Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 29 September 2014 | 23.07
The PlayStation Vita edition of the seminal sandbox game Minecraft is one step closer to release, with the game's code now going through its final bug test at Sony.
Scotland-based developer 4J Studios, which is handling the port of Markus Persson's breakthrough indie game, has now submitted the game's code to Sony and is awaiting approval.
This latest development suggests further that the PS Vita version will not be cancelled, by neither Sony nor Microsoft, despite the latter software giant purchasing the IP.
In mid-September, Microsoft announced it had agreed in principal to acquire Minecraft and its developer Mojang in a deal believed to be worth $2.5 billion. As part of that deal, the studio's three founders--Markus Persson, Carl Manneh, and Jakob Porser--will be leaving the company.
At the same time, Microsoft assured that it would not be wiping any versions of Minecraft from Sony's devices such as PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4. Sony, which retains the right to remove the games from its platforms, has not suggested that it is willing to delete any of the games.
Since its initial release in 2009, Minecraft has been downloaded more than 100 million times on PC alone. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, released between 2012 and 2013, are still proving popular, with both games regularly holding their spot in the UK all-format top ten.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
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Developer BioWare has released six new screenshots of its action-RPG, Dragon Age: Inquisition, ahead of its Twitch livestream.
The six images, found below, showcase some variants of The Inquisitor that players can create and customize, as well as various foes such as a sloth demon. Another image offers more of a glimpse into the character creation tool, showing sliders for a range of attributes such as horn style and face shape.
Further to this, at 10 AM PDT (6PM UK time), BioWare will take part in a livestream which is expected to showcase features and gameplay. Viewers can expect to see a live demonstration of the character creation tool, along with the reveal of a new "expansive environment which players will encounter on their epic journey to save Thedas from destruction."
Later in the stream's schedule will be a Q&A with the game's creative director Mike Laidlaw, along with its producer Cameron Lee.
The livestream is embedded above and can also be found on BioWare's Twitch channel.
Dragon Age: Inquisition launches November 18 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The RPG was originally pegged to launch an entire year ago, before it was delayed to fall 2014. Its most recent delay, from October to November, was due to BioWare needing more time to fix some lingering bugs, according to Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson.
For more on Dragon Age: Inquisition, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
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For the first time in 14 years, gamers in China have a chance to (legally) buy a gaming console, as Microsoft launched the Xbox One in the country today. China banned game consoles in 2000, citing potential harm to the physical and mental development of children. This ban was lifted in September 2013.
The Xbox One was originally expected to go on sale in China on September 23, but a last-minute delay pushed the console's release to September 29.
With more gamers in China than the total United States population, China is a potentially lucrative market for Microsoft. The company also has a first-mover advantage, as neither Sony nor Nintendo consoles are officially sold yet in the country.
Xbox One fans in China can choose from 10 games today, including Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, Powerstar Golf, Zoo Tycoon, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Dance Central Spotlight, Neverwinter Online, Rayman Legends, Trials Fusion, and Naughty Kitties.
Console games in China must receive approval from Shanghai's local culture department, which will examine titles to make sure they do not harm China's culture and traditions or promote violence or drugs. This could be the reason why games like Call of Duty: Ghosts, Titanfall, and Grand Theft Auto V are not available in China.
In China, the Xbox One costs RMB 3,699 ($602) without Kinect and RMB 4,299 ($700) with Kinect. Microsoft is no doubt hoping the Xbox One in China gets off to a faster start than the console did in Japan, where first-week numbers were weak.
September has been a major growth month for the Xbox One. With the console now released in China, the Xbox One has launched in 28 new markets this month alone.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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BioWare will hold a special live-stream today on Twitch during which the company will show off the character creator tool for RPG Dragon Age: Inquisition and reveal new gameplay. You can watch the stream right here in the post through the video above. It starts at 10 AM PDT/1PM EDT.
Dragon Age: Inquisition producer Cameron Lee will lead the live-stream, he writes on Twitter.
The live-stream will include an "in-depth" demonstration and first-look at the character creation and customization tools for Dragon Age: Inquisition. BioWare will also show off a new region from Dragon Age: Inquisition (no hints were provided) during the presentation, which will end live a live Q&A session will Lee and creative director Mike Laidlaw.
Dragon Age: Inquisition launches November 18 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The RPG was originally pegged to launch an entire year ago, before it was delayed to fall 2014. Its most recent delay, from October to November, was due to BioWare needing more time to fix some lingering bugs, according to Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson.
For more on Dragon Age: Inquisition, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Bethesda today released a new gameplay trailer for Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's upcoming horror game, The Evil Within, which should get you up to speed with the title ahead of its release on October 14. The "101 lesson" trailer goes over the basics of managing ammo supplies, taking advantage of resources, and knowing when it's smarter to just run away.
If you're looking for a deeper dive into The Evil Within, Bethesda's Fran Reyes wrote a blog post that goes into greater detail about the game, featuring story details and tips on how to successfully make it through the game. She explains that the "run-and-gun" approach of shooter games is not a great idea in The Evil Within, in part because ammo will be scarce and you'll need to learn to improvise in all manner of deadly ways.
When you run out of ammo, or when you want to conserve it for a future face off, you can plant bear traps, landmines, and wall bombs, Reyes explains. To replenish your ammo, you'll need to collect bullets from the environment; there are no merchants to visit to get more bullets. Check out Reyes' full blog post on the Bethesda website for lots more about the game.
The Evil Within is coming to Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. It was developed by Mikami and his team at Tango Gameworks in Japan. Just last week, Bethesda announced the game's recommended system requirements, which you can read here. For more on The Evil Within, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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A major update is coming to Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, and players won't have to wait long at all for it. Electronic Arts announced on Monday that the Legends of the Lawn update will launch September 30 for free across Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC.
The update introduces more than 200 customization options and five new spawnable characters. It also packs in seven new character variants (listed below), and a brand-new game mode called Taco Bandits.
In this mode, Zombies must capture all three tacos from Crazy Dave and return them to their base, while Plants are charged with defending the tasty treats. Taco Bandits is Garden Warfare's seventh unique game mode, joining Gardens & Graveyards, Team Vanquish, Gnome Bomb, Vanquish Confirmed, Suburbination, and Garden Ops.
PlayStation players are also getting all of the content from the Suburbination expansion (released in August ahead of the game's release on PS3 and PS4), which included the Crash Course map, Suburbination game mode, and the Plasma Pea character variant.
There is also a trailer for the Legends of Lawn expansion, which you can watch above.
The seven new Garden Warfare character variants coming to the game through the Legends of the Lawn update are listed below.
Golf Star
Centurion
Paleontologist
Chomp Thing
Alien Flower
Jade Cactus
Sanitation Expert
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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This episode of Build of the Week covers a Path of Exile character build where the creator of the character is a high-tier supporter who has been allowed to design an item. His build uses this item and some clever tricks to create a very powerful character.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 22 September 2014 | 23.07
Manuel Noriega in Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Activision Blizzard announced today that it plans to file a motion on Monday attempting to dismiss the lawsuit from former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega that claims Activision used his likeness without permission in 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The Call of Duty company calls the lawsuit "frivolous."
