While the job listing on LinkedIn via Twitter doesn’t exactly spell out Deus Ex 4, the franchise has been particularly revered for its open-ended gameplay set within a structured world. Additionally, the project is based on an “existing IP” that combines “elements of choice and stealth within the gameplay.” Yeah, this sounds like Deus Ex. While Thief 4 could be a possible candidate as well, that’s already been announced for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

What’s more, is that project is being built from the ground-up to take advantage of next-generation platforms due out within the next few years. A wide range of vacancies are open, from senior gameplay programmer to cinematic director. Next-gen can’t come soon enough, eh?

Ubisoft is celebrating the warm month of May with some impressive deals on a bunch of games. If you managed to blaze through Max Payne 3 and/or are currently disliking Diablo III and you need something to play, you may want to check out Ubisoft’s discounts, which were announced on the PlayStation Blog.

PlayStation Plus members get 50 percent off, while all other PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to snag some titles for 30 percent off. The sale covers a wide variety of games, from smaller downloadable titles such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game to digital versions of retail games like Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. DLC is also discounted, and HD remakes like Beyond Good & Evil HD are included in Ubisoft’s May sale, as well.

You’ll find the full list of discounted games below, with prices for PlayStation Plus users and standard PlayStation Network folks. Personally, I would recommend Outland to anyone who hasn’t already played it. The game is a beauty to behold, and its strong soundtrack and great platforming/bullet hell gameplay make it a truly special little download.

• From Dust – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49
• Outland – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49
• Beyond Good & Evil HD – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Prince of Persia Classic – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – PlayStation Plus price $14.69; Sale price $20.99
• Assassin’s Creed 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Assassin’s Creed – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Far Cry 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Call of Juarez 2 – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Prince of Persia (2008) – PlayStation Plus price *$9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy HD – PlayStation Plus price $19.59; Sale price $27.99
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49
• Prince of Persia: Warrior Within – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49
• Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones – PlayStation Plus price $7.34; Sale price $10.49
• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood – Da Vinci Disappearance DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Assassin’s Creed 2 – Battle of Forli DLC – PlayStation Plus price $1.95; Sale price $2.79
• Assassin’s Creed 2 – Bonfire of Vanities DLC – PlayStation Plus price $3.42; Sale price $4.89
• Far Cry 2 – Fortunes Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $2.44; Sale price $3.49
• Call of Juarez 2 – Old West Map Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Prince of Persia (2008) – Epilogue DLC – PlayStation Plus price $4.89; Sale price $6.99
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Knives Chau Add-On Pack DLC – PlayStation Plus price $0.97; Sale price $1.39
• Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (PSP) – PlayStation Plus price $9.79; Sale price $13.99
• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Complete Edition (includes Da Vinci Disappearance, Animus Project Update 1, Animus Project Update 2 and Copernicus Conspiracy Missions) – PlayStation Plus price $14.99; Sale price $24.99
• Far Cry 2 Complete Edition (includes Fortune Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99
• Prince of Persia (2008) Complete Edition (includes Epilogue) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99
• Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition (includes Knives Chau Add-On Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $4.79; Sale price $7.99
• Call of Juarez 2 Complete Edition (includes Old West Map Pack) – PlayStation Plus price $11.99; Sale price $19.99

Gamers are irate over the fact that they were unable to play Diablo III last night. Servers were down, and players weren’t allowed to enter the game, even if they wanted to play on their own. This is due to Diablo III‘s required internet connection, which bars any players from entering the game’s world unless they’re online.

Additionally, Blizzard’s DRM tomfoolery isn’t helping, and this has become one of the main reasons for some huge criticism among players. As a result, Diablo III has received a massive amount of negative fan reviews on Metacritic. Gamers are calling the title a disaster, and they even go so far as to unleash their verbal hatred for its gameplay and graphics, with people saying that the game is boring and repetitive, all the while failing to deliver decent visual design.

I haven’t had the chance to play Diablo III, and because I mainly use my rig to play indie games, the chances of that happening are pretty slim. But wow, guys, is the game really that bad? Does it deserve the 3.6/10 rating that it’s gotten from gamers on Metacritic? If so, I’m glad I never invested any time into the series, because this just seems like one steaming pile of disappointment.

What’s under the hood? A Grid GPU boasts 3,072 CUDA cores — the same as NVIDIA’s flagship GTX690 card. It also includes 8GB of VRAM, with memory and shader performance clocking in at 320 GB/sec and 4.7 TFLOPS, respectively. The wattage rating comes in at a respectable 250W — reasonable when you consider how much power the card is packing.

