Injustice: Gods Among Us for PlayStation 4 Now Available Free to PlayStation Plus Subscribers

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We’ve seen Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition available at some crazy low prices over the past few months, but it’s hard to top the PlayStation Plus bonus currently available. As of today, subscribers to the online service can now download the PlayStation 4 version free of charge. If you’ve somehow missed out on this heroic title until now, the price can’t really get any better than this.

And since it’s the Ultimate Edition package, all of the previously released downloadable characters and costumes are included for, you guessed it, no extra charge.

This deal will run for the whole month of December, so if you find yourself in possession of a holiday-related PlayStation 4, don’t forget to pick up Injustice before the calendar flips over to 2015.

Source: Playstation Blog, thanks to Murdoink for the reminder.

Southern California Strikes Bring Delays for Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- Limited Edition in North America

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With Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- set to land in North America on December 16, Aksys Games recently came forward with some unfortunate news regarding the title’s special edition package.

According to the publisher, ongoing strikes in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have caused unexpected delays in the shipping of key Limited Edition components, a hold-up that will cause the bundle to miss the original release date. They are currently unsure exactly how far this will push back shipment, but have made an estimate of one or two weeks.

“Aksys Games takes this matter seriously and will continue to update everyone as soon as we can,” the news explains. “We would like to apologize for the delay and inconvenience that this has caused.”

Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-‘s limited edition attaches a variety of extras to the game, including unique packaging, an exclusive character book, a keychain fashioned after Sol Badguy’s belt buckle, and more.

Luckily, fans can still expect to grab the standard version on December 16.

Source: Aksys Games via Gematsu

Ultra Arcade Announces Killer Instinct World Cup for 2016, $10,000 Prize Pool Guaranteed

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Corrections: This article incorrectly assumed that the Adam spoken of during the announcement was Adam “Keits” Heart of Iron Galaxy Studios, but we were recently informed that was incorrect. Also, the event will not be held at Ultra Arcade itself. Our apologies for these mistakes.

Since opening in February, Ultra Arcade has served as a home base for Texans in the San Antonio area, hosting numerous tournaments and high-profile invitationals like Curleh Mustache South, and a recent announcement definitely shows they are in it for the long haul.

During a special birthday broadcast, Evo 2014 champion Emmanuel “TSC|CDjr” Brito welcomed Ultra Arcade owner Brandon Alexander onto the stream to reveal their plans for a major Killer Instinct tournament.

Disappointed by the turnout for the game at recent tournaments, Alexander thought it may be a great idea to emulate Capcom Cup and hold qualifiers for a major Killer Instinct tournament. After discussing the idea with individuals at Microsoft, he worked out concrete plans for the Killer Instinct World Cup.

Similar to Capcom’s tournament series, Killer Instinct World Cup will be made up of players who qualify through events next year, such as Evo 2015, Ultra Arcade’s own Kombo Klash competitions, and other major events. A point system will also be in place to award consistent placers.

Other official details are still in the planning stages, but Alexander mentioned wanting to provide points to this year’s Kumite in Tennessee as well as online tournaments ran by Level|Up Series’ Alex Valle and Brito himself.

At this point, Alexander is personally providing $10,000 to the prize pool, but that number may grow as more support is thrown behind the event.

More information is sure to trickle out over the next year, so stay tuned.

Source: CDjr, special thanks to Rotendo for sending this our way.

Dead or Alive Creator Believes Latest Installment Has Ruined Franchise

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Tomonobu Itagaki has never been one to keep his opinions to himself, and his latest shot was taken at a series he himself helped create.

Itagaki, who is currently working on the Wii U title Devil’s Third as part of Valhalla Game Studios, recently responded to a critical statement made by a fan with regards to Dead or Alive’s direction after the developer’s highly publicized resignation from Tecmo Koei in 2008.

In his response, Itagaki agreed with the sentiments expressed by the initial poster and those that followed, saying, “[Dead or Alive] was totally ruined, spoiled. I can’t/shouldn’t avert my eyes from that fact.” He followed that up by saying he is interested in doing something for the franchise after his work on current projects has completed, though what that something is remains to be seen.

Itagaki hasn’t worked on a major title in the series since 2006’s Dead or Alive 4 due to the aforementioned parting of ways with Tecmo, but the fighter survives to this day without his input thanks to multiple iterations of the fifth installment. Another update, Last Round, is scheduled to release in February of next year, with upgraded graphics for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, balance changes, and new characters.

Whether you agree or disagree with Itagaki, his emotions are understandable for a man typically seen as the father of the Dead or Alive series (which he’s referred to as his daughter in previous instances), though they could also be construed as sour grapes from a developer no longer in control of a franchise.

