Evil Avatar http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/ Daily Gaming News... With Attitude en Thu, 17 May 2012 02:42:51 GMT vBulletin 20 http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/images_evil/misc/rss.jpg Evil Avatar http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/ Serious Sam 3: BFE, Serious Sam Double D XXL run screaming to XBLA this fall http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169977&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 02:30:20 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/ssddxxlscreen4_530x298.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/serious-sam-3-bfe-serious-sam-double-d-xxl-run-screaming-to-xb/) This fall, Xbox Live Arcade doubles down on Serious Sam. Serious Sam 3: BFE...
This fall, Xbox Live Arcade doubles down on Serious Sam. Serious Sam 3: BFE - which launched on the PC late last year and was ported over to the Mac last month - will ditch the disc for an Xbox Live Arcade release this fall. Serious Sam 3: BFE on XBLA will be the full game, losing nothing in the transition over to console.

Serious Sam Double D XXL is the new version of Mommy's Best Games' PC release. The XXL brings with it "new campaign missions, new challenges, new enemies, Gunstacker upgrades and a hot new two-player local cooperative mode." Serious Sam Double D XXL is priced at 800 MS Points ($10).
Gallery: Serious Sam Double D XXL (XBLA)


Continue reading Serious Sam 3: BFE, Serious Sam Double D XXL run screaming to XBLA this fall

Serious Sam 3: BFE, Serious Sam Double D XXL run screaming to XBLA this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169977 <![CDATA[Rumor: Mass Effect 3's next DLC is the Rebellion Multiplayer Expansion]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169976&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 02:30:20 GMT
The next DLC for Mass Effect 3 won't be the "Extended Cut" DLC planned for this summer, if a pulled listing on Sony's Hong Kong site is to be believed. The next piece of content will apparently be focused on multiplayer.

The Rebellion Multiplayer Expansion is a series of multiplayer maps and other goodies. "The Rebellion Multiplayer Expansion opens two new fronts against the Reapers: Firebase Jade's jungle reservoir and Firebase Goddess on Thessia," Kotaku reports. "In-game reinforcement packs now include three new weapons as well as equipment, consumables, and six new classes: Quarian Engineer and Infiltrator, Vorcha Soldier and Sentinel, Phoenix Adept and Vanguard." The listing has since been pulled from Sony's site, so we're unable to confirm the contents of the listing.

We've contacted EA and BioWare for comment and will update as they respond.Rumor: Mass Effect 3's next DLC is the Rebellion Multiplayer Expansion originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169976 ArmA II Day Z Mod http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169975&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 01:36:48 GMT This amazing mod for ARMA 2 is blowing people away. It's an open world game where zombies walk the earth. The only goal? Survive.

Hunt, get water, form parties with other survivors. You can even scavenge parts to get a car running. But as you delve deeper into the game, you come to realize the zombies aren't the real threat. Living, breathing survivors such as yourself pose a very real danger.

The question is, who do you trust?


Day Z is currently in Alpha. As of this writing, there are 49,8282 unique characters. The average life expectancy is 30 minutes. Each server holds 50 survivors. When you leave a game, you pick up where you left off when you restart the game... on any server! Be warned though, death is quick and brutal.

I'm currently trying to get this running. Installation is a pain in the ass. Especially if you don't get ARMA II: Combined Operations. So remember, if you want to get into the game with as little hastle as possible, get ARMA II: Combined Operations!

Videos to come from my end if and when I get running. When I do, see you on the field!

RPS has some great write-ups for those interested! ]]> News Items sai tyrus http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169975 <![CDATA[There's a new Vita brain training game for you, 'Smart As']]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169974&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 01:20:12 GMT
Sony is boldly experimenting with the idea of a brain training game on a handheld. "Smart As," coming to Vita this fall, is a "social brain training experience" that calculates players' Brain Power through daily exercises based on 20 different puzzle games - and then encourages them to compete with their friends with online leaderboards and Facebook integration.

The 20 brain games fall into the categories of "Logic, Arithmetic, Language, and Observation," and use all of the Vita's input methods, including cameras, AR, and both touchscreens. Regional challenges will give you more to do based on where you are when you play it.

What part of the brain makes you able to understand Near? Because we don't have that.Gallery: Smart As (Vita)


There's a new Vita brain training game for you, 'Smart As' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169974 EA and Activision settle in Call of Duty lawsuit http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169973&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 01:20:12 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/activision-infini.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/ea-and-activision-settle-in-call-of-duty-lawsuit/) EA and Activision have reached a settlement in a lawsuit that began two years ago, pertaining to the profit rights of Call of...
EA and Activision have reached a settlement in a lawsuit that began two years ago, pertaining to the profit rights of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

No details about the settlement are currently available, but both companies said today that they will file a settlement agreement in Los Angeles' California state court.