Impressively, with the Grid tech, NVIDIA says server power-consumption per game stream has been reduced to about one-half that of previous implementations. Under ideal conditions, the Grid platform reduces server latency to as little as 10 milliseconds. According to NVIDIA, “gamers will feel like they are playing on a gaming supercomputer located in the same room. Lightning-fast play is now possible, even when the gaming supercomputer is miles away.”

OnLive competitor Gaikai will be one of the first providers to deploy the new tech. Additionally, several industry figures and developers have praised NVIDIA’s latest effort.

“Cloud has the potential to deliver an even more powerful experience in the future by enabling ultra-high-end GPUs like the GeForce GTX 680 to stream ultra-high-quality graphics such as those made possible by UE4 to a huge range of devices, well beyond console capabilities. The result will be that more people can enjoy EPIC’s games on more devices at higher quality,” said Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney.

“It is exciting to watch how cloud gaming is becoming mature and gives better and better user experience — and NVIDIA’s GeForce GRID technology is example of it. We are looking forward to see how cloud computing using this technology will change the future of gaming and the overall gaming experience and how it will affect consoles and PCs,” said CD Projekt RED lead programmer Bartlomiej Wronski.

Many have questioned the viability of cloud-driven gaming platforms in the past, but it goes without saying that NVIDIA’s Grid tech looks to be a game-changer. Going forward, it’ll be exciting to see how the platform evolves.

Viewers of the last Heaven event enjoyed several game trailers, including that of Persona 4 The Golden. It’ll be interesting to see what Sony has in store for us the second time around. For Japan, it’ll be hard to top the Phantasy Star announcement, but we’ll see.

South Park: The Game, also known as South Park: The Stick of Truth, and referred to by me as “that one South Park game that’s going to come out” has been pushed back until 2013. Originally, the game was potentially slated for launch sometime during the second half of 2012.

As revealed in a recent financial report from THQ, it looks like that won’t be happening anymore, though, and South Park is now set to release during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013. In other words, the game will be available sometime in early 2013.

Obsidian, the developer behind South Park, had a number of layoffs in March. Numerous employees who were let go were actually from the South Park team, so it’s possible that the delay could be related to the layoffs.

South Park seems like it could potentially be pretty awesome, so if it takes a delay to ensure that gamers get a great product, there won’t be any complaints from me. Watch out for the game sometime next year.

The Q-Games-developed PixelJunk 4am has landed on the PlayStation Network. The sad news is that this means the awesome PixelJunk sale that kicked off last week is officially over. Did you snag all of the PixelJunk games for cheap? I sure as hell did!

Sad news aside, there’s also some happy news! That happy news is that there’s a new PixelJunk game, which is great. PixelJunk 4am provides an experience unlike previous games in the series, focusing highly on visual and audio elements that utilize the PlayStation Move controller.

If you take a look at the comments section on a PlayStation Blog post by PixelJunk 4am lead designer Rowan Parker, you’ll find a lot of individuals who don’t seem too keen on the game based on their experiences with the beta. As has been explained in that same comments section, the PixelJunk 4am beta didn’t allow gamers to play the game and instead only allowed them to listen to other players’ (press and friends of the devs) performances.

It may take a while for some good content to come from other players now that the game is available on the PlayStation Network, but in the meantime, why not create your own mixes? PixelJunk 4am is available now for $9.99.

The PlayStation 2 is one of the most successful video game consoles of all time. Not only did it sell like crazy, but it had a library that was practically unmatched. That’s not to say that the GameCube and Xbox didn’t have some stellar games, but as far as the sixth generation in video games is concerned, the PlayStation 2 was king.

That’s why it’s strange to see how Sony has fallen from its throne with the PlayStation 3, a platform that former Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach states helped the Xbox 360 manufacturer reach great heights. “Some of the success of Xbox was due to the fact that Sony did some really not so smart things,” Bach told GeekWire. “They mismanaged their 70 percent market share. It’s a long conversation. The transition to PlayStation 3 was really, really bad. And really hard. They mismanaged their partners, they mismanaged their cost structure. They made their next platform so complicated that developers couldn’t develop for it.”

I’m a fan of Sony’s gaming platforms, so it goes without saying that it was a bit distressing to see the PlayStation 3 fail to perform at the same level as its predecessor, which easily qualifies as many gamers’ favorite console. The PlayStation 2 is certainly one of my favorites, and though I game a hell of a lot on my PlayStation 3, I would still say I’ve had far more fond memories with Sony’s previous machine.

