http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:35:30 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">On Wednesday, Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings for the three-month period ended March 29, revealing iPhone sales were up and iPad sales were down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For the quarter, Apple sold a whopping 43.7 million iPhones, up from 37.4 million during the same period last year. iPad sales were 16.35 million, down from 19.4 million last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Apple posted $45.6 billion in revenue and a net profit of $10.2 billion for the quarter. This is up from revenue of $43.6 billion and profit of $9.5 billion last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're very proud of our quarterly results, especially our strong iPhone sales and record revenue from services," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We're eagerly looking forward to introducing more new products and services that only Apple could bring to market."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To put Apple's numbers into context, Activision Blizzard--one of the biggest game publishers around--hauled $4.34 billion in revenue for the <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ACTI/3056887694x0x724014/9b1383c9-ac48-4600-800a-536e7f7a9d96/ATVI_Q4_2013_Earnings_Release_with_tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>entire 2013 year</em></a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some highlights from Apple's latest quarter:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPhone:</strong> 43.7 million sold, compared to 37.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPad:</strong> 16.35 million sold, compared to 19.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Mac:</strong> 4.14 million sold, compared to 3.95 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iTunes/Software/Services:</strong> $4.57 billion in revenue, up from $4.11 billion last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Accessories:</strong> $1.42 billion in revenue, up from $1.38 billion last year.</li></ul><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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ Check out this new trailer that combines all five perspectives of the 4 v 1 match and features commentary by Aaron "Ayesee" Chambers and Chris Ashton. Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m97O1dQAyhc" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm97O1dQAyhc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games today released a pretty neat interactive gameplay trailer for its upcoming 4v1 Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC multiplayer shooter <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. The trailer lets you switch between six different channels to see how an entire Evolve match plays out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Your viewing options are: Griffin the Trapper, Markov the Assault, Hank the Support, Val the Medic, or the Goliath monster. You can also watch a sixth channel, which combines all five perspectives and features commentary from the game's developers. We have embedded one of the trailers above, but you'll <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EvolveGame" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">need to visit the game's YouTube channel </a>to see all six perspectives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by<a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false"> Left 4 Dead </a>creator Turtle Rock Studios, Evolve is powered by the CryEngine. It is a team-based game that has four players competing as hunters against a fifth player, the monster. The hunters view the game from a first-person perspective, while the monster sees the world in third-person. Turtle Rock Studios said this setup represents the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ps4-and-pc-game-evolve-promises-evolution-of-multiplayer/1100-6417655/" data-ref-id="1100-6417655">"evolution of multiplayer."</a></p><p style="">You can find out for yourself when Evolve launches later this year. 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">acquired Evolve from THQ for $10.8 million </a>during its bankruptcy auction last 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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's much-anticipated open-world action game <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> launches in just over a month, but don't expect to hear about a sequel anytime soon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2," creative director Jonathan Morin told<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-24-watch-dogs-2-would-certainly-not-take-as-long-to-make" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-04"> Eurogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If</em> Ubisoft were to make a sequel, Morin assured fans that it wouldn't take as long to come to market because the developer already has an established foundation to build upon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's certainly not going to be the same amount of time if we ever embark on such a journey," Morin said. "A big part of it was defining whatever Watch Dogs is. Once you have that starting point, then what becomes interesting is what players want more of--what comes next?"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Morin went on to say that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-delayed-to-spring-2014/1100-6415591/" data-ref-id="1100-6415591">Ubisoft's decision to delay Watch Dogs</a>, which affected the publisher financially, is evidence that the company believes in the franchise and wants it to thrive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Especially with the delay we have just been really concentrating on getting it [the original Watch Dogs] launched," he said. "After that we'll see where it goes - I think Ubisoft is showing more and more that they're willing to take the time for it to be right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A potential Watch Dogs sequel would go deeper into the original game's themes of hyperconnectivity and hacking, Morin suggested.