Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 28 Juli 2014 | 23.07
What makes life worth living? The Last of Us tries to answer that question by giving us a vision of a world that makes no room for people to really live their lives anymore. In this post-pandemic military-ruled society, the most anyone can hope for is merely to survive. And as many characters in the game know, in a world where the survival of anyone from one day to the next is uncertain, attachments, connections, love--these things can become liabilities. These things can destroy you.
Naughty Dog's acclaimed action game has made its way to the PlayStation 4 as The Last of Us Remastered, and if you've played the game on the PlayStation 3, you'll probably notice that it runs at a higher frame rate and that the lighting is richer and moodier in this release. In side-by-side comparisons, it also becomes apparent that the textures are sharper and the draw distance has been increased. But the reality is that the game already looked so good on the PlayStation 3 that the visual enhancements can't do all that much to improve your experience. The Last of Us Remastered is still The Last of Us, and that is no bad thing. It's one of the best adventures of the last console generation, and it's fully deserving of the special-edition treatment it gets here.
Perhaps nobody knows the dangers of loving others in this uncertain world better than Joel, the protagonist of The Last of Us. A hard, bitter man, Joel isn't likable, but he is at least understandable, in large part because the dialogue in The Last of Us is so human and believable. And although that humanity comes through in all of the game's major characters, it's the teenager Ellie who is the game's emotional heart. In contrast to Joel's cynicism, Ellie is still capable of wide-eyed wonder. While Joel seems dead inside, Ellie is very much alive, and over the course of the game, neither Joel, nor you, can avoid growing attached to her.
Still, if you think too carefully about the importance the story places on the connection between these two characters, things start to fall apart a bit. Because The Last of Us is an action game that adheres to the established template of the genre, over the course of your journey you murder not just one or five or 12 people, but dozens and dozens of them, and it's questionable whether a man who treats the lives of so many of his fellow human beings as so disposable would really be capable of placing any meaningful importance on the life of one particular individual. You can't soil your hands with the blood of hundreds and still have room for love in your heart.
The story is set in a world where every human life is in constant danger, and the harrowing combat of the game supports this feeling. Whether you're fighting ordinary humans or infected ones, you're encouraged to rely on stealth, distracting enemies and sneaking up on them to save your precious supplies. But you're always on edge, aware that you might be spotted and that all hell will break loose. There's a gut-wrenching brutality and sense of desperation to the way Joel fights, bashing his enemies' faces into the environment or stomping them into a bloody mess. The Last of Us is not a game in which you can boldly charge at your enemies with guns blazing. Instead, you rummage through every abandoned house, store, and workplace looking for things you can use to craft weapons and health kits. This emphasis on scrounging for supplies helps ground the combat in the world of the game, a world in which nothing can be taken for granted.
Because every enemy poses a serious threat, there's a real fear of being spotted, or of an enemy coming at you from behind, so you try to stay aware of your surroundings. One type of infected, the clickers, see by using echolocation, and the sound of their clicking is unsettling enough to make your skin crawl. As in the PlayStation 3 version, the tension of combat is sometimes undermined when your allies behave erratically, doing things that would get you spotted and killed. But then there are moments in which your companions' behavior creates the feeling that you're not alone on this journey, such as when Ellie comes to your rescue by stabbing your assailant in the back.
You explore so many places--old pizzerias and coffee shops, hotels and record stores--all of them designed with an attention to detail that makes them feel like places where people once went about their lives.
The nerve-racking intensity of combat is mercifully not a constant throughout The Last of Us. The pacing of the game is excellent; this is a game that's willing to take its time, letting you just inhabit a moment and take in the atmosphere rather than constantly rushing you to the next explosive action sequence.
There's a melancholy beauty to the game's world that seeps into your heart in these quieter moments. On the one hand, your breath might be taken away by the sight of cities being slowly reclaimed by the lush greenery of nature, but on the other, it's hard to forget that this beauty tells the story of the decline of humankind. You explore so many places--old pizzerias and coffee shops, hotels and record stores--all of them designed with an attention to detail that makes them feel like places where people once went about their lives. Even in its quietest moments, though, The Last of Us doesn't let you get too comfortable. The calm always gives way sooner or later to another frantic chase, terrifying siege, or other uncomfortable reminder that this world isn't nearly as tranquil as it sometimes seems to be.
Joel and Ellie are unlikely companions thrown together by circumstance.
The Last of Us Remastered includes the original game's multiplayer mode, along with all of the map packs that were released as downloadable content. The multiplayer successfully captures the unnerving feeling of the single-player combat, and wraps it up in an engaging metagame about trying to sustain a camp full of survivors by gathering supplies and completing specific tasks during missions. You can give the mode an extra emotional punch by linking it to your personal Facebook account, enabling you to see updates about your real-life friends dying as your camp flounders.
And then there's Left Behind, the extraordinary DLC story chapter for The Last of Us, unlocked here from the beginning. While the main game's narrative concerns with the importance of interpersonal connections and the gameplay's focus on combat and violence are somewhat at odds with each other, Left Behind takes the established mechanics of The Last of Us and uses them to support its story of the bond between Ellie and her friend Riley. Playing as Ellie, you and Riley toss bricks at car windows, hunt each other with water pistols, and do other things together, and all the while, the characters say honest things to each other, laugh with each other, get angry with each other, and do other things that real people do.
By giving you these glimpses of Ellie's doomed attempts to live something resembling a normal teenage life, Left Behind drives home what Ellie has lost as a person by growing up in this harsh world. The bond that forms between Ellie and Riley, supported both by the gameplay and by extraordinarily natural writing and acting, feels real. Left Behind crams more memorable moments into its short running time than you find in most full games, and it understands that some of the most important moments we share with others are the smallest: a brief glance, a fleeting smile. This remarkable DLC has real character development and real emotional payoff.
Left Behind is just wonderful.
In addition to the visual enhancements and the inclusion of map packs and story DLC, The Last of Us Remastered has other nice little features, like a photo mode that lets you stop the action at any time, position the camera to your liking, and share the screenshot with others, applying frames and filters if you choose. And there are commentary tracks on in-game cinematics featuring the creative director and principal actors. The Last of Us is a great action game that you should play if you haven't already. And if you have played it before, the improvements here aren't so dramatic as to make the game feel like a new experience, but it is definitely one worth revisiting. In the world of The Last of Us, as in our own world, love might destroy you, but it's also one of the only things worth fighting for.
The beta for Halo creator Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny has concluded, with the studio describing the trial period as a "tremendous success." Writing on Facebook and Twitter, Bungie said part of the reason why Destiny's beta was so successful was because it allowed the developer to learn many lessons about the game in the lead-up to its full release on September 9.
"The Destiny beta was a tremendous success from where we sat overlooking the Tower," Bungie said on Facebook. "If you played, Bungie thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. We learned so much about our game, and how we can make it better."
"Bungie thanks you for playing," the studio added on Twitter. "We made some great discoveries of our own, and we'll use them to make Destiny a great game for all."
It is unclear how many people participated in the Destiny beta. Bungie community manager Eric Osborne wrote on Twitter that he was "gobsmacked by the numbers."
In addition, Bungie went on to tease that Destiny's release this September will only be the first step in could be a long journey for the game. "Your next adventure begins on September 9th when we launch Destiny. Once we do that, we intend to keep it in orbit for a very long time," Bungie wrote. "See you starside."
Destiny will be available this September for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's feature about the seven big questions that we have after playing the beta.
This week, Naughty Dog's survival horror game The Last of Us Remastered makes its way to the PlayStation 4 at Australian retailers. As the name suggests, this version of the game will feature upgraded visuals, running at 1080p and at 60fps.
Other graphical upgrades include improved anti-aliasing, higher resolution textures, and integration with the PS4 controller's light and touch pad. Fans that purchased the multiplayer DLC content for the PS3 version can download them again for free onto the PS4 version. However, there is no cross-platform functionality for multiplayer.
The Remastered version also includes the PS4-exclusive Photo Mode, which allows players to freeze the action in-game to take a snap. Eight different menu options are available for use to customise the shot, including the options to reposition the camera, change the focus, and choose from a variety of frames and filters. Players can then share the shot using the PlayStation 4 controller's Share button. Photo Mode cannot be triggered during cut scenes.
The Last of Us was first released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in June last year to positive reception. Earlier this year Sony revealed that a large portion of PS4 owners had not yet played the game. The Last of Us Remastered will launch in Australia on July 30 exclusively for the PlayStation 4. For more details on games launching this week, check out the full list below.
What makes life worth living? The Last of Us tries to answer that question by giving us a vision of a world that makes no room for people to really live their lives anymore. In this post-pandemic military-ruled society, the most anyone can hope for is merely to survive. And as many characters in the game know, in a world where the survival of anyone from one day to the next is uncertain, attachments, connections, love--these things can become liabilities. These things can destroy you.
Naughty Dog's acclaimed action game has made its way to the PlayStation 4 as The Last of Us Remastered, and if you've played the game on the PlayStation 3, you'll probably notice that it runs at a higher frame rate and that the lighting is richer and moodier in this release. In side-by-side comparisons, it also becomes apparent that the textures are sharper and the draw distance has been increased. But the reality is that the game already looked so good on the PlayStation 3 that the visual enhancements can't do all that much to improve your experience. The Last of Us Remastered is still The Last of Us, and that is no bad thing. It's one of the best adventures of the last console generation, and it's fully deserving of the special-edition treatment it gets here.
Perhaps nobody knows the dangers of loving others in this uncertain world better than Joel, the protagonist of The Last of Us. A hard, bitter man, Joel isn't likable, but he is at least understandable, in large part because the dialogue in The Last of Us is so human and believable. And although that humanity comes through in all of the game's major characters, it's the teenager Ellie who is the game's emotional heart. In contrast to Joel's cynicism, Ellie is still capable of wide-eyed wonder. While Joel seems dead inside, Ellie is very much alive, and over the course of the game, neither Joel, nor you, can avoid growing attached to her.
Still, if you think too carefully about the importance the story places on the connection between these two characters, things start to fall apart a bit. Because The Last of Us is an action game that adheres to the established template of the genre, over the course of your journey you murder not just one or five or 12 people, but dozens and dozens of them, and it's questionable whether a man who treats the lives of so many of his fellow human beings as so disposable would really be capable of placing any meaningful importance on the life of one particular individual. You can't soil your hands with the blood of hundreds and still have room for love in your heart.
The story is set in a world where every human life is in constant danger, and the harrowing combat of the game supports this feeling. Whether you're fighting ordinary humans or infected ones, you're encouraged to rely on stealth, distracting enemies and sneaking up on them to save your precious supplies. But you're always on edge, aware that you might be spotted and that all hell will break loose. There's a gut-wrenching brutality and sense of desperation to the way Joel fights, bashing his enemies' faces into the environment or stomping them into a bloody mess. The Last of Us is not a game in which you can boldly charge at your enemies with guns blazing. Instead, you rummage through every abandoned house, store, and workplace looking for things you can use to craft weapons and health kits. This emphasis on scrounging for supplies helps ground the combat in the world of the game, a world in which nothing can be taken for granted.
Because every enemy poses a serious threat, there's a real fear of being spotted, or of an enemy coming at you from behind, so you try to stay aware of your surroundings. One type of infected, the clickers, see by using echolocation, and the sound of their clicking is unsettling enough to make your skin crawl. As in the PlayStation 3 version, the tension of combat is sometimes undermined when your allies behave erratically, doing things that would get you spotted and killed. But then there are moments in which your companions' behavior creates the feeling that you're not alone on this journey, such as when Ellie comes to your rescue by stabbing your assailant in the back.
