Indie game developer Greenheart Games has an interesting way of combating piracy. Upon release of their first game, Game Dev Tycoon, they also released a cracked version to “the number one torrent sharing site, gave it a description imitating the scene and asked a few friends to help seed it”. In the cracked version of their game, and after a while of playing, the player gets an in-game message:

Boss, it seems that while many players play our new game, they steal it by downloading a cracked version rather than buying it legally.
If players don’t buy the games they like, we will sooner or later go bankrupt.

Then, the player’s sales will start to decline in the game about developing a game. Their game that once sold 1 million units would now sell barely 100k units as a demonstration of what piracy does to a developer’s bottom line. Game Dev Tycoon is an $8 game and is deploying an unusual tactic. A graph on their blog shows that after only one day of the game’s release, 93.6% of users were playing the cracked version. That amounts to about 3104 users. It’s probably a lot higher now.

Not only does Greenheart Games have a cracked version of their already DRM-free game, but they also have a demo you can play if you don’t want to cough up $8, and don’t want to be labeled a pirate either. As always, we encourage you to buy a pretty enjoyable DRM free game from a new developer.

[via Greenheart Games]

Valve’s venerable digital games platform is nothing short of a social gaming savior for PC gaming. With home video game consoles quickly bridging the performance gap, pushing the boundaries of social integration and the vastness of their overall entertainment value, it is platforms like Steam’s Greenlight that are giving diehard PC gamers a reason to use a keyboard and mouse.

All the while, a friendly nod to the entertainment days of yore persist in theatrical releases of pinball games. Where The Pinball Arcade revisits the dusty tables of Williams, Bally, and Stern, Zen Studios and their original Pinball FX2 will have Steam gamers flipping their lids. You shant need a controller or special HDTV with a subpar console tethered to it anymore. Pinball FX2 will arrive on Steam come May 10th as a free shell, whereby loads of DLC table packs can be purchased from within.

Who doesn’t love lists? The following is a list of all the DLC table packs available May 10th from the main game:

• Star Wars™ Pinball
• Marvel Pinball™
• Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue™
• Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles™
• Pinball FX2™ Core Collection
• Zen Classics™

CCP, developer of Eve Online and Dust 514, announced at Eve Fanfest a partnership with Dark Horse Comics. Along with this partnership comes Eve’s True Stories campaign, which allows players to submit their own story from their experience in Eve Online.

These submitted and voted-upon stories will inspire the Dark Horse comic book, a TV series, and possibly films. Of course, we all know how enjoyable game-movies end up not being, I hope an Eve movie doesn’t follow suit. A TV series would end up being far more entertaining, and after nabbing Contraband Director Baltasar Kormákur, I have high hopes.

Comics are a different story. People love comics about games they play, and they read the crap out of them. Valve teamed up with Dark Horse 2 years ago and released DLC along with the comic they produced and that was a hit. Hopefully Dark Horse can do the same for the Eve universe, and they’ve already started work on 64-pages of delicious content.

No specific details yet about the TV series, but I’m certainly excited. You can watch the full Eve Fanfest broadcast at TwitchTV.

Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, the personification of Xbox announcements, recently posted news and a handy countdown clock announcing the date everyone will once and for all learn what Microsoft has in store for the next generation of Xbox. Mark your calendars for May 21st, as the announcement will come from the Xbox campus in Redmond, WA and be streamed through Xbox Live and at Xbox.com.

What we can expect is a lot of concrete information finally squashing all the rumors and speculation about the next Xbox. That list has grown to fatal lengths, and yes, this announcement could have come a little sooner. But with Sony having sheltered the minor detail about what the PS4 actually looks like, the biggest question is whether or not the next Xbox/Xbox 720 will show itself on this day or be saved for E3.

Major Nelson does make sure to carefully point out that not all details will be revealed on May 21st. In fact, the left overs including the full lineup of games will be warmed up and shared around the E3 2013 dinner table this June and we will be there to share all the fixings with you. This news comes at the same time as we hear that Nintendo will not hold an E3 press conference. Whether or not this is a good strategy will remain to be seen, but our friends at WiiUDaily have put together a juicy article discussing the current state of Wii U.

It will be interesting to see where their most popular franchises will take gamers in the future of gaming consoles and how Microsoft will counter some of the praise Sony is receiving with the PS4. Which juicy Xbox Next/720 rumors do you think are top priority for Microsoft and the Xbox team to reveal on May 21st?

[via Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

It’s late on Wednesday evening in many parts of the world, early Thursday for others. What better way to get over the hump of the middle of the week than to listen to some smooth acapella renditions of classic Nintendo video game songs. Smooth McGroove visits The Legend of Zelda, the Lost Woods, and Guile’s theme song from Street Fighter II.

Just watching McGroove’s videos is entertaining enough to get me through the week and I’ll likely be revisiting these regularly. I appreciate musical talent as he displays over and over with these acapella remakes of classic video game chiptunes. Even some of his non-chiptune arrangements are more enjoyable than the actual ones.

