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Welcome to Postcards from WildStar, a look at Carbine's new MMO. Catch up on our previous postcards, and stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

Hello my spacefaring comrades, and greetings once more from the planet Nexus. Welcome to the second installment of Postcards from WildStar, a short series that explores several aspects and impressions of Carbine's new MMO. Last week, we talked about character creation, classes and Paths. This week, we descend to the planet's surface to get a feel for gameplay and dissect what makes WildStar different.

Shall we?

Continue reading Postcards from WildStar: There's a reason I failed stats class

Postcards from WildStar: There's a reason I failed stats class originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top Deal:

If you have been looking for an excuse to update your graphics card than perhaps now is the time. Today’s top deal is for an EVGA GeForce GTX 780 for $470 with free shipping (normally $500 – use coupon code: [EMCPCPG22]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). The GTX 780 has 3GB of DDR5 memory and 2,304 CUDA cores while the 40 percent increase in heatsink volume translates into GPU temperatures being 15 percent lower. In addition, and for a limited time, those who purchase the GTX 780 will also receive a free digital copy of Watch Dogs.

Other Deals:

Intel Core i5-4690 Haswell Quad-Core 3.5GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor for $210 with free shipping (normally $225 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPG25])

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G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory for $77 with free shipping (normally $85 - use coupon code: [EMCPCPG39])

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Game industry veterans Jonathan Burroughs and Terry Kenny have formed independent studio Variable State, and are currently working on an interactive drama called Virginia. Inspired by 90s TV shows such as The X-Files, Twin Peaks and The Outer Limits, Virginia follows an FBI agent as she hunts down a missing boy.

"Virginia is a first person interactive drama," Variable State writes. "It is the story of a recently graduated FBI agent and her partner as they seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a young boy. In the birthplace of America, nothing is quite what it seems."

Burroughs, a writer and designer, has worked at DeepMind Technologies, Relentless Software, Rare and EA, contributing on House of the Dead: Overkill and Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. Kenny is an animator and artist who hails from DeepMind Technologies, Headstrong Games, Frontier Developments and Rockstar Games, with credits on House of the Dead: Overkill and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Virginia is due out for PC in 2015. The game's art pieces are simple and intriguing, while the first screenshot shows a crude 3D design that looks like a mix of Jazzpunk and Nintendo's Miis.[Images: Variable State]X-Files, Twin Peaks inspire 'Virginia' from ex-EA, GTA devs originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chinese PC vendor Lenovo’s $2.3 billion acquisition of IBM’s low-end server business has won the approval of Chinese Ministry of Commerce's anti-monopoly bureau, according to news agency Reuters. However, this is only half the battle. Announced in January this year, the deal now requires the approval of regulators in the States — something that could prove a bit tricky against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S.-China cyber standoff.

For the deal to go through, Lenovo will have to convince the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS)  that it won’t allow the acquisition (it’s second largest till date) to be used by the Chinese to compromise the security of IBM’s many high-profile clients, which include the likes of the Pentagon and the FBI.

The company, meanwhile, is confident of both this $2.3 billion deal with IBM and the $2.91 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility going through before the end of 2015.

"I don't think (the cyber-theft case) will impact Lenovo's business," Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing recently told Reuters. "For a long time we've operated not just in China but also in the U.S. and other global markets. We have always been a transparent company, a trusted company, we've never had any issue with the government.”

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DLC adding three single-player missions, new weapons and bonuses makes its way into Watch Dogs today. Season Pass holders received this round of DLC last week, but everyone can purchase it today for $7.

The three missions are The Palace, Signature Shot and Breakthrough. In The Palace, you must sneak into the mansion of an internet mogul and wipe his hard drive before a planned police raid takes place, and then silence the mogul. Signature Shot has you intercept a biometrics weapon intended for the captain of the Black Viceroys gang. In Breakthrough, you have to get into a meeting between The Chicago South Club and a group of CEOs, but first you must take out the vehicles blocking surveillance devices positioned around the meeting.