Despite some bad failures, though, Sony continues to stay in the console race, capitalizing on its brand name and incredible exclusive IPs. Here’s hoping the company stays in the game, learns from its mistakes, and continues to give gamers content to look forward to, all the while avoiding making the same errors.

Although it was supposed to release next week, the abrupt delay isn’t too surprising, considering the company has been dead silent regarding the title for months.

In particular, Amazon is specifically listing an October 31 release date now, though in all likelihood that’s a placeholder. We first caught wind of the title at Sony’s pre-E3 presentation last year, before the NGP was officially known as the Vita. Since then, the title was revealed as a co-op focused horror title with plenty of action elements and Diablo-style corridors. Needless to say, it hasn’t exactly won over the fanbase.

Additionally, Microsoft PR guru Major Nelson reveals that a whopping 5.2 million hours have been spent in the game, with a total of 2.4 million hours going towards the multiplayer component. To date, 4 million multiplayer sessions have been created. Impressive statistics all around.

Clearly, console gamers were frothing at the mouth for Minecraft. Here’s hoping 4J Studios deliver on their promise to bring the Xbox edition up to parity with its PC brethren, which can look really nice with a few graphical enhancements as shown in the screenshot above.

When Luigi’s Mansion 2 was announced for the 3DS, fans of the first game immediately got stoked at the prospect of a handheld sequel. After all, the first game had a nice following, and while it wasn’t perfect, it delivered an experience that derived from the typical Mario formula and dared to be different. Couple that with the fact that the game was actually good, and it’s no surprise that Luigi’s Mansion 2 quickly became one of the most anticipated 3DS games.

Now the game may be launching on the Wii U, as well. As reported on CVG, a listing on Play.com indicates that Luigi’s Mansion 2 will be available on Nintendo’s upcoming platform. Of course, this could all be an error on the part of Play.com, but it’s certainly interesting to think about, and it wouldn’t be the most farfetched possibility.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 on the 3DS may be a necessary title for Nintendo’s handheld, and it may give gamers sufficient reason to continue supporting the device. If some version of the game lands on the Wii U, though, can we expect the two be similar from a gameplay standpoint? Or will we get two different experiences? Also, could games like Luigi’s Mansion 2 be exactly what the Wii U needs to draw in that Nintendo-loving fan base?

The used game market is easily one of the strongest aspects of video games, and it’s also pretty damn important. Not only do gamers get the chance to save a few bucks on big titles, but used games also allow folks to become familiar with a new series, play a game that may be hard to find new, or just increase their ever-growing backlog (because we’re all guilty of taking advantage of sales despite the fact that we have too much to play as it is).

With talk about the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles revealing that these platforms will supposedly block used games, it should come as no surprise that plenty of gamers and developers are kind of annoyed. After all, much like Twisted Metal co-creator David Jaffe has stated in the past, buying a used game allows gamers to become familiar with a franchise, which means that those gamers are likely to directly support the next entry by purchasing a brand new copy. As for those of us who play games, well, gaming is expensive, so if we can save a few bucks, we will.

Apparently, Sony President and CEO Jack Tretton is against the blocking of used games, reports That VideoGame Blog. In an episode of GameTrailers’ Bonus Round, analyst Michael Pachter said that he had talked to Tretton, who revealed that he felt blocking used games was “anti-consumer.” According to the Sony boss, the used game market is “great for consumers,” and he even went as far as to say that he was “opposed to blocking used games.”

Tretton explained that he was speaking only on his behalf, and that he didn’t represent any other Sony employee’s stance on used games. That said, it’s great to see someone so high up in the company making a bold statement against blocking used games for next-gen consoles. Because seriously, that would be pretty disgusting.

While we’re perplexed as to why it’s taken so long, the timing is somewhat fitting for Pikmin 2, considering we’ll likely see a reveal of Pikmin 3 as part of Nintendo’s E3 2012 lineup in June. The Pikmin series received quite a bit of attention during the GameCube era, partly since it was a new IP from Nintendo, which only arrive every eon or so. Beyond that, it was chock full of charming gameplay and visuals from the brain of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.

Both titles ring in at $19.99. Additionally, Nintendo has saw fit to drop the price of two of its top-selling Wii titles, namely Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns. You can now pick them up for $29.99 each.

