Problems of the digital age

Minecraft: Story Mode is about to be delisted from digital marketplaces, but something odd is going on with the Xbox 360 version. In a strange li??mitation of the Xbox Live Marketplace, there is no way to remove a title from sale while letting legitimate owners redownload them. I guess Microsoft didn't think of that when it launched the 360 14 years ago (how dare they!), so a different type of workaround has been utilize?d.

Each episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is currently available for $100 on 360. That is not a joke, but something done to deter people from actually buying the game. In a message on the Minecraft: Story Mode Facebook page, what's left of Telltale Games' sta?ff wrote:

Minecraft: Story Mode games will no longer be supported via the necessary game servers on June 25th, 2019. All of Minecraft: Story Mode content was removed from sale on each digital storefront ahead of that happening. In the process of removing these items for sale, on the Xbox 360 platform only, existing Minecraft: Story Mode players became unable download their remaining episodes. From working with the Xbox 360 platform, the only solution to this situation is to re-list the downloadable content for purchase. So, to assist existing customers, all the downloadable Episodes for the two Minecraft: Story Mode titles? are temporarily re-listed but, to deter new purchases, they will be re-listed at a very high price!

So if you really feel like dropping over $1,000 to get all of Minecraft: Story Mode digitally, you can now fulfill that dream. Sadly, once June 25 rolls around, you'll no longer to able to redownload any of the episodes on Xbox 360. A physical version of the complete season one exists on 360, but it seems season two will be lost to the passage of time. The problems of a digital age, ??I suppose.

Minecraft: Story Mode [Facebook]

The post Minecraft: Story Mode’s Xbox 360 price hike is not a joke appeared first on Destructoid.

Grab it now if you want it

Another title from Telltale Games' back catalog will be disappearing this year. Minecraft: Story Mode, the spin-off of Mojang's insanely popular craft-a-thon, will be leaving digital marketplaces on June 25, 2019. All platforms and both seasons will be affected, which includes an insane amount of legacy consoles. Story Mode had a home on PS3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 along with mobile devices and current-gen hardwa??re, so there's potentially a lot of customers that might be losing access to these games.

In a message over on the official Minecraft website, publisher Mojang insists that players download all remaining episodes prior to them being delisted. I'm not sure if that is just a precautionary step, or if the servers on each platform will actually cease to host the titles for users that already own them. This isn't completely unprecedented as a few games on Xbox 360 (and, famously, P.T. on PS4) can no longer be downloaded regardless of ownership. If you aren't sure you if you own any or have them downloaded, check now??.

The post Minecraft: Story Mode will be delisted on June 25 appeared first on Destructoid.

Add yet another account to the list

Telltale Games rep Job Stauffer recently confirmed that cross-platform saving, most recently seen in Minecraft: Story Mode, is something the company plans to implement going forward. The feature is exclusive to Telltale Games Account users, an??d is only available for ?players who split their time between PC/Mac and mobile.

Although Minecraft is currently the only title that provides cloud saving, Stauffer told us that we would see the feature utilized in future Telltale games "for sure." Additional platforms are also a possibility, which sounds great for people like me who start?? these titles on consoles before remembering that they should be played on PC first and foremost.

Stauffer mentions the feature was inspired by the user continuity seen in streaming services like Netflix and Amazon; if you're watching CW's excellent science-fiction drama The 100 in one room on your Roku before getting kicked off the device by your family, you can move to your Xbox One in the other room and pick up where you left off. It's something that ??definitely makes sense for an account-based streaming service, maybe a little less so for most video games.

But it definitely fits for Minecraft: Story Mode, at the very least. Kids are the target demographic for this brand, no getting around that. Since modern children split their time between dedicated gaming systems and mobile devices so frequently (I've seen ice-blooded children play Five Nights at Freddy's on their iPod in an Outback Steakhouse without flinching), it makes se??nse to have both versions of the game in lockstep. I bet Telltale is hoping those kids find something to appreciate in the Telltale House Style™, bringing their double-dip habits over to the company's next release.

The post Telltale plans to implement cloud saving appeared first on Destructoid.

Begun, the console price war has

Mmm. Just smell those deals. Since Friday, those price-cut $350 PlayStation 4 bundles have officially arrived at major retailers. Target, the fav big box retailer of every gamer's wife -- is offering a $50 gift card along with select PS4 bundles. (Ask your wife/mom/aunt/cousin/crush-from-middle-school if they have a REDcard which cuts another 5% off the PS4).

Just yesterday the latest Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide expansion released for $29.99. GMG has the best price online from an authorized retailer after a 25% off price drop to $22.50. Accompanying  the release of Rising Tide is also a sale on Civ titles with most games up to 80% off.

Finally, remember that wacky Dell Xbox One + Samsung HDTV combo deal from the summer? A similar deal is now available at Newegg, this time for a PS4 + LG HDTV combo. For $600 you'll get the now fam?iliar PS4 TLOUS Remastered Bundle with a 43-inch LG HDTV. Good deal, if you just happen to be looking for a 43-inch TV.