The pack also introduces the Biometric Rifle and Auto-6 Pistol, as well as bonuses, outfits and weapons boosts.[Image: Ubisoft]

Continue reading Watch Dogs DLC with 3 new missions goes live today

Watch Dogs DLC with 3 new missions goes live today originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Want a break from League and Dota? We're here to help. By Leah B. Jackson Multiplayer online battle arenas, or MOBAs, are all the rage lately. With games like League of Legends and Dota 2 garnering millions of players daily, it's no wonder that other game developers want a piece of the action. If you’re tired of your current options, or  just want to try something new, here are seven upcoming free-to-play MOBAs that you need to try, in no particular order.

Set in a dark fantasy world, Sins of a Dark Age has gone through a lot of iterations. Now that its unpopular Commander System is gone and it's in Steam Early Access, it's looking better than ever. With a smaller roster of 19 characters to try out, you won't be too overwhelmed when learning the ropes.

One of the game’s most unique aspects is how it incorporates PvE quests that trigger events, ultimately allowing your team to earn rewards and hinder your opponents. Quests are designed to force encounters between teams, making matches exciting and unpredictable.

Dawngate is the first game from Waystone Games, and is being touted as EA's new MOBA. Currently there are 26 characters, known as Shapers, but you also choose a role for your Shaper that provides passive benefits. For example, a Gladiator role will earn you twice as much currency for killing lane minions. Towers, or bindings, level up as well in Dawngate, getting more powerful as the game progresses.

There are also Spirit Wells found in the jungle that can be captured to spawn workers who passively earn money for your team. With all sorts of additional mechanics, Dawngate has potential for those who love getting super in-depth with their MOBA fix.

DC Comic Book fans, this is the MOBA for you. Set in the DC Multiverse, you'll play as iconic characters like Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and more. Not only are their original versions on display, but variations like Gaslight Batman and Atomic Poision Ivy are available to play as too.

Infinite Crisis currently has three maps, each offering a unique 5 v 5 mode. The maps are destructible, but more importantly, there are crucial objectives to complete within each one, like capturing the dreaded Doomsday Device that obliterates teams and towers, encouraging players to take risks for great rewards.

Strife is a bright and colorful casual Moba from s2 games, developers of a much more hardcore Moba, Heroes of Newerth. Strife aims to remove toxicity from the competitive scene by encouraging teamwork and removing certain frustrating aspects of the game, like kill stealing -- in Strife, everyone gets credit for hero and minion kills. Your whole team levels as one, but each player gets a personal and adorable courier to bring items to you from your base. Players also select a pet before each match that offers passive bonuses.

Heroes of the Storm is a long way off, but the polished Moba, or Hero brawler as Blizzard calls it, is one of the most polished of the bunch. Playing as iconic characters from Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo, this entry is aimed at a more casual audience. Matches usually only run 15-30 minutes and there's more focus on objectives than playing a long lane game. Each of the three available maps has a variety of objectives to complete and mercenaries camps to help push your lane.

You level up as a team rather than individually, and there's no need to worry about money, as you customize your character with talent points as you level up rather than purchasing weapons and armor from a shop.

At only twenty minutes per match, every second counts in Arena of Fate. You'll play as famous characters from ancient history and fairy tales, like Jesse James and Red Riding Hood, each with his or her own unique quirks and perks. Every ability is unlocked from the get-go, including ultimates, and items are delivered directly to your character after channeling for a few moments, rather than you having to go back to a shop. There's no max level, either.

Teams will have to work together to overwhelm, outscore, or outlast the enemy, and when you're on a time crunch, the action hopefully won't stop from start to finish.

While a lot of MOBAs are super vibrant, Deadbreed is set in a darker world and claims to be the next hardcore MOBA. Where most MOBAs allow you to customize your hero via items, Deadbreed takes it to the next level. An in-depth customization feature will allow you to choose both how your characters look and play. Armor and weapons can be crafted, and they'll even lose durability as you play.

