Bobby Kotick earns $64.9m in 2012

Call of Duty maker Activision's CEO Bobby Kotick saw an 800 percent pay raise in 2012, as his total cash-and-prizes compensation leapt to $64.9 million. In 2011 his total pay was $8.1 million.

Kotick is now the second highest paid public-company CEO in the US, Bloomberg reports, behind Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

The vast majority of Kotick's pay increase came from $55.9 million in stock awards, which will vest over the next five years. His total cash salary for 2012 was inline with his previous earnings: $8.33 million.

Activision's report states that Kotick exceeded his performance goals goals on operating income, diluted earnings per share, and free cash flow. Kotick did not meet his target in the expansion of profit margins, however.

Kotick will receive another $16 million if he steers Activision towards its highest performance targets in 2013.

"We don't like any element of this pay package," said GMI Ratings corporate-governance consultant Nell Minow to Bloomberg. "In the past we have expressed concern about this company and its compensation practices."

"The lack of information provided by the compensation committee is a red flag," continued Minow. "It's very difficult to discern how they determined this compensation package from the information that's been provided."

Activision states that it now has a market value of $16.5 billion, and posted a net income of $1.15 billion for the financial year.

The publisher is rumoured to be unveiling its next Call of Duty title on May 1.

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Arkham City's voice of Batman not returning for Arkham Origins

Longtime Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy will not be reprising his role as the Caped Crusader in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins.

South Africa's NAG magazine (via Batman News) reports that developer Warner Bros. Montreal wants "to use a new younger actor because the game features Batman in his early years," whereas Conroy's gravelly tones have always voiced a veteran Dark Knight.

Batman Arkham: Origins tells the story of Batman's early years in the Arkham series. It is the first game in the universe not to be developed by UK developer Rocksteady.

Conroy was the voice of Batman in Arkham Asylum and its sequel Arkham City, MMO DC Universe Online, and the recently released DC brawler Injustice: Gods Among Us.

He was also the voice of Batman for the '90s animated series, and many of the DC Universe animated series that followed.

Mark Hamill, voice of Batman nemesis the Joker, has also said he will not be returning to the role.

Batman Arkham: Origins will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Wii U on October 25.

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Bungie: 'Still a lot of work' to do on Destiny

Bungie's first post-Halo project is not closed to being finished. As part of its latest Mail Sack feature, the developer was asked if the graphics, character models, and the world for Destiny had been finished, to which the company said no to all questions.

"No, no, and no. And, no," Bungie wrote. "Everything you've seen so far is work in progress. There is still a lot of work to be done. This is why you are made to wait, friends. Not because we like to tease you. Not because we know that you can take it. It's because we're still working."

The only gameplay shown for Destiny thus far was a brief clip displayed in February during the PlayStation 4 announcement. PS4 gamers will receive unspecified "exclusive" content for Destiny.

Last month during the Game Developers Conference, Bungie design director Joseph Staten and art director Christopher Barrett showed off a series of concept art images from Destiny and discussed the game's development.

Check out GameSpot's interview with Staten and Barrett for more.

Bungie has teased that more information on Destiny will be shared during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo in early June. Activision has told investors not to expect Destiny in 2013.

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Metro: Last Light - Redemption Trailer

Metro: Last Light Game Channel - Videos

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Metro: Last Light

Follow:

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X360, PC, PS3

Publisher:

Deep Silver

Category:

Action

Release:

May 14, 2013

ESRB:

M

Check out the Redemption trailer for Metro: Last Light.

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No Tiger Woods game next year - Report

The Tiger Woods PGA Tour series is staying in the clubhouse next year. That's according to Kotaku sources, who told the site that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 is not in the works for any platform.

Electronic Arts reportedly planned to outsource Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 and give the in-house team at EA Tiburon two years to make Tiger Woods PGA Tour 16 for the PlayStation 4 and next Xbox. However, when CEO John Riccitiello resigned last month, this plan was dropped to save costs, the sources said.

The fate of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise is unknown. An EA Sports representative told GameSpot, "We have no comment regarding Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 and we are focused on delivering a great Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 experience."

