This week, the Delaware supreme court will permit publisher Activision to buy parent company’s Vivendi’s stake in the biz for $8.17 billion, Grand Theft Auto V becomes the biggest digital release ever on the PlayStation 3 and already surpassed Grand Theft Auto IV’s lifetime sales in the U.K., and Japanese publisher Square Enix partners with Indiegogo to create its own Kickstarter-like service.
You’ll also find reviews for the adventure games Beyond: Two Souls and The Wolf Among Us Episode One: Faith as well as a preview for the action-adventure game Thief and the latest installment of our series on great tabletop games for video gamers.
News:
- The DeanBeat: If only more gamers reached the end of games
- How clans will connect Call of Duty: Ghosts players across platforms (except Wii U)
- Delaware Supreme Court will allow $8.17 billion Activision/Vivendi deal to proceed
- Xbox 360 to be the top-selling console this fall (exclusive)
- In BetAmerica’s The Twitter Game, you bet on which celebrity will tweet the most
- Movie-preview trivia game Trailerpop gets multiplayer mode
- IGT launches Monopoly-themed version of DoubleDown Casino
- Why the new XCOM is called ‘Enemy Within’ — and why it’s going to make you miserable
- Social site Dpadd hopes to be ‘just like Goodreads, but for video games’
- Sleeping Dogs developer working on sequel, Triad Wars
- Grand Theft Auto V is the PlayStation 3′s biggest digital release ever
- Xbox One reportedly automatically records Achievement-unlocking (updated)
Announcements and reveals:
June 5th: The AI Audit in NYC
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- Valve announces Steam Dev Days to give studios access to Steam OS, Steam Machines, and Steam Controller
- Double Fine to show unannounced new game at its Day of the Devs party — you’re invited
- Star Wars: The Old Republic’s next expansion introduces 24-player dogfights in space
- Assassin’s Creed IV DLC Freedom Cry puts players in the shoes of a former slave
- Call of Duty: Ghosts will have dedicated servers on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and current gen
- Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition comes to PlayStation 4, not Xbox One or Wii U
- Borderlands 2 has some new loot: $100,000 of real cash
Mobile news:
- Fore app makes every golf round you play into a tournament with friends
- Dragon Realms is Gree’s next attempt to conquer the mobile RPG market
- Final Fantasy VI remake coming to smartphones, tablets
- Compete for the Guinness world record for best mobile gamer this fall
- Dragon Quest series coming to Android, iOS in Japan
- Trigger Happy’s Toon Hero app lets fans create their own Portal 2 animated cartoons (exclusive)
- How CoachGlass makes you a smarter Madden player
- GameSalad teams up with Amazon to deliver indie games on the Kindle Fire
- GDC Next and ADC follow games and apps into the future
Above: Master Luna’s abilities in Peggle 2 allow her to ghost through the less-important blue pegs.
Trailer hoedown:
- PopCap shows off new Peggle 2 characters, art style, and animations (video)
- Dixie Kong stars in latest Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze trailer
- Watch the first 5 minutes of BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea expansion
Ruh-roh:
- Ubisoft: Wii U not getting Assassin’s Creed IV downloadable content
- Square Enix president says his company’s need for reform is ‘urgent’
- Rhode Island governor reportedly forced 38 Studios’ bankruptcy
GamesBeat 2013:
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: Facebook’s Sean Ryan on evolving social games
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: VCs Tim Chang and Bing Gordon to talk on gaming’s future
Above: Joker’s posse share their leader’s passion for clown make-up and accessories.
All this funding:
- ColecoVision is back with a Kickstarter to bring its retro games to iOS
- Square Enix partners with Indiegogo to form its own Kickstarter-like service
- Batman: Arkham Origins developer gets $1.5 million from Quebec
- Golem Arcana Kickstarter looks to cast some digital magic on the tabletop experience
Tech:
- Bizarre console tales: Chinese site says Foxconn forcing students to make PS4s
- For just $20 more than a Nexus 7, you can get a tablet that is also a game console and smart TV
- AMD launches new Radeon graphics family for both the masses and gamers
- PlayStation 4 controller will work on PCs
Earnings:
Acquisitions incorporated:
Reviews:
- The Wolf Among Us Episode One: Faith is an impressive start to Telltale’s latest series (review)
- Beyond: Two Souls deepens our human connection to video game characters (review)
Previews:
Above: The thief Garrett overlooks city.
Interviews:
- Bryan Ekman’s mech is bigger than your mech (interview)
- How Eidos plans to bring the decade-old Thief to new gamers (interview)
- Ubisoft bills Rocksmith 2014 video game as the fastest way to learn the guitar (interview)
- Crytek overhauls Warface online shooter with female characters (interview)
Pieces of flair:
- Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls has a whopper of an ending
- 10 games to help you regain your humanity after playing GTA V
- Great tabletop games for video gamers: Boss Monster: The Dungeon-Building Card Game
- The 15 most significant new fighting-game characters from this generation
- Grand Theft Auto Online: 26 tips and tricks for success