The corporation also announced that former New York City mayor and US Attorney Rudy Giuliani will serve as co-counsel to help defend Activision Blizzard. Giuliani, through his law firm Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, will argue that Noriega's inclusion in Call of Duty: Black Ops II is protected under the first amendment.
"Noriega's attack on the rights of Call of Duty comes as no surprise considering he's a lawless tyrant who trampled over the rights of his own people" -- Rudy Giuliani
"What's astonishing is that Manuel Noriega, a notorious dictator who is in prison for the heinous crimes he committed, is upset about being portrayed as a criminal and enemy of the state in the game Call of Duty. Quite simply, it's absurd," Giuliani said in a statement.
The publisher did not deny that Noriega's likeness had been used.
"I'm not interested in giving handouts to a convicted murderer and drug smuggler like Manuel Noriega who is demanding money from Activision and its popular Call of Duty franchise for simply exercising its right to free speech," he added.
"Noriega's attack on the rights of Call of Duty comes as no surprise considering he's a lawless tyrant who trampled over the rights of his own people."
Activision says the stories in various Call of Duty games, including Black Ops II, are similar to movies and TV shows in that their narratives are often "ripped from headlines" of real-world issues, and often include depictions of real-world people. Fidel Castro also appears in Black Ops II, as does President John F. Kennedy and former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.
The publisher's motion to dismiss the lawsuit is expected to be filed on Monday in the Superior Court of the State of California. Specifically, the publisher says it hopes to have Noriega's complaint dismissed under California's anti-SLAPP statute, which aims to protect freedom of speech.
In addition, Activision argues it is important that the suit be tossed out because if Noriega is successful, it would set a precedent allowing numerous historical and political figures--and their descendants--the right to veto their appearances in numerous forms of art.
Activision says a ruling for Noriega would have a "chilling effect" on movies like Forrest Gump and Zero Dark Thirty, as well as beloved TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Boardwalk Empire. Books like Primary Colors and The Paris Wife would also be adversely affected if Noriega wins the case, Activision says.
Noriega, now 80, was the military dictator of Panama from 1983 to 1989, until he was ousted. As part of his lawsuit, Noriega claims: "In an effort to increase the popularity and revenue generated by Black Ops II, defendants used, without authorization or consent, the image and likeness of plaintiff in Black Ops II."
He is seeking damages for unjust enrichment, unfair business practices, and violation of common-law publicity rights. In addition, Noriega hopes to collect punitive damages for "lost profits" and other charges, according to the lawsuit.
Giuliani will discuss the case today during a live teleconference this afternoon. Check back later this afternoon for more.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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Apple sold a record 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones this weekend, the company announced today. The new phones went on sale on Friday, September 19.
The previous record-holder was the iPhone 5 line, which combined to sell 9 million devices during its launch weekend last year. Apple added that sales of the new iPhone 6 models could have been higher if the company was able to meet demand.
Strong performance out of the gate is not much of a surprise, given that the iPhone 6 broke preorder records for Apple, with more than 4 million preorders placed in under 24 hours.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now available in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The devices will launch in more than 20 additional countries on September 26, and will be available in a total of 115 countries by the end of 2014.
"Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn't be happier," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin. While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible."
Apple says the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus represent the "biggest advancements in iPhone history." The standard model sports a 4.7-inch screen, while the Plus features a 5.5-inch screen; both are Retina HD displays. In addition, both iPhone 6 models run on Apple's proprietary A8 chip that promises "blazing fast performance." They also work with Apple Pay, the company's new payment option, and feature the iOS 8 update.
The iPhone 6 begins at $199 for a 16 GB model, while the Plus starts at $299 for a 16 GB model. Those prices are assuming you lock in for a two-year contract.
For more on the new iPhones, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site CNET's extended coverage of the smartphones.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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2K Games will release a special BioShock Infinite Complete Edition this November for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that includes all of the game's previously released DLC for $40. That's according to GameStop and Amazon product pages, which list the unannounced bundle for a release across both platforms on November 4.
The BioShock Infinite Complete Edition will reportedly include the main game, as well as the Clash in the Clouds and two-part Burial at Sea expansion packs. You'll also receive extra weapons in the form of Comstock's China Broom shotgun and Comstock's Bird's Eye sniper rifle, among other pieces of digital content.
2K Games has not officially announced the BioShock Infinite Complete Edition, so you should take this news with a grain of salt for now. We have reached out to 2K Games for comment about the rumored bundle, and we'll update this post with anything we hear back.
Despite BioShock Infinite shipping close to 7 million copies, developer Irrational Games effectively shut down in February. BioShock creator Ken Levine and a handful of other key developers continue to work at the Quincy, Mass. studio, where they are pushing forward on a "smaller, more entrepreneurial" project for studio owner Take-Two Interactive.
Meanwhile, future development on the BioShock series--and it sounds like we've not seen the last of the franchise yet--will be handled by 2K Marin. The most recent BioShock game to be released was this summer's iOS version of the 2007 original.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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Tokyo Game Show event organizers have announced that 251,832 people attended this year's recently concluded, four-day show. This is a year-over-year decrease, as 270,197 people attended the show in 2013.
On the bright side, this year's TGS attendance tally is the second-highest in the show's history. Attendance for the 2013 show was a record, jumping by close to 50,000 people compared to 2012's attendance of 223,753. You can see a TGS attendance chart below.
TGS organizers also have announced the venue and dates for next year's event. TGS 2015 will be held September 17-20 (Thursday through Sunday), 2015 at the Makuhari Messe convention center.
While TGS saw attendance fall this year, E3--which is an industry-only event--saw bigger crowds in 2014 compared to 2013. The number of people heading to Los Angeles in June for the show this year rose marginally to 48,900. Meanwhile, the summer's other big gaming show, Gamescom, drew a crowd of 335,000, which is down slightly from 340,000 people last year. Like TGS, Gamescom is open to the public.
TGS 2014 didn't have any bombshell announcements, but there were some notable highlights. Sony announced a Western release date for Bloodborne, Konami showed some new Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain footage and confirmed the game would launch in 2015, and we saw an epic Final Fantasy XV trailer and got news about a demo for the game.
For all of GameSpot's TGS 2014 news, be sure to check out our hub dedicated to the show.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Wii U exclusive action game Bayonetta 2 launched this weekend in Japan, and some gamers have already completed the title and posted videos of their playthroughs.
But with the game's Western release still a month away, developer Platinum Games has reached out to fans to fans to ask them not to post spoilers online.
Creative producer J.P. Kellams writes on Twitter, "I know some people have watched streams of Bayonetta 2 and know the ending. As someone who worked on the game, please don't spoil it for others." He added, "If you want to spoil yourself with streams, I get that (but it is more fun to play), but don't post about what you saw until everyone plays.
Bayonetta 2 launches October 24 for Wii U in North America and Europe. It is a direct sequel to 2009's original Bayonetta, which was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A copy of the original game is included with Bayonetta 2 for Wii U at no additional charge.
Bayonetta 2 is published by Nintendo, and is one of the titles the company is looking to this year as a means to help give the Wii U a sales jolt. Another high-profile Wii U release this year in Super Smash Bros., which could be released in November.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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With the launch of PlayStation TV in North America now less than a month away, Sony today announced that there will be almost 700 games available to play on launch day.