EA will report earnings for its fourth quarter fiscal year 2013 next week, where the company is expected to comment on the recent waves of layoffs at the outfit.

If there is no Tiger Woods PGA Tour game next year, it will be the first time since 1999 that EA has not launched a new entry in the series.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 shipped last month for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It includes a number of franchise-firsts, including night golf, LPGA support, and a Legends of the Majors mode that allows players to travel back in virtual time to compete against icons like Bobby Jones and Jack Nicklaus.

For more, check out GameSpot's review.

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New Grand Theft Auto V trailers April 30

[UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, Rockstar Games confirmed it will release new Grand Theft Auto V trailers tomorrow, April 30, at 11 a.m. EDT.

The original story follows below

Rockstar Games will introduce gamers to Grand Theft Auto V protagonists Michael, Trevor, and Franklin next week through a trio of trailers, the developer suggested today in an update to its website.

No further information was divulged.

GTAV is the first entry in the open-world series to feature multiple playable protagonists for its main storyline. Players can switch between them at "nearly any time." Sometimes the three will work together, with players able to swap back and forth in a similar way to the Lego series of games.

Michael, Trevor, and Franklin each have a distinct personality, skill set, and posse of friends. When players are controlling one of the characters, the other two will leave and do something else on their own.

To date, Rockstar has released two GTAV trailers. The first was released on November 2, 2011 and provided the first look inside the gameworld, believed to be larger than Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and GTA IV combined.

The second trailer launched November 14, 2012 and focused on protagonists Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. It highlighted the stories of the three characters, as well as new areas of the game's fictional setting of Los Santos.

Earlier this week, Rockstar teased GTAV in a religious cult video showing off the fictional Kifflom religion and Epsilon Program viral marketing campaign.

GTAV launches September 17 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Wii U and PC versions are "up for consideration."

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UK Chart: Injustice knocks BioShock Infinite into second place

DC fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us has dethroned BioShock Infinite's three-week stint as king of the UK charts.

NetherRealm's Injustice is the first fighting game to claim top billing in the UK charts since UFC Undisputed 3 last year. It's also publisher Warner Bros.' first chart topper since LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes.

BioShock Infinite drops to second place, with 3DS RPG Fire Emblem: Awakening launching in third. The RPG helped boost hardware sales, too, with a 49 percent week-on-week increase in 3DS sales thanks to the launch of the Fire Emblem limited edition blue 3DS XL.

Tomb Raider drops two places to fourth, with Defiance dropping one spot to fifth.

The regular crop of familiar titles fill out the rest of the top 10: FIFA 13 is sixth, Call of Duty: Black Ops II seventh, Luigi's Mansion 2 eighth, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 ninth, and Far Cry 3 tenth.

The Top 20 UK chart for the week ending April 20:

1. Injustice: Gods Among Us
2. BioShock Infinite
3. Fire Emblem: Awakening
4. Tomb Raider
5. Defiance
6. FIFA 13
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
8. Luigi's Mansion 2
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14
10. Far Cry 3
11. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
12. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
13. Assassin's Creed III
14. Skylanders Giants
15. Gears of War: Judgment
16. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
17. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
18. God of War: Ascension
19. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
20. Sleeping Dogs

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The Sly Collection spotted for Vita in ESRB listing

April 22, 2013 3:05AM PDT

But Sony hasn't officially announced the title.

The ESRB (via CVG) has rated a version of The Sly Collection for PlayStation Vita.

Sony hasn't formally announced the title for PlayStation Vita, but released The Sly Collection (known as The Sly Trilogy in Europe) for PlayStation 3 in 2010. The compilation contained HD remasters of PS2 platformers Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.

The ESRB rates the PlayStation Vita version of The Sly Collection as E10+, pointing out instances of crude humour in the game's dialogue and citing quotes "you've got some fuzzy dice to come round here" and "back in my day we had enforcers that would make people pee their pants just as soon as look at 'em."

A new title in the series, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita earlier this year.

By Martin Gaston, News Editor

Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.

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Just Cause dev: Story-driven AAA games make no business sense

Story-driven AAA games generally make no business sense, according to Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios founder Christofer Sundberg. An overall narrative is important, he argued, but providing player autonomy for the experience trumps.

