Every weekend, join GamerNode Senior Editor Jason Fanelli (with videographer Matt Boyle and production assistant Mike Jaszczak behind the camera) as he runs down the top gaming news stories from the previous week. Game announcements, developer quotes, major events: we’ll have it all. This is a one-stop shop of news sure to feed your hunger for what’s happening in gaming.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This week, EA bolsters its library with the power of the Force, the NextBox may not be always-online after all, and two familiar names are receiving two brand new games. All of this right now, so Let’s Grill baby!

Set “eight years after Phoenix’s last appearance in the courts” (which was detailed in Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney), the first mission shown was one in a courtroom ravaged by a bomb, and Wright and his new sidekick Athena Cykes must find out who blew it up.

The official press release states that Dual Destinies will be available digitally, with no word of a physical retail release. Let’s just hope it won’t be released in an episodic format, or there will be plenty of HOLD ITs and OBJECTIONs from Ace Attorney fans.

Bringing Ace Attorney 5 is a good start, Capcom, but the logical next step is simple: Professor Layton X Ace Attorney should follow suit, and soon.

The full announcement trailer and press release can be found below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

HOLD IT! CAPCOM CONFIRMS DETAILS OF PHOENIX WRIGHTTM: ACE ATTORNEYTM -DUAL DESTINIES RELEASE IN THE WEST

Courtroom Hero Phoenix Wright Returns this Fall

SAN MATEO, Calif. — May 13, 2013 — Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today confirmed that Phoenix Wright™: Ace Attorney™ – Dual Destinies will be available to purchase digitally on Nintendo 3DS™ across Europe and North America in Fall 2013.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, previously announced for the West as Ace Attorney™ 5, sees the return of courtroom hero Phoenix Wright. Set eight years since his last appearance in the courts, the first case in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies sees the action start in a destroyed court room. It’s down to Phoenix Wright and his team at the Wright Anything Agency to discover the cause of the destruction. Players will have to battle it out in court against Gaspen Payne, the younger brother of Winston Payne from previous Ace Attorney™ titles, as they defend the accused.

The much loved gameplay and features from previous titles in the Ace Attorney series return but for the first time with stunning 3D graphics, bringing the courtroom and characters to life and putting players directly in the heart of the action. Players will need to investigate each crime scene with dynamic 3D visuals, making it possible to change views and zoom-in on areas to uncover any hidden evidence or clues. The drama continues in the court room as players present their evidence, challenge witnesses and begin to unravel the truth behind each of the cases in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies.

Joining Phoenix is the young Attorney Apollo Justice and new Associate Attorney Athena Cykes. Athena’s unique ability to psychoanalyse witnesses introduces a brand new element to proceedings. Using Athena’s ‘Mood Matrix’ players can detect the emotional state of a witness and tell whether they’re surprised, angry, happy or sad. Players can compare these feelings with the statement given by the witness, point out any contradictions between the two and challenge the witness testimony.

For the latest trailer, screenshots and artwork for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies visit the Capcom Press Site at http://press.capcom.com

ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil ™, Street Fighter ™, Mega Man ™ and Devil May Cry ™. Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom and its products can be found at www.capcom.com or www.capcom-unity.com.

Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney, Capcom, the Capcom logo, Devil May Cry, Mega Man and Resident Evil are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd. in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

The new Google Cloud Messaging Service for Chrome (GCM) allows web developers to send messages to Google’s servers, which then pass it on in real time to those using the browser. This means news services will be able to send instant alerts regarding breaking items in the same way that they’re able to facilitate users of Android apps with the latest information.

The same will apply for stock prices, weather services and sports scores; with the alert prompting an action in the browser like the opening of a web page or even a simple message notification (depending on the user’s preference).

In a recent post on Google’s Chromium Blog, it was stated that the roll out of GCM (which was announced for Android at Google I/O last year) for Chrome would make life easier for app and extension developers. In the current system, web apps are constantly polling their own servers to see if an update is ready, which wastes bandwidth and user battery life, Google noted.

Product manager Mark Scott posted:

“Event pages keep apps and extensions efficient by allowing them to respond to a variety of events such as timers or navigation to a particular site, without having to remain running persistently. But what if you need to respond to something that occurs outside of Chrome, such as a news alert, a message sent to a user or a stock hitting a price threshold? Until now, you had to do this by repeatedly polling a server. This process consumed bandwidth and reduced the battery life of your users’ machines.”