Top Deals

Games

• Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide (Steam) — $22.50  (list price $30)
• Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (Steam) — $20.79  (list price $30)
• Minecraft: Story Mode - A Telltale Games Series — $17.33  (list price $25)
• Fallout 4 (Steam) — $46.20  (list price $60)
• Star Wars: Battlefront (Origin) — $46.20  (list price $60)

PS4 Deals

• Playstation 4 D??est??iny: The Taken King Bundle + $50 Gift Card — $394.99
• PlayStation 4 Console + Last of Us Remastered + $50 Gi?ft Card — $349.99
• PS4 Uncharte?d: The Nathan Drake Col?lection Bundle + $50 Gift Card — $349.99
• PlayStation 4 TLOUS Remastered Bundle + LG 43" 1??080p? HDTV — $599.99

Recent Releases

• 10/06: Skyhill (Steam) — $10.40  (list price $15)
• 10/08: WRC 5 (Steam) — $28.07  (list price $40)
• 09/29: 80 Days (Steam) — $6.93  (list price $10)
• 09/29: Might & Magic Heroes VII (Uplay) — $28.99  (list price $50)
• 09/25: Grand Ages: Medieval (Steam) — $26.72  (list price $40)
• 09/22: FIFA 16 (Origin) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• 09/15: Xbox One FIFA 16 1TB Bundle + NBA 2K16 — $369.99  (list price $399)

Upcoming Releases

• 10/20: Tales of Zestiria (Steam) — $37.50  (list price $50)
• 10/23: Guild Wars 2: Heart Of Thorns — $34.47  (list price $50)
• 11/06: Call of Duty Black Ops III Deluxe Edition (Steam) — $79.99  (list $100)
• 11/17: PlayStation 4 500GB Star Wars Battlefront Bundle — $349.99  (list $350)
• 12/01: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Uplay) — $37.50  (list price $50)
• 02/23: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Steam) — $46.20  (list price $60)

PC Game Deals

• The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (DRM-Free) — $26.99  (list price $60)
• Mad Max (Steam) — $19.97  (list price $60)
• RPG Maker VX Ace (Steam) — $18.87  (list price $70)
• Rocket League (Steam) — $15.40  (list price $20)
• Civilization V: Complete Edition (Steam) — $11  (list price $50)
• Age of Survival (Steam) — $10.97  (list price $19)
• Tabletop Simulator (Steam) — $9.24  (list price $20)
• Deponia Trilogy (Steam) — $9.24  (list price $48)
• Kyn (Steam) — $7.70  (list price $20)
• Shelter 2 (Steam) — $7.26  (list price $15)
• European Ship Simulator (Steam) — $6.55  (list price $25)
• The Banner Saga (Steam) — $6.16  (list price $20)
• Lara Croft and The Temple of Osiris (Steam) — $6.16  (list price $20)
• Sid Meier's Civilization V (Steam) — $5.78  (list price $30)
• War of the Human Tanks (Steam) — $2.62  (list price $10)
• 100% Orange Juice (Steam) — $1.83  (list price $7)

Gaming Laptop Deals

• 15.6" Dell 7000 Series 4K?? Touc??h, i5-6300HQ Skylake, GTX 960M — $999.99
• 15.6" Lenovo Y50 i7-4720HQ, 16GB, GTX 960M — $979  (list price $1,620)
• 14" HP Envy i7-6700HQ Skylake, GTX 950M, 1080p — $839.99  (list price $1,200)
• 15.6" HP Envy i7-6700U Skylake, GTX 950M, 1080p, 25?6GB SSD — $839.99
• 15.??6" Dell 7000 Series, i5-6300HQ Skylake, 8GB, GTX 960M, 1080p — $799.99
• 17.3" HP ??Envy i7-6500HQ Skylake, ??8GB, GTX 950M, 1080p — $772.49 
• 15.6" Lenovo Ideapad 500 i7-6500U Skylake,??AMD MESO XT — $699

HDTV Deals

• 60" Vizio 240Hz4K Smart LED TV — $1,099.99  (list price $1,699)
• 50" LG 4K Smart LED TV + $300 eGift Card — $849.99  (list price $1,900)
• 49" Vizio 4K Smart LED TV — $579.99  (list price $769)

Accessories & Hardware Deals

• Samsung 850 Pro Series 2.5" SSD 512GB MZ-7KE512BW — $209.99  (list$390)
• Western Digital WD30EZRX 3TB 3.5" Hard Drive — $84.99  (list price $130)
• Crucial BX100 SSD 2.5" 250GB CT250BX100SSD1 — $79.99  (list price $90)
• XFX Radeon R7 260X 2GB GDDR5 Video Card — $74.99  (list price $150)
• PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller — $39.99  (list price $60)

Deals from Dealzon and Master Yoda. Sales help support Destructoid.

