Telltale’s ‘Game of Thrones’ first season ends next month
Beware, for the night is dark and full of terrors folks: Telltale Games is wrapping the first season of its Game of Thrones series, Iron from Ice soon. When the season finale, dubbed “The Ice Dragon,” releases next month on the 17th, Telltale says it’ll be the first time that an episode hits each platform simultaneously (Android, iOS, Mac, PC, Playstation and Xbox). What’s more, the story-focused developer says that the finale will provide “a uniquely harrowing conclusion” for every player based on the decisions you’ve made thus far. If I know anything about Telltale and Game of Thrones that means a number of characters are going to die. Probably viciously. Need a place to start? Telltale’s using a classic pusher move and is offering the first episode for free. Try not getting attached to anyone.
Source: Telltale Games
PlayStation 4 drops to €350 across Europe and £300 in the UK
With Uncharted 4 slipping into 2016, Sony’s PlayStation 4 doesn’t have much in the way of exclusives this fall. But in its ongoing battle with Microsoft and the Xbox One, the company does have a fallback to stay competitive: price-cuts. After dropping the system to $350 in the US, Sony is now doing the same for the rest of the world. Starting today, the 500GB model will cost $349.99 across Europe and £299.99 in the UK. Furthermore, the console is dropping to $479.95 in Australia, $569.95 in New Zealand and AED1399 in the United Arab Emirates. Sony doesn’t have Halo 5 or Rise of the Tomb Raider (at least, not yet) but the PlayStation 4 does have a broad, extensive library including Bloodborne, Until Dawn and Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection. If you’ve been waiting to jump to “next-gen,” or already own an Xbox One, there’s really been no better time to pick up a PS4.
Source: Sony
Twitch finally gets a proper PS4 streaming app
PlayStation 4 owners: you’re no longer forced to use Live from PlayStation (and limit your viewing to fellow PS4 gamers) if you want to watch Twitch through a native app. As promised, Twitch has launched a full-featured PS4 client that lets you tune into any stream, no matter which platform it’s coming from. It’ll seem quite familiar if you’ve used the Xbox One app (shh!), but there is a section to help you find PS4-specific broadcasters. The app is ready at this very moment, so give it a shot if you enjoy viewing games as much as you do playing them.
Greatness awaits your #PS4 when you install the new Twitch app! https://t.co/WZJrLSeQ6u
— Twitch (@Twitch) October 20, 2015
Source: Twitch
Playdate: Surviving the apocalypse in ‘Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut’
Fallout 4 isn’t the only post-apocalyptic role-playing game out this fall. Nope. Also out is a sequel to the game that’s pretty much directly responsible for Bethesda’s dark vision of the future, Wasteland 2: Director’s Cut. The PC version of the game released last year, but a console port featuring a number of new additions including new voice overs and a wealth of new recorded dialogue. If XCOM: Enemy Unknown left an isometric, action-point itch that you haven’t scratched in awhile, this might be your ticket on PlayStation 4. Join Sean Buckley and myself at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific as we try to survive the cruel environment for two hours either here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or Twitch.tv/joystiq if you’d like to chat with us.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re broadcasting Wasteland 2 on PlayStation 4, through OBS at 720p, so rest assured the game will look much more apocalyptic in your home.]
Prepare your PS3s, North America: ‘Yakuza 5’ lands next month
Yakuza 5 launched in Japan for the PlayStation 3 in December 2012. Three years and one console generation later, it’s heading to North American PS3s in “mid-November, if all goes to schedule.” Sega announced the release window today in a blog post, noting, “It’s a little later than we would’ve liked, and a few weird development bugs that popped up in localization caused the delay.” Specifically, but not technically, Sega ran into issues with the on-screen text, which had to be flipped from Japanese to English. Once the bugs are squashed, Yakuza 5 is on track to hit PS3 digitally via PSN next month across North America.
At TGS 2015, Sega announced it’s working on Yakuza 6, which is due to hit Japanese PS4s in the fall of 2016. Plus, it’s developing an HD remake of the original Yakuza for PS3 and PS4, also confirmed for Japan only so far.
