Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 25 Agustus 2014 | 23.07
Halo producers Bonnie Ross, Kiki Wolfkill, Dan Ayoub, and Josh Holmes have taken the Ice Bucket Challenge, getting buckets of ice water dumped on their heads as part of a campaign to raise awareness and money for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Watch the video above to see someone dressed as Master Chief dump water on their heads.
Video game industry people nominated to take the challenge next include Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes (who has already completed the challenge), Bungie COO Pete Parsons, Forza studio Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenawalt, and Cortana voice actor Jen Taylor.
Make sure you watch the video through to the end for a special surprise. The next new Halo game is November's Halo: The Master Chief Collection, an Xbox One bundle that includes remastered versions of Halo 1-4, as well as beta access to 2015's Halo 5: Guardians.
Industry people who have completed the Ice Bucket Challenge (click through to watch videos):
Industry people nominated, but have not yet completed the Ice Bucket Challenge:
You can donate money to the ALS Association at the group's website.
Madden NFL 15, EA Sports' latest entry into its American Football series, launches this week for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
The game will include the Madden Ultimate Team mode, which allows players to pick their team, collect their favorite current and past NFL players, and upgrade their squad to create their fantasy team. Players can purchase packs containing new players, coaches, playbooks, stadiums, and more with coins that are earned by competing with others online or by completing single player challenges. The game will also feature a new approach to defensive play.
Earlier this month, EA launched a bizarre advertisement for the game starring Kevin Hart and Dave Franco. Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman will feature on the cover of the game, although we aren't quite sure what he's doing on it. For more details on the games out this week, check out the full list below.
Will you be picking up any new games this week? Let us know in the comments.
A flight carrying Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley has been grounded because of a bomb threat, and it appears that the same group behind the current PlayStation Network outage is responsible.
Earlier today, Smedley tweeted (via Polygon) that he was flying American Airlines Flight 362 from Dallas, Texas to San Diego, California. The Twitter account belonging to the group who took responsibility for the denial-of-service attack on the PlayStation Network and other gaming services then tweeted at American Airlines, saying they've been receiving reports that there are "explosives on-board the flight."
Smedley later confirmed that his flight was being diverted to Phoenix, Arizona. "Flight diverted to Phoenix for security reasons," he said. "Something about the security and our cargo. Sitting on Tarmack." According to American Airlines' flight tracker, flight 362, now set to depart from Phoenix to San Diego, is delayed.
Earlier today, Sony confirmed that it was in fact the victim of a DDoS attack. "Like other major networks around the world, the PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network have been impacted by an attempt to overwhelm our network with artificially high traffic," Sony said in a statement. "Although this has impacted your ability to access our network and enjoy our services, no personal information has been accessed."
Microsoft researchers have released a report that presents DeLorean, a cloud gaming solution that hides latency by trying to predict what you'll do next.
According to the report (via TechCrunch) DeLorean's "speculative execution system," as Microsoft calls it, is able to mask up to 250ms of network latency by rendering frames of future possible outcomes and sending them ahead of time. Essentially, based on your historical tendencies and recent behavior, DeLorean tries to predict your actions, render them, and send them to your device in advance to improve your perception that the game is more responsive. For actions that are harder to predict, DeLorean queues up multiple possible outcomes and displays only the correct one.
This, the researchers say, produces an experience that is more responsive than current solutions, where even 100ms can feel laggy.
Microsoft tested DeLorean with two games: Doom 3 and Fable 3. "Through user studies and performance benchmarks, we find that players overwhelmingly prefer DeLorean to traditional thin-client gaming," they said, adding that "DeLorean successfully mimics playing across a low-latency network."
However, while Microsoft says that they're able to reduce the added bandwidth of having to transmit possible outcome frames with better video compression, DeLorean still requires almost five times as much bandwidth than standard cloud gaming systems. So it's not ready for public consumption, but it is an interesting, possible solution to the latency problem.
Sony's cloud gaming solution, PlayStation Now (which is based on Gaikai's technology), is currently in beta.
The PlayStation Network and Sony Entertainment Network are back online after hackers slammed the online services with distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks yesterday.
Sony writes on the PlayStation Blog that it purposely brought the networks down after the attacks. The company adds that there is no evidence that the hackers actually got into the networks or accessed users' personal information.
As a result of the attack, Sony said the PSN and SEN will not undergo their previously scheduled periods, which were supposed to happen today, August 25. "We will provide an update shortly for when the maintenance will be rescheduled," Sony said.
"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this issue," Sony added. "Thanks for your patience and support."
The hackers did not only target the PSN and SEN, it appears. The same group that targeted the online networks also claimed responsibility for the bomb threat that made American Airlines ground and divert a flight yesterday carrying Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley. The FBI is currently investigating the case.
Smedley wrote on Twitter, "Yes. My plane was diverted. Not going to discuss more than that. Justice will find these guys."
We will continue to monitor this story as it develops.
The Sons of Anarchy video game currently in development will be released for tablet devices, not consoles, says Kurt Sutter, creator of the FX biker drama. This is a departure from a previous trajectory for the game. In May 2012, Sutter said he scrapped plans for a browser-based Sons of Anarchy game in favor of a "real" title for consoles. At the time, he said making the game for consoles would "take a while, but it's the right way to go." This statement, however, was made before issues began to emerge with the game.
On Friday during his TwinGalaxies YouTube show, "Kurt Sutter's Intercourse," Sutter said the currently untitled Sons of Anarchy game will be a "very high-end tablet game." He says he's seen a demo of the game in action and it is shaping up to be "really f***ing awesome." This is the second time Sutter has described the upcoming game as "f***ing awesome."
The Sons of Anarchy game should be released in October or sometime this fall. He adds that he might reveal more information about the game, like its working title and maybe some screenshots, during this Friday's episode of Kurt Sutter's Intercourse.
As for why he couldn't share more details about the game right away, Sutter says, "I don't have a lot of specifics because we have pieces of the game that have to sort of fall together in terms of the launch of it."
Presumably, the Sons of Anarchy game will tie into the show's story in some way. It's also unclear which studio is handling development on the game, which must be wrapping up, as fall 2014 is quickly closing in.
Regarding his own personal interests in video games, Sutter says, "I'm a big gamer. I'm sort of old-school, mostly PC."
Sutter's attempts to make a Sons of Anarchy game have been well-documented. The game was thought to be "dead" in November 2012, but Sutter revealed in February that the game was back on, and would be a first-person action adventure title. He also teased at the time that this game will represent the "evolution of gaming."
He previously reached out to Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption studio Rockstar Games to see if the company was interested in making the Sons of Anarchy game. It's unclear if any discussion between Sutter and Rockstar ever happened.
The seventh and final season of Sons of Anarchy debuts on September 9 at 10 p.m. on FX. The show focuses on a close-knit group of bikers with violent tendencies. It is set in the fictional town of Charming, California, and stars Charlie Hunnam (Green Street Hooligans, Pacific Rim) as the show's protagonist Jackson "Jax" Teller.
What are you looking for from the upcoming Sons of Anarchy game? Let us know in the comments below!
The story for Ubisoft's upcoming action game Assassin's Creed Unity will be "complex" and "emotional," according to Dan Jeannotte, who plays protagonist Arno Dorian. He says it was the nature of the game's story (as well as Arno being a "badass") that drew him to the project in the first place.
"When I read the script, I was really impressed with the dedication to telling that kind of emotional story; to the commitment of the writer and Ubisoft in general to tell this kind of complex, emotional story," Jeannotte says in a Ubisoft video interview. "It's not simple. It's not black and white."
Regarding the nature of his work for Assassin's Creed Unity, Jeannotte says it was "such a treat" to be able to wear a motion capture suit as a means to "really embody the character physically." This helped him deliver his lines better because he could "really feel who [Arno] was."
Assassin's Creed Unity takes place in Paris during the French Revolution. We also know that the game will tell something of a love story between Arno, an Assassin, and a Templar woman named Elise. The game launches October 28 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Another entry in the series, Assassin's Creed Rogue--which lets you play as a Templar--comes to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 two weeks later on November 11.
When Bungie's shared-world shooter Destiny launches on September 9, players will not be able to trade items with other players, the developer has confirmed. "Nope," Bungie writes on its website. "We want you to earn 'em. You should be able to tell a badass story for every sweet jewel in your arsenal."