Former Infinity Ward developers Jason West and Vince Zampella sued Activision in 2010 after being fired, claiming damages of $36 million from unpaid royalties associated with Modern Warfare 2, which launched in 2009. After leaving Activision, the pair began their own studio, Respawn Entertainment, and inked a publishing deal with EA. Since then, West and Zampella's claim rose to $1 billion and Activision countersued with EA as a defendant.

Activision recently paid out $42 million to the Infinity Ward Employee Group, though not as a settlement; at the time, IWEG said it would pursue litigation.

The settlement news comes the same day as a report on Activision's "dirt"-digging tactics has surfaced, stating that Activision launched an information-gathering IT spree on West and Zampella just before the launch of Modern Warefare 2,intended to see them both fired. Activision called it "Project Icebreaker."

No joke.

In Project Icebreaker, Activision's George Rose asked the IT department to access West and Zampella's email, voicemail and computer without anyone's knowledge, a court filing given to Giantbomb by West and Zampella's attorneys shows. The orders reportedly came from Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. Activision attempted to use third-party security specialists and threw around the idea of staging a fake fumagation to get into West and Zampella's offices, the report says.

But now the case is settled -- any verdict on the level of sanity of gaming companies is, however, still out.EA and Activision settle in Call of Duty lawsuit originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169973 <![CDATA[Report: Activision tried to 'get rid of' ex-Infinity Ward heads through IT brute forc]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169972&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT Image: http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/news2001/170469/iwlogo.jpg The ongoing legal conflict between Activision and ex-Infinity Ward leads Jason West and Vince Zampella got a bit more interesting today, as a newly-released court document claims that Activision launched an internal... The ongoing legal conflict between Activision and ex-Infinity Ward leads Jason West and Vince Zampella got a bit more interesting today, as a newly-released court document claims that Activision launched an internal investigation against the Call of Duty creators eight months before they finally lost their jobs. The filing, received by Giant Bomb, notes that Activision's former director of IT, Thomas Fenady, has testified that he received instructions to "dig up dirt on Jason and ...




More... ]]> Gamasutra RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169972 Activision and EA settle their differences in Infinity Ward lawsuit http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169971&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT Image: http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/news2001/170470/mw2.jpg Publishers Activision and Electronic Arts on Wednesday revealed that they have reached a settlement in their lawsuit over former Infinity Wards heads Jason West and Vince Zampella. Back in December 2010, Activision filed a... Publishers Activision and Electronic Arts on Wednesday revealed that they have reached a settlement in their lawsuit over former Infinity Wards heads Jason West and Vince Zampella. Back in December 2010, Activision filed a complaint against EA claiming it had intentionally poached the developers from Infinity Ward to start Respawn Entertainment. That dispute is now over, though the publishers did not disclose the terms of their settlement. "Activision and EA have agreed to put this ...




More... ]]> Gamasutra RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169971 <![CDATA[Gamasutra Member Blogs: From Witcher 2's insidious sexism to a plea for apathy]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169970&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT [In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our bloggers write about diverse topics, such as the insidious sexism of The Witcher 2, having more honest and productive online debates, and more.] Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals. We hope that our blog sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information, check out ...




More... ]]> Gamasutra RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169970 Top-Grossing iOS Games: Kingdoms of Camelot, Slotomania HD lead App Store sales http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169969&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT Every week, Gamasutra rounds up the top-grossing iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad applications, as current that day in the iTunes App Store. This week's U.S. revenue charts see Kingdoms of Camelot and Minecraft: Pocket Edition earning top iPhone sales, while Poker by Zynga and Slotomania HD remain big sellers on the iPad. These charts allow end users to see who is making the most money on the App Store that day. It differs significantly from ...




More... ]]> Gamasutra RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169969 <![CDATA[Top-Grossing Android games: Mobage's Ninja Royale enters top 10]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169968&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT Every week, Gamasutra rounds up the top-grossing Android gaming applications, as current that day at Google Play. This week's U.S. revenue charts see Rage of Bahamut and Zynga Poker leading today's rankings, as Ninja Royale and Tap Fish also report top earnings. These charts allow end users to see who is making the most money on Google Play that day. It differs significantly from the Top Paid Games chart, which is ranked by sales, and ...




