In Machine Knight You Travel To Another World To Solve An Energy Crisis

Kemco, the main maker of retro JRPGs for smartphones, brought Machine Knight to iOS. The game starts with Frain in Dr. Shaft's lab traveling to about to travel to another world in search of a solution to his world's energy crisis after the sun is covered. Frain's trip through the gate reveals unsettling truths about his world, but hey there are two heroines that help Frain out. Later in the game you get to choose between Bell, a kind nun living in poverty, and Aulin, a spunky sorceress who wants to be savior of the land.

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Machine Knight is available now and it is being sold for $2.99 at launch.

Read more stories about iPhone & Machine Knight on Siliconera.

Splinter Cell Blacklist Gas Plant Gameplay Demo

Ubisoft has given gamers more than six minutes of Splinter Cell Blacklist action, presented in a commentated gameplay demo.

Zach Cooper, Splinter Cell community developer, shows off the final highlights of a mission during the Blacklist campaign. In the video, Cooper faces off against a terrorist unit called the Engineers.

Splinter Cell Blacklist launches on August 20 (August 22 in Europe) for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Windows PC.

commentary, Demo, Splinter Cell: Blacklist

level-5 's youkai are essentially like ghostly pok eacute;mon

Players can catch over 200 kinds of youkai, Japanese folklore spirits, In Youkai Watch. Nogappa pictured on the right creates mega waterfalls. Komasan fires spirit energy and Jinmen Inu (literally human faced dog)… lies on the floor. Youkai join players in battle and level up after fights. Similar to Pokémon, youkai can evolve.

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Each youkai has a different rank like the hungry Himoji starts at rank E, but can level up to a B rank youkai called Kuiiji. The mosquito-like Negatiboon can evolve into a C rank spirit. Some evolutions have special conditions. Jibanyan, a cat-like creature Level-5 revealed early on, can evolve into the suave Warunyan.

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When you're not catching youkai you can live a regular life with your friends. One of Youkai Watch's scenes has Keeta and Fumi watching fireworks from their school's roof.

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Youkai Watch also has an augmented reality camera app to play with. Mysterious Lens takes a photo and "reveals" unseen youkai. If you find a youkai you'll get an item to use in game.

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Youkai Watch is slated for release on July 11 for Nintendo 3DS.

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Read more stories about Nintendo 3DS & Youkai Watch on Siliconera.

Lens Flares Unite! Enlighten Engine Boasts Next-Gen Console Goods

Technology for the upcoming tidal wave of next-gen consoles has been swelling for quite some time.

The guts of new graphics engines were showcased during E3 2012 in June. Only a few months ago the curtains were lifted and the two bruisers of the console world were let loose. We now have come full circle and come right back to where we started.

The 'Enlighten' engine from Geomerics promises to shed light on some of gaming's most anticipated titles. Battlefield 4, Star Wars: Battlefront and Mirror's Edge are just a few that were demonstrated.

Many have argued that the use of lens flares have become a nuisance more than anything, however, it is often a reflection of the game's art style. With Geomerics also being an Unreal Engine 4 partner, we can expect more work with other respected titles.

Regardless of your stance, the engine looks to promise to get you lit.

playstation 4, Xbox One

Microsoft Backpedals on DRM Policy for Xbox One

Microsoft has apparently thrown its DRM policy for Xbox One in full reverse, removing the online check-in and all pre-owned game restrictions for Xbox One.

During E3, Microsoft earned the spite of many gamers when it confirmed a lot of the troubling DRM rumors surrounding its next Xbox. The prior rumors gave Sony a perfect chance to steer public interest toward its PlayStation 4 when the company announced during its press conference that the device will not have a DRM policy.

The public responded to the news was a complete shift in interest toward the PS4, as reported by multiple polls around the web.

Only about a week has passed since E3, and appears that during the time Microsoft has been reevaluating its DRM policy.

Don Mattrick, president of interactive entertainment business at Microsoft, posted an article today explaining that Microsoft has removed its DRM policy:

Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.

For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and buy games. We believe in the benefits of a connected, digital future.

Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.

You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console ' there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year.