"Once you earn them, the various Guardians under your account will be able to trade them," the studio explained further. "But weapons belong to the players who acquire them through action and bravery."
In April, Bungie lead player investment designer Tyon Green told IGN that a player-to-player economy could come to Destiny sometime down the road if the community calls for it, and if the studio can overcome the "security situation for both our systems and all platforms."
The introduction of a real-money auction house-type system in Destiny could be potentially lucrative for publisher Activision, which would presumably get a cut of all sales. However, Blizzard Entertainment struggled with the real-money auction house for Diablo III and removed the system earlier this year.
Destiny launches next month for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. The game has gone gold, meaning it is now "finished"--though Bungie has much more in store for the game beyond its initial release. The game's first expansion, The Dark Below, launches in December. For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 18 Agustus 2014 | 23.06
Gamespot's Site MashupMicrosoft Says Tomb Raider Xbox Exclusivity Is A Win/Win, Not An Attack On PlayStation PlayersShadow of Mordor DLC Pass Announced, But No Word On PricingFans Call for Robin Williams Tribute In Wii U Zelda Game, Nintendo RespondsTrent Reznor Gets a VR Demo, Then Hits The Stage With Nine Inch NailsStar Citizen Reaches An Astonishing $51 Million In FundingSacred 3 Designer Says "Marketing Department Of Deep Silver" Responsible For The Game's Change In DirectionWorld of Warcraft Subscription Costs Increasing This November For UK RegionMinecraft's Notch Now Okay With Facebook Buying Oculus, John Carmack Offers HelpPS4 Will Get a New Shooter From Creator of Critically Acclaimed Shoot 'em Up IkarugaThe Last of Us Meets Diablo III on the PS4Hate Xbox Dashboard Ads? The Man Responsible Says He's SorryMinecraft's Notch Takes Ice Bucket Challenge, Nominates Xbox's Phil Spencer, Activision's Bobby Kotick NextMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Gets PS4-Exclusive MissionsPS4's Project Morpheus VR Device Gets Sequel to First-Person Puzzle Game QUBEDiablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition and CounterSpy - New Releases
rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/mashup/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:19:32 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-says-tomb-raider-xbox-exclusivity-is-a-w/1100-6421784/
Microsoft's business deal with Square Enix to make Rise of the Tomb Raider "exclusive" to Xbox 360 and Xbox One for holiday 2015 is not an attack on PlayStation or any other platforms, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says. In a new interview with Eurogamer, Spencer said he understands some of the blowback to the controversial deal--which sees Rise of the Tomb Raider released exclusively on Xbox platforms before other systems--but said it is a "win/win" situation overall.
"It really was nothing against any other platform," Spencer said. "It's just looking at our portfolio next holiday and saying, this is a great game for us, and we can go really big with it. If we look back on the franchise and this release, it can raise the elevation of what it means in gaming. I'll be happy to be part of that."
"This wasn't an attack against anybody else," he added. It was an opportunity that came up for us that fit really well."
Spencer also made it clear that Microsoft's deal for Rise of the Tomb Raider is only for that game; decisions about exclusivity for potential future installments have not been made.
"I knew there would be some push back when we came out," he said. "Certain people won't believe this: it doesn't come from an evil space. It comes from a space where there's an opportunity that maps really well with what we need in terms of the genre, and a partner that's looking for a partnership. Other people can do the deal, but it was a deal that fit well with us. And I think it could help the franchise in the long run and help Crystal and Square and us."
"But for us and this opportunity, I think it was a good opportunity for us to partner on this game," Spencer added. "And I think it can be a win/win."
Eurogamer also asked Spencer if Microsoft's decision to sign Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed-exclusive had anything to do with having an "answer" to Sony's Uncharted series. Spencer said he definitely sees the comparisons between Tomb Raider and Uncharted, and said picking up Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed-exclusive is a way to better compete against Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, which also launches in 2015.
"I'm a big fan of Uncharted and I wish we had an action adventure game of that ilk," Spencer said. "We've started some, and we've looked at them. But we don't have one today of that quality. This [deal with Square Enix for Rise of the Tomb Raider] is an opportunity."
Spencer went on to say that the AAA space is a tough market today, and deals of this magnitude are one way to cut through the noise and make your game stand out.
"The games business today is an expensive business to be in. If you're going to build shows like [Gamescom], and IP, and marketing budgets, in certain instances a partnership is a good way for a publisher to find a way to get to the level they think they need to break out," he said. "Just look at this year and the October lineup. It's crazy. If you're one of the people who wants to make noise around the game you have, there are opportunities out there to partner with platform holders, with sponsorships and other things to make it big. This was one of those opportunities for Crystal and Square, and I think it can help take Tomb Raider and make it even bigger. We want it to be big, given what we have coming to the Xbox in the way it is."
Spencer added that big games like Rise of the Tomb Raider are "good for the [video game] industry," adding that if these types of games grow even larger, the industry stands to benefit. "This business, the console gaming business, only stays healthy if people are all making money. It's a hits-driven business, so 30 percent of the things will go great, and 70 percent of the things won't."
In the wake of Microsoft's Tomb Raider Xbox exclusivity deal, PlayStation EU executive Jim Ryan said in a media interview that Sony doesn't need to buy exclusives.
What is your take on Microsoft making Rise of the Tomb Raider an Xbox-exclusive, even if it's only a timed-exclusive? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421784Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shadow-of-mordor-dlc-pass-announced-but-no-word-on/1100-6421783/
Warner Bros. today announced that upcoming role-playing game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will have a DLC pass, but didn't answer all the questions gamers will probably have about it.
The DLC Pass includes the exclusive Guardians of the Flaming Eye mission (and you can earn the Rising Flame rune by completing it), and early access to the "Trials of War" challenge series. Warner Bros. says your skills will be put to the test as you square off against Sauron's forces in these challenge modes, which also let you post scores to a leaderboard to compete with friends.
Also included with the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass are new story missions that promise "hours" of gameplay. One is called Lord of the Hunt (you'll hunt wild beasts in Mordor), while the other is called The Bright Lord. In this mission, you will play as Celebrimbor (the forger of the Rings of Power) as you battle against Sauron and his forces.
In addition, the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass includes "access to future content." This will include rune, skins, and "additional future add-on content."
Warner Bros. did not announce pricing details for the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass or any of the content included with it if you want to buy expansions individually. Historically, these types of passes are offered from $20-$50 and represent a savings over buying the content separately.
It is also unclear when the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass content will be available. We have followed up with Warner Bros., asking for more clarity about pricing and release information.
Shadow of Mordor is set in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world of Middle-earth. It takes place after The Hobbit and before The Lord of the Rings, and offers an original story. You play as Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything else he cares about. He is brought back from death by a mysterious spirit and can move through the world as a ranger/wraith hybrid. Shadow of Mordor also includes an ambitious Nemesis system that promises unique enemies, but this feature is scaled back for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
Set to launch September 30, Shadow of Mordor is coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
]]> 1100-6421783Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fans-call-for-robin-williams-tribute-in-wii-u-zeld/1100-6421782/
Nintendo has responded to a fan petition that calls on the company to name a character in the next Legend of Zelda game for Wii U after the late comedian/actor Robin Williams. The petition, posted at Change.org, was launched immediately following news of the actor's death last week and calls for a non-player character to be named "Robin." It has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
In a statement to Polygon, a Nintendo spokesperson offered support for Williams--who enjoyed the Zelda series and even named his daughter Zelda after the fictional princess--but would not commit one way or the other regarding a tribute. "Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo," the Nintendo spokesperson said. "Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we've worked with multiple times."
Zelda and Robin Williams appeared in marketing campaigns for various Legend of Zelda games throughout the years.
"We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game," the Nintendo spokesperson added. "We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we will hold our memories of Robin close."
The creator of the petition, Nick Schaedel, says: "He won't get to play it, but he'll live on forever in a universe he always loved." The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, an open-world game, launches sometime in 2015.
Last week, Blizzard Entertainment announced that it will create a World of Warcraft NPC based on Williams, who enjoyed the MMO. Blizzard's announcement came after fans launched a petition asking for such a character.
Williams was found dead in his California home last Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 63.
]]> 1100-6421782Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trent-reznor-gets-a-vr-demo-then-hits-the-stage-wi/1100-6421781/ Before Trent Reznor took to the stage in Dallas last night for a Nine Inch Nails show, the acclaimed musician got demo of the Oculus Rift virtual reality technology.
