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Coming up Sending you to Mario Kart 8 - Battle Mode Revealed
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Coming up Sending you to Mario Kart 8 - Battle Mode Revealed
Mario Kart 8's May 30 release date is just a few weeks away, and as we near the finish line for this upcoming racer, Nintendo has been kind enough to drop a few new details about what's coming to this long-running series. What excites me the most is the Super Horn, a new item that can destroy incoming items--including the dreaded blue shells--by emitting a powerful shock wave around your vehicle. This is a rare, single-use item and is one of two new items announced for the game. The other is an upgraded version of Lucky 7, aptly named Crazy 8, which adds a coin to the item rotation. Nintendo also announced two new characters for Mario Kart 8: Baby Rosalina--you knew that was coming--and Pink Gold Peach, the Princess Peach equivalent to Metal Mario.
When you're not on the racetrack, you can use the game's tournament mode to create public or private online matches that can be set to automatically re-create themselves on a regular basis--such as every Sunday from 4 to 5 p.m. You can also share replays with your friends. The game will automatically save your last 12 races; you can post them in full to the Miiverse or generate a highlights reel that can be posted to either the Miiverse or directly to YouTube.
Wario knows how to put the Super Horn to good use. Last but not least, Nintendo also announced that if you register Mario Kart 8 with Club Nintendo before July 31, you will be able to choose a free download code for either Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros. U, Wii Party U, or The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD to add to your collection. If you want an early peek at Mario Kart 8--including some of the new courses--be sure to check out the videos below.
Despite using all these people to advertise the move, actual group calls on Skype are limited to a maximum of 10 people. Microsoft has said it's now free to have a group video call over Skype on Xbox One, Windows PC, and Mac.
You used to have to pay $4.99 a month for the feature, but no longer. Imagine all the things you can now discuss virtually with a whole bunch of people! Rival video services such as Google Hangouts have offered free group calling for some time now, but Microsoft can likely still boast that Skype is a more recognisable service.
Skype allows up to 10 people to all natter away together as part of a group call, and Microsoft has pledged to bring group video calling to other platforms, such as iPad, in the future.
Valve has announced that it will launch the Spring Cleaning update for Dota 2 this week, eschewing headline-grabbing new features, incredible new heroes, and other big, bold, and fancy updates to bring players an exhaustive list of nips, tucks, and various balance changes.
There's a few big character changes. My favourite character in the game, Lich, can now target buildings with his Frost Armor ability. Amazing. Sven has received a hefty increase to his base damage, too, and Bounty Hunter's Track has an increased range, making it even easier to use and inevitably even more frustrating when your random teammate absolutely refuses to do it.
All these changes are arriving as part of update 6.81, along with a bunch of interface updates and another handful of new treasures. The courier now respawns quicker, too, and Roshan has been given another point of armour.
You can read the full changelist over on Valve's site. I advise making a cup of tea, getting comfy, and grabbing a couple of biscuits before you do, though.
A report from The New York Times reveals that Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin's personal assistant Ty Corey Franck is working with Telltale Games as a "story consultant" for the developer's upcoming episodic series based on the acclaimed fantasy franchise.
That's no doubt good news for fans of Game of Thrones who hope to see the fiction make a smooth transition to Telltale's video game. Telltale hasn't said yet what stories it plans to tell from the hugely popular franchise, but we'll find out soon enough, as the series is set to premiere later this year.
Also in the feature, Telltale studio head Colum Slevin--himself a former LucasFilm executive--said Telltale isn't trying to make games that are as visually sophisticated as movies. Instead, the studio's ambitions are to create experiences that "narratively resonate" with audiences, he said.
"Nobody else in the world is doing this or thinking on this scale," Slevin said. "Everyone is focused on trying to make games look as sophisticated as films, as opposed to trying to make games be as emotionally and narratively resonant as film, which is a whole different challenge."
Telltale currently has a number of projects on its plate. In addition to Game of Thrones, the San Rafael, Calif.-based studio is working on the second season of The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and the recently confirmed Tales from the Borderlands.
Sony Pictures has announced (via Variety) that Pixels--the upcoming video game-themed movie from actor Adam Sandler--will open in theaters on May 15, 2015. The film stars Sandler (Mr. Deeds, Happy Gilmore), Kevin James (The King of Queens, Hitch), Michelle Monaghan (Source Code, Gone Baby Gone), Josh Gad (Frozen, 21), and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones, Elf).
Harry Potter director Chris Columbus is attached to direct Pixels, which will begin shooting next month. The script was written by comedy alums Tim Herlihy (Big Daddy) and Timothy Dowling (Role Models), and is based on a short film of the same name by Patrick Jean (above). Sandler is producing Pixels with his Happy Madison production company, alongside Columbus' 1492 Pictures.
The story for Pixels goes like this:
"When aliens misinterpret video-feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war against them, they attack the Earth, using the games as models for their various assaults. President Will Cooper has to call on his childhood best friend, '80s video game champion Jules Brenner, now a home theater installer, to lead a team of old-school arcaders to defeat the aliens and save the planet."
Sony Pictures is working with "many" of the iconic video game brands from the 1980s for Pixels, though none were named outright. In Jean's short film, we see famous brands like Tetris, Pac-Man, Pong, Donkey Kong, and Frogger, among others.
If you're in the US and completely gutted about the fact that you missed out the Mario McDonald's Happy Meals, well, maybe this will cheer you up: American branches of the fast food giant will soon be offering up a Pokemon Happy Meal. Pokemon!
After the current Spider-Man Happy Meal promotion comes to an end, Nintendo will usher in a selection of toys from Pokemon X and Y. The twelve lucky Pokemon chosen to be randomly sandwiched between a burger and fries are Pikachu, Mewtwo, Xerneas, Yvetal, Charizard, Blastoise, Ivysaur, Fennekin, Froakie, Chespin, Pancham, and Helioptile.
Customers of the kid-focused value meal will also get to snap up a trading card, and scan their toys in with McDonald's McPlay Power app.
And, you know, you get the meal.
Dark Souls and Dark Souls II developer From Software has been bought by Japanese publisher Kadokawa.
Kadokawa will acquire a majority 80 per cent share of From Software's stock, reported Siliconera, and the deal will be finalised on May 21. The amount of money spent on the deal was not reported.
The bulk of From Software's success in the West now comes from the Dark Souls series, but the developer is also responsible for the Armoured Core and Tenchu games. From Software also developed 2004's Japan-only Xbox shooter Metal Wolf Chaos, where you played as an ousted US president attempting to regain control of his country with an uber-powerful mecha.
Kadokawa is a Japanese publishing group that deals is anime, manga, video games, and video games. It's probably most well-known over here for publishing Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead.
"With a new system, from this point on, I believe we'll be able to make newer and more in depth games," said From Software boss Naotoshi Zin.
In Bungie's latest weekly update blog post, the Destiny developer denied a claim that it is favoring PlayStation over Xbox. A fan asked, "Will you guys give a nod to your Xbox fan base or just keep ignoring them?"
Bungie community manager David Dague responded, "Who's ignoring you? We're right here; making a game we hope you'll love. We're listening to your questions, and answering the ones we can. If you're a gamer who wants to play a Bungie game, you're very much on our mind-- every day."
It's not terribly surprising that the fan reached that conclusion. After all, Destiny was showcased at Sony's PlayStation 4 announcement event in February 2013 and then again at Sony's E3 media briefing later that year. Sony even teamed up with Bungie for a new PS4 commercial, and the beta for Destiny will begin this summer first on PlayStation 3 and PS4.
This is a dramatic about-face for Bungie, which is perhaps best known as a longtime wholly owned Microsoft studio, made famous for its Halo games that were released exclusively on PC and Xbox consoles. The studio would later regain its independence and sign a 10-year publishing arrangement with Call of Duty company Activision Publishing for their next major franchise, Destiny. It is Bungie's first multiplatform game in a decade.
We recently visited Bungie's offices and will have much more on Destiny later today. Destiny launches September 9 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, and PS4.
As we've long expected, Microtransactions will be added to Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare next week, Electronic Arts has announced.
According to a post on EA's website from Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Producer Brian Lindley, starting next week, players will be given the option to purchase coins from the Sticker Shop, which allows players the ability to access new packs and character content more quickly. The same content can be earned through regular gameplay, but now you can pay for a shortcut.
"Now you have the choice to play your way," Lindley said. "You can play to get new packs and content via earned coins in the game, or you can purchase coins to get more of the packs and content you want right away."
Lindley previously said that Garder Warfare wouldn't feature microtransactions at launch, and it didn't, but he never ruled out the possibility of adding it later.
