As expected, the upcoming Call of Duty: Ghosts was a major part of today’s Xbox One press event. Also as expected, it was announced that the Xbox One version of the military first-person shooter would get all content first. I supposed we can include the Xbox 360 in those plans, too.

In addition to this news, we also got a look at Ghosts in action on the Xbox One. It looks quite nice, though I’m personally not a big fan of the visuals in military shooters because I find them kind of drab. Still, as a technical piece, I can’t deny the fact that it looked good.

Also, one of the biggest new features announced for the game was the inclusion of a dog partner. I’m being serious here, folks. This Navy SEAL helper animal will sniff out threats and play the part of your ally.

Some new features for multiplayer were also showcased. Environmental destruction is now a huge part of the experience, and players can use the world to their advantage by collapsing structures and so on.

A few details were left unanswered by the Xbox One reveal event today but more details have emerged following the end of the presser. According to a Wired article, consumers must install a game to their HDD in order to play it. In doing so you will not be required to have the disc in the console in order to play the game, presumably by pairing the physical disc with your console and/or Xbox Live account. So what does this mean for used games? According to Microsoft, anyone who buys a game second-hand (used) will be offered to pay a fee and install the game to their HDD from the used disc.

In addition to this, Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox One will not be able to play Xbox 360 games due to the differing architectures of the two systems. It is unclear if another service will exist that will allow backwards compatibility or not on the Xbox One.

Today at the Xbox One Reveal, Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries announed that Steven Spielberg will be producing a “premium” Halo TV series for the Xbox One entitled World of Halo. The new series will be live action, similar to how Forward Unto Dawn was created. The TV series was also referred to as a “premium” series, most likely referring to a pay-wall associated with viewing it – much like a subscription to HBO to view Game of Thrones. We’ll have more details as they come through.

While we don’t have an exact launch date just yet, Microsoft has revealed that the Xbox One will be available at retail “later this year.” That likely means we’ll get a holiday release taking place sometime around November. Of course, don’t quote me — I’m just speculating here.

Microsoft confirmed that it’ll reveal more information at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles in just a few weeks. Here’s hoping we get details on the Xbox One launch then.

Former Alan Wake and Max Payne developer Remedy is currently working on a new game for the Xbox One. The project is titled Quantum Break and, as expected, not much is known about it just yet.

The short video shown at Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal showed a creepy a little girl and her family in a live-action scene, then we got a quick look at some action.

It’s still too early to tell exactly what Quantum Break is, but after seeing a ship crash into a bridge and dudes with guns, it’s obvious this will likely be an action-adventure game or shooter of some sort.

In addition to Quantum Break, Microsoft announced that it has 15 games currently in production for the Xbox One.

Microsoft is hoping to further push its presence as an entertainment company. The recently announced Xbox One will feature a Skype component, but it’ll also include specialized TV functionality.

The Guide will create what Microsoft is calling “intelligent TV.” Users will be able to switch between their favorite shows and channels using the Guide’s voice recognition. Additionally, the console will allow Xbox One owners to seamlessly go from games to TV and so on.

In addition to the TV functionality, the Xbox One will immediately power on when users say, “Xbox On,” and they’ll be able to see all of the contents of the Dashboard such as music, movies, and more.

Microsoft has announced the next chapter in its line of video game consoles. It didn’t take long for the platform’s name to be revealed, and as it turns out, the upcoming console is called Xbox One.

It’s a nice name that really keeps things simple and emphasizes that this thing is meant to be the sole hub for entertainment. We even got a look at the actual box, controller, and Kinect. What do you think?

Stay tuned for more on the Xbox One right here on eXophase as Microsoft’s press conference rolls on.

The Xbox Reveal is set to go any minute now. You can watch the reveal on your PC here. If you own a Xbox 360 you can also watch the reveal on your Xbox 360 – just follow the instructions on the dashboard. If you choose to watch it on your 360 you will need to download a separate event application to watch it.

We’ll keep you updated with the latest news as it happens so stay tuned!

Earlier in the month a teaser site was put up with a countdown and a single name – Panopticon. It has been revealed today that Panopticon is actually a PS Vita exclusive “multiplayer action” game entitled Freedom Wars. The exclusive title will focus around a totalitarian society where video surveillance has overtaken the society and imprisonment is nearly a sure thing.

