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Jonathan Lester

Jacob Jones And The Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 Review | This One Time At Summer Camp

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
Reviews
Tags:
iOS games, Jacob Jones And The Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1, Lucid Games, PS Vita games, Puzzle games

Jacob Jones And The Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 Review | This One Time At Summer Camp

Platforms: PS Vita (reviewed, £1.59) | iOS (£1.99)

Developer: Lucid Games

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe

£1.59 seemed like a fortune when we were kids, but it wasn't so long ago that two sovs or less couldn't buy you anything worthwhile. Thankfully the rise of the App Store, boutique development and episodic games changed all that, meaning that we can spend little or no money on some exciting games across numerous devices.

Jacob Jones & The Bigfoot Mystery is one such example. £1.59 will net you the first episode of a charming puzzle game series, running on the Unreal Engine, that tells the story of a young boy who makes an improbable pal while on his summer holidays.

Jacob Jones And The Bigfoot Mystery: Episode 1 Review | This One Time At Summer Camp

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Xbox One Pre-Owned Reports: Microsoft & Publishers Get A Cut, Activation Fee Around £35

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Microsoft, Pre-owned games, Report, Rumours, UK retail, Used games, Xbox One

Xbox One Pre-Owned Reports: Microsoft & Publishers Get A Cut, Activation Fee Around £35

More Grist For The Rumour Mill

The Xbox One reveal event didn't manage to clear up many of the rumours we've been debating for months (and in fact made many more unclear), but Microsoft's strategy surrounding pre-owned games may be getting slightly less hazy. According to two new reports, Microsoft and game publishers will be guaranteed a cut from pre-owned retailers, but the activation fee for secondary licenses will cost the best part of £40.

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Forza 5 Box Art Reveals Xbox One Packaging, Top Gear Collaboration

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Box art, Forza 5, Microsoft, Racing Games, Turn 10 Studios, Xbox One, Xbox One Games

Forza 5 Box Art Reveals Xbox One Packaging, Top Gear Collaboration

In perhaps the least exciting headline and story I've ever editorialised on, Microsoft has revealed the box art for Forza Motorsport 5... and with it, what Xbox One game packaging will look like. Spoiler alert: it's green.

However, a suggestive Top Gear logo all but confirms another Clarkson collaboration, perhaps with some themed tracks, voiceovers and an appearance from The Stig. You can behold the stately image after the break.

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PS4 Advert Confirms 2013 UK Release

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
PS4, Sony

PS4 Advert Confirms 2013 UK Release

"Now Is The Time"

Future's James Jarvis spotted a full-page advert in today's Metro, which makes no bones about Sony's console hitting British shores before year's end. We pretty much all figured this was happening anyway, but it's a relief to get official confirmation for European territories (since we usually receive the sharp end of any manufacturing delays). Firm details will likely be confirmed at E3 2013 during Sony's press conference on June 10th. [via MCV]

As far as I'm aware, Sony has also bought advertising space at this year's Champion's League final. Eyes peeled, footy fans.

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Splinter Cell: Blacklist Dev Diary Expands On Co-Op Modes

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Action Games, Co-op, PC games, PS3 games, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Stealth Games, trailer, Wii U games, Xbox 360 games

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Dev Diary Expands On Co-Op Modes

Ubisoft Toronto have released a new developer diary for Splinter Cel: Blacklist that details two of the four cooperative modes on offer. Grimm's missions will focus on pure stealth, while CIA operative Isaac Briggs will develop as a character throughout multiplayer and singleplayer encounters. 14 maps were recently confirmed in a debut trailer.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist releases on August 22nd. Check out our Splinter Cell Blacklist preview for more intel.

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Jagged Alliance: Flashback Succeeds On Kickstarter

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Full Control, Jagged Alliance: Flashback, Kickstarter, PC games, Strategy games

Jagged Alliance: Flashback Succeeds On Kickstarter

Jagged Alliance: Flashback, a "reset" of the classic strategy franchise from Full Control Games, has managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on Kickstarter. They managed to push over their $350,000 target within the last few hours of the campaign, meaning that development can start in earnest as soon as Space Hulk releases on iOS.

