KB-Technologies

Not your father's platformer.  I ran forward through the castle complex, but no matter how hard I squinted, the world outside the small bubble of clarity around me remained blurry and out of focus. “Damn this short-sightedness,” I muttered before hacking at a beast in my path. Nothing. The damn blade passed right through it. Oh great, I’m seeing things again. Dementia’s a bitch. Welcome to Rogue Legacy , a game quite unlike anything else I’ve come across. Looking for all the world like a 2D action-platformer, behind the charming pixel art presentation is a consistently surprising experience, packing a dizzying array of variables. It’s all anchored by robust Roguelike game design, which means a procedurally generated world and perma-death. Each time you enter the castle, its layout and the challenge ahead will be different, and if you die, well, that’s the end of that hero - it’s time to send one of his heirs in to try and finish the job. Thankfully, the meta...

Jak and Daxter get deported.  The Jak and Daxter series stands as a testament to the awesome games of the PlayStation 2 generation, and also serves as the turning point when we really started to recognize Naughty Dog as a top-tier developer. Last year the original trilogy got a rather excellent HD upgrade and port to the PlayStation 3 with the Jak and Daxter HD Collection. This year the same trilogy comes to the PlayStation Vita, and while it's a thrill to have some of the best platformers ever on my portable system, I have to say that the Vita is the worst way to play these games. As a rundown for the uninitiated: Jak 1 ( full review here ) is a classic platformer from the PS2 days, full of charisma and humor. It's got a kid-friendly vibe, and focuses more on the platforming than combat. It's one of those game genres that have been forgotten, and ...

Select Nexus devices should see update this afternoon. During today's Google press event , the company unveiled its latest update for the Android mobile operating system. Android 4.3 adds a few new features, and was showcased right alongside the just announced Nexus 7 tablet . One of those announced features is the ability to restrict app content at a user level on your Android device. Multi-user settings with Restricted Profiles will let you protect younger users in your family, for instance, a big bonus for parents worried their little one might purchase thousands of dollars worth of in-app content. The new Android update also adds Bluetooth Smart support. But if you enjoy playing games on your Android device, OpenGL ES 3.0 is likely the most important feature of Android 4.3. The demo footage shown by Google--running on the Unity engine--showed off deeper shadows on the faces of characters. And for those J.J. Abrams fans among you, the addition of detailed lig...

Why Sony and Microsoft are fighting for the affections of independent developers, and why that's good for us. Whatever you want to say about Microsoft right now, you can’t say that it’s not listening. The Xbox One policies as they stand today are practically unrecognisable compared to how they stood when the console was announced at the end of May. Gone is the daily authentication check, gone are the restrictions on doing whatever you want with the games you purchase, gone is the man who said that if you wanted to play games offline, you could just buy an Xbox 360. And finally, as of yesterday, gone is the archaic requirement for independent developers to find themselves a publisher if they want to see their games on Xbox Live Arcade. I don’t know to what extent all of these compromises will undo the damage caused to the Xbox’s image in those first few weeks. Some will see this continual backtracking as weak-willed. Others will just be pleased that they won’t have...

This section collects all known PlayStation 4 Games . Several PlayStation 4 games have been confirmed, though beneath the list of confirmed games is a list of Rumored Games that are believed to exist, yet haven't been officially announced. Many, but not all of the games on this list, are PlayStation 4 launch titles Confirmed PlayStation 4 Games These games have been confirmed specifically for PlayStation 4. See below for a list of games confirmed for "next-generation systems," which suggests a PlayStation 4 release. Click on any of the games below for more information, videos and screenshots. See also: List of PlayStation 4 Launch Games Game Developer Release Date Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag [1] Ubisoft TBA Battle...

The Xbox One (once known as the Xbox 720, Infinity or Project Durango) has been confirmed by Microsoft, and next-gen games have been confirmed in various manners by developers and other sources. For a list of the games that will be out right at the launch of the console, see the Xbox One Launch Titles page.  List of Confirmed Xbox One Games These games were confirmed to be next-gen Xbox games at the Xbox announcement on May 21, 2013. At the Xbox One announcement Microsoft claimed to have 15 Xbox One exclusive games in its first year, with 8 of those being new franchises. [1]  Although the Xbox One does not require an Always Online Connection , some of its games will only work with a connected Xbox One, as noted below. For a list of "day one"...

Showcase will be hosted by Phil Spencer and Phil Harrison. Microsoft has confirmed that it will hold an Xbox One Gamescom Showcase event on August 20th. The showcase will be hosted by corporate vice presidents Phil Spencer and Phil Harrison and will provide media “the opportunity to get hands-on with a range of Xbox One titles, speak with developers and be the first to hear our Gamescom news.” This will mark Microsoft’s return to Gamescom after it skipped the show in 2012. Earlier this week, Microsoft’s Marc Whitten announced that independent devs can self-publish on Xbox One and confirmed that “more details on the program and the timeline” will be revealed at Gamescom. Microsoft said back in May that Xbox One will have 15 exclusive games in its first year, not all of which have been announced. While nothing has been confirmed, Gamescom could...

The mediocre beginning to a promising idea. When it launched on Kickstarter and went on to raise over $8.5 million in crowdsourced funding, the Ouya was heralded as the next revolution in gaming — an inexpensive, Android-based platform where every game is free to try. It's a compelling concept, but the resulting product is decidedly not. For all of its promise, the Ouya falls victim to design missteps, poor performance, and a critical lack of compelling content. Even with its $99 MSRP and the potential to improve, the product as it exists today misses the mark. In spite of its failings, the Ouya does do some things well. For a $99 box, the industrial design and build is exceptional, thanks to the contributions of fuseproject — the studio behind the Jambox. The small, cube-like console is sleek and modern with gray alumin...