Here is the bullet list for you 'tl;dr' types:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One gamesTrade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do todayYou can download games from Xbox Live on day of releaseIf you download games on Day One, you will be able to play them offlineThere are no more regional restrictionsYou can share games with others simply by letting them borrow the disc (downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold)Playing the disc-based game requires the disc to be in the tray

Every so often, a company does listen to its fans. But if it was so easy for Microsoft to make the change, is it also just as easy to re-implement it?

Well, for now, let's pause a moment and take in the fact that Microsoft has apparently listened to its user base, and has made the changes that gamers have been demanding. Who is up for a re-poll?

backpedal, News, online drm, policy, reversal, Xbox One

Mind≒0 Gameplay Video Shows ZeroDiv's MIND Control RPG In Action

4Gamer has shared a 12-minute gameplay video of Acquire and ZeroDiv's latest Vita RPG. Kicking off the video is the opening movie with the song “Bousou Machine, Mind≒0 Ver.,” performed by yucat.

The story of Mind≒0 is centered around a group of teenagers who can summon familiars called MINDs. Using these familiars, they investigate a deranged spirit world. In the parallel world, you will come across monsters. MINDs are powerful and can defend your characters against these monsters, but if they take too much damage, they will break and leave you paralyzed.

You can fight without your MINDs, too, but your attacks are much weaker and you risk taking damage directly. For more details, check our previous article.

When you're back in the real world, you can boost your skills at an antique shop called Moment. Apart from that, this video also gives you a preview of two boss monsters and several ominous mystery characters.

Mind≒0 will be released for the PlayStation Vita on August 1.

Read more stories about Mind 0 & PlayStation Vita & Videos on Siliconera.

atelier 2014 may be brand new, dusk series won't end with escha ' logy

This week’s Dengeki PlayStaton magazine featured an interview with Gust’s director Yoshito Okamura, who hinted that they’ll be releasing a new Atelier game, that may not be related to the Dusk series. In addition, he also says that the Dusk series will continue and won’t end with Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky.

Previously, Okamura mentioned that there won’t be a plus version of Atelier Rorona. The other two games in the Arland trilogy got expanded ports for PlayStation Vita and were released as, Atelier Totori Plus and Atelier Meruru Plus. Okamura said that they’d like to make an expansion for it in the future that will show the reason why they saved it for last. According to the Dengeki PlayStation interview, we may be seeing a remake for Atelier Rorona before we see a completely new Atelier series.

“Since becoming part of Tecmo Koei, we now have the grounds to make big titles, while keeping true to Gust’s identity.” says Okamura in the interview. The director also reveals his intention to step down from the development of the Atelier series, with the reason being that when the same person continues developing a title, the game’s content will always be too similar to one another.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

There are no plans to end the Dusk series anytime soon, as there are still plenty left to do.

Gust’s next title may not be part of the Dusk series, although it’s not certain.

There will be a new Atelier game released next year, as they have no intention to break the pattern of releasing a new title per year so fans will have something to look forward to every year.

Since merging with Tecmo Koei, Gust now have the grounds to develop bigger titles and still keep true to their essence.

Gust are currently training their young developers so they can carry on with the future of the Atelier series, along with new IPs, all while changing the future of the company from within.

Director Yoshito Okamura feels that someone else must be entrusted with Atelier. Not because he dislikes making it, but because he feels that if the same person keeps working on it, the games will always be too similar.

This year is Gust’s 20th anniversary, as they’re looking forward to taking on greater challenges.
Read more stories about Atelier & Gust & PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita on Siliconera.

mario ' luigi dream team shows the power of luigi's imagination

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is AlphaDream's fourth RPG, and this game is all about Luigi's dreamy powers. When you're inside one of Luigi's dreams, the game plays like a 2D sidescroller. Pressing A makes Mario jump and pressing B makes Luigi jump so the controls are quite different from New Super Mario Bros.

The part I played had the platforming part on the top screen and Luigi sleeping on the bottom screen. Soon enough, I reached a point where Mario and Luigi couldn't go any further because the next platforms were too high. That's where Dreamy Luigi comes in handy. He can use his imagination to take over objects like a column that transforms with Luigi's face and a bush moustache.

You can pull Luigi's moustache on the bottom screen to grab Mario and fling him to higher ground. Later in the level, Luigi uses his Luiginary powers to make dozens of tiny Luigis. Mario rides a stack of Luigi clones to scare a small army of monsters and he the Luigi tower is also heavy enough to break ground so the duo can move forward.

