Nintendo opens digital download store on Amazon
US Amazon users can now buy Nintendo titles like Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U through a digital download space on Amazon. According to the page, you can purchase one of the 61 titles listed, including Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Yoshi’s Island, then just click the Nintendo Network link on the ‘thank you’ page. From there, the content code will be automatically redeemed and the game sent directly to your Wii U or 3DS console. The new store means there’s now another way to purchase downloadable games other than through Nintendo’s eShop — even though it still comes directly from Nintendo.
Pricing on Amazon seems to be the same as Nintendo’s eShop — Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 on Wii U are the same $59.99 on both sites. However, it’s possible that Amazon will have the odd sale or deal (we’ve reached out for more info). Until recently, Amazon didn’t even stock Nintendo consoles itself, choosing to just fulfill orders from other retailers on its site. That led some folks to speculate that there was some kind of feud going on, though neither side ever confirmed that. Recently, however, Amazon started selling the 3DS XL and some other bundles after several years of not doing so. And the new store seems a sign that any dispute — real or imagined — is now in the past.
Filed under:
Gaming, Amazon, Nintendo
Via:
Wario64 (Twitter)
Source:
Amazon
Tags: amazon, DigitalDownloads, downloads, eShop, games, nintendo, NintendoDigitalDownloads
Steam’s selling all four ‘Mad Max’ films along with the game
Steam has revealed that along with the new Mad Max game you’ll be able to buy all four films, from the 1979 Mel Gibson original to this year’s Fury Road. Valve does very little promotion for movies on Steam, but said in a press release that it has 100 titles to date, which sent me scurrying to check that fact. And yes! Sort of. There are titles for sale, but all are either documentaries (including its own) or straight-to-video fare like Let’s Ruin it with Babies and Kung Fury.
That makes the Mad Max series the biggest titles Steam has stocked, so is Valve going to sell more blockbusters? We’ve reached out for info, but a Warner Bros. rep said that the site “is the ideal place to launch (the game) and the full collection of films together.” With that comment, we’d guess that Steam might do more game and film launch tie-ins, but don’t expect them to go all Amazon Prime Instant. The Mad Max game ($60) and four films ($15-20) are now available on Steam as separate purchases in the US and Canada, and will roll out over the next month in Europe and the UK.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source:
Steam
Tags: Films, FuryRoad, hdpostcross, MadMax, MadMaxGame, Steam, Valve
Latest look at ‘Halo 5’ is entirely devoid of Master Chief
If you were hoping to see more of Spartan 117 ahead of Halo 5: Guardians release this October, today isn’t your day. Sure, there’s a new trailer embedded below, but it isn’t gameplay. Nor does it tell us much about what’s going on with the game’s story (Dr. Halsey working alongside Covenant Elites is intriguing, though). It’s bombastic, pretty, and stars Nightfall protagonist Jameson Locke, but the clip ultimately rings a bit hollow. If you want to see what Nathan FIllion looks like after spending some time in the uncanny valley, however, you’re in for a treat. Everyone else that’s expecting some hot new footage of Master Chief on the battlefield will almost assuredly be disappointed, though.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source:
Xbox Wire
Tags: gaming, halo, halo5, halo5guardians, hdpostcross, jamesonlocke, microsoft, video, xbox, xboxone
Old Atari games had graphics glitches because of CPU bottlenecks
Now that we know how the graphics worked on the Nintendo Entertainment System and Commodore 64, The iBookGuy wants to tell us all about how the Apple II and Atari 2600 got their groove on. In the latest video he says that the Apple II actually used two different techniques for producing visuals depending on whether you had a monochrome or color monitor unit. And the reason white text on a black background appears almost rainbow-like in nature on color machines has to do with pixel placement. For example, blue and green being next to each other on screen requires perfect alignment lest you want white mages to have spots of the former bleeding into them.
For CPU-driven graphics (rather than those from a dedicated graphics processor) like what was found on classic Atari systems, the left-most portion of the screen had black lines because there wasn’t enough time for the processor to run the game code and draw the screen simultaneously. You can even see it in the GIF up above!
Like this YouTuber’s previous video, the information here is super easy to follow. The iBookGuy says he’ll keep the series going with videos about how classic game music and sound effects worked. Clips focused on VGA graphics could be coming if there’s enough call for it — you can, ahem, color us interested. Sorry.