Little is known about the game at this point and no gameplay footage has been revealed in the new trailer which you can see above.

Developer Jeremy Pope was a part of Rockstar Games for several years before he left the company and eventually started his own studio. After working on games such as Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and Max Payne, it was time for a change. The reason for him leaving was that the games Rockstar was producing, though of a high quality standard, were simply too violent, and Pope was having a hard time really continuing work on these types of experiences.

“I was still in my early to mid-20s, I had grown up playing all types of games, violent games included, and worked on Max Payne and Grand Theft Auto, etc.,” Pope told GamesIndustry International. “I would always kind of defend the games we were making and I was pretty proud of being involved, but then when I would visit my grandmother in highly religious Alabama and have to explain what I do for a living, I didn’t feel so great about explaining to them that I was a part of ‘that game’ they’ve been hearing about.”

Despite not feeling the desire to work on violent games as part of the Rockstar crew, Pope still has a high level of respect for the company. The dev even pointed out that it’s a total shame that so many individuals in the media have decided to look at Rockstar and its games with such disgust.

“I definitely want to make a point of saying that I actually love Rockstar’s games and I think that it’s unfortunate that their games were specifically called out and targeted by the media, because their games — and we all know this — are really masterworks,” stated Pope. “Grand Theft Auto just pushed the boundaries in almost every possible way … So it’s a shame that those games have become a talking point.”

So what’s Pope doing now? As the head of Rally Games, the industry veteran is now working on mobile titles. The studio’s first project, Top Bot, launched last month on iOS platforms and looks absolutely nothing like Grand Theft Auto. The auto-moving racer is free to play and features multiplayer gameplay, a component Rally is actively pursuing.

“What we’re focused on at Rally is really trying to push things on the social end,” explained Pope. “I think about what it is I enjoy most about games and it’s always interacting with other people, it’s multiplayer.”

If you’re a Wii U owner, you’re going to want to keep an eye on Nintendo. According to the company’s official Twitter account, some major reveals are planned for the console including new Smash Bros., 3D Mario, and Mario Kart games, among others. As someone who believes that the Wii U has a ton of potential — potential which is likely to be realized to its fullest by Nintendo — I’m really excited to see what’s in store.

“#IwataSays We will discuss new Smash Bros., 3D Mario game, Mario Kart and other Wii U titles in our #NintendoDirectNA before the start of E3,” tweeted Nintendo.

Last month the Wii U and 3DS manufacturer announced that it would not hold a major press conference at E3. Instead, the company is opting to put together a number of smaller Nintendo Direct-esque presentations at the massive trade show in Los Angeles. Judging from this latest announcement, however, it would appear that Nintendo wants to get that hype even before E3.

So what are you most looking forward to from this upcoming Nintendo Direct? I can’t decide if I’m more excited about the new Smash Bros. or the new 3D Mario. Of course, Mario Kart‘s certainly a fun franchise, and these “other Wii U titles” Nintendo has lined up are definitely cool to think about. What could they be?

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released a trailer for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins. The video lasts just under five minutes, and it’s quite badass.

The trailer showcases a brawl between Batman and Deathstroke, with both dudes knocking each other around and putting up a good fight. Batman holds his own remarkably well, which is actually something I’m happy about because I was worried that they were going to take this much younger Bruce Wayne and make him a lot weaker. Judging from this trailer, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Arkham Origins is due out on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC on October 25. Players who pre-order the upcoming title will get to play as Deathstroke in a number of challenge maps. In addition to the console versions of Arkham Origins, the Vita and 3DS will get their own iteration of the game, titled Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, which takes place after the events of the main console game.

Check out the trailer for Arkham Origins below.

In speaking with Kotaku, Jeff Brown of EA confirmed that EA currently has no active titles in development for Nintendo’s Wii U.  EA has previously declared that putting Battlefied 4 on the Wii U was too risky, and has finally noted that there are no Wii U titles in current development at this time.

EA came out strong at Nintendo’s press conference in 2011 where the Wii U was first shown off to the public, but has since slowly backed their support. Most of EA’s titles for the system have come as ports from existing titles or months after a game’s release on the other platforms. If the Wii U does manage to get a larger install base it is not out of the question for EA to restart development for the system.

These trading cards aren’t simply for show or bragging rights, as having some on hand allow you to craft Steam badges, which net you “marketable items like emoticons, profile backgrounds, and coupons.” You can also level-up badges to earn “profile showcases, extra friends list slots, and more.”