You explore so many places--old pizzerias and coffee shops, hotels and record stores--all of them designed with an attention to detail that makes them feel like places where people once went about their lives.
The nerve-racking intensity of combat is mercifully not a constant throughout The Last of Us. The pacing of the game is excellent; this is a game that's willing to take its time, letting you just inhabit a moment and take in the atmosphere rather than constantly rushing you to the next explosive action sequence.
There's a melancholy beauty to the game's world that seeps into your heart in these quieter moments. On the one hand, your breath might be taken away by the sight of cities being slowly reclaimed by the lush greenery of nature, but on the other, it's hard to forget that this beauty tells the story of the decline of humankind. You explore so many places--old pizzerias and coffee shops, hotels and record stores--all of them designed with an attention to detail that makes them feel like places where people once went about their lives. Even in its quietest moments, though, The Last of Us doesn't let you get too comfortable. The calm always gives way sooner or later to another frantic chase, terrifying siege, or other uncomfortable reminder that this world isn't nearly as tranquil as it sometimes seems to be.
Joel and Ellie are unlikely companions thrown together by circumstance.
The Last of Us Remastered includes the original game's multiplayer mode, along with all of the map packs that were released as downloadable content. The multiplayer successfully captures the unnerving feeling of the single-player combat, and wraps it up in an engaging metagame about trying to sustain a camp full of survivors by gathering supplies and completing specific tasks during missions. You can give the mode an extra emotional punch by linking it to your personal Facebook account, enabling you to see updates about your real-life friends dying as your camp flounders.
And then there's Left Behind, the extraordinary DLC story chapter for The Last of Us, unlocked here from the beginning. While the main game's narrative concerns with the importance of interpersonal connections and the gameplay's focus on combat and violence are somewhat at odds with each other, Left Behind takes the established mechanics of The Last of Us and uses them to support its story of the bond between Ellie and her friend Riley. Playing as Ellie, you and Riley toss bricks at car windows, hunt each other with water pistols, and do other things together, and all the while, the characters say honest things to each other, laugh with each other, get angry with each other, and do other things that real people do.
By giving you these glimpses of Ellie's doomed attempts to live something resembling a normal teenage life, Left Behind drives home what Ellie has lost as a person by growing up in this harsh world. The bond that forms between Ellie and Riley, supported both by the gameplay and by extraordinarily natural writing and acting, feels real. Left Behind crams more memorable moments into its short running time than you find in most full games, and it understands that some of the most important moments we share with others are the smallest: a brief glance, a fleeting smile. This remarkable DLC has real character development and real emotional payoff.
Left Behind is just wonderful.
In addition to the visual enhancements and the inclusion of map packs and story DLC, The Last of Us Remastered has other nice little features, like a photo mode that lets you stop the action at any time, position the camera to your liking, and share the screenshot with others, applying frames and filters if you choose. And there are commentary tracks on in-game cinematics featuring the creative director and principal actors. The Last of Us is a great action game that you should play if you haven't already. And if you have played it before, the improvements here aren't so dramatic as to make the game feel like a new experience, but it is definitely one worth revisiting. In the world of The Last of Us, as in our own world, love might destroy you, but it's also one of the only things worth fighting for.
Game industry icon John Romero, best known for his work at id Software on the Doom and Wolfenstein franchises, says in a new interview that the PC platform is "decimating" consoles. That's because, Romero tells GamesIndustry International, PC games are often less expensive (sometimes free) and the platform itself is more open than traditional consoles.
"With PC you have free-to-play and Steam games for five bucks. The PC is decimating console, just through price," Romero said. "Free-to-play has killed a hundred AAA studios."
"It's a different form of monetization than Doom or Wolfenstein or Quake where that's free-to-play [as shareware]," he added. "Our entire first episode was free--give us no money, play the whole thing. If you like it and want to play more, then you finally pay us. To me that felt like the ultimate fair [model]. I'm not nickel-and-diming you. I didn't cripple the game in any design way. That was a really fair way to market a game. When we put these games out on shareware, that changed the whole industry. Before shareware there were no CD-ROMs, there were no demos at all. If you wanted to buy Ultima, Secret of Monkey Island, any of those games, you had to look really hard at that box and decide to spend 50 bucks to get it."
Free-to-play games have not been without criticism, but Romero argues that developers are getting smarter at designing these games so that they are more player-friendly when it comes to monetization.
"Everybody is getting better at free-to-play design, the freemium design, and it's going to lose its stigma at some point," Romero said. "People will settle into [the mindset] that there is a really fair way of doing it, and the other way is the dirty way. Hopefully that other way is easily noticeable by people and the quality design of freemium rises and becomes a standard. That's what everybody is working hard on. People are spending a lot of time trying to design this the right way. They want people to want to give them money, not have to. If you have to give money, you're doing it wrong... For game designers, that's the holy grail."
Another reason why Romero said he believes PC and mobile are surging ahead of console is because of the "closed" nature of traditional machines like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
"The problem with console is that it takes a long time for a full cycle," Romero said. "With PCs, it's a continually evolving platform, and one that supports backward compatibility, and you can use a controller if you want; if I want to play a game that's [made] in DOS from the '80s I can, it's not a problem. You can't do that on a console. Consoles aren't good at playing everything. With PCs if you want a faster system you can just plug in some new video cards, put faster memory in it, and you'll always have the best machine that blows away PS4 or Xbox One."
Romero also chimed in on the topic of virtual reality recently, saying that while he is personally excited about technology like Oculus Rift, he--like others before him--questions its mainstream appeal. He co-founded id Software and now works at the Universe of California, Santa Cruz.
The next Doom game was recently officially announced. The game is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It runs on id Tech 6 at 1080p and 60fps.
Just a day ahead of The Last of Us Remastered's release tomorrow on PlayStation 4, Sony today launched a new video wherein actors Troy Baker (Joel) and Ashley Johnson (Ellie) interview each other about the acclaimed post-apocalyptic action game.
The video features some never-before-heard stories about The Last of Us, including how Baker thought there was no chance Naughty Dog would think he was right for the role of Joel. There is also an interesting segment where Baker recalls encountering Johnson for the first time and feeling an instant connection, as well as a desire to "take care" of her. Not because Johnson needed to be taken care of, Baker, says, but because he wanted to.
The full video is worth a look if you have the time. The Last of Us Remastered launches tomorrow, July 29. For more, be sure to check out GameSpot's review of the game, which is a high-definition update of the 2013 PlayStation 3 game.
Dragon Age: Inquisition will have straight, bisexual, and gay character romances because they each tell different stories, BioWare has said.
Lead writer for the Dragon Age series David Gaider made the comments during BioWare's GaymerX2 panel last week titled Building a Better Romance. He explained that since there were only four character romances in Dragon Age II, they were all bisexual because the team wanted to make sure every player had some type of choice.
"In Inquisition we got the go ahead to include a lot more total romances, so the decision was made that we don't need to compromise," Gaider said. "So we are going to have straight romances, alongside bisexual romances, alongside gay romances. I thought that was pretty important because those are different stories to tell." This is why, for example, Inquisition includes characters like Dorian, who will only romance other men.
You can hear the rest of the panel in the YouTube video below. It's a great listen if you're interested in the process and design challenges in building these romance stories in the Dragon Age series and BioWare games in general. I also highly recommend BioWare's other GaymerX2 panel, Freaking out the Neighbors, about how and why games should be more inclusive.
Dragon Age Inquisition launches October 7 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Activision CEO Bobby Kotick was nearly fired last year during Activision's multibillion dollar share buyback from parent company Vivendi, according to court filings.
In October 2013, Activision acquired approximately 429 million company shares from Vivendi for about $5.83 billion, and a separate investment group led by Kotick and Activision chairman Brian Kelly purchased 172 million shares from Vivendi for $2.34 billion.
Court filings obtained by Bloomberg reveal that Vivendi was ready to fire Kotick over his refusal to approve any sale of Vivendi's shares that didn't include his investment group.
"I really wonder who's going to fire him," Vivendi's CEO at the time Jean-Francois Dubos asked in an email. "Myself, happily. Tomorrow if you want," Vivendi's then chief financial officer and Activision chairman replied.
Kotick and Kelly will have to face investor claims that their investment group, which also includes Chinese game publisher Tencent, wrongfully benefited from buying 25 percent of Vivendi's Activision shares at the same discount offered to Activision.
"Activision's board of directors supports the ongoing leadership of the company by Bobby Kotick and Brian Kelly, who are the most effective executives in the interactive entertainment industry," Activision spokeswoman Maryanne Lataif told GameSpot in a statement. "The recent transaction restructuring the company's ownership has received widespread market support."
Ubisoft's open-world racing game The Crew will launch its PC closed beta tomorrow, the company has announced.
In addition to launching just a couple of days earlier than originally planned, Ubisoft also revealed what players will be able to test drive during the beta. If you've been keeping up with our previous coverage of The Crew, you know the game features a giant, open-world map that allows you to drive from coast to coast of the United States. The closed beta will allow you to free roam the entire map, but only has missions and skill challenges for the Midwest, and skill challenges for the East Coast. You'll also be able to race other players in the East Coast and Midwest.
Different terrains will require different car specs, and the closed beta will allow you to customize The Street Spec, which you'll get in Detroit, and The Dirt Spec, which you'll get in New York. Ubisoft also said that you'll get a glimpse of the Perf, Raid, and Circuit specs.
The PC closed beta will run from July 21 to July 25. You can sign up for the beta on Ubisoft's website. The Crew is scheduled for release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on November 11. GameSpot's own Carolyn Petit recently took a trip from Detroit to Miami in The Crew, so be sure to check out her preview for more on the game.
Crytek's Lead Research and Development Graphics Engineer Tiago Sousa has left the company to go work at Doom developer id Software, Sousa has announced via Twitter.
Sousa says he'll work on the next Doom and the graphics engine the company is making for it, idTech 6. id Software released a teaser trailer for Doom during E3 2014. At this year's QuakeCon 2014 conference, it showed off the new game, finally detailing what exactly we can expect, but only to those who were there in person.
According to his Linkedin profile, Sousa was with Crytek for more than a decade, working as a graphics programmer and engineer on the company's proprietary CryEngine and games like the first Far Cry, Crysis, Xbox One-exclusive Ryse: Son of Rome and other "undisclosed multiplatform projects."
News of his departure comes after multiple unconfirmed reports that Crytek is struggling financially, especially at its Crytek UK office, currently working on Homefront: The Revolution. The game director of that project, Hasit Zala, is said to have left his position at the company as well.
Crytek, which purchased the Homefront series during THQ's bankruptcy auction in January 2013 for $544,000, officially announced Homefront: The Revolution leading up to E3 2014. The game is an open-world shooter set in a Philadelphia occupied by the North Korean military, and is scheduled to release in 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
If you're looking to expand your Nintendo 3DS game collection you should check out Best Buy's deals this week. The big-box retailer is currently offering a buy one, get one free deal on the following 3DS games (click on the links to find GameSpot's reviews):
If you don't already own a 3DS, the Best Buy sale is also offering the 3DS XL with a pre-installed copy of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team for $169.99, down from the regular price of $199.99.
The sale is also offering discounts on a few Wii U accessories. It starts today, July 20, and will run until July 26. You can pick up the games at your local store or order them from Best Buy's website.
Wii U owners in Japan will be able to pay for eShop items by touching money cards to their GamePads starting next week, Nintendo has announced.