Garden Warfare's packs contain randomized items, so you're likely to buy a lot of them before you get any one particular item you want. As GameSpot editor Carolyn Petit wrote back in February, it seems like this system was designed with in-app purchases in mind all along:
"The potential for player disappointment and frustration in this randomized system is significant, and it seems to me that the developers of the game must have been aware of it, and could easily have designed around it. Which makes me suspect that maybe they didn't want to design around it. Maybe they want you to get a little frustrated. Why? So that you can alleviate those frustrations by spending a little money, once microtransactions are introduced."
On the other hand, developer PopCap is at least being generous in other ways, releasing the game's DLC for free.
For more on Garden Warfare, check out GameSpot's review.
[UPDATE] A post to Xbox Wire details what a team of filmmakers and excavators searching for long-buried E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial cartridges found at the Alamogordo Landfill in New Mexico today.
"The findings started out very promising, with an old, dusty Atari 2600 joystick buried in the landfill," Xbox Wire Staff said. "Then an 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' cartridge. A box. An instruction manual. And the confirmation of 'a lot more down there.'"
At this point it's not clear how many more cartridges of the game are left to dig up, only that they are "100 percent there."
The post to Xbox Wire also revealed the working title for the documentary which inspired the search, Atari: Game Over.
The original story is below.
It seems like the search for millions of copies of failed movie tie-in game E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial buried in a landfill in Alamogordo, New Mexico has finally turned something up.
The dig, which begun in earnest today, has turned up copies of the game you can see in the picture below. The crew operating the excavators are saying there are many more.
Image credit: Larry Hryb. Apparently E.T. wasn't the only game buried at the site. Here's a picture of another copy and also the Atari 2600 game, Centipede:
Image credit: Larry Hryb. Whatever else the search turns up will be captured on film for a documentary Microsoft commissioned about the dig. It will debut as a multi-part documentary series exclusively on Xbox platforms later this year.
The final excavation of the site is a long time coming for Microsoft. Alamogordo city commissioners approved the search in June, but the project was later put on hold because a waste excavation plan needed to be finalized before the digging could begin. Microsoft got that approval just earlier this month.
We'll keep updating this story with any new details from today's dig.
If you own Call of Duty: Ghosts for the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 3 you can try the game's Onslaught DLC for free this weekend.
The free trial period started yesterday, and will last until Monday, April 28 at 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
The Onslaught DLC pack contains four new maps--Fog, Bay View, Containment, and Ignition--and the Maverick dual assault rifle/sniper rifle. Fans of the co-op alien-fighting Extinction campaign, such as GameSpot's Shaun McInnis, will also be able to play the first chapter of the four-part DLC campaign.
If this offer sounds a little familiar, it's because Activision, which has an exclusivity deal with Microsoft, gave Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners the same free trial back in March.
The Onslaught DLC costs $15, but you can also get the Season Pass for $50, which includes three more pieces of DLC.
For more on Call of Duty: Ghosts, check out GameSpot's review.
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist, a live-action series based on Capcom's fighting game, has released a new teaser trailer which introduces Ken.
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist tells the coming of age story of Street Fighter's most iconic characters, Ryu and Ken. Over the course of the series we will see them train in the martial art of "ansatsuken," and how their past, present, and future are intertwined.
The series is directed by Joey Ansah who appears as Akuma as well. You might also remember him as one of the agents in The Bourne Ultimatum.
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist was approved by Capcom. It will debut on Machinima's YouTube channel in May 2014, and Content Media will later distribute it on TV, On-demand, and DVD and Blu-ray.
Machinima also distributed the live-action series based on the Mortal Kombat fighting games, Mortal Kombat: Legacy.
You can head over to the series' official website to watch the previously released trailer that introduces Ryu, and Street Fighter: Legacy, the short film which preceded Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist.
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sat, 26 Apr 2014 05:36:25 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-augmented-reality-experiments-demoed-by-sony/1100-6419227/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTBWUZSKqgQ" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FFTBWUZSKqgQ%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFTBWUZSKqgQ&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FFTBWUZSKqgQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Between <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540">Oculus Rift</a> and Sony's own <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-project-morpheus-vr-device-won-t-launch-in-2014-1000-price-point-unlikely/1100-6418418/" data-ref-id="1100-6418418">Project Morpheus</a>, the big craze of late has been virtual reality. In addition to VR, Sony has been working with augmented reality technology for several years now, and today it released new videos of PlayStation 4 tech demos showing what it's been up to.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On PlayStation's <a href="http://www.jp.playstation.com/event/20140416_niconico_chokaigi.html#future" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Japanese website</a> (as spotted by <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=808030" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NeoGAF</a>), two videos were released to show off the AR lighting technology it's developed which presumably makes use of the PlayStation 4 camera. The first of these shows a man holding up two squares with pictures on them that cause box-shaped fishbowls, of sorts, to appear on-screen. He proceeds to "pour" the water (and accompanying rubber duck--Sony loves its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-rub-a-dub-hands-on/1100-6168760/" data-ref-id="1100-6168760">rubber duck tech demos</a>) from one into the other before pouring it onto the ground.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The other video shows a person moving a flashlight back and forth over a dinosaur and then Japanese character Hatsune Miku. This creates a shadow on the on-screen floor that moves based on the position of the light and the character.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olx8XKV-P2g" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FOlx8XKV-P2g%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOlx8XKV-P2g&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FOlx8XKV-P2g%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Lastly, shown only in the form of a single screenshot was PS4 "trading card recognition" technology reminiscent of the PlayStation 3 game <a href="/the-eye-of-judgment-legends/" data-ref-id="false">The Eye of Judgment</a>, albeit with Hatsune Miku in place of monsters.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony is not the only company exploring augmented reality tech. In 2012, it was rumored that Microsoft was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-720-launching-at-299-with-kinect-2/1100-6382875/" data-ref-id="1100-6382875">developing augmented-reality glasses</a>, known as "Fortaleza," for release in 2014 on the Xbox One. Meanwhile, former Valve employees raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter last year for their <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-valve-inventor-s-augmented-reality-tech-hits-funding-goal/1100-6415615/" data-ref-id="1100-6415615">augmented reality system castAR</a>.</p><p style="">Sony, like Microsoft, has not made any formal announcements regarding plans to release any augmented reality gaming technology, meaning we may never see any of this put to use.</p><p style="">Does augmented reality technology interest you more than virtual reality? Let us know your preference in the comments below.</p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-augmented-reality-experiments-demoed-by-sony/1100-6419227/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-project-cars-most-advanced-racing-ga/2300-6418509/ Destiny developer say "we talked a big game last year. Now, it's time to deliver." Mark Zuckerberg tried out Sony's Project Morpheus before buying Oculus VR, and the Xbox One can be bought for $400 at Best Buy starting Sunday. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-project-cars-most-advanced-racing-ga/2300-6418509/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418510" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418510/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an announcement today, Lucasfilm clarified its approach to the <em>Star Wars</em> canon as we approach the launch of the next trilogy of films. The stories told in the Expanded Universe--which consists of games, books, comics, and so on--has always been considered non-canon, distinguishing it from the main content found in the six movies and the animated <em>Clone Wars</em> series. While elements of the EU have found their way into the main series, series creator George Lucas has made it clear in the past that his works would not be stuck abiding by anything in the EU.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Now, in the wake of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, changes are being made. With the help of a new story group that will oversee "all Star Wars creative development," today's <a href="http://starwars.com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded-universe-turns-a-new-page.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announcement</a> states that "all aspects of Star Wars storytelling moving forward will be connected."</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516602" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516602"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">That means that all <em>Star Wars</em> media released in the future will be part of the official canon, which will continue to disregard anything in the existing EU. New novels from Del Rey Books, as well as the upcoming <em>Star Wars Rebels</em> TV animated series, will be among the first releases to tell new canonical stories. "While the universe that readers knew is changing, it is not being discarded. Creators of new <em>Star Wars</em> entertainment have full access to the rich content of the Expanded Universe."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A Lucasfilm representative confirmed to GameSpot that future game releases will also be canonical. This includes DICE's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront</a> and Visceral's new <em>Star Wars</em> game being written by former Naughty Dog creative director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-uncharted-creative-director-amy-hennig-joins-ea-to-work-on-star-wars/1100-6418754/" data-ref-id="1100-6418754">Amy Hennig</a> and Uncharted actor <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-actor-to-co-write-new-star-wars-game-for-ea/1100-6418938/" data-ref-id="1100-6418938">Todd Stashwick</a>. Both games are being published by Electronic Arts, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-and-disney-team-up-for-star-wars-games/1100-6407982/" data-ref-id="1100-6407982">signed a multiyear deal</a> to produce <em>Star Wars</em> video games in 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-mmo-the-old-republic-delays-its-next-expansion/1100-6419211/" data-ref-id="1100-6419211">recent delay of the latest expansion</a> for another EA title, <a href="/star-wars-the-old-republic/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: The Old Republic</a>, is unrelated to today's announcement. The Lucasfilm rep told GameSpot, "[A]s far as The Old Republic MMO is concerned, nothing is going to change. [TOR] has always been a part of the Expanded Universe, and that's not going to change."