega fans remember, ditching the cartoonish style favored by later Streets of Rage games for something grittier. No rollerblading kids, robot grandpas or boxing kangaroos here.

Sean Noonan, former level designer for Ruffian (now working on Watch Dogs for Ubisoft), mentioned the footage on Twitter, writing, "So it seems like one of my previous projects has leaked, as pretty as I remember."

Just over a year ago, it was rumored that Ruffian was developing a multiplatform game, referred to as "a major contract with one of the biggest publishers in the industry." Recreating one of Sega's most well-remembered franchises would certainly fit the description, and the publisher hasn't been shy about resurrecting its old franchises in recent months. We've contacted Ruffian to confirm the project's existence, and to learn whether or not it's still in the works.