The post Civilization R?ising Tide sale and a $?50 bonus with your $350 PS4 at Target appeared first on Destructoid.

It uses the original engine

Minecraft: Story Mode is coming to basically every platform ever, as most Telltale games do, but this one is different -- according to an interview from Family Gamer TV it uses the actual Minecraft engine instead of Telltale's aging visuals. It's an odd bit of news, since the Wii U has been deprived of the full Minecraft experience for years now. Now that the hard part has been done, some are speculating that this ?could allow for a full Wii U version.

Of course, Minecraft is now owned by Microsoft, so if it doesn't deem the platform worthy, nothing is happening. Also, just? because the engine is being ported by another developer, it doesn't mean t?hat Microsoft would necessarily want to pay to produce and distribute the game.

The post Minecraft Story Mode might open the door for Mi???necraft on Wii U appeared first on Destructoid.

Retail launch is October 27

Telltale's episodic adventure series Minecraft: Story Mode begins October 13, 2015 with Episode 1: The Order of the Stone on Windows, Mac, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It's then headed to Android and iOS on October 15, followed by an eventual Wii U and PS Vita release. Poor? guys.

Those dates are for the digital releases, but Story Mode is also headed to retail (Oct. 27), as shown above. Did you catch that "Season Pass Disc" notice at the bottom? Presumably, the first episo??de will be stored on-disc while the remaining four will need to be downloaded once t??hey're ready.

In its announcement post, Telltale talked about the voice cast, and I must have missed that Paul Reubens is in this. Excellent. The studio also promised that news regarding the finales for Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands should drop "soon." You know how that goes.

Premi?ere Dates Revealed for 'Minecraft: Story Mode' [Telltale Games]

The post Minecraft: Story Mode releases digitally Oct. 13 appeared first on Destructoid.

'This item will be released on October 27, 2015'

According to Amazon.com, Minecraft: Story Mode will release on October 27, 2015.

Playing as Jesse, you'll "embark on a perilous adventure across the Overworld, through the Nether, to the End, and beyond. You and your friends revere the legendary Order of the Stone: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect; slaye??rs of the Ender Dragon. While at EnderCon in hopes of meeting Gabriel the Warrior, you and your friends discover that something is wrong. something dreadful. Terror is unleashed,?? and you must set out on a quest to find The Order of the Stone if you are to save your world from oblivion." 

The Amazon.com blurb describes the game as:

• Created by award-winning advent??ure game powerhouse Telltale?? Games, in partnership with Minecraft creators, Mojang
• Featuring the voices of Patton ?Oswalt (Ratatouille, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program, Mission Hill), Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us, Tales from the Borderland?s), Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, X-Men)
• Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series, Batman: Arkham Knight), Martha Plimpton (The Goonies, Raising Hope), Corey Feldman (The Goonies, Stand by Me), Billy West (Futu?rama, Adventure Time), Paul Reubens (Tron: Uprising, Pee-Wee's Playhouse)
• You will drive the story through the decisions you make: what you say to people (and how you say it), and what you choose to do in moments of th??rilling action will make this YOUR story.

The page also notes that Minecraft: Story Mode "is an adventure game set in a Minecr?aft world. It is a five-part episodic series that will take you to the Nether, the Farlands, the End, and beyond! Get instant access to Episode 1 on the season disc, and get access to four more episodes as they become available to download. Internet connection required."

There are no assets or box art as yet, but it do?es confirm a price - $30.

The post Minecraft: Story Mode release date leaked? appeared first on Destructoid.

It's something

Telltale Games supporting Wii U? A Minecraft title on a Nintendo console? What's going on?

The studio is bringing its upcoming Minecraft: Story Mode to Wii U this fall, according to The Verge. The episodic adventure series is also slated for a bunch of current- and last-generation platforms, but up unt??il today Nintendo wasn't a?? part of the release plans. Nice to see that change.

Little strange that Wii U owners will be able to play Story Mode but not Minecraft itself, though. All of thos??e knock-offs on the eShop can continue to rest? easy and rake in cash.

Giving Minecraft a story [The Verge via @jobjstauffer]

The post Minecraft: Story Mode headed to Wii U, too appeared first on Destructoid.

Wait, what?

Minecraft: Story Mode is a thing that's happening.

Mojang has joined forces with Telltale Games, the team behind fine adventure games like The Walking Dead, to forge a narrative-driven episodic experience. Yes, they're working on an original story "set in the world of Minecraft." A story. Minecraft. Telltale. This is all so strange.

Minecraft: Story Mode is expected to make its debut sometime next year on Xbox consoles, PC, Mac, and mobile devices. It's also coming to PlayStation systems, which makes a lot of sense until you remember Microsoft just purchased Mojang for a cool $2.5 billion.

Microsoft's hot new property is coming to a rival platform? Uh, okay...

Announcing Minecraft: Story Mode [Mojang, Telltale]

The post Mojang and Telltale announce Minecra??ft: Story Mode appeared first on Destructoid.