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version will come sometime later</a>. For more on Watch Dogs, check out its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-multiplayer-explained-in-9-minute-developer-walkthrough-video/1100-6419161/" data-ref-id="1100-6419161">recently released nine-minute multiplayer demo</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg"></a><figcaption>Psycho Mantis, coming soon to Xbox platforms.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The PlayStation and Xbox missions for <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> will be released for all platforms, Hideo Kojima has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking on the <a href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/">latest Kojima Station</a>, the Metal Gear Solid creator revealed that the Sony exclusive Deja Vu mission (where you play as MGS1-era Solid Snake) and Microsoft exclusive Jamais Vu mission (where you play as Raiden) will be released for the other platform on May 1.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The DLC will be free, and will be added into the game via a patch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During the broadcast, Kojima also revealed that over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes players have racked up over 504 years of cumulative playtime, and that 50 percent of players have now achieved an S rank in the game's main mission.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Following the launch of Ground Zeroes in March, Kojima Productions has said that Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/" data-ref-id="1100-6418805" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/">will reduce its emphasis on cutscenes in favour of "pure game storytelling"</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417769" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/squidmania"> Twitter @squidmania</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" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 03:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> will unlock on Steam today, <a href="http://bandainamcous.tumblr.com/post/83636457098/dark-souls-ii-will-unlock-on-steam-at-the" rel="nofollow">Bandai Namco has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The unlock time will be April 24 at 15:00 PDT, 18:00 EDT, 23:00 BST, or whatever corresponding time that is in your local region. The game is due to go on sale worldwide tomorrow, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-on-pc-gets-a-one-week-delay-in-the-uk-but-will-it-affect-the-steam-release/1100-6419011/" data-ref-id="1100-6419011">except for the UK where physical copies have been delayed for an additional week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of Dark Souls II looks set to be the one to get, running at a full 60fps and in 1080p if your machine can handle it. There's still room for crippling bugs caused by a poor port, of course, but Bandai Namco has repeatedly assured customers that the PC version of Dark Souls II will arrive in much better shape than its predecessor.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Those who preorder Dark Souls II on Steam will also get downloads for the game's soundtrack, an artbook, and a digital comic, alongside early in-game access to 10 weapons and shields.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418189" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418189/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don Mattrick and Mark Pinus, just chilling out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Social giant Zynga has revealed its gloomy financial results for the first quarter of 2014, and the company's founder has announced he's stepping down as chief product officer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Mark Pincus has decided to move on from his operational role as Chief Product Officer at Zynga to focus on serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors," said former Xbox boss turned Zynga CEO Don Mattrick in a letter to employees.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alongside the reshuffle, Mattrick also revealed that Zynga had 28 million daily active users for the quarter, a boost of 1 million from the previous three months. But the company has lost almost half of its daily players since this time last year, when it had 53 million of them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">How about monthly active users, then? 86 million this quarter, down from 150 million this time last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick, who was brought on as Zynga CEO in an attempt to reverse the company's declining fortunes, pointed to the growing success of Zynga Poker and Words with Friends.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In Q1 our teams delivered a solid start to the year against our strategic frame of growing and sustaining our franchises, creating new hits and driving efficiencies," said Mattrick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We have established a strong base for 2014 and believe we are pacing well for a year of growth."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick says that the company spirits have been buoyed by the recent release of FarmVille 2: Country Escape, which has seen over 4 million installs since its launch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are pleased with the team's execution and encouraged by the early indicators we are seeing," he adds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the midsts of all this, Mattrick also announced the hiring of former Microsoft man Alex Garden as President of Zynga Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Garden, who also founded Homeworld and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, has been working in the games industry for over two decades. "I met Alex 25 years ago when he began his career working as a game tester for Distinctive Software, which I founded in 1982," said Mattrick. "He is an exciting hire for us as we focus on growing and sustaining our franchises, creating breakthrough entertainment experiences and developing more creative leadership across Zynga."