Originally slated for launch in fall 2012, the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot has been pushed back until the first quarter of 2013. News of the delay comes courtesy of the official Tomb Raider forums, where Crystal Dynamics head Darrell Gallagher was quoted to say that the studio is attempting to make not only a great Tomb Raider game, but the best game possible from the team.

“When Crystal Dynamics first set out to reboot the Tomb Raider franchise, there were two goals that we were extremely passionate about,” said Gallagher. “The first was to create a modern Tomb Raider game that would surprise and excite gamers. The second was to make this the best game of our careers, something we would be really proud to be a part of. We truly believe that we have something very special on our hands and we can’t wait to share it with you.”

Gallagher went on to explain that in order to deliver in terms of quality, extra time was necessary to ensure that fans get exactly what they’ve been wanting out of a Tomb Raider game. He also confirmed that the game would be showcased at this year’s E3. Anyone who’s been looking forward to Tomb Raider should definitely be stoked to get some more info and a closer look at the gameplay when the huge trade event takes place next month.

Tomb Raider looks like a promising title and has quickly become a game to watch out for. So if the developers need a few months to make some tweaks and enhancements, more power to them. I’m certain Tomb Raider fans want the best experience possible, and if a delay is what it takes, we really can’t complain. Plus, if Crystal Dynamics was to release the game this fall, it probably wouldn’t be the best marketing strategy with games like Borderlands 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin’s Creed III, and Resident Evil 6 among others launching during that time.

CD Projekt Red, the developer that brought us The Witcher and The Witcher 2, is going to begin working on two all-new RPGs. The news broke out when the studio published a blog post with several job listings.

The first list of openings is for an “RPG in a brand new setting.” CD Projekt Red seems to be expanding its brand, and it looks to deliver something that’s different from its usual dark style. It should be pretty interesting seeing the studio trying out something different from its Witcher series.

Of course, the company also seems to be working on a more traditional CD Projekt Red game. The second set of job listings is seeking artists, programmers, designers, and business managers for an RPG set in a “dark fantasy world.”

At this point it’s impossible to tell what these two fledgling projects will turn into. Whatever they may be, though, fans of CD Projekt Red’s work should definitely keep an eye out for them in the next few years. And if you’re a developer looking for work, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to look into either job listing. After all, it is the team that brought us the successful and popular Witcher series.

A film-making team of Max Payne fans that goes by the name of Zapruder Pictures has released a short movie based on the series. The film, titled Max Payne: Valhalla, is based on the events of the first Max Payne game.

The short features several familiar characters, scenes, and dialogue. The whole thing is actually quite impressive despite a few instances where cheesy line delivery is a clear culprit. Despite that, though, Valhalla is a lot of fun, and if you’ve got roughly eight minutes to spare, I would suggest you give it a watch if you’re a Max Payne aficionado.

There really is a lot to like in the short film. There’s even a moment past the four-minute mark where … you know what? I don’t want to spoil anything. Take a look for yourself and get a kick out of Valhalla. Major Props to Zapruder Pictures.

Nintendo Germany announced in April that it would be skipping Gamescom this year. Rather than appearing at the massive German trade show, the company revealed that it would instead feature the 3DS, Wii, and Wii U across multiple smaller events around the country.

Two other companies are now following suit and will not showcase their upcoming content at Gamescom either. THQ is the first of these, opting to stay away from the show floor entirely. According to GamesIndustry, the company is likely making this decision due to its recent financial losses. And while THQ won’t be on the show floor, it’s very possible that it will still conduct meetings within small conference rooms at the venue, akin to what it will be doing at E3 next month.

The second company that will not be making its presence felt at the massive European trade show is Sega. “Unfortunately the release timing of our 2012 AAA titles and new projects don’t work with the mid- August scheduling of the show,” Sega told GamesIndustry. “The decision will not mean that Sega will never attend Gamescom in the future, this was simply a commercial decision made for 2012.”

Gamescom is a huge event, so to see such major players like Nintendo, THQ, and Sega deciding to miss it is a bit strange.  Still, when you take into account that Nintendo wants to have small dedicated events for its hardware; that THQ simply can’t afford to appear; and that the timing isn’t in Sega’s favor, it definitely makes sense.

Jetpack Joyride is an addictive little iOS game that manages to deliver a compelling experience that’s both worthwhile and rewarding. The game strays away from the model that plagued mobile titles in the past, and though it’s certainly a simple game with intuitive controls, it still manages to capture gamers’ attention and gives them a reason to care about the mobile gaming scene.