Dreamy Luigi also powers up Mario during Mario & Luigi: Dream Team's battles. AlphaDream uses a similar battle system where you can inflict extra damage by hitting A during an attack animation. If you press the button at the right time, you can make a wave of Dreamy Luigi's shake the ground during Mario's hammer attack or make Luigi stomp on an enemy. Another demo had a Kaiju fight where a Godzilla-sized Luigi fought a gigantic robot. I held the 3DS like a book and swiped the screen to make Luigi attack.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team like the other Mario RPG games puts an emphasis on humor and the parts I played had clever jokes. The demo has a lot of text and if that's any indication to go by there may be even more text in Dream Team than other portable RPGs.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is slated for release on August 11 in North America and in July for the rest of the world.

Read more stories about Mario & Luigi: Dream Team & Nintendo 3DS on Siliconera.

Zelda A Link Between Worlds Gets A Gallery Of Nostalgic New Screens

Nintendo have released new screenshots of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, their spiritual successor to A Link to the Past. You can check them out below, and also catch up with our hands-on impressions of the game.

 

Read more stories about Nintendo 3DS & Screenshots & The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on Siliconera.

Cybuster Busts In For A Super Robot Taisen OG Saga Clip

Masaki Andoh and Cybuster return for Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice. Cybuster has the power of wind due to a contract with Syphis, a wind elemental. Cybuster can also transform into a Cybird and fly around.

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Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice is slated for release on PlayStation 3 and Vita on August 22.

Read more stories about Masou Kishin III: Pride of Justice & PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita on Siliconera.

Injustice Gods Among Us Leads April Sales In U.S.

Total retail videogame sales were down 25% year-over-year in the U.S. in April, the NPD Group reports. Meanwhile, retail software sales were down 17%.

The best-selling game for the month was Injustice: Gods Among Us, marking the first time since 2011’s Mortal Kombat that a fighting game has ranked in the NPD top-spot. Injustice, along with games like Dead Island: Riptide, and Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins drove software sales in April. Games that launched during the month saw an increase of 118% in unit sales and 130% in dollar sales compared to April 2012.

The overall 17% decline to software came from the weak performance of games that were launched prior to March, the NPD Group’s Liam Callahan says.

The top-10 best-selling games for the month of April (at retail) were as follows:

RankTitleSystemPublisher01.Injustice: Gods Among Us360, PS3, Wii UWarner Bros.02.Dead Island: Riptide360, PS3, PCDeep Silver03.Bioshock Infinite360, PS3, PCTake 204.Call of Duty: Black Ops 2360, PS3, PC, Wii UActivision Blizzard05.Defiance360, PS3, PCTrion Worlds06.Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon3DSNintendo07.NBA 2K13360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP, PCTake 208.Skylanders GiantsWii, 360, PS3, 3DS, Wii UActivision Blizzard09.LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins3DSNintendo10.MLB 13: The ShowPS3, PSVSony

Reporting period: April 7th – May 5th, 2013.

Meanwhile, on the hardware front, the Xbox 360 was the best-selling console for the month once more. The system sold 130,000 units during April.

Read more stories about Bioshock: Infinite & Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 & Injustice: Gods Among Us & NPD & Xbox 360 on Siliconera.

The Binding of Isaac Rebirth Remake Coming To PC, PS4, Vita

Indie rogue-like The Binding of Isaac is coming to PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in 2014 as an updated version of the original game, titled The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remake of the original with expanded gameplay, more playable characters, story, enemies and items. The game will feature overhauled graphics in a new 16-bit style as well, and will be published by Nicalis.

Here’s a rundown of the features in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth:

Local co-op multiplayerCompetitive loadouts“50-percent” new contentSteam discount for those that own the original gameNew playable charactersSeveral new challenge runs

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will be available in 2014, but Nicalis haven't announced a date beyond that.

Read more stories about PC & PlayStation 4 & PlayStation Vita & The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth & Videos on Siliconera.

The Cast Of Sengoku Basara 4 Are Up To Their Usual Tricks

Capcom has announced a release date of January 23 2014 for the Sengoku Basara 4, and to celebrate, they released a new trailer letting the game's characters get some screen time, showing off their allegiances or plans.

