Skip to main content

Latest by A. Agnello

Square-Enix explains why Final Fantasy games cost so much on iOS

Most iPhone games cost just 99-cents, but if you want to play one of the illustrious Square-Enix's games, you'll have to shell out more than that. The developers of Final Fantasy Dimensions explain why their RPGs cost what they do.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. creators map out their post-apocalyptic survival plans with new MMO Suvarium

Vostok Games pulled itself by the irradiated bootstraps after losing years of work on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, starting afresh with a brand new apocalyptic MMO. The studio recently laid out its plan for its new project Suvarium.

The minds behind Castle Crashers are back with BattleBlock Theater, and it begins beta testing this February

It's been a long five years since The Behemoth released Castle Crashers but the long wait for its follow up, BattleBlock Theater, is nearly over. The Behemoth is accepting applications for a closed beta test of the game.

Investment in social gaming drops by $1 billion in 2012

As recently as 2011, the expectation was that the social gaming industry was the future of big money in video games. Companies like Zynga were valued in the billions. In 2013? Not so much. Investment in social game companies dropped by $1 billion in 2012.

Nintendo delays the majority of its launch window titles

Nintendo still isn't committing to firm release dates for many of its announced Wii U games like Pikmin 3 and Wii Fit U. It has confirmed, though, that Platinum's Wii U original The Wonderful 101 will be out sometime by June.

Halo 2 says goodbye in February (but not for good)

Yesterday's record-breaker is today's ignored multiplayer game. After more than eight years, Halo 2 is finally going offline as players on PC dwindle to a trickle. Rumor is Halo 2 will only stay away for another year, though.

Sony says Star Wars 1313 is coming to PlayStation 3, Lucasarts says slow down

One of the "next-gen" games that made headlines in 2012 may make it to the current generation of video game consoles after all as Sony's German office claims that Star Wars 1313 is coming to PlayStation 3.

Valve wants Team Fortress 2 to dominate your sense through virtual reality

Valve's Joe Ludwig will give a particularly intriguing talk at this year's Game Developers Conference, providing insight not just their development process but the future of their growing hardware business.

A method for success: Guild Wars 2 sells 3 million copies in a changing MMO market

The Secret World, Tera, and Star Wars: The Old Republic are just three of the high profile MMOs that have had to drop subscription fees to stay alive. Guild Wars 2's impressive sales prove that the way to win the MMO market is to forego subscriptions entirely.

Missouri proposes tax on violent video games like Dance Central 3

Missouri Rep. Diane Franklin proposes that the best way to curb the sale of violent video games is through sales tax. What is a violent video game you ask? Anything rated T for Teen and up by the ESRB, including games like You Don't Know Jack.

Suda 51 returns to the surreal world of ‘Killer 7’ and ‘No More Heroes’ with ‘Killer is Dead’

Goichi Suda hasn't directed a game in his Assassin series since 2008. Now Grasshopper Manufacture's iconic creator is going back to the well with Killer is Dead, a new action game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Where Wii U meets 3DS: Nintendo merges its home and portable hardware dev teams

After many successful years, Nintendo is shaking up the way it makes video game consoles, bringing its portable and home console teams under one roof. How will this change the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS?

ArmA 3 developers released from Greek prison on bail after 4 months

Bohemia Interactive and ArmA 3 developers Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta have had a rough time of it since being arrested for espionage in Greece last September, but the two Czech nationals have finally been granted bail.

Ubisoft goes Shakespearean with writer on the Assassin’s Creed movie

The Assassin's Creed movie starring Michael Fassbender has its scribe. Michael Lesslie, writer of the well-reviewed Hamlet prequel Prince of Denmark, will be writing about the ancient war between assassins and Templars.

NRA releases an iPhone shooter one month after blaming violent media for Sandy Hook tragedy

Violent movies and video games are the cause of real world violence like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting according to the National Rifle Association. That's why it's made it's own shooter for the iPhone, appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Disney Infinity preview: The Magic Kingdom declares war on Skylanders and Minecraft

Disney Interactive announced its most ambitious video game to date on Tuesday. The company and developer Avalanche Studios are calling Disney Infinity a gaming platform rather than a game, a multi-part product that is equal parts Skylanders and Minecraft.

Rumor: Seven Samurai-inspired Star Wars spin-off coming from Zack Snyder

Rumors about who will direct the next Star Wars movie continue to focus on 300 and Watchmen director Zack Snyder, but the latest story claims Snyder will actually make a spin-off from the next trilogy inspired by an Akira Kurosawa classic.