Have you got any fun and interesting non-work related ways to get through the week? Please, do share with us either here in the comments section or by sending us an email. What’s your favorite Smooth McGroove song? Follow him on Twitter or buy his stuff on iTunes.

Here’s to hoping your an Xbox Live subscriber, because today Major Nelson has revealed that Flixster is now available on the service effectively offering another way to buy and rent movies through your Xbox 360. Additionally, any UltraViolet movies can now be accessed through the Flixster service on Xbox Live.

Maybe your using Flixster on your iPhone or Android device, through the web on a laptop, or tired of seeing friends sharing Flixster reviews through Facebook. Whatever the case may be, here’s a look at all of Flixsters services for Xbox Live:

• Buy or rent SD and HD movies
• Browse up to date movie listings in local theatres
• Browse new and upcoming DVD releases
• Stream high quality movie trailers
• View movie details such as film posters, film synopses, or Rotten Tomato scores
• Sort and stream movies from you UltraViolet collection (requires an UltraViolet account)
• Navigate Flixster using voice and gesture controls via Kinect

Maybe you feel Xbox Live is straying further and further away from a gaming console every time an app or service like Flixster is launched. Microsoft clearly believes offering more non-gaming services is the way to keep your attention focused solely on their console when you’re not in the gaming mood. Of course all of this is also available on your iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

Most smart TV’s may also have Flixster out of the box, so there will undoubtedly be some overlap. Offering Flixster on Xbox Live is another way to place the service above the free model that is the PlayStation Network. Do you feel the Flixster service fills a void otherwise unfulfilled on your Xbox 360? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

[via Major Nelson]

Black Knight Sword, one of the most bizarre side-scrolling hack’n slash adventure games I’ve ever played, will be on sale saving XBLA gamers 50% off the normal price. The game was created by many great minds including SUDA51, Grasshopper Manufacturer and Digital Reality. Beginning tomorrow, April 16th and ending April 23rd, everyone can experience Black Knight Sword for just 400 Microsoft Points.

With those forces behind the wheel, forces that previously created quality games like No More Heroes and Sine Mora, is no wonder such a quirky game like Black Knight Sword is so polished. The presentation is reminiscent of a puppet show complete with a red curtain on the sides of the screen and modular set pieces that reposition when transitioning from one level to the next. All created with a dark and sinister, yet charming papercraft world.

The action is straight forward yet deep, with just a simple sword attack and combo as well as a few magical tricks up the sleeve. The protagonist commandeers the powers of the Black Knight armor and sword before hacking up the game’s twisted enemies. Enemies that appear to be giant heads with legs or wings, creepy overweight guys with projectile attacks and overalls, and enormous bosses with a penchant for squishing out our hero.

To make the entire game all the more interesting, a classy and sophisticated English narration is provided to provide a layer of snarky wit the game otherwise would not possess. With a classic play style that appeal to any gamer, but the blood and gore meant only for a mature audience, I can’t help but cautiously recommend Black Knight Sword to anyone who has read this far. The press release announcing the sale makes no mention of the game being discounted on PSN, so for the time look for the sale to kick off tomorrow on XBLA only.

Goozex, the internet video game trading website that gives you more than brick and mortar, has launched their Exchange tab this past week. Exchange gives Goozers the ability to spend there allotment of Goozex points on new games in an auction setting. I’ve had the opportunity to not only check out the digs, but also to place a bid.

First of all, what is Goozex Exchange and how does it work? Ironically, “exchange” is the best way to decscribe Goozex in general. When I think about “trading”, I think about a straight swap between two people. Goozex is a little bit different in that you aren’t swapping your game for someone else’s game, instead they are buying it from you with points.

The Exchange allows you to use those points toward specific items in an auction environment. Games available so far have been recent releases like the God of War Ascension Collector’s Edition, or recent success like Mass Effect 3. Members can bid on various games for PS3, Xbox 360, Vita, 3DS, Wii U, and PC as well as Blu-ray movies like the recent 007 film.

How it works is that you are charged one or more tokens to bid as many times as you want on any one particular item. Some items will not charge a token, like some Blu-ray movies. The item I bid on started with a 3 token price, but has recently been reduced to 1 token, and I was refunded appropriately. Which proves the system is being monitored regularly.

Once I bid on the item, which happened to be Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus 2 for Vita, you are given the choice of how high you’d like to bid. Anyone familiar with ebay will know how this all works. If you bid the next lowest amount, you may immediately be outbid thanks to the autobid system. Autobidding is when the most recently bidder sets the highest big much higher than the current bid. That way if someone like me comes along and bids a tiny amount more, his autobid will outbid me repeatedly until his max autobid is tapped out, then a new highest bidder may prevail.

Every auctioned item has a timer starting around 5 days or less. Once the timer runs up, the bidding wars may continue until the last bid rests for 15 minutes, then the bid is won and the auction for that item ends. If I happen to win Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus 2, the points will immediately be deducted from my account and the game will be shipped to the address in the system.

So far, my experience has been smooth and it’s clear that Goozex has done their proper testing while the Exchange went through beta. I encourage anyone currently sitting on a boatload of Goozex points to exhaust them on the Exchange and get a new game or collector’s edition out of the deal. It’s not cheap when you do the math, but as of now there just aren’t that many games being offered by members.