From Takeda Shingen to Date Masamune and every faction’s various retainers and allies in between, it's a video full of manly cutaways, proclamations and moments full of the kind of angst and yelling that Sengoku Basara fans love.

Read more stories about PlayStation 3 & Sengoku Basara 4 & Videos on Siliconera.

Earn Poké Miles In Pokémon X And Pokémon Y For In-Game Rewards

In Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, you can earn “Poké Miles” within certain parts of the game, reports Serebii.net. Poké Miles are used in the PokéMileage Club to play attractions and receive items at the Pokémon Global Link website.

These items can then be sent back to the two Nintendo 3DS games; however, there is another way to earn these items as well. Dream Points in the Pokémon Global Link can be converted to Poké Miles as well, and the amount you get varies, depending on which of the  Pokémon RPGs you own.

More details can be found over at Serebii.net. Something else to note is that the Pokémon Global Link for the Gen 5 games (Black/White, Black 2/White 2) will be closing soon, with January 14th, 2014 set as the closing date.

Read more stories about Nintendo 3DS & Pokemon X & Pokemon Y on Siliconera.

Namco Bandai's PS3 Teaser Site Is Probably For A Saint Seiya Fighting Game

Update: Sources have confirmed that the game's title is Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers, not 'Bout Senses'.

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Namco Bandai will reveal a new PlayStation 3 game in two days and it's probably for a Saint Seiya fighting game. Jump revealed Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers, which has characters from the Zodiac Knights, Elysion Chapter, and Saint Seiya Omega in it. The magazine confirmed Kouga, Seiya, Shiryu, Kanon, Tenma, and Rhadamanthys will be in Saint Seiya: Bout Senses.

Back to the teaser site: did you notice the URL?

It's bandaigames.channel.or.jp/list/sbs/. Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers, perhaps?

Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers is slated for release this Fall on the PlayStation 3 in Japan.

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Read more stories about PlayStation 3 & Saint Seiya: Bout Senses on Siliconera.

Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII Won't Let You Use MP To Heal

In past Final Fantasy titles, the Cure spell has always been a magic or ability that recovers health in exchange for a short amount of MP. In Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Cure and other spells will be a little different than before.

“In this game, Cure isn’t a regular ability, but a part of the GP effects. It will require the use of GP in order to heal yourself,” design director Yuji Abe tells Dengeki Online.

As previously detailed, GP in Lightning Returns stands for “Glory Points”. Abe describes GP as “convenience points,” which allow you to do various things like teleporting to specific areas on the field or stopping time in the game. And now, it’s also used to heal yourself when you’re hurting.

“It will also include Raise, which is used whenever you get knocked out,” Abe continues. “So, this time around, in order to heal yourself, you’ll either have to use GP or items such as potions. There will be different situations where you might have to consider saving your GP for stopping time instead of healing.”

“You’ll gain GP at the end of battles, so to a degree, you’ll be able to go around fighting to recover your health. Stronger enemies will give you more GP, so it might be a good idea to take on a stronger enemy to cast a Curaga when your HP is looking low. Command-based battle systems allow you to use them as much as you’d like, but this time it may feel a little more restricted.”

In Lightning Returns, the general flow of the game will start your day out in the ark where Hope is located. By 6 a.m. you’ll be forced back to the ark, where you’ll get to give your accumulated Radiant Points to the Tree of Life, in order to prolong the planet’s life span. The Radiant Points can be acquired by completing quests. Some quests will give you more and others, less. You’ll be able to expand the planet’s life through the tree by up to 13 days at a time.

Finally, Abe concludes with the following message for fans regarding the final adjustment stage of the game’s development:

“This time around, weapons and equipment will be a crucial element, so we are currently adjusting their parameters and values. We’re thinking about topics such as how to make players purchase and change (weapons and equipment) more frequently, and about the balance of abilities, which we’re constantly adjusting. We’ve been going back and forth in order to not have things appear too boring or too flashy. We’re doing our best to adjust it so it can correspond to various play styles, so please look forward to it.”

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII will be available in North America on February 11th, 2014, and in Europe on February 14th, 2014.

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Read more stories about Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII & PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 on Siliconera.