Cards like Suica, Toica, Pasmo, and others used in different parts of Japan are embedded with chips that allow you to pay for public transportation and make purchases at convenience stores simply by swiping them by a reader.
Japanese Wii U owners will now be able to make Nintendo eShop purchases similarly by swiping the participating cards by the console's GamePad, which has built-in NFC (near field communication) capability.
Nintendo hasn't said if and when it will make a similar feature available in other territories.
If you forgot that your Wii U even included this NFC feature it's because Nintendo hasn't done much with it since the console launched. However, that may change soon with the release Amiibo, a Skylanders-like Toys to Life product line Nintendo revealed at E3 2014.
Pressing a real-life Amiibo action figure against the Wii U GamePad will conjure up a character in Super Smash Bros. that can assist you, spar against you, or even take part in Amiibo vs. Amiibo fights.
Nintendo also said it will release a peripheral in 2015 that will allow Amiibo figures to work with 3DS titles. Alongside Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U, Amiibo will support Mario Kart 8, though Nintendo is yet to explain how that will work. Many upcoming Nintendo games will also support the service.
Upcoming Space game Elite: Dangerous will launch with graphics options that players won't be able to run with their current PC hardware, head of developer Frontier Developments David Braben has said.
"We're going through some wonderful effects internally that look truly beautiful, and we're saying, that slows the frame-rate a bit, doesn't it?" Braben said in an interview with Eurogamer. "And we say yes, but we don't mind, because it looks so beautiful. But what we're going to do is attach it to this part of the detail slider. Or we'll call it out as a tick box...Even if your PC of today can't run with all the features on, your PC of tomorrow might."
Braben said he loves the idea that this will future proof Elite: Dangerous. Theoretically, it could look great long after its initial release as players get better PC hardware. Of course, Elite: Dangerous' graphics options will also scale to run and look great on a variety of current PCs when it launches.
Braben attributed part of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3's (another Frontier Developments game) success to this strategy. "One of the things that's really helped us was we had that huge scalability, so the game could run on the laptop of 2004. It could also run on the uber desktop of 2004. Which is the laptop of today. I want to make sure we do the same with Elite: Dangerous."
Elite: Dangerous launches in beta on PC July 29 before its full release later this year. The Mac version will follow, and Braben also recently said that the game could come to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. For more on Elite: Dangerous, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 14 Juli 2014 | 23.07
Warner Bros. today announced the preorder bonuses for this fall's Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, revealing a total of six different goodies, all of which are available at different retailers. Unlike many preorder bonuses, those for Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham are physical toys in the form of minifigures and keychains, with the exception of the Digital Comic book at Best Buy.
Below is a rundown of the preorder bonuses for Lego Batman 3: Beyond Goth, which launches this fall for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, PC, DS, 3DS, and PlayStation Vita.
The Lego series recently crossed 100 million units in lifetime sales, joining juggernaut franchises like Grand Theft Auto and Final Fantasy in reaching that sales mark. For more on Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, be sure to check out GameSpot's previous coverage, including our interview with the game's developers at E3.
Amazon: Lego Batgirl Keychain
Best Buy: Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Digital Comic Book by Comixology
A beta for Bungie's upcoming shooter Destiny begins Thursday, July 17, on PlayStation platforms, and it sounds like the content on offer will be quite substantial. According to a memo reportedly sent to GameStop managers (via Reddit), the Destiny beta will include four story chapters, four competitive multiplayer maps, a cooperative Strike, and a "huge world" to explore.
Previously, Bungie said only that the Destiny beta would include a "diverse sampling of major activities" from the full game. You can guarantee yourself a place in the beta by preordering a copy of the game.
Another Reddit user located the Destiny product page on Xbox One and says the content weighs in at 12.63GB on Microsoft's console. The Destiny beta starts this week for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, before coming to Xbox 360 and Xbox One starting July 23, and ending for all platforms on July 27.
Separately, Bungie writes on its website that Destiny's beta is a genuine beta, and the company expects some things will go wrong. "The Destiny Beta is a test. Make no mistake. This isn't some circus stunt. This is science--and you're the lab rat," the developer said.
"We'd love to tell you that everything will go according to plan, but that wouldn't be any fun. That wouldn't teach us a thing," Bungie added. "Even if the Beta is working perfectly, one of the alpha-geeks in the operations center is gonna kick it to see if it still works. Fortunately, we'll be going to great lengths to keep you informed and keep you in the game."
The full version of Destiny launches September 9 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Ubisoft has revealed that an all-new animated short inspired by Assassin's Creed Unity is in the works. That much you might have expected. But the creative talent behind it is somewhat surprising. The new animated short, which will debut at Comic-Con next week, was produced by musician and filmmaker Rob Zombie and The Walking Dead co-creator Tony Moore.
Fans who attend the "Heads Will Roll! Assassin's Creed Unity Demo and Q&A" panel at Comic-Con on Friday, July 25, will be the first to see the animated short. Presumably, the feature will be distributed online sometime thereafter.
People who attend the Assassin's Creed Unity panel at Comic-Con will also get to learn how the franchise has been "re-imagined" for the new consoles, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The panel will also touch upon the new hero, Arno, as well as "more details" about the game. Ubisoft even teases that attendees will be the first to hear about "new announcements" for the franchise.
An Assassin's Creed movie--one of six films Ubisoft currently has in production--is also in the works, with 12 Years a Slave actor Michael Fassbender attached to play the lead role.
San Diego Comic-Con takes place July 24-27. In between all the news about movies, TV, and comics, there are also going to plenty of games. Check out this post for a roundup of everything gaming-related happening at Comic-Con this year.
Assassin's Creed Unity launches October 28 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Assassin's Creed fans on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have not been forgotten, however, according to Ubisoft. News about a game for those platforms this year is coming "soon."
Xbox One owners will be able to preorder a digital copy of Insomniac Games' upcoming stylized shooter Sunset Overdrive "soon," the developer has confirmed, suggesting the this option could be rolled out as a new system feature in the not-too-distant future.
During the latest episode of Sunset TV (above), Insomniac Games community manager Brandon Winfrey responded to a fan question about if they would be able to receive the Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition content if they buy a digital copy of the game. He said, "Yes, if you preorder the game digitally, you will get the Day One Edition content. You can't preorder it digitally yet, but soon you will be able to."
Winfrey also teased that people who buy Sunset Overdrive digitally will receive a "nifty gifty exclusive," though no other details were provided. Sunset Overdrive launches exclusively for Xbox One on October 28.
Microsoft's Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, said last month in an interview with IGN that digital preordering functionality has not been forgotten and its introduction is "on the roadmap" for a future Xbox One system update. Spencer is also aware that fans would like to see digital pre-loading available on Xbox One, pledging that this functionality, too, is on Microsoft's radar.
Last month, Sony introduced pre-loading support for PlayStation 4.
Do you like the idea of being able to preorder an Xbox One game digitally? Let us know in the comments below!
The discussion around women in games has intensified since Ubisoft announced at E3 2014 that Assassin's Creed Unity would not feature any playable female characters. Now, a pair of cosplayers at this weekend's GaymerX2 conference have poked fun at Ubisoft's decision, specifically jabbing at one Ubisoft designer's statement that women are more difficult to animate than men.
The photo above comes from Feminist Frequency creator Anita Sarkeesian. It shows two cosplayers dressed in cardboard boxes that have the words "BOOBS?" and "2 HARD TO RENDER" written on them. They are also wielding inflatable Assassin's Creed swords.
This is a clear reference to the words of Ubisoft technical director James Therien, who said during E3 last month that female characters were going to be included in Assassin's Creed Unity, but were scrapped because of the additional work that would have been involved.
"It was on our feature list until not too long ago, but it's a question of focus and production," Therien said at the time. "So we wanted to make sure we had the best experience for the character." He also said that if female characters were indeed included, Ubisoft would have had to "redo a lot of animation, a lot of costumes." In effect, "It would have doubled the work on those things. And I mean it's something the team really wanted, but we had to make a decision... It's unfortunate, but it's a reality of game development."
This assertion (which would be contested by a former Ubisoft employee) set off a debate about the topic of women in games. Ubisoft issued a formal statement on the matter, saying the company recognizes the "valid concern around diversity in video game narrative." Rust developer Garry Newman says it would "undoubtedly" be a good thing if there were more female protagonists in video games, but maintains that Ubisoft was unfairly singled out.
In addition, high-ranking people from game companies like Electronic Arts, Activision, Ubisoft, and Paradox Interactive have all sounded off on the topic of women in games.
Today during a special video presentation, Nintendo revealed not one, but three new characters for this fall's 3DS and Wii U mascot fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Captain Falcon is returning, while newcomers from the Fire Emblem series--Robin and Lucina--will make their franchise debut in this year's game. Male and female versions of Robin will be featured in the game.
Robin and Lucina join other Fire Emblem characters Marth and Ike, bringing Fire Emblem's total roster count for this year's Super Smash Bros. game to four. The video also shows Chrom, but sadly for fans, he is not playable. The current roster for the new Super Smash Bros. game for Wii U and 3DS is listed below, with characters new to the series in bold.