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Source:
TheiBooksGuy (YouTube)
Tags: apple, appleii, atari2600, gaming, gif, graphics, hd, hdpostcross, retro
Sale of buried Atari cartridges nets over $107,000
The never-ending saga of the Atari 2600 E.T. cartridges that were famously buried (and later unearthed) in Alamogordo, New Mexico continues to benefit the small town. Last November, a selection of games (including E.T., Asteroids and Missile Command) that were recovered in the excavation were put up for sale on eBay, and now we know just how much cash they generated. According to the Alamogordo News, the game sales totaled $107,930.15, with more than $65,000 going directly to the town. In addition, the Tularosa Basin Historical Society received over $16,000 while more than $26,000 was spent on shipping and other expenses. A total of 881 cartridges covering 60 different titles were sold overall; a copy of E.T. was the highest single sale at $1,535.
This isn’t the last of the buried games, either; there are still more cartridges from the dig floating around. One hundred went to the company that made a documentary about the excavation, and 23 were donated to museums. But there are still 297 cartridges that Joe Lewandowski, the man who spearheaded the project, is holding on to — he’s thinking that he might put them on sale if and when another film about the burial comes together. Lewandowski does have plans for a second movie, but for now he’s going to advise Alamogordo on how to spend the money he earned for it. “The $65,000 is yours,” he said at a town meeting last week, “you can do what you want with it but I don’t want to see it go to pot holes or sewer lines.”
[Image credit: John Thien for Engadget]
Filed under:
Gaming
Via:
Ars Technica, Geek.com
Source:
Alamogordo News
Tags: alamogordo, atari, atari2600, burial, ET, excavation, new mexico
There goes the neighborhood: ‘Black Ops 3’ brings back Nuk3town
Activision announced on Monday that Nuk3town, the single most popular map in the Call of Duty franchise’s entire history, will be available on CoD: Black Ops 3. Anybody that pre-orders BO3 for the PS4, XBone or PC will receive a download code that unlocks the legendary map when the game hits store shelves on November 6th. Nuk3town made its debut back in the first Black Ops game and returned as Nuk3town 2025 for BO2.
“The Nuketown maps have a special place in Call of Duty multiplayer history and we can’t wait to build upon that heritage in Black Ops III,” said Mark Lamia, Studio Head of Treyarch, which developed the game. “We carefully adapted the design of the map to make sure that it fit with our new movement system, but to also make sure that we retained the spirit and the fun that made fans fall in love with it in the first place.” So stow that sniper rifle and equip your fastest firing loadout because this nuclear neighborhood is about to see some serious action.
Filed under:
Gaming
Source:
Activision Blizzard
Tags: Activision, Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, fps, gitsome, Nuk3town, Treyarch, videogames
Nintendo’s smaller New 3DS comes to the US on September 25th
When Nintendo decided to release only the New 3DS XL in the US this winter rather than its smaller New 3DS sibling, it left many scratching their heads. Why would Nintendo deprive American gamers of a smaller, more travel-friendly handheld? Well, it’s making amends for that mistake very shortly. Nintendo has revealed that it’s bringing the New 3DS to the US on September 25th as part of a $220 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer bundle. So long as you like having the game’s charming art plastered all over your handheld, you too can have a more portable option. The NFC Reader (needed to load up on Amiibo figurines and card) will also arrive that day for $20.
Unfortunately, it looks like you won’t have an option for a plain vanilla New 3DS, at least not yet. Unlike with the New 3DS XL, that Animal Crossing bundle is all you’re getting — you may actually pay more than you would for the XL if you weren’t bent on receiving a game alongside your system. It won’t be shocking if Nintendo eventually expands the selection, but it’s clear that the larger device remains the star of the show.
Filed under:
Gaming, Handhelds, Nintendo
Via:
Nintendo of America (Twitter)
Source:
Nintendo (BusinessWire)
Tags: 3ds, amiibo, animalcrossing, animalcrossinghappyhomedesigner, gaming, handheld, legendofzelda, new3ds, nfc, nintendo, videogames
New ‘Feminist Frequency’ video examines ‘women as reward’
In 2012, Anita Sarkeesian asked for $6,000 on Kickstarter to create a YouTube series dissecting the way video games commonly portray women, to be housed under her Feminist Frequency brand. Sarkeesian’s project raised $160,000 and she’s since released eight videos in the Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series, covering the “Damsel in Distress” trend, “Ms. Male Character” theme and the idea of “Women as Background Decoration.” The latest video, released today, covers “Women as Reward” and it discusses the myriad ways women are offered as hyper-sexualized trophies in some popular video games.
