Extreme Exorcism has players taking on the role of Extreme Exorcist Mae Barrons, who specialises in ghost removal – with a unique set of methods. Each time a ghost is exorcised another will return mimicking the players previous movements, weapon fires and dodges. No matter how good you are at removing ghosts, you will have to beat your best in order to survive the chaotic ghostly menace.

Players will be able to choose from an assortment of more than 20 weapons, including swords, guns, rocket launchers, lightning spells and Kung-Fu moves to take down these ghosts. Extreme Exorcism will also feature a single player story mode, 50 challenges, local multiplayer for up to four players, and cooperative and death match modes.

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The AFK Room will be a quiet area for people looking to relax and take a break from the busy PAX floor. The room will be staffed with volunteers and clinicians who can answer question and offer support for those taking a break from the show floor.

Take This is a US-based not-for-profit organisation, which has teamed up with PAX to bring this joint initiative down under. The AFK Room was introduced at PAX East in 2014, and has since accommodated up to 500 attendees each day during events. The AFK Room has been a permanent feature of every US PAX show, and PAX Australia is happy to replicate this feature.

“We are thrilled to bring the AFK Room and Take This’s message of healing and hope for those dealing with mental health issues to PAX Australia,” said Take this Executive Director, Russ Pitts. “Over the past year, as attendees of US-based PAX events and other shows have become more aware of the mental health issues in our community, we’ve seen a growing demand for spaces like the AFK Room and education and awareness like Take This provides. To be working with PAX to ensure that the Enforcers and attendees at PAX Aus have support for dealing with these issues is a wonderful privilege.”

“After seeing the benefits at PAX East 2014, it’s always been Russ and my goal to get AFK rooms to not only all PAXes but to all gaming events across the globe. Take This is an organization that helps gamers, period,” said Penny Arcade President Robert Khoo.

PAX Australia will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 30 to November 1. Single day passes and 3 days international passes are still available online here. It was also previously revealed Warren Spector would be appearing at the event, and ESL will be hosting an eSports Arena at the event.

Joining the previously announced lineup of artists are some of the best artists from history and current day. These include Pearl Jam, Orianthi, Haim, Lamb of God and Passenger. The newly announced songs join previously revealed tracks from the likes of The Vines, Wolf Mother and Angus & Julia Stone, as well as hundreds of other tracks available at launch.

The full list of new songs and artists are listed below.

• Pearl Jam – Sirens
• Surfer Blood – Demon Dance
• Gerard Way – No Shows
• Orianthi – According to You
• Haim – The Wire
• Tonight Alive – The Ocean
• Lamb of God – Ghost Walking
• 36 Crazyfists – Also Am I
• Wavves – Demon to Lean On
• Passenger – Let Her Go

Guitar Hero Live will release October 20 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U and select mobile devices (to be announced soon).

Wii U

• BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition
  “Fly through the award-winning world ofBADLAND and discover an astonishing number of imaginative traps, puzzles and obstacles on the way. BADLAND is a side-scrolling action adventure with innovative physics-based game play and stunning atmospheric graphics and audio. Purchase and download now to enjoy beautiful HD visuals, more than 15 hours of single-player levels and up to four-player local multiplayer awesomeness with co-op and death matches!”
  – Nintendo press release

• Xeodrifter
  “Xeodrifter is the story of an interstellar drifter traveling the stars on a simple mission of exploration. Blast your way through alien landscapes, seek out valuable secrets and defeat ancient guardians to unlock powers in this exciting journey of mystery and adventure. People who buy the Wii U version of Xeodrifter will also be able to download the game for Nintendo 3DS for free – and vice versa! Click here to view a trailer for the game.”
  – Nintendo press release
• Endless Golf
  “Hit shot after shot as you play an endless amount of procedurally generated golfing holes that increase with difficulty, more hills, and tricky traps. Enjoy the scenic pastures as you play all day and all night, never stopping. Watch as time passes you by. Easy to learn touch controls, but hard to master. See how many holes you can get in as few strokes as possible. But don’t worry, there is no win or lose, just Endless Golf.”
  – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com
• To celebrate Kirby’s 23rd birthday on Saturday, Aug. 1, Nintendo has released three Kirby titles for the Wii U Virtual Console.
  • Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
    “Kirby stars in his first 3D adventure, which is also his Nintendo 64 debut. This game finds the always-versatile hero battling a new enemy called Dark Matter. Dark Matter is after a distant land’s powerful crystal, but a young fairy named Ribbon attempts to save it by escaping with the gem to Dream Land. Now the crystal has been broken, and it’s scattered around the world. Take control of Kirby, and help him journey across six worlds, battling a wide variety of enemies and challenging bosses, as he tries to collect all 100 pieces of the shattered crystal. Along the way, you’ll use Kirby’s trademark Copy Ability to use enemies’ strengths against them. Not only that, but try combining any two abilities to create a brand-new one that is usually stronger than the original. Throw in three exciting multiplayer minigames, and you’ve got a package of which even King Dedede would be proud. Fans of Kirby and action games with bright, colorful graphics should vacuum this one up.”
    – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com
    