Writing on Twitter, the designer offered up the question: "Why should a game have an end? Why bother about story when all data proves that players don't care?"

"6-12hrs story-driven AAA games makes no sense commercially any more," he said.

Some exceptions do exist, he said, like Naughty Dog's The Last of Us. But overall, he claimed that data has proven that players don't care.

"Story missions are not important," Sundberg added.

One example he provided was that of player engagement for his studio's 2010 open-ended sandbox game Just Cause 2. He said Avalanche Studios spent 3-5 months creating the game's story missions, but just 18 percent of players completed these.

One Twitter user posed a question to Sundberg asking if he thinks a game could get stale if there is no end; that is, if a player never reaches the conclusion, will they feel satisfied?

"Depends on what game you are making," Sundberg said. "Never underestimate the player's urge to grind."

Sundberg ended his comments by saying though he enjoys story in games, he doesn't see it being a part of successful games moving forward.

"For the record: I love a good game story. I just don't believe in it for the future," he said.

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Rayman Legends Challenge Mode coming to Wii U this week

The Challenge Mode for Rayman Legends will be coming to Wii U this week, Nintendo has announced.

Designed by Ubisoft as an apology to Wii U owners for delaying the game, the Rayman Legends Challenges App will be released on the eShop for free on Thursday April 25.

The Challenges App will offer a series of daily and weekly challenges for between one and five players, and records will be stored on global leaderboards. Four levels will be featured, including the exclusive Wii U level "Murfy's Dungeon."

Rayman Legends will launch for Wii U this September alongside the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.

Ubisoft said earlier this month that the seven-month delay for Rayman Legends has allowed for the creation of 30 new levels for the game.

"We just wanted to reach out and let you know how truly humbled we were by the outpouring of support from the community and the fans about the announcement of the delay of Rayman Legends, and let you know that it definitely hurt us to see you guys so upset about the delay," said senior game manager Michael Micholic back in February.

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Star Trek The Video Game - Launch Trailer

The fourth "Making the Game" feature for Star Trek The Video Game features the participation of Star Trek actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin.

Posted Apr 18, 2013 | 2:34 | 1,188 Views

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Bungie: We're not resting on our laurels with Destiny

The Halo series Bungie created is one of the most well-known franchises in gaming. It has sold millions of copies and its fans reach the world over. Despite this success, Bungie does not believe it will be blinded by its past accomplishments for its all-new Destiny franchise.

"It's important to take pride in one's work, and we do, but I don't see anyone here resting on their laurels," Bungie explained as part of its latest Mail Sack. "The ancients are hell-bent on outdoing themselves. The newbies are possessed with a hunger to prove that they truly deserve to keep the company into which they've been invited."

"The bar gets raised every time Bungie ships a game," the comment goes on. "It's been said that the fall could kill you. You'll be the judges of our vault."

Bungie also gave some specifics about what kinds of features and services players can expect from Bungie.net for Destiny. The developer said its core Halo-era ambitions for the service have not changed, meaning players will be able to track statistics, communicate with other games, and even speak with developers at Bungie through the platform.

"Bungie.net was designed to provide the players of Halo with a bunch of ways to extend and share their experiences. Those priorities won't change with Destiny," Bungie said. "It'll be a great place to maintain a relationship with the people who are making this game, with the other people who are playing this game, and even with yourself as a character in this game."

The developer also teased some "interesting plans" for "how you can take that experience with you, wherever you go."

"If armed with the right gadgets, no matter where life finds you, the world of Destiny will be very close--at your fingertips, even," the developer said.

Bungie already has a dedicated Bungie Mobile application, currently available for Android and iOS devices as a free download.

Destiny is the first project in Bungie's ten-year publishing partnership with Call of Duty publisher Activision. The project is described as a "shared-world shooter."

The game is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4, though Bungie's own preorder page suggests the game is also coming to Wii U, PC, PlayStation Vita, and the Xbox 720.

For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's interview with design director Joe Staten and art director Christopher Barrett.

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim modded with Oculus Rift support

April 22, 2013 6:54AM PDT

Bethesda's open-world RPG latest game to see support for VR headset.

