Video
8 CommentsThis is how you get a lightsaber in Disney Infinity
By Alexa Ray Corriea at 9:00a 04.21.14
There is a way to get Star Wars' iconic lightsaber in Disney Infinity — it just takes a bit of effort and a lot of cash.
In the video above, Stephen Alva Wood of YouTube channel Nerdflip runs down how to obtain the coveted item. By using all 29 NFC figurines within the game and raising all characters to level one, players can unlock a green lightsaber, a weapon used in the space epic by Jedi including Luke Skywalker and Yoda.
According to Wood, unlocking the lightsaber means players have spent at least $500 on Disney Infinity figurines at this point.
In late 2012, Disney purchased Lucasfilm — and the rights to the Star Wars franchise — in a $4 billion acquisition deal. More recently, the Disney Store Facebook page responded to a comment from a fan that there were no plans to...
News
2 CommentsPS3 bundled with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for $269 at Walmart
By Dave Tach on Apr 18, 2014 04.18.14
A new PlayStation 3 bundle with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is listed on Walmart's website for $269.
The 500 GB system also includes the 2012 movie The Amazing Spider-Man, which is available to watch through Vudu's streaming service.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is set for an April 29 release in the U.S. on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Windows PC. A previously planned Xbox One version has been delayed indefinitely. For more on the game, be sure to read our interview with its developers at Beenox from earlier this month.
News
19 CommentsCall of Duty: Ghosts adding R. Lee Ermey as a screaming drill instructor April 22
By Dave Tach on Apr 17, 2014 04.17.14
R. Lee Ermey, the actor best known for playing the drill instructor in Full Metal Jacket, will join the Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer voice cast April 22 on Xbox platforms, according to a video released today on the series' official YouTube channel.
Press play above to hear Ermey's voice work in the upcoming Drill Instructor Voice Pack, which will arrive on other platforms after the Xbox Live release. True to his best-known work, Ermey informs players of their major malfunctions with phrases like, "A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!" and "When they drop weapons, take them you idiot!"
Call of Duty: Ghosts won't be Ermey's first foray into video games. The actor has lent his distinctive voice to games in the Toy Story series, where he plays the army man toy...
News
33 CommentsNintendo engaged in lawsuit over alleged Wii U patent infringement
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Apr 17, 2014 04.17.14
Secure Axcess, a company "dedicated to monetization and management of Internet security patents," is suing Nintendo of America and Nintendo Co. for allegedly infringing on a patent concerning the Wii U, The Southeast Texas Record reports.
The patent in question was filed in 2000 and published in 2003 for a "multiscreen personal computer display method and apparatus," or a computer which provides display capabilities on more than one screen. The Wii U supposedly infringes on this patent with the use of its GamePad.
The company is also suing retailers such as GameStop, Target, Amazon and Best Buy for selling the console "without license or authorization." Secure Axcess is seeking compensatory damages, costs, interest and other relief.
Judge Rodney Gilstrap will preside over the...
News
48 CommentsThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 Xbox One version 'TBD,' says Activision
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 17, 2014 04.17.14
The existence of the Xbox One version of upcoming action game The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been called into question, with Activision telling MCV its fate is up in the air.
The game, slated to launch on April 29, is being published for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Windows PC and Xbox 360. All mentions of the Xbox One version have been removed from the game's official website, with Activision stating that version is "TBD."
"We want to inform you that we are revising our release plans for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Xbox One," Activision said in a statement to MCV. "When and whether The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is released on Xbox One is TBD."
When contacted for comment, a representative for Activision told Polygon that the company is "working with Microsoft in an...
News
34 CommentsWhy Square Enix uses DRM
By Dave Tach on Apr 17, 2014 04.17.14
Square Enix uses digital rights management to earn profits and protect its intellectual property, Square Enix America's senior manager of business and legal affairs Adam Sullivan told TorrentFreak.
Square Enix has "a well-known reputation for being very protective of our IPs," Sullivan said, and it employs DRM to further that goal.
"The primary benefit to us is the same as with any business: profit," he said.