Oculus VR CTO John Carmack wrote on Twitter, "Gave Trent Reznor a demo of some new VR teach before the NIN show tonight. He totally gets it."
Carmack's tweet was flooded with positive responses from fans; some even wondered if NIN fans might get to see a show in VR some day. Carmack didn't say more about what he showed Reznor, and Reznor has not tweeted or made any public statements about the demo.
Reznor and Carmack have a history together, as Reznor wrote music for Quake and the pair have appeared in numerous pictures alongside one another. Reznor also wrote the theme song for 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops II, developed by Treyarch.
Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross won an Academy Award for the soundtrack to 2010 Facebook origin story The Social Network.
Oculus Rift remains an in-development product, and the consumer version is not yet available publicly. Social networking behemoth Facebook purchased Oculus VR in March for $2 billion.
]]> 1100-6421781Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-reaches-an-astonishing-51-million-in-/1100-6421780/
The crowdfunding campaign for Star Citizen, the upcoming PC space simulator from Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, has reached $51 million in funding. This is up from $49 million recorded just two weeks ago. At press time funding stands at $51,096,609 from 525,341 backers.
The new funding milestone was recorded over the weekend following the release of new ships for sale that go for as much as $350. You can see the new rigs at Star Citizen's website.
Just recently, Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released trailers for the game's first-person shooter, racing, and planetary exploration modules. The FPS module is being developed by a different, unnamed studio. We may learn more about it at PAX Australia this fall.
For more on Star Citizen and Roberts himself, check out part one and part two of GameSpot's interview with the legendary designer.
]]> 1100-6421780Mon, 18 Aug 2014 04:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sacred-3-designer-says-marketing-department-of-dee/1100-6421779/
A designer who worked on action-RPG Sacred 3 has stated that sequel's divergence from the deeper gameplay of previous titles in the series was pushed by the marketing department of publisher Deep Silver.
Posting on the Steam Community page for Sacred 3, former Keen Games junior game designer Sascha Wagentrotz said, "The marketing department of Deep Silver was the only one with enough power to change the direction of the franchise."
Wagentrotz publicly apologized to fans of the Sacred series, saying he was sorry that they "didn't get the game they wanted to have." He also posted a Steam key for Sacred 3 as an apologetic gesture to fans who were disappointed by the game. According to Wagentrotz, the story and "chatter writing" in the game was outsourced, and player actions were limited to accommodate couch cooperative at the behest of the "most influential stakeholder of the game."
Sacred 3 was released last month for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 to lukewarm reception. The game was praised for colorful visuals and challenging boss fights, but received criticism in GameSpot's review for its bland and repetitive level design.
]]> 1100-6421779Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-of-warcraft-subscription-costs-increasing-th/1100-6421778/
The cost of subscribing to Blizzard's MMORPG World of Warcraft will rise for the UK region when the Warlords of Draenor expansion launches on November 13.
The announcement was made on the World of Warcraft forums for the Europe region by Blizzard community manager Taepsilum. According to the post, the recommended retail pricing of the subscription periods will be increased to £9.99 for 30 days, £28.17 for 90 days, and £52.14 for 180 days. The 60-day prepaid time card will have a RRP of £20.99.
At present, subscription pricing stands at £8.99 for 30 days, £25.17 for 90 days, and £46.14 for 180 days. This marks increases of up to £6 when the changes hit in November.
However, Blizzard also announced that World of Warcraft subscribers who are currently on a recurring subscription will be able to retain their current subscription price for two years, as long as the subscription is not interrupted. This will extend to players who sign up for the auto-renewing subscriptions before the Warlords of Draenor expansion is released. Taepsilum also stated that Blizzard will be reminding players of the price increase two months before the changes will occur.
What do you think, is Blizzard encouraging players to sign up for the recurring subscription? Let us know in the comments below.
]]> 1100-6421778Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecrafts-notch-now-okay-with-facebook-buying-ocu/1100-6421777/
Creator of Minecraft Markus "Notch" Persson said on Twitter that he's no longer angry that Facebook acquired Oculus VR. Oculus' Chief Technical Officer John Carmack responded, offering to help port the game to the Rift.
"And about now I'm officially over being upset about Facebook buying Oculus," Persson tweeted on Friday. "I'm upset about there being a hole in my favorite sock instead."
Today, Carmack replied to Persson's tweet while mentioning Oculus' Chief Executive Officer Brendan Iribe as well. "Say the word, ship the source, and I'll make sure it runs well on you-know-what…" he said.
When asked if this means Minecraft will get Rift support, Persson said it's up to the Minecraft development team.
Does this mean we're sure to see an official, Oculus Rift version Minecraft soon? Far from it. Persson could just be joking, and while Carmack's willingness to help is encouraging, it could still take a long time before Oculus and Mojang works out the details and releases anything.
That being said, it's certainly an improvement over Persson's statements in March. Shortly after Facebook announced that it will acquire Oculus VR for $2 billion, Persson announced that he cancelled a deal to bring a version of Minecraft to Oculus Rift because Facebooks creeps him out. He later explained that "Facebook is not a company of grass-roots tech enthusiasts," and that it only cared about building its user numbers.
For more on Minecraft, check out GameSpot's previous coverage, or just watch Persson take the Ice Bucket Challenge again.
]]> 1100-6421777Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-will-get-a-new-shooter-from-creator-of-critica/1100-6421776/
Japanese game developer Hiroshi Iuchi, who created critically acclaimed shoot 'em ups like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun, announced that he's currently working on a new shooting game at developer M2 for the PlayStation 4.
Iuchi, who revealed the news on his official blog (via Siliconera), didn't say much about the game other than its name, Ubusuna, and that it's being developed for the PS4 as a downloadable title. However, Iuchi didn't rule out the possibility that Ubusuna will release on other platforms as well. Iuchi said that he usually doesn't like to talk about a game this far in advance, but that M2 told him that fans of the genre would wait patiently even if they make an early announcement.
If you've never played one of Iuchi's games before, publisher Treasure recently released Ikaruga on PC via Steam for $10. You can find GameSpot's full review of the game here.
]]> 1100-6421776Sun, 17 Aug 2014 15:22:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-last-of-us-meets-diablo-iii-on-the-ps4/2300-6420882/ 2300-6420882Sun, 17 Aug 2014 15:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hate-xbox-dashboard-ads-the-man-responsible-says-h/1100-6421775/
Allen Murray, the Microsoft employee who largely created the technology that allows for ads on Xbox's dashboard, says he's sorry.
As Murray explains in a post to his personal blog, the idea originated with good intentions. In 2004, Murray's first job in the games industry was Program Manager on the Xbox team, where he worked on the web services layer of Xbox Live. At some point, it occurred to Murray that many users won't discover games that were hidden just several clicks down the user interface.
"I went to Larry ['Major Nelson' Hyrb'] and showed him the problem: there was no way to promote content inside the Xbox 360 itself," Murray said. "He supported me and saw the value in how he could use it as a tool to promote not only the games that were available, but also events and special community messages."
Murray said he then went to his boss (whom he doesn't name) and suggested they display "banner ads" on the dashboard that link directly to the download pages of games. His boss was very skeptical of the idea, saying that gamers will hate ads.
"It was very hard for me to convince people that this sort of advertising was good," Murray said. "In hindsight, I think it was my choice of language, using terms like 'advertising' and 'banner ads' that conveyed a tone of corporate soullessness. This was games! We were supposed to be cool and f**k the man and all that s**t."
Ultimately, with Hyrb's support, the Xbox Live Arcade team moved forward with designing the Banner Of The Day system they would use to schedule ads. Murray said it's built with a proprietary tool very similar to Flash, and had a very basic scheduling system that allowed them to set up ads weeks in advance.
"Nowadays the Xbox One UI is nearly all 'ads', i.e., links promoting content and apps in the Xbox ecosystem," he said. "So it's nice to see that the idea caught on and if you hate the Mt. Dew ads, I am truly sorry."
]]> 1100-6421775Sun, 17 Aug 2014 14:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecrafts-notch-takes-ice-bucket-challenge-nomina/1100-6421774/
Creator of Minecraft Markus "Notch" Persson has taken the Ice Bucket Challenge, dumping a bucket of ice water on his head to raise awareness and donate money toward research to find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
After taking the challenge, the soaked participant usually challenges other people to do the same. Persson was challenged by Tesla Motors and SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Elon Musk, who himself was challenged by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. Persson, in turn, challenged Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, Microsoft's Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, and Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, who's currently developing a new PC shooter codenamed Project Blue Streak.