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Zynga made $168 million in revenue, a 36 per cent drop from the same period last year. Zynga also made a net loss of $61 million for the last three months, down from a net income of $4 million.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</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><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ Chris and Maxwell sub in this week on The Shaun Method to celebrate Earth Day in Red Faction: Guerilla with crazy hammer time fun. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ China is censoring a bunch of games, 2014's Call of Duty character render image is unveiled, and Lords of the Fallen might not be 1080p on Xbox One. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ <p style="">The magic of Skylanders--at least for its young target audience--has always been in how it mixes the physical and the virtual. For a kid, it's exciting to have physical, quality figurines to play with in the real world, before taking virtual avatars of those same characters on adventures within a game. It's a recipe that has worked well with the previous Skylanders games, but for the next installment in the series, publisher Activision and developer Toys For Bob are adding a new element that, according to executive producer Jeff Poffenbarger, will help bring "life to toys."</p><p style="">And how will the new game--Skylanders Trap Team--bring life to inanimate objects? It will attempt to do it through the power of... speakers. Trap Team will come with a new physical portal (dubbed the Traptanium Portal) that has a built-in speaker that allows you to hear the voices of bosses you capture within the game. Once you've captured a boss, you can then use that boss as a fully playable character in your adventures, swapping between your Skylander and the boss at any time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>Portal Master Snap Shot astride the new Traptanium Portal.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Poffenbarger demonstrated this new mechanic to me during a recent interview about Skylanders Trap Team. Using one of the new Skylander types being introduced in the game--the Portal Masters--he fought a boss named the chompy mage. Once defeated, the captured mage was "teleported" to the Traptanium Portal, and his audio dialogue, which had been booming from the television, was now coming out through the portal's tiny speaker (Chompy Mage complained about the cramped new place he found himself in). It was an interesting effect, and for the most part was a neat gimmick that helped with the illusion that a virtual creature was now somehow contained within the real-world portal. Kids will most likely love it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>A water elemental Trap.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Skylanders games, of course, are all about the companion toys, so there will be a new toy type that you'll need to buy to be able to capture in-game bosses. These new toys are called traps, and they need to be inserted into the portal to capture a defeated boss. Traps have elemental alignments, and you'll only be able to capture a boss using the appropriate elemental trap.</p><p style="">Skylanders Trap Team's starter pack will come with two traps (as well as one of the new Portal Masters, the new portal, and a regular-size Skylander), and Poffenbarger says you'll be able to complete the game with just the starter pack toys. Thankfully, Poffenbarger says an individual trap can hold multiple bosses, and as was the case with the earlier games, all previous toys will again be compatible for use with the new portal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But if the experience of previous Skylanders games are anything to go by, relying on just the starter pack toys will mean there'll be areas and missions you simply won't be able to access. And with only two traps, you'll only be able to get a fraction of the bosses that's available in Trap Team. If you're a huge Skylanders fan or a parent of one, then this hobby just became a little more expensive thanks to the addition of this new toy type.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skylanders Trap Team will be released on October 5, 2014 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and 3DS.</p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ Blocked content includes anything that promotes or incites obscenity, drug use, violence, or gambling; games also can't harm public ethics or China's culture and traditions. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416063" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416063/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Sony Online Entertainment's All Access membership plan, which grants access to many of the company's MMOs for one price, has once again been delayed, this time until "on or about" April 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've moved the All Access date to April 29th," states a <a href="https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/458635093976682496" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a> sent out by SOE president John Smedley. "This is the most complicated change to our billing system ever, so we need to get it 100%."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest update to the official <a href="https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/the-revised-soe-all-access-program-faq.11500063040/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">All Access FAQ</a> seems less certain of that date, opting to say the membership is planned for launch "on or about April 29th." It was originally scheduled to hit earlier this month, but has now been delayed three times.