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Joystiq Xbox, January 25, 2012: GameStop continues its closure of brick-and-mortar stores and conversion to a digital business in certain European markets, with recent moves in Portugal and Northern Ireland.

"GameStop plans to close our 13 stores in Portugal due to macro economic conditions," a company spokesperson told Joystiq. "Customers in Portugal can visit www.gamestop.es -- our E-commerce site in Spain -- for their gaming needs.

"And as announced last summer, GameStop is closing our four remaining UK stores -- thus finalizing our plans to exit the UK market. Our focus is to run an e-commerce only operation in the UK. Customers can redeem outstanding trade credits and gift cards on line at www.gamestop.com/uk."

Don't take this to mean the company is closing up storefronts on the continent. GameStop added 25 stores to "better performing" markets, such as Italy and France, during the last quarter.

GameStop shuttering Northern Ireland and Portuguese stores originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Xbox, January 25, 2012:
You have to love this Monty Python and the Holy Grail Kinect game, even though we all know that Tim the Enchanter had nothing to do with destroying the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. Maybe someone will add the Holy Hand Grenade as DLC.

You can learn more about the game's creation here.

Play this Kinect game and some may call you Tim originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Xbox, January 25, 2012: Three games in, the true meaning of "Mass Effect" is revealed: it refers to the masses of stuff you're tempted to buy for in-game DLC. Joining the recently announced DLC-laden action figures is the "Art of the Mass Effect Universe" artbook, which includes a download code for "the collector's rifle, among other cool content to beat out your opponents" when pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble.

The "collector's rifle" refers to the Collector Assault Rifle, described by artbook publisher Dark Horse Comics as a gun whose "power source appears to be an internal organ with biotic capacitance; its ammunition resembles pellets of metallic enamel that strip shields off enemies with deadly efficiency." Strangely, Dark Horse also specifies that the codes work only on PC and Xbox 360, so PS3 owners will get nothing for their book purchase but the book they purchased.

[Thanks Mark!]

Pre-order a Mass Effect artbook for an in-game rifle on PC or Xbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012:

Continue reading Warp: From a hypothetical question to an interesting puzzle game

Warp: From a hypothetical question to an interesting puzzle game originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012: Hey, Irrational? Need ideas for the BioShock Infinite cover? Maybe give Alex Garner a call. He's, uh, he's really good.

Be incredibly impressed by this BioShock Infinite fan art originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012: The PSN releases for this week went up quite late last night, so we're telling you about them now to make sure you don't miss out! Highlights include the sole new game release, Scarygirl, along with downloadable versions of retail games Mortal Kombat and *cough*Dukenukemforever.

Demos include The Darkness 2, Scarygirl, UFC Undisputed 3, and just in time for the 12 for 12 sale to be over, PixelJunk SideScroller. You can also download the Gotham City Impostors beta.

We also must mention what we think is the best PlayStation Plus deal ever: a Capcom "Super Pack" of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, 1942 Joint Strike, Age of Booty, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Flock!, Rocketmen, and the "It Came from Uranus" expansion for $12.50. Total. See all the new content on the PS Blog.

PSN releases: Scarygirl, Gotham City Impostors beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012:
This Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning diary features Audio Director Grant Kirkhope talking about the game's orchestral soundtrack and audio design. Make sure you stick around until the end: Kirkhope issues a heartfelt apology for one of the most heinous crimes in video game music.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning dev diary features soundtrack originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012:
Activision has come closer to identifying the specifics of the Modern Warfare 3 DLC schedule for Elite members, posting a calendar that shows what kind of content will be available every month through September. Don't worry: it's just text and images, not a video of Rob Riggle reading the schedule out. Yet.

February offers just one map, and April and July will have two maps each; aside from that, every month has some combination of maps, missions, and modes (modes in June and August). You can see exactly which combination will be available each month after the break, but Activision isn't revealing names until the current month, it appears.

Update: See a walkthrough for downloading Elite content in the video above.

Continue reading Plan your life around this Modern Warfare 3 Elite DLC calendar

Plan your life around this Modern Warfare 3 Elite DLC calendar originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq Wii, January 25, 2012: An anonymous letter sent to media and THQ's board of directors, allegedly written by a former employee of THQ, rains fire on the company's management and, specifically, CEO Brian Farrell. The letter arrives the same day as THQ announces another strategic realignment, a little over a week after the company had to spin a major cancellation rumor and over a month after THQ's stock dropped below $1.

"It is to the point where having [THQ] on your resume is not a point in your favor. And that shouldn't be the case," the "Formerly Mismanaged" writes. "I'm/We're sending this note anonymously because some of us are still awaiting final checks and others know how little corporations like employees who air their dirty laundry. We feel the need to say something to combat the partial misinformation being written."

The Formerly Mismanaged lays out its belief that the beginning of the end came when the cash rich company went on an acquisition spree years ago, allegedly "with no plan" -- many of those studios have since been shuttered or sold off. Then came what the accuser(s) call bad licensing deals and the most recent business miscalculation with the uDraw tablet, which caused the company to lower its fiscal outlook for the year.

The scope of THQ's problems is expected to come into slightly better focus when it announces its current financial position on February 2. Wedbush Morgan Financial Analyst Michael Pachter has pointed out he believes THQ will generate a "substantial loss" at the end of its fiscal year and that "THQ is at risk of running out of cash by the June%2012 quarter."