[via Goozex Exchange]

Sony Pictures has not chosen to go with Sony Computer Entertainment America to develope the Smurfs 2 video game. Instead, the multi-console Smurfs 2 game is being developed by WayForward who is currently in the limelight for Ducktales Remastered care of Capcom. This time, WayForward is partnering with Ubisoft to bring the movie license to PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and DS in retail stores this July, likely ahead of the July 31st film debut.

Additionally, the Wii U version will feature the ability to add a fifth player to the mix, where other home consoles will be limited by four. This fifth player can join in via the Wii U Gamepad while the other four players are of course using Wii Remotes. The DS version, however, is being toned down to “an interactive storytelling book and collection of mini-games.” The press release makes no mention of a Vita version.

Which makes sense because WayForward is all into the above platforms and especially Wii U. Where it seems many Wii U developed games are slacking, WayForward is pushing their, wait for it…way forward…toward padding your Wii U game library. Whether or not Ducktails Remastered (in development), Mighty Switch Force Hyper Drive Edition (Nov 2012), or Smurfs 2 are your cup of tea is a whole different story.

Originally a Wii U exclusive, Ubisoft later made Rayman Legends a multiplatform title due to weak Wii U sales. From what we’ve seen so far, Rayman Legends is a gorgeous 2D side-scroller, with vibrant colors, amazing art design, cartoony effects, and just general eye-candy throughout.

We can imagine Ubisoft adding a few next-gen features for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 versions. If Rayman Legends ever sees release on next-gen platforms, we doubt the visuals will need much improvement. Just check out this gorgeous gameplay footage.

Metro Last Light

The successor to 2010′s sleeper hit Metro 2033 has had an up and down development cycle, culminating in the bankruptcy of publisher THQ. New publisher Deep Silver bought the rights to the franchise and is determined to release Metro Last Light on current generation platforms next month. Hopefully the game will be successful enough for the publisher to invest in next-gen versions for the PS4 and Xbox 720.

Lost Planet 3

The third installment in Capcom’s Lost Planet series is set for release this June on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. It features updated visuals powered by the Unreal Engine 3, which means it should have no trouble running on powerful next-gen hardware. The Lost Planet series have always had a unique visual style, which could be even better on next gen consoles.

Remember Me

Another Capcom title, Remember Me is a brand new IP that surprised many when it was revealed a year ago. Remember Me is a futuristic third person action/stealth game akin to Metal Gear Solid and Deux Ex. So far the game has been confirmed for PC and current gen consoles, but there have been rumors of a next-gen update scheduled for release next year. Remember Me is one of the few original gaming IPs to launch this year, and hopefully it will be successful enough to be ported to the new consoles.

Prey 2

The long-awaited sequel to 2006′s Prey is finally hitting the store shelves this year — or so we think. While publisher Bethesda confirmed that the game started development in 2010, it looks like they’re taking their time. Prey 2 was supposed to be released in 2012, but not only did it get delayed, Bethesda removed it from its product page altogether, which could be an indication that there’s a lengthy delay in progress. Perhaps this is a sign that the game will be released on next-gen consoles as well, but we’ll have to wait and see about that.

Saints Row 4

Saints Row has been described as Grand Theft Auto on steroids, and enjoys a large and hardcore fan base. However, things didn’t look too good last year when publisher THQ went bust, selling off the assets. Luckily, Saints Row 4 ended in the hands on Deep Silver, which has confirmed that they are continuing to fund development of Saints Row 4 and plan for a 2013 release.

Half Life 3 /HL2 Episode 3

This is a no-brainer, really. If only Valve would get their act together and announce Half Life 3 already. There are some rumors that it might be announced at E3 this year, but every year around E3 time, there are “rumors” of Half Life 3. And we never get anything. Knowing how business-savvy (and talented) Valve is, they’ll want to reach as many gamers as possible with Half Life 3.

Battlefield 4

One of the most anticipated shooters of this year, EA’s Battlefield 4, has so far only been confirmed for current gen consoles. However, an email from GameStop recently revealed that it would be released on current and next-gen platforms. That’s the biggest hint we’ve had at Battlefield 4 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720. Technically, neither EA nor developer DICE have actually denied a next-gen version, they’ve simply stated that they are focusing on current generation systems.

GTA 5

One of the most anticipated games of this year, if not the most anticipated game of this year. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the swan song for the PS3 and Xbox 360, the last, great game to come out on the current gen systems. Hopefully Rockstar will change their minds and port the game to the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft. One thing is sure: regardless of how popular the PS4 and Xbox 720 are this year, many gamers will hold on to their older consoles just to play GTA 5.

Bioshock Infinite

The recently released BioShock Infinite has been met with huge critical acclaim, continuing the storytelling style and imagination from the original BioShock. While the setting and characters are different, there are numerous similarities between the two. Suffice to say, Bioshock Infinite is a game that should be played by every gamer out there, and it’s a game that definitely belongs on a next-generation console.