Other notable people who've taken the Ice Bucket Challenge include Conan O'Brien, Bill Gates, Weird Al Yankovic, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
To find out more about the Ice Bucket Challenge and how to donate to the fight against ALS, check out the ALS Association website.
]]> 1100-6421774Sun, 17 Aug 2014 12:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-gets-ps4-exclusive-m/1100-6421773/
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the upcoming open-world game set in the Lord of The Rings universe, will have missions exclusive to those who preorder the game for the PlayStation 4.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog from developer Monolith Productions' Community Manager Andy Salisbury, preordering the game for PS4 will get you the PlayStation Legion Edition missions. The exclusive missions will have you battling two more Warbands in Mordor: the Blood Hunters and the Flesh Burners.
The Blood Hunters, he said, are master assassins who travel in packs, and defeating them will earn you the Stinging Blade Rune. The Flesh Burners are a band of elite archers, and defeating them will earn you the Black Arrow Rune.
The missions included in the PlayStation Legion Edition are on top of The Dark Ranger preorder bonus you get no matter what platform you preorder the game for. It includes the Dark Ranger character skin and the Test of Power Challenge Mode. Both are different from the retailer-specific preorder bonuses.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is coming to North America on September 30 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, with a release on PC coming worldwide two days later, on October 2.
For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest preview.
]]> 1100-6421773Sun, 17 Aug 2014 11:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4s-project-morpheus-vr-device-gets-sequel-to-fir/1100-6421772/
Q.U.B.E. ², the sequel to the first-person puzzle game Q.U.B.E, is coming to the PlayStation 4 and will support the console's Project Morpheus VR device, developer Toxic Games announced via the PlayStation Blog.
Toxic Managing Director Dan Da Rocha said that now that the team is wrapping up development on the Director's Cut of the original game, which will release on PS3 and PS4 by the end of the year, it is shifting focus to Q.U.B.E. ².
He added that the sequel is going to refine the core mechanics of the original with new puzzles and a "tightly woven narrative" that will expand on the Q.U.B.E. universe. The game is being developed on Unreal Engine 4 and will support Project Morpheus. "We've already taken the hardware for a spin and it's shaping up to be something fantastic so we can't wait to get our hands (or gloves?) on a kit to begin developing for it!" he said.
Q.U.B.E., if you haven't played it, is very much like Valve's Portal in that it's a first-person puzzle game divided into a series of chambers. Rather than a portal gun, your character is equipped with a special glove that's able to manipulate colored cubes in the environments with different physical properties. You can find GameSpot's full review of the game here.
Toxic Games didn't say when and for what other platforms it plans to release Q.U.B.E. ². The original game, already out for PC and Mac, is set to launch on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, and iOS later this year.
]]> 1100-6421772Sun, 17 Aug 2014 10:22:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-ultimate-evil-edition-a/2300-6420824/ 2300-6420824Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:00:00 -0700
Gamespot's Site MashupMicrosoft Says Tomb Raider Xbox Exclusivity Is A Win/Win, Not An Attack On PlayStation PlayersShadow of Mordor DLC Pass Announced, But No Word On PricingFans Call for Robin Williams Tribute In Wii U Zelda Game, Nintendo RespondsTrent Reznor Gets a VR Demo, Then Hits The Stage With Nine Inch NailsStar Citizen Reaches An Astonishing $51 Million In FundingSacred 3 Designer Says "Marketing Department Of Deep Silver" Responsible For The Game's Change In DirectionWorld of Warcraft Subscription Costs Increasing This November For UK RegionMinecraft's Notch Now Okay With Facebook Buying Oculus, John Carmack Offers HelpPS4 Will Get a New Shooter From Creator of Critically Acclaimed Shoot 'em Up IkarugaThe Last of Us Meets Diablo III on the PS4Hate Xbox Dashboard Ads? The Man Responsible Says He's SorryMinecraft's Notch Takes Ice Bucket Challenge, Nominates Xbox's Phil Spencer, Activision's Bobby Kotick NextMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Gets PS4-Exclusive MissionsPS4's Project Morpheus VR Device Gets Sequel to First-Person Puzzle Game QUBEDiablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition and CounterSpy - New Releases
rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/mashup/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 18 Aug 2014 08:19:32 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-says-tomb-raider-xbox-exclusivity-is-a-w/1100-6421784/
Microsoft's business deal with Square Enix to make Rise of the Tomb Raider "exclusive" to Xbox 360 and Xbox One for holiday 2015 is not an attack on PlayStation or any other platforms, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says. In a new interview with Eurogamer, Spencer said he understands some of the blowback to the controversial deal--which sees Rise of the Tomb Raider released exclusively on Xbox platforms before other systems--but said it is a "win/win" situation overall.
"It really was nothing against any other platform," Spencer said. "It's just looking at our portfolio next holiday and saying, this is a great game for us, and we can go really big with it. If we look back on the franchise and this release, it can raise the elevation of what it means in gaming. I'll be happy to be part of that."
"This wasn't an attack against anybody else," he added. It was an opportunity that came up for us that fit really well."
Spencer also made it clear that Microsoft's deal for Rise of the Tomb Raider is only for that game; decisions about exclusivity for potential future installments have not been made.
"I knew there would be some push back when we came out," he said. "Certain people won't believe this: it doesn't come from an evil space. It comes from a space where there's an opportunity that maps really well with what we need in terms of the genre, and a partner that's looking for a partnership. Other people can do the deal, but it was a deal that fit well with us. And I think it could help the franchise in the long run and help Crystal and Square and us."
"But for us and this opportunity, I think it was a good opportunity for us to partner on this game," Spencer added. "And I think it can be a win/win."
Eurogamer also asked Spencer if Microsoft's decision to sign Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed-exclusive had anything to do with having an "answer" to Sony's Uncharted series. Spencer said he definitely sees the comparisons between Tomb Raider and Uncharted, and said picking up Rise of the Tomb Raider as a timed-exclusive is a way to better compete against Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, which also launches in 2015.
"I'm a big fan of Uncharted and I wish we had an action adventure game of that ilk," Spencer said. "We've started some, and we've looked at them. But we don't have one today of that quality. This [deal with Square Enix for Rise of the Tomb Raider] is an opportunity."
Spencer went on to say that the AAA space is a tough market today, and deals of this magnitude are one way to cut through the noise and make your game stand out.
"The games business today is an expensive business to be in. If you're going to build shows like [Gamescom], and IP, and marketing budgets, in certain instances a partnership is a good way for a publisher to find a way to get to the level they think they need to break out," he said. "Just look at this year and the October lineup. It's crazy. If you're one of the people who wants to make noise around the game you have, there are opportunities out there to partner with platform holders, with sponsorships and other things to make it big. This was one of those opportunities for Crystal and Square, and I think it can help take Tomb Raider and make it even bigger. We want it to be big, given what we have coming to the Xbox in the way it is."
Spencer added that big games like Rise of the Tomb Raider are "good for the [video game] industry," adding that if these types of games grow even larger, the industry stands to benefit. "This business, the console gaming business, only stays healthy if people are all making money. It's a hits-driven business, so 30 percent of the things will go great, and 70 percent of the things won't."
In the wake of Microsoft's Tomb Raider Xbox exclusivity deal, PlayStation EU executive Jim Ryan said in a media interview that Sony doesn't need to buy exclusives.
What is your take on Microsoft making Rise of the Tomb Raider an Xbox-exclusive, even if it's only a timed-exclusive? Let us know in the comments below!
]]> 1100-6421784Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/shadow-of-mordor-dlc-pass-announced-but-no-word-on/1100-6421783/
Warner Bros. today announced that upcoming role-playing game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor will have a DLC pass, but didn't answer all the questions gamers will probably have about it.
The DLC Pass includes the exclusive Guardians of the Flaming Eye mission (and you can earn the Rising Flame rune by completing it), and early access to the "Trials of War" challenge series. Warner Bros. says your skills will be put to the test as you square off against Sauron's forces in these challenge modes, which also let you post scores to a leaderboard to compete with friends.
Also included with the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass are new story missions that promise "hours" of gameplay. One is called Lord of the Hunt (you'll hunt wild beasts in Mordor), while the other is called The Bright Lord. In this mission, you will play as Celebrimbor (the forger of the Rings of Power) as you battle against Sauron and his forces.