To complement the beta launch, Steam profile pages have also been given a fresh new look, giving a broader view at a user’s activity. Level data is now displayed, along with any earned badges as well as a more concise overview of any recently played games. You can learn more by hitting up the FAQ page on Steam’s site. Sounds like an interesting and more meaningful spin on the whole achievements system.

Today at the Gran Turismo Anniversary Event, GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi revealed that Gran Turismo 6 will be arriving this holiday season. Gran Turismo 6 will expand on the number of cars and tracks that were available in GT5 back in 2010.

The game will feature over 1200 cars, 33 locations (71 layouts of those locations) and a new course maker. Gran Turismo 6 is currently set to launch on the PlayStation 3 this Holiday season with additional support for PC, Tablet and Smartphones. There’s no word on PlayStation Vita or PlayStation 4 support just yet.

There’s no shortage of beat ‘em ups currently available across digital download platforms. Still, despite the genre’s profound availability, some games are definitely worth playing while others can be disregarded like an unwanted acquaintance. Sacred Citadel is an interesting brawler because it manages to straddle the line between exhilarating and routine. It’s not without its flaws, and it to call it innovative would be foolish, but the more you spend playing it, the more you realize that this is a nice little action game sprinkled with some neat mechanics geared toward the brawler fan.

Before you begin your quest you have to choose between four different characters. The warrior is an expert at combat and works well in close quarters situations. The ranger can pick off enemies from a distance. The mage can dole out some heavy magic attacks whilst still being proficient in close-up combat. Lastly, the shaman is good at beefing up his partners or himself.

There are four chapters each with their own sets of levels. These stages are quite lengthy and feature a number of hazards. Obstacles include environmental dangers as well as enemies. As you progress, bad guys range from basic grunts to skilled creatures that can harness either great strength or fierce magic. Like most arcade titles, it’s a lot of fun to traverse levels and beat the crap out of enemies. Unfortunately, there are moments where it’s impossible to deny the fact that the combat in Sacred Citadel could’ve been much more, and after playing for a couple of hours, you’re bound to have played through your share of less than exciting sequences where all you really had to do was mash on buttons to succeed.

Thankfully, there are also some trickier areas that require more finesse. As you progress through the adventure, you obtain XP and level up. Points can be used to enhance specific categories such as power, health, and magic, but you also obtain new abilities. These abilities come in the form of combos that can be performed by dishing out certain attacks in a specific order. The mage, for example, can suspend enemies in the air if you hit Square, Triangle-up, and Triangle. This attack allows you to deal sweet aerial offense to those fools.

Sacred Citadel is a much more enjoyable affair if you take the time to memorize a few combos. The game goes from being a mash-fest to a actually requiring you to pull off some calculated moves. When you come across bosses, you’ll find that knowing some combos is essential as purely delivering basic moves will leave you more vulnerable to attacks and won’t deal the same amount of damage to your foes. Even if you know a handful of combos, however, you can expect bosses to be especially devious and even a tad cumbersome at times.

Some of the more entertaining moments in Sacred Citadel occur whenever you encounter mounts. Whether it’s a vehicle or a beast, there are a handful of sequences where you can jump on top of said mounts and run roughshod on your enemies. You need to be careful, though, because other foes can knock you off and take over these massive “weapons” of sorts. Mounts are so much fun that it’s a shame that you only get a few chances to take advantage of them. A bit more of this type of gameplay would’ve undoubtedly provided some welcome changes of pace from the standard brawling mechanics.

Colorful graphics make up the visual style of Sacred Citadel. The game is a treat to look at, and while it’s certainly not a technical powerhouse, its art is effective, easy on the eyes, and enjoyable to witness. The way the colors combine to create the backgrounds and foregrounds works incredibly well, and there’s a great sense of artistry that I truly hope we see again in a beat ‘em up somewhere along the road.

The musical presentation is another story. Unlike the art, which is great, the soundtrack in Sacred Citadel is generic and kind of boring. Nothing sounds even remotely interesting, and even when the music gets a little wilder, all you really get are some unimpressive arcade brawler tunes. On the flip side, the voice acting is at least tolerable. It’s not amazing by any standards, but it’s okay, and the script in Sacred Citadel is lighthearted enough to make the characters’ delivery pretty decent.