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Indie Developers "Unimpressed" By Xbox One Reveal, But Hopeful For E3 Turnaround

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
A Virus Named TOM, Dealspwn Exclusive, Indie devs, Indie Games, Microsoft, Misfits Attic, Mommy's Best Games, Nathan Fouts, Robert Boyd, Xbox One, Zeboyd Games

Indie Developers "Unimpressed" By Xbox One Reveal, But Hopeful For E3 Turnaround

"It's Not A Good Portent For Gaming Goodness To Come"

Dealspwn.com has heard from several high-profile independent developers (including Cthulhu Saves The World creator Robert Boyd and ex-Insomniac weapon designer Nathan Fouts) who are worried about Microsoft's perceived focus on entertainment and lack of support for self-publishing indie developers following the Xbox One reveal event.

That said, they all also suggest that we won't know the whole story until June 10th.

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Microsoft Aims For "Upwards Of A Billion" Xbox One Sales

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Microsoft, Xbox One

Microsoft Aims For "Upwards Of A Billion" Xbox One Sales

Xbox 'One' may refer to the number of billions of consumers that Microsoft's newly-unveiled entertainment system plans to attract, if new comments from Microsoft Interactive Entertainment SVP Yusuf Mehdi are anything to go by.

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Warframe Update Adds Clan Hangouts, Locations & Weapons

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Digital Extremes, multiplayer, PC games, PvE, Shooter, Space Samurai, Update, Warframe

Warframe Update Adds Clan Hangouts, Locations & Weapons

Free-to-play cooperative PvE shooter Warframe has received another major update, which adds Dojos to hang out with your Space Samurai clan, alongside new maps, weapons, modifications and features. We've got the patch notes after the break.

Warframe is still technically in open beta, and thoroughly good fun despite a few rough edges and an economy based on paying to avoid some long crafting wait times. You can check it out (and play for free) on Steam - note that NVIDIA GeForce owners will benefit from (or be instantly blinded by) some ridiculous PhysX effects. I'll bring you some impressions, if not a full review, soon.

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GOG Weekend Sale Takes Aim At Classic Shooters

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
Deals
Tags:
FPS games, PC games, Retro games

GOG Weekend Sale Takes Aim At Classic Shooters

GOG.com's weekend sale brings us the magnificent Unreal Tournament (the best online multiplayer FPS ever, in our opinion), Serious Sam, Shadow Warrior Complete and other classic shooters for pocket money prices.

As always, click this link right here or the Facing Worlds banner to get involved.

Joe Danger & Sequel Coming To PC With Extra Content

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Hello Games, Joe Danger, Joe Danger 2, PC games

Joe Danger & Sequel Coming To PC With Extra Content

Joe Danger and Joe Danger 2, the excellent motorbike physics-based puzzle platformers from Hello Games, are both coming to Steam along with some extra content. "Joe is finally free of all that silly console exclusivity," apparently, which is good news for everyone with a Steam account.

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Ragnarok Odyssey ACE Confirmed For EU PS3 & Vita

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Game Arts, GungHo Online Entertainment, PS Vita games, PS3 games, Ragnarok Odyssey, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace, RPG

Ragnarok Odyssey ACE Confirmed For EU PS3 & Vita

An extended edition of competent Vita Monster Hunter-wannabe Ragnarok Odyssey has been confirmed for a European release on both PS3 and Vita this winter, courtesy of GungHo Online. It will include the original game , alongside a "host of new content," items, weapons and stages. Cross-platform play will allow PS3 and Vita players to cooperate on the same servers.

I praised the "wealth of addictive content and silky-smooth action RPG gameplay" in our 7/10 Ragnarok Odyssey review, so with luck, the ACE edition will make for an even more attractive proposition.

Project X Zone Trailer Hits 3DS eShop

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
3DS Games, Capcom, Namco Bandai, Project X Zone, Sega, SRPG

Project X Zone Trailer Hits 3DS eShop

Project X Zone has received a trailer on the 3DS eShop, which gives us Europeans a chance to check out the SEGA, Capcom and Namco Bandai crossover SRPG.

Yes, you read that right. It's a Strategy RPG that features classic characters from decades of gaming history (everyone from Ryu to Dante, Frank West, Ulala and Jin Kazama). Though Project X Zone looks like a fighting game, it's actually a tactical experience with a real-time battle system designed by the developers behind Xenoblade Chronicles. So, erm, the demo might be worth a download, then.

Another demo will go release next month ahead of a summer release.