In addition, the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass includes "access to future content." This will include rune, skins, and "additional future add-on content."
Warner Bros. did not announce pricing details for the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass or any of the content included with it if you want to buy expansions individually. Historically, these types of passes are offered from $20-$50 and represent a savings over buying the content separately.
It is also unclear when the Shadow of Mordor DLC pass content will be available. We have followed up with Warner Bros., asking for more clarity about pricing and release information.
Shadow of Mordor is set in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world of Middle-earth. It takes place after The Hobbit and before The Lord of the Rings, and offers an original story. You play as Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything else he cares about. He is brought back from death by a mysterious spirit and can move through the world as a ranger/wraith hybrid. Shadow of Mordor also includes an ambitious Nemesis system that promises unique enemies, but this feature is scaled back for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.
Set to launch September 30, Shadow of Mordor is coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and PC. For more, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
]]> 1100-6421783Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:41:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fans-call-for-robin-williams-tribute-in-wii-u-zeld/1100-6421782/
Nintendo has responded to a fan petition that calls on the company to name a character in the next Legend of Zelda game for Wii U after the late comedian/actor Robin Williams. The petition, posted at Change.org, was launched immediately following news of the actor's death last week and calls for a non-player character to be named "Robin." It has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
In a statement to Polygon, a Nintendo spokesperson offered support for Williams--who enjoyed the Zelda series and even named his daughter Zelda after the fictional princess--but would not commit one way or the other regarding a tribute. "Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo," the Nintendo spokesperson said. "Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we've worked with multiple times."
Zelda and Robin Williams appeared in marketing campaigns for various Legend of Zelda games throughout the years.
"We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game," the Nintendo spokesperson added. "We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we will hold our memories of Robin close."
The creator of the petition, Nick Schaedel, says: "He won't get to play it, but he'll live on forever in a universe he always loved." The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, an open-world game, launches sometime in 2015.
Last week, Blizzard Entertainment announced that it will create a World of Warcraft NPC based on Williams, who enjoyed the MMO. Blizzard's announcement came after fans launched a petition asking for such a character.
Williams was found dead in his California home last Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 63.
]]> 1100-6421782Mon, 18 Aug 2014 06:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/trent-reznor-gets-a-vr-demo-then-hits-the-stage-wi/1100-6421781/ Before Trent Reznor took to the stage in Dallas last night for a Nine Inch Nails show, the acclaimed musician got demo of the Oculus Rift virtual reality technology.
Oculus VR CTO John Carmack wrote on Twitter, "Gave Trent Reznor a demo of some new VR teach before the NIN show tonight. He totally gets it."
Carmack's tweet was flooded with positive responses from fans; some even wondered if NIN fans might get to see a show in VR some day. Carmack didn't say more about what he showed Reznor, and Reznor has not tweeted or made any public statements about the demo.
Reznor and Carmack have a history together, as Reznor wrote music for Quake and the pair have appeared in numerous pictures alongside one another. Reznor also wrote the theme song for 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops II, developed by Treyarch.
Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross won an Academy Award for the soundtrack to 2010 Facebook origin story The Social Network.
Oculus Rift remains an in-development product, and the consumer version is not yet available publicly. Social networking behemoth Facebook purchased Oculus VR in March for $2 billion.
]]> 1100-6421781Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-reaches-an-astonishing-51-million-in-/1100-6421780/
The crowdfunding campaign for Star Citizen, the upcoming PC space simulator from Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts, has reached $51 million in funding. This is up from $49 million recorded just two weeks ago. At press time funding stands at $51,096,609 from 525,341 backers.
The new funding milestone was recorded over the weekend following the release of new ships for sale that go for as much as $350. You can see the new rigs at Star Citizen's website.
Just recently, Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games released trailers for the game's first-person shooter, racing, and planetary exploration modules. The FPS module is being developed by a different, unnamed studio. We may learn more about it at PAX Australia this fall.
For more on Star Citizen and Roberts himself, check out part one and part two of GameSpot's interview with the legendary designer.
]]> 1100-6421780Mon, 18 Aug 2014 04:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sacred-3-designer-says-marketing-department-of-dee/1100-6421779/
A designer who worked on action-RPG Sacred 3 has stated that sequel's divergence from the deeper gameplay of previous titles in the series was pushed by the marketing department of publisher Deep Silver.
Posting on the Steam Community page for Sacred 3, former Keen Games junior game designer Sascha Wagentrotz said, "The marketing department of Deep Silver was the only one with enough power to change the direction of the franchise."
Wagentrotz publicly apologized to fans of the Sacred series, saying he was sorry that they "didn't get the game they wanted to have." He also posted a Steam key for Sacred 3 as an apologetic gesture to fans who were disappointed by the game. According to Wagentrotz, the story and "chatter writing" in the game was outsourced, and player actions were limited to accommodate couch cooperative at the behest of the "most influential stakeholder of the game."
Sacred 3 was released last month for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 to lukewarm reception. The game was praised for colorful visuals and challenging boss fights, but received criticism in GameSpot's review for its bland and repetitive level design.
]]> 1100-6421779Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:07:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/world-of-warcraft-subscription-costs-increasing-th/1100-6421778/
The cost of subscribing to Blizzard's MMORPG World of Warcraft will rise for the UK region when the Warlords of Draenor expansion launches on November 13.
The announcement was made on the World of Warcraft forums for the Europe region by Blizzard community manager Taepsilum. According to the post, the recommended retail pricing of the subscription periods will be increased to £9.99 for 30 days, £28.17 for 90 days, and £52.14 for 180 days. The 60-day prepaid time card will have a RRP of £20.99.
At present, subscription pricing stands at £8.99 for 30 days, £25.17 for 90 days, and £46.14 for 180 days. This marks increases of up to £6 when the changes hit in November.
However, Blizzard also announced that World of Warcraft subscribers who are currently on a recurring subscription will be able to retain their current subscription price for two years, as long as the subscription is not interrupted. This will extend to players who sign up for the auto-renewing subscriptions before the Warlords of Draenor expansion is released. Taepsilum also stated that Blizzard will be reminding players of the price increase two months before the changes will occur.
What do you think, is Blizzard encouraging players to sign up for the recurring subscription? Let us know in the comments below.
]]> 1100-6421778Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecrafts-notch-now-okay-with-facebook-buying-ocu/1100-6421777/
Creator of Minecraft Markus "Notch" Persson said on Twitter that he's no longer angry that Facebook acquired Oculus VR. Oculus' Chief Technical Officer John Carmack responded, offering to help port the game to the Rift.
"And about now I'm officially over being upset about Facebook buying Oculus," Persson tweeted on Friday. "I'm upset about there being a hole in my favorite sock instead."
Today, Carmack replied to Persson's tweet while mentioning Oculus' Chief Executive Officer Brendan Iribe as well. "Say the word, ship the source, and I'll make sure it runs well on you-know-what…" he said.
When asked if this means Minecraft will get Rift support, Persson said it's up to the Minecraft development team.
Does this mean we're sure to see an official, Oculus Rift version Minecraft soon? Far from it. Persson could just be joking, and while Carmack's willingness to help is encouraging, it could still take a long time before Oculus and Mojang works out the details and releases anything.
That being said, it's certainly an improvement over Persson's statements in March. Shortly after Facebook announced that it will acquire Oculus VR for $2 billion, Persson announced that he cancelled a deal to bring a version of Minecraft to Oculus Rift because Facebooks creeps him out. He later explained that "Facebook is not a company of grass-roots tech enthusiasts," and that it only cared about building its user numbers.
For more on Minecraft, check out GameSpot's previous coverage, or just watch Persson take the Ice Bucket Challenge again.
]]> 1100-6421777Sun, 17 Aug 2014 17:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-will-get-a-new-shooter-from-creator-of-critica/1100-6421776/
Japanese game developer Hiroshi Iuchi, who created critically acclaimed shoot 'em ups like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun, announced that he's currently working on a new shooting game at developer M2 for the PlayStation 4.
Iuchi, who revealed the news on his official blog (via Siliconera), didn't say much about the game other than its name, Ubusuna, and that it's being developed for the PS4 as a downloadable title. However, Iuchi didn't rule out the possibility that Ubusuna will release on other platforms as well. Iuchi said that he usually doesn't like to talk about a game this far in advance, but that M2 told him that fans of the genre would wait patiently even if they make an early announcement.
