Gearbox Software finally releasing a Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition

Always wanted a copy of Borderlands 2? Don't buy it! wait for this, get your money's worth, because Gearbox Software has finally announced Borderlands 2's Game of the Year Edition which gives all the DLC released up to this point. Gearbox Software head Randy Pitchford regarding the Game of the Year Edition:

“For us and for fans, the love for Borderlands 2 has been nothing short of spectacular, so it's natural for us here at Gearbox Software to want everyone else to have a chance to experience the best-selling game and its most valuable expansion content," said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition offers more value than ever before in one package, giving everyone an opportunity to become a legendary Vault Hunter, and join in the award-winning mayhem and fun."

The Game of the Year Edition contains all DLC released so far, that means all the story content, skins, and character classes. Here's the official list of items in the bundle:

• Borderlands 2 Main Game
• Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty
• Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage
• Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt
• Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep
• Creature Slaughter Dome
• Premiere Club Content:
  • Gaige, the Mechromancer Character Class
  • Gearbox Gun Pack
  • Golden Key
  • Vault Hunter's Relic
• Krieg, the Psycho Character Class
• Collector’s Edition Heads and Skins
• Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 1

Support for Borderlands 2 hasn't stop. Gearbox will be releasing the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 at the beginning of September which increases the level cap yet again by 11. More DLC is also in the works but has yet to be revealed.

Borderlands 2: Game of the Year Edition will be out in the US on October 8, with an international release on October 11 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

[Source: Gearbox Software]

Throwback Thursday - Battle Stadium D.O.N

Another one of these Throwback Thursday things. It isn't really an old game but this came out in 2006 and it's been quite a ways since then so I'd say it counts.

Battle Stadium D.O.N is a 2D action brawler in similar vein as the Super Smash Bros. series but with Shonen Jump characters from Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, and Naruto. You fight for control of the bar on top of the screen by collecting orgs that opponents drop when they get attacked. Earning enough orbs puts you go into a Burst state which grants you insane attack power, enough to knockout opponents in one hit depending on the attack.

Me and Jiks go into a first to five in a 4-player free for all and in a 1v1 scenario. I used to own this game on the GameCube when it first came out but for this video we are running the PS2 version.

Nintendo 2DS

Nintendo is releasing a new version of the 3DS called the Nintendo 2DS. No, that is not a typo. The Nintendo 2DS can play 3DS games in 2D. It still supports backwards compatibility with DS games. It will also retain all the other features that the 3DS has. Essentially a 3DS minus the 3D slider.

I think this is a great idea. A cheaper way to be able to play 3DS games and a lot of people don't really seem to like the 3D gimmick. While this new redesign looks more confortable to hold, I am not diggin' the body. I've always liked the foldable design of the DS. Now the screen just look so exposed. That soft pouch shown in the video below will not protect the 2DS all that well. But seeing as they've included the pouch in the video, I am assuming that one is included in every box. With the lack of a foldable design, I hope there is a way to still be able to put the unit into sleep mode. Another disadantage of this new design is that (at least for now) you won't be able to clip on a Circle Pad Pro which might not be a big factor but it bums me out a bit. Perhaps this was the inspiration for the new design.

In North America, the Nintendo 2DS will be available in two color schemes, red/black and blue/black. In Europe, the 2DS will be available in red/white and blue/black options. The Nintendo 2DS is stated to come out in October 12th of this year and will be priced at $129.99.

What's your take on the Nintendo 2DS? Do you think Nintendo has made the right choice with this redesign? Sound off in the comments below.

Source: [polygon.com]

Square Enix stops digital sales for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Shocking! Are they stopping digital sales temporarily because it's doing that well!? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. What's really going on is that servers are being congested by the sheer volume of players trying to get in all at once. It's a classic issue most MMO face during launch week, and stopping sales momentarily is a solution for Square to get everything in at least playable levels.

Square Enix released a statement via Facebook regarding the issue:

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, we are currently experiencing extremely long wait times for users to be able to log in and play. As a temporary measure, we will halt sales of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN’s digital download products so we can accommodate all of those wishing to play. We are working to expand our server capacity in the coming days.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this causes.

People might think that this great news for the game. A big success? too early to say anything. Having not enough servers and having every server being pummeled by the huge amount of players attempting to login all at once doesn't show the game's success or even failure. This is simply a growing pain that every online game faces on the first few days. Yes, they were not prepared, but all the preparation and the beta testing won't be enough to get the servers ready for the actual launch. World of Warcraft had a rough start, even Guild Wars 2 (trading post was even down for weeks).

Now, if you really want to know if this will be a success? Check in 3 months if they have somewhat the same amount of players. That amount will be a good reference to see if a new MMORPG is leading to success or failure.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is out now in the Philippines and priced around P1,295 for PC, P1,895 for the PS3 version.

[Source: Kotaku]

SMS Racing

Texting while driving is not a good habit. Heck, it's outright illegal in most places but people still do it. SMS Racing puts you in a car where you have to both drive and respond to text messages at the same time.

You drive with the WASD keys and respond to text messages by holding the SHIFT key to look at your phone and then type on it using the mouse.

SMS Racing is a time trial arcade racer that captures the “thrill” of texting and driving. I built it on top of the stock Unity racing game demo in two days for Ludum Dare 27, “10 Seconds.”

You can try the game out for yourself here.