  • Kirby Squeak Squad
    “Float, jump, and battle through eight huge worlds as Kirby takes control of a diabolical band of rodent robbers called the Squeaks! You can expect all of the action from a classic Kirby game, but this time, Kirby’s Copy Abilities have been massively boosted. Not only can you mix and match Copy Abilities by using the stylus to drag them together inside Kirby’s belly, but the powers themselves now have the ability to affect the environment as well as foes. For example, you can burn trees and grasses with the Fire ability or freeze water with the Ice ability. The massive array of Copy Abilities in Kirby: Squeak Squad will appeal to any Kirby fan, and a collection of well-hidden treasure chests to discover will reward players looking to find every last secret.”
    – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com
    
  • Kirby’s Return to Dream Land
    “Return to Kirby’s roots with new copy abilities, and awesome new Super Abilities. Up to four players can play together – play as Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee. Classic gameplay with a new twist makes for an adventure that anyone can enjoy.”
    – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com

• Just Dance 2016 (Demo)
  “Play the free Just Dance 2016 demo today in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U! No additional Wii Remote controllers are required – you can download the free Just Dance Controller app to your iOS or Android device to turn your smartphone into a controller.”
  – Nintendo press release
• New Splatoon Update
  “On Aug. 5, a free software update for the Splatoon game on the Wii U console brings new content to the game, including two new matchmaking modes, new weapon types, an increase to the game’s level caps and more than 40 pieces of new gear. Following this update, more content will continually roll out through the rest of the summer and fall, including the Rainmaker Ranked Battle mode, additional maps and new weapons. For more information visit http://splatoon.nintendo.com.”
  – Nintendo press release

3DS

• Best of Board Games – Mahjong
  “Rediscover all the pleasure of Mahjong in this timeless classic! Learn how to play and test your abilities by solving 60 boards in Adventure mode, or play a single game at your leisure in Free mode. Stuck in a level? Use your bonus and make the entire board simpler in a split second! Discover the brand new Moving walkway mode: finish the levels more quickly by using the extra tiles that scroll alongside the board. Choose classic or modern tiles and become a Mahjong pro!”
  – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com
  
• Best of Board Games – Solitaire
  “Rediscover Solitaire and its most popular variations in this timeless classic! Take a moment to relax with one of 5 variations: Freecell, Golf, Pyramid, Klondike and Spider, with many more adjustable options for each variation. Stuck? Use brand new bonuses such as card swap to get yourself out of the situation! Play a quick game at any time in Free mode or take on 40 increasingly harder challenges in Adventure mode.”
  – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com
  
• Flick Golf 3D
  “Welcome to Flick Golf, the world’s most addictive handheld golf game now for Nintendo 3DS! Flick, spin and curve your shots with pinpoint accuracy to sink that perfect hole-in-one. Turn up the 3D depth slider to add a whole new dimension! Beat high scores across six unique and challenging courses in Quickshot, compete for trophies in World Tour, or put your golf skills to the ultimate test in Quickshot Pro. Experience Full Fat’s award-winning ‘after touch’ controls for the very first time on Nintendo 3DS!”
  – Description on game’s page at nintendo.com