Deadbreed's also the only 3 vs. 3 player MOBA on the list, making combat a little more personal and strategy even more important, as you'll have less teammates to rely on.

This list of MOBAs doesn't go over all of the upcoming offerings, but it should give you a good base of games to try both right now, and over the next few months. Keep it on IGN for more on MOBAs, and don't forget to check out and subscribe to our new YouTube MOBA channel, IGN Arena, for discussions, tips, guides, videos and more on MOBAs.

Leah B. Jackson is both an Associate Editor at IGN and Corgi megafan, and not necessarily in that order. Follow her on Twitter and MyIGN!

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The next game to launch courtesy of Double Fine's publishing program is Mountain, an artistic simulation game that's now available on PC, Mac, Linux via the game's site and iOS for $1.

Developed by filmmaker David O'Reilly, Mountain has players answer three "questions" in the form of single words with drawings, then the game generates a mountain with the drawings on it. The mountain changes as the omniscient players tap out music on their keyboards, watching weather cycles pass and, as the developer puts it, seeing nature "expressing itself."

Double Fine began its publishing initiative with Escape Goat 2 in March, providing "promotional assistance and distribution" for the game. It then assisted developer Sam Farmer with sci-fi noir adventure game Last Life in April, which earned $103,058 on Kickstarter in the next month. We had an opportunity to check out Mountain at the Horizon conference at E3 along with other games like Metamorphabet, Gnah and Night in the Woods.[Image: David O'Reilly]Double Fine's publishing program moves a Mountain to PC, iOS originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nottingham-based studio is behind the upcoming Homefront: The Revolution. By Evan Campbell

? July 3, 2014

Warning: full episode spoilers follow.

Before I get into this week's episode, I should note that we won't be doing weekly Defiance reviews anymore. Unfortunately, the continued reader interest hasn't really there this season. But I'll still be checking in with the show from time to time, especially once the finale rolls around in August.

The big hurdle with Defiance's second season so far has been accepting that, while the lives of the main players might have shifted, the overall tone and direction of the series hasn't changed as much as the Season 1 finale might have suggested. And it's definitely frustrating at times to see so little focus on the tension between the Earth Republic and the ordinary citizens of Defiance. But that aside, "The Cord and the Ax" continued last week's trend of spotlighting the full cast and mining good character drama out of everyone's respective quests to restore normalcy to their lives.

Datak Tarr and his wife Stahma have always been the show's most interesting characters. I'll never complain about seeing a show revolve around those two. But their son Alak is rapidly coming into his own this season. He's matured since we first met him, becoming a husband, soon to be a father, and doing a passable job of maintaining his father''s criminal empire. But the question is whether Alak has the stones to be the next Datak Tarr, or if that's the sort of life he truly wants for himself. The baby reveal was an effective way of bringing that conflict into focus this week (and a nice dose of comedy during the scene where Stahma and Alak ruined the surprise with their noses). Alak knows the stakes and what he stands to lose. And there's still enough of the old, likable, gregarious Alak there that I hope to see him choose Christie and his child over the family business.

Meanwhile, Datak continued his transition from the pathetic, bumbling fool he was in the premiere back to the confident, self-assured crime lord he was in Season 1. It seems his belated realization that Stahma has been purposely letting him rot in prison was the final spark Datak needed to motivate him. Never mind the fact that it was actually Doc Yewll who secured his release. The climactic scene as a filthy Datak returned home just in time to partake in a little traditional Castithan family bathing was handled very well. No words were needed for this reunion, as we saw fear and tension give away to all-out violence as Datak took revenge on his wife. I honestly expected one of the Tarr family would be meeting their end in that tub, either with Stahma drowning or Alak going full Oedipus and killing his father. But it seems as if the Tarrs will exist in an uneasy truce for now. I just hope the show continues to play up the tension there and doesn't revert to the old Season 1 dynamic.

