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Weekly Recap: PS4 Beats Xbox One and Mass-Murdering Game Revealed
(Some Of) The Big Stuff:The NPD Group released video game sales data for September on Thursday, and Sony's PlayStation 4 beat the Xbox One yet again in the United States. PS4 sales in September jumped significantly over August, due in part to the huge success of the Destiny PS4 bundle, which featured a copy of Bungie's new shooter and a slick-looking white system and matching DualShock 4 controller for $400. For lots more on September NPD data, be sure to read GameSpot's full report here.
A major union representing flight attendants has sued the Federal Aviation Administration, asking for the government agency to reinstate its electronics ban for takeoffs and landings. Put another way, flight attendants want games banned during some phases of flight again. Their reasoning? Small electronics like PlayStation Vitas can become projectiles during turbulence, and can also distract passengers from listening to important safety instructions.
Feminist Frequency creator Anita Sarkeesian canceled an appearance this week at a Utah college after the school received emails that threatened the "deadliest school shooting in American history" if Sarkessian were to go on stage. The event was scheduled to go on as planned with beefed up security, but Sarkessian dropped out after saying she was concerned about the fact that state law allows people in Utah--and on college campuses--to carry concealed weapons. The school, Utah State University, has since said that "at no time was there any immediate threat," though it will continue its investigation.
Polish developer Destructive Creations released the first gameplay trailer for its mass-murdering shooter, Hatred, this week. It is beyond brutal, never shying away from the fact that this is a game about killing people. Think it's just a joke? Apparently, it's not, as the developers say they are serious about releasing the game, though it remains to be seen if Steam and GOG would accept it.
The Other Stuff (Stories We Like, But Didn't Cover With a Standalone Post):
Ever wonder how Swedish metal band In Flames warms up for a show? They play video games, of course, as you can see in this video the group posted to their website this week.
If you're looking to play Tetris Ultimate on your 3DS, you now have a date to circle on your calendar. Ubisoft announced this week that the is coming to Nintendo's popular portable on November 11. Buy it at retail for $30 or through the eShop for $20. The game is also coming to PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita, and PC, though a release date for those versions hasn't been announced.
American metal band Avenged Sevenfold made a video game and you can play it today. What a fun sentence that was to write. Hail to the King: Deathbat is the title of the game, and you can download it today from iTunes and Google Play for $5. The game has been in development for more than two years, Avenged Sevenfold singer--and dedicated gamer--M. Shadows said.
Continuing the theme of music ... Microsoft this week released some tracks from the re-recorded Halo 2: Anniversary soundtrack, which you'll hear in November's Xbox One game, Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Microsoft worked with the San Francisco symphony, a 40-person operate, and a 28-person boys choir to create the tunes. What's more, when The Master Chief Collection is released, you can switch between the old and new versions of the songs with a single button press, just like you can with graphics. Sweet! Listen to some of tracks on SoundCloud here.
Even more music news! EA Sports this week announced the full soundtrack for its upcoming professional basketball game, NBA Live 15. It's a pretty excellent mix of tracks, including tunes from Phantogram, Flatbush Zombies, and Jeezy, among many others. You can see the full tracklist on EA Sports' website here.
Following its release for iOS devices, free-to-play simulator game RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile is now available on Android. The Android version features everything from the iOS version, including new park attractions, social features, and recent updates to the game. Download it from Google Play here.
Curious about Fantasia: Music Evolved, the trippy Xbox 360 and Xbox One music game from Rock Band creator Harmonix? You can download a demo for the game today on both platforms ahead of the full game's release on October 21. More details about how you can download the demo are available at Microsoft's blog.
Tekken publisher Bandai Namco announced a new free-to-play PC game called Battleline: Steel Warfare on Monday. The game aims to separate itself from the pack with what it calls "meta-gameplay." You can read more about the game, and sign up for a closed beta that begins next month, today through its website.
Were you looking for a RuneScape collectible card game in the vein of Hearthstone? Because that exactly what you're getting. Chronicle: RuneScape Legends (working title!) is launching in 2015 for PC/Mac, as well as tablet and other mobile platforms. The game plays out "within the pages of a living book" and is all about quest-building and forging your own story, publisher Jagex says.
Don't expect Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson to release another game. The video game legend who stands to make as much as $1.75 billion from selling Mojang to Microsoft says on Twitter that while he still does programming, "I have no idea if I'll release anything."
Hand of Fate, a Kickstarter-funded game from Defiant Development is coming to Xbox One. The developer announced this week that the rogue-like RPG will be released for Microsoft's new console, alongside the previously confirmed PC and PlayStation 4. The game is available today on PC through Steam Early Access, and if you buy the game here, you can play side missions made by former Battlefield and Payday developer David Goldfarb.
Would you have played a motion-based Saints Row brawler? That's the idea for a game called Saints Row: The Cooler that was reportedly in the works for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Heavy Iron Studios was supposedly working on the game for the now-defunct THQ. "It was a brawler game. Go to a bar, pick a fight, smash a bottle over someone's head," a developer who reportedly worked on the game told Unseen64.
Amazon Game Studios, the video game arm of the mega online retailer, this week announced three new games that it's working on. They are Til Morning's Light, Tales From Deep Space, and CreepStorm. Amazon describes each as "creative" and "hand-crafted" games that are "fun to play." You can read more about these titles at Amazon Game Studios' website: http://games.amazon.com
A Kickstarter campaign is seeking $500,000 to make a video game that teaches kids to do good. You can read more about the campaign and what it's all about here. Currently, funding stands at just over $28,000. The drive ends on November 4.
2014 is nearly over, so it's time to start thinking about 2015. Organizers this week announced the first four speakers for February's DICE Summit in Las Vegas. They are: Tracy Fullerton (experimental game designer, chair of the Interactive Media & Games Division at USC); Tom Kalinske (executive chairman and co-founder of Global Education Learning; former CEO of Sega and co-CEO of Mattel); Sean Murray (co-founder and managing director at No Man's Sky studio Hello Games); and Ru Weerasuriya (founder and CEO of The Order: 1886 studio Ready At Dawn). The 2015 DICE Summit runs February 3-5.
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