You can read the entire letter by "The Formerly Mismanaged" after the break.

Continue reading Alleged former THQ staffer sends furious note to board, press

Alleged former THQ staffer sends furious note to board, press originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012: In the wake of a rumor that THQ had relinquished a publishing deal with Disney for a variety of children's properties, the ailing publisher released a statement this morning renewing its focus on "core game franchises" over "traditional kids' licensed video games." The company will also be focusing on "digital initiatives" going forward, though we're not sure how that'll be possible after the closure of THQ's digital studio in the UK.

The release specifically cites UFC, Darksiders, Company of Heroes, Insane, Saints Row, Warhammer 40K, and Patrice Desilets' currently-in-production project as "key franchises" for the company going forward, and promises more information will be offered on next thursday's financial call.

Alongside news of the realignment, THQ announced that 3.8 million copies of its latest release, Saints Row: The Third, have shipped to retail since launch in November%2011. The publisher expects lifetimes sales to reach between five and six million units, and believes that its season pass plan will help that play out.

3.8 million copies means there are quite a few large purple dildo bats out in the wild, folks, but will it be enough to keep THQ going after a major miss with the uDraw Tablet and a rough past few years? That remains to be seen.

THQ moving away from 'kids licensed entertainment;' Saints Row: The Third ships 3.8 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 25, 2012:
Why is it that when we never ask for something, it turns out to be some kind of evil presence ruling over our lives, like Darkness 2 protagonist Jackie Estacado? Why can't it be, like, a free muffin or something?

You never asked for this Darkness 2 launch trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 25 Jan%2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 24, 2012: Swedish developer Paradox Interactive held an annual convention in its hometown of Stockholm last week, and took the opportunity to announce a brand new title by Zeal Game Studios called A Game of Dwarves. As you can see from the trailer above, the Game has sort of a casual Dwarf Fortress feel, allowing you to build, upgrade, and improve a dwarven clan's headquarters, while also looting and battling whatever mysterious foes happen to be living beneath it.

We hope that trailer announcer gets over that sore throat he seems to have, though; that's one heck of a frog. A Game of Dwarves is due out later this year on PC and PSN -- you can see some screenshots, along with some brand new concept art from the also-announced Magicka expansion, in the galleries below.

Paradox Interactive announces A Game of Dwarves, reveals new Magicka concepts originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan%2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 24, 2012: Sad your favorite game designer isn't getting his or her deserved time in the spotlight? Well dry those eyes, friend! It's gonna be hard to hold onto that grudge because today industry legends Sid Meier and Keiji Inafune have both been added to the GDC talk docket, as well as League of Legends proprietors, Riot Games. But hey, if you're not going to GDC, feel free to keep crying while you read the rest of this post.

Meier's talk, entitled "Interesting Decisions," will revolve around his viewpoint of gameplay as "a series of interesting decisions" and how developers can recognize and add these kinds of decisions, ultimately providing the player with a more fulfilling experience. Maybe he'll also talk a bit how that philosophy will play into XCOM: Enemy Unknown?

Inafune will aim to analyze the current state of the Japanese game industry in his sixty-minute talk, "The Future of Japanese Games." Along with his unnamed cohorts, he'll delve into the current problems facing the region and analyze the past success of Japanese game development. We imagine he'll also probably suffer through a lot of questions about Mega Man.

Finally, Riot Games offers a postmortem on its successful Dominion expansion for its runaway hit, League of Legends. Lead producer Travis George will offer insight into the expansion's genesis, all the way through production and launch.

Sid Meier, Keiji Inafune and Riot Games folks added to GDC seminar list originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan%2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 24, 2012: Square Enix has trademarked the name "Sleeping Dogs," which could be a canine-based Final Fantasy title, Hitman with a Scooby-Doo-inspired sidekick, or, most likely, another Kane and Lynch game. Yes, most likely -- we never said most desirably.

The previous Kane and Lynch title was Dog Days, and while it struggled to receive critical and commercial praise, Square Enix has hinted that the series may not be dead after all. Eidos "life president" Ian Livingstone said as much at the end of%2010 in an interview with Eurogamer: "We haven't made any announcements about Kane & Lynch going forward, but we all know that Kane and Lynch are two amazing characters who have a lot of brand equity," Livingstone hinted. "People like those guys, so they're not going to disappear."

Also, developer IO Interactive put out a suspicious job listing for people to work on an unannounced, third-person, AAA action title in September%2011. Again, "Sleeping Dogs" could be Square's answer to Nintendogs, but for now the evidence is piling up like a stack of old laundry against Kane and Lynch.

Square Enix may not let Kane and Lynch's 'Sleeping Dogs' lie originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan%2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq, January 24, 2012: The Jak and Daxter Collection, a compilation of the first three games in the classic PS2 series, will be available in just a few weeks for PS3. The PlayStation Blog announced that the package launches on February 7 and 22 in North America and Europe, respectively. The bundle will cost $39.99 in the Americas and €39.99 in Europe.

All the games have been reworked to feature 720p resolution, Trophies and stereoscopic 3D support. It's the closest many of us will ever get to being able to reach out and just throttle Daxter ... or pet him, whichever your preference over the past decade.

Jak and Daxter Collection hits NA Feb. 7, Europe Feb. 22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan%2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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