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New DC Heroes/Villains Fighting Game From Mortal Kombat Developers Coming Soon

With last year's Mortal Kombat long over and done, the developers at NetherRealm Studios needed a new project on which to work, and considering that Mortal Kombat has crossed paths with the DC Comics universe once already, it makes sense that the company's next project is a proper stand-alone fighting game featuring the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and other famous comic book characters.  Prepare yourself for Injustice: Gods Among Us for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii U.  BusinessWire has the press release:

Injustice: Gods Among Us debuts as a bold new fighting game franchise that introduces a deep, original story featuring a large cast of favorite DC Comics icons such as Batman, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and many others. Set in a world where the lines between good and evil are blurred, players will experience heroes and villains engaging in epic battles on a massive scale.

"With Injustice: Gods Among Us, we are creating an all-new franchise with incredible battles set in the DC Comics Universe," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "NetherRealm Studios is the extremely talented team behind the latest Mortal Kombat hit and it is developing a game unlike any other in the fighting genre."

"We can't wait to reveal Injustice: Gods Among Us because it will give our fans and gamers an epic experience as they battle like gods as their favorite DC Comics villains and heroes," said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. "Our team is excited to make a fighting game that is filled with fast-paced action, incredible story-telling and iconic DC Comics characters."

Is it too early to start wishlisting characters that need to be included as playable fighters?  Joker, Catwoman, Brainiac, Lex Luthor... the options go on and on.  The DC brand's last foray into fighting games in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe ended up being a poorly received, watered down affair, but hopefully this time around the results will be better and we'll finally see a fighting game that can stand with Capcom's work with the Marvel franchise.  I know I'm certainly interested even if I've never been that skilled with the Mortal Kombat play mechanics.  Check out the announcement trailer below to see a little of the brawler in action.

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Announced For PS3

Not content to let the high definition Ratchet & Clank Collection and the remastered Ratchet: Deadlocked be the only titles starring everyone's favorite lombax and robot team to be released this year, Sony and Insomniac Games have announced the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault for the PlayStation 3.  This PlayStation Network downloadable title takes the series back to its more traditional model that we all enjoyed in series games such as Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time, although the actual format will follow the last downloadable Ratchet title, the pirate-themed Quest for Booty.  Here's Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price explaining the early details at the PlayStation Blog:

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is a fun-sized Ratchet adventure which will be available for download exclusively on the PlayStation Store. We’ve returned to the series’ classic feel, camera, controls and weapons, while innovating and giving you a whole new way to play. Even better, the addition of online features means you can experience Full Frontal Assault with your friends, so stay tuned!

Insomniac promised a big international surprise and a small North American bonus for Ratchet fans this year to mark the franchise's tenth anniversary.  Full Frontal Assault (known as Ratchet & Clank: Q-Force in Europe, incidentally, where it'll also be available on a traditional Blu-ray disc) is the big surprise, and while the small bonus has yet to be revealed, I'm still betting that it's a free voucher for the updated Deadlocked included in the North American version of the Ratchet & Clank Collection box.  We'll have to wait a while more to see Assault in action, however.  Sony isn't planning on showing it at E3 next week. 

An Embarrassment Of E3 Riches (Emphasis On Embarrassment)

The major video game publishers come out to shine at each Electronic Entertainment Expo, and while many wow us with new product announcements, sometimes they go down in gaming history for the wrong reasons.  Sometimes it seems as if the business powers that be are determined to remain memorable not for amazing video games, but for amazingly embarrassing presentations to a bored or baffled media.  Bob Mackey over at 1UP has five bits of free advice for the big publisherson how to avoid embarrassing moments as we head into another E3 news cycle.  Consider Ubisoft's 2011 blunder that was Mr. Caffeine:

Comedy inherently involves calling out hypocrisy and stupidity, so none of it can possibly exist during an E3 press conference. But often, companies opt for low-calorie imitation humor, last seen in Ubisoft's 2011 conference with a certain character named Mr. Caffeine. The host of the event seemed more used to the corporate retreat circuit, since most of his jokes felt like they could easily win over a group of half-drunk, middle-aged executives (Wayne's World references age like fine wine). But a mob of informed video game types? Mr. Caffeine did not win this crowd over. Each and every terrible joke fell out of his mouth like a dying bird, forced to breathe out its final seconds on the stage in front of a silent and belligerent crowd. Publishers, please keep all of your comedy unintentional; as we have learned thus far, it's these moments what will make you the talk of E3. But for all the wrong reasons.

As someone who was in the Ubisoft audience that day, I can verify that Mr. Caffeine's act was just as bewildering as it sounds.  While the company had some impressive trailers to show us for games such as Assassin's Creed Revelations and Far Cry 3, the news was overshadowed by Mr. Caffeine's stale attempts at humor.  By the time the briefing wound down, I just felt sorry for the guy.  The lesson here is that we don't need hired faces like Mr. Caffeine to set up the clips.  Bring out some of the talent that actually creates the products on display and let them share the new information.  They might sound a bit awkward at times, but at least it would be honest awkwardness instead of the kind that comes from an act dying on stage in slow motion.