PS TV can play many PlayStation Vita games (either through downloading or inserting the actual game card) in addition to digital PlayStation One and PSP games. Through Remote Play, it can be used to stream PlayStation 4 games from one PS4 console in your home onto a separate television that the PS TV is connected to.
And when Sony's streaming game service, PlayStation Now, comes to PS TV, users will be able to stream PlayStation 3 titles to the device. PS Now just recently entered open beta on PS3, but Sony has not announced when support is coming for PS TV.
In addition, Sony writes on the PlayStation Blog that the PS TV lineup will "continue to expand" with other popular titles, including Minecraft.
When PS TV launches in North America on October 14, you can buy a standalone system for $99, or a special bundle that includes a wireless DualShock 3 controller, an 8 GB memory card, and a copy of The Lego Movie Video Game for $140.
Sony also has announced that a limited-time PS TV bundle will be available at Walmart. It includes a system, DualShock 3 controller, 8 GB memory card, and a copy of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. This bundle will also sell for $140.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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Just how badass is Big Boss in MGS5? Well, it turns out he can use the bloodcurdling ghost of P.T. as a weapon in the game, which categorically makes him a monster of imponderable badassness.
The ghost known as Lisa made her distressing debut in the recently released PS4 demo P.T., which is a playable teaser for the upcoming Kojima Productions game Silent Hills.
That studio's creative director, Hideo Kojima, has a history of placing cameos from other games in various Metal Gear titles, but the use of Lisa could quite possibly be the most fiendish.
As showcased in the video above, a blow-up Lisa can be activated as a decoy (listen carefully and you can even make out her horrendous crying sound), which can be applied as a distraction.
Further along in the video, Big Boss's adorable one-eyed wolf buddy (yes that's a real thing too) proves to be a particularly courageous little fella when spotting Lisa in the distance.
Also, as shown towards the end of the video, the sudden inflatability of the Lisa decoy can be particularly handy when enemies are standing on a cliff-edge.
Kojima recently announced that The Phantom Pain will release in 2015 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. For more on the game, make sure to catch up with everything we learned from The Phantom Pain TGS 2014 trailer.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
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This week's episode covers a modern summoner character created in the recent Forsaken Masters expansion. The build uses the Blood Magic keystone passive to apply many auras to the character's life total, forcing the "low life" status permanently. The powerful auras augment his army of minions into a formidable force.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 15 September 2014 | 23.07
Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson has issued a statement to fans explaining the decision to sell his studio to Microsoft.
In a blog post, Persson claimed that the deal--which is expected to net him a personal fortune of $1.7 billion--is "not about the money. It's about my sanity.""
On Monday, Microsoft revealed that it has agreed to purchase Mojang for $2.5 billion. The company claims it can break even on the deal by April 2016.
Both Microsoft and Mojang say that neither are looking to delete Minecraft from non-Microsoft platforms such as PlayStations and iOS devices.
But Persson says he hoped to complete the deal with Microsoft specifically because the responsibility to be in charge of Minecraft had become to great, and it didn't match with his personal ambition to create smaller games and experiment with certain designs.
The full post reads:
"I don't see myself as a real game developer. I make games because it's fun, and because I love games and I love to program, but I don't make games with the intention of them becoming huge hits, and I don't try to change the world.
"Minecraft certainly became a huge hit, and people are telling me it's changed games. I never meant for it to do either. It's certainly flattering, and to gradually get thrust into some kind of public spotlight is interesting.
"A relatively long time ago, I decided to step down from Minecraft development. Jens was the perfect person to take over leading it, and I wanted to try to do new things.
"At first, I failed by trying to make something big again, but since I decided to just stick to small prototypes and interesting challenges, I've had so much fun with work. I wasn't exactly sure how I fit into Mojang where people did actual work, but since people said I was important for the culture, I stayed.
"I was at home with a bad cold a couple of weeks ago when the internet exploded with hate against me over some kind of EULA situation that I had nothing to do with. I was confused. I didn't understand. I tweeted this in frustration.
"Later on, I watched the This is Phil Fish video on YouTube and started to realize I didn't have the connection to my fans I thought I had. I've become a symbol. I don't want to be a symbol, responsible for something huge that I don't understand, that I don't want to work on, that keeps coming back to me. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a CEO. I'm a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.
"As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing Ludum Dares and small web experiments. If I ever accidentally make something that seems to gain traction, I'll probably abandon it immediately.
"Considering the public image of me already is a bit skewed, I don't expect to get away from negative comments by doing this, but at least now I won't feel a responsibility to read them.
"I'm aware this goes against a lot of what I've said in public. I have no good response to that. I'm also aware a lot of you were using me as a symbol of some perceived struggle. I'm not. I'm a person, and I'm right there struggling with you.
"I love you. All of you. Thank you for turning Minecraft into what it has become, but there are too many of you, and I can't be responsible for something this big.
"In one sense, it belongs to Microsoft now. In a much bigger sense, it's belonged to all of you for a long time, and that will never change.
"It's not about the money. It's about my sanity."
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
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Mojang, the Sweden-based developer of Minecraft, has been acquired by Microsoft for a fee of around $2.5 billion.
In a blog post to fans, Mojang suggested the deal would not result in the deletion of Minecraft games and apps available on non-Microsoft devices.
"There's no reason for the development, sales, and support of the PC/Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Vita, iOS, and Android versions of Minecraft to stop," the studio wrote.
"Of course, Microsoft can't make decisions for other companies or predict the choices that they might make in the future."
Microsoft said one key reason for the acquisition is "we believe in the power of content to unite people". It added that it expects the acquisition "to be break-even in FY15 on a GAAP basis." That means it expects to make the money back by April 2016.
Notably, Microsoft says that it expects the acquisition "to be break-even in FY15 on a GAAP basis." In other words, Microsoft believes it will make back what it has spent on Mojang and Minecraft by the end of this fiscal year (next June).
The software giant wrote: "Minecraft adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms. Gaming is the top activity across devices and we see great potential to continue to grow the Minecraft community and nurture the franchise. That is why we plan to continue to make Minecraft available across platforms--including iOS, Android and PlayStation, in addition to Xbox and PC."
Moving on
Minecraft creator Markus Persson, who owns 70 percent of the company, stands to make $1.75 billion from the deal (although how much of this is in cash, and how much is in shares, is unknown for now).
Markus Persson stands to make $1.75 billion from the deal
Persson, along with chief executive Carl Manneh and co-founder Jakob Porser, will be leaving the company.
Mojang's letter to fans explained that Persson never intended to have "the responsibility of owning a company of such global significance".
It added: "Over the past few years he's made attempts to work on smaller projects, but the pressure of owning Minecraft became too much for him to handle. The only option was to sell Mojang. He'll continue to do cool stuff though. Don't worry about that."
Mojang claimed that there "are only a handful of potential buyers with the resources to grow Minecraft on a scale that it deserves."
Minecraft has sold more than 50 million units across console, PC, smartphones and tablets. But it was Mojang's partnership with Microsoft for the Xbox 360 edition that forged ties between the two companies.
"We've worked closely with Microsoft since 2012, and have been impressed by their continued dedication to our game and its development," the studio wrote.
