Two years plus in the making We’re one stop closer to having everyWarcraft IIIhero inHeroes of the Storm. Today at gamescom Blizzard announced that The lich Kel’Thuzad will be joining the fray, with his talents and role to be revealed later this week. Also, going along with the newHearthstoneexpansion theme of evil versions of heroes, Death Knight Sonya, Crypt Queen Zagara, and Dreadlord Jaina are coming to the Nexus as skins....

Growing your skills is nothing new to anyone who playsThe Sims 4, or anySimstitle for that matter. Every time you practise doing something, be it cooking or playing an instrument, you will gain experience in that skill, and get better at doing it. With the addition of theBusinesses and Hobbiesexpansion pack forThe Sims 4, a new feature called Skill Mastery Perks has been added, allowing Sims to earn bonus perks just for becoming a master of their craft or chosen skill....

So stop asking American McGee is frustrated. He’s powerless to create anotherAlicegame even though he wants to. Making matters worse, the impassioned fans of the series are relentless in their questioning about when they’ll get another sequel — again, something McGee wants to do but can’t. In a“Get it all off my chest” kind of postover the weekend, McGee explains that EA is completely in control over what happens with theAlicefranchise....

Apple is rich, but it’s easier to see why when you look at figures like these. Analyst Asymco says that about 60 apps are downloaded for each iOS device sold. This estimated number is up from 10 apps per device in 2008. And you know everyone and their cat has some kind of iOS device. These analysts figure that 30 million apps are being downloaded each day. Holy sh*t! Now I see why just about everyone has an iOS app out there....

Aksys Games is bringingMelty Blooddeveloper French Bread’sUnder Night In-Birth Exe:Lateto PlayStation 3 in 2015.Guilty Gearstudio Arc System Works published the fighting game in Japan earlier this year. “Under Night In-Birth Exe:Lateoffers up a peculiar cast of characters,” Aksys explains in its press release. “Merkava is a bizarre being who can alter his form, gliding with bat wings in one moment, and extending his deadly arms toward his opponents the next. Linne is a young, seemingly innocuous girl who quickly decimates her enemies’ expectations, utilizing her sword to viciously filet would-be assailants....

It’s their first stab at this kind of thing One of the oft-overlooked aspects of theAssassin’s Creedseries is the competitive multiplayer.Brotherhoodwas the first installment to introduce it, and it was really great. Tricking other players and blending into the environment worked wonderfully well, and it was a welcomed reprieve from all the other games that just asked you to shoot everybody. But, Ubisoft ran it into the ground. Multiplayer was a success inBrotherhood, so it was added toRevelations....

‘Bandai Namco Next’ Internet sleuths are at it again, and it seems as if Bandai Namco has trademarked a peculiar phrase. “Bandai Namco Next”was recently approved, and evidently applies to “amusement parks, esports competitions, movies, toys, plays, musical performances, radio programs, computer networks, online publications, animated feature films, and games,”according to TheGamer. Given that their prior Bandai Namco event was kind of a bust (consistently mostly of stuff we’ve already seen, very late at night in the US), I hope they bring it....

Some extra time to tune controller support Gummy Cat is delaying part of its launch forBear and Breakfast. The upcoming B&B sim needs some extra tuning, so while PC players will still get it on schedule, Switch and controller support forBear and Breakfasthas been pushed back. In a message from the dev team, the studio says that playing with a controller has not felt as good as they wanted. Thus, those versions of the game need a little more time in the oven....

PS4, PC, PS3 Dragon’s Dogmawas a weird one. It was a Japanese take on the Western role-playing genre (Witcher 3et al) that did some interesting things. The pitch black nights stood out to me. So, too, did the horrible combat barks. Doesn’t seem like Capcom will grant a proper follow-up as the sequels feel like they’ve splintered into the elusiveDeep Downand the microtransaction-ladenDragon’s Dogma Online. The latter goes into beta next week (in Japan) ahead of its August 31 release date (in Japan)....

Maximum Cheetah Revealed back in Februaryalong with Poison Ivy(meaning we should get a gameplay trailer for her soon too), Cheetah fits right in with theInjustice 2roster. I’m not sure if it’s my preference if non-projectile characters or a latent furry desire, but Cheetah’s moveset looks super fun to play. Her claw and ground game give me Felicia (fromDarkstalkers) vibes, and her combos seem to move at a brisk pace (with her EX rolls and pounces)....

[Update:Contest closed! Winner is @feralgoose. Thanks for entering!] GameStop is offeringMax Paynefans a chance to get their names immortalized on a tombstone in theGameStop exclusive pre-order bonusmap, Cemetery, inMax Payne 3. Just head over toGameStop’s Facebook page, watch theMax Payne 3trailer, and then answer a trivia question to win a chance to get your name featured on a tombstone. While you’re entering GameStop’s giveaway, why not enter our contest where you can win a copy of the game?...

Meanwhile, the wait for an actual sequel continues AsSilent Hillfans solemnly await news of a brand new release in the survival horror series, Konami continues to sub-license the brand out to other franchises. The latest horror title to step into the fog in Glowstick Entertainment’sDark Deception: Monsters & Mortals, which will be joined by some recognizable faces, (well, for those thathavefaces), tomorrow. Among theSilent Hillstars joining inDark Deceptionmultiplayer party action areSilent Hill‘s Cybil Bennett,Silent Hill 3‘s Heather Mason, The Nurse, Pyramid Head, and even the survival horror franchise’s comical mascot Robbie the Rabbit....

Remember when Sega teased uswith a revival of one of their classic franchises? You knew it wasDaytona USA, didn’t you? The title has yet to be confirmed, but it’sDaytona. It seems that Achievements for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Daytona USA have been leaked. The find, byXbox360Achievements, mentions leaderboards, knocking down a Jeffery statue, Arcade, Challenge, and Survival modes, and my favorite, a Karaoke mode. I’m not sure how a karaoke mode would fit in a racing title, but I don’t care....