Pac-Man
Palutena
Ike
Mii Fighters
Greninja
Charizard
Yoshi
Sheik
Zero Suit Samus
Diddy Kong
Little Mac
Lucario
King Dedede
Zelda
Rosalina & Luma
Marth
Sonic
Toon Link
Peach
Luigi
Pikmin & Olimar
Mario
Donkey Kong
Villager
Mega Man
Link
Wii Fit Trainer
Samus
Kirby
Fox
Pikachu
Bowser
Pit
Captain Falcon
Robin
Lucina
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS launches October 3, while the Wii U version is scheduled to arrive sometime this holiday.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 07 Juli 2014 | 23.06
Gamespot's Site MashupOculus Announces Developer-Focused Conference, Acquires Game Networking EngineEverQuest, H1Z1 Dev Trademarks "The Darkened Sea" and "Altar of Malice"Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Takes "Full Advantage" of Xbox One/PS4PS4 Boss Says Virtual Reality Can Be "Next Frontier" For GamesPES 2015 Dev Defends Microtransactions, Says They're Aimed At People Strapped for TimeCliff Bleszinski's New Game Not a Jazz Jackrabbit Reboot, It's a New IPAU New Releases: Ratchet & Clank Trilogy Launches For the PlayStation VitaWarframe Dev Set to Be Acquired by MMO Company Perfect World and a Chicken Meat SupplierMicrosoft Store Lists Kinect for Windows v2 for $200, July 15 Release DateClassic Arcade Game Q*bert Reboot Headed to SteamEA Announces Battlefield 4's Dragon's Teeth DLC Release Date, Then Pulls TweetProject Cars Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal With Bandai NamcoWatch Dogs Opens Strong in Japan, Sells More Than 94,000 CopiesOculus Rift Sales Suspended in China Due to "Extreme Reseller Purchases"Mighty No. 9 Launches Another Crowdfunding Campaign, Announces Animated Series
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:43:44 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-announces-developer-focused-conference-acqu/1100-6420944/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587749" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587749"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Oculus VR, the Facebook-owned maker of the upcoming virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, today announced that it will hold its own developer-focused conference. The inaugural Oculus Connect conference will take place September 19-20 at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood, California.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect aims to bring together engineers, designers, and creative types from around the world to talk about how they can create the top-notch virtual reality experiences. "With virtual reality's momentum at an all-time high, this is a unique moment for the developer community to come together to take the virtual reality to the next level," Oculus <a href="http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/announcing-oculus-connect-raknet-open-source-and-e3-2014-awards/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote in a blog post</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you want to attend Oculus Connect, you can access and submit an attendee application at the<a href="http://www.oculusvr.com/connect/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> conference's website</a> starting on July 10. Attendance confirmations will be distributed the following week. Oculus has even reserved a block of hotel rooms for conference attendees with a special $199 room rate.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect will feature sessions and workshops led by Oculus engineers and other "industry pioneers." Developers who attend the event will also have a chance to receive feedback from the Oculus team. The event will also include keynote speeches from Oculus executives like Brendan Iribe (CEO), Palmer Luckey (creator), John Carmack (CTO), and Michael Abrash ("chief scientist").</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect is technically open to the public, but Oculus warns people that it's a developer-focused event. Attendance is described as "limited." If you can't attend, the keynote addresses will be live-streamed. A full session list will be published as the event draws closer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR also announced today that it has acquired <a href="http://www.jenkinssoftware.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">RakNet</a>, a C++ game networking engine used for the production of numerous titles, including <a href="/lego-universe/" data-ref-id="false">Lego Universe</a>. Some of its key features are object replication, remote procedure calls, patching, secure connections, voice chat, and real-time SQL logging.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-announces-developer-focused-conference-acqu/1100-6420944/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everquest-h1z1-dev-trademarks-the-darkened-sea-and/1100-6420943/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587728" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587728"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a> and <a href="/h1z1/" data-ref-id="false">H1Z1</a> developer Sony Online Entertainment may be working on a pair of new role-playing games, if new trademark applications are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On July 2, SOE filed a pair of trademark applications with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for "<a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326802&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Darkened Sea</a>" and "<a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326794&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Altar of Malice</a>." Both are described as downloadable RPGs and are registered to SOE's office in San Diego, California.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Darkened Sea and Altar of Malice appear to be unannounced games or expansions to previously released titles. We have reached out to SOE for comment and will update this story with anything we hear back.</p><p style="">In addition to continued support for<a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false"> Planetside 2</a> and other back catalog games, SOE's upcoming software lineup includes games like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next </a>and <a href="/h1z1/" data-ref-id="false">H1Z1</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everquest-h1z1-dev-trademarks-the-darkened-sea-and/1100-6420943/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-takes-full-advantage/1100-6420942/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2555150" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2555150"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Because developer Sledgehammer Games is focusing exclusively on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of this November's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, it means the studio was able to take "full advantage" of the power of those systems. That's according to Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey, who says that this "singular" focus, along with the fact that the game was developed over a period of three years, means that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare should be a top-notch title.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We really have to thank Activision, not just for the extra year, but for the singular focus," Condrey told <a href="http://www.totalxbox.com/79005/well-never-mislead-you-about-call-of-dutys-graphics-on-xbox-one-says-sledgehammer/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Official Xbox Magazine</a>. "Three years to get to next gen. The current gen game--and there's more news to come about that--never got in the way of our ambitions, it never stopped us from being super-creative about taking full advantage of the next-gen hardware."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare are in development at <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-xbox-360-ps3-made-by-transformers-dev/1100-6420138/" data-ref-id="1100-6420138">Transformers and Deadpool outfit High Moon Studios</a>. Because Sledgehammer Games didn't have to develop all five versions simultaneously, "It decoupled us from worrying about having to do a split-platform year, like titles had to last year," Condrey said. "So that was really refreshing, and gave us some freedom to really go after this one."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the first game in the blockbuster series developed over the period of three years as part of the franchise's new<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578"> three-year, three-studio cycle</a>. This is in the best interest of the franchise, Activision says, because it gives creators more time to execute on their visions.</p><p style="">We'll find out if the increased investment paid off when Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/" data-ref-id="1100-6419415">November 4 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS4, and PC. To date, there has been no mention of a version of the game for Nintendo platforms.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-takes-full-advantage/1100-6420942/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-says-virtual-reality-can-be-next-frontier/1100-6420941/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587632" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587632"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony has high hopes for the future of virtual reality in games. In a new interview, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House said the company has made a "significant" investment in PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset Project Morpheus, and suggested that virtual reality overall could the be the "next frontier" for games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's definitely more than an experiment," House told <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/02/sony-project-morpheus-virtual-reality-headset" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Guardian</a> about Project Morpheus. "We've made some commitments; we're putting significant investment into the product."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">One of the reasons House is so enthusiastic about the future of virtual reality for games is because he says the technology will mature to such a point where when you're wearing a virtual reality headset, you truly feel transported to another world.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"We do now think that we can get to this point of delivering a magical sense of presence--where your brain tricks you into thinking you're actually in this place" -- Andrew House on virtual reality</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">"We do now think that we can get to this point of delivering a magical sense of presence--where your brain tricks you into thinking you're actually in this place," House said. "We think there's something there that could be really, really interesting for a next frontier of game development."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Virtual reality has proven popular with the hardcore gaming crowd, but some--including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-is-anti-social-grand-theft-auto-parent-company-ceo-says/1100-6419981/" data-ref-id="1100-6419981">the CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive</a>--have questioned the technology's mainstream appeal. Asked if Project Morpheus had mass market potential, House said he wasn't sure.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I don't know, but I think that at the very least it's going to be another really interesting advance for the PS4 ecosystem and another way to deliver brand new experiences," he said. "That's what we're all about."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For virtual reality to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-virtual-reality-will-spread-like-wildfire/1100-6420623/" data-ref-id="1100-6420623">thrive in the way that some have suggested that it will</a>, there also needs to be strong support from developers. House said after he saw game creators latch on to the Oculus Rift headset, he was convinced that Sony could do the same with Project Morpheus.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With Oculus we saw this groundswell of game development that didn't necessarily have a monetizable or a business option, but [developers were] so passionate about this space that they were doing this essentially in their spare time," House said. "It struck that me that if there's a variety of game developers showing interest in this space then it's probably time to jump in and see if we can play a part and give them the tools they're looking for."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR's own games boss, industry veteran Jason Rubin, says it will probably be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-s-killer-app-won-t-come-for-several-years-dev-says/1100-6420782/" data-ref-id="1100-6420782">a few years</a> until we see virtual reality's killer app.</p><p style="">Though both Sony and Oculus are optimistic about the future for virtual reality, its impact on gaming remains to be seen. Both Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift are still in-development products, and there is no word yet on when either headset will be available publicly or what they will cost when released.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-says-virtual-reality-can-be-next-frontier/1100-6420941/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pes-2015-dev-defends-microtransactions-says-theyre/1100-6420940/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585710" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585710"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">When Konami announced last week that <a href="/pro-evolution-soccer-2015/" data-ref-id="false">Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 </a>would <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904">feature microtransactions</a>, some fans didn't take the news so well. Now, a Konami studio head has spoken out to explain and defend the way in which users can spend real-world money for virtual items in the professional soccer game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In PES 2015, you can use Game Points, the in-game virtual currency, to recruit new players to your myClub roster. But you'll also be able to spend real-world money for the same thing. Konami studio head James Cox explained that letting people spend real money is merely an optional alternative, and one that he thinks is beneficial for people who are pressed for time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"If you don't have a lot of time, then with microtransactions you can go buy a lot of players that you want," Cox told <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/07/pes-2015-microtransactions-detailed?abthid=53ba787b7fcc579671000004" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">IGN</a>. "But you also can earn Game Points in the mode and other parts of PES as well. We're trying to link things together so you can progress and build your team [normally]. The idea is that we're trying to just give the players the choice of what they want to do. Some people have more time, some people have more money. Some people have a bit of each! Either way, you'll have the choice."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cox also explained that when players do elect to spend real-world money on PES 2015, they will know exactly what they're getting for their money. "The general principle is that you will be able to buy the players you want," he said. "The exact final mechanic is all still being tuned, but yes--if you want to buy Ronaldo, one way or another, you will be able to do that. And you will be happy with what you spend your money on."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The full details on how this will work are still being finalized. More details are expected to be divulged about PES 2015's myClub mode in August at Gamescom.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microtransactions in full-priced games are nothing new. Major franchises like <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a>, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a>, <a href="/forza-horizon-2/" data-ref-id="false">Forza</a>, and<a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false"> Grand Theft Auto</a> all have them. In the case of <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6</a>'s microtransactions, Sony took a similar line to Konami, saying microtransactions are a way in which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/" data-ref-id="1100-6416554">busy people </a>can catch up with their friends who might have more time to play.</p><p style="">PES 2015 launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904">this fall</a> for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904"> presumably Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 05:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pes-2015-dev-defends-microtransactions-says-theyre/1100-6420940/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-not-a-jazz-jackrabbit-r/1100-6420939/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587503" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587503"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The upcoming game from veteran <a href="/gears-of-war/" data-ref-id="false">Gears of War </a>developer Cliff Bleszinski and his studio <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-creator-cliff-bleszinskis-new-studio-/1100-6420919/" data-ref-id="1100-6420919">BossKey Productions</a> is not going to be a new entry in Bleszinski's 1990s side-scroller <a href="/jazz-jackrabbit/" data-ref-id="false">Jazz Jackrabbit</a> series. Asked by a fan on Twitter if it would be, Bleszinski <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485921599845957632" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>, "Dude, [Epic Games] owns that. Wish people understood that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Instead, Bleszinski said BossKey is working on something entirely new. "I'm making a whole new thing," he<a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485922300164730881" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> said</a> in another tweet. Bleszinski said previously that he wants to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinski-wants-to-redefine-his-legacy/1100-6401537/" data-ref-id="1100-6401537">redefine his legacy</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="http://bosskey.