</p><p style="">What do you make of these changes to the franchise? Are there any parts of the Expanded Universe you wish were considered canon? Let us know in the comments.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-vs-xbox-one-battle-is-good-for-gamers-sony-says/1100-6419220/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516527" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516527"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to PlayStation president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida, competition--like the ongoing battle between the PlayStation and Xbox One--is a good thing for gamers because it forces each company to create better, more feature-complete products.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Competition is always healthy," Yoshida told GameSpot in a recent interview. "It's best for the industry and consumers."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Yoshida pointed out that the day Microsoft announced it had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-can-upload-xbox-one-gameplay-directly-to-youtube-starting-tomorrow/1100-6418823/" data-ref-id="1100-6418823">updated the Xbox One's YouTube app</a> to allow users to share clips directly to the video site, he was flooded with messages asking him, "When are you going to support YouTube [on PS4]?" [<em>Ed. note: The PS4 still does not have a YouTube app</em>].</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This type of back-and-forth between major companies like Microsoft and Sony creates a kind of positive pressure, Yoshida explained. When the two companies compete in a "constructive, healthy manner" it helps make their respective platforms better in the long run, he argues. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So I don't want Microsoft or Nintendo to be totally unsuccessful. At the same time, I don't want them to be totally successful [laughs]," Yoshida said. "So I think we can kind of help each other by healthy competition."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Our interview with Yoshida also touched upon the always contentious issue of the price difference between the PS4 and Xbox One. Sony's console may officially retail for $100 below the Xbox One, but this price gap is disappearing, Yoshida said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When you factor in the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-how-to-get-an-xbox-one-for-400-at-best-buy-this-weekend/1100-6419191/" data-ref-id="1100-6419191">numerous and significant offers available for Xbox One shoppers</a>, including the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/now-even-microsoft-is-offering-the-titanfall-xbox-one-bundle-for-450/1100-6418520/" data-ref-id="1100-6418520">since-ended $450 Titanfall Xbox One bundle</a>, the PS4 and Xbox One are more in line--at least from a price standpoint--than ever before, Yoshida said. [<em>Ed. Note: When this interview was conducted, the $450 Titanfall Xbox One bundle was still available</em>]</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Nowadays, it's hard to tell how much price difference there is. It used to be $100 [but now] it could be $50 or even the same," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PS4 has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044">sold 7 million units to consumers so far</a>, while the only official sales number Microsoft has provided for the Xbox One to date is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-sold-3-million-units-in-2013-microsoft-says/1100-6416955/" data-ref-id="1100-6416955">3 million</a>. That figure represents the number of Xbox Ones sold to consumers by the end of 2013. Microsoft has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-is-top-selling-console-for-third-straight-month-according-to-march-npd/1100-6419067/" data-ref-id="1100-6419067">shipped 5 million Xbox Ones to retailer so far</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-vs-xbox-one-battle-is-good-for-gamers-sony-says/1100-6419220/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/welcome-to-free-games-friday/1100-6419224/ <p style="">Picking up where our <a href="/articles/free-play-friday-defenders-bombs-portals-pac-man/1100-6397022/" data-ref-id="1100-6397022">Free Play Friday</a> column left off, Free Games Friday is a weekly look at games, demos, and betas that we really think you should check out if you haven't already. We're aiming to feature games for multiple platforms every week and, whenever possible, we'll be incorporating code giveaways for access to closed betas, exclusive in-game items, and anything else cool that we can get our hands on.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418508" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418508/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><span>Watch the show, let us know what you think in the comments below, and be sure to check out the featured games via the following links if you like playing without paying:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hearthstone-heroes-warcraft/id625257520?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone (iOS)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Warface/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d530aa5" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Warface (X360)</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://games.arcgames.com/en/prod/neverwinter" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter (PC)</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/neverwinter-mystagogue-companion-code-giveaway/1100-6419195/" data-ref-id="1100-6419195">This Week's Giveaway</a></p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:27:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/welcome-to-free-games-friday/1100-6419224/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-beats-out-espn-wwe-and-mlb-as-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us/1100-6419226/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2516659" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png" data-ref-id="1300-2516659"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png"></a></figure><p style="">Based on a <a href="http://www.qwilt.com/twitch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new report</a> from Qwilt, a video delivery and analytics company, Twitch is by far the leading live-streaming site in the United States, coming in at over 43% for all live-streaming traffic by volume. This is more than ESPN, Major League Baseball, and the WWE combined.</p><p style="">"It has not been the case to see a live-stream site sustain such traffic that Twitch has, it's been extraordinary", Qwilt's VP of Marketing and Business Development <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/twitch-is-the-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us-tops-espn-wwe-and-mlb/1100-1284/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-1284">Mark Fisher told GameSpot's esports portal onGamers</a>. "What we've seen before is most live-streaming sites hitting large spike around large events. Twitch has been the first to keep consistent traffic even without the big events."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2516660" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png" data-ref-id="1300-2516660"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png"></a></figure><p style="">In January, Twitch released released its own <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/45-million-unique-viewers-a-month-tune-into-twitch-in-2013/1100-665/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-665">internal metrics</a> totaling 45 million unique viewers and over one million broadcasters a month for 2013. In February the <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/wall-street-journal-chart-lists-twitch-tv-fourth-in-u-s-peak-traffic/1100-824/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-824">Wall Street Journal reported that Twitch was fourth in total US peak traffic</a> behind Netflix, Google, and Apple. Earlier this month, Newzoo and Super Data Research put out their own findings saying that <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/report-more-than-70-million-people-watch-esports-worldwide/1100-1157/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-1157">over 70 million people watch esports worldwide</a>.</p><p style="">OnGamers asked Fisher how Qwilt obtained their numbers: "We have systems running inside network operators. To be clear, they are US broadband subscribers that we are measuring and those systems are across the US," he said. "Unlike some other measurement systems, we measure the volume of traffic over the period of measurement. For this study of live-streaming sites which included Twitch, it was the week of April 7th."</p><p style="">Fisher would not disclose which specific broadband providers were included in the report, but said a broad variety of ISPs were used. "The metric we used is a little different than others report", he said. "We think it's the most relevant metric because its the best gauge of true consumer engagement as TV viewers move online."</p><p style="">Qwilt <a href="http://media.qwilt.com/uploads/generic/Qwilt-online-video-delivery-infographic.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">predicts video will comprise 80-90% of all global Internet traffic by 2017</a>.</p><p style="">Twitch's authority in general video consumption in the United States is much lower at 1.5%, with Internet giants Netflix, Google, Amazon, and Hulu ahead.</p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-beats-out-espn-wwe-and-mlb-as-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us/1100-6419226/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassin-s-creed-4-black-flag-14-on-xbox-360-ps3-and-wii-u-today/1100-6419223/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516584" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516584"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest game in the Assassin's Creed series, <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>, can be yours today for just $14 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U, thanks to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-IV-Black-Flag-Xbox/dp/B00BMFIXT2/&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/dotd-20140425" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Best Buy</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You'll have to act fast to take advantage of the sale, which drops the game's price down from $40. It's the Deal of the Day on Best Buy's website, and may only last just as long on Amazon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Black Flag was released last October on the 360, PS3, and Wii U before coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in November. None of those three are included in today's deal on Best Buy or Amazon.</p><p style="">Those having trouble deciding between platforms should remember that the PS3 version (along with the PS4 version) contains exclusive content that will <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-exclusive-assassin-s-creed-iv-levels-will-remain-exclusive/1100-6415836/" data-ref-id="1100-6415836">not be coming to other platforms</a>.</p><p style="">The sequel to Black Flag, <a href="/assassins-creed-unity/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed Unity</a>, was recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-assassin-s-creed-game-confirmed-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418460/" data-ref-id="1100-6418460">announced</a>. It's coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC later this year and may include a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-assassin-s-creed-unity-includes-a-four-player-co-op-mode/1100-6419115/" data-ref-id="1100-6419115">four-player co-op mode</a>. Additionally, a new, separate Assassin's Creed is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-2014-s-other-assassin-s-creed-game-will-let-you-play-as-a-templar/1100-6418593/" data-ref-id="1100-6418593">rumored to be in the works</a> for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassin-s-creed-4-black-flag-14-on-xbox-360-ps3-and-wii-u-today/1100-6419223/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mercenary-kings-dev-doesn-t-regret-being-a-playstation-plus-ps4-freebie/1100-6419222/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516556" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516556"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/metal-slug/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Slug</a>-inspired shoot-em-up <a href="/mercenary-kings/" data-ref-id="false">Mercenary Kings</a> launched on the PlayStation 4 earlier this month as a part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. What that means is Plus subscribers were able to download the game from its first day of availability without paying a dime to developer Tribute Games, a decision the company says it doesn't regret.