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Reuters - God did not create the universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book.

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Albion has entered its industrial age.

Not that I need the helpful, disembodied voice to tell me that in Fable 3's opening, of course. The change is evident in how the once colorful landscape seems to be covered in soot. It's clear from a single glance at the sorrowful, broken eyes of a townsperson worked to the bone.

"The Fable team hasn't changed very much, it's generally the same people and because that's the case, for us, there's a love there for the world, and there's a love there for the characters," design director Josh Atkins tells me. "We can't afford, emotionally, to be complacent."

It's a little ironic that it was the team's commitment to do right by Fable 3, to not play it safe, that forced them to make Albion such an unfortunate place in which to live.

Continue reading Fable 3 Preview: A Reason to Believe

Fable 3 Preview: A Reason to Believe originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Though a European trailer for No Heroes Allowed, the third game in the What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? series, was released during Gamescom, news of a North American release remained up in the air (instead of buried in a hastily-dug dungeon, where it belonged). SCEA has revealed plans to release the game, but did not offer up a date for the God of Destruction's resurrection.

No Heroes Allowed offers 100 daily dungeon design challenges, along with a new cooperative play mode that stars Badman and his daughter, Badmella. In the new addition, two players collaborate to dig a deadly, devious and dangerous dungeon.

Holy localization, Badman! It's No Heroes Allowed for PSP originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you ready, Steef? Just Add Water is working on a high-definition remake of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath. The Gravity Crash developer announced the project earlier today, highlighting it as the first in a "long and fruitful relationship" with the original game's developer, Oddworld Inhabitants. "Having a chance to update the great title and release it on PS3 is just a brilliant opportunity, not least for us, but for the fans too," added Just Add Water MD Stewart Gilray.

Set for release during Easter next year, the PlayStation 3 remake of Stranger's Wrath will offer enhanced 720p visuals, more detailed character models, remastered dialogue, PlayStation Move support and "additional bonus material."

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, which launched on Xbox in 2005, was notable for being, well, a really bizarre first-person shooter. It placed the franchise's environmental missive inside a wild and weird Western aesthetic, and replaced ammunition with ravenous fuzzballs. An EA-developed PS2 port never made it to stores.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath remake coming to PS3 in 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SNK's oddball bullet hell shmup, KOF Sky Stage, has finally been dated for Xbox Live Arcade -- in Japan, at least. Masochists can check it out on September 15 for 800 MS Points ($10). That's a small price to pay to see Terry Bogard and company fly around and shoot stuff. And, y' know, play a super-tough game.

The game originally launched in Japanese arcades back in January. PSP users can also access KOF Sky Stage right now in Neo Geo Heroes, while those of us in the US can likely look forward to a localized release, so says an ESRB listing. If you're looking to get an early start at finding all of those sweet hiding spots to take refuge from the impending bullet swarms, head past the break for a new trailer.

Continue reading KOF Sky Stage shoots up Japanese XBLA on September 15

KOF Sky Stage shoots up Japanese XBLA on September 15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erin Robinson's excellent Puzzle Bots was chosen as one of the PAX 10 winners for this weekend's Seattle convention, and as a result, Wadjet Eye games has it on sale all weekend long. By entering the code "PUZZLEPAX" at checkout, you can play the cheerful little strategy puzzle title for $4.99 instead of the usual $10.

There's a free demo available if you want to try before you buy and the game will also be playable on the PAX show floor -- so if you have a friend in Seattle, ask them what they think. An excellent deal on an excellent indie title, even for those of us who aren't partying with Tycho and Gabe this weekend.

PAX 10 winner Puzzle Bots available for half price during expo originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At last year's TGS, Capcom producer Keiji Inafune had some pretty grim things to say about the Japanese game industry. "I said that comment hoping that the Japanese creators were going to wake up," Inafune told Videogamer in a new interview. "However, there has been no change whatsoever to the situation since last year, so I'm still very pessimistic."

Inafune said that some Japanese developers are "still living the glory of the '80s and '90s," when the NES, Super NES and Genesis delivered a steady stream of hit games from Japan to the world. "So they don't admit that there is a problem to start with." He advised his colleagues to "get humble and start learning what's going on."

Inafune also added that just buying Western companies isn't enough, unless publishers "start working with them properly, rather than just commissioning a game and then putting their name on the final product." One company must be feeling that one in its Extreme Edges.

Inafune: Japanese devs have to 'get humble' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moving from game development to multidisciplinary writing, Irrational Games' Ken Levine and Shawn Elliott chat with Amazing Spider-Man writer Brian Michael Bendis on the second episode of Irrational Interviews, released this week. Did you know that what became BioShock was heavily seeded by a trip Levine and his wife took to Rockefeller Center? You would've if you'd already listened to the episode! What're you waiting for, dummy?

Direct Download / iTunes Feed / Irrational Interviews RSS Feed

Irrational interviews Marvel's Brian Michael Bendis on writing originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo announced the Japanese release date for Kirby's Epic Yarn -- October 14 -- and released a new trailer for the occasion. We've embedded it after the break, but we encourage you to go to Nintendo's site anyway, for the most charming video controls you'll ever, ever see.

Continue reading Thank Japan for this new Kirby's Epic Yarn trailer

Thank Japan for this new Kirby's Epic Yarn trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Activision today officially welcomed RZA to the cast of DJ Hero 2. The legendary Wu-Tang leader's inclusion as a playable character was first hinted at when RZA shared a few images of his mocap costume for an unnamed Activision game back in April. RZA, who often performs as alter-ego Bobby Digital, said of his digitization, "Now, I actually exist in a digital world, yo."

Additionally, RZA mixed two tracks for the DJ Hero 2 soundtrack. The first blends LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio" with Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message," and the second mixes Damian Marley's "Welcome To Jamrock" with Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven." (RZA is also featured in the "Dollaz & Sense" Blackroc track licensed for the game; see the complete track listing here.)

Catch RZA wax poetic on his journey from paperboy to DJ Hero 2 in the video after the break. "Bong bong!"

Continue reading RZA confirmed playable in DJ Hero 2, contributes pair of mixes

RZA confirmed playable in DJ Hero 2, contributes pair of mixes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It feels so weird to be telling you this, but Ubisoft has made an advergame based on Tom Clancy's HAWX 2 and ... it's kinda good! It's a pretty basic shmup with an 8-bit theme, though it's a bit more forgiving than most traditional games in the genre. (Your plane can actually take more than one hit before going down.)

Everything else is pretty much what you'd expect: a rad soundtrack; several weapon types; and an endless supply of enemies to blast into oblivion. Don't believe us? Hit up the link and check it out.

[Thanks, Daniel]

Tom Clancy's HAWX 2: The 8-bit Game has a missile lock on our heart originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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