YouTube user "Chris Gallizzi" has posted a video (via Kotaku) showing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim running with the Oculus Rift VR headset.

Two minutes of footage are shown, including sword combat and horseback traversal. "Playing Skyrim with the Oculus is a dream come true," said Gallizzi in the comments, before adding that the game's field of view with the VR headset "takes some adjusting depending on your sight… I'm [nearsighted] so I had to adjust [the] FOV from 100 to 110 to make everything seem correct."

Playing Skyrim on Oculus Rift is currently made possible by using the free and open-source Vireio Perception driver, which has also been used to make Left 4 Dead, Mirror's Edge, and Half-Life 2 work with the VR headset.

Last week Bethesda said the Skyrim development team had moved on to their next project.

By Martin Gaston, News Editor

Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.

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Metroid Prime trilogy director: 'Everything we do sucks'

The Metroid Prime trilogy was praised by critics, but from the vantage point of director Mark Pacini, the games "sucked."

Speaking to Game Informer, the industry veteran--who left Retro Studios in 2008 after eight years with the company to open Armature Studios--offered a raw critique of Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

"I think everything we do sucks," Pacini said. "But that's just me because I thought all the Prime games suck. At the end of the day all I see are all the bad things. Prime 2 was a blur to me. It was so quick, it was so fast. That thing just went out the door and it was a very divisive game. People either liked it or thought it sucked, and I can completely agree because I couldn't tell you what that game was because it happened so quickly. Prime 1 was the best designed game. Prime 3 I feel is the most fun one to play. Prime 2 is divisive. You either like it or you don't. That's kind of the way I look at it."

Now with Armature Studios, Pacini and his team are working with Warner Bros. on Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, a Super Metroid-style game for 3DS and PlayStation Vita. He said his mindset is the same with this game; though he wants fans to enjoy it, all he can see now is the "crap" that's wrong with it.

"It is the same thing here with the Arkham game. All I see at this point, because we are knee deep, we're in the woods right now in development, and all I see is all the crap that's wrong with it," Pacini said. "In my gut I feel like, yeah, it's going to be cool. I'm excited for it. But at the same time, I hope we don't disappoint people and I hope that they like it. We're trying our hardest. I would like to play a game like this, so hopefully everyone else will, too."

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will launch October 25 alongside the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game developed by WB Games Montreal.

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GS News - Long-delayed XCOM shooter's website and videos pulled

Guy brings you news on XCOM's (the shooter's) delay, the many millions of dollars Activision was going to pay Infinity Ward in 2010, and the release of the ladies of Penthouse magazine in Saints Row: The Third.

Posted May 23, 2012 | 3:35 | 6,475 Views

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Indie developer defends Microsoft

Indie developer and Castle Crashers creator The Behemoth has spoken out to defend Microsoft and its Xbox Live Arcade team. During a recent Raptr Q&A (via Beefjack), project manager Emil Ayoubkhan said the developer's relationship with the Xbox 360 maker has been pleasant.

"We have absolutely no problem with Microsoft or the XBLA team," Ayoubkhan wrote. "We love working with them, and hopefully they enjoy working with us as well. I can't speak for other devs that may have bad mouthed Microsoft in the past, but that's definitely not the company that we are."

His comments came in response to a question about if The Behemoth would form a collective with other indie developers to address the "difficult" process of getting games onto XBLA.

"There shouldn't be any collectives formed to go against anyone else," Ayoubkhan wrote. "We should all be in this together and working towards making games that are fun to play."

"You'll always hear the negative side of things in the press, or from others, more than the positive aspects," he added. "It's definitely a lot more entertaining to read I suppose."

Most recently, Braid creator Jonathan Blow lambasted Microsoft's indie developer relations policies. He told Wired that the company's stance is to "put you through as much pain as you will endure in order to extract whatever [they] feel like this week."

Blow's next game--The Witness--will be a PlayStation 4 launch title.

Retro City Rampage creator Brian Provinciano also spoke poorly of Microsoft, claiming the company canceled the release of his game after he publicly spoke about the trials of the process. He further claimed that Microsoft forced him to resubmit the game, which resulted in an extra six months' work.