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">landing page for BossKey's recently launched website</a> includes a link to a Twitter page for something called "Bluestreak." This could be the name, or at least the working title, for Bleszinski's upcoming game. We're likely to find out lots more details about Bleszinski's new game and studio tomorrow, July 8, at around 12 noon EDT. That's when the <a href="http://itsalmo.st/#time_biuoe" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">countdown clock</a> Bleszinski launched last week will strike zero.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some other details about Bleszinski's new project gleaned from Twitter posts.</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Bleszinski will give <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/486017682005700612" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">more details </a>about BossKey on actor Aisha Tyler's podcast at Comic-Con</li><li dir="ltr">Asked what engine BossKey is using to make its new game, Bleszinski said "<a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485999495054782465" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">TBD</a>."</li><li dir="ltr">He joked (?) about hiring <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485915227620253696" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">controversial Fez designer Phil Fish</a> as BossKey's community manager.</li><li dir="ltr">BossKey <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485492369517592576" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">is hiring</a>.</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="">Bleszinski <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinski-out-at-epic-games/1100-6397630/" data-ref-id="1100-6397630">quit Epic Games in October 2012 </a>after more than two decades with the company.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 04:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-not-a-jazz-jackrabbit-r/1100-6420939/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-ratchet-clank-trilogy-launches-for/1100-6420938/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587414" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587414"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank Trilogy</a> blasts its way onto the PlayStation Vita this week. The game is a collection which includes<a href="/ratchet-and-clank/" data-ref-id="false"> Ratchet & Clank</a>, <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-going-commando/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked & Loaded</a>, and <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-up-your-arsenal/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal</a>.</p><p style="">The three games were originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002, 2003, and 2004 respectively. The first Ratchet & Clank game was very well received in<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-review/1900-2896475/" data-ref-id="1900-2896475"> GameSpot's review</a>, praised for its well-balanced gameplay and story. Its sequel <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-going-commando-review/1900-6081895/" data-ref-id="1900-6081895">garnered a similar reception,</a> and introduced RPG elements into the series. The third game, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, brought a multiplayer mode to the series that was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-up-your-arsenal-review/1900-6112331/" data-ref-id="1900-6112331">positively received</a>.</p><p style="">For those a little more sports-inclined, <a href="/wii-sports-club/" data-ref-id="false">Wii Sports Club</a> launches for the Wii U this week. The game is a HD remake of Wii Sports, and was initially launched exclusively on the Nintendo eShop in separated instalments late last year. Wii Sports Club includes tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing.</p><p style="">For more details on games out this week, check out the full list below.</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><b>July 9, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/ratchet-and-clank-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank Trilogy</a> (Vita)</p><p style=""><b>July 10, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/tour-de-france-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Tour de France 2014</a> (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4)</p><p style=""><b>July 12, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/wii-sports-club/" data-ref-id="false">Wii Sports Club </a>(Wii U)</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-ratchet-clank-trilogy-launches-for/1100-6420938/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warframe-dev-set-to-be-acquired-by-mmo-company-per/1100-6420936/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587325" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587325"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Warframe developer Digital Extremes is set to be acquired by massively multiplayer online games company Perfect World and Sumpo, a chicken meat products supplier.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to a <a href="http://www.sumpofood.com/UploadFile/201463016302032745.pdf" rel="nofollow">document from Sumpo</a>, the companies entered a "non-binding term sheet" on June 30, 2014, and are now "conducting due diligence investigations over the affairs of Digital Extremes." Basically, Sumpo and Perfect World are finalizing the deal and Digital Extremes agreed not to solicit other offers in the meantime.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some Warframe players are already objecting to the acquisition, fearing that Perfect World's involvement will have a negative impact on how the game is monetized. Users on the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/29tewj/sending_a_signal_to_both_de_and_pwe_dont_play_on/" rel="nofollow">/r/Warframe subreddit</a> are trying to organize a temporary boycott of the game, and at the time of writing<a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/save-warframe" rel="nofollow"> a Change.org petition</a> had already gathered 4,700 signatures urging Digital Extremes not to sell to Perfect World.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"You may have read something about the business development side of Digital Extremes and it may have you concerned," Digital Extremes Video Game Director<a href="https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/256374-re-warframe-shares-late-response-is-late/" rel="nofollow"> Steve Sinclair said on the game's forums</a>. "For legal reasons, we can't disclose specifics but if you know the history of Warframe you'd know that we are intent on having Warframe's design remain in the hands of Digital Extremes. Yes, opportunities will arise for us but the game itself is and will remain a labor of love."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Currently free-to-play on PC and PlayStation 4, Warframe is set to launch on Xbox One later this year.</p><p style="">For more on Warframe, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/warframe/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 15:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warframe-dev-set-to-be-acquired-by-mmo-company-per/1100-6420936/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-store-lists-kinect-for-windows-v2-for-20/1100-6420935/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587319" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587319"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Kinect-for-Windows-v2-Sensor/productID.298810500" rel="nofollow">The Microsoft Store</a> is accepting pre-orders of Kinect for Windows v2 sensors for $200, and is listing a July 15 release date.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's the same day as Microsoft's upcoming <a href="http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/liveevents/programming-the-kinect-for-windows-jump-start" rel="nofollow">virtual training event</a>, which aims to show developers how Kinect v2 enables speech, gesture, and human understanding in applications and experiences.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has previously said the device will launch before summer 2014.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor gives developers more of the precision, responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities they need to develop interactive voice and gesture-based applications for the Windows desktop and Windows Store," reads the product's overview on the site.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One without Kinect unit which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/">Microsoft announced in May</a> costs $399, $100 less than the $499 standard Xbox One with Kinect. It's interesting to note that Kinect for Windows' price is twice as much as the difference between the two, but it's also not aimed at the average consumer.</p><p style="">The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor doesn't ship with any software, and is intended for use with the separately licensed Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0, which developers can use to build applications.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 14:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-store-lists-kinect-for-windows-v2-for-20/1100-6420935/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/classic-arcade-game-q-bert-reboot-headed-to-steam/1100-6420934/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587279" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587279"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">A piece of video game history is going to be easier to revisit when Q*bert, the classic arcade game, will release on Steam July 8.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of the game will include Q*bert Classic and Q*bert Rebooted. Q*bert Classic will look like the original, pixelated game, only optimized for mouse and gamepad controls, while Q*bert Rebooted will use 3D graphics and feature new levels, enemies, and playable characters.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">First published in 1982 by Gottlieb, an arcade game and pinball company, Q*bert is an isometric puzzle platformer in which you're asked to change every cube in a pyramid to the same color by jumping on them with the titular character.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With renewed interest in Q*bert, in part due to the cameo in the recent Wreck It Ralph animated feature film, we are delighted to re-introduce the game and characters to current fans as well as a new generation of gamers who are experiencing Q*bert for the first time," Vice President, Consumer Products, Worldwide Marketing & Distribution at Sony Pictures Entertainment Mark Caplan said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game is being co-developed by Gonzo Games and Sideline Amusements, a subsidiary of social and mobile game developer Galaxy Pest Control, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which owns the rights for Q*bert.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Q*bert will cost $5 on PC, with tablet and mobile versions to follow.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 13:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/classic-arcade-game-q-bert-reboot-headed-to-steam/1100-6420934/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-announces-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-re/1100-6420933/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587271" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587271"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts may have let slip Battlefield 4's Dragon's Teeth DLC release date by mistake. The publisher's official <a href="https://twitter.com/OriginInsider" rel="nofollow">Origin Twitter account</a> promoted a 20 percent discount on Battlefield 4 Premium and said that Dragon's Teeth will release on July 15. It then quickly removed the tweet and reposted it without the specific date.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Premium members get Battlefield 4 DLC two weeks before regular players, if the original tweet is correct that means Dragon's Teeth will launch for everyone on July 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dragon's Teeth will add four new maps set in Asian cities: Lumphini Garden, Pearl Market, Propaganda, and Sunken Dragon, and five new weapons, though at the moment we can't confirm that these are the same five weapons that were <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-battlefield-4-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-details-leaked/1100-6419560/">leaked back in May</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The remotely-operated armored ground vehicle, R.A.W.R, and the ballistic shield that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-image-of-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-revealed-what-do-you-think/1100-6419624/">EA previously teased</a>, are also included in the Dragon's Teeth DLC. There will also be 10 new assignments with unlocks for each, and a new game mode, Chain Link, where you win the battle by linking capture points together.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can find more details about each of the maps on <a href="http://www.battlefield.com/au/battlefield-4/expansion-packs/dragons-teeth" rel="nofollow">Battlefield's official site</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA previously said that the Dragon's Teeth DLC is set to launch this summer. For more on Battlefield 4, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-4/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style="">EA and Visceral Games are currently working on the next installment in the Battlefield series, the cops and robbers-themed <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-hardline/">Battlefield Hardline</a>. It is set to release on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/PS3/">PlayStation 3</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps4/">PlayStation 4</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox-360/">Xbox 360</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox-one/">Xbox One</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/">PC</a> on October 21.</p><p style=""><em>(Image credit: <a href="http://mp1st.com/2014/07/03/battlefield-4-premium-now-20-origin-get-5-expansions-40/#.U7mUMfldV8H" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">MP1st</a>)</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 11:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-announces-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-re/1100-6420933/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-cars-signs-worldwide-distribution-deal-wit/1100-6420932/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419377" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419377/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Bandai Namco Games Europe S.A.S. has announced it will distribute Slightly Mad Studios' racing game Project Cars globally.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Slightly Mad Studios, which previously worked on racing games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-shift/">Need for Speed: Shift</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/world-of-speed/">World of Speed</a>, describes Project Cars as "the most authentic, beautiful, intense, and technically-advanced racing game on the planet."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It is due to launch this November for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Steam OS, and Wii U, but didn't have a distribution deal in place until now.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are tremendously happy to be collaborating with Slightly Mad Studios on this promising title, in which community expectations are fusing with racers' expertise to craft the next generation of simulation!" Bandai Namco Games Europe's VP Third Parties Alberto González Lorca said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Project Cars, which started as a crowdfunded project on Slightly Mad Studios' World of Mass Development platform, will support the Oculus Rift as well as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/one-of-the-first-vr-games-coming-to-ps4-s-project-morpheus-will-be-a-racer/1100-6418558/">Sony's virtual reality headset for PS4, Project Morpheus</a>.</p><p style="">For more on Project Cars, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/project-cars/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 10:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-cars-signs-worldwide-distribution-deal-wit/1100-6420932/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-opens-strong-in-japan-sells-more-than-9/1100-6420931/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587198" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587198"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">When <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a> became <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-is-most-preordered-next-gen-game-in-gamestop-s-history/1100-6419836/">the most pre-ordered game in GameStop's history</a>, it was clear it would perform well for Ubisoft in the United States, but it's also enjoying some success in Japan.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the Media Create sales charts (via <a href="http://gematsu.com/2014/07/media-create-sales-62314-62914" rel="nofollow">Gematsu</a>), Watch Dogs sold 94,623 copies in Japan in its first week since launch. 