In any case, it’s rather hard to see him returning to the series any time soon thanks to his strained relationship with Tecmo Koei, so any hopes of a glorious rebirth for Dead or Alive under his leadership should certainly be tempered.

Source: Tomonobu Itagaki via Siliconera

Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-‘s Leo Whitefang Available in Japan on December 18

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According to Siliconera, the latest issue of Famitsu has announced that Leo Whitefang, the second downloadable character in Arc System Works’ upcoming fighter Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, will be making his way to consoles on December 18 with fellow debutante Elphelt Valentine.

Leo, who we know to be a major part of the game’s story as one of three ruling kings, utilizes a unique stance where he faces away from the opponent. Brunhild, as the fighting style is named, takes away his ability to air block but grants him access to stronger attacks and extra mobility. Unconfirmed leaks have also made mention of an anti-air projectile, but details are still scarce.

Similar to Elphelt, Leo will cost ¥800 (~$6.74) upon release; unlike her, however, it’s currently unknown if he will be free for a limited time in North America.

Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- is scheduled to launch in Japan on December 4, and will be available in the west starting December 16.

Source: Famitsu via Siliconera

Japanese Skullgirls Encore Fans Get a Taste of Arcade Port During First Location Test

Skullgirls Encore recently had its first arcade location test in Japan this past weekend at Akihabara Hey! and Taito Station in Osaka. The public demonstration was well-attended by both veteran players from the home versions as well as newer players wanting to try the game out.

One such veteran, Fychan, took the time to record some offscreen match footage from the location test in Akihabara. The game itself was also being broadcast from monitors around the arcade, making it easy to capture footage.

The game itself was based on the same build that is currently out for the home versions. That said, many players, including Fychan, noticed a bit of slowdown during certain moments as the aging Type X2 boards struggled to cope with the game.

In response to this, Lab Zero Games’ Mike Zaimont stated that the slowdown will be fixed, citing the necessity of location tests such as this to work out the kinks.

Andrewr, the primary developer working on the port, also addressed the issue, saying, “When I was testing the build that’s being used in the location test, I didn’t have any slowdown on my own TypeX2 testing unit. There are a couple of things that could have caused this. Either way, I’ll be getting a lower spec TypeX2 (or throttling my existing one) for when I’m testing Skullgirls, so that I can make sure there is enough performance headroom for actual arcade machines that are throttled down or lower spec. ” He continued by saying that multiple options are available to them in fixing the slowdown, resulting in only minor changes to the visual quality.

Whether or not these fixes will get tested in a second batch of location testing is as of yet unknown. In the meantime, check out Fychan’s photos from the location test below.

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Sources: Fychan, Mike Z, andrewr

Get Your Evo Swag at Half-Off During Cyber Monday Sale

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Walking the Evolution floor this year, I couldn’t help but be floored by the sheer variety of clothing they’ve offered over the years. It was everywhere I looked, from the divisive, bright orange shirt worn by Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar to the judge-exclusive apparel that singled them out as pool runners.

If you missed out on visiting the Gaming Generations booth at Evo 2014 and picking up some of this year’s offerings, you’re in luck, because all Evo memorabilia is currently on sale for Cyber Monday. Everything from tank tops to pullovers to beanies and more has been marked down by half in honor of this online shopping tradition, so feel free to visit the official shop to pick up anything you may want.

While it should go without saying, please note that sizes are limited. The sale ends later tonight, so get shopping!

Ultra Street Fighter IV Price Slashed by 40% on Steam Today Only

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Those with experience in Steam sales of the past will tell you that the best time to make any purchase is when the game you’ve got your eyes on gets the daily deal spotlight or makes it into a flash sale. The discounts offered there are typically huge, even on titles that have just released.

While the discount on Ultra Street Fighter IV has been decent up until now, today is the day to finally hit that purchase button thanks to Steam’s featured deal.

As of this writing, both the upgrade and stand-alone versions of Ultra Street Fighter IV are available for 40% off, bringing them down to $8.99 and $17.99 respectively. If you’ve yet to pick up the latest addition to Capcom’s flagship fighting franchise, now’s the perfect time.

Of course, there are still tons of other discounts on fighting titles to check out if your library is lacking and Street Fighter isn’t your thing.

Source: Steam, special thanks to Saki for letting us know about this discount!

Juri, Hakan, Evil Ryu, Oni, and Poison Go Omega in Ultra Street Fighter IV

Thanksgiving wasn’t enough to keep Capcom from providing yet another look at the changes coming to a handful of characters in Ultra Street Fighter IV’s forthcoming Omega Mode update. This time around, Tomoaki Ayano describes the new tools Juri, Hakan, Evil Ryu, Oni, and Poison will have when this unique gameplay addition becomes available next month.

