In addition to all that Mac OSX hoo-haa that happened earlier today, GOG announced a trio of pay-what-you-want Interplay bundles, featuring games such as Shattered Steel, Messiah, Earthworm Jim and Fallout.
Available for the next 14 days, the bundles' incentivized pricing structure should be familiar to anyone who's bought a Humble Bundle. Any price entered will purchase the basic bundle of eight Interplay games, which includes Conquest of the New World and Evolva, among other things. Paying more than the average price ($11.50 as of press time) unlocks 12 more games, and dropping down $35.00 or more brings the bundle's total up to 32 games.
The $35 bundle also includes 21 different soundtracks, 37 wallpapers, 410 pieces of artwork, a 205-page "Fallout Bible" and "much more." Click here for the full list of games in each bundle.
Available for the next 14 days, the bundles' incentivized pricing structure should be familiar to anyone who's bought a Humble Bundle. Any price entered will purchase the basic bundle of eight Interplay games, which includes Conquest of the New World and Evolva, among other things. Paying more than the average price ($11.50 as of press time) unlocks 12 more games, and dropping down $35.00 or more brings the bundle's total up to 32 games.
The $35 bundle also includes 21 different soundtracks, 37 wallpapers, 410 pieces of artwork, a 205-page "Fallout Bible" and "much more." Click here for the full list of games in each bundle.
Nintendo is approaching voice chat on Wii U from a very ... odd angle. Select games will support voice chat via third-party or officially licensed headsets plugged into the WiiPad's headphone jack, but voice chat will not be standard across all games or even the system itself. Even though the WiiPad has a built-in microphone, it can't be used for voice chat.
Things get a bit more complicated when you enter the Pro Controller into the mix. The Pro Controller doesn't even have a headphone jack, so for a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players will need to plug their headset into the WiiPad and set it next to them while they play with the Pro Controller.
So far the only games listed to support in-game voice chat are Assassin's Creed 3, Mass Effect 3 and Black Ops 2. Nintendo has yet to announce voice chat support for any further games, never mind detailed plans of the Wii U's online suite.
Things get a bit more complicated when you enter the Pro Controller into the mix. The Pro Controller doesn't even have a headphone jack, so for a game like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players will need to plug their headset into the WiiPad and set it next to them while they play with the Pro Controller.
So far the only games listed to support in-game voice chat are Assassin's Creed 3, Mass Effect 3 and Black Ops 2. Nintendo has yet to announce voice chat support for any further games, never mind detailed plans of the Wii U's online suite.
![Image](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
Originally slated for January 2013, the third installment in Greg Bear's series of Halo novels will now drop in March 2013, Tor Books has announced. Entitled Halo: Silentium, the novel wraps up Bear's Forerunner trilogy, which appropriately details the story of the Forerunners, the mysterious, extinct race that ruled the galaxy thousands of years prior to the events of the Halo games.
Curiously, Master Chief also runs into Forerunners in Halo 4. How does that work, you ask? Sounds like you have some reading to do.
Curiously, Master Chief also runs into Forerunners in Halo 4. How does that work, you ask? Sounds like you have some reading to do.
![Magical Drop V magically drops on Steam November 15](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
As we discovered to our surprise and delight last E3, Magical Drop V is not just a new game in the Data East color-matching puzzle series, it also contains the characters and gameplay from another unreleased puzzler, Ghostlop. Players can choose to play either game, even facing off in multiplayer across two different games.
Way back in May, Zynga filed suit against French social/mobile developer Kojobo over its usage of the suffix "Ville" in its Facebook game PyramidVille, saying that it was confusing to consumers and that Kojobo's game could easily be mistaken as one of Zynga's 'Ville properties.
Well as of today, the two developers have settled the matter out of court, with no money being exchanged in the process, according to Gamasutra. While neither party is talking specifics, the major extent of the settlement appears to be that Kojobo has renamed PyramidVille to PyramidValley and PyramidVille Adventure to PyramidValley Adventure.
