Weekly Recap: Top Gaming Sites Shutting Down And 5 Other Devastating News Stories

It was a big week in news as we wind down May and prepare for the biggest month in video game entertainment news: June. That's right, in less than two weeks we'll be covering the most exciting time of the year as E3 rolls around and, with it, tons of great things about all the most popular gaming platforms around.

Still, all the exciting times ahead are muddled out (a little bit) by the tragedy surrounding the proposed closure of top gaming sites such as Computer and Videogames, the Official Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation Magazines, as well as Edge Online, one of the most well-respected review outlets out there.

We also have some hints and tips for those of you playing Watch Dogs, as well as plenty of news for big coming releases set for the Xbox One, PS4 and the Wii U. These stories and more in this May 31st, 2014 edition of the Gaming Blend Weekly Recap.

The Worst Game On PS4 Gets A Remake

So soon? Well, directly after its launch, Basement Crawl is being put back under the development microscope as it's being remade the way it should have been done from the start. Bungie makes it known that Destiny's multiplayer will be available at E3 this year, but only they get to play the game's alpha build. If you thought about pirating Watch Dogs on PC, beware because they contain Bitcoin malware... yep, the kind that will royally destroy your PC. Sony has established subsidiary groups to help distribute the PlayStation 4 in mainland China. Sony hasn't rolled out a release window for the PS4 in China, though. Need to find out how to get to the 'Legend' rank in Hearthstone? Well, this guide will teach you how, and Rockstar cracks down hard on cheats in GTA Online.

Transistor Review

Gaming Blend's own Pete Haas rolls out a review of Transistor for the PS4. Find out how well the game plays and if it's the sort of thing you'll want to invest in for your new-gen platform. A new mode arrives for League of Legends, and Watch Dogs pokes fun at Assassin's Creed with a funny new Easter egg. Speaking of Watch Dogs... the game was recently compared to GTA IV where the tech-under-the-hood was put under extreme scrutiny. If you're looking for something a little more consumable in the media department, you can check out the new gameplay trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark.

Battlefield: Hardlined Gets leaked

It's hard to keep anything a secret these days, and Battlefield: Hardlined is just another in a long line of leaked games due for announcement soon. An interesting video emerges that showcases how hackers disrupted the Los Angeles traffic infrastructure, just like in Watch Dogs. More than 16 minutes of gameplay has emerged for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, giving gamers plenty absorb for the last-gen game. Altitude0 is seeking votes on Greenlight, and is well worth checking out if you have a few clicks to spare. Gaming Blend's Ryan Winslett managed to get in some review time with Monochroma, but the results are less than satisfactory. Nintendo announces additional Best Buy demos for Super Smash Bros this year, and Blizzard is selling beta keys for the upcoming Heroes of the Storm.

Wii U Beats The Crap Out Of PS4

Think about a curb stomp; now think about an epic curb stomp; now think about an epic curb stomp on steroids. That last one is what the Wii U did the PS4 in Japan. The sales game isn't over with yet, and Nintendo's little Wii U that could is showing that it can. Additionally, new details have emerged for Hitman 6 and EA rolled out new promo material for The Sims 4. If you're having trouble unlocking multiplayer in Watch Dogs, this guide helps with that. Additionally, you can find out if Watch Dogs works better on the PS4 or Xbox One with Digital Foundry's new performance analysis. Also, a new Harvest Moon is on the way for the Nintendo 3DS and Sony will be broadcasting their E3 2014 conference live at local movie theaters.

Watch Dogs Review

How well does the game hold up after we get our hands on it? Well, find out in Gaming Blend's review of Watch Dogs. If you're not that interested in Watch Dogs, maybe you're more inclined to the news about Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare coming to the PlayStation 4. Speaking of games coming tot he PlayStation 4, Sony will be expanding the amount of games being made available via PlayStation Plus. Nintendo has unveiled a new bit of DLC for Mario Kart 8, debuting the DLC with a really badass version of Mario. On a slightly more family-friendly depiction of their software properties, Nintendo announced a new Pushmo World game coming to the Wii U, and EA announced that a demo of EA Sports UFC will be arriving for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

CVG, OXM Other Big Sites Shutting Down

Now here's some news that will rock your jockies. Computer and Videogames, Official Xbox, Official Playstation and Official Nintendo Magazines are all shutting down. That's more explosive than a bean burrito trying to escape from Rush Limbaugh's underpants. Speaking of vocal far-right extremists, Glenn Beck dropped a vocal-diarrhea bomb about Watch Dogs. You'll have to click the link to that vocal-diarrhea bomb to know just how messy and stinky the comments are. You can check out some brand new leaked footage of Project Beast for the PS4, along with a new PlayStation: Legacy video for Sony's upcoming E3 2014 conference. We have a quick guide on the essentials you'll need to easily beat Watch Dogs, an update on when Worms and War Thunder will arrive for eighth-gen consoles, and we round things out with the announcement that Mario Kart 8 is official available for the Wii U.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.