Sales, Specials & More

• LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham has been permanently reduced to $19.99.
• High Strangeness is $4.99 starting at 9 a.m. PT on Monday, Aug. 3, until 8:59 a.m. PT on Sunday, Aug. 9.
• Elliot Quest is $10.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, August 13.
• Developer Circle Entertainment has their games Castle Conqueror Defender, Demon King Box and Quell Memento on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 20.
• Toys vs. Monsters is $1.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Sunday, Aug. 23.
• Developer EnjoyUp has their games 99Moves, Abyss and Rock Zombie on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 27.
• The Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 Classic Theme is now available on the 3DS.
• The Miiverse has received a new updates and facelift. Screen Shot Album allows players to organize up to 100 captured pictures; Play Journal lets players write about their experiences by citing them in a journal, which can be public or private, with compatible Miiverse games; Games in Miiverse are now split up into player journal entries, drawings and discussion categories.
• The Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Sink or Swim Tournament is running from Friday, July 31, to Sunday, Aug. 9.

Ongoing sales from the weeks of May 28, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16 and July 23

Below is a list of games on the Wii U and 3DS eShops that still have ongoing sales originally listed during the weeks of May 28, June 25, July 2, July 9, July 16 and July 23.

May 28

• Luv Me Buddies Wonderland for Wii U and 3DS is $12.90 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Friday, July 31.
• Fit Music is $12.90 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Friday, July 31.

June 25

• Stone Shire is $3.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Saturday, Aug. 1.

July 2

• Plenty of Fishies is $2.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Friday, July 31.
• Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove, 4 Elements and more games from Tulip Games are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Friday, Jan. 1.

July 9

• AeternoBlade is $7.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

July 16

• Classic Games Overload: Card & Puzzle Edition is $14.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Monday, Aug. 3.
• Developer Circle Entertainment has their games Castle Conqueror EX, Fairune and Parking Star 3D on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Monday, Aug. 6.
• uWordsmith is $0.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 6.
• Developer EnjoyUp has their titles 99Seconds, Soccer Up 3D and more on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 13.
• Squids Odyssey on the Wii U and 3DS is $5.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 13.
• Zombie Panic in Wonderland DX is $4.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Saturday, Aug. 15.
• Developer Bplus has their games Bit Boy!! Arcade and PUZZLEBOX Setup on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Monday, August 31.
• Developer Cypronia has their games Angry Bunnies: Colossal Carrot Crusade, Angry Bunnies, Color Zen on the Wii Uand 3DS and more on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on August 31.

July 23

• Developer Wayforward has their games Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse on the Wii U and 3DS, and Mighty Switch Force! 2 on the Wii U and 3DS  on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on Sunday, Aug. 2.
• Midnight is $0.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 6.
• Real Heroes: Firefighter 3D is $4.99 until 8:59 a.m. PT on Thursday, Aug. 6.

Today we unbox the PlayStation 4 version of Skylanders Trap Team, which is also available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U, alongside a unique adventure for the Nintendo 3DS. Skylanders Trap Team is also available for iPad, Kindle Fire and Android Tablet  Tablet, with a unique starter pack available.

Our full Skylanders Trap Team will be published as soon as possible, so stay tuned.

How exactly is the industry suffering because of fear? Fear is an emotional response and industries do not have emotions as they are not people. Well, the gaming industry (or any industry for that mater) is made up of several different components, all of which are various groups of people. The groups involved with video game creation and purchasing can be broken up into the developers, publishers, and the audience (referred to as “gamers” for simplicity’s sake). Each of these groups have their own agendas and motivations for their actions but are all still influenced by human emotion as a whole.

Setting The Stage

It is the motivations behind these three groups which explains why the industry is being plagued by so many HD remakes, so let us take a closer look. Developers and publishers are both eager to profit from their endeavours, something very few people would argue is unacceptable. A development team will have an idea in mind for a game they would like to create and if they have the means to self-publish, they may choose to go this route although it does have drawbacks such as a generally lower budget for creation as well as advertising. The developer may also realize they need some assistance in funding their game and seek out help from publishers, but at this point publishers may have their own demands or visions for the game. As previously stated, publishers are looking to make a profit as well, meaning that they will generally only invest in a game if they believe the end product will be financially successful. To get an idea of what will be successful, the company may rely on experience, but it may also look at trends in the industry and sales of comparable titles.

