I’m touched, really Color absolutely no one surprised.HappyPlayTime, an educational tool of sorts for women, has been rejected by the App Store, on the grounds that “the concept is not something that Apple wants to go forward with.” Not too big of a shocker, but developer Tina Gong isn’t exactly blindsided by the decision. “I knew I was taking a chance with building the game natively but I was optimistic, as our app was created with a mission and with the best of intentions,” says Gong, who created the game in an attempt to transcend the taboos surrounding female masturbation....

Castle Crashersbecame an international hit in a way no one expected an American indie game could achieve, so it’s only natural for a Japanese game seemingly influenced by it to appear on the marketplace.Picotto Knightsis that game, but it’s also a lot more and a lot less. Picotto Knights‘ levels are shallow ventures that last only a couple of minutes as you take on a couple enemies or a single boss....

We may not be gettingLa-Mulanaon WiiWare asI had hoped, but this development is just as good if not better! Last week, wementionedthat the PC port of theLa-Mulanaremake would be launching on July 13 to celebrate the grand opening of the English-language version of Japanese digital distribution sitePlayism. I’m looking at my calendar and seeing that, yep, it’s July 13! Time todownloadLa-Mulanafor $14.99! As part of the grand opening from now until July 22, Playism is offering bonus goodies to select customers: 200La-Mulanabuyers will receive a free copy of the game’s soundtrack, while one super lucky buyer will receive a notebook direct fromLa-Mulanadev Nigoro....

and as a result, I feel really old Whilst looking at the newly-createdpage on GOG.com forTheme Park, I was shocked by the revelation of its original release date of 1994. Was Bullfrog’s seminal management sim really that old? In fairness, looking at screenshots ofTheme Parktoday it brings back memories that are, to be honest, a little mixed up withRollerCoaster Tycoon. Theme Parkcame out on almost every system imaginable at the time and its hook of managing your own theme park was totally intoxicating....

Malpractice, here we come! One of the year’s great delights among the game-jam scene,Surgeon Simulator 2013has found its way onto Steam with a proper release following its approval via Steam Greenlight. Horrible, gore-filled, strangely hilarious dreams can come true. It’s$6.99 right nowfor Windows/Mac/Linux thanks to promo-week pricing. Building on the prototype game, the full version (which is what’s being sold on Steam) has extra operations and environments for would-be surgeons to wreak havoc in....

Things are looking good forThe Last Story. Still no word on a Western release, but early reviews are sounding very positive, and it’s getting plenty of advertising in Japan. Speaking of which, these new commercials are cool, but they aren’t all that different from the most recent batch of footage we’ve seen. TheGanondorf-looking guyis back, as are our regulars cast of heroes, plus a few new enemies and gameplay mechanics. Things are looking pretty status-quo....

How do you feel about it? The concept of playing a game early is certainly enticing, but the way this system of “early access” has been changing over the years is starting to concern me. The practice is nothing new. Steam’s Early Access program dates back years now, as well as the practice of making beta access a pre-order incentive. However, over the past few years, it would seem larger publishers such as EA and Ubisoft are making early releases — regardless if the game is single player, multiplayer, or has any kind of beta access — an incentive to pre-order various editions of their games....

Though I’ll probably stick with PC, thanks Joining the previously-announced Windows, Mac, Linux, and Xbox 360 releases of Haemimont Studios’Tropico 5is a PlayStation 4 version of the simulation game. Kalypso still won’t give us a release date, but the publisher did say the PS4 port would make good use of the DualShock 4 and its feature set. I have to imagine that means full TouchPad support. TheTropicoseries is one I have somehow managed to avoid playing despite having iton good authoritythat I’d love its unique brand of city building....

A typical mobile strategy is to release a really great foundation of a game (usually a runner), to get people talking and push it to the top of the charts. Then, start monetizing the hell out of it, gradually adding in new stages and mechanics. As it turns out Nintendo isn’t doing any of that forSuper Mario Run. What you see is what you get. Depending on who you talk to,Mario Runis either a success story (beating outPokemon Go‘s first-day sales), or a failure that shook the confidence of investors (it doesn’t seem to have a long tail)....

More blades Xenoblade Chronicles 2kind of just keeps getting content. Whether it’s part of the paid season pass or not, Monolith Soft is supporting it, and players have been getting trickling bits and pieces here and there like extra blades (read: Pokemon), on top of bigger things like New Game+ additions. According to Nintendo the support is far from over too, as version 1.4.0 is coming up soon, and will be adding in the Poppi Buster and Telos: RE blades....

The best match you have ever witnessed! Major League Gaming (MLG) just completed hosting its firstRocket Leaguetournament, and the grand finals was one of the most exciting things I have ever witnessed. The two competing teams were Cosmic Aftershock and Kings of Urban. Cosmic Aftershock has two of the most famous personalities that have come out of the eSport,KronoviandGibbs, and have never lost a series. If you’ve ever wanted to see howRocket Leaguelooks when your teammates aren’t bumping into you constantly and taking your boost, this series is a must-watch....

Here’s a very interesting little tidbit of information, especially if you’re from the UK, where we find ourselves subject to unfair price hikes that don’t reflect the true value of an electronic product. With videogames costing $60 in the USA, the UK equivalent price should be near the £30 mark, but usually we get savaged with £40-50 price tags. Not very fair at all. Capcom, however, has decided to showan amazing sense of righteousness, and will be pricing its upcomingDevil May Cry 4at £29....

A prequel to the sequel God of War‘s 2018 comebackmade the franchise relevant again. After some polarizing spinoffs (and frankly, the also polarizingGod of War III), the series reinvented itself with a more narrative focus, and it paid off. But what happened betweenGod of War IIIand the newGod of War? Other than a few hints in the latest entry, no one knows for sure. Well, it looks like those answers aren’t coming soon in the form of a video game: but a comic....