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DayZ creator taking two months off to climb Mt. Everest

DayZ creator Dean Hall is taking his skills to new heights. The developer explained on his blog today (via Kotaku) that he is taking a two-month sabbatical to climb Mt. Everest, the world's tallest mountain.

Fans may be upset over Hall taking time off as the DayZ standalone game is still not released, but he explained that his team of developers at Bohemia Interactive are more than capable of getting the job done while he is away.

"I realize some people are upset at my departure from the project for two months to climb Mt. Everest, but hopefully from this you can see the large team Bohemia have assembled behind the development that are continuing to innovate and develop DayZ Standalone in the direction of the game we all want," Hall wrote.

"This is going to take as long as it needs to, we want to release our initial alpha under the architecture it needs to avoid hacking and security issues--this is the only remaining task stopping us from releasing the alpha," he added. "But while this task is being completed, we can continue with other activities."

Hall penned his blog post today from the Mt. Everest base camp at an elevation of 5,400 meters. Tomorrow, he will head to the Khumbu Icefall to train on fixed lines and ladders as he prepares for his ascent to the peak.

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Deadly Abilities - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Trailer

What happened to all the stealth games about sneaking around? How has the genre evolved to its current state? Jess McDonell speaks to the minds behind Thief, Splinter Cell and Dishonored to try and find out.

Posted Sep 3, 2012 | 6:27 | 33,214 Views

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PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale developer working on new IP

April 15, 2013 7:57AM PDT

Developer forced to "substantially" downsize following its split with Sony in February.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale developer SuperBot Entertainment is working on new IP following its split from Sony.

While no details of the new game were given, the studio confirmed it has "substantially" downsized following a joint statement with Sony in February saying the working relationship between the two companies ended on amiable terms.

"We have substantially shrunk down our operations but are still going strong while we work on a new IP," said SuperBot director of operations David Yang in an interview with Edge.

A previous source had said to Edge that the studio was in the process of being closed.

The Californian developer was formed in 2009, and so far has only worked on last year's PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.

"SuperBot Entertainment will continue working on projects that reflect our passion for games and our commitment to creating award winning titles. We are very excited about beginning the next chapter of our future and invite all of our fans and supporters to follow our journey," said Yang in February.

By Martin Gaston, News Editor

Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.

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Ubisoft: gamers are ready for always-online

Ubisoft Montreal CEO Yannis Mallat has weighed in on the possibility of an always-online requirement for next-generation platforms. Speaking The Guardian (via Game Informer), Mallat said he believes most gamers are already prepared for such a mandate.

"Well, that's a question you should put to Microsoft and Sony! I would say that a lot of people are already always online through other devices," Mallat said. "I would suspect that the audience is ready."

The executive added that if an always-online console hopes to see mass adoption, it must "provide clear benefits" for such a requirement, like extra content or featured services.

Microsoft's Xbox 720 is rumored to require an Internet connection--and a Kinect unit--to function. If a network signal drops for three minutes, any running applications or games will cease to work, according to a past report.

Earlier this month, Microsoft creative director Adam Orth made headlines after saying, "Sorry, I don't get the drama around having an 'always on' console. Every device now is 'always on'. That's the world we live in." He then used the hashtag "#dealwithit." He is no longer with Microsoft.

Microsoft has not commented at all on plans for a future platform, though multiple reports have indicated the company will announce the next Xbox on May 21.

The PlayStation 4 does not require an Internet connection. No console in history ever has.

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3DS-specific Nintendo Direct coming this Wednesday

April 15, 2013 8:27AM PDT

Nintendo promises to announce "the latest on Nintendo 3DS" this week.

Nintendo has teased an upcoming 3DS-themed Nintendo Direct for this week.

The publisher is promising to unveil "the latest on Nintendo 3DS" on Wednesday April 17. Gamers will be able to watch the event live at 07:00 PST/10:00 EST/15:00 BST.

No specifics were detailed by Nintendo.

During previous Nintendo Direct events this year, Nintendo has unveiled a suite of 3DS games for release in 2013: Pokemon X and Y, Mario Golf: World Tour, and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.

Nintendo has also used Nintendo Direct events to unveil new Legend of Zelda and Mario games for the Wii U, promising to debut both titles at E3 this year.