More... ]]> Gamasutra RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169968 <![CDATA[The Last of Us demo offers a first look at Naughty Dog's direction]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169967&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/last-of-us.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/the-last-of-us-demo-offers-a-first-look-at-naughty-dogs-directi/) Despite being a huge bummer for everyone involved, the end of the world can at least be counted on as a magnanimous...
Despite being a huge bummer for everyone involved, the end of the world can at least be counted on as a magnanimous source of drama and spectacle. Naughty Dog's latest game, The Last of Us, aims to leverage the studio's sophisticated technology and credible presentation to forge a more intense connection between players and their on-screen avatars. If it succeeds, your actions will stem from the same paranoia, hesitation and fierce bravery coming from Joel and Ellie, two survivors of modern civilization's mysterious closure.Continue reading The Last of Us demo offers a first look at Naughty Dog's direction

The Last of Us demo offers a first look at Naughty Dog's direction originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169967 <![CDATA[The scene following 38 Studios' 'emergency meeting' with Rhode Island officials]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169966&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 00:20:11 GMT

To get a real sense of the severity of the situation between 38 Studios and the state of Rhode Island, here's a package by the Providence Journal. The events shown immediately follow today's "emergency meeting," where officials decided they didn't know what to do about the studio.The scene following 38 Studios' 'emergency meeting' with Rhode Island officials originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169966 Trials Evolution moves half a million in just three weeks http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169965&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 23:10:40 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/trialsevolution530pxheaderimg13512.jpg Screaming at monitors while attempting to make just one more crushingly difficult checkpoint is apparently a pastime shared by many, many gamers. This week, Ubisoft revealed that the latest Trials...
Screaming at monitors while attempting to make just one more crushingly difficult checkpoint is apparently a pastime shared by many, many gamers. This week, Ubisoft revealed that the latest Trials franchise entry - Trials Evolution - sold approximately 500,000 units since its launch in mid-April.

Sure, it's no Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, but half a million sales in less than a month is quite impressive for a title on Xbox Live Arcade. How impressive, you ask? Well, we'd love to tell you, but Microsoft doesn't release sales numbers for XBLA games. Those rascals! For context's sake, though, we'd point out that it took just over a year for the first Trials game on XBLA to hit 1 million units sold. We get the feeling it'll take a bit less time with Evolution.

In the same slide, RedLynx is called out as having many brands with "great multiplatform potential." A quick glance at RedLynx's catalog confirms our suspicion that Trials is indeed the Finnish studio's biggest "brand." How about that!Trials Evolution moves half a million in just three weeks originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169965 Xenoblade Chronicles dev Monolith Soft creating Project X Zone http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169964&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 23:10:40 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/pxz516.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/xenoblade-chronicles-dev-monolith-soft-creating-project-x-zone/)Add a fourth company to the group contributing to Project X Zone (http://joystiq.com/game/project-x-zone) - Nintendo. At least,... Add a fourth company to the group contributing to Project X Zone - Nintendo. At least, it's a Nintendo-owned developer creating the 3DS Capcom/Namco/Sega crossover SRPG. Monolith Soft, most recently known for Xenoblade Chronicles, is developing the new game, Famitsu has revealed (via Andriasang).

It makes sense given Monolith's history - it developed Namco X Capcom, a similar crossover game for PS2. What doesn't make sense, at least at face value, is a Nintendo-owned company making a game about three other companies' characters.Xenoblade Chronicles dev Monolith Soft creating Project X Zone originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169964 <![CDATA[Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure classified in Australia]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169963&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 23:10:40 GMT
Square Enix's eventual announcement of Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure will soon end up being less "reveal" and more like the complete opposite of any ninja's stealth training ever. The barely unannounced sequel has most recently been spotted on the Australian Classification Board site by Siliconera.

This latest failure of ninjadom comes two months after a European trademark filing mentioned Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure... oh yeah, and then there was the web domain under the same name, as well. At the very least, we expect the game to come in clanking pots and pans like a two-year-old on parade at E3.Mini Ninjas: Hiro's Adventure classified in Australia originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169963 The Problem with Preservation http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169962&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 23:10:40 GMT Feature * Share it: (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/#) * Tweet (http://twitter.com/share) Image: http://www.1up.com/media/03/9/4/3/lg/954.jpg *The Problem with Preservation* *Talking HD remastering with the teams behind Silent Hill, Sly Cooper, God of War, Ico/Shadow... Feature


The Problem with Preservation

Talking HD remastering with the teams behind Silent Hill, Sly Cooper, God of War, Ico/Shadow Collection, and Metal Gear Solid.

By: Anthony John Agnello May 14, 2012




Note: There are some terms used throughout this piece that some readers may not be familiar with. These are linked to outside articles that can add clarity.

Nothing lasts forever, not cold November rain, and not video games. The battery in your Earthbound cartridge will die, the cathode tube in that old Joust cabinet will burn out. Even code isn't immortal; emulators -- software that mimics old hardware to run classic games -- don't always offer a perfect solution, so that version of Super Mario Bros. on your PC might be close to the original, but not entirely. Time spares nothing. You'd think that between the twin marvels of emulation and digital distribution, it would at least be easier to preserve classic gaming. Anyone who's played an emulated PlayStation 2 game on their PlayStation 3 knows it's not that simple, that even something as basic as a new television standard can greatly alter a classic experience.