Originally, Zynga had sought damages totaling three times the amount of money Kojobo made from PyramidVille, whatever that figure may have been. Now, it looks as though Zynga is content with Kojobo's renaming of its properties, and Kojobo is content with not being sued into oblivion.
Well as of today, the two developers have settled the matter out of court, with no money being exchanged in the process, according to Gamasutra. While neither party is talking specifics, the major extent of the settlement appears to be that Kojobo has renamed PyramidVille to PyramidValley and PyramidVille Adventure to PyramidValley Adventure.
Originally, Zynga had sought damages totaling three times the amount of money Kojobo made from PyramidVille, whatever that figure may have been. Now, it looks as though Zynga is content with Kojobo's renaming of its properties, and Kojobo is content with not being sued into oblivion.
![Xbox division earnings down 1% compared to last year](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
1.7 million Xbox 360 consoles were sold in the quarter ending September 30. This is a 29 percent drop from last year. Microsoft expects division revenue (from Xbox, Windows Phone, Skype, and everything else the Entertainment and Devices Division manages) to continue dropping in the next quarter, but rise in "low single-digits" for the year.
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.
Whenever I sit down and read an ostensibly hilarious article about JRPG cliches, I can always count on someone making a snarky observation about the in-game economy.
"Isn't it funny that shops actually charge heroes trying to save the world? Don't they get a hero's discount?"
These sorts of observations are as cliche as the JRPG tropes they try to skewer, but there is a kernel of truth to them. Hence my interest in Rental Bukiya de Omasse – a Yoshiyuki Hirai-developed "fantasy rhythm" RPG which unfortunately may end up being the odd game out in the upcoming eShop release of games from the Guild01 collection. We have enough snarky fan observations to last us a lifetime. Self-awareness and a real sense of humor on the part of developer is something far more rare.
"Isn't it funny that shops actually charge heroes trying to save the world? Don't they get a hero's discount?"
These sorts of observations are as cliche as the JRPG tropes they try to skewer, but there is a kernel of truth to them. Hence my interest in Rental Bukiya de Omasse – a Yoshiyuki Hirai-developed "fantasy rhythm" RPG which unfortunately may end up being the odd game out in the upcoming eShop release of games from the Guild01 collection. We have enough snarky fan observations to last us a lifetime. Self-awareness and a real sense of humor on the part of developer is something far more rare.
A peculiarity in the Xbox version of the Doom 3 BFG Edition prevents access to Doom and Doom 2 when Doom 3 is installed on the hard drive. According to publisher Bethesda this is not a bug.
"Doom 1 and 2 are the same games that are currently available on Xbox Live. Installing Doom BFG files to the system's hard drive could cause a conflict with the existing XBLA game files," a Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq. "Players should not see a performance advantage by installing Doom 3, so we recommend not installing the game to the Xbox HDD."
They added, "If people do install DOOM 3 BFG Edition to their hard drive, they should still be able to access both titles from the Xbox Live Dashboard under 'My Games'."
[Thanks, Justin]
"Doom 1 and 2 are the same games that are currently available on Xbox Live. Installing Doom BFG files to the system's hard drive could cause a conflict with the existing XBLA game files," a Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq. "Players should not see a performance advantage by installing Doom 3, so we recommend not installing the game to the Xbox HDD."
They added, "If people do install DOOM 3 BFG Edition to their hard drive, they should still be able to access both titles from the Xbox Live Dashboard under 'My Games'."
[Thanks, Justin]
Oh, December, with your regionally specific cold or warm nights, sugarplums and gift giving. It's also a time when the video game industry stops jamming the accelerator on so many video games. Which is good, because you have a lot of games to catch up on from both October and November.
December, however, does have a few highlights. Far Cry 3 arrives, along with the retail package of the outstanding Walking Dead adventure game series. So keep warm (or cool – we don't know where you live!) inside and spend some time with a few new video games.