63,595 of those copies were of the PlayStation 4 version, which was the second best selling game in Japan that week. The PlayStation 3 version came in at the No. 6 spot with 31,028 copies sold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As you can see, the rest of the chart is dominated by Japanese games:</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Software Sales</strong> (followed by lifetime sales)</p><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PSV] Freedom Wars (SCEJ, 06/26/14) – 188,888 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS4] Watch Dogs (Ubisoft, 06/26/14) – 63,595 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Kamen Rider: Battride War II (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 62,649 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Taiko Drum Master: Don and Katsu's Space-Time Great Adventure (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 53,095 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PSV] Girls und Panzer: Master the Tankery (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 31,526 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Watch Dogs (Ubisoft, 06/26/14) – 31,028 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Yokai Watch (Level-5, 07/11/13) – 29,590 (1,147,202)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[Wii U] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo, 05/29/14) – 23,520 (492,837)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Pokemon Art Academy (Nintendo, 06/19/14) – 15,373 (46,454)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Pro Evolution Soccer 2014: Aoki Samurai no Chousen (Konami, 05/22/14) – 13,026 (136,893)</p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="">Watch Dogs has also done extremely well in the United States. According to the last report from the NPD, it was the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-10-game-sales-according-to-npd-may-2014-watch-dogs-on-top/1100-6420523/">best selling game in retail for the month of May 2014</a>. In early June, Ubisoft confirmed it already sold 4 million copies since it launched on May 27, making it the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sells-4-million-copies-in-first-week-needs-2-million-more-to-match-assassin-s-creed-s-lifetime-tally/1100-6420059/">best-selling new IP at launch across the video game industry</a>." Ubisoft expects it will sell <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-to-sell-around-6-million-units/1100-6411643/">more than 6 million units</a> throughout its lifetime.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Watch Dogs is out on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. While <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-has-power-to-become-longstanding-brand/1100-6419680/">there has been talk of a sequel</a>, if it ever happens it won't take nearly as long to develop, Ubisoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/">said in April</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-opens-strong-in-japan-sells-more-than-9/1100-6420931/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-sales-suspended-in-china-due-to-extrem/1100-6420930/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587140" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587140"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR has suspended sales of its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset developer kits in China because many customers bought them for the sole purpose of reselling them at a higher price.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">An Oculus representative explained the situation on <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/29pyl3/preorder_has_been_cancelled_in_china/" rel="nofollow">the /r/Oculus subreddit</a>, where a Chinese customer complained that his order of and Oculus Rift DK2 was canceled without reason.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Yes, it is a bummer that we've had to suspend sales in China due to extreme reseller purchases," the Oculus representative said. "We need to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure that resellers that are looking to flip our product for a profit are not taking stock away from legitimate developer purchases globally. Our product, in its current form, is a developer kit, meant for developers that develop VR content."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He added that Oculus is looking into alternative ways to make sure that its development kits are getting into legitimate developer hands in China, and that if you're just an enthusiast eager to try the device, you should wait for the consumer version. He also said that Oculus doesn't have a timeline for when it will be able to solve the problem, but that it had made it a top priority.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When asked how common the practice of buying an Oculus Rift just to resell it was in China, the Oculus representative simply said: "We were forced to suspend an entire country from purchasing. I'll let you put 2 and 2 together."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 07:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-sales-suspended-in-china-due-to-extrem/1100-6420930/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-launches-another-crowdfunding-campaign/1100-6420929/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6u8_G_J7I" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fh-6u8_G_J7I%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dh-6u8_G_J7I&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fh-6u8_G_J7I%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Comcept founder and former Mega Man producer Keiji Inafune has announced another crowdfunding campaign for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/mighty-no-9/">Might No. 9</a>, the action platformer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mega-man-creators-mighty-no-9-coming-to-consoles/1100-6414555/">successfully Kickstrarted</a> last year with $3,845,170.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Inafune and a post to Comcept's website explains that the additional funding will be used for additional, bonus content and features, not the main game. The first and only stretch goal listed on Comcept's website is full English voice acting, which the developer will add if it raises $100,000.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We formed this plan as a result of all of the slacker backers that contacted us after the Kickstarter campaign looking to contribute," Comcept said on <a href="http://mightyno9.com/en/140706" rel="nofollow">the game's website</a>. "But let's make this crystal clear: this <strong>new funding campaign</strong> is for <strong>bonus content</strong> in the Mighty No. 9 video game... <strong>Any new funding will NOT go towards existing content in the current state of the game, but bonus content to be implemented into the title</strong>."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can fund the project by pre-ordering the "Funding" tier copies of the game via PayPal on <a href="http://mightyno9.com/en/support" rel="nofollow">its website</a>. $50 will get you the final game and some "digital rewards" like a retro manual, art book, and more, and $80 will get you Steam Early Access as well. You can also just pre-order the game now for as low as $23 without contributing to the new crowdfunding effort.</p><p style="">Unrelated to the new funding campaign, Comcept also announced at the 2014 Anime Expo in Los Angeles yesterday that it's partnering with Japanese animation company Digital Frontier to produce the <em>Mighty No. 9: The Animated TV Series</em>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmY3jd0z8ho" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FUmY3jd0z8ho%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUmY3jd0z8ho&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FUmY3jd0z8ho%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Much like the game, the series will focus on protagonist Beck, a transforming robot made to fight in a combat robot league as part of the "mighty numbers." Comcept said the target audience for the show are kids 6-11, but that it hopes older fans will enjoy it as well.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Digital Frontier has worked on movies based on games like <em>Resident Evil: Damnatio</em>n, as well as motion capture for games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/">Metal Gear Rising: Revengence</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">None of the money Comcept is raising will be used for the animated series.</p><p style="">"I want to give all of you more and more of the project that is Mighty No. 9," Inafune said. "In order to do that, I'd like to ask for more of your strength to borrow your power to make more and more fantastic content. Needless to say this includes work on the game itself; we want to expand outside the game medium in a way that connects back to the game itself, ultimately enhancing all of the content."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 07:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-launches-another-crowdfunding-campaign/1100-6420929/
Gamespot's Site MashupOculus Announces Developer-Focused Conference, Acquires Game Networking EngineEverQuest, H1Z1 Dev Trademarks "The Darkened Sea" and "Altar of Malice"Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Takes "Full Advantage" of Xbox One/PS4PS4 Boss Says Virtual Reality Can Be "Next Frontier" For GamesPES 2015 Dev Defends Microtransactions, Says They're Aimed At People Strapped for TimeCliff Bleszinski's New Game Not a Jazz Jackrabbit Reboot, It's a New IPAU New Releases: Ratchet & Clank Trilogy Launches For the PlayStation VitaWarframe Dev Set to Be Acquired by MMO Company Perfect World and a Chicken Meat SupplierMicrosoft Store Lists Kinect for Windows v2 for $200, July 15 Release DateClassic Arcade Game Q*bert Reboot Headed to SteamEA Announces Battlefield 4's Dragon's Teeth DLC Release Date, Then Pulls TweetProject Cars Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal With Bandai NamcoWatch Dogs Opens Strong in Japan, Sells More Than 94,000 CopiesOculus Rift Sales Suspended in China Due to "Extreme Reseller Purchases"Mighty No. 9 Launches Another Crowdfunding Campaign, Announces Animated Series
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 07 Jul 2014 08:43:44 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-announces-developer-focused-conference-acqu/1100-6420944/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587749" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587749"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587749-oculusconnect.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Oculus VR, the Facebook-owned maker of the upcoming virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, today announced that it will hold its own developer-focused conference. The inaugural Oculus Connect conference will take place September 19-20 at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood, California.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect aims to bring together engineers, designers, and creative types from around the world to talk about how they can create the top-notch virtual reality experiences. "With virtual reality's momentum at an all-time high, this is a unique moment for the developer community to come together to take the virtual reality to the next level," Oculus <a href="http://www.oculusvr.com/blog/announcing-oculus-connect-raknet-open-source-and-e3-2014-awards/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">wrote in a blog post</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">If you want to attend Oculus Connect, you can access and submit an attendee application at the<a href="http://www.oculusvr.com/connect/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> conference's website</a> starting on July 10. Attendance confirmations will be distributed the following week. Oculus has even reserved a block of hotel rooms for conference attendees with a special $199 room rate.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect will feature sessions and workshops led by Oculus engineers and other "industry pioneers." Developers who attend the event will also have a chance to receive feedback from the Oculus team. The event will also include keynote speeches from Oculus executives like Brendan Iribe (CEO), Palmer Luckey (creator), John Carmack (CTO), and Michael Abrash ("chief scientist").</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus Connect is technically open to the public, but Oculus warns people that it's a developer-focused event. Attendance is described as "limited." If you can't attend, the keynote addresses will be live-streamed. A full session list will be published as the event draws closer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR also announced today that it has acquired <a href="http://www.jenkinssoftware.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">RakNet</a>, a C++ game networking engine used for the production of numerous titles, including <a href="/lego-universe/" data-ref-id="false">Lego Universe</a>. Some of its key features are object replication, remote procedure calls, patching, secure connections, voice chat, and real-time SQL logging.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:49:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-announces-developer-focused-conference-acqu/1100-6420944/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everquest-h1z1-dev-trademarks-the-darkened-sea-and/1100-6420943/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587728" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587728"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587728-soe.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a> and <a href="/h1z1/" data-ref-id="false">H1Z1</a> developer Sony Online Entertainment may be working on a pair of new role-playing games, if new trademark applications are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On July 2, SOE filed a pair of trademark applications with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) for "<a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326802&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Darkened Sea</a>" and "<a href="http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=86326794&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Altar of Malice</a>." Both are described as downloadable RPGs and are registered to SOE's office in San Diego, California.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Darkened Sea and Altar of Malice appear to be unannounced games or expansions to previously released titles. We have reached out to SOE for comment and will update this story with anything we hear back.</p><p style="">In addition to continued support for<a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false"> Planetside 2</a> and other back catalog games, SOE's upcoming software lineup includes games like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next </a>and <a href="/h1z1/" data-ref-id="false">H1Z1</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 07:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/everquest-h1z1-dev-trademarks-the-darkened-sea-and/1100-6420943/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-takes-full-advantage/1100-6420942/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2555150" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2555150"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2555150-cod+aw_induction_rush.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Because developer Sledgehammer Games is focusing exclusively on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of this November's <a href="/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</a>, it means the studio was able to take "full advantage" of the power of those systems. That's according to Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey, who says that this "singular" focus, along with the fact that the game was developed over a period of three years, means that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare should be a top-notch title.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We really have to thank Activision, not just for the extra year, but for the singular focus," Condrey told <a href="http://www.totalxbox.com/79005/well-never-mislead-you-about-call-of-dutys-graphics-on-xbox-one-says-sledgehammer/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Official Xbox Magazine</a>. "Three years to get to next gen. The current gen game--and there's more news to come about that--never got in the way of our ambitions, it never stopped us from being super-creative about taking full advantage of the next-gen hardware."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare are in development at <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-xbox-360-ps3-made-by-transformers-dev/1100-6420138/" data-ref-id="1100-6420138">Transformers and Deadpool outfit High Moon Studios</a>. Because Sledgehammer Games didn't have to develop all five versions simultaneously, "It decoupled us from worrying about having to do a split-platform year, like titles had to last year," Condrey said. "So that was really refreshing, and gave us some freedom to really go after this one."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the first game in the blockbuster series developed over the period of three years as part of the franchise's new<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/2014-s-call-of-duty-described-as-the-best-ever-created/1100-6417578/" data-ref-id="1100-6417578"> three-year, three-studio cycle</a>. This is in the best interest of the franchise, Activision says, because it gives creators more time to execute on their visions.</p><p style="">We'll find out if the increased investment paid off when Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/tons-of-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-details-emerge/1100-6419415/" data-ref-id="1100-6419415">November 4 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS4, and PC. To date, there has been no mention of a version of the game for Nintendo platforms.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-advanced-warfare-takes-full-advantage/1100-6420942/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-says-virtual-reality-can-be-next-frontier/1100-6420941/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587632" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587632"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587632-morpheus.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony has high hopes for the future of virtual reality in games. In a new interview, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House said the company has made a "significant" investment in PlayStation 4 virtual reality headset Project Morpheus, and suggested that virtual reality overall could the be the "next frontier" for games.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's definitely more than an experiment," House told <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/02/sony-project-morpheus-virtual-reality-headset" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">The Guardian</a> about Project Morpheus. "We've made some commitments; we're putting significant investment into the product."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">One of the reasons House is so enthusiastic about the future of virtual reality for games is because he says the technology will mature to such a point where when you're wearing a virtual reality headset, you truly feel transported to another world.