More... ]]> 1UP RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169962 Game of Thrones Review: An Example of Mediocre Interactive Fanfiction http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169961&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 23:10:40 GMT Consider the following scenario from the Game of Thrones (http://www.evilavatar.com/games/xbox360/game-of-thrones-rpg/) RPG: you get tasked with infiltrating a secure location, and beforehand you assemble a proper uniform -- gauntlets, boots, cape, and helmet -- to gain...]]> Consider the following scenario from the Game of Thrones RPG: you get tasked with infiltrating a secure location, and beforehand you assemble a proper uniform -- gauntlets, boots, cape, and helmet -- to gain access. This sequence conjures up the same sort of tension as watching Tywin Lannister and Littlefinger's conversation at Harrenhal in the current season of the show, or reading the duel between The Red Viper and The Mountain That Rides from A Storm of Swords. There's a lot at stake, and one mistake could turn the whole affair catastrophic; but this time, you're in control of this tense situation. You walk up to a guard at a checkpoint, and he asks if he knows you because you seem familiar to him; to this, you reply that you have a very common face that elicits such a question often. Except, as noted earlier, not only are you in disguise, but as part of that disguise, you had put on a full helmet that completely envelops and obscures your face.


That kind of moment embodies playing Game of Thrones, where the occasional moments of intrigue and interest get stymied by bizarre little gaffes, mistakes, and janks. Why is there a conversation about the look of my face when I have a helmet on? It's not an instance of randomized NPC chatter that delightfully skips over the detail of whether the player is wearing a helmet or not -- it's a specific and scripted moment in a mandatory story quest that somehow got past the game's writers and testing.

More... ]]> 1UP RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169961 Why Wasteland 2 is Using the Unity Engine http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169960&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 22:36:49 GMT

InXile's director of technology John Alvarado has updated the Wasteland 2 blog with an informative post on why InXile chose the Unity engine to create the game. It should also ease some concerns from people who thought this would prevent a Linux port.

Quote:
Unity Technologies, with their Unity 3 game engine, was among the vendors that came to us with congratulations, goodwill and offers of support. Their engine stood out as an early front-runner on point 1 of our requirements. The artists loved its support for the native formats of the art tools we already use (3DS Max and Photoshop). I also like its built-in version control for assets and code.

At first it seemed to be missing a leg on point 2 (support for Linux platform), but I knew that we could get source code and therefore could provide the Linux port ourselves. Given that the engine is designed and structured to support multiple platforms, I felt it would not be insurmountable to port it to Linux (or actually hire some outstanding external contractors we’ve used before to do the job). After talking to Unity about this, we found they’ve already been working on a Linux port, so Unity is supplying inXile the linux port alpha source code. InXile will work with Unity in order to port Wasteland 2 to linux.
Read more here ]]> News Items randir14 http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169960 <![CDATA[There's already some Max Payne 3 DLC, and it's free]]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169959&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 22:10:12 GMT Image: http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/gorilla.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/theres-already-some-max-payne-3-dlc-its-all-free/) We assume while everyone was waiting for the Diablo 3 (http://www.joystiq.com/game/diablo-3) servers to boot back up yesterday, they played...
We assume while everyone was waiting for the Diablo 3 servers to boot back up yesterday, they played as much Max Payne 3 as the downtime allowed. So, since everyone has finished the entire Max Payne 3 campaign, Rockstar is mixing up multiplayer gameplay with a free DLC pack for Xbox Live and PSN, titled "Gorilla Warfare."

The Gorilla Warfare pack contains a gorilla mask, which gives players extra adrenaline for melee kills from behind; the lucky coin, giving players extra booty for looting bodies; and the booby trap item, which has players' corpses explode when they're looted.

The Rockstar Pass is also now available for download on Xbox Live and PSN. The Rockstar Pass gives players all of the Max Payne 3 DLC for a one-time price of $30. These offers will hit PC on launch day, May 29.There's already some Max Payne 3 DLC, and it's free originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169959 <![CDATA[Epic Mickey 2 and 'The Power of Next Gen']]> http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169958&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 22:10:12 GMT

Epic Mickey's first foray was a Wii-exclusive affair. This time around, Junction Point is bringing Mickey's epic-ness to what it's calling "next-gen consoles." We might call them "7-year-old consoles," but, well, Mickey's best bud is from 1920, so we can appreciate the anachronism at play here.Epic Mickey 2 and 'The Power of Next Gen' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 May 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.




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More... ]]> Joystiq RSS_FEED http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169958