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'm happy we traded a bit of risk for a PS Plus deal," co-founder Jean-Francois Major told <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/216214/Was_launching_Mercenary_Kings_for_free_on_PS_Plus_worth_it.php" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamasutra</a>. "Maybe we could've done better on our own, but the PS Plus deal was a safe bet. We'll gamble a bit more on the next project!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mercenary Kings was originally released on PC as a Steam Early Access game last July. It was then officially released this past March, just prior to its launch on PlayStation 4 on April 1. The game takes clear cues from classic shoot-em-ups, but mixes in elements not typically seen in the genre like crafting and customization.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While the possibility of selling a game isn't completely removed while it's free on PlayStation Plus--not everyone is a Plus member, after all--it's not as if companies aren't compensated for participating. Other developers that have given away their games through Plus have been hesitant to share exact numbers, and with deals being worked out on a game-by-game basis (according to a previous <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/191966/playstation_plus_good_for_.php?" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamasutra</a> report), they wouldn't necessarily reveal anything about Tribute's arrangement. But a number of them have said that, besides the money, they don't regret being included because doing so builds up their respective fan bases.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Despite that, Tribute still could have ended up unhappy due to Mercenary Kings being free right at launch, unlike many games, which aren't given away through Plus until months or years after release. Instead, Major sees the Instant Game Collection as serving a similar purpose to Steam sales. "While it may keep some from buying your game day one, in the end, it doesn't really kill sales - it allows you to reach a bigger audience that might not be willing to try your game at the premium price," he said.</p><p style="">Mercenary Kings remains a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-gets-free-mercenary-kings-on-ps-plus-in-april-as-sony-announces-full-lineup/1100-6418621/" data-ref-id="1100-6418621">free download</a> on the PlayStation 4 for PlayStation Plus members. A PlayStation Vita version is currently in development and will be a cross-buy title with the PS4 version upon release.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mercenary-kings-dev-doesn-t-regret-being-a-playstation-plus-ps4-freebie/1100-6419222/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-hit-thomas-was-alone-sell-1m-units-not-bad-for-a-crappy-little-flash-game-dev-says/1100-6419221/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2037187" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2037187"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indie hit <a href="/thomas-was-alone/" data-ref-id="false">Thomas Was Alone</a> has now sold over 1 million copies to date, creator Mike Bithell said today on Twitter. The game is available today across PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC. Presumably, that sales figure represents the total number of units sold across all platforms.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Not bad for a crappy little Flash game," Bithell <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459752636523511808" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>, likely in jest, about the achievement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's not swimming in piles of cash, though, he says. The bulk of the 1 million units sold came through bundles/discounts/promotions, he <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459752989990088705" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">pointed out</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So stop your 1mil x $10 maths right now," Bithell said with a winky face. If Bithell did indeed sell every copy of Thomas Was Alone at $10, the game would have generated $10 million.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Thomas Was Alone is <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/search/q=thomas%20was%20alone" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">currently available as a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers</a>, but Bithell pointed out that the 1 million figure <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459753914884444160" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">does not include </a>any of these downloads. </p><p style="">Bithell is currently working on stealth-based game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita called<a href="/volume/" data-ref-id="false"> Volume</a>. The game will also be available on PC when it's released later this year.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-hit-thomas-was-alone-sell-1m-units-not-bad-for-a-crappy-little-flash-game-dev-says/1100-6419221/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-will-fallout-4-be-at-e3/2300-6418506/ With the rumor mill spinning into overdrive, Danny looks at the evidence pointing towards a Fallout 4 announcement at E3 this year. Also he eats some beans. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-will-fallout-4-be-at-e3/2300-6418506/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crossbows-suck-and-disco-rocks-dayz-april-patch/2300-6418507/ Is the crossbow even worth your time? Is disco really dead? Rob takes a look at what the month of April means for DayZ. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crossbows-suck-and-disco-rocks-dayz-april-patch/2300-6418507/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ <p style=""> </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516518" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516518"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Having wrapped up development on <a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a> not long ago, Obsidian is not resting on its laurels. Even with two projects in the works, the primarily RPG-focused developer continues to look toward the future--a future which will include another Kickstarter project, but not the <a href="/the-wheel-of-time/" data-ref-id="false">Wheel of Time</a> game it was previously slated to create.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an interview with <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/460539/interviews/interview-obsidian-on-life-after-south-park/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">CVG</a>, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart addressed the realities of being an independent developer in today's market. "Right now, fewer major games are being worked on by independent developers than almost any time in the games industry," he said. "That's one of the challenges of being an independent developer right now. We could be done making a big game like South Park and then no publisher has a slot at that time to have a big team work on a big RPG. That kind of puts us in a really weird situation as a business."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To some extent, that explains the company's current trajectory. It's working on <a href="/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">Pillars of Eternity</a>, a crowdfunded computer RPG that received <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-eternity-closes-with-over-41m/1100-6398388/" data-ref-id="1100-6398388">so much more funding</a> than anticipated that it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-dev-s-pc-rpg-pillars-of-eternity-delayed/1100-6417549/" data-ref-id="1100-6417549">ended up being delayed</a> (it's now coming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/" data-ref-id="1100-6418395">later in 2014</a>), and <a href="/armored-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Armored Warfare</a>, a free-to-play game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/with-armored-warfare-obsidian-takes-aim-at-world-of-tanks/1100-6418572/" data-ref-id="1100-6418572">in the vein</a> of <a href="/world-of-tanks/" data-ref-id="false">World of Tanks</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What it isn't working on is the game adaptation of <em>The Wheel of Time</em> fantasy novel series, which it was set to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/obsidian-riding-wheel-of-time/1100-6250423/" data-ref-id="1100-6250423">co-develop with Red Eagle Entertainment</a> back in 2010. According to Urquhart, Red Eagle never got the needed funding, causing the agreements between the two companies to dissolve. "So there's really no connection any more between us and Red Eagle as it relates to the Wheel of Time stuff," Urquhart explained.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for what lies beyond its two currently announced projects, Urquhart said the company continues to talk to publishers about bigger RPG projects--although it will make games of all sizes. His vision for the company five years from now includes a <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/" data-ref-id="false">Skyrim</a>-style Pillars of Eternity game in addition to the isometric version (mind you, this isn't an announcement of such a game), and he said he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to work on another Fallout or Star Wars game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What we know is coming for sure is another game that will turn to Kickstarter for funding, which he hopes will happen "before the end of the year."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think we've got a good idea," he said. "I'm not going to share anything, but a few times in my career I have these things where I say, 'Hey, that's a cool idea!' and I've generally been right. So I think this one's going to be a cool thing."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for what kind of game it will be, the only hint he would provide is something anyone familiar with the developer's history--it's developed <a href="/fallout-new-vegas/" data-ref-id="false">Fallout: New Vegas</a>, <a href="/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-the-sit/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II</a>, and <a href="/neverwinter-nights-2/" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter Nights 2</a>, among other games--could guess: It'll be an RPG.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-golf-world-tour/1900-6415740/ <p style="">Mario Golf: World Tour deftly illustrates the pleasures of a humble game of golf: the careful ritual of checking the speed of the wind, assessing the lie of the ball, and puzzling over the perfect club for the job at hand. Its disjointed structure makes it less accessible than it should be, but this is a game built upon the simple satisfaction of golf mixed with the goofy charm of Nintendo's most popular mascots, and for the most part, it succeeds in delivering an endearing and fun experience.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515786" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515786"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">There is, however, a disconnect between the "serious" side of Mario Golf and its all-out wacky side, and it's largely down to how the game is split into two distinct areas, which quickly come to feel at odds with one another. The first is the Castle Club, where you play exclusively as your Mii against the backdrop of a lavish country club. There you're free to mingle with the familiar Nintendo faces wandering the halls, shop at the boutique, visit the gym, and partake in a spot of tea in the Royal Room, but there's no real interaction permitted with Mario and Co, who exist only as NPCs in this mode. The castle and its cast are twee in a way that only Mario and friends can be, but Castle Club mode also serves a practical purpose, with its grounds playing host to a number of practice courses, handicap tournaments, and ad hoc challenges that teach you the basics of play.