Looking at sales of other games can be an incredibly useful tool when attempting to gauge how a new title will fare on the market, but it is also the cause of great fear on the part of developers and publishers. If they are trying to release a new IP on the Wii U but notice that third party Wii U exclusives, particularly new IPs, are not doing well, then suddenly they may be more hesitant to release the title on that system or at all. Likewise, if the publisher and developer see that HD remakes of games are selling like hotcakes, this may influence their decisions on which games to financially back or develop respectively. Even publishers have finite resources so they must be selective in which games they promote, leading to the obvious decision to choose those which stand the best chance of being profitable. If an HD remake already has slightly lower production cost because they are simply giving the graphics a boost rather than developing an entire game from scratch, it means they have to sell less copies to be profitable, an undeniable advantage when money is the goal. There will inevitably be companies willing to take risks, but it is always done with profit in mind.

The third party involved in all of this is the gamers themselves as they are the ones purchasing games and playing them. There are a number of elements which may factor into one’s decision to purchase a game including but not limited to price, genre, whether it is a new IP or part of an established franchise, the gamer’s past experience with that developer, advertising, what their friends play, purchase bonuses, availability, review scores, and possibly even the general mood of the gamer on that particular day. One of the more prominent factors is undoubtedly the cost considering that gaming can be a pricey hobby, so most people do not wish to spend $60+ on a game which turns out to be unenjoyable. For this reason, many gamers will turn to reviews to give them an idea of how good a game will be, particularly if it is a new IP. Reviews can be a useful tool for getting an idea of whether or not a title may appeal to you, but gamers as a whole are far more likely to rely on reviews when it is a new IP being examined rather than a sequel to an established franchise simply due to the unknown nature of a new franchise. Due to this train of thought, many gamers are inclined to pick up an HD remake title or bundle because it is something they already know they enjoy.

As a game series releases more titles, other gamers take note of the scores over time, possibly try the game if a friend has it, and through consistency or repeated brief experiences, these gamers may become less reluctant to purchase the next installment of that franchise because it is not as foreign or does not seem like as much of a risk. This reality helps developers who have released two or three titles in a series already, but it does not help a brand new team or IP. The consumers, gamers, are only bolstering the case for sequels and remakes in this instance due to the developers and publishers wanting to profit.

The Damage Being Done

With the motivations behind all three parties having been discussed, we can touch on how HD remakes are killing the industry. The reason we have franchises such as Mass Effect, Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Age, Borderlands, and Fable is because people were not afraid to take chances when developing games. The developers and publishers behind them took chances on what they believed gamers would buy and they were right. Not all developers are this lucky sadly, and taking chances may lead to studio closures or abandoning a potential franchise. Games like Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Too Human are prime examples of what can happen to a studio when the audience is not willing to take chances on new titles. Obviously, this is not a desirable end for any company, so releasing HD remakes is the development teams and publishers hedging their bets in order to make profit.

We are seeing waves of HD remakes finding their way into the video game market at the present and one can not help but feel the trend is only growing in popularity. Silent Hill, Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, God of War, Metro 2033, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider, Perfect Dark, Halo, Ocarina of Time, Street Fighter, Beyond Good and Evil, Bully, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and Sky Cooper are all franchises or titles that have received HD remakes in recent years. If this list seems lengthy, that would be because it is lengthy but this is only a fraction of the games which have been remastered over the years. Some games do not receive HD remakes for 10, 15, or even 20 years, but some only have to wait a year. Is it really necessary to see a title re-released less than a year later with slightly better graphics on a new console? Absolutely not, but it is done because it will yield profits and a large number of gamers will purchase the game even though they likely possess it on the original platform as well.

It is tough to tell a business not to make money and chase profit, especially if they provide you with products you like, but let us examine this concept in a slightly different light. When you already own a game (we will use The Last of Us as an example) on the PS3 and you purchase a PS4, purchasing The Last of Us again on the PS4 is actively stating to other developers that you would rather purchase a game you already own on a perfectly functioning system at full retail than spend that money taking a chance on their game. This is the message being sent to the video game industry every time an HD remake is sold, especially in the aforementioned case.