Some of the more interesting additions include a launcher for Hakan, Evil Ryu’s grounded air fireball, and a low-damage, high-stun attack for Poison. Check out the full breakdown below and let us know what you think.

Juri

Jyafuten

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Juri uses the power of the Feng Shui Engine to gather power at her feet. From here she can perform a couple of move variations.

Press forward and release the button for Fusatsusen. This is a kick move that varies depending on the button pressed.

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The fierce version results in a double rising kick. It deals a lot of damage and can be used as a follow-up move in many different situations.

Press backwards and release the button for Shotenha, a kick-launcher move. Of course, you can follow up afterwards too.

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It’s a great set-up for her super!

Jyafuten gives Juri new options for her mid- and close-range attacks. I feel like this update really solidifies Juri’s fighting style: Tae Kwon Do expertly mixed with the unique Feng Shui Engine.

My inspiration: The explosive Feng Shui Engine!

Hakan

Hakan Launcher: A new move that lifts the opponent into the air.

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After the opponent is launched, you can cancel into an Oil Shower. Once you get the hang of this move, you can even hit the opponent with follow-up attacks! The EX version turns into a hit-throw, and once the opponent has been sent crashing to the ground, Hakan automatically follows up with an Oil Shower!

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Hakan Splitter: Hold fierce punch for a knockdown attack. It starts up slowly, but it’s an overhead attack that’s good for toppling your opponent.

In Omega, Hakan will also be able to cancel his existing moves. This feature, combined with his new moves, gives him a whole lot of chances to oil up. He’s also got new feint variations to throw his opponents off their game. I think Hakan’s a really interesting character and I love the Omega take on him.

My inspiration: The slippery king.

Evil Ryu

Rakuyo Hadoken: A fireball that goes straight up, and then flies down at an angle!

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We wanted to give Evil Ryu a Zanku Hadoken he could use without having to jump. This move leaves Evil Ryu pretty open, but it can be a very powerful tool: knock your opponent down and then use this to help set up your offense. This is a new type of fireball for the SF series, so it’s going to be interesting seeing players try it out.

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Ryukosai: A stronger, multi-hitting version of Ryusokyaku that uses two bars of super meter. The first hit breaks armor and hits overhead, making this a great move for breaking through your opponent’s defense!

Evil Ryu also has new target combos that can combo into Ryukosai.

Man, has this guy got some cool-looking combos or what? With new command normals, new target combos, and new special moves as well, he’s a fun character that leaves you left wanting for nothing!

My inspiration: A new way to use the Satsui no Hado.

Oni

Mu: A powerful Shoryuken-like move that uses two bars of meter.

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What goes up…

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…must come down! Hard!

The first hit has armor break properties and locks them into the move, so you don’t have to worry about the opponent falling out and you eating big damage for it.

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Kyoseijin: This move starts off with the same jump that his Sekisei Jiraiken uses, but after that he can go into Tenma Rakuseikyaku (a dive kick), Zanku Hadoken, or use his Sekisei Jiraiken. This gives him a lot more options for his aerial assault.

With more attack patterns and new moves that deal big damage from the air, Omega Oni is a fun character that’s easy to use.

My inspiration: A demon dancing through the sky.

Poison

Honey Trap

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This is an anti-air projectile move. This blown kiss does very, very little damage, but in return dishes out a lot of stun. That’s very Poison-like, wouldn’t you say? After connecting in mid-air, you can follow up with an attack, giving you a good chance to land another one of her high stun-dealing moves. The EX version uses two bars and…well, I’ll let you figure out what happens on your own.

EX Whip of Love: You no longer have to do the additional inputs for the full move. After it hits, it’ll connect automatically; the final hit is quite electrifying!

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You know, the important thing about this move is…that it just looks cool! And that’s as important as anything else!

Poison’s regular projectile, Aeolus Edge, has undergone some heavy changes. That, together with her new Honey Trap, makes Poison more of a projectile character. I’m going to continue repping her in Omega edition, of course!

My inspiration: Sparkling pink!

Source: Capcom-Unity

Dominant Crawford beats Beltran

WBO lightweight champion Terence Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs) successfully defended his belt against Mexican challenger Raymundo Beltran (29-7-1, 17 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the CenturyLink Center, in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
The American completely outboxed Beltran for the full 12 rounds to win by scores of 119-109, 119-109, 120-108.
Crawford was much quicker and usually beat Beltran to the punch. Beltran was always game but could only land single shots at a time…