</p><p style="">Castle Club is where you find the game's three "serious" courses--Forest, Seaside, and Mountain--each of which hosts a tournament that must be won to progress to the next. Unfortunately, these courses are largely forgettable, particularly in comparison to the game's more exotic, themed offerings, and none of them feature the challenging layouts or undulating greens that seasoned video game golf players might hope for. I had little desire to return to any of them after winning each of the 18-hole tournaments, and the manner in which you're forced to unlock each tournament in order feels unnecessarily restrictive.</p><p style="">More troubling, though, is how Castle Club is an entirely separate entity from World Tour's more arcade-style offers in Mario Golf. A comprehensive series of practice sessions explain how elevation, ball lie, and wind affect shot selection. But while the challenges on offer at the Castle Club highlight the importance of skillful play, the courses unlocked in Mario Golf mode can be won and lost through the use of power-ups and novelty items, which is jarring after being taught the sport in a more serious manner. Still, once you've got to grips with the likes of Bullet Bills, Bob-ombs, and speed pads, courses like the candy-hued Peach Gardens and the coral-decorated underwater holes of Cheep Cheep Lagoon provide some thoroughly entertaining and humorous moments.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515785" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515785"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">There's a satisfying sense of improvement across the game as a whole as you start to grasp the mechanics and begin experimenting with spin, draw and fade, and variable carry distances. Its basic three-button-press system sees the familiar use of a power bar to set the strength of the shot, and a sweet spot to land a perfect swing. It's a simple system, and because you're also given a generous degree of leeway, you rarely go too far off target. While this means you can confidently tackle more nuanced approach shots and delicate chips, it greatly reduces the element of risk; straying over par due to poor play is a rare occurrence.</p><p style="">The sheer charm of World Tour and its collection of classic Nintendo characters and environmental details go a long way towards keeping you entertained, though. There's a 12-strong cast of familiar faces to play as in Mario Golf mode, including the likes of the always lovable Mario and Luigi. Seeing them compete in a clutch of fun single-player modes that include stroke and match play, speed golf against the clock, and point play while they spout their classic catchphrases never fails to raise a smile.</p><p style="">It helps that there's lots to do too. There are versus options, numerous tournaments, and a series of challenges, some of which test your skill while others focus heavily on the use of power-ups. Sending your ball floating through the air over longer distances, or skimming across a handily placed speed pads feel great, at least once you've figured out what you're supposed to be doing with them. Challenges that incorporate them include completing a series of holes while hitting the ball through oversized rings, smacking moles out the ground, using a random selection of clubs, or competing against one of the 12 AI characters to unlock his or her Star Player equivalent (a more powerful but trickier to control version of the basic character).</p><p style="">Every round that you complete--be it in tournament play or in challenges--earns you coins to spend on gear and equipment in the castle boutique. Clubs, balls, and attire can be purchased to tweak your Mii's appearance as well as basic power and control stats, which is often helpful in getting past a particularly tricky shot, should you get stuck. It's a shame that World Tour isn't easier to navigate, though. For all the effort that's gone into creating a central thematic hub with the Castle Club, having to back out of it to play a few rounds in Mario Golf mode feels unnecessarily cumbersome. Having everything accessible in one place rather than having to travel back and forth via the main menu screen would have made the game much more coherent.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515603" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515603"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Mario Golf: World Tour revels in power-ups and fantastical courses, while frequently breaking its offerings into a series of portable-friendly bite-sized chunks that have you flitting from one exotic course to another. There's a lot of fun to be had here, and with classic Nintendo characters backing up the action, World Tour is a thoroughly charming game too. What a shame, then, that it lacks the cohesion and refinement to make those sometimes-brilliant moments easier to digest and access. But if you can plough through the awkwardness, and get to grips with its seemingly endless array of powerups, you'll find an enjoyable and loveable game of golf.</p><p style=""><em>Editor's Note: </em><i>Online functionality was unavailable at the time of review. Online modes available at launch will be versus and tournament play with friends, local territory, and worldwide player bases.</i></p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-golf-world-tour/1900-6415740/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-teases-very-exciting-e3-plans/1100-6419218/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516516" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516516"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">PlayStation Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida, who oversees all game development at Sony, has teased that Sony's E3 briefing in June will be one you won't want to miss.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Some of the things that we are preparing for E3 are very, very exciting," Yoshida told GameSpot in a recent interview.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He went on to note that Sony is in the process of shaping its plans for what it will--and won't--show during the press conference, expected to be held on Monday, June 9.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony has kept quite mum about its plans for E3 so far, but Microsoft has been much more eager to boast about its conference. Just this week, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer promised <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-s-phil-spencer-on-xbox-one-vs-ps4-we-need-to-do-more/1100-6419102/" data-ref-id="1100-6419102">games, not hype </a>for Microsoft's showing. And before that, he said Microsoft's briefing <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-e3-presentation-this-year-won-t-feature-many-execs/1100-6418463/" data-ref-id="1100-6418463">will be 90 minutes long and that it won't feature many executives</a>.</p><p style="">Earlier this week, Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-ps4-company-sony-trademarks-kill-strain-and-entwined/1100-6419108/" data-ref-id="1100-6419108">trademarked new games called Kill Strain and Entwined</a>. These games have not been announced, leading some to believe they are projects that Sony might unveil at E3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-teases-very-exciting-e3-plans/1100-6419218/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/dark-souls-ii-pc-launch-trailer/2300-6418503/ Check out the launch trailer for Dark Souls II. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 10:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/dark-souls-ii-pc-launch-trailer/2300-6418503/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Sat, 26 Apr 2014 05:36:25 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-augmented-reality-experiments-demoed-by-sony/1100-6419227/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTBWUZSKqgQ" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FFTBWUZSKqgQ%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFTBWUZSKqgQ&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FFTBWUZSKqgQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Between <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/facebook-buys-oculus-rift-company-in-a-massive-deal-worth-an-estimated-2-billion/1100-6418540/" data-ref-id="1100-6418540">Oculus Rift</a> and Sony's own <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-s-project-morpheus-vr-device-won-t-launch-in-2014-1000-price-point-unlikely/1100-6418418/" data-ref-id="1100-6418418">Project Morpheus</a>, the big craze of late has been virtual reality. In addition to VR, Sony has been working with augmented reality technology for several years now, and today it released new videos of PlayStation 4 tech demos showing what it's been up to.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">On PlayStation's <a href="http://www.jp.playstation.com/event/20140416_niconico_chokaigi.html#future" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Japanese website</a> (as spotted by <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=808030" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">NeoGAF</a>), two videos were released to show off the AR lighting technology it's developed which presumably makes use of the PlayStation 4 camera. The first of these shows a man holding up two squares with pictures on them that cause box-shaped fishbowls, of sorts, to appear on-screen. He proceeds to "pour" the water (and accompanying rubber duck--Sony loves its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/super-rub-a-dub-hands-on/1100-6168760/" data-ref-id="1100-6168760">rubber duck tech demos</a>) from one into the other before pouring it onto the ground.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The other video shows a person moving a flashlight back and forth over a dinosaur and then Japanese character Hatsune Miku. This creates a shadow on the on-screen floor that moves based on the position of the light and the character.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olx8XKV-P2g" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FOlx8XKV-P2g%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOlx8XKV-P2g&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FOlx8XKV-P2g%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p dir="ltr" style="">Lastly, shown only in the form of a single screenshot was PS4 "trading card recognition" technology reminiscent of the PlayStation 3 game <a href="/the-eye-of-judgment-legends/" data-ref-id="false">The Eye of Judgment</a>, albeit with Hatsune Miku in place of monsters.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony is not the only company exploring augmented reality tech. In 2012, it was rumored that Microsoft was <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-720-launching-at-299-with-kinect-2/1100-6382875/" data-ref-id="1100-6382875">developing augmented-reality glasses</a>, known as "Fortaleza," for release in 2014 on the Xbox One. Meanwhile, former Valve employees raised more than $1 million on Kickstarter last year for their <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-valve-inventor-s-augmented-reality-tech-hits-funding-goal/1100-6415615/" data-ref-id="1100-6415615">augmented reality system castAR</a>.</p><p style="">Sony, like Microsoft, has not made any formal announcements regarding plans to release any augmented reality gaming technology, meaning we may never see any of this put to use.</p><p style="">Does augmented reality technology interest you more than virtual reality? Let us know your preference in the comments below.</p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:23:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-augmented-reality-experiments-demoed-by-sony/1100-6419227/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-project-cars-most-advanced-racing-ga/2300-6418509/ Destiny developer say "we talked a big game last year. Now, it's time to deliver." Mark Zuckerberg tried out Sony's Project Morpheus before buying Oculus VR, and the Xbox One can be bought for $400 at Best Buy starting Sunday. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-top-5-project-cars-most-advanced-racing-ga/2300-6418509/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418510" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418510/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an announcement today, Lucasfilm clarified its approach to the <em>Star Wars</em> canon as we approach the launch of the next trilogy of films. The stories told in the Expanded Universe--which consists of games, books, comics, and so on--has always been considered non-canon, distinguishing it from the main content found in the six movies and the animated <em>Clone Wars</em> series. While elements of the EU have found their way into the main series, series creator George Lucas has made it clear in the past that his works would not be stuck abiding by anything in the EU.