Unlikely drinking buddies.

Outside of the Tarr clan, the big focus this week was Irisa struggling against the influence of Irzu and unwillingly committing more murders. She's becoming a much stronger and more multi-faceted character this season. It's less about portraying her as the bad-ass warrior with the mysterious past and more about exploring the terrible fallout of her big sacrifice in the Season 1 finale. This episode showed the extent Irzu is willing to go to force Irisa to uphold her end of the bargain. This isn't like Kubrick's The Shining, where you could almost dismiss the supernatural manifestations as the hallucinations of a crazy person.

At the same time, Irisa's storyline this week called into question what Irzu's end game actually is. According to the tiny goddess, Irisa is doing her victims a favor and sending them to Irzu's protective embrace. It would be easy to write that off as a baldfaced lie, but the fact that Birdie showed up alive and well at the end does make you wonder exactly what is going on here. Are Irisa's other victims alive too? Can Irzu be taken at face value? Who knows at this point? But I was glad to see an unexpectedly happy ending to this week's conflict.

For a change, Nolan was relegated to more of a supporting player this week. I actually wish he had been utilized even less. Nolan's conflict - that of learning to let go and not be such an overbearing father - was a little sappy and off-kilter with the rest of the episode. And really, his daughter is going around ostensibly murdering people at the behest of a goddess. He probably should be concerned about what Irisa is up to.

If any character deserved more screen time this week, it was Amanda. The former mayor is in a dark place now, between the disappearance of her sister, the takeover by the E-Rep, and her growing drug addiction. Needless to say, she's a far more interesting character than she was early on in Season 1. I enjoyed the scene of Amanda and Stahma as drinking buddies, and even more the scene showcasing her wailing on an unruly customer. Who needs Nolan when she can lay down the law like that?

As much as I feel like this show is wasting good storytelling potential in terms of the tension between Defiance and the E-Rep, there's plenty of smaller character drama to keep this show moving. The Tarr family was as fascinating as ever in this episode. And as Irisa and Amanda struggle with their personal demons, the show is making better use of its full cast than it did in Season 1. If we learned anything this week, it's that we don't always need Nolan around to play the Han Solo role.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

+Plenty of Tarr family drama.+Irisa and Amanda's stories are steadily improving.– Nolan's storyline was out of step with the rest of the episode.

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BioWare writer David Gaider believes his personally penned Dragon Age character, Dorian, may be "controversial in some corners," but "a fully realized character to fans in the end." Dorian, a gay mage from Tevinter, joins the cast of Dragon Age: Inquisition having rejected the ruling hierarchy of his homeland.

Continue reading Dragon Age gets Dorian, a gay guy with a 'stache of magic

Dragon Age gets Dorian, a gay guy with a 'stache of magic originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Jul 2014 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Up until today, we expected July to be made up of a more relaxing breed of decisions. We were thinking stuff like whether to go with hot dogs or BBQ chicken, which sports to melt in front of, and which unnecessarily flashy sunglasses to buy. Blissful, meaningless decisions.

Then Telltale's Job Stauffer said the studio expects Season 2 Episode 4 of The Walking Dead to arrive this month, and all of a sudden we're faced with choices that have consequences. You know, it's very rare someone's suffered a gratuitously cruel death after we've plumped for the BBQ chicken. When we buy our Ray-Bans almost no-one gets left behind.

Continue reading Telltale expects the next Walking Dead episode to hit this month

Telltale expects the next Walking Dead episode to hit this month originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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By Lucy O'Brien

The next prototype development kits for Oculus Rift are now shipping, the virtual reality headset manufacturer announced this week. Sales of the $350 second kit have reached 45,000, an increase of 20,000 headsets since April. Pre-orders for the second kit started in March, just before Oculus VR was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion. The kits are expected to reach developers by the week of July 14.