If you've never played one of Iuchi's games before, publisher Treasure recently released Ikaruga on PC via Steam for $10. You can find GameSpot's full review of the game here.
]]> 1100-6421776Sun, 17 Aug 2014 15:22:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-last-of-us-meets-diablo-iii-on-the-ps4/2300-6420882/ 2300-6420882Sun, 17 Aug 2014 15:08:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/hate-xbox-dashboard-ads-the-man-responsible-says-h/1100-6421775/
Allen Murray, the Microsoft employee who largely created the technology that allows for ads on Xbox's dashboard, says he's sorry.
As Murray explains in a post to his personal blog, the idea originated with good intentions. In 2004, Murray's first job in the games industry was Program Manager on the Xbox team, where he worked on the web services layer of Xbox Live. At some point, it occurred to Murray that many users won't discover games that were hidden just several clicks down the user interface.
"I went to Larry ['Major Nelson' Hyrb'] and showed him the problem: there was no way to promote content inside the Xbox 360 itself," Murray said. "He supported me and saw the value in how he could use it as a tool to promote not only the games that were available, but also events and special community messages."
Murray said he then went to his boss (whom he doesn't name) and suggested they display "banner ads" on the dashboard that link directly to the download pages of games. His boss was very skeptical of the idea, saying that gamers will hate ads.
"It was very hard for me to convince people that this sort of advertising was good," Murray said. "In hindsight, I think it was my choice of language, using terms like 'advertising' and 'banner ads' that conveyed a tone of corporate soullessness. This was games! We were supposed to be cool and f**k the man and all that s**t."
Ultimately, with Hyrb's support, the Xbox Live Arcade team moved forward with designing the Banner Of The Day system they would use to schedule ads. Murray said it's built with a proprietary tool very similar to Flash, and had a very basic scheduling system that allowed them to set up ads weeks in advance.
"Nowadays the Xbox One UI is nearly all 'ads', i.e., links promoting content and apps in the Xbox ecosystem," he said. "So it's nice to see that the idea caught on and if you hate the Mt. Dew ads, I am truly sorry."
]]> 1100-6421775Sun, 17 Aug 2014 14:13:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/minecrafts-notch-takes-ice-bucket-challenge-nomina/1100-6421774/
Creator of Minecraft Markus "Notch" Persson has taken the Ice Bucket Challenge, dumping a bucket of ice water on his head to raise awareness and donate money toward research to find a cure for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
After taking the challenge, the soaked participant usually challenges other people to do the same. Persson was challenged by Tesla Motors and SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Elon Musk, who himself was challenged by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. Persson, in turn, challenged Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, Microsoft's Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, and Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, who's currently developing a new PC shooter codenamed Project Blue Streak.
Other notable people who've taken the Ice Bucket Challenge include Conan O'Brien, Bill Gates, Weird Al Yankovic, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
To find out more about the Ice Bucket Challenge and how to donate to the fight against ALS, check out the ALS Association website.
]]> 1100-6421774Sun, 17 Aug 2014 12:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-gets-ps4-exclusive-m/1100-6421773/
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the upcoming open-world game set in the Lord of The Rings universe, will have missions exclusive to those who preorder the game for the PlayStation 4.
According to a post on the PlayStation Blog from developer Monolith Productions' Community Manager Andy Salisbury, preordering the game for PS4 will get you the PlayStation Legion Edition missions. The exclusive missions will have you battling two more Warbands in Mordor: the Blood Hunters and the Flesh Burners.
The Blood Hunters, he said, are master assassins who travel in packs, and defeating them will earn you the Stinging Blade Rune. The Flesh Burners are a band of elite archers, and defeating them will earn you the Black Arrow Rune.
The missions included in the PlayStation Legion Edition are on top of The Dark Ranger preorder bonus you get no matter what platform you preorder the game for. It includes the Dark Ranger character skin and the Test of Power Challenge Mode. Both are different from the retailer-specific preorder bonuses.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is coming to North America on September 30 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, with a release on PC coming worldwide two days later, on October 2.
For more on the game, check out GameSpot's latest preview.
]]> 1100-6421773Sun, 17 Aug 2014 11:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4s-project-morpheus-vr-device-gets-sequel-to-fir/1100-6421772/
Q.U.B.E. ², the sequel to the first-person puzzle game Q.U.B.E, is coming to the PlayStation 4 and will support the console's Project Morpheus VR device, developer Toxic Games announced via the PlayStation Blog.
Toxic Managing Director Dan Da Rocha said that now that the team is wrapping up development on the Director's Cut of the original game, which will release on PS3 and PS4 by the end of the year, it is shifting focus to Q.U.B.E. ².
He added that the sequel is going to refine the core mechanics of the original with new puzzles and a "tightly woven narrative" that will expand on the Q.U.B.E. universe. The game is being developed on Unreal Engine 4 and will support Project Morpheus. "We've already taken the hardware for a spin and it's shaping up to be something fantastic so we can't wait to get our hands (or gloves?) on a kit to begin developing for it!" he said.
Q.U.B.E., if you haven't played it, is very much like Valve's Portal in that it's a first-person puzzle game divided into a series of chambers. Rather than a portal gun, your character is equipped with a special glove that's able to manipulate colored cubes in the environments with different physical properties. You can find GameSpot's full review of the game here.
Toxic Games didn't say when and for what other platforms it plans to release Q.U.B.E. ². The original game, already out for PC and Mac, is set to launch on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Wii U, and iOS later this year.
]]> 1100-6421772Sun, 17 Aug 2014 10:22:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/diablo-iii-reaper-of-souls-ultimate-evil-edition-a/2300-6420824/ 2300-6420824Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:00:00 -0700
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 11 Agustus 2014 | 23.07
The storyline for Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed game The Last of Us is getting an overhaul for its big screen treatment.
Speaking in an interview with MCV UK, the film's writer Neil Druckmann, who was also writer and creative director on The Last of Us, explained that "some parts [of the film] will be similar to the game and some parts will be quite different."
"In two hours you can't tell the same kind of story that you can in a game like The Last of Us, which is 15 hours. I'm in the middle of it now, and it's been super difficult because there's so much that happens in The Last of Us – even just in the cinematics – that can't fit in a film, let alone all the gameplay in-between and dialogue," he said.
However, Druckmann stated that the film will still retain the core relationship between Ellie and Joel, despite possiblyfacing other significant changes. "The first part of it was like: well, what is this story really about? It's clearly about Joel and Ellie. What are the most important beats that we can't lose? Start with those, and cut everything else out," he said.
At last month's Comic-Con, Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams was cited as a possible candidate to play the female lead in the film, although no castings have been confirmed. Spider-Man and The Evil Dead director Sam Raimi is signed on to produce the film.
Marianne Krawczyk, who won a BAFTA award for her character and story work on God of War II, thinks that the popularity of post-apocalyptic games is a reflection of our own troubled times.
"With climate change, revolutions starting every other day, YouTube beheadings, corporations being recognized as people, massive oil spills, etc, etc, etc., I think it's very easy to feel small and powerless," Krawczyk said in an interview posted to Gamasutra. "So one take on why the post-apocalyptic world is resonating with people is that it's a reflection of our own troubled times and, more to the point, the lack of control that we have over what is happening. It just seems like it's a matter of time before we are there in some way or another."
While that is certainly a grim interpretation, Krawczyk also said that there's an inherently optimistic aspect to these types of games, because at their core, post-apocalyptic worlds are about survival and the hope that there's an answer despite the sad state of affairs.
"When we take this very human condition and manifest it in a world where you get to play, shoot stuff and take back some of the control that we currently lack, it makes sense to me these games/stories resonate," she said.
In addition to writing for the God of War series, Krawczyk also worked on the Prince of Persia series, Far Cry, and Skylanders. She recently started teaching a course at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television's Professional Programs called "Interactivity: A Course in Video Game Design and Development."
Why do you think post-apocalyptic games are so popular? Let us know in the comments below.
Dark fantasy role-playing game Risen 3: Titan Lords launches in Australian retailers this week for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The game is developed by Piranha Bytes, creators of the iconic Gothic RPG series.
Risen 3: Titan Lords returns to the medieval setting that was explored in the first Risen. The game is the sequel to Risen 2: Dark Waters, and features a world which players can shape with the decisions they make. Bjoern Pankratz, project lead at Piranha Bytes described exploration as "key to [the] game."