The publisher's next major 3DS title, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, will be released June 9 in North America and June 14 in Europe.

By Martin Gaston, News Editor

Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.

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Subscription-based Xbox 720 priced at $300, with $500 standard model?

Noted Windows blogger Paul Thurrott has claimed during the latest What The Tech episode (via NeoGAF) that the Xbox 720 will launch in November beginning at $300 for a subscription-based model. A standard model will sell for around $500, he said.

He described the platform overall as "expensive."

The Xbox 720 won't be the only new Xbox on shelves this season, Thurrott claimed. The writer said Microsoft is planning a $99 "Stingray" Xbox 360. He did not provide any further information about this platform.

Thurrott also shared information about the Xbox 720's reported always-online requirement. He said this a confirmed feature for the platform, claiming the system's notes specifically state that the Xbox 720 "must be Internet-connected to use."

The Xbox 720 reportedly stops functioning if an Internet connection drops for three minutes.

As for when the Xbox 720 could be announced, Thurrott said Microsoft is planning a reveal event on May 21. This matches up with an recent analyst report suggesting Microsoft was readying a reveal next month.

The blogger added that Microsoft will share further information about the Xbox 720 during two June events: the Electronic Entertainment Expo and the Build 2013 developer conference.

Thurrott further claimed that Microsoft was working on an entertainment-focused Xbox that would not play games. He said this device was called "Yumo," and speculated that Microsoft decided not to pursue this so as not to confuse the market.

A Microsoft representative was not immediately available to comment.

Thurrott is a noted Microsoft insider and runs Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows.

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AU Shippin' Out April 8-12: Defiance

Experimental third-person multiplayer shooter game Defiance will this week be released in Australia on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The open world, multiplatform MMO shooter is based on a science-fiction universe interconnected with a television show of the same name.

To be aired on television network Syfy from April 15, the Defiance television show pledges to change its storyline based on what players get up to in the game.

Defiance takes place on a futuristic Earth, transformed by a world-wide terraforming event. The game is set in the San Francisco Bay Area, whereas the TV series will take place in St. Louis.

To accompany the announcement developer Trion Worlds also released a full-length Join the Fight live action trailer, which shows the game's Ark Hunters fighting enormous antagonistic crustaceans known as Hellbugs.

Trion Worlds is no stranger to the massively multiplayer online genre, having released MMORPG Rift to positive reception in 2011. For more on Defiance, check out GameSpot's interview with the developers.

For the full details on games out this week, check out the list below.

April 11, 2013

Defiance (360, PS3, PC)
The Croods: Prehistoric Party! (3DS, DS, Wii, Wii U)

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Finding The Fear in 2013

Looks like I will have to check out Metro, as I'd bet 10 out of 10 of my toes 3/4 of these are for the PC, and the 360 gets left alone. Eh at least I still have Silent Hill Downpour. On another note, it's nice to see Dementium being ported from the DS, I really should finish that game. Game was bad assed on the DS, it'll be interesting to see it ported. Asylum looks incredibly bad ass. I'm still waiting to see Fatal Frame, ObsCure get an HD release, which is right along the CastleVania Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness HD release. Never gonna happen

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Nintendo Australia to attend Supanova

Nintendo Australia has announced its plans to be present at the Supanova Pop Culture Expo in Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Attendees who bring their Nintendo 3DS consoles will be able to partake in multiplayer gaming with titles such as Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Kart 7 and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

A Nintendo Lounge will be set up at the expo for gamers wanting to team up with others, or get StreetPass hits. Charging stations will also be available for attendees who wish to keep their 3DS topped up with juice throughout the day.

Supanova is a fan convention focusing on science fiction, pulp television and film, toys, console gaming, trading cards, anime, cartoons, fantasy, comic books, entertainment technology, books, fan clubs, and more. The convention will be running in Melbourne and the Gold Coast in mid to late April. See below for additional details.