Monster Hunter 4 Will Have Nintendo-Themed Guild Cards, Too

Not content with putting Link, Mario and Luigi in the game, Nintendo and Capcom are also including the option of obtaining special guild cards in Monster Hunter 4 ,that are collaborations between the two companies.

Noted on Twitter after Nintendo Direct’s reveal on the additional outfits, the guild cards will feature such backgrounds as Super Mario Bro’s, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda.

These guild cards will also allow players to pose Monster Hunter 4 characters, such as the picture above.

 

More details, said Nintendo, will be released by Capcom on how to obtain these cards. Monster Hunter 4 comes out September 14 for the Nintendo 3DS.

Read more stories about Monster Hunter 4 & Nintendo 3DS on Siliconera.

WinFS delayed even beyond Longhorn Server

The so-called next-gen filesystem to come from Microsoft is really looking to earn that generational distinction, and in more ways than one. Not only is the tech promising (what we know of it), but apparently it's taking much, much longer to bake than we thought.

Originally slated for release with Longhorn, it was revealed in April that WinFS was being scaled back, and wouldn't make the Longhorn desktop release. Later in August we received official word on the matter from Microsoft, who then said that they planned to release WinFS as an off-cycle development platform. Then, in late October, Ballmer said that WinFS would ship with Longhorn Server, and be available as a free add-on for Longhorn.

Yesterday Bob Muglia, Senior Vice President of the Windows Server Division, told press conference attendees that WinFS would not ship with Longhorn server, but would be delayed even beyond that. In general terms, this puts WinFS into 2008, at the earliest. Muglia has some regrets about having pumped everyone up for something that's getting pushed back on a quarterly basis now.

"We've been working on this for a long time, and this team is going to deliver," he said. "Our mistake, frankly--and it was a mistake--was to go out and talk about it before we really had clarity as to how we would be able to deliver it and all the complexities there."

Noting that WinFS is not merely "a relational database," Muglia noted that a serious revamping of the way in which filesystems are conceived of has been a longtime dream for the company, and it's something that will happen. It's just going to take longer than anyone expected. Much longer, in fact.

Microsoft has made a bit of a habit out of cutting announced features. Recently, Windows Server 2003 was launched without promised features, and the company also nixed features that were originally announced for "R2" of Server 2003. The good news is that Windows Server R2 Release Candidate 2 has gone out to beta testers, and a gold candidate is expected within just a few months. Many of the developers working on R2 will turn their attentions to Longhorn Server, and hopefully, WinFS, shortly thereafter.

VRForums for Android Updated (1.1.2), iOS release to follow next week

VRForums for Android(VRForums) has been bumped to version 1.1.2 and can be autoupdated from the Android Market or by installing this apk. Changes include security and bug fixes likethread prefixes support, ability to move to SD Card and no more user registration crashes.

Meanwhile in the other universe, our VRForums iOS application for the iPad/iPhone/iPod has also been resubmitted to the Apple App Store and we expect it to be finally available earliest next week if Fruitzilla is satisfied +}

Forums Support Thread:http://forums.vr-zone.com/chit-chatting/1324993-updated-220611-vrforums-now-android-marketplace-ios-coming-soon.html

Zynga buys mobile gaming startup Wild Needle

Social gaming firm Zynga has bought mobile games company Wild Needle in efforts to boost its game development talent.

The gaming startup launched in 2010 and secured funding of $2.5 million from Thompson and Shasta Ventures. It is not yet clear how much Zynga paid to acquire the team, but it is likely in the lower end of the companys spending range, estimated at between $5 million and $20 million.Wild Needle developed Shoptown Hero for iOS, a freemium social game that tasks players to save a small town from a tycoon called Fat Ralph using virtual store goods and customer negotiation, a nice little twist that is probably a homage to the new-found haggling power introduced with the global recession.However, the game did not really take off, with less than 100 likes on its Facebook page. It was discontinued at the end of last month, with no explanation for the reasons why, though obviously it was due to the Zynga deal. The website for the game and the studio itself have also been taken offline.It is not yet clear if Zynga will relaunch Wild Needles game or if it will simply get the staff to work on its existing projects. What is clear, however, is that this is unlikely to be the last acquisition Zynga will make this year in its efforts to dominate the social gaming arena.Source: TechCrunch