[Image credit: Sega]
Source: Sega
The adorable dog in this PlayStation 4 game better not die
Sure, we already have Tokyo Jungle, Nintendogs, Valiant Hearts, Fallout and plenty of other franchises starring adorable pups, but there’s always room for more. Home Free is about a dog living on the streets of various cities, searching for food, friends and shelter while trying to stay out of trouble. It features more than 12 dog breeds with customizable colors and markings, and the environments are all randomly generated, so they’re unique to each player. As creator Kevin Cancienne puts it, “Shape the story of one dog’s survival through your choices and actions. Experience the the world from the perspective a creature who will never quite understand why that world acts the way it does.” (Seriously, Cancienne, if the dogs die in this game we’re going to be heartbroken.) Home Free just got picked up for PlayStation 4 alongside a planned launch on PC and Mac in fall 2016. Cancienne launched a $50,000 Kickstarter for Home Free on September 30th and it was funded within five days; the campaign is still live now.
Source: PlayStation (YouTube)
‘Firewatch’ reaches PC and PS4 on February 9th, 2016
Campo Santo’s Firewatch has racked up its fair share of hype: its creators hail from venerable studios like Telltale and Double Fine, and it’s based on the unusual premise of serving as a lookout in the Wyoming wilderness. If that sounds intriguing, you’ll be glad to hear that it won’t be much longer before you can try it yourself. The team has revealed that Firewatch will be available on Linux, Mac, Windows and PlayStation 4 on February 9th, 2016. There’s still a lot to show about the game in the months ahead, but early reports are promising. It thrives on strong characterization (you play a middle-aged man retreating from a failing marriage), and it blends first-person exploration with the challenges of a classic adventure game. Hopefully, the finished title lives up to the early promise.
Source: Campo Santo
The PS4 universal remote hits stores later this month
Sony America announced on Thursday that the wait for its PS4 universal remote is nearly over. The much-anticipated accessory is set to go on sale for $30 “later this month,” according to a company post. The remote will serve to replace the DualShock controller for non-gaming applications. It will communicate via a Bluetooth connection and be able to control up to three additional AV devices. What’s more, it will also be compatible with a number of existing streaming apps including Crunchyroll, HBO Go, Netflix (obvs), Twitch and YouTube. If you can’t wait to purchase it in person when it actually hits store shelves, Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop and Toys R Us all have it available for pre-order.
Source: Sony Playstation Blog
Playdate: Revisiting ‘Uncharted’ in ‘The Nathan Drake Collection’
PlayStation doesn’t have an official mascot character, but if it did, developer Naughty Dog’s Nathan Drake would probably fit the bill. Much like Microsoft did last year with Halo: The Master Chief Collection to get fans ready for Halo 5: Guardians on Xbox One, Sony’s gone back and revamped the three main Uncharted games and put them into Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to prep folks for next spring’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End on PlayStation 4. How do the eight, six and four year old games hold up? And was the remastering really necessary? Tune in on this post, Twitch.tv/joystiq (if you’d like to join us in chat) or the Engadget Gaming homepage at 6pm Eastern / 3pm Pacific as myself and Sean Buckley find out.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re streaming Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection at 720p through OBS, so rest assured it’s going to look dramatically better on your PS4 at home.]
‘Star Wars: Battlefront’ beta opens wide Thursday at 1PM ET
You watched our stream of Star Wars: Battlefront but you didn’t win one of the early access codes we were giving away and you feel a little left out. That’s understandable, but know this: Come Thursday at 1PM ET / 10AM PT, you can play for yourself regardless of luck. Make sure you have at least 8GB of free space on your PlayStation 4 and Xbox One or 11GB open on your PC’s hard drive though. Word comes via the game’s community manager on Twitter. Need something to do until the beta unlocks for you? The embedded Playdate video below will make your wait just over two hours shorter.
The #StarWarsBattlefront Beta will open up on Oct 8th 10 AM PST.
— Sledgehammer70 (@sledgehammer70) October 8, 2015
Source: Sledgehammer70 (Twitter)
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