Oculus VR has been busy these last few months. It acquired the Xbox 360 controller design team Carbon Design last week, Steam pioneer Jason Holtman in early June, former Valve VR head Atman Binstock in March and ID Software Co-Founder John Carmack in August.[Image: Oculus VR]Next batch of Oculus Rift development kits shipping originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Developer Airtight Games has reportedly closed its Redmond office with no prior announcement, suggesting that the studio has ceased operations less than a month after launching its latest multiplatform game Murdered: Soul Suspect.

GeekWire visited the studio's former office yesterday and found a locked door and a sign advertising a "blow out sale" on the equipment within. GeekWire's attempts to contact company representatives were not answered. Joystiq also received no response during our attempts to follow up.

Airtight Games' credits include the Capcom-published action game Dark Void, Ouya roguelike Soul Fjord, and Quantum Conundrum, a first-person puzzler directed by Portal designer Kim Swift. The studio saw a round of layoffs in April, losing 14 employees as part of a "necessary restructuring."

Update: Airtight has effectively confirmed the closure through tweets thanking those who "supported us and made the last 10 years possible." [Image: Square Enix]Report: Murdered: Soul Suspect developer Airtight Games closes [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you're looking to catch up on Telltale Games' acclaimed The Walking Dead adventure game series, Joystiq Deals has an offer today that you won't want to miss. We're bundling all five Season One episodes and the "400 Days" add-on chapter for only $14.99, giving you a 50 percent discount off of the season's regular listed price. Purchases include Steam keys for the Windows and Mac versions of The Walking Dead.

Steam is also offering a collection of deep discounts today as part of its ongoing Canada Day Sale. Featured deals include TowerFall Ascension for $10.04, Rogue Legacy for $7.49, and Mark of the Ninja for $5.99. All featured deals expire tomorrow, so act fast if you want to snag discounts on some of the best PC games Canada has to offer.
Joystiq Deals is a partnership between AOL and StackSocial. A portion of sales goes to funding this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial independently of the Joystiq editorial team.Joystiq Deals: The Walking Dead, TowerFall, Rogue Legacy originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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An "Ultra" version of Super Time Force will time travel to Steam this summer, developer Capybara Games announced today. The Steam version of the time-shifting game will include some "very cool (but presently very secret) stuff." The difficult, twitchy shooter first launched in mid-May for Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Additionally, Super Time Force's OST is now available via BandCamp and iTunes. The chiptune album includes 53 tracks and costs $7.99 ($9.99 on iTunes). Those that prefer to listen to the retro-style tunes in a more authentic fashion can buy the vinyl version on BandCamp for $19.99.[Image: Capy]Super Time Force Ultra finding time for Steam this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Following the recent Battlefield Hardline beta, the designers of EA's cops versus robbers shooter have compiled a lengthy list dubbed the "Community's Most Wanted."

As its name suggests, the list is a rundown of changes most frequently requested by players. The Battlefield Hardline development team plans to use this list as a set of informal guidelines in creating updates for the game going forward. Among planned changes are a 10 percent increase to overall player speed, additional feedback when searching for objectives that may be above or below your character and a helpful change to the stairs found in the High Tension level which, according to lead multiplayer designer Thad Sasser, will no longer suck players into an otherworldly void.

A full list of current Community's Most Wanted alterations can be found in the most recent Battlefield blog entry, but Sasser claims the list will be an ever-evolving project. "This dialogue doesn't end with the beta," Sasser wrote. "We plan on continuing this from now until launch - and beyond." It's unclear exactly what that will entail, but Sasser invites players to leave their ideas in the comments below his post.[Image: EA]
Battlefield Hardline beta spawns most wanted list of changes originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The servers for freemium real-time strategy game Age of Empires Online shut down this week. Published by Microsoft, the online RTS entered beta in May 2011 before its full launch that August for Games for Windows Live. Gas Powered Games took over the game's development from Robot Entertainment prior to that in February 2011. It arrived on Steam in March 2012, at which point its daily active users spiked by by more than three times. A since-deleted support article for the game in January tipped off a July 1 closure date of Games for Windows Live.