For those who would prefer to trade fantasy for modern day war, World of Tanks will finally be making its way to retail for the Xbox 360. The game was released earlier this year via Xbox Live Arcade as World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition and is developed by a separate studio to that of the PC version, Wargaming West.
The game was well-received in GameSpot's review, praised for its balance of authenticity and accessibility, and its approach to rewarding players for strategic play.
For more details on games out this week, check out the list below.
Epiphany Games recently announced episodic role-playing game Majestic Nights, which draws it's subject matter from the conspiracy theories of the 1980's and treats them as reality. In it, players step into the role of male intelligence operative Cardholder and female private investigator Cal. The characters work to uncover clues surrounding various conspiracy theories and reveal the truth behind them. Epiphany Games CEO Morgan Lean shared five intriguing reasons to explore the game.
Travel Back To The Neon Glow Of The '80s
Despite being set in an alternate version of the '80s, Lean stated that knowledge of the era is not necessary to understand it, although familiarity with the subject matter would be beneficial.
"You don't need to know the '80s to get it, but it's definitely an advantage to know some of the pop culture of the era. We wanted to be able to contrast the bright, colorful and lively '80s with some of the darkest cover-ups and conspiracies of the last 50 years - there really was no other decade that could do it!" he said.
It's Like A Mash-Up Of The X-Files, Airwolf, And Indiana Jones
"The X-Files definitely was a huge influence along with Knight Rider, Airwolf, Miami Vice and Dark Skies. For movies we had Indiana Jones, Big Trouble in Little China and Back to the Future." Lean said.
Real-life conspiracy theories also had a significant influence on the game, with Lean citing inspirations from the moon landing hoax and Project MKUltra, a secret US government program investigating the possibilities of mind control, which launched in the 1950s. The project was eventually brought to light in the 1970s.
"I was investigating conspiracies and afterwards, I worked out that some were true, and I wondered 'How could we make a game that shows people the reality?'" he said.
It Could Come To Consoles
Epiphany Games is familiar with developing for the PC, Mac, and mobile platforms, with real-time strategy game Frozen Hearth having launched for PC in September last year. With a background in developing games for such platforms, releasing Majestic Nights for these made "the most sense."
Lean did not entirely rule out the possibility of a console launch though, having said that the developer "absolutely [wanted] Majestic Nights on consoles, and plan to do that as soon as we can. For launch, though, we're going with what we know and are good at."
Play As Both Male And Female Protagonists
When asked whether the decision to include both sexes stemmed from the recent Ubisoft controversy, Lean said the playable protagonists were "just the characters we wrote... as a small indie studio we have the creative freedom and flexibility to be able to make the characters we want to make,"
Speaking specifically about Ubisoft's recent comments about creating female characters in its games, Lean said, "people like to latch on to conflict… we wrote the character almost a year ago now, so none of the controversy from Ubisoft or anyone else really factored into the decision. Their all-male cast is their decision - doesn't matter to us. There is definitely an under-representation of women in games - that's totally true. I suppose because we have no publisher, we can just do what we like."
Its Episodes Could Be Standalone Stories
Speaking on the choice of releasing the game in episodes, Lean said the studio "wanted to be able to create sets of stories in advance that were quite diverse, and to be able to have a natural way to switch between players."
According to him, the desire to have multiple writers also suited the chosen format. "Each chapter will really feel different, and in the same way comic books can go in different directions based on which author is penning them. [Majestic Nights] has that same flexibility."
To take on the task of creating episodic content, Epiphany Games has two content teams who "leapfrog" the chapters to work on the game. According to Lean, Majestic Nights is targeted at gamers who sport a love of stories and the role-playing genre. If the idea of investigating conspiracy theories sounds appealing, the prologue for Majestic Nights is scheduled to launch in September this year as a free download. A total of six episodes are planned, with one released each subsequent month. The game will launch for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android tablets.
We learned a bit about the story of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare in the game's last trailer, and next Activision wants to talk about multiplayer.
You can watch the reveal event live today through the player above. According to the video's description, we'll see developer interviews, the new multiplayer trailer, and maybe we'll finally learn how the prominently displayed exosuits work.
Here are the times to tune in:
North America: 10am PDT/1pm EDT
United Kingdom: 6pm BST
France/Germany/Italy/Spain: 7pm CEST
Australia: 3am AEST (Tuesday, August 12)
New Zealand: 5am NZST (Tuesday, August 12)
We learned last month that the Pipeline map from Modern Warfare would make a return, but otherwise this will be our first in-depth look at multiplayer in the game. What do you want to see?
I'd like to see (since that was actually the question posed here) some big, spacious maps that aren't Titan dominated (tons of wall running/parkour possibilities). I'd also like a bright, different sort of atmosphere from the standard war-torn look of some of the current maps.
This game is still incredibly fun for me--honestly one of the best multiplayer experiences I have ever had. Yes there should have been a campaign, and it took me a while to get out of my standard FPS mentality, but once I did, the movement possibilities became incredibly fun and addicting. If you haven't made the switch to "bumper jumper" on XBOX you should--the jumping precision it gives you really lets you explore the maps as they were meant to be played. It is is a shame the PC version seems to have so many server/population issues. I really hope this game doesn't die when Halo/Cod/Destiny comes out because I will still need my fix! If it dies, I hope other games at least learn to mimic its gameplay fluidity and fun, fast parkour style.
WWE 2K15 will dip into wrestling's more recent history for its single-player mode, with rivalries between Shawn Michaels and Triple H from 2002-2004 and John Cena and CM Punk from 2011-2013 confirmed for the game's 2K Showcase mode.
2K Showcase will feature 33 matches from the two feuds, and like last year's well-received Road to Wrestlemania mode, will incorporate classic WWE footage, new WWE superstar commentary, and cinematic cut scenes in an attempt to create a "documentary" feel. Playing through the mode in WWE 2K15 will unlock new superstars, ring attire, and more.
WWE 2K15 executive producer Mark Little has confirmed that more rivalries will be released post game launch as DLC, but did not specify what feuds were being considered.
In an interview to promote the game, WWE superstar Shawn Michaels said the inclusion of his famous feud with The Game was "nothing short of pretty cool."
"It was such a feel good moment (his return to the WWE in 2002), and then Triple H turned on me like the rabid dog that he is. The thing that I always enjoyed about that rivalry was that it went for two years. That is hard to come by anymore. There as so much that happened in that two years," Michaels said.
"One of the things I always enjoy about the video games are the fantasy matches, the ones you never got to see but now can come to life. And the one I'm very excited about is Sting. I never got a chance to wrestle him, but that can happen in the game."
Sting was recently announced as one of the playable superstars in WWE 2K15. People who preorder the game will receive not one, but two versions of the famous wrestler. The first will be his iconic black and white face paint look, while the second will be based on his earlier, more colorful days.
WWE 2K15 is being co-developed by Yukes and Visual Concepts, and is coming October 28 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4, before launching in international markets on October 31.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 04 Agustus 2014 | 23.07
A French retailer listed then removed a white Xbox One Sunset Overdrive bundle, priced at €399 ($535, £318). Spotted initially on NeoGaf, GameStop-owned Micromania hasn't since commented on the listing.
A white Xbox One already exists but is exclusive to Microsoft employees. Branded with "I made this" next to the optical drive, one system was auctioned for charity, selling for $11,300.
According to the initial NeoGaf thread that first reported the white Xbox One in January, Microsoft is also considering a $399 Xbox One without an optical drive. This would mean players wouldn't be able to play game discs, Blu-rays, and DVD films.
Microsoft recently confirmed a limited edition Assassin's Creed Unity Xbox One. The company last month also announced unique Xbox One designs for San Diego Comic Con.
GameSpot has contacted Microsoft to ask if it can comment on this white Xbox One rumour.
Sunset Overdrive launches exclusively for Xbox One on October 28. Check out GameSpot's preview of Insomniac's latest title.
Would you buy a white Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.
Robbie Palmer is an intern at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @Robbie_Palmer
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Recently released PC sim game Tropico 5 has been banned in Thailand, as the country's military junta says the game could negatively affect "peace and order" in the nation. Thailand's film and video censorship office has stopped sales of Tropico 5 because it feared "some part of its content might affect peace and order in the country," a spokesperson for distributor New Era Thailand told the Associated Press today.
