Halo: Master Chief Collection Day One Owners Now Receiving Compensation January 18, 2015

I really don’t need to retread here just how bad the launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection was. Microsoft launched an unstable game full of bugs that was practically unplayable online. Now that the game has mostly stabilized, Microsoft has started delivering the compensation they promised to the game’s early players.

First up, Microsoft promised they would deliver a free month of Xbox Live to affected users. The free month credit has started distributing this weekend. Thankfully Microsoft has made this credit pretty seamless, they are automatically applying an extra month of online play to all affected Xbox Live accounts without the need to redeem any code.

Second, 343 Industries promised affected users would have access to some exclusive nameplates and avatar icons for their game. That content has also started to automatically unlock for selected users. If you want to check to see if you have it, simply fire up the game and go into your extras menu. You’ll find the nameplate and avatar options next to the Spartan Tag and armor selection options. The exclusive avatars and nameplates are at the very end of both lists. New nameplates include a Golden Master Chief helmet nameplate, and new avatars include various Mister Chief drawings along with an image of Halo writer Frank O’Connor. Again, no code is needed to access this content.

One final thing has been promised to affected users and that of course is a free upgrade to the game which will include the complete Single Player campaign of Halo 3: ODST in 1080p. That isn’t expected to be ready until at least March.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is out now exclusively on Xbox One.

EVOLVE Open Beta Now on Xbox One January 15, 2015

Fans who can’t wait to play EVOLVE, the latest game from Turtle Rock Studios, can get a small taste of what’s to come as the game’s multiplayer beta has just been opened up to all Xbox One players.

EVOLVE is a team based multiplayer title unlike anything we have seen before.  Instead of putting you in sets of teams, the game adopts an entirely new type of gameplay in that it will pit a squad of four against…one.  However, that one…is him.

Just be aware before you hit that install button that the beta’s download is going to take a while.  It requires just over 20GB of space on your Xbox One.  Since this is a multiplayer beta, you will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online.

As with other beta software, 2K and Microsoft are not offering any customer support for it.

EVOLVE is coming to Xbox One, PS4, PC.

All D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die DLC Re-Released January 15, 2015

Anyone hoping to get a second chance to download the limited release DLC for the Xbox One exclusive downloadable title D4, including those who downloaded the title through the Xbox One Games With Gold Promotion, can rejoice. All DLC costumes and beard packs for D4 are back up and you can get them all right now free of charge.

If you have already downloaded this content you will not need to redownload it. The only special note I must bring up is for anyone who previously downloaded the ROCK BAND 3 DLC Pack. Apparently, there was an issue with it when it originally launched, which is why the pack was pulled at least a week early. The developers recommend anyone who originally downloaded the Rock Band 3 Pack delete and redownload it from the Xbox Store, however you may not need to do something that drastic. In my case, the Xbox One prompted me to update the DLC pack once I started playing the game, and then updated it like it does every other Xbox One game.

D4 is out now exclusively on the Xbox One.

Nintendo Direct 1/14/15 January 14, 2015

The Nintendo Direct is a video series produced by Nintendo where fans can get a first look at some of the upcoming games for the 3DS and Wii U. Today’s Nintendo Direct is expected to show new content from the upcoming Majora’s Mask 3D remake, Xenoblade Chronicles X, and might even reveal an updated Nintendo handheld!

So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Iwata.

Playstation Now Subscription Service Active on Playstation 4 January 14, 2015

Those turned off by the high rental prices of the game’s offered through the Playstation Now service can rejoice. Sony is now offering a paid monthly subscription plan (similar to services like Netflix) for the Playstation Now service to PS4 owners. One monthly fee will empower players access to a hundred Playstation games from across multiple generations, without the need to download any games to your PS4 Hard Drive. That’s because Playstation Now games are streamed to your console directly from Sony’s servers online just as you might stream an online video.

The service costs $19.99 US for one month, which was probably the absolute highest price I said I was willing to pay for the service back when the software was first demoed last year. Those looking for a bit of a discount can find it if they sign up for three months of service at a cost of $44.99 US, they would pay a price of just short of $15 a month. I’m all for a discount but if you ask me I think $14.99 should have been the persistent monthly price.

Right now this subscription option is only offered to PS4 players, but it is expected to be offered to Playstation Vita, PS3, tablet and Smart TV owners soon. You will have to have a persistent Internet connection to use Playstation Now.

Grim Fandango Remastered Now Taking Preorders January 13, 2015

It looks like January 2015 is going to be the month of unique digital releases on the PC and consoles. Fans of old school LucasArts adventure titles are probably salivating right now as Grim Fandango Remastered is going to get released later this month as a digital download.