Of course, there are plenty of other great games available this fall we didn't get a chance to highlight. That's why we want to hear your anticipated Fall 2012 games for a follow-up "Community Response" feature to these Cheat Sheets. Give us your list in the comments below and tell us why you're looking forward to it; we may even highlight your comment.
December, however, does have a few highlights. Far Cry 3 arrives, along with the retail package of the outstanding Walking Dead adventure game series. So keep warm (or cool – we don't know where you live!) inside and spend some time with a few new video games.
Of course, there are plenty of other great games available this fall we didn't get a chance to highlight. That's why we want to hear your anticipated Fall 2012 games for a follow-up "Community Response" feature to these Cheat Sheets. Give us your list in the comments below and tell us why you're looking forward to it; we may even highlight your comment.
![Image](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
Rounds of Dead or Alive 5 costume packs are apparently rolling out every two weeks, after a PlayStation Japan update revealed the third set is coming to that country's PSN on October 30. There's no mention of what costumes are being included, or of them coming to PSN in other regions on the same date.
The initial free costume pack dropped worldwide on October 2, then a slew of packs arrived two days ago, two weeks after the first pack. We'd say logic takes us to another round of costume packs for North America's XBLM and PSN on October 30, but we know better than to apply rational thinking to a Dead or Alive game.
The initial free costume pack dropped worldwide on October 2, then a slew of packs arrived two days ago, two weeks after the first pack. We'd say logic takes us to another round of costume packs for North America's XBLM and PSN on October 30, but we know better than to apply rational thinking to a Dead or Alive game.
CD Projekt RED's in-development future-RPG Cyberpunk is now Cyberpunk 2077, the developer has just announced during a GOG livestream. Beyond its new title, the game was also revealed to be a sandbox game set in Night City, a location from the original Cyberpunk 2020 tabletop pen-and-paper RPG on which the new game is based.
Cyberpunk 2077's official website launched today as well, containing a development blog and wallpaper-sized pictures of a blood-spattered half-naked robot women with blades coming out of her arms. Think there's a dexterity penalty for using those things?
Cyberpunk 2077's official website launched today as well, containing a development blog and wallpaper-sized pictures of a blood-spattered half-naked robot women with blades coming out of her arms. Think there's a dexterity penalty for using those things?
November is traditionally the time of year our wallets attempt to flee, lest they're destroyed by the onslaught of new video games. Hundreds of games, across every conceivable platform, will arrive next month. Are you ready?
In our November "Cheat Sheet" we highlight a few likely contenders for your harvest season free time. Halo 4, Black Ops 2, Hitman: Absolution and ... an entirely new home console! The Wii U drops next month and with it comes a slew of amazing games (too many for us to include, really). Here's what you should be saving up for in November.
In our November "Cheat Sheet" we highlight a few likely contenders for your harvest season free time. Halo 4, Black Ops 2, Hitman: Absolution and ... an entirely new home console! The Wii U drops next month and with it comes a slew of amazing games (too many for us to include, really). Here's what you should be saving up for in November.
Good Old Games is expanding to include not only Mac games, but PC games for Mac. Right now GOG has 50 games available for Mac, 28 of which are only on GOG. Games include: Syndicate, the Ultima and Wing Commander franchises, The Witcher 2 (all out for the first time on Mac today), Machinarium, FTL, Syndicate, Sim City 2000, Dungeon Keeper, Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers and Crusader: No Remorse. Find the complete list of Mac games on GOG here.
GOG is hosting a Mac sale today, which includes The Witcher Enhanced Edition, Crusader: No Remorse, Theme Hospital, Little Big Adventure, Postal Classic and Uncut, and Simcity 2000 for half off.
All GOG games are hybrid, meaning both Mac and PC versions come for one price: Buy it for PC, own it for Mac and vice versa. GOG hosts a native OS X downloader app as well. There are eight free games available for Mac users to test out the system, including Beneath a Steel Sky, Tyrian 2000, Ultima 4 and Warsaw.
Thanks for not making liars out of us, GOG.
![Image](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
There are far, far too many games in October this year. It's a good thing the month is almost finished. Even though it seemed we had a steady year of games, there are still enough new things coming in the holiday season to overwhelm even the most avid game fan.
