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Halo 5 Guardians GameXcess.Net LAN Party January 16, 2015

Posted by Maniac in Site Videos.
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Just after the Halo 5: Guardians Beta hit the Xbox One, we here at GameXcess.Net decided to have a little LAN Party, and Princess Angel decided to take some pictures and video of the event. Joined by diskreader117 and his cousin Vinny, Maniac took a an early look at the game and see who was the best. Only one of us would be winning the crown.

Halo 5: Guardians is coming later this year exclusively on Xbox One.

EVOLVE Open Beta Now on Xbox One January 15, 2015

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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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

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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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

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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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

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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

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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

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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

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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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.

An Interview with the Director of Super Power Beat Down January 9, 2015

Posted by Maniac in Interviews.
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Since that first moment we saw two Batmobiles drag race through San Diego, Bat in the Sun’s fantastic webseries Super Power Beat Down has been a staple of the Internet, and held a regular place in my YouTube “Must Watch” list.  The series regularly pits famous characters from movies, comics and video games against each other in an epic battle to the death with the winner decided by the fans.

Super Power Beat Down is produced by Bat in the Sun Productions, a company helmed by Director Aaron Schoenke. I have been following the work of Bat in the Sun since 2003, a time when they produced some incredible Batman fan films.  Since that time, Aaron and I have been good friends, and he agreed to do an interview with me about the series and his company.

Let’s see if we can get him to reveal any future tidbits about the show!

Maniac: First off, thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to do this interview. I know you’re working hard on your webseries.  What was the inspiration behind Super Power Beat Down?

Aaron: I drew my inspiration for [SPBD] from a TV show I was on [called] Deadliest Warrior where I played the pirate among many other characters. I also got a lot of my inspiration from a card game called Overpower in the 90s.

Maniac: Does any episode you’ve worked on stand out as being more difficult than the others? What made it so difficult?

Aaron: Some episodes were definitely harder to shoot then others. Batman versus Vader had long 16 hour days whereas Lara Croft [versus] Nathan Drake we shot in 108° [F] weather which was super exhausting.

Maniac: Do you have a favorite episode?

Aaron: It’s really hard to choose among all the episodes but if I had to I would say I enjoy Batman versus Darth Vader, Wolverine versus Predator, and White Ranger versus Scorpion the best.

Maniac: Can I get you to drop any hints about future episodes of Super Power Beat Down?

Aaron: Most definitely but only for you, we have Green Ranger versus Ryu coming out soon.  We also will be seeing Spider-Man this year along with an appearance from Wonder Woman as well. Plus [expect an episode featuring] The Clown Prince of Crime himself!

Maniac: What does the future hold for Bat in the Sun? Any new shows on the way?

Aaron: We are just finishing up season two of Jason David Frank’s My Morphing Life and we also have an original project coming out starring him as well as Kevin Porter and John Morrison!

Maniac: Amazing!

I hope you guys all enjoyed the interview!  Thanks again to Aaron Schoenke for the interview.  Just remember, Super Power Beat Down is completely fan focused, and if you want a specific favorite character of yours to win the next battle, go and vote for it on their official site!

Twitch.TV Announces Friday Movie Night January 8, 2015

Posted by Maniac in Game News.
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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.