</p><blockquote data-align="left"><p dir="ltr" style="">"We do now think that we can get to this point of delivering a magical sense of presence--where your brain tricks you into thinking you're actually in this place" -- Andrew House on virtual reality</p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="">"We do now think that we can get to this point of delivering a magical sense of presence--where your brain tricks you into thinking you're actually in this place," House said. "We think there's something there that could be really, really interesting for a next frontier of game development."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Virtual reality has proven popular with the hardcore gaming crowd, but some--including <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-is-anti-social-grand-theft-auto-parent-company-ceo-says/1100-6419981/" data-ref-id="1100-6419981">the CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive</a>--have questioned the technology's mainstream appeal. Asked if Project Morpheus had mass market potential, House said he wasn't sure.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I don't know, but I think that at the very least it's going to be another really interesting advance for the PS4 ecosystem and another way to deliver brand new experiences," he said. "That's what we're all about."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For virtual reality to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-virtual-reality-will-spread-like-wildfire/1100-6420623/" data-ref-id="1100-6420623">thrive in the way that some have suggested that it will</a>, there also needs to be strong support from developers. House said after he saw game creators latch on to the Oculus Rift headset, he was convinced that Sony could do the same with Project Morpheus.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With Oculus we saw this groundswell of game development that didn't necessarily have a monetizable or a business option, but [developers were] so passionate about this space that they were doing this essentially in their spare time," House said. "It struck that me that if there's a variety of game developers showing interest in this space then it's probably time to jump in and see if we can play a part and give them the tools they're looking for."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR's own games boss, industry veteran Jason Rubin, says it will probably be <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-s-killer-app-won-t-come-for-several-years-dev-says/1100-6420782/" data-ref-id="1100-6420782">a few years</a> until we see virtual reality's killer app.</p><p style="">Though both Sony and Oculus are optimistic about the future for virtual reality, its impact on gaming remains to be seen. Both Project Morpheus and Oculus Rift are still in-development products, and there is no word yet on when either headset will be available publicly or what they will cost when released.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:18:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-says-virtual-reality-can-be-next-frontier/1100-6420941/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pes-2015-dev-defends-microtransactions-says-theyre/1100-6420940/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585710" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static2.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2585710"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1197/11970954/2585710-pes2015_konamistadium_shot_1_1404378154.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">When Konami announced last week that <a href="/pro-evolution-soccer-2015/" data-ref-id="false">Pro Evolution Soccer 2015 </a>would <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904">feature microtransactions</a>, some fans didn't take the news so well. Now, a Konami studio head has spoken out to explain and defend the way in which users can spend real-world money for virtual items in the professional soccer game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In PES 2015, you can use Game Points, the in-game virtual currency, to recruit new players to your myClub roster. But you'll also be able to spend real-world money for the same thing. Konami studio head James Cox explained that letting people spend real money is merely an optional alternative, and one that he thinks is beneficial for people who are pressed for time.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"If you don't have a lot of time, then with microtransactions you can go buy a lot of players that you want," Cox told <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/07/pes-2015-microtransactions-detailed?abthid=53ba787b7fcc579671000004" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">IGN</a>. "But you also can earn Game Points in the mode and other parts of PES as well. We're trying to link things together so you can progress and build your team [normally]. The idea is that we're trying to just give the players the choice of what they want to do. Some people have more time, some people have more money. Some people have a bit of each! Either way, you'll have the choice."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Cox also explained that when players do elect to spend real-world money on PES 2015, they will know exactly what they're getting for their money. "The general principle is that you will be able to buy the players you want," he said. "The exact final mechanic is all still being tuned, but yes--if you want to buy Ronaldo, one way or another, you will be able to do that. And you will be happy with what you spend your money on."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The full details on how this will work are still being finalized. More details are expected to be divulged about PES 2015's myClub mode in August at Gamescom.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microtransactions in full-priced games are nothing new. Major franchises like <a href="/call-of-duty-ghosts/" data-ref-id="false">Call of Duty</a>, <a href="/battlefield-4/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefield</a>, <a href="/forza-horizon-2/" data-ref-id="false">Forza</a>, and<a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false"> Grand Theft Auto</a> all have them. In the case of <a href="/gran-turismo-6/" data-ref-id="false">Gran Turismo 6</a>'s microtransactions, Sony took a similar line to Konami, saying microtransactions are a way in which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-boss-defends-microtransactions/1100-6416554/" data-ref-id="1100-6416554">busy people </a>can catch up with their friends who might have more time to play.</p><p style="">PES 2015 launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904">this fall</a> for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/not-to-be-outdone-by-fifa-konami-boasts-about-pes-/1100-6420904/" data-ref-id="1100-6420904"> presumably Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 05:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/pes-2015-dev-defends-microtransactions-says-theyre/1100-6420940/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-not-a-jazz-jackrabbit-r/1100-6420939/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587503" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587503"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2587503-jazz.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">The upcoming game from veteran <a href="/gears-of-war/" data-ref-id="false">Gears of War </a>developer Cliff Bleszinski and his studio <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gears-of-war-creator-cliff-bleszinskis-new-studio-/1100-6420919/" data-ref-id="1100-6420919">BossKey Productions</a> is not going to be a new entry in Bleszinski's 1990s side-scroller <a href="/jazz-jackrabbit/" data-ref-id="false">Jazz Jackrabbit</a> series. Asked by a fan on Twitter if it would be, Bleszinski <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485921599845957632" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>, "Dude, [Epic Games] owns that. Wish people understood that."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Instead, Bleszinski said BossKey is working on something entirely new. "I'm making a whole new thing," he<a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485922300164730881" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> said</a> in another tweet. Bleszinski said previously that he wants to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinski-wants-to-redefine-his-legacy/1100-6401537/" data-ref-id="1100-6401537">redefine his legacy</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="http://bosskey.com/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">landing page for BossKey's recently launched website</a> includes a link to a Twitter page for something called "Bluestreak." This could be the name, or at least the working title, for Bleszinski's upcoming game. We're likely to find out lots more details about Bleszinski's new game and studio tomorrow, July 8, at around 12 noon EDT. That's when the <a href="http://itsalmo.st/#time_biuoe" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">countdown clock</a> Bleszinski launched last week will strike zero.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some other details about Bleszinski's new project gleaned from Twitter posts.</p><ul><li dir="ltr">Bleszinski will give <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/486017682005700612" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">more details </a>about BossKey on actor Aisha Tyler's podcast at Comic-Con</li><li dir="ltr">Asked what engine BossKey is using to make its new game, Bleszinski said "<a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485999495054782465" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">TBD</a>."</li><li dir="ltr">He joked (?) about hiring <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485915227620253696" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">controversial Fez designer Phil Fish</a> as BossKey's community manager.</li><li dir="ltr">BossKey <a href="https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/485492369517592576" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">is hiring</a>.</li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="">Bleszinski <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinski-out-at-epic-games/1100-6397630/" data-ref-id="1100-6397630">quit Epic Games in October 2012 </a>after more than two decades with the company.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Mon, 07 Jul 2014 04:54:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cliff-bleszinskis-new-game-not-a-jazz-jackrabbit-r/1100-6420939/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-ratchet-clank-trilogy-launches-for/1100-6420938/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587414" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587414"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/280/2802776/2587414-rctrilogy.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">The <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank Trilogy</a> blasts its way onto the PlayStation Vita this week. The game is a collection which includes<a href="/ratchet-and-clank/" data-ref-id="false"> Ratchet & Clank</a>, <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-going-commando/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked & Loaded</a>, and <a href="/ratchet-and-clank-up-your-arsenal/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal</a>.</p><p style="">The three games were originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002, 2003, and 2004 respectively. The first Ratchet & Clank game was very well received in<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-review/1900-2896475/" data-ref-id="1900-2896475"> GameSpot's review</a>, praised for its well-balanced gameplay and story. Its sequel <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-going-commando-review/1900-6081895/" data-ref-id="1900-6081895">garnered a similar reception,</a> and introduced RPG elements into the series. The third game, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, brought a multiplayer mode to the series that was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/ratchet-and-clank-up-your-arsenal-review/1900-6112331/" data-ref-id="1900-6112331">positively received</a>.</p><p style="">For those a little more sports-inclined, <a href="/wii-sports-club/" data-ref-id="false">Wii Sports Club</a> launches for the Wii U this week. The game is a HD remake of Wii Sports, and was initially launched exclusively on the Nintendo eShop in separated instalments late last year. Wii Sports Club includes tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing.</p><p style="">For more details on games out this week, check out the full list below.</p><p style=""> </p><p style=""><b>July 9, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/ratchet-and-clank-collection/" data-ref-id="false">Ratchet & Clank Trilogy</a> (Vita)</p><p style=""><b>July 10, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/tour-de-france-2014/" data-ref-id="false">Tour de France 2014</a> (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4)</p><p style=""><b>July 12, 2014</b></p><p style=""><a href="/wii-sports-club/" data-ref-id="false">Wii Sports Club </a>(Wii U)</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/ztharli" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @ztharli</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:33:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/au-new-releases-ratchet-clank-trilogy-launches-for/1100-6420938/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warframe-dev-set-to-be-acquired-by-mmo-company-per/1100-6420936/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587325" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587325"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587325-8166997411-23770.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Warframe developer Digital Extremes is set to be acquired by massively multiplayer online games company Perfect World and Sumpo, a chicken meat products supplier.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to a <a href="http://www.sumpofood.com/UploadFile/201463016302032745.pdf" rel="nofollow">document from Sumpo</a>, the companies entered a "non-binding term sheet" on June 30, 2014, and are now "conducting due diligence investigations over the affairs of Digital Extremes." Basically, Sumpo and Perfect World are finalizing the deal and Digital Extremes agreed not to solicit other offers in the meantime.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Some Warframe players are already objecting to the acquisition, fearing that Perfect World's involvement will have a negative impact on how the game is monetized. Users on the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/29tewj/sending_a_signal_to_both_de_and_pwe_dont_play_on/" rel="nofollow">/r/Warframe subreddit</a> are trying to organize a temporary boycott of the game, and at the time of writing<a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/save-warframe" rel="nofollow"> a Change.org petition</a> had already gathered 4,700 signatures urging Digital Extremes not to sell to Perfect World.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"You may have read something about the business development side of Digital Extremes and it may have you concerned," Digital Extremes Video Game Director<a href="https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/256374-re-warframe-shares-late-response-is-late/" rel="nofollow"> Steve Sinclair said on the game's forums</a>. "For legal reasons, we can't disclose specifics but if you know the history of Warframe you'd know that we are intent on having Warframe's design remain in the hands of Digital Extremes. Yes, opportunities will arise for us but the game itself is and will remain a labor of love."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Currently free-to-play on PC and PlayStation 4, Warframe is set to launch on Xbox One later this year.</p><p style="">For more on Warframe, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/warframe/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 15:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/warframe-dev-set-to-be-acquired-by-mmo-company-per/1100-6420936/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-store-lists-kinect-for-windows-v2-for-20/1100-6420935/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587319" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587319"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587319-5513328760-en-IN.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Kinect-for-Windows-v2-Sensor/productID.298810500" rel="nofollow">The Microsoft Store</a> is accepting pre-orders of Kinect for Windows v2 sensors for $200, and is listing a July 15 release date.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">That's the same day as Microsoft's upcoming <a href="http://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/liveevents/programming-the-kinect-for-windows-jump-start" rel="nofollow">virtual training event</a>, which aims to show developers how Kinect v2 enables speech, gesture, and human understanding in applications and experiences.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Microsoft has previously said the device will launch before summer 2014.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor gives developers more of the precision, responsiveness, and intuitive capabilities they need to develop interactive voice and gesture-based applications for the Windows desktop and Windows Store," reads the product's overview on the site.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The Xbox One without Kinect unit which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/399-xbox-one-without-kinect-launching-in-june/1100-6419601/">Microsoft announced in May</a> costs $399, $100 less than the $499 standard Xbox One with Kinect. It's interesting to note that Kinect for Windows' price is twice as much as the difference between the two, but it's also not aimed at the average consumer.</p><p style="">The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor doesn't ship with any software, and is intended for use with the separately licensed Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0, which developers can use to build applications.