We've highlighted a selection of October games to help you keep track – from the massive AAA products like Dishonored to niche experiences like the Vita action-RPG, Ragnarok Odyssey. Here's what you should be playing this month, or go back to play when you find the time.
We've highlighted a selection of October games to help you keep track – from the massive AAA products like Dishonored to niche experiences like the Vita action-RPG, Ragnarok Odyssey. Here's what you should be playing this month, or go back to play when you find the time.
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
On Sunday, they'll be joined by new release Style Savvy: Trendsetters, which lets players create a boutique clothing store and stock it with the latest in men or women's apparel. There's even more on the eShop, including Sparkle Snapshots 3D (which is exactly what it sounds like) and the NES version of Gradius. Were we able to hold your attention until that last bit?
The Witcher 2 is available for Mac on Steam right now, and it's even on sale for 25 percent off, just $22.50.
The Witcher 2 is dropping for Mac on GOG today as well, Eurogamer reports -- which suggests that from today, GOG will support Mac games.
CD Projekt Red and GOG have a conference today at 2 p.m. ET, set to stream live from the Witcher Facebook page and on GOG. This may have been one of the surprise announcements scheduled for the event, but there should be plenty more. CD Projekt Red plans to announce the official name of its Cyberpunk game and show off the REDkit mod tools program.
The Witcher 2 is dropping for Mac on GOG today as well, Eurogamer reports -- which suggests that from today, GOG will support Mac games.
CD Projekt Red and GOG have a conference today at 2 p.m. ET, set to stream live from the Witcher Facebook page and on GOG. This may have been one of the surprise announcements scheduled for the event, but there should be plenty more. CD Projekt Red plans to announce the official name of its Cyberpunk game and show off the REDkit mod tools program.
"Concepts," a new section on Steam Greenlight, allows developers to post their games without paying the $100 fee normally required – the catch? Games can't be Greenlit through Concepts. Concepts is a hub for developers to gauge interest in their games and build a community, even if the developer doesn't have the resources to take its chances on Greenlight.
"This section is intended for items looking to gather feedback from the potential customers and begin building a community," the Concepts description reads. "If you like projects here, feel free to rate them, favorite them, and leave feedback for the developer. The voting here serves only to give the developer data and reactions and doesn't work toward getting the game distributed on Steam."
Concepts offers a compromise between the completely open system that Greenlight launched with (and quickly amended), and the $100 fee now required for hosting a game on Greenlight. It allows developers to see if their games have a chance, to generate a following and resources, before taking them to Greenlight or elsewhere.
Concepts joins the "Software" tab recently added to Greenlight. As of publishing, there are only 15 games on Concepts, so if you have a potential indie hit, maybe get it up there now, while the getting's good.
"This section is intended for items looking to gather feedback from the potential customers and begin building a community," the Concepts description reads. "If you like projects here, feel free to rate them, favorite them, and leave feedback for the developer. The voting here serves only to give the developer data and reactions and doesn't work toward getting the game distributed on Steam."
Concepts offers a compromise between the completely open system that Greenlight launched with (and quickly amended), and the $100 fee now required for hosting a game on Greenlight. It allows developers to see if their games have a chance, to generate a following and resources, before taking them to Greenlight or elsewhere.
Concepts joins the "Software" tab recently added to Greenlight. As of publishing, there are only 15 games on Concepts, so if you have a potential indie hit, maybe get it up there now, while the getting's good.
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We always respect the law and we've never instructed anybody to violate the laws of any country. The same is true for Arma 3."
— Bohemia CEO Marek Spanel on two Arma 3 developers arrested in Greece on suspicion of espionage
The Joystiq Podcast
![The Joystiq Podcast](https://web.archive.org/web/20121019005952im_/http://o.aolcdn.com/js/x.gif)
Super Joystiq Podcast Special: An hour with indie dev Vlambeer
Latest episode: Monday, October 15th, 2012