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Now, in the wake of The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, changes are being made. With the help of a new story group that will oversee "all Star Wars creative development," today's <a href="http://starwars.com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded-universe-turns-a-new-page.html" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">announcement</a> states that "all aspects of Star Wars storytelling moving forward will be connected."</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516602" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516602"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/123/1239113/2516602-force+unleashed+2.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">That means that all <em>Star Wars</em> media released in the future will be part of the official canon, which will continue to disregard anything in the existing EU. New novels from Del Rey Books, as well as the upcoming <em>Star Wars Rebels</em> TV animated series, will be among the first releases to tell new canonical stories. "While the universe that readers knew is changing, it is not being discarded. Creators of new <em>Star Wars</em> entertainment have full access to the rich content of the Expanded Universe."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A Lucasfilm representative confirmed to GameSpot that future game releases will also be canonical. This includes DICE's <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/star-wars-battlefront/" data-ref-id="false">Battlefront</a> and Visceral's new <em>Star Wars</em> game being written by former Naughty Dog creative director <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ex-uncharted-creative-director-amy-hennig-joins-ea-to-work-on-star-wars/1100-6418754/" data-ref-id="1100-6418754">Amy Hennig</a> and Uncharted actor <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/uncharted-actor-to-co-write-new-star-wars-game-for-ea/1100-6418938/" data-ref-id="1100-6418938">Todd Stashwick</a>. Both games are being published by Electronic Arts, which <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-and-disney-team-up-for-star-wars-games/1100-6407982/" data-ref-id="1100-6407982">signed a multiyear deal</a> to produce <em>Star Wars</em> video games in 2013.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-mmo-the-old-republic-delays-its-next-expansion/1100-6419211/" data-ref-id="1100-6419211">recent delay of the latest expansion</a> for another EA title, <a href="/star-wars-the-old-republic/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: The Old Republic</a>, is unrelated to today's announcement. The Lucasfilm rep told GameSpot, "[A]s far as The Old Republic MMO is concerned, nothing is going to change. [TOR] has always been a part of the Expanded Universe, and that's not going to change."</p><p style="">What do you make of these changes to the franchise? Are there any parts of the Expanded Universe you wish were considered canon? Let us know in the comments.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:06:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/lucasfilm-confirms-all-future-star-wars-content-to-be-canon-including-the-games/1100-6419225/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-vs-xbox-one-battle-is-good-for-gamers-sony-says/1100-6419220/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516527" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516527"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2516527-xb1ps4.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">According to PlayStation president of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida, competition--like the ongoing battle between the PlayStation and Xbox One--is a good thing for gamers because it forces each company to create better, more feature-complete products.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Competition is always healthy," Yoshida told GameSpot in a recent interview. "It's best for the industry and consumers."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Yoshida pointed out that the day Microsoft announced it had <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/you-can-upload-xbox-one-gameplay-directly-to-youtube-starting-tomorrow/1100-6418823/" data-ref-id="1100-6418823">updated the Xbox One's YouTube app</a> to allow users to share clips directly to the video site, he was flooded with messages asking him, "When are you going to support YouTube [on PS4]?" [<em>Ed. note: The PS4 still does not have a YouTube app</em>].</p><p dir="ltr" style="">This type of back-and-forth between major companies like Microsoft and Sony creates a kind of positive pressure, Yoshida explained. When the two companies compete in a "constructive, healthy manner" it helps make their respective platforms better in the long run, he argues. </p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So I don't want Microsoft or Nintendo to be totally unsuccessful. At the same time, I don't want them to be totally successful [laughs]," Yoshida said. "So I think we can kind of help each other by healthy competition."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Our interview with Yoshida also touched upon the always contentious issue of the price difference between the PS4 and Xbox One. Sony's console may officially retail for $100 below the Xbox One, but this price gap is disappearing, Yoshida said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">When you factor in the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-how-to-get-an-xbox-one-for-400-at-best-buy-this-weekend/1100-6419191/" data-ref-id="1100-6419191">numerous and significant offers available for Xbox One shoppers</a>, including the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/now-even-microsoft-is-offering-the-titanfall-xbox-one-bundle-for-450/1100-6418520/" data-ref-id="1100-6418520">since-ended $450 Titanfall Xbox One bundle</a>, the PS4 and Xbox One are more in line--at least from a price standpoint--than ever before, Yoshida said. [<em>Ed. Note: When this interview was conducted, the $450 Titanfall Xbox One bundle was still available</em>]</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Nowadays, it's hard to tell how much price difference there is. It used to be $100 [but now] it could be $50 or even the same," he said.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PS4 has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-reports-7-million-playstation-4-consoles-sold-worldwide/1100-6419044/" data-ref-id="1100-6419044">sold 7 million units to consumers so far</a>, while the only official sales number Microsoft has provided for the Xbox One to date is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-sold-3-million-units-in-2013-microsoft-says/1100-6416955/" data-ref-id="1100-6416955">3 million</a>. That figure represents the number of Xbox Ones sold to consumers by the end of 2013. Microsoft has <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-is-top-selling-console-for-third-straight-month-according-to-march-npd/1100-6419067/" data-ref-id="1100-6419067">shipped 5 million Xbox Ones to retailer so far</a>.</p><p style=""> </p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-vs-xbox-one-battle-is-good-for-gamers-sony-says/1100-6419220/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/welcome-to-free-games-friday/1100-6419224/ <p style="">Picking up where our <a href="/articles/free-play-friday-defenders-bombs-portals-pac-man/1100-6397022/" data-ref-id="1100-6397022">Free Play Friday</a> column left off, Free Games Friday is a weekly look at games, demos, and betas that we really think you should check out if you haven't already. We're aiming to feature games for multiple platforms every week and, whenever possible, we'll be incorporating code giveaways for access to closed betas, exclusive in-game items, and anything else cool that we can get our hands on.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418508" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418508/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""><span>Watch the show, let us know what you think in the comments below, and be sure to check out the featured games via the following links if you like playing without paying:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hearthstone-heroes-warcraft/id625257520?mt=8" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Hearthstone (iOS)</a></p><p dir="ltr" style=""><a href="http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Warface/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d530aa5" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Warface (X360)</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://games.arcgames.com/en/prod/neverwinter" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter (PC)</a></p><p style=""><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/neverwinter-mystagogue-companion-code-giveaway/1100-6419195/" data-ref-id="1100-6419195">This Week's Giveaway</a></p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:27:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/welcome-to-free-games-friday/1100-6419224/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-beats-out-espn-wwe-and-mlb-as-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us/1100-6419226/ <figure data-ref-id="1300-2516659" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png" data-ref-id="1300-2516659"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2516659-6115548972-8716-.png"></a></figure><p style="">Based on a <a href="http://www.qwilt.com/twitch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">new report</a> from Qwilt, a video delivery and analytics company, Twitch is by far the leading live-streaming site in the United States, coming in at over 43% for all live-streaming traffic by volume. This is more than ESPN, Major League Baseball, and the WWE combined.</p><p style="">"It has not been the case to see a live-stream site sustain such traffic that Twitch has, it's been extraordinary", Qwilt's VP of Marketing and Business Development <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/twitch-is-the-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us-tops-espn-wwe-and-mlb/1100-1284/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-1284">Mark Fisher told GameSpot's esports portal onGamers</a>. "What we've seen before is most live-streaming sites hitting large spike around large events. Twitch has been the first to keep consistent traffic even without the big events."</p><figure data-ref-id="1300-2516660" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png" data-size="large" data-align="center" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png" data-ref-id="1300-2516660"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2516660-2334710357-8717-.png"></a></figure><p style="">In January, Twitch released released its own <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/45-million-unique-viewers-a-month-tune-into-twitch-in-2013/1100-665/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-665">internal metrics</a> totaling 45 million unique viewers and over one million broadcasters a month for 2013. In February the <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/wall-street-journal-chart-lists-twitch-tv-fourth-in-u-s-peak-traffic/1100-824/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-824">Wall Street Journal reported that Twitch was fourth in total US peak traffic</a> behind Netflix, Google, and Apple. Earlier this month, Newzoo and Super Data Research put out their own findings saying that <a href="http://www.ongamers.com/articles/report-more-than-70-million-people-watch-esports-worldwide/1100-1157/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="1100-1157">over 70 million people watch esports worldwide</a>.</p><p style="">OnGamers asked Fisher how Qwilt obtained their numbers: "We have systems running inside network operators. To be clear, they are US broadband subscribers that we are measuring and those systems are across the US," he said. "Unlike some other measurement systems, we measure the volume of traffic over the period of measurement. For this study of live-streaming sites which included Twitch, it was the week of April 7th."</p><p style="">Fisher would not disclose which specific broadband providers were included in the report, but said a broad variety of ISPs were used. "The metric we used is a little different than others report", he said. "We think it's the most relevant metric because its the best gauge of true consumer engagement as TV viewers move online."</p><p style="">Qwilt <a href="http://media.qwilt.com/uploads/generic/Qwilt-online-video-delivery-infographic.