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As first <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-shutting-down-four-mmos-including-star-wars-clone-wars-adventures/1100-6417333/" data-ref-id="1100-6417333">announced in January</a>, All Access takes the place of individual memberships to SOE's games. For a single $15-per-month subscription, players get the highest tier memberships for all "eligible" SOE games on PC, a list which consists of <a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false">Planetside 2</a>, <a href="/dc-universe-online/" data-ref-id="false">DC Universe Online</a>, and upcoming MMOs like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next</a> and <a href="/everquest-next-landmark/" data-ref-id="false">Everquest Next Landmark</a>, in addition to classic titles <a href="/everquest-trilogy/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a>, <a href="/everquest-ii-extended/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest II</a>, and <a href="/vanguard-saga-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes</a>. <a href="/dragons-prophet/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon's Prophet</a> will also eventually be a part of All Access, but specifics for that game are still being worked out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to access to the various games, All Access members will receive a monthly allotment of 500 Station Cash (used to purchase various in-game items and bonuses, depending on the game), a 10% discount on marketplace purchases, and the benefits of unspecified promotions that will take place throughout the year. PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 players will not be able to make use of the All Access pass, save for the 10% marketplace discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is often the case with MMO subscriptions, discounts will be offered to members who opt for long-term plans (with 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans being available). Existing memberships for any of the participating games will be converted into All Access subscriptions once they become available.</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> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png"></a><figcaption>Credit: Games Marketing Summit</figcaption></figure><p style="">Speaking on a panel at the 2014 Games Marketing Summit in San Francisco, market research company EEDAR revealed that, according to their research, the number of gamers in China surpasses the total number of citizens in the United States.</p><p style="">The panel was focused on marketing trends in the gaming industry and featured representatives from Microsoft, Sony, EEDAR, and Ubisoft. The exact numbers according to a slide said, "There are 1.6 Chinese gamers for each American Citizen (517M vs. 317M)."</p><p style="">Of that 517 million person Chinese gaming audience:</p><ul><li>147M are core gamers</li><li>28% play more than 1 hour/day</li><li>9.7% have spent money</li><li>Core genres = 70% of revenue</li></ul><p style="">Just last year, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-lifts-13-year-console-ban/1100-6415060/" data-ref-id="1100-6415060">China lifted a 13-year ban on console gaming systems</a>, however the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-console-games-nothing-that-promotes-drug-use-or-violence-will-be-allowed/1100-6419151/" data-ref-id="1100-6419151">Chinese gaming censorship rules are more than a little strict</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, this doesn't mean there's going to be any immediate change in the direction game development takes, and gaming piracy still runs rampant through large parts of Asia, which makes it a difficult area to work in. But as China opens up, we'll likely start to see incremental changes both in the types of games we play and what type of audience they're targeted at.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rockstar may be planning to introduce a new way of getting around in <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>, if newly discovered references in the game's code are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Posting on the <a href="http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/gta-v-confirmed-jet-pack-skiing-in-game-code.1124033/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Se7enSins forums</a>, user Chr0m3 x MoDz revealed the existence of strings of text in the game's code that mention a jetpack, something which is not a part of GTA V as it exists today. While some might assume these are outdated references to something that was scrapped during development, the post indicates these references did not exist prior to the 1.12 update released earlier this month.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speculation suggests a jetpack could be included as part of a future DLC release or expansion pack. It would not be the first time players were able to make use of a jetpack in the GTA series--<a href="/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/" data-ref-id="false">San Andreas</a> players might remember getting their hands on one that allowed them to fly around and use a handful of weapons back in 2004.</p><p style="">Since its launch last year, Rockstar has continued to update Grand Theft Auto V's online component, Grand Theft Auto Online, to iron out problems and introduce new content. The developer announced earlier this month that heists would finally be coming to GTA Online <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-finally-gets-heists-later-this-spring/1100-6418724/" data-ref-id="1100-6418724">sometime this spring</a>. We also know <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gtav-story-dlc-coming-in-2014/1100-6416619/" data-ref-id="1100-6416619">downloadable content expanding the story</a> of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor--the game's three protagonist--is on the way this year, though specific details have yet to be announced.</p><p style="">Grand Theft Auto V is currently only available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fans have been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-approaching-700-000-signatures-it-s-been-216-days-since-the-console-version-arrived/1100-6419106/" data-ref-id="1100-6419106">petitioning for a PC release</a>, but Rockstar has yet to officially announce a version of the game for any additional platforms.</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> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/ CI Games executive producer says it is easier to confirm 1080p for PlayStation 4 by the time the game releases in fall. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/