"We're confident that Minecraft will continue to grow in an awesome way."
Xbox head Phil Spencer added: "We respect the brand and independent spirit that has made Minecraft great, and we'll carry on the tradition of innovation to move the franchise forward. Our investments in cloud, Xbox Live and mobile technology will enable players to benefit from richer and faster worlds, more powerful development tools, and more opportunities to connect with the Minecraft community."
In other related developments;
Mojang says it is not sure on the future of its Scrolls games project.
The studio adds that it does not have insight into Microsoft's future for Minecraft
The Minecon event has not been cancelled and will be organised by Microsoft
Microsoft says Minecraft Xbox 360 edition has clocked up two billion hours played in the past two years
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Destiny has become the fastest-selling new game IP in the UK, according to official sales monitor Chart-Track.
The previous record holder was another cross-gen title released this year, Watch Dogs by Ubisoft, which sold about 4 million copies worldwide in its first week. Activision has not disclosed Destiny's sales.
As expected, Bungie's blockbuster FPS has debuted straight at the top of the UK charts, surpassing EA's The Sims 4.
The PlayStation 4 version of Destiny took the lion's share of sales, at 46 per cent, though the Xbox One version was close behind at 36 per cent (despite Microsoft's ban on officially advertising the game).
Last-gen made up 17 per cent of sales in total, with Xbox 360 taking 14 per cent of that.
It means that, overall, Destiny sold half its units on Xbox platforms--a significant feat considering Sony and its marketing department was treating Destiny as a first-party title.
Elsewhere in the charts, Activision's other blockbuster FPS franchise--Call of Duty--rose to forth place, while the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Minecraft stay in the top ten. This comes ahead of an expected announcement on Monday that Microsoft will purchase Minecraft developer Mojang for a fee believed to be more than $2 billion.
The full UK chart follows:
Destiny
The Sims 4
Watch Dogs
Call of Duty: Ghosts
The Last of Us: Remastered
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
NHL 15
Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare
Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution
GameSpot's Destiny Review was somewhat critical of the highly anticipated Bungie shooter, scoring it a 6 and criticising it for lack of fresh ideas.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
In May 2013, former Xbox exec Marc Whitten revealed that Microsoft has some 300,000 dedicated servers for Xbox
Microsoft could be close to releasing a consumer version of its internally tested cloud games service, according to one report, which would allow Xbox games to be played in web browsers.
According to at least two purported inside sources speaking to Neowin, the unannounced service allows people to play both Xbox One and Xbox 360 games in certain web browsers, including Google's Chrome.
One person supposedly familiar with Microsoft's plans claims that the streaming service can remotely display games at 60FPS. The Xbox 360 dashboard can also be streamed, offering access to an additional range of console features.
Microsoft said "we do not comment on rumors or speculation" when approached by GameSpot.
In July, the software giant's new chief executive, Satya Nadella, emphisised Microsoft's new direction by stating "we live in a mobile-first and cloud-first world".
Game streaming technology works by running hardware and software at sophisticated server farms and streaming the data to customers remotely. Companies such as OnLive have bet their business on the viability of the technology, while Sony has invested in the area too by purchasing rival firm Gaikai and using its tech to establish the PlayStation Now service.
Microsoft, which insists it still has a PC games strategy despite the general winding down of Games For Windows Live, could use the cloud service to reinvigorate its business in that area.
Whether the internally tested Xbox streaming service is given clearance for commercial release is unclear. Neowin's report claimed "the product, as it stands right now, has Xbox branding and works outside the walls of Microsoft".
However, it added that licensing issues with games publishers could become a challenge.
Last year, Microsoft demonstrated Halo 4 running in the cloud on various devices at the company's all-employee meeting.
"This project is the on-going work from that demo to bring it to more users," Neowin's repot claimed.
"Our understanding is that significant progress has been made from that demo and it is now being rolled out to more users."
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
The long-awaited consumer version of Oculus Rift could begin to ship by summer 2015, according to alleged sources speaking to two separate publications.
Both TechRadar and VRFocus claim that a market-ready Oculus Rift will launch in a "strictly limited" public beta half way into 2015.
Though specs and release date plans for the consumer version of Oculus Rift (known as CV1) are not public, a limited supply of the latest prototype (known as DK2) is available to developers and hobbyists.
Oculus VR, the company formed by creator Palmer Luckey, has urged gamers to hold out for CV1 and resist the developer version.
That long wait for the consumer version could end as soon as April 2015, with a strictly limited test supply, although both TechRadar and VRFocus suggest that "summer 2015" (which runs from late June to August) could be the more realistic target for general release.
Oculus exec Nate Mitchell recently claimed that the consumer version of Oculus Rift will be priced somewhere between $200 and $400.
Palmer Luckey has also previously stated the consumer version would be a significant improvement on the DK2's 1080p display, with a 90Hz refresh rate.
Oculus VR has declined to comment.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Bungie is a prolific layer of easter eggs. In 2009, it teased Destiny in the 2009 shooter Halo ODST.
Okay, admittedly this is a slightly ridiculous "slow news day" story, so I thought I should at least preface it with some interesting info to impress your friends with.
Did you know there's an entire scientific body of work that attempts to explain why humans see faces in clouds? Not just clouds, in fact, but numerous inanimate objects like cars, mountain cliffs, and even the surface of the moon.
The generally accepted explanation is that this is a by-product of an evolutionary human instinct to detect faces almost immediately in any given situation. Why? Because quickly detecting the face of a predator proved to be pretty life-saving to our ancestors.
This psychological process, by the way, is known as Pareidolia (that's also a wider term for the phenomenon of seeing patterns in any kind of random data, like songs being played backwards. GameSpot's resident science nerd Cameron has covered the issue here).
Interestingly, in 2009 a magnetoencephalography (don't bother trying to pronounce it) study found that the brain recognizes faces in objects far quicker than it interprets other objects. The argument here being that this skill is "hard-wired" and part of our innate human psychology.
So that's why you can see the Master Chief within this in-game Destiny image, taken by a Reddit user by the name of SmokingGhost:
Is it intentional? Probably. Destiny developer Bungie likes its easter eggs. In fact, it even teased its Destiny project in the 2009 shooter, Halo: ODST.
(Though I'm sure Bungie's legal team would insist this is an entirely coincidental depiction of a character owned by another company).
What do you think?
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Swedish YouTube star Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better known by his online handle PewDiePie, has partnered with Major League Gaming to release new content on its video streaming platform MLG.tv.
Starting today, PewDiePie's new, hour-long show with CinnamonToastKen, BroKen, will air exclusively on his own MLG.tv channel (mlg.tv/pewdiepie), before it's posted anywhere else. MLG.tv is a free to watch, ad-supported, video streaming platform, which usually focuses on eSports content.
"We're excited to introduce PewDiePie to the MLG.tv network as we continue to deliver exclusive content from the best producers in the world," MLG VP of Programing Ryan "Fwiz" Wyatt said. "Our vision for MLG.tv is to make it the home for premium content and producers like PewDiePie and his show 'BroKen.' This type of programming deal with PewDiePie, one of the biggest stars in digital media, is a great example of the premier talent we have joining the growing MLG.tv line-up."