Melbourne Supanova
Where: Melbourne Showgrounds
Epsom Road, Ascot Vale, Victoria 3032.
When: Saturday April 13, 10am to 6pm
Sunday April 14, 10am to 6pm

Gold Coast Supanova
Where: Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Corner Gold Coast Highway and TE Peters Drive, Broadbeach, Queensland 4218
When: Saturday April 20, 10am to 6pm
Sunday April 21, 10am to 6pm

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Project X Zone crossing over North America this June

Upcoming JRPG to feature over 50 playable characters from Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega.

Namco Bandai has announced on its website that the upcoming 3DS crossover-filled RPG, Project X Zone, will be out in North America and Europe soon.

The game will arrive on game shelves on June 25 in North America. The European release date for the game has yet to be confirmed, though the website stated that it will be out in summer.

Project X Zone's plot revolves around a treasure called the "portalstone" where interdimensional travelling between different universes is possible. Players are able to form their own party in combat using over 50 playable characters from various Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega franchises. Examples include Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken, Tekken's Heihachi Mishima and Jin Kazama, and Virtua Fighter's Akira and Pai.

For more information, check out GameSpot's previous coverage on the title.

By Jonathan Toyad, Associate Editor

Born and raised from a jungle-laden village in Sarawak, Malaysia, Jonathan Toyad has been playing games since the early 90s. He favors fighting games, RPGs, and rhythm titles above every other genre, and occasionally spaces out like Pavlov's dog to video game music on his iPod.

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UK Chart: BioShock Infinite stays top as Defiance enters third

Irrational Games' BioShock Infinite has remained top of the UK charts for its second week of release, despite a 75 percent drop in overall sales, while Trion's MMO shooter Defiance has landed in third position.

Defiance is a new IP designed to tie-in to the SyFy TV series of the same name, which premieres in the UK on April 16. The game sold the vast majority of its copies on Xbox 360, with 76 per cent of sales attributed to Microsoft's platform.

Square Enix's Tomb Raider clings on to second place for the third week running, with EA's FIFA 13 also remaining in fourth.

3DS-exclusive Luigi's Mansion 2 remains fifth for its second week, while Epic Games' Gears of War: Judgement drops three places to sixth.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is seventh, Assassin's Creed III eighth, Skylanders Giants ninth, and Need for Speed: Most Wanted is in tenth.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the 3DS and Wii U is nowhere to be seen in the full top 40, although Nintendo has said it is having issues providing copies of the game to retailers.

The Top 20 UK chart for the week ending April 6:

1. BioShock Infinite
2. Tomb Raider
3. Defiance
4. FIFA 13
5. Luigi's Mansion 2
6. Gears of War: Judgment
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
8. Assassin's Creed III
9. Skylanders Giants
10. Need for Speed: Most Wanted
11. Crysis 3
12. Far Cry 3
13. LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
14. Halo 4
15. Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
16. LEGO The Lord of the Rings
17. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14
18. SimCity
19. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2
20. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

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Standalone Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon to be released in May - Report

The heavily rumoured but currently unannounced Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon will be a standalone title released in May, an updated listing on Xbox.com suggests.

At the end of last week a series of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon screenshots appeared on Xbox.com, but an updated description for the game now says "Playing Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon doesn't require a copy of Far Cry 3."

The game's description also suggests that it will feature a neon-tinged take on the series' open-world traversal, and star ubiquitous 80s action movie star Michael Biehn as protagonist Rex Colt.

"Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon is THE Kick-Ass Cyber Shooter taking place on a bizarre open-world island crawling with evil," reads the description.

"Welcome to an 80's VHS vision of the future. The year is 2007 and you are Sargent Rex Colt, a Mark IV Cyber Commando who's fighting against a cyborg army gone rogue. Your mission: get the girl, kill the baddies, and save the world. Experience every cliché of a VHS era vision of a nuclear future, where cyborgs, blood dragons, mutants, and Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens, Navy Seals) collide."

The listing also states that the game will be released on Wednesday May 1.

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon first appeared as a listing in the Brazilian classification ratings group at the start of March. Ubisoft also showed a teaser site for the game on April 1.

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Free of Charge - Warframe

This game is alot like Borderlands 1: a very good game and it's a little bit repetitive, but if you get some friends to play, you won't even care!

The microtransactions are a chore, though you can still buy things for merely playing it and using credits.