You can get through the 20 levels in Sacred Citadel in roughly four hours. The game encourages you to replay stages without dying or within a set time limit, but the gameplay isn’t nearly exciting enough to make you want to play more than a single time. There’s also local and online co-op for up to three players. Beat ‘em ups tend to be a lot of fun with multiple players and Sacred Citadel is no exception. Again, though, while the game is fun to play maybe one time, it’s hard to see anyone eager to invest more than a single play-through into this adventure.

What you get with Sacred Citadel is a functional and enjoyable beat ‘em up that’s undeniably unremarkable. There are a number of games in the genre that are more worthy of your time and money, but if you’re a diehard fan and have run out of brawlers to play, Sacred Citadel is pretty fun. Additionally, if you’re a Sacred fan and are anticipating the release of Sacred 3, this prequel offers a few hours of derivative spin-off entertainment.

ZombiU is one of the best experiences currently available for the Wii U right now. Its terrifying survival horror gameplay makes it a title worth checking out and a standout among the rest of the games available across Nintendo’s current platform. According to Ubisoft Creative Director Jean-Philippe Caro, the development team is currently playing around with a prototype for a possible sequel.

When asked by a fan if the ZombiU IP would see a second game, Caro tweeted, “The team is working hard on a prototype. It´s too soon to tell you more.”

It should be noted, however, that a prototype does not mean that a ZombiU 2 is indeed in the works. It simply means that Ubisoft is entertaining the idea and doing a little experimentation. That said, it would certainly be cool if the company eventually released a follow-up.

Critically, ZombiU was at the receiving end of some polarizing reviews, with many folks highly enjoying the game and others not digging it as much. I personally thought it was great as both a launch title for a new platform and a revival of the classic survival horror style.

The latest vault hunter arrives on Pandora today as Krieg the Psycho has officially launched for Borderlands 2. You can purchase the new character class for $9.99 or 800 Microsoft Points. The DLC is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC versions of Borderlands 2.

Be aware, however, that owning the Season Pass does not grant you this particular DLC. So if you already own that, you’ll still have to shell out 10 bucks to snag this bandit.

Krieg is quite the lunatic, feeding off damage he takes to inflict even more pain on his enemies. In addition to this dude, another eccentric character from the Borderlands 2 universe will get a DLC pack, with Tiny Tina starring in her own add-on next month.

The next entry in the Pac-Man franchise has been revealed. Titled Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, the game is based on the upcoming TV show of the same name.

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting this. After the incredible Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, I figured the next game in the series would be more in line with that. Guess that’s not the case after all.

Judging from the trailer, the game appears to be a 3D platformer where Pac-Man can eat ghosts (and a bunch of other stuff) and utilize different abilities. You can check out the clip below.

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures will be available sometime in the fall 2013 season for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U. Additionally, a 3DS version is also in the works, though it’ll be a side-scrolling game.

Formerly code-named Project Shield, Nvidia’s concept gaming device has officially became a consumer product as Nvidia Shield. The Nvidia Shield will run on Android and feature Tegra 4 (Nvidia’s latest mobile chipset), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD), a 5″ 720p multi-touch IPS display and a fully-integrated gamepad.

I managed to get some hands-on time with the Shield at PAX East in March and was left relatively impressed by the controller layout and feel. Aside from being able to play Android-based games, the Shield will most notably allow gamers to stream their PC game to their Nvidia Shield, provided they are on the same local network and have a compatible GTX GPU. This, not the ability to play Android games, will be the Shield’s calling card.

In my time with the Shield I was impressed with its ability to play Android games flawlessly but a mobile game will always remain a mobile game. They won’t be able to offer the kind of immersion that console or PC games have been providing for decades. The ability to stream your PC game to your Shield anywhere in the house is an attractive functionality – but is it really worth the $350 asking price? We’ll have to wait and see.

Earlier today gaming news sites across the good ol’ internet began reporting about a supposed PlayStation 4 trailer from Sony. The teaser turned out to be fake, but man, is it ever awesome!

In the video we get a lot of close-ups of people’s faces, and the famed square, triangle, circle, and X button icons are seen in their eyes. It’s pretty cool stuff, and we even get a glimpse of a console. Oh, if only this would’ve been a real trailer.