Now, developer Halfbrick is taking the addictive gem to Facebook to reach an even wider audience. While this version of Jetpack Joyride is technically in beta, it still feels like the complete experience found on iOS devices. Power-ups, coins, and obstacles are all there to deliver a fast-paced runner experience that’s really entertaining. And if you’re wondering about the missions and achievements, those are in the Facebook version of Jetpack Joyride, too.

I only got a chance to play a bit of the game on a friend’s iPad not too long ago, but in those few short sessions, I fell in love with Jetpack Joyride. Now that the game is on Facebook, I’ve taken the liberty of seeing if it’s as worthy of my time as the original and, well, let’s just say this post was supposed to go live a lot earlier. I know what I’ll be playing this weekend.

While the PSP may have been a great device with some outstanding games, it’s no secret that it hasn’t sold very well. Following the launch of the PlayStation Vita, the need for a PSP dipped exponentially. As a result, 25 percent of all GameStop stores in the U.S. will no longer carry games for Sony’s previous handheld.

The news comes courtesy of a GameStop rep, who told Kotaku, “The consolidation is occurring to maximize the merchandising space in the smallest 25 percent of stores. It will also provide a greater assortment in those stores that will continue to carry the category.”

Gamers with an itch for tangible PSP games will still be able to obtain them through larger GameStop stores, as well as on the retailer’s website. So if you still haven’t gotten those copies of Patapon 3 or Prinny 2, you’ll have the opportunity to do so. Which makes me wonder, why did you wait so long to get such great games?

This news should come as no surprise. The PSP isn’t all that popular, and with a new Sony handheld, it’s easy to see that PSP games go ignored at plenty of retailers. To be honest, that’s still kind of a mystery when you take into account the overall lack of Vita titles.

Street Fighter X Tekken launched on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March to positive reviews. The game is now officially available on the PC via digital download.

You can currently download Street Fighter X Tekken at any major digital download site for $49.99. The game includes 38 fighters from both the Street Fighter and Tekken universes, and it features all of the game modes from its console brethren. Additionally, the PC port will also sport 3D functionality.

I actually didn’t enjoy Street Fighter X Tekken at first, mainly because I found the gems system to be too much of an exercise in boredom and monotony. Still, if you dig deep enough, you definitely get a dedicated fighter that showcases Capcom’s expertise in the genre. If you have yet to play Street Fighter X Tekken but you’ve been meaning to, it wouldn’t hurt to look into the PC version. It is $10 cheaper after all.

“Both Blizzard and Valve recognize that, at the end of the day, players just want to be able to play the games they’re looking forward to, so we’re happy to come to an agreement that helps both of us stay focused on that,” said Rob Pardo, Blizzard’s executive VP of game design.

He added, “As part of this agreement, we’re going to be changing the name of Blizzard DOTA to Blizzard All-Stars, which ultimately better reflects the design of our game. We look forward to going into more detail on that at a later date.”

“We’re pleased that we could come to an agreement with Blizzard without drawing things out in a way that would benefit no one,” said Valve boss Gabe Newell. “We both want to focus on the things our fans care about, creating and shipping great games for our communities.”

Sales of 7 million are projected for RE6, which launches October worldwide. Capcom did not include PC sales in the estimate, suggesting that it’ll be a later release. Additionally, the company expects sales of 2 million for the controversial DmC – Devil May Cry reboot, which interestingly is lower than the 2.7 million sell-through figure its predecessor mustered. Elsewhere, sales of 1.5 million are expected for Dragon’s Dogma, with Lost Planet 3 coming in at 1.4 million.

The forecast is fairly reasonable for the most part, though we’re not entirely sure on DmC with the amount of fan backlash its received. Then again, perhaps the new look will bring in a different crowd.

Those that join up will receive a free copy of the game by May 29. It’s non-giftable, so you’ll receive nothing provided you already own the title, unfortunately.

Oh, and according to the Steam page for Midnight Club 2, it’s currently not supported on Windows 7 or Vista. There’s a workaround outlined here, one that comes at the expense of disabling a built-in security feature. Here’s hoping Rockstar has a compatibility patch in the works for the majority of us running on a somewhat recent OS.

Nintendo has announced via press release that both the DSi and its much larger brother, the DSi XL, will be getting hefty price cuts. Formerly available for $149.99, the DSi will see a reduced cost of $99.99. That’s 50 clams you’ll be saving on the lighter, more spruced up version of Nintendo’s last dual screen handheld. The DSi XL will go from $169.99 to $129.99, which means a sexy price tag drop of $40.

