Grave Gamer News & Views — sale

Xbox One Price Dropped by $50 for the Holidays

Ah, yes. Time to dust off that floating Xbone pic – the Big X has got some news.

Beginning next week and running all the way to January 3rd of 2015, you can snag a brand new Xbox One starting at $350. Now, that’s the price on the core model sans the Kinect. But fear not, purveyors of motion technology/accidentally broadcasting yourself nude. Every Xbox One bundle is getting $50 knocked off the price tag.

The offer is only good at participating retailers, but honestly, throw a dart and you’ll hit a store hosting the deal. Best Buy, Gamestop, Walmart, Target, Microsoft’s own Apple-a-like stores; even the brick n’ mortar-less Amazon is offering the deal.

The price drop, temporary as it may be, isn’t very surprising. The PlayStation 4, having taken advantage of Microsoft’s serious missteps even before next-gen’s launch last November, is killing it. Undercutting the PS4’s already attractive price – not just matching it – may be Microsoft’s best hope at filling homes with Xbox One’s.

The higher ground will be lost, however, if Sony announces a similar pricing initiative, but given the goodwill already earned for the console, we’re unlikely to see a massive upset this Holiday.

Microsoft Buys Up Gears of War From Epic

Already a flagship Xbox exclusive four games running, Epic’s blockbuster Gears of War IP has been bought up by Microsoft Studios.

The deal puts Microsoft in ownership of all current and subsequent games, media, and merchandise. The Big M announced its intent to put all future development duties of the series onto Black Tusk Studios’ shoulders.

The production house, formerly known as Microsoft Vancouver, is having its staff bolstered by one Mr. Rod Fergusson, whom you may recall as having worked at Epic in a Director of Production role. Fergusson most recently has been bombin’ around 2K supposedly setting up a new studio for the company, but his assuming of a “key leadership position” at Black Tusk means 2K is a Rod short these days.

Epic released a fluffy statement saying that they’re pleased Microsoft will be able to “forge ahead with the Gears universe on their industry-leading platforms” and yada, yada, and some-such. It would seem Epic is moving onto other projects but fully intends on licensing out their Unreal 4 Engine to the Xbox One – which could mean a future Gears may benefit from it.

This isn’t the first shakeup in a renown franchise under Microsoft’s belt. Halo saw its creators in Bungie leave the property behind for greener virtual pastures while Microsoft coordinated internally to create a dev studio solely for the purpose of proliferating Master Chief’s universe. Hopefully Gears of War’s transition into new hands will be handled as carefully as Halo 4 was.

(Also interesting to note, both Bungie’s and Epic’s last titles in their respective IP’s ended in prequels. History will eat itself as they say… If they say that.)

[source: IGN]

Capcom’s 30th Anniversary PSN Sale: Games 50 - 65% Off

My love for Capcom may often be… tested. For every time they burn me, I have to remind myself of good times we spent together. Maybe that friction is what makes our relationship work, though? It keeps the intrigue well in place. I mean, the sexual attraction plays a big part of it, too, that’s for sure, but– You know what? I’ve revealed too much.

Capcom’s gotten through 30 whole years of “hadokens” and that pained expression Mega Man makes when he’s vaporized. To celebrate – the 30 years, I mean, not the Blue Bomber’s death grimace – PlayStation loyalists can score some wicked deals on a selection of digital games on PSN. Here they be (PS Plus discounts are denoted by the +):

Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 - $4.99 / $3.49+

Capcom Arcade Cabinet All-In Pack - $14.99 / $10.49+  

Devil May Cry HD Collection - $14.99 / $10.49+

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara - $7.49 / $5.24+

Final Fight Double Impact - $4.99 / $3.49+

Okami HD - $9.99 / $6.99+

Remember Me - $19.99 / $13.99+

- Remember Me Combo Lab Pack - $1.99 / $1.39+

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - $14.99 / $10.49+  

- REORC Echo Six Expansion Pack 1 - $ 4.99 / $3.49+

- REORC Echo Six Expansion Pack 2 - $4.99 / $3.49+

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition Complete Pack - $13.49 / $9.44+

Street Fighter X Tekken - $19.99 / $13.99+

SFxTK Additional Character Pack (12 Characters) $9.99 / $6.99+

- SFxTK - Swap costume complete pack - $8.99 / $6.29+

- SFxTK - Alternate costume complete pack - $8.99 / $6.29+

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix - $8.99 / $6.29+

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition - $14.99 / $10.49+

Sakes alive; some of these titles are cheaper than a pumpkin spice latte. And, like that sugary brew you enjoy singeing your gullet with, this sale is only available for a limited time – with all deals ending October 21st.

Whaddaya Buyin’? Five Resident Evil Titles Discounted on Xbox Live

Welcome!  Got a fine selection on sale, stranger!  Marking Day 3 of Xbox Live’s Ultimate Game Sale, every Resident Evil title available for download through Games on Demand has seen a significant price cut.

Whether you’re just breaking into the series or have been looking for crazy deals on your horror favorites (Code: Veronica’s five-fucking-dollars?!), Xbox owners would do well to check out the sales below:

• Resident Evil Code: Veronica X HD - Was: $19.99/Now: $4.99
• Resident Evil 4 HD - Was: $19.99/Now: $9.99
• Resident Evil 5 - Was: $19.99/Now: $9.99
• Resident Evil 6 - Was: $39.99/Now: $19.99
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - Was: $39.99/Now: $19.99

Unfortunately, the closest Xbox fans can get to the key hunting, backtracking days of retro Resi is in Code: Veronica which, admittedly, has not aged gracefully; HD coat of paint and all.  Still, even if it sits dormant on your harddrive, it’s difficult to feel buyer’s remorse over $5.

The rest of the collection features more modern examples of RE and their gun-toting glory, including RE4 at just $10, one of the best and most influential games of the last decade (not owning it can be called a “constant mistake” or an “everlasting D'oh!”).  For the same price, you can grab its co-op clone, RE5 (still love it, but I call ‘em like I see 'em)

And, yes, its poor performance means you’re able to snag the utterly reviled Resident Evil 6 at an all time low of $20 – if you’re asking me, it breaks into the top five of my series favorites; hell, the superior Mercenaries Mode – and the hundred hours I’ve sunk into it – is worth that cost alone.  Hmm, what’s that?  What about Operation Raccoon City?  Personally, I think free-to-play would be too high of an asking price on that clunker, but if you’ve got a strong constitution and a blinding love for everything Resident Evil…you should still stay away.  Far away.

All deals, forthcoming and currently standing, end on March 4th, so jump on them before the prices become unreasonable once more.  [Over, out, and done with.  The Res Evil sale ended the same day it started, but you can catch many more sales until the 4th.]