Though he acknowledged that some players have problems and there is "no perfect solution yet," DRM also has other benefits that help developers.
"When F2P began trending, lots of people thought it would be the death of DRM. I remember talking with one F2P developer who couldn't imagine why hackers would want to attack his game, since it was free and all. Two months later they...
News
10 CommentsMario Kart 8, Kirby Triple Deluxe, more playable at WonderCon 2014
By Samit Sarkar on Apr 16, 2014 04.16.14
Nintendo is bringing five new titles from the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS libraries to WonderCon 2014 this weekend, including Mario Kart 8 and Kirby Triple Deluxe, the company announced today.
Two of the games — the 3DS titles Yoshi's New Island and Disney Magical World — are already available. Nintendo's WonderCon lineup also includes Kirby Triple Deluxe and Mario Golf: World Tour, both of which are launching May 2 on 3DS, and Mario Kart 8 (screenshot above), which is set for release May 30 on Wii U.
WonderCon 2014 takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., from April 18-20. For more on the aforementioned games, check out our recent previews of Mario Golf: World Tour, Kirby Triple Deluxe and Mario Kart 8, and our full review of Yoshi's New Island.
News
23 CommentsThe Division dev on Watch Dogs: it's 'tremendously important' knowing when to delay
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 15, 2014 04.15.14
Delaying a game may incur additional costs and fan ire, but in the end it's important for a developer to recognize when a game needs additional incubation time for quality purposes, Tom Clancy's The Division managing director David Polfeldt told The Examiner.
According to Polfeldt, it is "tremendously important" that developers and publishers know when to take a hit and delay a game. He said that Ubisoft's stock shares fell 25 percent the day the company announced its highly-anticipated open-world hacking game Watch Dogs had been delayed from October 2013 into 2014.
"It takes so much courage to live through that day and still think that was a good decision," he said. "So for us in the development [side], that's an important message that ultimately the management will back up the goals...
News
14 CommentsNintendo releasing Princess Peach-themed Wii Remote this month
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 15, 2014 04.15.14
Nintendo will launch a new Wii Remote Plus controller later this month mimicking the iconic dress colors of Princess Peach, the company announced this morning.
The Princess Peach remote will launch in stores in late April for $39.99 each and is designed similarly to the Mario and Luigi controllers. The main body of the controller (shown above and below) is pink with a golden crown design over the remote's speaker. The middle buttons on the controller are blue and the plus pad is golden-yellow, colors that reflect her jewelry and crown.
The remote is compatible with all Wii and Wii U games including upcoming kart racer Mario Kart 8, which launches on May 30.
Video
13 CommentsChild of Light's latest trailer walks viewers through the world of Lemuria
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 14, 2014 04.14.14
The latest trailer for Ubisoft's fairy tale-inspired Japanese-style role-playing game Child of Light introduces players to Lemuria, the world in which young pink-haired heroine Aurora sets off on her journey.
The video above briefly flies through a handful of environments Aurora will travel through — villages, forests filled with insect-like enemies, damp caves, rocky cliffs and ancient ruins. The little girl will run, float and fly through this world, collecting treasures, fighting off beasts and looking for a way to return home to her father.
Child of Light will launch on April 3 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Windows PC, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Check out previous videos detailing the game's artwork and soundtrack, as well as our interview from PAX East with Child of...
News
12 CommentsUbisoft's online store lists Watch Dogs' Wii U version for Fall 2014 launch
By Owen S. Good on Apr 13, 2014 04.13.14
Watch Dogs will launch on May 27 for every platform except Wii U. Ubisoft's official storefront now says the game will arrive in the Fall launch window this year.
The Fall 2014 listing is currently active on the Uplay marketplace. Nintendo Enthusiast, which spotted the listing, says it confirmed with a Ubisoft representative that the game is targeting Fall 2014 for release.
Polygon has reached out to a Ubisoft representative for comment as well.
Watch Dogs' Wii U version is the only one not being developed by the Montréal studio building all other versions of the game. Ubisoft's studio in Bucharest, Romania, is handling this edition. In March, the game's senior producer said a 2014 release date was still a possibility.