Gamers can expect the new prices for the DSi and DSi XL to go into effect on May 20. It was about time the Big N reduced the price on these two DS models. The 3DS has been around long enough to warrant a lower price tag for its successor. Hell, the 3DS and DSi XL are currently sporting the same price!

If you’re in the market for a DSi or DSi XL, be sure to wait for this deal. I’m still lugging around my clunky first-gen DS. Maybe it’s time I upgraded to a DSi. Of course, I could always just go with that new Midnight Purple 3DS, which is also hitting retailers on May 20. Decisions, decisions …

Well then. Saw the official sales numbers for the first 24 hours of Minecraft Xbox 360, and it’s very, very good. Profitable in an hour.

Impressive, to say the least. It was smart of Microsoft to nab exclusivity rights. While the 360 version is fairly bare-bones right now, the developer responsible for the port — 4J Studios — plans on bringing it up to parity with the PC equivalent with future updates. Mods, texture packs and skins are coming at a later date.

There’s no denying the fact that the PlayStation Vita is an impressive device. It’s a powerful handheld that can do some pretty cool things and includes awesome features. That said, it’s most certainly lacking in content, which is a shame, because Vita adopters desperately want to put their shiny handheld to good use.

While interest in the Vita in Japan has plummeted over the past several weeks, overall sales for the portable have hit the 1.8 million mark, figures that Sony CEO Kaz Hirai is content with, states Eurogamer. “About Vita, the last year, [we sold] 1.8 million units for US, Japan, Asia, and Europe,” he stated. “And as a starting phase, I think it was a good start.”

While 1.8 million sales certainly isn’t a bad thing, there’s an obvious lack of content that Sony needs to rectify. Hirai believes that more content will secure the Vita’s fan base and possibly even draw in newer fans. “A game platform, like Vita — the software is the key to success, how good the software is,” said the Sony CEO. “We have to reinforce the software area in order to improve the business, that is the basic line.”

The 3DS is a perfect example of a portable platform that got off to a slow and unpopular start due to a lack of games. Now, though, it’s been the top-selling system in Japan for quite some time. Sony needs to reward gamers who bought the Vita by releasing compelling content for the handheld. Additionally, the company needs to do exactly that in order to obtain new Vita gamers.

It’s been over a year since the infamous PlayStation Network debacle angered a lot of gamers and didn’t allow anyone with a PlayStation platform to enjoy online play for a lengthy period of time. Since then, things have gotten better for PlayStation 3 owners, but dirtbag hackers have continued to annoy people, going so far as to target a few Xbox 360 users, too. Despite the fact that the days of the PlayStation Network outage are behind us, EA cites that incident as one of the major factors behind the lack of support for digital distribution, reports Gamasutra.

At the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Global Technology Conference, EA COO Peter Moore stated that gamers are far keener to go into actual retail stores to purchase digital download cards as opposed to buying games online. He also made a hard-to-believe claim that most gamers don’t own credit cards. “A lot of our consumers don’t own credit cards,” said Moore. “A lot of our consumers are still afraid of what happened to the PlayStation Network when 77 million accounts were accessed by Anonymous in 2011.”

Moore went on to say that EA is a big supporter of retail. While I’m personally a fan of both retail and digital content, it’s what the COO said next that kind of bothered me: “The other key thing is selling digital content on the day of launch … When we sold Mass Effect 3 back in March, we saw a 40 percent attach rate that first week to DLC at GameStop in the United States. Not only are you selling a $60 game … you’re selling $20 DLC, so the sale becomes $80.”

In other words, gamers are paying $80 for one game, which is kind of a messed up thing to do. And while Mass Effect 3 already offered a ton of content to gamers for $60, there are other titles out there that seem to charge the standard $60 fee, only to release small DLC packs that feel like they should have already been included in the game to begin with. That’s kind of rotten when you really think about it.

Also, it’s totally hilarious that both EA and Bank of America are mentioned here considering they took the top spots in The Consumerist Worst Company in America 2012 awards.

Carmack’s retrospective provides insight into the design decisions and technical hurdles involved with development. Remember, this was back when games shipped on floppy disks. Well worth a watch. Additionally, for those feeling nostalgic, Bethesda has launched a version of Wolfenstein that runs entirely in your browser.

The Amazing Spider-Man is scheduled for a June 26 launch across most major consoles and even a couple of handhelds. Now, the Spider-Man series of games hasn’t been all that great, but The Amazing Spider-Man actually looks like it might be the first entry in the franchise since Ultimate Spider-Man that’s actually worth caring about.