Viewers can interact with PewDiePie during the show by using MLG.tv's chat feature. That might be especially appealing to fans after PewDiePie's announcement earlier this month that he permanently removed and disabled comments from all his videos on YouTube.
Back in March, The Walt Disney Company acquired YouTube network Maker Studios, which distributes video game-related programming like PewDiePie, TotalBiscuit, and Yogscast, for $500 million.
Given that PC players have already waited a year for a version of Grand Theft Auto V to arrive on computers, last week's delay had to come as particularly disappointing news. Following its announcement about the PC version being pushed back, Rockstar has offered a brief (but fairly vague) explanation for why PC fans will be waiting until next year to get their hands on its latest open-world game.
"We're glad to see so many of you are excited for the upcoming release of the new versions of GTA V and we look forward to sharing more details with you soon," reads a Rockstar statement in the comments section of its website. "We are also incredibly excited to be bringing GTA V to the PC, but the game requires a little more development time in order to ensure that it is as amazing and polished as possible. Please do stay tuned as we reveal new features and information about all the new versions in the weeks ahead."
Along with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions, the PC version of GTA V offers a variety of improvements over the last-gen versions from enhanced visuals to denser traffic, new weapons, and additional wildlife. This differs from Rockstar's approach to the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV, which was released eight months after the the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, but contained few differences beyond better graphics.
GTA V for PC had been expected out sometime this fall alongside the current-gen console versions. Following rumors that the PC version had been either delayed or canceled, Rockstar insisted earlier this month that its release was still on track for this fall--something we learned was not the case late last week. The PC version will now arrive on January 27, while the new console versions, will launch on November 18.
Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 08 September 2014 | 23.07
It's been several years since the last Alan Wake game, and with developer Remedy Entertainment busy working on Quantum Break, it's unlikely to have the time to move back to its survival horror series right now. That said, Xbox boss Phil Spencer believes Remedy "would have to be" the developer of any future entry.
In response to a question about the prospect of an Alan Wake 2, Spencer said on Twitter, "[Remedy] is pretty busy with [Quantum Break] right now. I think any future [Alan Wake] would have to be a Remedy game." While perhaps not what the more impatient fans want to hear, some will no doubt look at this as good news: Taking a series out of its original developer's hands is not always a good thing, as we saw with Crackdown 2.
Remedy suggested recently it's still interested in returning to Alan Wake even though previous attempts to revisit it haven't panned out. "You never know about the future and as we have said about Alan Wake, the sequel didn't work out at this point. But definitely we are looking for opportunities to do more, someday, when the time is right," creative director Sam Lake said. Last year, Lake revealed Remedy had "worked hard to make the sequel happen." Because it couldn't secure the needed funding, it decided not to create something "less ambitious."
The original Alan Wake, released in 2010, went on to sell more than 2 million copies. In addition to DLC, it received one follow-up in the download-only Alan Wake's American Nightmare, released in 2012. The two games have combined to sell more than 3 million copies.
Remedy's Quantum Break is due out on Xbox One in 2015. Prior to working on Alan Wake, the studio was best known for having created the Max Payne series.
Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheSmokingManX
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Veteran 2K Games writer Walt Williams, whose credits include Mafia II, BioShock 2, The Darkness II, and Spec Ops: The Line, is leaving the company. After nine years with the studio, he has decided to "roll the dice" and "try something new," he announced in a series of tweets.
"Working at 2K has been one of the most trying, difficult, and mind-blowingly wonderful experiences of my life," Williams said. He explained that he's not leaving games entirely, but rather AAA game development. "Not because I don't love it--I totally do. I just want to try something new," he said.
Don't expect to hear about Williams' next project anytime soon, he cautioned. Williams teased, however, that he is getting into book writing, too.
"I hope you'll stick with me, because I have so many wonderful stories to tell you," he said.
Williams' final two titles for 2K were Evolve (February 2015) and Civilization: Beyond Earth (October 2014). Evolve is a 4v1 monster-hunting game developed by the creators of Left 4 Dead, while Civilization: Beyond Earth is the latest title in Sid Meier's popular strategy series.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Previously, retailer GameStop announced that Bungie's Destiny was the company's most preordered game ever, but now Activision says the title is the "most preordered new video game IP in history." Activision made the announcement today in a press release heralding the game's imminent arrival.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg adds that Destiny is poised to trace the same trajectory as Bungie's previous work, Halo, meaning it could extend beyond gaming circles and into pop culture. The game has the potential to reach a massive audience, he says.
"Destiny has been a labor of love and a remarkable creative journey for everyone at Activision and Bungie," Hirshberg said in a statement. "We feel that we have the opportunity to launch something huge--not just into the gaming landscape, but the pop cultural landscape. Arriving at our launch day with this much support and enthusiasm from fans and retailers is downright exciting. Moments like this just don't come around very often."
Destiny launches tomorrow, September 9, for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Servers for the game were switched on today at 8 AM EDT, and GameSpot is currently hosting a Destiny livestream marathon (above).
"Destiny is the game we've always wanted to make" -- Bungie president Harold Ryan
Activision also reiterated that 4.6 million people played the Destiny beta in July, and added that "millions" are expected to play the full game on its first day.
For its part, Bungie also took a moment to herald the launch of Destiny in big, sweeping terms. "Destiny is the game we've always wanted to make," Bungie president Harold Ryan said. "We've dreamt of this universe for years, so we couldn't be more thrilled to swing open the doors and let fans shape this experience as they tell their unique stories in the game. For us, the next generation of games is all about allowing players to collide and interact with each other as they take on epic, action-packed adventures all their own."
Following Destiny's launch tomorrow, players can expect further content down the road in the form of two major expansions. The first of which is called The Dark Below, and should launch in December. Both expansions include new story missions, cooperative activities, new multiplayer maps, and more weapons, armor, and gear to amass. Destiny's post-launch DLC can be purchased through the game's Expansion Pass for $35. Alternatively, you can buy the expansions individually for $20.
Last week, Activision announced a special Destiny upgrade plan whereby if you buy a digital copy of Destiny for Xbox 360 or PS3, you can get the Xbox One or PS4 version (also digital) for free.
To mark the release of Destiny, a member of the Bungie development team will jump out of an airplane and land on a tarp outside of the studio's headquarters in Bellevue, Washington to make an extra special entrance at the developer's community day event today.
For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Okay, so you already know that Dark Souls is a perversely difficult video game. Like, lean-over-a-balcony-and-get-assaulted-by-a-daemon-difficult.
But, as merciless as it is, one hardcore fan has decided the challenge wasn't enough and has filmed himself completing Dark Souls using... a Rock Band controller (no, really).
Benjamin "Bearzly" Gwin plugged his plastic Rock Band 1 guitar into his PC and, using an emulator, remapped the guitar's controls to the Xbox 360 pad (diagram below).
As the video below shows, Gwin strummed and wailed his way through the depraved and dangerous alleyways of Lordran like a phantom Jimi Hendrix (minus, you know, the music and charisma).
Explaining the severe limitations his plastic guitar had on gameplay, Gwin writes on Reddit: "My only movement actions are control vertical movement speed, move to right, and rotate camera left." Sounds painful.