News
12 CommentsHow you craft Child of Light's story as you play
By Samit Sarkar on Apr 13, 2014 04.13.14
Ubisoft Montreal's Child of Light looks like a 2D side-scrolling platformer, and most of those games are all about mechanics; if there's a story, it's usually a static tale that doesn't have much to do with playing the game. But Child of Light lead writer told Polygon at PAX East 2014 that when he and creative director Patrick Plourde were designing the title's concept, they wanted story and gameplay to be deeply intertwined.
"I believe that gameplay is central to an interactive experience; otherwise, it should be a movie," said Yohalem. He explained that when Ubisoft greenlit the platformer, which is inspired by elements such as eastern European fairy tales and Japanese role-playing games, the publisher allowed him and Plourde full creative freedom. The duo decided to shy away from a...
Review
25 Comments
8.0
Lego The Hobbit review: safe fairyland
By Danielle Riendeau on Apr 11, 2014 04.11.14
Lego the Hobbit is the best way to engage with the fictional world of The Hobbit short of reading the original book.
Traveller's Tales' Lego games have always added a humorous spin to whatever property they were paired with. The team has found a perfect match in The Hobbit — the lighter, friendlier prequel to JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series.
Lego the Hobbit takes inspiration from the slightly overblown recent films and runs with it, creating a plastic universe that's warm, funny and inviting. The storytelling is succinct, the gameplay is familiar and comfortable, and the world itself is a pleasure to explore, lending to a sense of adventure grander than the tiny plastic bricks would lead you to expect.
Lego the Hobbit doesn't stray far from the formula set...
News
6 CommentsWatch Keiji Inafune design Mighty No. 9's robot enemies
By Alexa Ray Corriea on Apr 10, 2014 04.10.14
The latest Kickstarter backer update for Comcept's Mighty No. 9 details the state of the game as well as what players can expect from the enemies and environments robot protagonist Beck will encounter on his journey.
The grunt enemy robots, shown as sketches in previous updates, are undergoing additional polish and nearing their final forms, according to the update. The video above shows Inafune giving feedback on the humanoid-type enemy robot, which he noted should still be less human-like even though it is built like one. These upright standing robots, instead of holding shields and guns, have their shields integrated into their torso; when they need to use them, their torso rotates around to bring the shield from its back to the front of its body.
The update also includes artwork...
News
6 CommentsCult County brings first-person desert horror to life in latest gameplay video
By Emily Gera on Apr 10, 2014 04.10.14
Cult County developer Renegade Kid launched the first gameplay video for the upcoming horror game that is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter.
The campaign launched earlier this month and is seeking $580,000 to bring the release to Linux, Mac and Windows PC via Steam, as well as PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U and Xbox One. Xbox 360 and Nintendo 3DS ports are a possibility with stretch goals.
Cult County is self-described as "The Walking Dead meets Silent Hill 2 from a first-person perspective" and will focus on atmosphere, loneliness and your innermost fears. The game is set in a "small, dusty West Texas town," where protagonist Gavin Mellick is searching for his sister. Unable to find her, Gavin begins unraveling clues about a strange, "cultish" group...
News
12 CommentsNES Remix 2 dumps your favorite retro games on their head
By Megan Farokhmanesh on Apr 10, 2014 04.10.14
For fans of Nintendo's original NES games, NES Remix 2 is likely to hit the sweet spot between comfortable nostalgia and jarring alteration.
During a recent demo in San Francisco, I spent some hands-on time with the game. Like its predecessor, NES Remix, Remix 2 focuses on stuffing gameplay from retro games into rapid fire challenges. These bite-sized segments rarely, if ever, ran longer than 45 seconds and kept me on my toes. Mario 3-themed trials made me take out enemies with everlasting starpower as quickly as possible, or attempt to get Mario off the ground and flying. In a challenge taken from side-scroller Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, I had to defeat a tricky boss with a few well-timed hits.
The game's titular remixes are named for their mashups or otherwise drastic changes...