The whole thing is kind of reminiscent of Sony’s PlayStation 2 marketing, so suffice it to say that it’s great. It’s cryptically obvious, which makes it a lot of fun. But yeah, it’s fake. In any case, check out the trailer below.

Q-Games President Dylan Cuthbert weighed in on Nintendo’s current situation with the Wii U. It’s no secret that the platform has struggled to really find its place in the hardware market, and with a current lack of titles, it’s hard to argue in its favor. Cuthbert believes that the Wii U needs a powerful new IP, but he also thinks that if anyone can pull off a comeback, it’s Nintendo.

“I think software,” stated the head of the PixelJunk developer in an interview with Siliconera. “If they are going to win they are going to have to figure out the games. They probably need like new super IP, a special IP that makes people really interested. But they always come up with something. They are always very innovative.”

“Even with the DS when it first came out people said that’s not very good and it’s not going to do very well, but it sold hundreds of millions and had lots of innovative titles,” continued Cuthbert. “I think they will find something that will sell a lot. Who would have known Wii Fit would have sold like 15 million units?”

Is Cuthbert on to something here? Could a new IP be exactly what Nintendo needs to succeed with the Wii U? The 3DS sure as hell wasn’t off to hot start, but it eventually began selling more units and it’s now a handheld worth owning. Could a “system seller” be what saves Nintendo’s current platform as Microsoft and Sony announce their new hardware plans for the foreseeable future?

The next entry in Capcom’s long-running Ace Attorney series has been confirmed for North America. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies will be available for the 3DS sometime in the fall.

News of a fifth Ace Attorney game first surfaced back in September 2012, though only a Japanese release was teased at the time. Later, a female protagonist named Kizuki Kokone was announced for the game, but judging by the official art and title of the game, it would appear we’ve got ourselves a good ol’ buddy adventure.

Oddly enough, Capcom has only confirmed a 3DS eShop version of Dual Destinies. Whether the game will be released at retailers in North America remains to be seen at this point.

Stealth-horror game Manhunt will soon be available to download on the PlayStation Network. The game, which first launched in 2003, will make its way to the PlayStation 3 as a PlayStation 2 Classic for $9.99 on May 14.

Manhunt generated a ton of controversy during its initial run due to its intense violence. When you stripped away all of the gore, however, you got a pretty damn good stealth game. It was also pretty scary, and it’s actually the first game to ever give me a good old-fashioned jump scare.

In addition to Manhunt, Rockstar Games announced that The Warriors will be downloadable on the PlayStation Network down the road, as well. In case you’re wondering, like Manhunt, that’s another great game, and it developed the story of the cult film quite impressively.

If you’re one of the few poor souls who have yet to play any of the Bit.Trip games, a chance for redemption has come in the form of a Steam sale. From now until May 20, you can celebrate Bit.Trip Savings May-hem, which offers sales on Gaijin Games’ wonderful franchise.

You can snag almost every Bit.Trip game available on Steam for a whopping 75 percent off. Bit.Trip Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien features a 25 percent discount, but that’s still a pretty good deal considering that game is so damn great.

So yeah, if you don’t have anything to play this weekend (and even if you do), if you’ve yet to check these games out, you totally should. Darn, now I just want to go back and re-play Runner2 all weekend.

A new trailer has been released for Muramasa Rebirth, which is due out on the Vita next month. The clip is fairly short, but if you needed to be convinced about purchasing this title, hopefully the trailer helps you make up your mind.

As you probably already know, Muramasa is a gorgeous game to look at. It boasts a vibrant art style influenced by Japanese work. It’s really quite impressive, and some delightful action-RPG gameplay goes along nicely with the visuals.

Check out the Muramasa trailer below. The game is scheduled to launch for Sony’s handheld in North America on June 25.

Today Volition has revealed footage that was previously shown off behind closed doors at PAX East of Saints Row IV. It’s close to 7 full minutes of unbridled gameplay. At PAX East we were shown the exact same footage with live developer commentary. The PAX East demo was not a live demo but rather pre-recorded footage which you are now able to watch above.

Now you can finally see what all the hype was about over the “dubstep gun” which was the talk of the town when PAX rolled through Boston this year.

Batgirl DLC for Injustice: Gods Among Us was previously leaked and then confirmed by an outside source, so it really only makes sense that now we’re getting an official trailer. Batman’s famed female partner will be the next DLC character following Lobo (who was delayed for the Wii U version of the game until this summer).