But Gwin overcame the odds and managed to finish Dark Souls in little more than eleven hours. If that doesn't inspire you pick up that dusty old Rock Band guitar, nothing will.
Take a look at Gwin killing Ornstein and Smough in the video above.
Rob Crossley is GameSpot's UK News Editor - you can follow him on Twitter here
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
GameStop today announced that it has reached an agreement with AT&T subsidiary Cricket Wireless to offer the company's no-contract phones in more than 2,800 stores across the United States. The announcement of the deal today comes after conclusion of what GameStop described as a "successful trial run" in some test markets.
Beginning next month, GameStop will start selling Cricket Wireless phones and accessories, and you should see the full rollout by the end of October. GameStop president Tony Bartel said the company's decision to offer more no-contract phones (it already sells Net10 Wireless devices) was made to help customers find the "greatest value."
According to GameStop, Cricket Wireless offers a 4G network that covers 98 percent of where Americans already live. Plans start at $35/month. You can see a selection of Cricket Wireless phones at the company's website.
What's unique about GameStop as a cell phone provider is the company's well-known buy-sell-trade model. What this means is you can sell to GameStop your existing phone, a video game systems or games, or another electronic device (like an iPod), and put that credit toward the purchase of a cell phone.
GameStop's involvement in the cell phone space goes deeper than this partnership with Cricket Wireless. Last year, GameStop acquired authorized AT&T retailer Spring Mobile for an undisclosed sum. Though video games remain big business for GameStop, the retailer has also disclosed plans to move beyond games as part of the next evolution of the company, "GameStop 3.0."
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Later this month, during the Tokyo Game Show in Japan, Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy publisher Square Enix will hold a press conference to talk about its mysterious cloud gaming project, Flare, which was first announced in November 2013. Square Enix calls Flare a "technological breakthrough in cloud gaming."
The event itself will take place Friday, September 19, starting 10 AM local time, though there were no details about what we can expect to learn during the presentation.
Square Enix explained last year that Flare is not like PlayStation Now or OnLive. Those services offer streaming games, but Flare is more focused on the cloud. "[Flare] replaces the console with a supercomputer," Square Enix told GameSpot last year.
"Everything in current streaming games is running in its own individual instance," the company said at the time. Flare, instead, "creates one instance and shares those resources...supercomputer-like experiences are possible with Project Flare through a unique, patented, architecture that enables cost-efficient scalability and processing power through which images are streamed as video."
One publishing partner, Assassin's Creed and Far Cry company Ubisoft, has come aboard to support Flare, though it is the only one for now.
For more on Flare, check out GameSpot's coverage of the platform's initial announcement.
This year's Tokyo Game Show takes place September 18-21, and GameSpot will have editors on the ground bringing you news and coverage of the event.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
For all of GameSpot's news coverage, check out our hub. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
This week's build has been created by one of the most influential buildmakers in Path of Exile's community. It's a high-damage Arc build that pre-curses monsters using a secondary copy of the Arc skill. Through the use of Eldritch Battery and Pledge of Hands, it has a huge amount of mana, rivalling its life total. There's a large emphasis on Life Leech which is made instantaneous by the Vaal Pact keystone. This gives the build a lot of survivability, even in the face of damage reflection.
Written By Kom Limpulnam on Senin, 01 September 2014 | 23.06
Gamespot's Site MashupTop 5 Lessons the Next Mass Effect Can Take from ME3 MultiplayerGS News Update: Resident Evil Revelations 2 Confirmed; Bloodborne Gets Release DatePersona 5 Confirmed for PS4Theme Support Coming to PS4 and PS Vita In New UpdatesResident Evil - Next-gen TrailerSony Offers 250 Free PSP Games to PS Plus subscribers in JapanResident Evil Revelations 2 - Live-action TrailerResident Evil Revelations 2 is Real, Launching in 2015Galak-Z Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014The New 3DS, Hyrule Warriors, and Fantasy Life - PAX Prime 2014Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014Mikey Neumann and Kris Straub Hanging Out at PAX PrimeBehemoth's Game 4 Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014Mighty No. 9 Beta Starts TomorrowBlizzard Wants You to Play Hearthstone for the Next 10 Years
rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/feeds/mashup/?platform=1068&type=12 Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:04:08 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/top-5-lessons-the-next-mass-effect-can-take-from-m/2300-6421081/ Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer has Aaron Sampson looking back on lesson learned from Mass Effect 3. ]]> 2300-6421081Mon, 01 Sep 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-resident-evil-revelations-2-confirm/2300-6421120/ Sony's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference saw Resident Evil Revelations 2 being confirmed by Capcom, a February 5 release date announced for Bloodborne, and news that Persona 5 will also be coming to PS4 in 2015. ]]> 2300-6421120Mon, 01 Sep 2014 05:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/persona-5-confirmed-for-ps4/1100-6422036/
Persona 5, the next edition in Atlus' cult RPG series, is being developed for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.
Now due to ship next year, Persona 5 was initially conceived as a PS3 game and was targeted for release by the end of 2014. However, developers at the Tokyo-based Atlus are working on a separate PS4 version, which could be responsible for the project's delay.
The Persona series has become a key asset for Sony since the mid-nineties, with Atlus developing numerous editions on PS1, PS2, PS3 and handhelds. Though many Persona games are critically acclaimed, the PS2 title Persona 4 is widely considered as the flagship edition in the series, and was expanded with various spin-offs such as Persona 4 Arena and a PS Vita edition.
It's not clear whether Persona 5 will ship on Xbox One or Xbox 360. Gamespot has contacted Atlus for clarification.
Theme support is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in the upcoming 2.0 and 3.30 firmware updates, Sony announced at its pre-TGS PlayStation press conference in Japan today.
The long awaited feature was demoed during the conference with a theme featuring classic PlayStation mascots, including Toro the PlayStation cat.
While Sony didn't detail exactly how much customisation would be available to PS4 and Vita owners via themes, PlayStation EU community manager Chris Owen later confirmed via Twitter that PS4 themes would be distributed via the PlayStation Store.
]]> 1100-6422035Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/resident-evil-next-gen-trailer/2300-6421119/ Things aren't looking so good for Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in the first trailer for the remastered Resident Evil. ]]> 2300-6421119Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-offers-250-free-psp-games-to-ps-plus-subscrib/1100-6422034/
PlayStation Plus subscribers in Japan will be granted free access to some 250 PSP games for the PS Vita handheld, Sony has announced.
The offer, which runs from September 17 until the end of the year, gives PS Plus subscribers unlimited access to an extensive library of digital PSP games such as Gran Turismo and LocoRoco.
Currently, the PS Vita can access an entire library of PSP games within the PS Store, each of which can be downloaded at a cost. The new PS Plus offer means that many of these games can be downloaded for free, and kept for as long as the PS Plus subscription lasts.
Sony announced the new offer during its pre-TGS press conference on Monday, where it also revealed that Square Enix is developing Persona 5 for PS4.
It is unclear whether the free PSP games offer will be extended to the US or Europe. Gamespot has contacted Sony for clarification.
Also unclear is which games will be offered for free. The Japanese PSP catalogue on the PS Store consists of more than 370 games, meaning that about two thirds will be available.