I would give the game a 7 for singleplayer (try playing it while listening to your favorite podcast, it's quite enjoyable), and an 8 for multiplayer.

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Deus Ex: Human Defiance to be revealed today

[UPDATE] Official Facebook page announces "world's first look" at new game today; project appears to be April Fool's prank.

[UPDATE] Following the publication of this story, a website for Deus Ex: Human Defiance went live. It calls on users to "Like" the Deus Ex Facebook page if they wish to see an 8-bit Deus Ex game, though it appears to be an April Fool's prank.

The original story follows below

Deus Ex fans don't have long to wait for news about the next installment in the series.

The official official Deus Ex Facebook page has teased a "world's first look" at Deus Ex: Human Defiance today, a new game in the series. No exact time for the announcement was divulged.

Square Enix last month trademarked Deus Ex: Human Defiance. Domain names registered by CBS Films suggest this is the title of the upcoming Deus Ex film.

However, it is disclosed in the Facebook page comments that Human Defiance is a new game and not a movie.

CBS Films is a division of CBS, which is GameSpot's parent company

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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Interim EA executive gets $1.03 million salary

Electronic Arts will pay executive chairman Larry Probst an annual salary of $1.03 million while the Battlefield and FIFA publisher seeks a replacement for John Riccitiello, who resigned as CEO last month.

Federal documents also show that the EA Board of Directors may award Probst a one-time discretionary bonus at the end of his term, with the amount to be determined by the Board.

In addition to his new role at EA of executive chairman, Probst is a member of the Board. He abstained from the Compensation Committee's salary decision and will not receive any further cash retainer fees for his position on the Board while he is also executive chairman.

Probst has been in a leadership position at EA since 1991 and was CEO from 1991 to 2007. He is also the current executive chairman of the United States Olympic Committee and serves on the International Olympic Committee's International Relations Commission. Past positions include national sales manager at Activision and national accounts manager at Clorox.

Six-year EA CEO Riccitiello resigned from the company on March 18, citing a failure to meet financial milestones as his reason to move on. His separation agreement with EA includes 24 months of continued salary and other options worth an estimated $4.7 million.

Looking ahead, the EA Board will consider internal and external candidates to replace Riccitiello with the help of a "leading executive search firm."

According to one analyst, leading internal candidates for the position include current chief operating officer Peter Moore and EA Labels president Frank Gibeau. EA has set no timetable for when it plans to name a new top executive.

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First new Torment RPG image

The world of Torment: Tides of Numenera is coming to life. inXile Entertainment today released the first screenshot for its upcoming isometric role-playing game. The image was created using a 2D pre-rendered background technique, the company said in a statement.

The image (at right) is set within the Bloom, described as a "vast, semi-sentient predator" and a "monstrous, organic creation." The Bloom features numerous pathways that harbor good and evil beings, inXile said.

In addition, inXile announced today that fantasy author Pat Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy) will join the development team, while Obsidian Entertainment creative director Chris Avellone will come aboard if Kickstarter funding hits $3.5 million.

Currently, the campaign has raised $3.26 million from nearly 60,000 backers with four days remaining.

Torment: Tides of Numenera--due out December 2014--is set in Monte Cook's tabletop role-playing world of Numenera, which itself was successfully funded through Kickstarter. It will have an isometric perspective and runs on the Unity game engine.

InXile was clear that Tides of Numenera is not a sequel to Planescape: Torment, but rather a "completely new game" that has been designed to provide the same experience and feeling as the original. The game asks players: What does one life matter?

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Sony seeking 'Destiny of Spirits' trademark

PlayStation maker files mystery application that covers game software.

Sony has filed an application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office for "Destiny of Spirits." The March 26 application covers "computer game software; electronic game software for handheld electronic devices; video game software."

No further information is available and a Sony representative was not immediately available to comment.

Numerous high-profile game companies have filed trademark applications with the USPTO of late. Bungie recently filed bids for Glimmer, Hive, Fallen, Cabal, and Vex. Meanwhile, Microsoft wants to trademark Marlow Briggs and a Bethesda trademark suggests a Fallout TV show may be in the works.

By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

23.07 | 0 komentar | Read More