You can purchase the Batgirl character for $4.99 when the DLC becomes available, though season pass owners will receive the add-on automatically. In addition to the DC heroine, Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios also announced the Killing Joke skin pack. If you read the famed graphic novel, you’re well aware that this is the tale of how the Joker paralyzed Batgirl after shooting her. He also wore a sweet vacation outfit while doing so, and the Killing Joke DLC will include that getup.

So that makes Lobo and Batgirl official. Now we wait for the inevitable reveals of both Zodd and Scorpion.

Yesterday we took a look at some uncut footage from a demo version of the Nintendo 64 cult classic Conker’s Bad Fur Day. This time around Past to Present Online has shared even more content, with a cutscene taking place during the game’s Heist level.

Pokemon star Pikachu makes a little cameo appearance, the sole purpose of which is to get beat up. It’s pretty entertaining, and much less dark than the scene we witnessed yesterday.

Considering Pokemon is one of Nintendo’s most beloved franchises, it’s no surprise that this footage was removed from the final version of Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Check it out in the video below following the two-minute mark.

A new trailer for Dead Island developer Techland’s upcoming game Hellraider has been released (courtesy of Eurogamer). It starts off showing a few different dungeons and then the music gets all dramatic and we see a bunch of skeletons attacking the player character. It’s a nice throwback to old school first-person dungeon crawlers, and it’s actually quite effective.

You may get somewhat of a Dead Island vibe from Hellraid, but the game certainly has a few qualities that set it apart. The world, for example, won’t be one huge open environment anymore. Instead, there will be multiple maps, and they’ll all consist of their own open-ended structure. Additionally, leveling up now unlocks branches across the character’s skill tree.

Hellraid currently has no publisher, but Techland has stated that it’s looking into that situation. The game is due out for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, though a specific release date has yet to be announced. We’ll surely get info on that somewhere along the road, possibly once the developer secures a publisher.

Just one day after being announced, new details were shed regarding Wolfenstein: The New Order. According to publisher Bethesda Softworks and developer MachineGames, the upcoming first-person shooter will not include a multiplayer component and will instead be a strictly single player affair. The two companies confirmed this latest tidbit of information in a statement to GameSpot.

In all honesty, does this news really upset anyone? I mean, sure, there are bound to be a handful of people who would’ve liked another multiplayer FPS, but ultimately, don’t people play Wolfenstein because they like shooting stuff?

The New Order will be available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and next-gen consoles. We can probably expect a lot more info on the shooter in the weeks to come. With E3 just about a month away, Bethesda will likely reveal some much bigger details right around the time the video game trade show rolls by Los Angeles.

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is arguably the last great game to appear on the Nintendo 64. It was known for its raunchy humor and cartoon gore, and it was a complete departure from Rare’s other works such as Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64. The game became something of a cult classic and is considered a dark departure from the mascot-themed games we saw on Nintendo’s platform at the time.

Assembler Games forum user Borman has revealed that he has in his possession a demo build of Conker’s Bad Fur Day. He’ll be auctioning it off along with some other goods, namely two Perfect Dark betas and a Conker’s Bad Fur Day debug copy.

The real story here, however, is the actual content of the demo build. The video below shows one of the scenes encountered later in the game. We see the evil Tediz cutting open a squirrel soldier who’s alive and witnessing the whole thing. Thematically and tonally, it’s pretty disturbing stuff, and I’m kind of glad that scene was ultimately removed from the final build as it wouldn’t have meshed well with the otherwise hilarious nature of Conker’s Bad Fur Day.

Sony took to the PlayStation Blog today to announce that the PlayStation Store is being updated with a brand new Indie Games section. “This category builds on the support that PlayStation has offered independent developers in the effort to highlight some of the most unique gaming experiences on PlayStation platforms,” explained Digital Distribution Senior Manager Pierre Gravereau.

It should be noted that indie titles will not be relegated to appearing solely on the new Indie Games section of the PlayStation Store. New releases will still be showcased on the main page; this new channel of sorts will simply allow users to quickly access all independently developed content from a single source.

To celebrate the new feature’s arrival, Sony’s offering a few discounts on select titles. Retro City Rampage will be 50 percent off until May 21. Papo & Yo and its soundtrack are being bundled and will sport a 40 percent discount and a 55 percent discount for regular and PlayStation Plus subscribers, respectively (also until May 21). Meanwhile Zombie Tycoon 2 will continue to be free for Plus members.