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">predicts video will comprise 80-90% of all global Internet traffic by 2017</a>.</p><p style="">Twitch's authority in general video consumption in the United States is much lower at 1.5%, with Internet giants Netflix, Google, Amazon, and Hulu ahead.</p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:26:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/twitch-beats-out-espn-wwe-and-mlb-as-largest-live-streaming-site-in-the-us/1100-6419226/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassin-s-creed-4-black-flag-14-on-xbox-360-ps3-and-wii-u-today/1100-6419223/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516584" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516584"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516584-black+flag.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest game in the Assassin's Creed series, <a href="/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a>, can be yours today for just $14 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U, thanks to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-IV-Black-Flag-Xbox/dp/B00BMFIXT2/&tag=gamespot-vg-20" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/promo/dotd-20140425" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Best Buy</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">You'll have to act fast to take advantage of the sale, which drops the game's price down from $40. It's the Deal of the Day on Best Buy's website, and may only last just as long on Amazon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Black Flag was released last October on the 360, PS3, and Wii U before coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC in November. None of those three are included in today's deal on Best Buy or Amazon.</p><p style="">Those having trouble deciding between platforms should remember that the PS3 version (along with the PS4 version) contains exclusive content that will <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/playstation-exclusive-assassin-s-creed-iv-levels-will-remain-exclusive/1100-6415836/" data-ref-id="1100-6415836">not be coming to other platforms</a>.</p><p style="">The sequel to Black Flag, <a href="/assassins-creed-unity/" data-ref-id="false">Assassin's Creed Unity</a>, was recently <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-assassin-s-creed-game-confirmed-for-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc/1100-6418460/" data-ref-id="1100-6418460">announced</a>. It's coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC later this year and may include a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-assassin-s-creed-unity-includes-a-four-player-co-op-mode/1100-6419115/" data-ref-id="1100-6419115">four-player co-op mode</a>. Additionally, a new, separate Assassin's Creed is <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-2014-s-other-assassin-s-creed-game-will-let-you-play-as-a-templar/1100-6418593/" data-ref-id="1100-6418593">rumored to be in the works</a> for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:44:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassin-s-creed-4-black-flag-14-on-xbox-360-ps3-and-wii-u-today/1100-6419223/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mercenary-kings-dev-doesn-t-regret-being-a-playstation-plus-ps4-freebie/1100-6419222/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516556" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516556"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516556-mercenary+kings.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""><a href="/metal-slug/" data-ref-id="false">Metal Slug</a>-inspired shoot-em-up <a href="/mercenary-kings/" data-ref-id="false">Mercenary Kings</a> launched on the PlayStation 4 earlier this month as a part of the PlayStation Plus Instant Game Collection. What that means is Plus subscribers were able to download the game from its first day of availability without paying a dime to developer Tribute Games, a decision the company says it doesn't regret.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I'm happy we traded a bit of risk for a PS Plus deal," co-founder Jean-Francois Major told <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/216214/Was_launching_Mercenary_Kings_for_free_on_PS_Plus_worth_it.php" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamasutra</a>. "Maybe we could've done better on our own, but the PS Plus deal was a safe bet. We'll gamble a bit more on the next project!"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mercenary Kings was originally released on PC as a Steam Early Access game last July. It was then officially released this past March, just prior to its launch on PlayStation 4 on April 1. The game takes clear cues from classic shoot-em-ups, but mixes in elements not typically seen in the genre like crafting and customization.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">While the possibility of selling a game isn't completely removed while it's free on PlayStation Plus--not everyone is a Plus member, after all--it's not as if companies aren't compensated for participating. Other developers that have given away their games through Plus have been hesitant to share exact numbers, and with deals being worked out on a game-by-game basis (according to a previous <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/191966/playstation_plus_good_for_.php?" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Gamasutra</a> report), they wouldn't necessarily reveal anything about Tribute's arrangement. But a number of them have said that, besides the money, they don't regret being included because doing so builds up their respective fan bases.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Despite that, Tribute still could have ended up unhappy due to Mercenary Kings being free right at launch, unlike many games, which aren't given away through Plus until months or years after release. Instead, Major sees the Instant Game Collection as serving a similar purpose to Steam sales. "While it may keep some from buying your game day one, in the end, it doesn't really kill sales - it allows you to reach a bigger audience that might not be willing to try your game at the premium price," he said.</p><p style="">Mercenary Kings remains a <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-gets-free-mercenary-kings-on-ps-plus-in-april-as-sony-announces-full-lineup/1100-6418621/" data-ref-id="1100-6418621">free download</a> on the PlayStation 4 for PlayStation Plus members. A PlayStation Vita version is currently in development and will be a cross-buy title with the PS4 version upon release.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:58:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mercenary-kings-dev-doesn-t-regret-being-a-playstation-plus-ps4-freebie/1100-6419222/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-hit-thomas-was-alone-sell-1m-units-not-bad-for-a-crappy-little-flash-game-dev-says/1100-6419221/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2037187" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2037187"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/mig/7/1/8/7/2037187-711454_20130424_003.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Indie hit <a href="/thomas-was-alone/" data-ref-id="false">Thomas Was Alone</a> has now sold over 1 million copies to date, creator Mike Bithell said today on Twitter. The game is available today across PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PC. Presumably, that sales figure represents the total number of units sold across all platforms.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Not bad for a crappy little Flash game," Bithell <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459752636523511808" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">said</a>, likely in jest, about the achievement.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He's not swimming in piles of cash, though, he says. The bulk of the 1 million units sold came through bundles/discounts/promotions, he <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459752989990088705" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">pointed out</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"So stop your 1mil x $10 maths right now," Bithell said with a winky face. If Bithell did indeed sell every copy of Thomas Was Alone at $10, the game would have generated $10 million.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Thomas Was Alone is <a href="https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/en-us/search/q=thomas%20was%20alone" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">currently available as a free download for PlayStation Plus subscribers</a>, but Bithell pointed out that the 1 million figure <a href="https://twitter.com/mikeBithell/status/459753914884444160" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">does not include </a>any of these downloads. </p><p style="">Bithell is currently working on stealth-based game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita called<a href="/volume/" data-ref-id="false"> Volume</a>. The game will also be available on PC when it's released later this year.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:10:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/indie-hit-thomas-was-alone-sell-1m-units-not-bad-for-a-crappy-little-flash-game-dev-says/1100-6419221/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-will-fallout-4-be-at-e3/2300-6418506/ With the rumor mill spinning into overdrive, Danny looks at the evidence pointing towards a Fallout 4 announcement at E3 this year. Also he eats some beans. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/the-point-will-fallout-4-be-at-e3/2300-6418506/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crossbows-suck-and-disco-rocks-dayz-april-patch/2300-6418507/ Is the crossbow even worth your time? Is disco really dead? Rob takes a look at what the month of April means for DayZ. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:02:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/crossbows-suck-and-disco-rocks-dayz-april-patch/2300-6418507/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ <p style=""> </p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516518" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516518"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2516518-south+park.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">Having wrapped up development on <a href="/south-park-the-stick-of-truth/" data-ref-id="false">South Park: The Stick of Truth</a> not long ago, Obsidian is not resting on its laurels. Even with two projects in the works, the primarily RPG-focused developer continues to look toward the future--a future which will include another Kickstarter project, but not the <a href="/the-wheel-of-time/" data-ref-id="false">Wheel of Time</a> game it was previously slated to create.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In an interview with <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/460539/interviews/interview-obsidian-on-life-after-south-park/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">CVG</a>, Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart addressed the realities of being an independent developer in today's market. "Right now, fewer major games are being worked on by independent developers than almost any time in the games industry," he said. "That's one of the challenges of being an independent developer right now. We could be done making a big game like South Park and then no publisher has a slot at that time to have a big team work on a big RPG. That kind of puts us in a really weird situation as a business."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To some extent, that explains the company's current trajectory. It's working on <a href="/project-eternity/" data-ref-id="false">Pillars of Eternity</a>, a crowdfunded computer RPG that received <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/project-eternity-closes-with-over-41m/1100-6398388/" data-ref-id="1100-6398388">so much more funding</a> than anticipated that it <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-dev-s-pc-rpg-pillars-of-eternity-delayed/1100-6417549/" data-ref-id="1100-6417549">ended up being delayed</a> (it's now coming <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-stick-of-truth-developer-partners-with-paradox-for-new-rpg/1100-6418395/" data-ref-id="1100-6418395">later in 2014</a>), and <a href="/armored-warfare/" data-ref-id="false">Armored Warfare</a>, a free-to-play game <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/with-armored-warfare-obsidian-takes-aim-at-world-of-tanks/1100-6418572/" data-ref-id="1100-6418572">in the vein</a> of <a href="/world-of-tanks/" data-ref-id="false">World of Tanks</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What it isn't working on is the game adaptation of <em>The Wheel of Time</em> fantasy novel series, which it was set to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/obsidian-riding-wheel-of-time/1100-6250423/" data-ref-id="1100-6250423">co-develop with Red Eagle Entertainment</a> back in 2010. According to Urquhart, Red Eagle never got the needed funding, causing the agreements between the two companies to dissolve. "So there's really no connection any more between us and Red Eagle as it relates to the Wheel of Time stuff," Urquhart explained.