http://auth.gamespot.com/ Gamespot's Everything Feed! News, Reviews, Videos. Exploding with content? You bet. en-us Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:35:30 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515773"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1179/11799911/2515773-iphone.jpg"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">On Wednesday, Apple reported fiscal second-quarter earnings for the three-month period ended March 29, revealing iPhone sales were up and iPad sales were down.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">For the quarter, Apple sold a whopping 43.7 million iPhones, up from 37.4 million during the same period last year. iPad sales were 16.35 million, down from 19.4 million last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Apple posted $45.6 billion in revenue and a net profit of $10.2 billion for the quarter. This is up from revenue of $43.6 billion and profit of $9.5 billion last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We're very proud of our quarterly results, especially our strong iPhone sales and record revenue from services," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. "We're eagerly looking forward to introducing more new products and services that only Apple could bring to market."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">To put Apple's numbers into context, Activision Blizzard--one of the biggest game publishers around--hauled $4.34 billion in revenue for the <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ACTI/3056887694x0x724014/9b1383c9-ac48-4600-800a-536e7f7a9d96/ATVI_Q4_2013_Earnings_Release_with_tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"><em>entire 2013 year</em></a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Here's some highlights from Apple's latest quarter:</p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPhone:</strong> 43.7 million sold, compared to 37.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iPad:</strong> 16.35 million sold, compared to 19.4 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Mac:</strong> 4.14 million sold, compared to 3.95 million last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>iTunes/Software/Services:</strong> $4.57 billion in revenue, up from $4.11 billion last year.</li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Accessories:</strong> $1.42 billion in revenue, up from $1.38 billion last year.</li></ul><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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:05:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-sold-43-7-million-iphones-in-the-past-three-months-how-many-did-you-buy/1100-6419177/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ Check out this new trailer that combines all five perspectives of the 4 v 1 match and features commentary by Aaron "Ayesee" Chambers and Chris Ashton. Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/evolve-sixth-channel-4-v-1-trailer/2300-6418484/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m97O1dQAyhc" data-width="854" data-height="480"><iframe src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%3Fwmode%3Dopaque%26feature%3Doembed&wmode=opaque&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm97O1dQAyhc&image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fm97O1dQAyhc%2Fhqdefault.jpg&key=6efca6e5ad9640f180f14146a0bc1392&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=youtube" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">2K Games today released a pretty neat interactive gameplay trailer for its upcoming 4v1 Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC multiplayer shooter <a href="/evolve/" data-ref-id="false">Evolve</a>. The trailer lets you switch between six different channels to see how an entire Evolve match plays out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Your viewing options are: Griffin the Trapper, Markov the Assault, Hank the Support, Val the Medic, or the Goliath monster. You can also watch a sixth channel, which combines all five perspectives and features commentary from the game's developers. We have embedded one of the trailers above, but you'll <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/EvolveGame" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">need to visit the game's YouTube channel </a>to see all six perspectives.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Developed by<a href="/left-4-dead/" data-ref-id="false"> Left 4 Dead </a>creator Turtle Rock Studios, Evolve is powered by the CryEngine. It is a team-based game that has four players competing as hunters against a fifth player, the monster. The hunters view the game from a first-person perspective, while the monster sees the world in third-person. Turtle Rock Studios said this setup represents the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-ps4-and-pc-game-evolve-promises-evolution-of-multiplayer/1100-6417655/" data-ref-id="1100-6417655">"evolution of multiplayer."