Deep Silver and Volition have unveiled the latest trailer for Saints Row 4. As you could probably guess by now, it’s pretty insane. The whole thing starts with a dude getting kicked in the crotch, and then it develops from there.

Floaty ladies being slammed into cars. Dudes jumping off of buildings and slamming down on the concrete below with no mercy. Also, big heads and even bigger guns. These are just a few of the staples of the “Meet the President” trailer.

Saints Row 4 is due out for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Watch out for it on August 20.

Earlier today Bethesda Softworks announced Wolfenstein: The New Order. The game is being developed by MachineGames and is due out on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and “next generation consoles.”

You can check out the teaser trailer for The New Order on GameSpot. It doesn’t show off any gameplay footage whatsoever, but it’s still a pretty cool clip nonetheless.

Are you looking forward to the next entry in the Wolfenstein franchise?

In an internal memo sent to Microsoft employees working on the next Xbox, Microsoft has said “There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should ‘just work’ regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game.”

This ultimately ends speculation towards the new Xbox’s “always on” requirement that has been the center of rumors for the past several months. It’s refreshing to know that this one rumor has been squashed or at least their internal direction has shifted since the enormous backlash from the rumor.

The above statement also mentions something that hasn’t been the center of attention – the ability for the new Xbox to receive live TV input. This inclusion will move the Xbox slightly ahead of the PS4 in terms of providing a complete media package.

In a recent developer diary with Sony, Watch Dogs developer Ubisoft Montreal stated that the upcoming espionage-themed game will feature a highly populated and dense city environment. According to the studio, this sense of world immersion and natural frenzy will be amplified on the PlayStation 4 thanks to the platform’s higher capabilities.

Connectivity is also a major factor in Watch Dogs, and as such Ubisoft wants players to get a great sense of connection with not only the game’s world, but also to other individuals. Additionally, the dev hopes to create new types of reactions and experiences with the game. “We want the player to be surprised when he meets other players,” stated Senior Producer Dominic Guay. “We want him to be able to go from single player to multiplayer without having to go through a lobby, through menus, through, you know, various game settings. We want things to be natural. We want it to breach the wall between single player and multiplayer.”

Guay discussed the importance of the PlayStation 4′s share features. According to the producer, this function will create the evolution from telling friends about awesome video game moments to actually showing them with a video.

Watch Dogs is clearly an ambitious project, and it’s obvious that Ubisoft wants to tinker with the PlayStation 4′s new features. It’ll prove interesting to see what other types of mechanics the company can incorporate to the game using the new tech of Sony’s next console.

A few days ago Rockstar Games released trailers for each of the main characters in Grand Theft Auto V. These clips gave us a bit of back story on the protagonists and their motives, while not revealing too much about them.

One YouTube user decided to post a makeshift remake of the Michael character’s trailer. The coolest part about it is that the entire thing is built using the engine and graphics from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Check out the trailer below. It’s actually pretty cool!

Developer Combit Studios is currently toiling away on an official successor to River City Ransom with the help of license owner Million Co. In Japan, however, Arc System Works is currently developing another entry in the famed franchise titled Nekketsu Kousha Kunio-kun SP, or Hot-Blooded Tough Guy Kunio-kun SP: Fighting Concerto.

According to Famitsu (via Polygon), the upcoming game will feature brawling gameplay with RPG elements and an open world filled with side quests. These extra objectives will allow players to earn some more spending cash, but certain actions, such as attacking innocent civilians, will result in different story situations.

Fighting Concerto is due out in Japan on August 8. It’ll be available for the 3DS, and pre-orders will come with a bonus soundtrack CD. So, anyone else bummed that this game isn’t likely to come to North America, like, ever?

South Park: The Stick of Truth was due out this month while THQ was acting as the title’s publisher. Obviously that’s changed now that the company no longer owns the project, but new publisher Ubisoft has stated that the upcoming game will still launch sometime in 2013.

Speaking to VideoGamer, a company representative explained that there was nothing new to comment on surrounding The Stick of Truth, though the game will arrive this year. With projects such as Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, and Splinter Cell Blacklist clearly on Ubisoft’s priorities list, it isn’t surprising that the South Park game it purchased from THQ isn’t the primary focus of its efforts.