No further explanation regarding the decision was provided. We have reached out to the game's worldwide publisher, Kalypso Media, for further information about the case. We will update this story with anything we hear back.
In Tropico 5, you play as the leader of a nation and have the ability to create a constitution by which to rule your country. As the Associated Press points out, you can even control the media in the game. Thailand itself has been under a military dictatorship since May, when soldiers overthrew the government.
New Era Thailand marketing manager Nonglak Sahavattanapong said her company previously had licenses to distribute Tropico 3 and Tropico 4. However, "in the fifth installment, the storyline has developed further and there might be some part of it that's not appropriate in the current situation" in Thailand, she said, adding that New Era Thailand does not plan to appeal.
It's not just games being censored in Thailand. According to the Associated Press, Thailand's censorship groups blur out cigarettes and alcohol on TV and "crack down" on scenes that are determined to be "immoral, pornographic, or critical" of the local government.
Tropico 5, developed by Haemimont Games, launched in May for PC and broke franchise sales records. The game is also coming to consoles later on, including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4.
If the only thing stopping you from experiencing last-gen classic BioShock was the lack of a portable option, you're about to have one less excuse. Publisher 2K announced today that BioShock is coming to iOS.
But in a hands-on session with an early build of the game, it seems to be a remarkably faithful port of the original. Obvious concessions had to be made to fit the game on less-powerful hardware, so there's a noticeable dip in quality in the game's textures, lighting and shadows, and sound compared to the original. Yet even with the downgrades, it's still an impressive mobile accomplishment.
The touch-screen adaption of the controls, surprisingly, works well for navigating the game's underwater world and switching between weapons and powers. But, at least after the short play session I spent with this build, it's not quite fine-tuned enough for combat on the harder difficulties. Movement on the left side of the screen works fine -- wherever you place your thumb, a virtual analgo stick appears, which ensures that you won't unexpectedly stop moving just because your hand placement adjusted. But having both shooting and aiming tied to the right side of the screen requires you to trade-off between aiming and firing while you strafe arond enemies. It's manageable with a single enemy on screen, but it feels a little frustrating when your juggling multiple foes.
But, almost as if they anticipated the complaints, 2K also showed off the game running with the MOGA Hero Power controller. The controller, which comes with the familiar arrangement of analog sticks, triggers, and buttons, immediately upgrades the experience to on par with the console experience, at least in terms of controls. However, playing with the controller highlighted the fact that jumping has been removed from the game; not an important omission, but still a noticeable change. Otherwise, the game is unchanged from previous iterations except that iOS Game Center rewards take the place of Trophies/Achievements and players will have access to a digital art book from a previous special edition of the console game.
While the version of the game I played was running on an iPad, the game will also be available on the iPhone. However, cloud saving for the game will not be available, so progress across the two iOS versions will remain separate. 2K also noted that BioShock will only run on the following: iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad 4, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and iPhone 5. Also, as is typical for ports, this version is not being built by original developer Irrational, which announced that it would be "winding down" earlier this year. Instead, development duties have fallen on 2K China.
A firm price and release date for the game has not yet been set, but 2K says that it will be a "premium-priced mobile game" that's set to come out "later this summer." Despite the overall accuracy of the port, the somewhat muffled sound design and inferior graphics make this hard to get too excited for, especially when the PC version of the game frequently goes on sale for $5, and a bundle with BioShock 2 and Infinite typically runs for around $10 during sale periods. But if PC isn't an option, or you're just looking for a nostalgic fix that pushes the current limits of what phones and tablets can do, BioShock as a game still holds up to the 9.0 review score GameSpot gave it seven years ago.
Adelman (left) alongside Super Meat Boy co-creator Tommy Refenes
Nintendo of America indie boss Dan Adelman, who officially served as "head of digital content and development" at the company, has left the game giant after nine years. His last day at one of the biggest and most well-known game companies in the world was Friday.
Adelman confirmed his exit from Nintendo in an interview with Kotaku's Jason Schreier. He leaves Nintendo on good terms to work independently.
While his departure from Nintendo had the blessing of his now-former employer, Adelman said he oftentimes became frustrated at how Nintendo limited his talking opportunities after he said something that did not match up with the company line. In April, Gamasutra reported that Nintendo banned Adelman from using Twitter for a period of time because he voiced frustration about 3DS region-locking.
"I think people were kind of on pins and needles about anything untoward I might say," Adelman told Kotaku. "And every once in a while, I'd give an answer that people didn't like, and some people would freak out, so they tried to scale things back. First they had me do interviews with someone from PR or marketing. Later they just decided that I shouldn't be in the press at all anymore."
Regarding his Twitter embargo, Adelman said when people began to complain that he was not active on Twitter any more, it was suggested that a Nintendo PR person post in his name. "I thought that was about the worst idea I'd ever heard, so I left it as is and let the silence speak for itself," Adelman said.
Just because Adelman is leaving Nintendo, it doesn't mean the company is any less committed to supporting independent developers. "There is a large group of people working on helping developers through the process and they're going to continue doing that," Adelman said.
In his post-Nintendo career, Adelman plans to provide indie studios with business expertise to help their companies grow. "What I'm planning on doing is working directly with several indie game studios as their business guy -- whatever that really means," he said.
Adelman helped bring numerous beloved games like World of Goo, Cave Story, and Shovel Knight to Nintendo platforms. But he doesn't want to take all the credit. Developers are the true rockstars, and Adelman was something like a roadie in that metaphor. "That's kind of how I see what I did for all of the great indie games that have launched over the years on Nintendo platforms," he said.
Prior to joining Nintendo in 2005, Adelman worked at Microsoft, where he helped launch Xbox Live Arcade.
The Halo theme is a beautiful piece of composition, but now you can experience it like never before. While trekking through Switzerland recently, a hiker named Max stumbled on an empty chapel. As it turned out, the acoustics in the church were just right, allowing for the kind of reverb necessary for one man to belt out the Halo theme and have it sound like a professional recording. Watch the video above and be amazed.
The Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a bundle of the four numbered Halo games with remastered graphics, launches on November 11 for Xbox One. This collection includes the four games, Ridley Scott's Halo: Nightfall, and beta access for Halo 5: Guardians. Meanwhile, Halo creator Bungie's upcoming game, Destiny, launches this September.
A new study from researchers at Oxford University found that video games can be good for children, but only if they play for around an hour or less per day.
The study, published today in Pediatrics, found that children who played games for a few hours each week were better adjusted, had fewer conduct problems, and better empathized with others than those who played no games at all, according to a breakdown of the report from Today and BBC.
When children started playing one to three hours per day, the positive effects fell away. According to the study of 5,000 girls and boys aged 10-15, children who played even more than that were more likely to have issues with hyperactivity and inattention, show a lack of compassion for others, and generally feel less satisfied with life.
The study's author, Oxford experimental psychologist Andrew Przybylski, said he hopes the results will comfort parents who think playing video games is harmful for their children. Future studies on the subject should look at other aspects of gaming, including children's motivations for play and the "structural affordances of different kinds of gaming contexts," Przybylski said.
InXile Entertainment's upcoming PC RPG Wasteland 2 is likely to miss its previously announced August release date and instead launch in September. Project lead Chris Keenan writes on the game's Kickstarter page that, "It's pretty likely that we will slip into the first or second week in September due to fulfillment of the physical goods and discs."
Keenan said InXile will announce an official release date "as soon as we know it."
Meanwhile, Keenan said that InXile has updated the existing Steam Early Access version of Wasteland 2 with a number of new improvements, including various fixes and optimizations. The main things you'll notice after applying the update are below, while the full list of changes is available here.
Huge balance pass across all elements of the game
Enemy AI/Enemy Stats/Damage/Weapons/Dropsets/Skill Use
Added a mini-map
Lots of new optimizations to memory and load times
Tons of new UI improvements (visual and functional)
New audio added across the board (weapons/enemies/ambient/player events)
Large visual effects pass in all levels
Oh-so-much general clean-up/polish and iteration
"This has been a labor of love from the entire team and I'm incredibly proud with what they have achieved," Keenan said. "So much of their personalities are found around each corner in the game. We hope you enjoy the attention to detail in the world we all have created."
When Wasteland 2 is eventually released, it will be available for PC, Mac, and Linux. For more on Wasteland 2, check out GameSpot's review of the Early Access version.
Adelman (left) alongside Super Meat Boy co-creator Tommy Refenes 