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""> </p> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 14:56:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-store-lists-kinect-for-windows-v2-for-20/1100-6420935/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/classic-arcade-game-q-bert-reboot-headed-to-steam/1100-6420934/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587279" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587279"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587279-qq.png"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">A piece of video game history is going to be easier to revisit when Q*bert, the classic arcade game, will release on Steam July 8.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of the game will include Q*bert Classic and Q*bert Rebooted. Q*bert Classic will look like the original, pixelated game, only optimized for mouse and gamepad controls, while Q*bert Rebooted will use 3D graphics and feature new levels, enemies, and playable characters.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">First published in 1982 by Gottlieb, an arcade game and pinball company, Q*bert is an isometric puzzle platformer in which you're asked to change every cube in a pyramid to the same color by jumping on them with the titular character.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"With renewed interest in Q*bert, in part due to the cameo in the recent Wreck It Ralph animated feature film, we are delighted to re-introduce the game and characters to current fans as well as a new generation of gamers who are experiencing Q*bert for the first time," Vice President, Consumer Products, Worldwide Marketing & Distribution at Sony Pictures Entertainment Mark Caplan said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The game is being co-developed by Gonzo Games and Sideline Amusements, a subsidiary of social and mobile game developer Galaxy Pest Control, in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which owns the rights for Q*bert.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Q*bert will cost $5 on PC, with tablet and mobile versions to follow.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 13:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/classic-arcade-game-q-bert-reboot-headed-to-steam/1100-6420934/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-announces-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-re/1100-6420933/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587271" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png" data-ref-id="1300-2587271"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587271-bf4.png"></a><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Electronic Arts may have let slip Battlefield 4's Dragon's Teeth DLC release date by mistake. The publisher's official <a href="https://twitter.com/OriginInsider" rel="nofollow">Origin Twitter account</a> promoted a 20 percent discount on Battlefield 4 Premium and said that Dragon's Teeth will release on July 15. It then quickly removed the tweet and reposted it without the specific date.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Since Premium members get Battlefield 4 DLC two weeks before regular players, if the original tweet is correct that means Dragon's Teeth will launch for everyone on July 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Dragon's Teeth will add four new maps set in Asian cities: Lumphini Garden, Pearl Market, Propaganda, and Sunken Dragon, and five new weapons, though at the moment we can't confirm that these are the same five weapons that were <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-battlefield-4-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-details-leaked/1100-6419560/">leaked back in May</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The remotely-operated armored ground vehicle, R.A.W.R, and the ballistic shield that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/first-image-of-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-revealed-what-do-you-think/1100-6419624/">EA previously teased</a>, are also included in the Dragon's Teeth DLC. There will also be 10 new assignments with unlocks for each, and a new game mode, Chain Link, where you win the battle by linking capture points together.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can find more details about each of the maps on <a href="http://www.battlefield.com/au/battlefield-4/expansion-packs/dragons-teeth" rel="nofollow">Battlefield's official site</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">EA previously said that the Dragon's Teeth DLC is set to launch this summer. For more on Battlefield 4, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-4/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><p style="">EA and Visceral Games are currently working on the next installment in the Battlefield series, the cops and robbers-themed <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/battlefield-hardline/">Battlefield Hardline</a>. It is set to release on <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/PS3/">PlayStation 3</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps4/">PlayStation 4</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox-360/">Xbox 360</a>, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox-one/">Xbox One</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/">PC</a> on October 21.</p><p style=""><em>(Image credit: <a href="http://mp1st.com/2014/07/03/battlefield-4-premium-now-20-origin-get-5-expansions-40/#.U7mUMfldV8H" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">MP1st</a>)</em></p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 11:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-announces-battlefield-4-s-dragon-s-teeth-dlc-re/1100-6420933/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-cars-signs-worldwide-distribution-deal-wit/1100-6420932/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6419377" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6419377/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Bandai Namco Games Europe S.A.S. has announced it will distribute Slightly Mad Studios' racing game Project Cars globally.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Slightly Mad Studios, which previously worked on racing games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/need-for-speed-shift/">Need for Speed: Shift</a>, and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/world-of-speed/">World of Speed</a>, describes Project Cars as "the most authentic, beautiful, intense, and technically-advanced racing game on the planet."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">It is due to launch this November for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Steam OS, and Wii U, but didn't have a distribution deal in place until now.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are tremendously happy to be collaborating with Slightly Mad Studios on this promising title, in which community expectations are fusing with racers' expertise to craft the next generation of simulation!" Bandai Namco Games Europe's VP Third Parties Alberto González Lorca said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Project Cars, which started as a crowdfunded project on Slightly Mad Studios' World of Mass Development platform, will support the Oculus Rift as well as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/one-of-the-first-vr-games-coming-to-ps4-s-project-morpheus-will-be-a-racer/1100-6418558/">Sony's virtual reality headset for PS4, Project Morpheus</a>.</p><p style="">For more on Project Cars, check out <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/project-cars/">GameSpot's previous coverage</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 10:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-cars-signs-worldwide-distribution-deal-wit/1100-6420932/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-opens-strong-in-japan-sells-more-than-9/1100-6420931/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587198" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587198"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1535/15354745/2587198-6292336466-25598.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">When <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/watch-dogs/">Watch Dogs</a> became <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-is-most-preordered-next-gen-game-in-gamestop-s-history/1100-6419836/">the most pre-ordered game in GameStop's history</a>, it was clear it would perform well for Ubisoft in the United States, but it's also enjoying some success in Japan.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to the Media Create sales charts (via <a href="http://gematsu.com/2014/07/media-create-sales-62314-62914" rel="nofollow">Gematsu</a>), Watch Dogs sold 94,623 copies in Japan in its first week since launch. 63,595 of those copies were of the PlayStation 4 version, which was the second best selling game in Japan that week. The PlayStation 3 version came in at the No. 6 spot with 31,028 copies sold.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As you can see, the rest of the chart is dominated by Japanese games:</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><strong>Software Sales</strong> (followed by lifetime sales)</p><ol><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PSV] Freedom Wars (SCEJ, 06/26/14) – 188,888 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS4] Watch Dogs (Ubisoft, 06/26/14) – 63,595 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Kamen Rider: Battride War II (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 62,649 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Taiko Drum Master: Don and Katsu's Space-Time Great Adventure (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 53,095 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PSV] Girls und Panzer: Master the Tankery (Bandai Namco, 06/26/14) – 31,526 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Watch Dogs (Ubisoft, 06/26/14) – 31,028 (New)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Yokai Watch (Level-5, 07/11/13) – 29,590 (1,147,202)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[Wii U] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo, 05/29/14) – 23,520 (492,837)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[3DS] Pokemon Art Academy (Nintendo, 06/19/14) – 15,373 (46,454)</p></li><li dir="ltr"><p dir="ltr" style="">[PS3] Pro Evolution Soccer 2014: Aoki Samurai no Chousen (Konami, 05/22/14) – 13,026 (136,893)</p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="">Watch Dogs has also done extremely well in the United States. According to the last report from the NPD, it was the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/top-10-game-sales-according-to-npd-may-2014-watch-dogs-on-top/1100-6420523/">best selling game in retail for the month of May 2014</a>. In early June, Ubisoft confirmed it already sold 4 million copies since it launched on May 27, making it the "<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-sells-4-million-copies-in-first-week-needs-2-million-more-to-match-assassin-s-creed-s-lifetime-tally/1100-6420059/">best-selling new IP at launch across the video game industry</a>." Ubisoft expects it will sell <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-to-sell-around-6-million-units/1100-6411643/">more than 6 million units</a> throughout its lifetime.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Watch Dogs is out on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. While <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-has-power-to-become-longstanding-brand/1100-6419680/">there has been talk of a sequel</a>, if it ever happens it won't take nearly as long to develop, Ubisoft <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/">said in April</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-opens-strong-in-japan-sells-more-than-9/1100-6420931/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-sales-suspended-in-china-due-to-extrem/1100-6420930/ <figure data-align="right" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587140" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2587140"><img src="http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/1535/15354745/2587140-3162988873-25239.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Oculus VR has suspended sales of its Oculus Rift virtual reality headset developer kits in China because many customers bought them for the sole purpose of reselling them at a higher price.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">An Oculus representative explained the situation on <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/29pyl3/preorder_has_been_cancelled_in_china/" rel="nofollow">the /r/Oculus subreddit</a>, where a Chinese customer complained that his order of and Oculus Rift DK2 was canceled without reason.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Yes, it is a bummer that we've had to suspend sales in China due to extreme reseller purchases," the Oculus representative said. "We need to make sure that we are doing what we can to make sure that resellers that are looking to flip our product for a profit are not taking stock away from legitimate developer purchases globally. Our product, in its current form, is a developer kit, meant for developers that develop VR content."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He added that Oculus is looking into alternative ways to make sure that its development kits are getting into legitimate developer hands in China, and that if you're just an enthusiast eager to try the device, you should wait for the consumer version. He also said that Oculus doesn't have a timeline for when it will be able to solve the problem, but that it had made it a top priority.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When asked how common the practice of buying an Oculus Rift just to resell it was in China, the Oculus representative simply said: "We were forced to suspend an entire country from purchasing. I'll let you put 2 and 2 together."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 07:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/oculus-rift-sales-suspended-in-china-due-to-extrem/1100-6420930/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-launches-another-crowdfunding-campaign/1100-6420929/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-6u8_G_J7I" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fh-6u8_G_J7I%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dh-6u8_G_J7I&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fh-6u8_G_J7I%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Comcept founder and former Mega Man producer Keiji Inafune has announced another crowdfunding campaign for <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/mighty-no-9/">Might No. 9</a>, the action platformer <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mega-man-creators-mighty-no-9-coming-to-consoles/1100-6414555/">successfully Kickstrarted</a> last year with $3,845,170.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Inafune and a post to Comcept's website explains that the additional funding will be used for additional, bonus content and features, not the main game. The first and only stretch goal listed on Comcept's website is full English voice acting, which the developer will add if it raises $100,000.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We formed this plan as a result of all of the slacker backers that contacted us after the Kickstarter campaign looking to contribute," Comcept said on <a href="http://mightyno9.com/en/140706" rel="nofollow">the game's website</a>. "But let's make this crystal clear: this <strong>new funding campaign</strong> is for <strong>bonus content</strong> in the Mighty No. 9 video game... <strong>Any new funding will NOT go towards existing content in the current state of the game, but bonus content to be implemented into the title</strong>."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You can fund the project by pre-ordering the "Funding" tier copies of the game via PayPal on <a href="http://mightyno9.com/en/support" rel="nofollow">its website</a>. $50 will get you the final game and some "digital rewards" like a retro manual, art book, and more, and $80 will get you Steam Early Access as well. You can also just pre-order the game now for as low as $23 without contributing to the new crowdfunding effort.</p><p style="">Unrelated to the new funding campaign, Comcept also announced at the 2014 Anime Expo in Los Angeles yesterday that it's partnering with Japanese animation company Digital Frontier to produce the <em>Mighty No. 9: The Animated TV Series</em>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmY3jd0z8ho" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FUmY3jd0z8ho%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DUmY3jd0z8ho&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FUmY3jd0z8ho%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Much like the game, the series will focus on protagonist Beck, a transforming robot made to fight in a combat robot league as part of the "mighty numbers." Comcept said the target audience for the show are kids 6-11, but that it hopes older fans will enjoy it as well.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Digital Frontier has worked on movies based on games like <em>Resident Evil: Damnatio</em>n, as well as motion capture for games like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/">Metal Gear Rising: Revengence</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">None of the money Comcept is raising will be used for the animated series.</p><p style="">"I want to give all of you more and more of the project that is Mighty No. 9," Inafune said. "In order to do that, I'd like to ask for more of your strength to borrow your power to make more and more fantastic content. Needless to say this includes work on the game itself; we want to expand outside the game medium in a way that connects back to the game itself, ultimately enhancing all of the content."</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Emanuel Maiberg is a freelance writer. You can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/emanuelmaiberg" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @emanuelmaiberg</a> and <a href="https://plus.google.com/116710591398405257934/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Google+</a>.<br /></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></p><p style=""> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> Sun, 06 Jul 2014 07:21:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-launches-another-crowdfunding-campaign/1100-6420929/
Joel and Ellie are unlikely companions thrown together by circumstance. 
Left Behind is just wonderful. 