Today, I’m happy to report that the game is now being offered for preorder on the PC, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Playstation Vita platforms. Users interested in buying it for their computer or laptop can preorder it right now on Good Ol Games. If you prefer to play it on your Playstation 4 or Vita, Sony platform owners should be able to find it up for preorder right now on the Playstation Store. The price is $14.99 US. Sony says that PS4 owners who preorder will be entitled to an exclusive dynamic theme for their console.

Today also saw the release of the third part in The Making of Grim Fandango Remastered documentary series. Produced by 2 Player Productions, the series has not only covered the development of the game but the history behind why this game has been such a cult classic. Check it out below.

Grim Fandango Remastered is coming January 27, 2015 to the PC, Mac OS X, Linux, PS4 and Playstation Vita.

Farewell, FamiKamen Rider Teaser Trailer January 11, 2015

A year ago, the world lost a great cultural guide, reviewer, and friend when Justin Carmichel, known to the Internet as JewWario, died.

Justin was the host of the webseries “You Can Play This”, a review series which mainly focused on great games that are only available overseas. He also helped English speaking gamers by providing information on how these games were played, or how you can play the games on your own systems.

One of my favorite videos that Justin produced was his fourth anniversary video, where he was bequeathed the power of the FamiKamen Rider by the creator of Super Mario, complete with an epic transformation effect. The Rider was a Nintendo-ized superhero heavily inspired by the hugely popular Kamen Rider franchise. Justin planned to create a FamiKamen Rider series, but that series never saw a release.

Now, one of his friends, Kaylyn Saucedo, better known to the Internet as Marzgurl, is planning to bring the FamiKamen Rider back. The project is called Farewell, FamiKamen Rider.

After a massive fight in Canada, the FamiKamen Rider has gone missing in action, leaving his transformation belt behind and his cartridge vanished. In the aftermath of the battle, a new enemy appears, seeking out the power of the FamiKamen Rider for himself.

For three years, MarzGurl has kept the transformation belt safe from enemy hands. Her search for the missing cartridge proves futile, until Chris, a rare video game collector, stumbles upon the cartridge by chance. Not knowing what he has found, Chris’s curiosity makes him a target for this new evil. As he learns about the history of the FamiKamen Rider, with the additional support of an old friend and a new hero, it is up to MarzGurl and Chris to make the journey to find answers, confront their own fears, and stop this new threat before it is too late.

You can keep up with all the latest information about the project here.

The first trailer was released a few days ago. Here it is, I think it does a great job setting the stage for what has happened to the world without the Rider.

Here is the second trailer.

The full video will be shown at Magfest on January 23rd. Hopefully it will see a release online shortly afterwards because I can’t wait to see this. JewWario would be proud.

Life is Strange Design Documentary January 10, 2015

Life is Strange is a five part episodic game being made by DONTNOD, the same studio responsible for the game Remember Me. Whereas Remember Me was a third person action game which put you in a futuristic Paris and allowed you to manipulate the minds of your enemies for your benefit, Life is Strange looks like a complete 180 from that. This modern day adventure game takes place in the real world and offers a nostalgic take on what growing up is like.

Still, after I took a look at this documentary I still felt like all the charm and polish I remembered from their last game is still here. Take a look.

Life is Strange is coming January 30th, 2015 to the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Twitch.TV Announces Friday Movie Night January 8, 2015

Movie buffs and gamers alike have a reason to celebrate. Game streaming site Twitch.TV has just announced they will be streaming game related films and documentaries every Friday night until February 20th.

Here’s the full schedule of films they’ll be streaming.

January 9: Stream Dream and Winter Releases Trailer

January 16: Pixel Poetry – A games-as-art documentary

January 23: (no broadcast)

January 30: Angry Video Game Nerd – The movie adaptation of the popular comic web series

February 6: Gaming in Color – LGBTQ gamer documentary

February 13: Super Game Jam: The Movie – Game development becomes entertainment

February 20: To be announced

I think this is a great way to offer gaming fans a chance to watch this content. I’m a huge fan of documentaries and since G4 was shut down, video game related content in any form is really not broadcast on TV. Twitch may end up offering a better, more interesting schedule of content than anything that my digital cable package will offer for the next month.

The movies will stream on the Official Twitch Channel starting at 2:15PM PST this Friday.

PlayStation Now Subscription Service Announced January 5, 2015

It looks like Sony decided to take my advice and is launching the PlayStation Now game streaming software as a subscription service.

If you ask me this is a brilliant decision as it will allow players a much more flexible price point then what they were initially offering, with the option to discontinue if the service is ever shut down.

They plan to launch with over 100 playable games including Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, God of War: Ascension, Bioshock: Infinite, and Batman: Arkham City.

The service launches first on PS4 January 13th. You will need an Internet connection to play.