]]> 1100-6422034Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/resident-evil-revelations-2-live-action-trailer/2300-6421118/ Capcom's second instalment of Resident Evil Revelations is making the jump from handheld to consoles. ]]> 2300-6421118Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-revelations-2-is-real-launching-in-2/1100-6422033/
The rumours were true. Resident Evil Revelations 2 is launching in 2015, publisher Capcom announced at Sony's pre-TGS PlayStation press conference in Japan today. The game is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, but not to a Nintendo console.
The announcement follows a leaked listing on Xbox.com last week, which showed the box art and a screenshot from the game.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is being developed by the same core team as the original game, which was first released on 3DS before high-definition versions came to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC last year. Capcom also announced that Revelations 2 will not feature Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as protagonists, and will take place in a new setting. More information is due at Tokyo Game Show later this month, along with a demo playable at the show.
In February, Capcom said that the console and PC versions of Resident Evil: Revelations reached over 1.1 million in sales.
]]> 1100-6422033Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/galak-z-stage-demo-pax-prime-2014/2300-6421114/ The Project Lead for Galak-Z shows off the responsive handling of the 2D space shooter. ]]> 2300-6421114Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-new-3ds-hyrule-warriors-and-fantasy-life-pax-p/2300-6421113/ Peter and Justin swing by the GameSpot stage to discuss the latest news from Nintendo at PAX Prime. ]]> 2300-6421113Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-stage-demo-pax-prime/2300-6421116/ The Lead Designer of Shadow of Mordor demonstrates the nemesis system and shows a story mission. ]]> 2300-6421116Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mikey-neumann-and-kris-straub-hanging-out-at-pax-p/2300-6421115/ Chris invited Mikey Neumann and Kris Straub to talk about the myriad of projects they are involved in, from comics to movie reviews. ]]> 2300-6421115Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/behemoths-game-4-stage-demo-pax-prime-2014/2300-6421117/ Take a look at the first few minutes from Behemoth's just-unveiled title, Game 4, with a co-founder of Behemoth and the narrator from the game, Will Stamper. ]]> 2300-6421117Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-beta-starts-tomorrow/1100-6422030/
The first beta for Mighty No. 9 will start tomorrow, the game's creator Keiji Inafune announced today at his PAX 2014 panel.
Kickstarter backers who pledged at the tiers that gave them access to the beta ($80 or more) will be able to download a build of the game that includes only the fifth level. However, over the next few weeks, the Mighty No. 9 development team will keep adding more content until beta testers will have access to a total of three levels.
Inafune also revealed that all Mighty No. 9 backers will get a free copy of Mighty Gunvolt, a 8-bit reimagining of the 2D action platformer Azure Striker Gunvolt developed by Inti Creates, which Inafune worked on as an "honorary action director." Fans who were lucky enough to attend Inafune's panel received a free copy of Mighty No. 9, free access to the beta, as well as a free copy of Mighty Gunvolt.
During the panel, Inafune said the team has spent the last year working on Mighty No. 9's core mechanics, but that they already completed work on a few key assets, abilities, and bosses. Inafune also showed a short video demonstrating a competitive online race mode for Mighty No. 9, though he said that he hasn't decided if it will make it into the final game.
Mighty No. 9 is becoming a reality thanks to an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign, which rocketed past its $900,000 goal, ending with $3.8 million last year. The side-scrolling action game is being worked on by Inafune himself and a team of designers at his studio, Comcept.
The final game is expected to launch by April 2015 for PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and 3DS.
]]> 1100-6422030Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-wants-you-to-play-hearthstone-for-the-nex/1100-6422031/
World of Warcraft is slowing down, but it had an amazing run since it launched in 2004. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Blizzard hopes, will enjoy the same kind of longevity.
According to Hearthstone producer Yong Woo, the desire to keep the game running for a long time motivates Blizzard to price items in the free-to-play game fairly.
"Universally we've been getting feedback that our pricing is very generous," Yong told IGN in an interview. "To us, that's important. For us, we're here for the long run. We're not here to make a quick buck. I want to be playing and working on Hearthstone 10 years from now and from that end, instead of focusing on maximising immediate profit, Hearthstone is really about being able to play it how you want to."
Production director for Hearthstone Jason Chayes reiterated the sentiment in an interview with Games Industry International. "We talked about this idea of white hat black hat from Westerns, and for us one of the goals we set for ourselves was that we wanted to do microtransactions with a white hat," he said. "When Blizzard approaches a game it's with the intention of making something that's going to be around not for a month or two or a year or two but something that we're really into for the long haul. A game that we plan to support for many many years to come, and that's certainly the case with Hearthstone."
Since it launched the beta, the group within Blizzard that created Hearthstone, Team 5, has grown from 15 people to more than 30. It's now working on responding to player feedback and creating new content to keep players engaged. The most significant content added to the game so far was the single-player expansion Curse of Naxxramas, which released on July 22.
For more on Hearthstone, be sure to check out our previous coverage.
]]> 1100-6422031Sun, 31 Aug 2014 15:30:00 -0700
Gamespot's Site MashupTop 5 Lessons the Next Mass Effect Can Take from ME3 MultiplayerGS News Update: Resident Evil Revelations 2 Confirmed; Bloodborne Gets Release DatePersona 5 Confirmed for PS4Theme Support Coming to PS4 and PS Vita In New UpdatesResident Evil - Next-gen TrailerSony Offers 250 Free PSP Games to PS Plus subscribers in JapanResident Evil Revelations 2 - Live-action TrailerResident Evil Revelations 2 is Real, Launching in 2015Galak-Z Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014The New 3DS, Hyrule Warriors, and Fantasy Life - PAX Prime 2014Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014Mikey Neumann and Kris Straub Hanging Out at PAX PrimeBehemoth's Game 4 Stage Demo - PAX Prime 2014Mighty No. 9 Beta Starts TomorrowBlizzard Wants You to Play Hearthstone for the Next 10 Years
rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 rss_modified:rss:9d9437cc2bdadfdb0c2a6594385b5cf5548bd329 http://www.gamespot.com/feeds/mashup/?platform=1068&type=12 Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:04:08 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/top-5-lessons-the-next-mass-effect-can-take-from-m/2300-6421081/ Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer has Aaron Sampson looking back on lesson learned from Mass Effect 3. ]]> 2300-6421081Mon, 01 Sep 2014 08:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-resident-evil-revelations-2-confirm/2300-6421120/ Sony's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference saw Resident Evil Revelations 2 being confirmed by Capcom, a February 5 release date announced for Bloodborne, and news that Persona 5 will also be coming to PS4 in 2015. ]]> 2300-6421120Mon, 01 Sep 2014 05:48:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/persona-5-confirmed-for-ps4/1100-6422036/
Persona 5, the next edition in Atlus' cult RPG series, is being developed for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.
Now due to ship next year, Persona 5 was initially conceived as a PS3 game and was targeted for release by the end of 2014. However, developers at the Tokyo-based Atlus are working on a separate PS4 version, which could be responsible for the project's delay.
The Persona series has become a key asset for Sony since the mid-nineties, with Atlus developing numerous editions on PS1, PS2, PS3 and handhelds. Though many Persona games are critically acclaimed, the PS2 title Persona 4 is widely considered as the flagship edition in the series, and was expanded with various spin-offs such as Persona 4 Arena and a PS Vita edition.