We won’t know for sure until the game actually launches, but so far, it looks pretty promising. To sweeten the deal more for fans of Marvel’s web-swinging hero, Amazon and GameStop have thrown in some enticing pre-order exclusives for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

If you decide to go with Amazon, you’ll get the Stan Lee Adventure Pack. This mission allows you to take the comic book icon across New York in search of some missing script pages. The best part: Stan Lee has freakin’ superpowers! Using spidey powers to swing across a massive city as one of the biggest names in all of comics? Sounds pretty cool!

If you instead pre-order The Amazing Spider-Man at GameStop, you’ll be treated to The Rhino Challenge, which lets you run amok as Rhino, destroying everything in your path. To be honest, both pre-order bonuses are fairly tame, but they still seem like neat little additions to what will hopefully be a good game.

“When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing. Since then, we’ve uncovered opportunities to make Infinite into something even more extraordinary,” said Irrational Games creative head Ken Levine. He added, “Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need to deliver the best Infinite possible, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February.”

In addition, the title is going on a media blackout through E3 and Gamescom this year. In Levine’s words, “the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box.” A delay of this magnitude will no doubt ruffle feathers, especially since the title was announced way back in 2010, but having a high standard for quality is something we can’t argue with.

The latest edition of Pulse, Sony’s news roundup video feature, has revealed that I Am Alive topped the PlayStation Network charts in April. This is a bit surprising considering I Am Alive received mixed reviews.

While exact sales figures weren’t revealed, Ubisoft’s downloadable action-adventure title managed to beat out Journey, which is actually kind of surprising. The art game from thatgamecompany went on to become the fast-selling PlayStation Network game of all time, so to learn that I Am Alive, which didn’t fare as well among review sites, actually managed to top it comes as quite a shocker.

It’s worth pointing out that a single Vita game made the list. Escape Plan, which also received its fair share of mixed reviews, just made it onto the list, snagging the number 10 spot.

Other noteworthy games that made the list include Skullgirls, The Walking Dead, and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES. All of these games have been held in high regard by gamers, so it goes without saying that their spots are well deserved. Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, on the other hand, makes absolutely no sense. Seriously, who even wants to play that?

Sony has put a giant countdown clock on the PlayStation site to get fans stoked for its upcoming press conference at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. The company will be streaming the presser through the site, but it won’t be televising it like Microsoft, which will broadcast its conference on Spike TV just like last year.

We’re less than a month away from E3, and gamers are already getting excited to see what their favorite companies have on hand to display and announce. What could Sony have planned for this year’s event? Will we get word on some much-needed Vita titles? Could Sony drop a bombshell and reveal that it’s cutting the price of its latest handheld (which many believe should be the case)?

As far as the PlayStation 3 is concerned, Sony will have PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on hand, so that should be interesting. Gamers should also look forward to some info regarding God of War: Ascension, which was pretty much on par with the upcoming fighting game as far as worst kept secrets go.

In the past, Sony has had its fair share of both hits and misses at E3. Here’s hoping we get more major reveals this year and less nonsensical giant enemy crab tomfoolery.

There’s no denying how impressive thatgamecompany’s Journey on the PlayStation Network really is. When it launched a couple of months ago, it quickly became the fastest-selling game on Sony’s digital platform, surpassing countless other quality titles. What separated Journey from other art games was just how inviting it was. It didn’t alienate gamers who aren’t fans of the genre, and as a result, it provided most people who played it with a gripping, unforgettable experience.

According to Jenova Chen, the lead designer behind Journey, Sony’s platform is geared toward gamers with more adult tastes — individuals who want something a bit different and artistic — as opposed to the Xbox 360 and Wii. “Sony has a more artistic and adult-focused taste,” Chen told GamesBeat. “The player who owns a PlayStation 3 is more likely to be interested in artistic games compared to Wii and Xbox 360.”

Sony was quick to back Chen’s statements, saying that the PlayStation 3 was a platform dedicated to an audience with more adult tastes. “Many PlayStation and PSN games have themes that require a user to think and feel about a deep, immersive gameplay experience, and we see that exemplified in the success of titles like Flower, Journey, and Heavy Rain,” stated Sony’s Jack Buser. ” Titles like these can only be found on PlayStation, and our users enjoy the emotional and thematic sophistication of their games, especially with our digital offerings.”