PlayStation Network Offers Deep Discounts On Ultimate Editions

Forget about your Game of the Year Editions and your Complete Editions.  Sony has upped the ante in the digital distribution marketplace by offering what the company is calling Ultimate Editions of popular top-selling PlayStation 3 titles.  Through June 4, PlayStation Network shoppers can pick up games such as Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and several more complete with all available downloadable content in a single bundle at a very nice price.  PlayStation Plus members receive an additional discount on top of the sale price, too.  Here's the list of available Ultimate Edition bundles from the PlayStation Blog:

• Red Dead Redemption with Legends and Killers, Liars and Cheats and Undead Nightmare [$27.99 ($19.59 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• InFAMOUS 2 Complete Edition [$33.99 ($23.79 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• BioShock 2 with Exclusive Character Pack, Minerva’s Den, The Protector Trials, Rapture Metro and Sinclair Solutions [$27.99 ($19.59 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• MotorStorm Apocalypse $50.49 [($35.34 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• Call of Duty: Black Ops with First Strike, Escalation, Annihilation and Rezurrection Packs [$66.49 ($46.54 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition [$27.99 ($19.59 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• Mafia II with Betrayal of Jimmy, Greaser Pack, Jimmy’s Vendetta, Joe’s Adventure, Renegade Pack, Vegas Pack and Hero Pack [$20.99 ($14.69 for PlayStation Plus Members)]
• Just Cause 2 Ultimate Edition [$20.99 ($14.69 for PlayStation Plus Members!)]
• Mortal Kombat with the Warrior Bundle and Klassic Skins Pack 1 [$34.99 ($24.49 for PlayStation Plus Members)]

There are some fantastic deals here if you don't mind forgoing ownership of an actual disc.  Personally, I'd recommend the bundles for Just Cause 2, Red Dead Redemption, and L.A. Noire all of which will bring you so many hours of enjoyment partly thanks to the included add-ons and expansions.  Mortal Kombat is even tempting me at this sale price, too.  It would be nice if these Ultimate Edition sales happen again from time to time with different games on offer.  Selling complete versions of games for a fair price?  What a novel idea!

Power Button - Episode 81: 38 Special

All of us in the video gaming community have watched 38 Studios fall from grace in the past week as the company behind Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning took down not only itself, but Big Huge Games and the taxpayers of Rhode Island in a spectacular business failure.  This week's episode of Power Button focuses on the 38 fiasco as we examine what went wrong, who shares in the blame, and where the Amalur franchise goes from here now that it looks like the state itself will eventually own it.  Also, I take us on a sidequest to share the story of how what happens in the Ocala National Forest had better stay in the Ocala National Forest.  Would you dare ring the bell?  Download this week's episode directly from PTB, listen with the player below, or subscribe via iTunes, and be sure to catch up on past episodes if you're joining us late. Remember that you can reach all three of us via , you can leave a message on the Power Button hotline by calling (720) 722-2781, and you can even follow all of us on Twitter at @PressTheButtons, @aubradley84, and @JoeyDavidson or for just podcast updates, @ThePowerButton.

Power Button - Episode 81: 38 Special

Weekly Poll: Annual Estimates

A large majority of you out there do not rent video games at all, to which I ask: how do you sample games that you're generally unsure about buying?  I rely on GameFly's by-mail service to keep me going with games that I think I'd like but cannot justify purchasing and it's helped to make my gaming dollar last longer.  I like to keep current with the latest titles that pop up on my radar, but I'm not going to spend $60 on a questionable release when I can pay $15 per month for little taste tests.  Often times I keep what I rent, but I've also sent my share of duds back to the warehouse for the next poor soul to sample.  Now, if only I could rent downloadable games that never quite live up to promises or hype...

Moving on, we're coming up on gaming's annual holy week for announcements and news: the Electronic Entertainment Expo!  Which of the three major first-party publishers do you believe will have the best showing this year?  Will Microsoft wow everyone with new Kinect games?  Will Sony keep its PlayStation 3 output consistently enjoyable?  Is Nintendo set to blow us all away with a revitalized Wii U?  Let's hear your thoughts, hopes, and expectations.

Meet The Third Mario Brother: Regular Guiseppe

While famed plumbers Mario and Luigi were meant for grand adventures in whimsical settings, someone has to keep the lights on back home in Brooklyn.  Thanks to Dorkly, we can now meet the non-super third Mario brother that the red and green duo rarely mention: Regular Guiseppe.  Watch his plight as Mario and Luigi bring a bit of Mushroom Kingdom madness back to the plumbing shop with them, leaving Guiseppe to clean up the mess without any reward or honest thanks.  It's a sad life, but not everyone is cut out to be a Super Mario Brother.