Satoru Iwata promises relief for long Nintendo Wii U load times

Turn on the Nintendo Wii U and wait upwards of two hours for firmware to download. Then wait an additional minute and a half each time you switch apps. The new console could certainly run smoother, and Nintendo's president promises it will.

Next-gen starts at $400: Analyst chimes in on PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720

Sony and Microsoft didn't talk about their future video game console plans at CES, but a Baird Equity Research analyst talked with plenty if industry players at this year's show and came away expecting a relatively affordable price tag on the Xbox 720 and PlayStation4.

D.I.C.E. Awards nominees demonstrate just how much the video game industry changed in 2013

The 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards nominees were announced on Monday, reading like a who's who of every other best of list that came out in December. The AIAS' awards do reveal, however, how dramatically the video game industry evolved last year.

Nintendo Wii U launch game sales 50 percent lower than those of Gamecube, Wii

With 890,000 Nintendo Wii U consoles sold over the past two months, Nintendo's off to a stable start with its fledgling machine. The problem, though, it that Wii U owners seem to not be buying very many games.

Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition unlocked for Xbox 360 according to a leaked achievements list

Rumors in November suggested that Capcom would bring Resident Evil: Revelations to consoles after its 2012 debut on Nintendo 3DS. A leaked Xbox 360 Achievements list seems to confirm it.

Jetsetter: Nintendo is publishing Australia’s very first adults-only game

Come along with Jetsetter, Digital Trends' weekly column about gaming outside the US, as we look at Australia's very first game rated for ages 18 and up that's published by, of all companies, Nintendo. Plus, news from Norway and the UK.

Darksiders vs. Brutal Legend? Double Fine bidding on THQ IP in bankruptcy auction this month

EA, Ubisoft, and the other giant publishers won't be the only video game companies bidding on THQ's IPs when they go up for auction later this month. Tim Schafer's Double Fine is reportedly going to get in on the action as well.

Like Empire on steroids: ABC president talks Star Wars live-action TV show

While Lucasfilm and Disney have gone quiet on plans for Star Wars Episode VII, ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee gave an update this week on plans for a Star Wars live-action TV show.

World of Warcraft players prove they have flaming hearts by raising $2.3 million for Sandy relief effort

Blizzard has a history of using World of Warcraft as a fundraiser for disaster relief, and it broke its own recent records by raising $2.3 million for the American Red Cross to help victimes of Hurricane Sandy.

Exclusive: Endgame: Syria developer talks about the trouble with Apple’s App Store

Auroch Digital developed Endgame: Syria in just two weeks and posted the informational game on Google Play and browsers. It was also intended for iOS devices, but Apple blocked its release. Its designer spoke with Digital Trends about the challenges of developing games about real conflicts.

Publishers, not pirates, are the problem on Nintendo 3DS says Epic Mickey designer

Peter Ong, founder of DreamRift and designer of Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion for Nintendo 3DS, joins the dialogue surrounding the threat of piracy on the Nintendo 3DS. According to him, publishers are the biggest problem.

Destiny awaits! Bungie.net updates to incorporate other platforms to the Halo creator’s network

Halo creator Bungie has updated its web network to incorporate services other than Microsoft for the first time. Facebook, Google, and PlayStation Network accounts can now be used to access the site. What does it mean for Destiny?

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 finally brings women into the EA Sports clubhouse

EA Sports games have been a boys club to date but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 breaks the streak by bringing in LPGA players like Stacy Lewis. Will EA bring women to FIFA next?
Microsoft Studios logo lift london tablet cloud gaming

Microsoft drops discs in favor of the cloud as it introduces the new studio, Lift London

Former Sony executive Phil Harrison introduced the world to Life London, Microsoft's new UK-based game development studio on Thursday. Lift London will further push Microsoft's games away from discs and on into the cloud.

Dragon Age 3 writer paints an ugly portrait of BioWare’s relationship with its audience

Dragon Age 3 writer David Gaider posted an essay lamenting the relationship between BioWare and it's increasingly hostile Internet audience. The studio has dramatically changed some of its games due to fan feedback in recent years. Will that change?

PlayStation 3 pulls ahead of Xbox 360 with 77 million consoles sold

According to research firm IDC, Sony's PlayStation 3 closed its sixth year on shelves by pulling ahead of Microsoft's Xbox 360 in global sales. Where will the first two HD consoles rest if they retire at the end of 2013?

ShaqFu 2? Shaq gets his first video game in nearly 20 years with ShaqDown

In a world where Leisure Suit Larry and Wasteland can come back to video games, it was only a matter of time before Shaquille O'Neal made his way back too. Here comes ShaqDown, as iOS spiritual successor to ShaqFu.