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for what lies beyond its two currently announced projects, Urquhart said the company continues to talk to publishers about bigger RPG projects--although it will make games of all sizes. His vision for the company five years from now includes a <a href="/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/" data-ref-id="false">Skyrim</a>-style Pillars of Eternity game in addition to the isometric version (mind you, this isn't an announcement of such a game), and he said he wouldn't turn down the opportunity to work on another Fallout or Star Wars game.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">What we know is coming for sure is another game that will turn to Kickstarter for funding, which he hopes will happen "before the end of the year."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"I think we've got a good idea," he said. "I'm not going to share anything, but a few times in my career I have these things where I say, 'Hey, that's a cool idea!' and I've generally been right. So I think this one's going to be a cool thing."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As for what kind of game it will be, the only hint he would provide is something anyone familiar with the developer's history--it's developed <a href="/fallout-new-vegas/" data-ref-id="false">Fallout: New Vegas</a>, <a href="/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-the-sit/" data-ref-id="false">Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II</a>, and <a href="/neverwinter-nights-2/" data-ref-id="false">Neverwinter Nights 2</a>, among other games--could guess: It'll be an RPG.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Chris Pereira is a freelance writer for GameSpot, and you can follow him on <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSmokingManX" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Twitter @TheSmokingManX</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><em><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com</strong></em></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:46:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/south-park-kotor-dev-outlines-its-future-wheel-of-time-not-included/1100-6419219/ http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-golf-world-tour/1900-6415740/ <p style="">Mario Golf: World Tour deftly illustrates the pleasures of a humble game of golf: the careful ritual of checking the speed of the wind, assessing the lie of the ball, and puzzling over the perfect club for the job at hand. Its disjointed structure makes it less accessible than it should be, but this is a game built upon the simple satisfaction of golf mixed with the goofy charm of Nintendo's most popular mascots, and for the most part, it succeeds in delivering an endearing and fun experience.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515786" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515786"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/917/9176928/2515786-extra3_result.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">There is, however, a disconnect between the "serious" side of Mario Golf and its all-out wacky side, and it's largely down to how the game is split into two distinct areas, which quickly come to feel at odds with one another. The first is the Castle Club, where you play exclusively as your Mii against the backdrop of a lavish country club. There you're free to mingle with the familiar Nintendo faces wandering the halls, shop at the boutique, visit the gym, and partake in a spot of tea in the Royal Room, but there's no real interaction permitted with Mario and Co, who exist only as NPCs in this mode. The castle and its cast are twee in a way that only Mario and friends can be, but Castle Club mode also serves a practical purpose, with its grounds playing host to a number of practice courses, handicap tournaments, and ad hoc challenges that teach you the basics of play.</p><p style="">Castle Club is where you find the game's three "serious" courses--Forest, Seaside, and Mountain--each of which hosts a tournament that must be won to progress to the next. Unfortunately, these courses are largely forgettable, particularly in comparison to the game's more exotic, themed offerings, and none of them feature the challenging layouts or undulating greens that seasoned video game golf players might hope for. I had little desire to return to any of them after winning each of the 18-hole tournaments, and the manner in which you're forced to unlock each tournament in order feels unnecessarily restrictive.</p><p style="">More troubling, though, is how Castle Club is an entirely separate entity from World Tour's more arcade-style offers in Mario Golf. A comprehensive series of practice sessions explain how elevation, ball lie, and wind affect shot selection. But while the challenges on offer at the Castle Club highlight the importance of skillful play, the courses unlocked in Mario Golf mode can be won and lost through the use of power-ups and novelty items, which is jarring after being taught the sport in a more serious manner. Still, once you've got to grips with the likes of Bullet Bills, Bob-ombs, and speed pads, courses like the candy-hued Peach Gardens and the coral-decorated underwater holes of Cheep Cheep Lagoon provide some thoroughly entertaining and humorous moments.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515785" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515785"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/917/9176928/2515785-0006_result.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">There's a satisfying sense of improvement across the game as a whole as you start to grasp the mechanics and begin experimenting with spin, draw and fade, and variable carry distances. Its basic three-button-press system sees the familiar use of a power bar to set the strength of the shot, and a sweet spot to land a perfect swing. It's a simple system, and because you're also given a generous degree of leeway, you rarely go too far off target. While this means you can confidently tackle more nuanced approach shots and delicate chips, it greatly reduces the element of risk; straying over par due to poor play is a rare occurrence.</p><p style="">The sheer charm of World Tour and its collection of classic Nintendo characters and environmental details go a long way towards keeping you entertained, though. There's a 12-strong cast of familiar faces to play as in Mario Golf mode, including the likes of the always lovable Mario and Luigi. Seeing them compete in a clutch of fun single-player modes that include stroke and match play, speed golf against the clock, and point play while they spout their classic catchphrases never fails to raise a smile.</p><p style="">It helps that there's lots to do too. There are versus options, numerous tournaments, and a series of challenges, some of which test your skill while others focus heavily on the use of power-ups. Sending your ball floating through the air over longer distances, or skimming across a handily placed speed pads feel great, at least once you've figured out what you're supposed to be doing with them. Challenges that incorporate them include completing a series of holes while hitting the ball through oversized rings, smacking moles out the ground, using a random selection of clubs, or competing against one of the 12 AI characters to unlock his or her Star Player equivalent (a more powerful but trickier to control version of the basic character).</p><p style="">Every round that you complete--be it in tournament play or in challenges--earns you coins to spend on gear and equipment in the castle boutique. Clubs, balls, and attire can be purchased to tweak your Mii's appearance as well as basic power and control stats, which is often helpful in getting past a particularly tricky shot, should you get stuck. It's a shame that World Tour isn't easier to navigate, though. For all the effort that's gone into creating a central thematic hub with the Castle Club, having to back out of it to play a few rounds in Mario Golf mode feels unnecessarily cumbersome. Having everything accessible in one place rather than having to travel back and forth via the main menu screen would have made the game much more coherent.</p><figure data-align="right" data-size="medium" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515603" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515603"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_medium/225/2256286/2515603-0003.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Mario Golf: World Tour revels in power-ups and fantastical courses, while frequently breaking its offerings into a series of portable-friendly bite-sized chunks that have you flitting from one exotic course to another. There's a lot of fun to be had here, and with classic Nintendo characters backing up the action, World Tour is a thoroughly charming game too. What a shame, then, that it lacks the cohesion and refinement to make those sometimes-brilliant moments easier to digest and access. But if you can plough through the awkwardness, and get to grips with its seemingly endless array of powerups, you'll find an enjoyable and loveable game of golf.</p><p style=""><em>Editor's Note: </em><i>Online functionality was unavailable at the time of review. Online modes available at launch will be versus and tournament play with friends, local territory, and worldwide player bases.</i></p><p style=""> </p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:43:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mario-golf-world-tour/1900-6415740/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-teases-very-exciting-e3-plans/1100-6419218/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516516" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2516516"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2516516-ps4e3.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">PlayStation Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida, who oversees all game development at Sony, has teased that Sony's E3 briefing in June will be one you won't want to miss.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Some of the things that we are preparing for E3 are very, very exciting," Yoshida told GameSpot in a recent interview.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">He went on to note that Sony is in the process of shaping its plans for what it will--and won't--show during the press conference, expected to be held on Monday, June 9.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Sony has kept quite mum about its plans for E3 so far, but Microsoft has been much more eager to boast about its conference. Just this week, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer promised <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-s-phil-spencer-on-xbox-one-vs-ps4-we-need-to-do-more/1100-6419102/" data-ref-id="1100-6419102">games, not hype </a>for Microsoft's showing. And before that, he said Microsoft's briefing <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-e3-presentation-this-year-won-t-feature-many-execs/1100-6418463/" data-ref-id="1100-6418463">will be 90 minutes long and that it won't feature many executives</a>.</p><p style="">Earlier this week, Sony <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ahead-of-e3-ps4-company-sony-trademarks-kill-strain-and-entwined/1100-6419108/" data-ref-id="1100-6419108">trademarked new games called Kill Strain and Entwined</a>. These games have not been announced, leading some to believe they are projects that Sony might unveil at E3.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:03:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-boss-teases-very-exciting-e3-plans/1100-6419218/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/dark-souls-ii-pc-launch-trailer/2300-6418503/ Check out the launch trailer for Dark Souls II. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 10:04:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/dark-souls-ii-pc-launch-trailer/2300-6418503/