Lightning Strikes Amazon For Gold Box Gaming Sale

Amazon loves to offer video games in its Gold Box and Lightning Deals offers, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the online retailer is holding another of its one-day-only gaming sales today.  The big item on sale is the recently released Prototype 2 for the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 which is offered at a 50% discount for a price of $29.99, while other items on sale include a fight stick, a headset, a fitness title for the Nintendo Wii, fantasy RPGs, World of Warcraft expansions, and much more.  Check out the offerings and pick up something you like. Every purchase you make through one of the green links here helps to support Press The Buttons, and as always, I thank you for that.

Capcom Announces Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector Set

Capcom's famed Street Fighter franchise is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, the company has packaged all kinds of Street Fighter material into a massive collection for the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360.  Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, and Street Fighter X Tekken will be repackaged as part of the set which also includes video content, a soundtrack, art book, and much more.  Here's the complete breakdown of whats in the box:

Games

• Street Fighter X Tekken (including all character and Swap Costume DLC)
• Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (with all costume DLC)
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
• Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition

Video

• New documentary Blu-ray that highlights the lifelong love affair fans have had with Street Fighter, and how their dedication has affected the game.
• Street Fighter IV, Super SFIV anime movies
• All episodes of the Street Fighter animated series (DELICIOUS!)
• Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

Light-up Ryu statue

• Brand new statue with light up base. Eight inches tall and frozen in mid Shoryuken.

11 disc soundtrack

• Game music from the past 25 years, including remixes and fan-created music.

64 page hardcover art book

• Containing pieces from fans all over the world.

Ryu's belt

• Full size martial arts black belt for the aspiring World Warrior. Includes Ryu's "Furinkazan" in kanji.

Certificate of Authenticity

• Like any good collector's set, this comes with a lovely piece of paper telling you how limited and special it is. They're all individually numbered, so get one before they disappear!

All that's missing is the 1994 Street Fighter feature film.  This collection will set you back $149.99 when it goes on sale on September 18, 2012.  While it looks like an amazing deal at first glance, I wonder how much of the target market for this collection — ardent Street Fighter fans — already own most of this content from previous releases.  If you don't own any of this stuff, then $150 is an amazing bargain for all of this and I say go for it if you enjoy the franchise but haven't bought SSFIVAE and SFxT, but if you've bought Street Fighter titles already this generation, then you're essentially paying for the video content, soundtrack, statue, and art book.  Whether or not that's a fair offering for that price is your call, but as much as I enjoy Street Fighter, I can't justify springing for the double dip on this one.  That's a shame, too, because I love a nice displayable statue.

Become The Doctor In Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock

Supermassive Games unleashed its latest production this week for the Sony PlayStation 3: Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock in which players take on the roles of both the Doctor himself and the mysterious River Song for an adventure that spans time and space (PlayStation Vita and PC versions are coming soon).  I've been waiting for a proper Doctor Who game for several years now, so I was eager to sit down yesterday evening and dive into the adventure.  I played for an hour and completed what I felt was meant to be the warm-up portion of the game that teaches players how the basic mechanics work, and while I have a few criticisms, overall I really like what I see.

Bowser Gets Wise

One of the unwritten rules of the Super Mario Bros. titles (heck, of any decent video game, really) is that the environments in which the protagonist finds him or herself be passable according to the game's internal logic.  If Mario can jump a maximum distance of X, then the bottomless pits that separate him from Princess Peach cannot be larger than X unless the game provides an alternate way of moving beyond the pit.  Over at Brawl in the Family we see what happens when Bowser fights dirty and tries to hold Mario back with an extra wide hole in the ground.  Just how resourceful is everyone's favorite plumber?  To what lengths will he go to save the princess?  And just how bottomless are those supposedly endlessly deep gaps?

Nintendo Wii U Controller Is Evolving!

Nintendo debuted the tablet controller for its upcoming Wii U console at E3 last year, but we haven't seen the new input device since Los Angeles.  Now, thanks to an apparently careless tweet by a TT Games employee, we have our first look at the latest revision of the device.  The 3DSesque sliding circle pads from the original design have been replaced with proper control sticks, there are a few extra buttons scattered around, and a few other alterations have been made.  Polygon summarizes for us:

We can see that the "select" and "start" buttons have been moved just below the X-Y-A-B button cluster, presumably to make them easier to reach during gameplay. The microphone has been moved to the left of the "home" button, which now appears to sport a translucent ring of plastic around it. And those analog sticks now sit closer to the left and right edges of the tablet controller. The device also bears a Wii U logo on its face.

There's still plenty of time before the Wii U launches and more opportunities for the controller to change again in minor ways, but this iteration looks better than what we saw when the Wii U was unveiled (as far as I can tell from a quick photograph, anyway).  The Wii U controller I held at E3 last year had a pleasant weight and size to it, but did look like an early stab at a product.  A little refinement was clearly necessary and we're seeing that happening here, but I wouldn't be surprised if little details changed again slightly before the controller ships.  I would hope that it's complete as far as basic features and capabilities go.  Developers that have to aim at ever-moving targets have added challenges to meet beyond creating a launch window title for new hardware.  The pressure is immense enough as it is without Nintendo swapping features in and out up until the metaphorical eleventh hour.