It's not clear whether Persona 5 will ship on Xbox One or Xbox 360. Gamespot has contacted Atlus for clarification.
Theme support is coming to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in the upcoming 2.0 and 3.30 firmware updates, Sony announced at its pre-TGS PlayStation press conference in Japan today.
The long awaited feature was demoed during the conference with a theme featuring classic PlayStation mascots, including Toro the PlayStation cat.
While Sony didn't detail exactly how much customisation would be available to PS4 and Vita owners via themes, PlayStation EU community manager Chris Owen later confirmed via Twitter that PS4 themes would be distributed via the PlayStation Store.
]]> 1100-6422035Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:47:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/resident-evil-next-gen-trailer/2300-6421119/ Things aren't looking so good for Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in the first trailer for the remastered Resident Evil. ]]> 2300-6421119Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:14:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-offers-250-free-psp-games-to-ps-plus-subscrib/1100-6422034/
PlayStation Plus subscribers in Japan will be granted free access to some 250 PSP games for the PS Vita handheld, Sony has announced.
The offer, which runs from September 17 until the end of the year, gives PS Plus subscribers unlimited access to an extensive library of digital PSP games such as Gran Turismo and LocoRoco.
Currently, the PS Vita can access an entire library of PSP games within the PS Store, each of which can be downloaded at a cost. The new PS Plus offer means that many of these games can be downloaded for free, and kept for as long as the PS Plus subscription lasts.
Sony announced the new offer during its pre-TGS press conference on Monday, where it also revealed that Square Enix is developing Persona 5 for PS4.
It is unclear whether the free PSP games offer will be extended to the US or Europe. Gamespot has contacted Sony for clarification.
Also unclear is which games will be offered for free. The Japanese PSP catalogue on the PS Store consists of more than 370 games, meaning that about two thirds will be available.
]]> 1100-6422034Mon, 01 Sep 2014 03:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/resident-evil-revelations-2-live-action-trailer/2300-6421118/ Capcom's second instalment of Resident Evil Revelations is making the jump from handheld to consoles. ]]> 2300-6421118Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:59:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/resident-evil-revelations-2-is-real-launching-in-2/1100-6422033/
The rumours were true. Resident Evil Revelations 2 is launching in 2015, publisher Capcom announced at Sony's pre-TGS PlayStation press conference in Japan today. The game is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC, but not to a Nintendo console.
The announcement follows a leaked listing on Xbox.com last week, which showed the box art and a screenshot from the game.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is being developed by the same core team as the original game, which was first released on 3DS before high-definition versions came to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U, and PC last year. Capcom also announced that Revelations 2 will not feature Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield as protagonists, and will take place in a new setting. More information is due at Tokyo Game Show later this month, along with a demo playable at the show.
In February, Capcom said that the console and PC versions of Resident Evil: Revelations reached over 1.1 million in sales.
]]> 1100-6422033Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:28:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/galak-z-stage-demo-pax-prime-2014/2300-6421114/ The Project Lead for Galak-Z shows off the responsive handling of the 2D space shooter. ]]> 2300-6421114Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-new-3ds-hyrule-warriors-and-fantasy-life-pax-p/2300-6421113/ Peter and Justin swing by the GameSpot stage to discuss the latest news from Nintendo at PAX Prime. ]]> 2300-6421113Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/middle-earth-shadow-of-mordor-stage-demo-pax-prime/2300-6421116/ The Lead Designer of Shadow of Mordor demonstrates the nemesis system and shows a story mission. ]]> 2300-6421116Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/mikey-neumann-and-kris-straub-hanging-out-at-pax-p/2300-6421115/ Chris invited Mikey Neumann and Kris Straub to talk about the myriad of projects they are involved in, from comics to movie reviews. ]]> 2300-6421115Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/behemoths-game-4-stage-demo-pax-prime-2014/2300-6421117/ Take a look at the first few minutes from Behemoth's just-unveiled title, Game 4, with a co-founder of Behemoth and the narrator from the game, Will Stamper. ]]> 2300-6421117Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mighty-no-9-beta-starts-tomorrow/1100-6422030/
The first beta for Mighty No. 9 will start tomorrow, the game's creator Keiji Inafune announced today at his PAX 2014 panel.
Kickstarter backers who pledged at the tiers that gave them access to the beta ($80 or more) will be able to download a build of the game that includes only the fifth level. However, over the next few weeks, the Mighty No. 9 development team will keep adding more content until beta testers will have access to a total of three levels.
Inafune also revealed that all Mighty No. 9 backers will get a free copy of Mighty Gunvolt, a 8-bit reimagining of the 2D action platformer Azure Striker Gunvolt developed by Inti Creates, which Inafune worked on as an "honorary action director." Fans who were lucky enough to attend Inafune's panel received a free copy of Mighty No. 9, free access to the beta, as well as a free copy of Mighty Gunvolt.
During the panel, Inafune said the team has spent the last year working on Mighty No. 9's core mechanics, but that they already completed work on a few key assets, abilities, and bosses. Inafune also showed a short video demonstrating a competitive online race mode for Mighty No. 9, though he said that he hasn't decided if it will make it into the final game.
Mighty No. 9 is becoming a reality thanks to an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign, which rocketed past its $900,000 goal, ending with $3.8 million last year. The side-scrolling action game is being worked on by Inafune himself and a team of designers at his studio, Comcept.
The final game is expected to launch by April 2015 for PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and 3DS.
]]> 1100-6422030Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/blizzard-wants-you-to-play-hearthstone-for-the-nex/1100-6422031/
World of Warcraft is slowing down, but it had an amazing run since it launched in 2004. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Blizzard hopes, will enjoy the same kind of longevity.
According to Hearthstone producer Yong Woo, the desire to keep the game running for a long time motivates Blizzard to price items in the free-to-play game fairly.
"Universally we've been getting feedback that our pricing is very generous," Yong told IGN in an interview. "To us, that's important. For us, we're here for the long run. We're not here to make a quick buck. I want to be playing and working on Hearthstone 10 years from now and from that end, instead of focusing on maximising immediate profit, Hearthstone is really about being able to play it how you want to."
Production director for Hearthstone Jason Chayes reiterated the sentiment in an interview with Games Industry International. "We talked about this idea of white hat black hat from Westerns, and for us one of the goals we set for ourselves was that we wanted to do microtransactions with a white hat," he said. "When Blizzard approaches a game it's with the intention of making something that's going to be around not for a month or two or a year or two but something that we're really into for the long haul. A game that we plan to support for many many years to come, and that's certainly the case with Hearthstone."
Since it launched the beta, the group within Blizzard that created Hearthstone, Team 5, has grown from 15 people to more than 30. It's now working on responding to player feedback and creating new content to keep players engaged. The most significant content added to the game so far was the single-player expansion Curse of Naxxramas, which released on July 22.
For more on Hearthstone, be sure to check out our previous coverage.
Manuel Noriega in Call of Duty: Black Ops II 
Markus Persson stands to make $1.75 billion from the deal 
In May 2013, former Xbox exec Marc Whitten revealed that Microsoft has some 300,000 dedicated servers for Xbox 
Bungie is a prolific layer of easter eggs. In 2009, it teased Destiny in the 2009 shooter Halo ODST. 