While you can’t deny the fact that games like Closure, the upcoming The Unfinished Swan, and pretty much everything from thatgamecompany all appeal to gamers with an affinity for artsy experiences, no one can possibly overlook the the outstanding aesthetically driven titles that have landed on the Xbox 360. Games such as Limbo (which started off as an Xbox Live Arcade exclusive) and Fez have given fans of Microsoft’s platform plenty of thought-provoking moments. Still, there’s no arguing that artsy titles pop up on the PlayStation Network far more often, and they tend to succeed.

Adding more fuel to the fire is a recent interview with Epic developer Tim Sweeney, who tells Gamasutra that the “intended” platforms for Unreal Engine 4 haven’t been announced.

“At some point we’ll make public announcements and ramp up to the point where developers are shipping games, but it’s very early right now,” said Sweeney. He added, “We’re aiming very high, and the intended platforms this is aimed at haven’t even been announced.”

Obviously, this calls into question whether Unreal Engine 4 will support the Wii U at all, given that it’s not a target platform. We’d say it’s a big deal — considering UE3 has powered the bulk of games this generation. The gap in tech between platforms could create a situation where the Wii U will be missing out on several multiplatform titles, just like its predecessor. Perhaps not initially, but later down the line.

Developer Q-Games is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, and as a token of its appreciation, the studio has decided to have a huge sale on its popular PixelJunk series. Starting later today, you can snag all of the games in the series for cheap — even cheaper than they already were! Now that’s the right way to celebrate!

Racers, Monsters, Eden, and Shooter are all on sale for $1. That’s about as much as most mobile games, except the PixelJunk series is actually good. Additionally, Monsters Deluxe for the PSP, Shooter 2, and SideScroller are all $4.99. That’s half off their already reasonable price tags.

The sale ends on May 15, which will mark the launch of PixelJunk 4am. It’s a PixelJunk overload — one that you should definitely experience if you haven’t already. Q-Games’ beloved series has managed to deliver consistently remarkable downloadable games, and these are arguably some of the best games on the PlayStation Network.

Get your PixelJunk fix in time for the release of 4am later this month. As of this writing, the sale has yet to kick off, but Q-Games President Dylan Cuthbert assured gamers on the PlayStation Blog that it would begin sometime in the afternoon, so watch out for those sales. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to stare at the PlayStation Store screen until the discounts go into effect so I can get to downloadin’.

Move over, regular old PlayStation Vita, because there’s a shiny new white Vita headed to Japan. Sony has just announced the first alternate color for its latest handheld, reports Andriasang, and it looks quite attractive.

The Crystal White Vita has been unveiled, and it will be released in Japan on June 28. Both 3G and Wi-Fi versions will be available, and Sony will even release some special white headphones, too. Might as well, right?

On August 30, a special Hatsune Miku variation will launch in a bundle that includes the Crystal White Vita (with some snazzy art on its rear touch pad), a 4GB memory card, and a copy of Next Hatsune Miku Project Diva.

I doubt we’ll get the Hatsune Miku Vita over here, but the Crystal White design is sure to arrive eventually. Let’s hope it’s sooner than later, because we need more options. Speaking of options, how about some new Vita games, Sony?

The funds will back a number of unannounced projects throughout fiscal 2013. EA’s FY 2013 runs from April 1, 2012 to March 31,  2013. While no specific details were given beyond that, this essentially confirms that new platforms from Sony and Microsoft will arrive by 2013.

In addition, EA revealed that its Origin service has amassed 11 registered million players and generated $150 million in just ten months. We’ll take that as an indication that we won’t see any of EA’s more recent PC titles turn up on Steam anytime soon.

This Wednesday, the company will launch a new feature dubbed Social Club Crews, allowing users to organize Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Crews ahead of the game’s May 15 launch.

During a visit to the company’s Redmond headquarters, Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter was told not to expect “a lot of game stuff,” but rather a focus on “dashboard, interface [and] multimedia” come E3 time.

While a lack of focus on game reveals may disappoint some, the announcements Microsoft has in store could pave the way for its Xbox 360 successor. That’s a little exciting, right?

“It’s obviously a very hi-spec machine, and you can do lots of things with it,” said  Miyamoto. He added, “But I don’t really see the combination of software and hardware that really makes a very strong product.”

Miyamoto’s concerns seem to echo that of gamers, as many who picked up the system at launch have grew bored with the current selection of software. Thankfully, the drought is coming to a close. Moving into late May and early June we’ll see a few high-profile releases like Resistance: Burning Skies, Gravity Rush and LittleBigPlanet. Sony’s plans beyond that are unknown, however. Here’s hoping Vita announcements are plentiful during E3.