If you follow VentureBeat but don’t regularly check our GamesBeat site, here’s a list of the best video game stories we ran over the last seven days that you may have missed.
This week, the Delaware supreme court will permit publisher Activision to buy parent company’s Vivendi’s stake in the biz for $8.17 billion, Grand Theft Auto V becomes the biggest digital release ever on the PlayStation 3 and already surpassed Grand Theft Auto IV’s lifetime sales in the U.K., and Japanese publisher Square Enix partners with Indiegogo to create its own Kickstarter-like service.
You’ll also find reviews for the adventure games Beyond: Two Souls and The Wolf Among Us Episode One: Faith as well as a preview for the action-adventure game Thief and the latest installment of our series on great tabletop games for video gamers.
News:
- The DeanBeat: If only more gamers reached the end of games
- How clans will connect Call of Duty: Ghosts players across platforms (except Wii U)
- Delaware Supreme Court will allow $8.17 billion Activision/Vivendi deal to proceed
- Xbox 360 to be the top-selling console this fall (exclusive)
- In BetAmerica’s The Twitter Game, you bet on which celebrity will tweet the most
- Movie-preview trivia game Trailerpop gets multiplayer mode
- IGT launches Monopoly-themed version of DoubleDown Casino
- Why the new XCOM is called ‘Enemy Within’ — and why it’s going to make you miserable
- Social site Dpadd hopes to be ‘just like Goodreads, but for video games’
- Sleeping Dogs developer working on sequel, Triad Wars
- Grand Theft Auto V is the PlayStation 3′s biggest digital release ever
- Xbox One reportedly automatically records Achievement-unlocking (updated)
Announcements and reveals:
- Valve announces Steam Dev Days to give studios access to Steam OS, Steam Machines, and Steam Controller
- Double Fine to show unannounced new game at its Day of the Devs party — you’re invited
- Star Wars: The Old Republic’s next expansion introduces 24-player dogfights in space
- Assassin’s Creed IV DLC Freedom Cry puts players in the shoes of a former slave
- Call of Duty: Ghosts will have dedicated servers on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and current gen
- Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition comes to PlayStation 4, not Xbox One or Wii U
- Borderlands 2 has some new loot: $100,000 of real cash
Mobile news:
- Fore app makes every golf round you play into a tournament with friends
- Dragon Realms is Gree’s next attempt to conquer the mobile RPG market
- Final Fantasy VI remake coming to smartphones, tablets
- Compete for the Guinness world record for best mobile gamer this fall
- Dragon Quest series coming to Android, iOS in Japan
- Trigger Happy’s Toon Hero app lets fans create their own Portal 2 animated cartoons (exclusive)
- How CoachGlass makes you a smarter Madden player
- GameSalad teams up with Amazon to deliver indie games on the Kindle Fire
- GDC Next and ADC follow games and apps into the future
Above: Master Luna’s abilities in Peggle 2 allow her to ghost through the less-important blue pegs.
Trailer hoedown:
- PopCap shows off new Peggle 2 characters, art style, and animations (video)
- Dixie Kong stars in latest Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze trailer
- Watch the first 5 minutes of BioShock Infinite’s Burial at Sea expansion
Ruh-roh:
- Ubisoft: Wii U not getting Assassin’s Creed IV downloadable content
- Square Enix president says his company’s need for reform is ‘urgent’
- Rhode Island governor reportedly forced 38 Studios’ bankruptcy
GamesBeat 2013:
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: Facebook’s Sean Ryan on evolving social games
- GamesBeat speaker spotlight: VCs Tim Chang and Bing Gordon to talk on gaming’s future
Above: Joker’s posse share their leader’s passion for clown make-up and accessories.
All this funding:
- ColecoVision is back with a Kickstarter to bring its retro games to iOS
- Square Enix partners with Indiegogo to form its own Kickstarter-like service
- Batman: Arkham Origins developer gets $1.5 million from Quebec
- Golem Arcana Kickstarter looks to cast some digital magic on the tabletop experience
Tech:
- Bizarre console tales: Chinese site says Foxconn forcing students to make PS4s
- For just $20 more than a Nexus 7, you can get a tablet that is also a game console and smart TV
- AMD launches new Radeon graphics family for both the masses and gamers
- PlayStation 4 controller will work on PCs
Earnings:
Acquisitions incorporated:
Reviews:
- The Wolf Among Us Episode One: Faith is an impressive start to Telltale’s latest series (review)
- Beyond: Two Souls deepens our human connection to video game characters (review)
Previews:
Above: The thief Garrett overlooks city.
Interviews:
- Bryan Ekman’s mech is bigger than your mech (interview)
- How Eidos plans to bring the decade-old Thief to new gamers (interview)
- Ubisoft bills Rocksmith 2014 video game as the fastest way to learn the guitar (interview)
- Crytek overhauls Warface online shooter with female characters (interview)
Pieces of flair:
- Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls has a whopper of an ending
- 10 games to help you regain your humanity after playing GTA V
- Great tabletop games for video gamers: Boss Monster: The Dungeon-Building Card Game
- The 15 most significant new fighting-game characters from this generation
- Grand Theft Auto Online: 26 tips and tricks for success