GameStop has quite a sale going on, offering used and new games for up to fifty percent off both in store and online. The Power Saver sale lasts until August 8, and includes discounts on lots of popular titles. Check out some highlights after the break, and be sure to check the sale page for many more deals.

Continue reading GameStop celebrates summer with huge sale

GameStop celebrates summer with huge sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was one of our favorite games at this year's E3 -- while it's a new taste for the franchise, it certainly seemed like one gamers will enjoy. But even if all of the puzzle-solving and co-op has you worried that Lara's gone too cerebral, let this trailer reassure you: The girl still knows how to shoot things until they stop moving.

She and partner Totec do so with all kinds of heavy weaponry, including flamethrowers, rocket launchers and whatever else they find laying around that ancient temple they're exploring. The video also shows off some of the game's relic and artifact system, which will not only let you customize weapons with various stats and abilities, but encourage replaying of the game, as some of the relics will require a few runs through the title to obtain. Watch the full trailer after the break.

Continue reading Lara Croft still likes all kinds of guns

Lara Croft still likes all kinds of guns originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last month's NPD figures were rather disappointing, reflecting a 15 percent decline in year-over-year sales. With the exception of Red Dead Redemption and Super Mario Galaxy 2, it appears gamers simply aren't buying as many games as they used to ... and, predictably, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has a theory.

The problem? Online games. According to Pachter, "the overall decline was due to a very large number of people playing multiplayer online games." With an estimated 12 million players spending 10 hours a week rampaging through Activision's shooter, Pachter argues that online games like Modern Warfare 2, Halo 3 and Bad Company 2 have "sucked the available time away from what otherwise would be spent playing newly purchased games."

While there are many other factors to consider -- the still-sluggish economy, the declining sales of key Wii software (a la Wii Play) -- Pachter's point does seem to have some merit. Unfortunately, his publisher-centric solution is unlikely to win him many fans among gamers. The "monetization of multiplayer," as he describes it, would have publishers figuring out some method to charge gamers to play online. It's a risky proposition that could bear some terrible consequences, but the current model is, as Pachter puts it, "devastating for publishers and shareholders, who are seeing sales and profits decline."

Pachter: Online multiplayer games to blame for game sales decline originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deadly Premonition and El Shaddai publisher Ignition Entertainment recently underwent a bit of restructuring, leading it to adopt part of the moniker of its parent company, UTV Group. The publisher, henceforth named UTV Ignition Entertainment, will now focus on delivering downloadable titles on digital platforms including PSN, XBLA, Steam, Facebook, Google Games and the App Store.

The change was made to satisfy "a demand to market and publish games at more inclusive price points that maintain the same level of quality as their boxed counterparts," UTV Ignition chairman Hassan Sadiq explained in a recent statement. We suppose that's an admirable goal, though we'll never forgive them for missing the perfect opportunity to name their business "Remix to Ignition." For shame, you guys. For shame.

Ignition Entertainment rebrands, focusing on digital content originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who knew the PlayStation Move controllers had such powerful rumble motors? Time Crisis returns to PS3, this time with support for Sony's new motion controller. (Although, you can still use a Guncon!) More so than previous Time Crisis games, Razing Storm is about causing as much destruction as possible. Instead of wielding a handgun, your characters are armed with machine guns -- giving the Move's rumble motors a thorough workout.

The gameplay will be largely familiar to anyone that's played an on-rails shooter before. You duck to dodge and reload and, in typical Time Crisis fashion, a countdown appears around enemies that are getting ready to shoot. However, the flow of the gameplay has drastically changed, as the player is far more powerful than any previous Time Crisis protagonist. Equipped with a machine gun, you'll be able to tear through the environment, bursting through cover. It makes it quite easy to mow down the dozens of enemies that are rushing at you on the screen.

"Are those zombies?," I asked a Namco Bandai representative. "No, those are terrorists," they responded.

Continue reading Preview: Time Crisis Razing Storm

Preview: Time Crisis Razing Storm originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The most recent Bungie update is a doozy. There's over 5000 words of Halo: Reach goodness in there, so allow us to distill the important bits. First of all, that nifty hologram ability from the Bungie Day video two weeks back? Totally real and available as an armor ability in Reach.

Second, Bungie has dropped a somewhat massive image -- check it out in the gallery below -- showing off exactly which items players will see in the Halo: Reach Armory on day one. Any Halo fan is bound to notice that Cortana shows up at the bottom of the image, alongside Sgt. Johnson, Master Chief and Sgt. Buck (AKA Nathan Fillion). Will these be playable characters? Voices for Firefight? We've contacted Bungie to see if we can find out.

Finally, Halo: Reach Avatar Awards have been revealed, comprised of the helmets worn by Noble Team. These will be unlocked by completing certain actions within the game.

Bungie Weekly Update: Reach's hologram, armor and Avatar unlocks originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The official Twitter account for the Penny Arcade Expo has announced that this year's PAX Prime keynote speaker will be none other than Warren Spector, creator of the classic Deus Ex and Thief games, and current driving force behind the upcoming Disney Epic Mickey. Spector's no stranger to the keynoting game, having spoken at GDC and other conferences before. We got to talk to him back at E3 this year, and he's right in the thick of Epic Mickey, thinking about accessible gameplay and how to build very famous and licensed characters into his game in a fun way.

Spector will also be at Comic-Con later this week, speaking at a panel with writer Peter David about bringing Mickey and his less famous friends to life in the video game medium. PAX Prime is going down the first week of September up in Seattle, WA, and tickets are still (barely) available.

Warren Spector will keynote at PAX Prime 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Comic-Con is turning out to be pretty worthwhile simply for DS-related reasons. In addition to the exclusive Dragon Quest IX content, you'll have a chance to try out Super Scribblenauts, and save $5 on the game for your trouble.

Warner Bros. Interactive will have demo stations for the adjective-enhanced adventure in its booth (#4545). Those who go to check it out will get an adjective of their own, thanks to a $5 Best Buy coupon to turn their own copies of Super Scribblenauts into cheap copies. The publisher released this charming artwork today as well, depicting some adjectivized objects found within the game. A plaid kappa! A wooden cat, in a furry cup, maybe? A tiny, striped, winged elephant! These are things that you can use in a video game to solve puzzles!

See and save on Super Scribblenauts at Comic-Con originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Earlier today, rumors began circulating that Modern Warfare 2 would be releasing an update that would have users pay a monthly premium to continue playing the game on Xbox Live.

The rumors started back in February when Activision CEO, Bobby Kotick said,

“If you think about the success that we’ve had in other product categories on subscription, you can get a sense of the direction that we want to take that franchise.”

It comes as no surprise that after seeing footage of Modern Warfare 2 showing off subscription based screen shots (and leaked video), that the masses might assume that Activision might be looking to implement such a system now.

Robert Bowling, aka Fourzerotwo and community manager of Infinity Ward, was finally able to squash the rumor for Modern Warfare 2 with,

“Modern Warfare 2 subscription plan rumors going around. For the record, nobody has to pay to play COD or MW2 multiplayer, nor will they.”

Plus, for those wondering if the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops may have a chance at such a subscription plan, have no fear, as Josh Olin, aka JD_2020 of Treyarch had this to say,

“No, you will not have to ‘Pay to Play’#CODBlackOps Multiplayer either. Rumor -> Squashed.”

So there you have it. Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops will NOT have any subscription based “Pay to Play” tied into the game. However, future Call of Duty games aren’t safe from such a system.

Would you pay extra to continue multiplayer gaming, such as Call of Duty, on Xbox Live?

Continue reading Now Playing: July 19-25, 2010

Now Playing: July 19-25, 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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