In order to make use of the new push notifications feature, users of Chrome will have to remain signed into their Google accounts.

[Google Chromium Blog]

Fans of the Total War series will be happy to know that Creative Assembly and Sega have announced Rome II’s release date as September 3rd of this year. You can pre-order the Steam-activated version for only $44.97, which will of course include pre-purchase goodies.

Preordering Total War: Rome II nets you the Greek States Culture Pack DLC, which adds Athens, Epirus, and Sparta to your list of playable culture factions. Each faction offers different special tactics as well as elite units to spice things up.

Post-apocalyptic shooter fans will want to keep an eye out for next week’s release of Metro: Last Light, a sequel to 4A Games’ Metro 2033. The pre-order is currently at $37.50 and includes the Ranger Mode DLC pack (more ammo and a modified Russian rifle).

Lastly, GamersGate has an excellent Bethesda Weekend sale, making hot titles such as Skyrim and Dishonored only $15. While Skyrim has been available for a while now, this is the first time it’s been under the $20 price tag. Both are Steam-activated keys.

Hot Deal of the Week
	Sep. 3: Total War: Rome II + Greek States Culture Pack DLC (PC Download) — $44.97 at Green Man Gaming. List is $60.
	Bethesda Weekend Sale — at GamersGate. Dishonored (PC Download) — $14.99 Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC Download) — $14.95 Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition (PC Download) — $9.95
	May 14: Metro: Last Light (PC Download) — $37.50 at Green Man Gaming. Next best is $50 at Amazon.
	Nordic Games PC Bundles — up to 80% off at GameFly.
	Valve Classic PC Titles — up to 80% off at GameFly.
Upcoming Releases
	May 22: Wargame: Airland Battle (PC Download) — $30 at Green Man Gaming. List is $40.
	May 24: Resident Evil: Revelations (PC Download) — $37.50 at Green Man Gaming. List is $50.
	May 30: Grid 2 (PC Download) — $33.75 at Green Man Gaming. Next best is $45 at GameFly.
	June 4: Remember Me (PC Download) — $37.50 at Green Man Gaming. List is $50.
	June 14: Dark (PC Download) — $25.50 at Green Man Gaming. Next best is $34 at GameFly.
	June 21: Moto GP 2013 (PC Download) — $22.50 at Green Man Gaming. Next best is $27 at Amazon.
Xbox 360 & PS3
	NCAA Football 13 (PS3, Xbox 360) — $19.99 at Amazon. Next best is $48 at Overstock.com.
	Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Storm Generations – Pre-owned (Xbox 360) — $12.99 at GameFly. Next best is $30 at Deep Discount.
	Aliens: Colonial Marines – Pre-owned (Xbox 360) — $9.99 at GameFly. Next best is $37.
	Wonderbook: Book of Spells (PS3) — $7.99 at Best Buy. Next best is $15 at Amazon.
PC & PC Downloads
	BioShock Infinite (PC Download) — $40 at Green Man Gaming. List is $60.
	Dead Island Riptide (PC Download) — $32 at Green Man Gaming. List is $40.
	Lords of Football (PC Download) — $24 at Green Man Gaming. Next best is $30 at GamersGate.
	Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 (PC Download) — $18 at Green Man Gaming. List is $30.
	Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (PC Download) — $11.99 at GameFly. List is $15.
	The Orange Box (PC Download) — $3.99 at GameFly. Next best is $20 at Amazon.
	Laxius Force Heroes Never Die (PC Download) — $3.75 at GamersGate. Next best is $15 at Amazon.
Gaming Hardware
	Nintendo 3DS XL is $179.99 and Nintendo 3DS is $149.99 at Best Buy. Both are $20 off their normal prices.
	Rock Band 3 Wireless Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller (Wii) — $29.99 at Amazon. Next best is $43 at Rakuten.
	AMD Never Settle Reloaded Sale — at TigerDirect. Buy a Radeon HD 7850 or 7870 video card and get free copies of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, Bioshock Infinite, and Tomb Raider along with your purchase.
	Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 59371972 Core i7-3630QM, 1080p Full HD, GeForce GT 750M 2GB, 1TB HDD + 16GB SSD — $849 at Lenovo. List is $1,349.
	HP Envy dv6t-7300 Quad Edition Core i7-3630QM — $624.99 plus $9.99 shipping at HP. List is $800.
	Lenovo IdeaCentre K430 57312225 Core i7-3770, 16GB RAM, GeForce GT 630 2GB — $999 at Lenovo. List is $1,269.
	Apple iTunes $100 Gift Card — $85 at Best Buy. Rare deal.