Age of Empires Online was let down easy, as its closure was forecasted nearly one month ago. The developer reset the player-vs-player ranking ladder at the beginning of June and hosted a few events for the game, including a Capital City decoration contest and invitational tournament near the end of the month. The developer capped off its Age of Empires Online send-off with an "End of the World" event yesterday, in which it livestreamed the game's final hours of life.[Image: Gas Powered Games]Age of Empires Online now extinct following server shutdown originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Q-bert Rebooted offers the original, 2D Q-bert plus a 3D, upgraded version with more than 30 new levels. Q-bert Rebooted comes from Gonzo Games and Sideline Amusements, licensed from IP holder Sony Pictures Entertainment, Polygon reports.

The updated game includes variant Q-bert characters such as the Q-zilla and Q-nicorn. Q-bert Rebooted is due to launch for $5 on July 8 on Steam for PC, Mac and Linux, and later on Android and iOS.

Update: Q-bert Rebooted isn't confirmed for PS4 or Vita, or any other consoles for that matter, Gonzo Games developer Robert van Gool tells Joystiq. The studios are still negotiating console contracts.[Image: Sideline Amusements]Q-bert Rebooted puts Q-nicorns on PC, mobile [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Riders, rev your engines - the first DLC pack for Trials Fusion, Riders of the Rustlands, is due out on July 29 for $5 on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4 and PC. It's free as part of the game's $20 Season Pass, which will include six pieces of content total, all released by May 2015.

Riders of the Rustlands includes five achievements/trophies, 10 tracks, 18 track challenges and dozens of Editor Objects. The new tracks are six classic-style, two Supercross, one Skill Game called Laws of Motion and an FMX track called The Gauntlet.

On the Ubisoft blog, Creative Director Antti Ilvessuo describes development on the DLC content, and outlines the next big feature coming to Trials Fusion: Teams.

"Teams will be huge," Ilvessuo says. "Imagine playing Trials for your Teams, against other Teams on tracks and in tournaments and, in a little bit later down the road, online. There are many other free features after those too - things we haven't talked about but are on the roadmap. We are dedicated to the model of continuously expanding and improving the game with new features that will make the game even greater. This is the long-term plan."[Image: Ubisoft]Trials Fusion first DLC pack rides into the Rustlands on July 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Civilization: Beyond Earth will launch October 24, Firaxis Games announced today. Those that preorder the PC game will receive the Exoplanets Map Pack at launch, which features six maps that were inspired by real exoplanets, such as the Earth-like, forest-filled Kepler 186f, the arid Rigil Khantoris B and Tau Ceti d, a "planet of seas and archipelagos" that has a "wealth of resources."

Beyond Earth was first announced at PAX East in April, and breaks free from history by having its roots in space exploration. The game is deemed a spiritual successor to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, as Firaxis Games discussed with Joystiq at E3 last month. It's also inspired by sci-fi authors such as Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.[Image: 2K Games]

Continue reading Civilization: Beyond Earth enters orbit on October 24

Civilization: Beyond Earth enters orbit on October 24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Endless Legend, the early access 4X fantasy game by Endless Space and Dungeon of the Endless developer Amplitude Studios, will receive a significant update today.

The update includes two new factions, "fully functional" multiplayer, enhancements to the battle system, more diplomacy and a spellbooks worth of other features.

The game is currently 25% off on Steam for $26.24, but according to the game's publisher that discount isn't endless and will drop to 10% off as the game nears completion. You know, until the Steam sale after release, where it'll be 75% off.[Image: Amplitude]
Endless Legend bumps up the beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ouya chess variant Chess 2 currently lacks its key asynchronous multiplayer component as a result of a Microsoft-issued court order levied against the game's DNS management service.