“The Women as Reward trope is set up to fulfill a very specific male entitlement-oriented fantasy,” Sarkeesian says in the video. “In many cases game creators may not even realize their mechanics are working to cement this mentality, but when games use a woman’s affection, her body or her sexuality as a carrot on a stick, they’re actively encouraging men to think of women as objects, prizes and status symbols.”
Sarkeesian breaks down the way women’s bodies are offered as prizes in franchises including Metroid, The Witcher, Ratchet and Clank, Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil and Metal Gear. She argues that the “women as reward” trope contributes to the idea of male entitlement, which she describes as “the conviction that men are owed something by virtue of their gender.” She continues, “One of the most harmful aspects of male entitlement is the false belief that men have a right to survey and use women’s bodies.”
She also notes, “When presented with critical analyses of the poor representations of women in many popular games, this intense male entitlement manifests in aggression, abuse and threats.”
Sarkeesian is consistently a target of online harassment. In 2014, she had to cancel a speech at Utah State University after receiving death threats and learning that organizers could not prevent people from carrying concealed firearms into the venue, as long as they had a permit. Sarkeesian was the subject of a Nightline investigation into online harassment in the video game universe and she was a guest on The Colbert Report in October, where she discussed GamerGate and some of the threats she’s received because of her work with Feminist Frequency.
As always, Sarkeesian begins her latest video with the following disclaimer, though this time around it’s especially notable, considering she immediately starts talking about Metroid, a widely beloved, classic game:
“Remember that it is both possible and even necessary to be critical of the media we enjoy.”
Source:
Feminist Frequency on YouTube
Tags: anita-sarkeesian, anitasarkeesian, feminism, feministfrequency, hdpostcross, tropesvswomeningames, women
Check out some gameplay from Destiny’s ‘The Taken King’ expansion
The Taken King is a massive expansion due to hit Destiny on September 15th, bringing new strike missions, three new subclasses (including skill trees), exclusive gear and more goodies. The expansion’s new raid, King’s Fall, will not be available at launch, but director Luke Smith tells IGN that Bungie has “a plan for when it’s going to be available.” Smith promises to give fans a heads up before it goes live.
Alongside the gameplay additions, The Taken King introduces famed game actor Nolan North as the new voice of the Ghost companion character. North will replace Peter Dinklage — best known as Lord Tyrion in Game of Thrones — as the voice of the Ghost in the DLC and Destiny as a whole. Dinklage’s work in the full game spawned jokes and memes mocking its non-committal tone, though plenty of fans have grown to love “Dinklebot” (RIP).
But forget about all of that drama: What really matters is how The Taken King will look, feel and play for Guardians old and new. The launch trailer (yes, about two weeks before actual release) includes a look at gameplay and some story-based goodness.
Source:
Destiny on YouTube
Tags: Activision, Bungie, Destiny, DLC, expansion, hdpostcross, TheTakenKing
‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ hits PS4 on March 18th
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, the final game in Naughty Dog’s Indiana Jones-style adventure series, will hit PlayStation 4 on March 18th, 2016. We got a taste of the game right after E3 2015 with an extended, action-packed trailer that features protagonist Nathan Drake shooting up bad guys, driving through a mountainside city and surviving all manner of seemingly lethal evasion tactics. There are a few versions of the game up for pre-order this week, including the Special Edition, which costs $80 and includes a steelbook case, an art book, in-game currency, a sticker sheet and the game on Blu-ray.
The Collector’s Edition is $120 and includes everything in the Special Edition, plus a 12-inch statue of Nathan Drake from Gentle Giant, three in-game multiplayer outfits, two weapons skins and other in-game customization options. The Deluxe Edition, which runs $80, offers the game in digital form plus two multiplayer customization options and future access to three DLC packs. Two of the DLC bundles are multiplayer fare with rare and legendary items, while the third is “the first-ever, single-player story add-on for the Uncharted series.” The DLC Triple Pack will be available for separate purchase, as well.
Source:
PlayStation Blog
Tags: hdpostcross, NaughtyDog, ReleaseDate, SCEA, SONY, uncharted4, uncharted4athiefsend
AIVAnet 