Obviously not everyone purchasing a re-release will already own the game and it would be horribly illogical to jump to this conclusion. I myself own the Silent Hill HD Collection as well as Beyond Good and Evil HD because I had never played those titles previously when they first released. Those remakes have allowed me to experience those titles without needing to locate their original counterparts which is one of the undeniable advantages to re-releasing titles. The remake of Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse has allowed an entirely new generation of gamers to experience that title, but there was certainly more than one or two years between the original release and the HD remake.  Sadly, it does not matter how long gamers have waited between releases, the industry will simply view the sales of HD remakes as one large category which promises profits for generally lower production costs. Creativity, new titles, and risk-takers are all suffering within the industry because of the desire for profit and reinforcement by gamers using their money to purchase remakes or sequels over new titles. If this continues and grows, we will reach a point when it will be far more rare to see a new IP retail title than an HD remake, causing the industry to become stagnant and eventually die due to lack of innovation.

The Solution

The reality is that HD remakes are becoming more popular, and more companies are opting to release them. There is only one way to effectively slow down or stop this trend, and that is to speak with your wallet. When companies stop profiting from releasing remakes, they will stop releasing them as they will no longer be a surefire way to create revenue. At that point, one of the strongest motivators behind releasing a game will have been removed and companies will be far less likely to do so. This will not guarantee that new IP’s will become more prominent in the gaming landscape, but it definitely helps nurture creativity as opposed to rewarding laziness.

Obviously I cannot force any of you to do anything with your own money as it is yours to spend how you see fit. I am simply observing what is happening within the industry and trying to warn against the future consequences of this trend if it continues. Some may feel it is an overreaction or that it is unrealistic, but when you stop to think about how many remakes we have seen released and announced in the past 5 years, it is a startling realization as the number is growing. At the end of the day, developers and publishers are in business for the money, making finance and public perception two of the very few factors they care about. The lesson from this editorial is to use your wallet and intelligence to build and influence the future of the industry you hold so dear. If you do not pay attention to what you support or how you support it, the ramifications may be more dire than you believe.

Each of the three revealed villains will have their own abilities, Ronan the Accuser is able to use cloaking abilities, energy blasts and super human strength, while Green Goblin will be equipped with Pumpkin Bombs and an Electro Shock Gauntlet, as well as super human strength and the ability to pull off super jumps. Loki on the other hand will be able to wield his powerful scepter and project decoy versions of himself as he fool his enemies.

Alongside the announcement Disney Interactive also released a new gameplay featuring all three characters above, as well as new screenshots and images of their figurines below, with the announcement that additional Play Sets and characters will be revealed in the coming months.

All three characters will be playable in Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes when it releases in Australia and New Zealand September 18 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, PC, iOS tablets and smart phones, as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This week The AA Meeting covers GRID Autosport, Valiant Hearts: The Great War; alongside Watch Dogs DLC, Escape Dead Island reveal,the latest Games with Gold and more.

4.16 million copies of New Super Mario Bros. U have been sold and downloaded, while Pokemon X and Y tops it with a staggering 12.26 million. The other top-selling Wii U and 3DS titles are as follows:

Wii U

• Nintendo Land — 3.09 million copies
• Super Mario 3D World — 2.17 million copies
• New Super Luigi U — 1.76 million copies
• Wii Party U — 1.35 million copies
• The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD — 1.22 million copies

3DS

• Mario Kart 7 — 9.62 million copies
• Super Mario 3D Land — 9.27 million copies
• New Super Mario Bros. 2 — 7.82 million copies
• Animal Crossing: New Leaf — 7.66 million copies
• Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon — 3.98 million copies
• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D — 3.35 million copies
• Nintendogs + Cats — 3.5 million copies
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — 2.51 million copies
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star — 2.21 million copies
• Mario & Luigi: Dream Team — 2.08 million copies
• Tomodachi Life — 1.85 million copies

“We are delighted to bring ‘The World is Ours’ to dance fans around the world”, said Geoffroy Sardin, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing EMEA at Ubisoft. “The creative team behind Just Dance has come up with a fun and engaging choreography that captures the excitement of dancing in Brazil. With Coca-Cola, we are celebrating happiness and Brazil through dance.”

Just Dance 2014 originally released in 2013, and with the addition of downloadable tracks now has over 60 tracks available to master.