Report | Kinect 2 Patent Hints At Visual DRM: "The Users Consuming The Content Are Monitored"

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Kinect 2, Microsoft, Patent, Report, Xbox One

Report | Kinect 2 Patent Hints At Visual DRM: "The Users Consuming The Content Are Monitored"

"Remedial Action May Be Taken"

Kinect 2 is a core part of the Xbox One experience; always-connected, always listening out for voice commands and always watching. However, a patent for the device suggests that it can also be used to monitor how many people are looking at a piece of content such as a video or TV show, so the copyright holder can set a maximum viewer restriction... followed by "remedial action" if it's exceeded.

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The Witness: Jonathan Blow Talks PS4 Development In New Video

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Indie Games, Jonathan Blow, PS4 games, The Witness

The Witness: Jonathan Blow Talks PS4 Development In New Video

The Witness, Jonathan Blow's latest indie title, was revealed as a timed PS4 exclusive at Sony's reveal event earlier this year. The developer behind Braid has now appeared in a new video explaining Sony's indie support, his creative freedom and a little more about the puzzler itself.

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GRID 2 Mono Edition Costs £125000, Includes Actual Car

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Codemasters Racing, GRID 2, Insane

GRID 2 Mono Edition Costs £125000, Includes Actual Car

Codemasters Racing have revealed a one-off special edition for GRID 2 that can do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds.

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Destiny Trailer: 'The Law Of The Jungle'

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Activision, Bungie, Destiny, FPS, PS3 games, PS4 games, Xbox 360 games, Xbox One Games

The latest Destiny trailer may be a blend of live-action footage and CGI, but it does a decent job of finally giving us a feel for the mysterious cross-platform shooter's tone.

"As a Guardian of the City sets out on an epic, action-packed adventure to reclaim our Solar System, he recalls the moment when he was first taught the most important lesson of all -- The Law of the Jungle," reads the introductory blurb.

Destiny is currently set for a 2014 release on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. We'll learn more about it at Sony's E3 press conference on June 10th.

Major Wii U Nintendo Direct Presentation Takes Aim At E3

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Mario Kart, Nintendo, Nintendo Direct, Super Smash Bros, Wii U games

Major Wii U Nintendo Direct Presentation Takes Aim At E3

New Mario, Smash Bros & Mario Kart Titles Tipped

Nintendo has announced a global Nintendo Direct broadcast for 11th June at 15:00 GMT, which will replace their usual E3 press conference. They'll use this international platform to "provide updates about future Wii U games," and almost certainly unveil three heavy-hitting first party franchises. "We will discuss new Smash Bros., 3D Mario game, Mario Kart and other Wii U titles in our #NintendoDirectNA before the start of E3," reads a recent tweet from Nintendo Of America, which got us rather excited on Monday. No pressure, but this needs to deliver.

We'll look to host the presentation on-site, but you'll also be able to watch it on the Nintendo Direct website.

Need For Speed: Rivals Revealed For Current-Gen, PS4 & Xbox One

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
EA, Ghost Games, Need For Speed: Rivals, PC games, PS3 games, Racing Games, Xbox 360 games, Xbox One Games

Need For Speed: Rivals Revealed For Current-Gen, PS4 & Xbox One

Frostbite 3-Powered Racer Revs Up In November

Need For Speed: Rivals has officially broken cover. The Ghost Games-developed racer is powered by Frostbite 3, allows players to choose between cops or street racers  and promises "the freedom to seamlessly go from single player to co-op to multiplayer."

As a cross-generation title, Need for Speed: Rivals will release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 in November, followed by PS4 and Xbox One versions when the consoles launch. We've got more details, screenshots and a teaser trailer below.

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Techland Announces Another Zombie Survival Game For Next-Gen Consoles

Author:
Jonathan Lester
Category:
News
Tags:
Dying Light, PC games, PS3 games, PS4 games, Survival games, Techland, Warner Bros. Interactive, Xbox 360 games, Xbox One Games

Techland Announces Another Zombie Survival Game For Next-Gen Consoles

Dying Light To Have True Day/Night Cycle

Techland, the studio behind Dead Island and the recently-announced Hellraid, have revealed yet another first-person undead survival horror game. Dying Light will release on current-gen platforms, next-gen consoles and PC next year, offering a "vast" open world to explore and a dynamic day-night cycle.

More details and screens after the break.

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