A pre-order bonus has also been announced. Those who pre-order will have immediate access to the game’s first DLC, the Greek States Culture Pack, which adds three new factions: Athens, Epirus and Sparta. These factions are fully functional and will possess unique units, buildings, missions, and win conditions.

The game’s Collector’s Edition has also been detailed. With only 22,000, individually numbered copies being produced, the Collector’s Edition contains a wealth of Roman-themed goodies, including a Tabula set, Tesserae dice, a canvass campaign map, and even a miniature Roman Onager.

Using this trailer as a catalyst for critical dialog, Warren Spector — creator of both the Deus Ex and Epic Mickey series — expressed his dismay with the current state of the gaming industry and the style of games it continues to churn out.

“Did the world really need another Wolfenstein game? Did we need a generically dark, monochromatic, FPS, kill-the-Nazi-giant-robot game?” he asked through his Facebook page. “I am so tired of stuff like this…”

This sparked a lengthy discussion among Spector’s Facebook followers, many of whom agreed with his criticisms. Of course, there were many who didn’t.

Spector responded to the comments by saying, “Let me clarify one thing: I’m not holding up the new Wolfenstein as emblematic of everything I think is wrong with the games industry. Didn’t say that. Don’t think it.”

“All I was saying was that I’m personally sick of shooters,” he wrote. “I’m sick of a particular look and tone… I’m very sick of a particular trailer narration style… And I AM worried about the state of the core game business.”

To quell some of the more hysterical commenters, Spector responded with, “I’m not saying people shouldn’t be allowed to make or play stuff like this, but I reserve the right to be depressed about it and to wish games supported a more diverse range of styles and content.”

He concluded his thoughts by saying, “If nothing else, at least you’re all thinking about what you want to see in games. My work here is done.”

[Facebook]

Fully remastered in high definition, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX is a compilation of the critically acclaimed Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, exclusive to the Japanese market in its original release, and Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories. This collection will feature a bundle of enhanced gameplay mechanics, such as using triangle to perform reaction commands (a la KH2), HD cinematic story videos from Nintendo DS-exclusive Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and PS3 trophies to hunt for.

Customers who pre-order the PS3 exclusive will receive a limited edition art book giving them access to a behind-the-scenes-look at the Kingdom Hearts franchise. The 24-page, hardcover art book will treat fans to an array of visuals such as character renders, promotional art, and artwork of the different Disney worlds from Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

The player begins this journey as the “young Van Helsing,” son of the famous Abraham Van Helsing from the fictional universe of Bram Stroker’s Dracula. Van Helsing is tasked with hunting monsters across the land, accompanied by his ghost/pet, Katrina. Set in fictional Borgovia, players jump between the real world and “The Ink,” an alternate dimension between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

Developed by Neocore Games – a small, Hungarian production company - Van Helsing is an un-incredible, completely typical action-RPG. Players start in a small village, which serves as a base to acquire missions, sell loot, and buy new weapons. Outside of town there are plenty of generic-looking “dungeons” chock-full of generic-looking baddies that swarm the player and hack away at his HP orb in a totally generic fashion.

While the design is mostly forgettable, the graphics are competent and on par with what a player expects in this day and age. The world doesn’t have that sheen we’ve come to expect from Blizzard or Runic Games, but considering the size of this developer I walked away somewhat impressed. The mechanics and gameplay are tight and well done, but players will find nothing out of the ordinary in terms of play style.

With nothing being out of the ordinary, I wish that Neocore would have done something to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Full-blown story-driven cinematics, a new approach to combat, or even a different crafting system (to be fair, I did not have extensive time to get into that sort of minutia) would work for me.

All this being said, what is extremely incredible about this adventure is the price tag. For a measly $15, players can get access to the world of Borgovia and all of the werewolves, mech soldiers, and creepy crawlies one could ever ask for.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

While the maps in the preview lack uniqueness, there is plenty to explore. Each map consists of sprawling terrain with plenty of trees, hills, swamps, and so forth. Random missions pop up throughout the map, encouraging players to explore every inch of the world. One particular mission that sticks out is an escort mission where the player brings a ghost to his dead body, only to be attacked by the ghost. The sidequest is an interesting diversion from the main mission, and serves as a great look into how much content this game could potentially have.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this adventure are the characters. Bursting at the seams with charming wit, the characters all have quirky personalities voiced by perfectly adequate actors. The fun dialogue is only held back by the lack of a true dialogue text box. Instead of the typical lower text box with animated character head, the spoken words are written out in an ugly text right over the character who is speaking. This approach to showcasing dialogue is one of the only amateur moves made by Neocore.