Chess 2's DNS service No-IP issued a statement regarding the takedown, noting that Microsoft seized 22 of its domains after finding evidence of malware creators distributing harmful software from its subdomains.

"We have been in contact with Microsoft today," No-IP reports. "They claim that their intent is to only filter out the known bad hostnames in each seized domain, while continuing to allow the good hostnames to resolve. However, this is not happening. Apparently, the Microsoft infrastructure is not able to handle the billions of queries from our customers. Millions of innocent users are experiencing outages to their services because of Microsoft's attempt to remediate hostnames associated with a few bad actors."

Continue reading Microsoft court order shutters Chess 2 servers

Microsoft court order shutters Chess 2 servers originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Update: Relive the entire day with our YouTube playlist above, featuring all six-plus hours of streaming!

When it comes crashing down, and it hurts inside/ya' gotta take a stand, it don't help to hide/Well, you hurt Joystiq's friends, and you hurt Joystiq's pride/I gotta be a website/we can't let it slide/Joystiq is a real American/Fight for the rights of every man/Joystiq is a real American, fight for what's right, fight for your life!

WOOOO! Yeah! Joystiq is ready to get up, grill a seitan burger and march right into the nearest furniture store to take advantage of patriotic weekend sales, because it's Independence Day, y'all. Joystiq's an international operation, what with our South African editor-in-chief and a profoundly talented British editor to boot. This weekend, though, we're totally American. So American we're going to refuse to use the metric system and we're going to play video games all day for your amusement.

Starting at 10AM EST, Joystiq is streaming games at Joystiq.com/Twitch until we decide to stop. What's on tap? Well we're going to start with Broforce. Then we're going to play some Space Channel 5 Part 2 to get real patriotic. Then, well, you're just going to have to tune in to find out. It may involve the referenced theme song above.

JOIN US! JOYSTIQ.COM/TWITCH! 10AM EST UNTIL THE STARS GO OUT!
[Images: Free Lives]Joystiq Streams: Independence Day Jubilee Marathon [Update: Relive the event!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Slightly Mad Studios' next-gen racing game Project Cars now has the support of Bandai Namco. The publisher agreed to distribute the game globally on Xbox One, PS4, PC for Windows and SteamOS as well as Wii U. Project Cars is slated to launch in November.

The realism-fixated racing sim began as a crowdsourced World of Mass Development project in September 2011, two years after Slightly Mad Studios launched Need for Speed: Shift. It was originally planned for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 before the developer added the Wii U to its list of platforms in January 2012, then ditched Xbox 360 and PS3 in favor of their next-gen counterparts and SteamOS in November 2013. One year later, Project Cars will arrive as one of the PS4's first Morpheus games in addition to its support of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.[Image: Bandai Namco]

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Bandai Namco to distribute next-gen racer Project Cars originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We've got a true classic here for you this week at Joystiq Deals. Today you have the chance to pick up a Steam-redeemable copy of Maxis' city-building strategy game Sim City 4: Deluxe Edition for only $4.99 -- a tiny cost compared to the millions of dollars in damages you'll inflict on your virtual city with earthquakes, volcanoes, and attacking robots when your citizens balk at your extortionate tax rates.

Over on Steam, publisher Devolver Digital celebrates its fifth birthday with an anniversary sale, offering up to 85 percent off of several titles in its digital catalog. Featured games include Shadow Warrior ($9.99), Hotline Miami ($3.99), and Luftrausers ($5.99). The publisher's experimental documentary series and playable prototype bundle Super Game Jam is also on sale for $16.99.

Joystiq Deals is a partnership between AOL and StackSocial. A portion of sales goes to funding this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial independently of the Joystiq editorial team.Joystiq Deals: SimCity 4 Deluxe, Devolver Digital sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Jul 2014 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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