Of course, what most action-RPG fans clamor for is loot. And boy, there is plenty of loot. Most battles take place when a mob of 10+ creatures bum-rush the player, chipping away at HP until he can left-click, right-click, left-click all the enemies to death. After each battle, tons of loot drops, all with varying degrees of helpfulness. The amount of customization will be a delight for any statistician.

Some of the best loot players will find in Borgovia come from “The Ink,” the alternate dimension in the game. Players access The Ink through various means: the well in the town center, from items on the map outlined in purple, and after fighting certain enemies. The Ink provides a fun sidestep in the action, even if its presence isn’t completely necessary.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

What’s an adventure without a protagonist? Van Helsing is a likable protagonist, even if he is a stereotypical “stranger in town.” The premise surrounding his story is cool enough, with a sort of The Witcher vibe, but nothing about his plot stands out. That’s not a problem, though, because what I’m looking for in an aRPG is character customization. Van Helsing’s skill tree is mind-numbingly customizable in a very good way. Each attack can be individually leveled up with a couple of secondary attacks attached to each. By filling the rage meter, the player can use these secondary attacks to help when Van Helsing is surrounded by throngs of creatures. The player can also quickly switch between melee weapons and long-range weapons to customize how he’ll demolish the thousands of bad guys he’ll run up against.

Van Helsing’s friend Katrina, a snarky ghost who supplements his attacks, doesn’t do much to add to the experience, but definitely doesn’t subtract. She is fully customizable as she levels up, and can be outfitted with armor and weapons. Katrina is a welcome addition, although she feels like the typical pet, as opposed to something greater. Like almost everything else in the preview build, Katrina is just another piece of the necessary puzzle, as opposed to being a great hook for the game.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing appears to be a completely competent game, but I’m left looking for some sort of hook to set it apart from the Diablos and Torchlights in the genre. While being a clone of these famous aRPGs can be a strength for Van Helsing, it may also be a weakness. The game looks to tackle the genre well, but may do absolutely nothing to improve it. With a tiny price tag, aRPGs fans will have a lot to love in the world of Borgovia, but shouldn’t expect the polish and individuality of genre leaders.

EA’s deal gives the company the ability to create titles intended for core gamers on “all interactive platforms.” Disney, however, retains the rights to publish its own casual and social Star Wars games for mobile devices, tablets, and the Internet. The exact terms of the deal were not revealed.

“Every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe,” said EA Labels President Frank Gibeau. “Three of our top studios will fulfill that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. DICE and Visceral will produce new games, joining the BioWare team which continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay.”

Gibeau announced that all upcoming Star Wars games will be developed using the Frostbite 3 engine, which was created by DICE for Battlefield 4. DICE and Visceral — known respectively for Battlefield and Dead Space — have yet to develop a Star Wars game, while BioWare is responsible for the classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and continues to support the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic.

“Our number one objective was to find a developer who could consistently deliver our fans great Star Wars games for years to come,” said Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, in a press release on the Star Wars website. “When we looked at the talent of the teams that EA was committing to our games and the quality of their vision for Star Wars, the choice was clear.”

In a blog post on the EA website, Gibeau called Star Wars “an epic world that had a powerful influence on my life” and said he considers himself “a true believer.”

“The magic of Star Wars is interwoven into the worlds, characters, planets and amazing battles,” he continued. “It is a universe that lends itself perfectly to gaming.  Our agreement unlocks a whole new future of Star Wars games that will span consoles, PCs, tablets, mobile and more.”

Neither of the two press releases nor the blog entry mentioned any specifics regarding the games coming from EA aside from Gibeau’s assurance that they “will be entirely original with all new stories.” There was also no word on whether or not the deal meant new life for Star Wars 1313 or Star Wars: First Assault. Both were titles being developed by LucasArts that were canceled upon the closing of the studio.

[Electronic Arts]

Developed by Sweden-based MachineGames, The New Order takes places in an alternate 1960s where the Nazis were successful in World War II and have since built bipedal mechs to push their agenda. The first teaser trailer can be seen below.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is due by the end of 2013 for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and the next-gen consoles.

B.J. is back, baby! Who’s ready to kick some more Nazi butt?

Click here to view the embedded video.

[GameSpot]