</a></p><p style="">You can find out for yourself when Evolve launches later this year. 2K Games parent company Take-Two Interactive <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-dissolved/1100-6402838/" data-ref-id="1100-6402838">acquired Evolve from THQ for $10.8 million </a>during its bankruptcy auction last 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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-one-ps4-pc-game-evolve-gets-a-cool-interactive-gameplay-trailer/1100-6419176/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515727"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1365/13658182/2515727-watch_dog_spidertank.png"></a></figure><p style=""> </p><p dir="ltr" style="">Ubisoft's much-anticipated open-world action game <a href="/watch-dogs/" data-ref-id="false">Watch Dogs</a> launches in just over a month, but don't expect to hear about a sequel anytime soon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Right now there is no such thing as a Watch Dogs 2," creative director Jonathan Morin told<a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-24-watch-dogs-2-would-certainly-not-take-as-long-to-make" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="2014-04"> Eurogamer</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style=""><em>If</em> Ubisoft were to make a sequel, Morin assured fans that it wouldn't take as long to come to market because the developer already has an established foundation to build upon.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"It's certainly not going to be the same amount of time if we ever embark on such a journey," Morin said. "A big part of it was defining whatever Watch Dogs is. Once you have that starting point, then what becomes interesting is what players want more of--what comes next?"</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Morin went on to say that <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-delayed-to-spring-2014/1100-6415591/" data-ref-id="1100-6415591">Ubisoft's decision to delay Watch Dogs</a>, which affected the publisher financially, is evidence that the company believes in the franchise and wants it to thrive.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Especially with the delay we have just been really concentrating on getting it [the original Watch Dogs] launched," he said. "After that we'll see where it goes - I think Ubisoft is showing more and more that they're willing to take the time for it to be right."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">A potential Watch Dogs sequel would go deeper into the original game's themes of hyperconnectivity and hacking, Morin suggested.</p><p style="">Watch Dogs launches <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-release-date-announced-for-everything-except-wii-u/1100-6417977/" data-ref-id="1100-6417977">May 27 </a>for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. The <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-for-wii-u-definitely-not-canceled/1100-6418164/" data-ref-id="1100-6418164">Wii U version will come sometime later</a>. For more on Watch Dogs, check out its <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/watch-dogs-multiplayer-explained-in-9-minute-developer-walkthrough-video/1100-6419161/" data-ref-id="1100-6419161">recently released nine-minute multiplayer demo</a>.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/EddieMakuch" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @EddieMakuch</a></em></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><em>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 04:25:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-right-now-there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-watch-dogs-2/1100-6419175/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2449464"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/536/5360430/2449464-mgsvgz_ss_bc_ss_dejavu_1.jpg"></a><figcaption>Psycho Mantis, coming soon to Xbox platforms.</figcaption></figure><p style="">The PlayStation and Xbox missions for <a href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="/metal-gear-solid-ground-zeroes/">Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes</a> will be released for all platforms, Hideo Kojima has announced.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speaking on the <a href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/" rel="nofollow" data-mce-href="http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/station/en/">latest Kojima Station</a>, the Metal Gear Solid creator revealed that the Sony exclusive Deja Vu mission (where you play as MGS1-era Solid Snake) and Microsoft exclusive Jamais Vu mission (where you play as Raiden) will be released for the other platform on May 1.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The DLC will be free, and will be added into the game via a patch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">During the broadcast, Kojima also revealed that over Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes players have racked up over 504 years of cumulative playtime, and that 50 percent of players have now achieved an S rank in the game's main mission.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Following the launch of Ground Zeroes in March, Kojima Productions has said that Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/" data-ref-id="1100-6418805" data-mce-href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/metal-gear-solid-5-the-phantom-pain-to-reduce-cutscenes-in-favour-of-pure-game-storytelling/1100-6418805/">will reduce its emphasis on cutscenes in favour of "pure game storytelling"</a>.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6417769" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6417769/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true" class="mceItemTable"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false" data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/squidmania"> Twitter @squidmania</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" data-mce-href="mailto:news@gamespot.com">news@gamespot.com</a></em></strong></td></tr></tbody></table><p style=""><br /></p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 03:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mgs-5-ground-zeroes-playstation-mission-will-be-coming-to-xbox-xbox-mission-coming-to-playstation/1100-6419174/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2452196"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/416/4161502/2452196-bastille04.jpg"></a></figure><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of <a href="/dark-souls-ii/" data-ref-id="false">Dark Souls II</a> will unlock on Steam today, <a href="http://bandainamcous.tumblr.com/post/83636457098/dark-souls-ii-will-unlock-on-steam-at-the" rel="nofollow">Bandai Namco has announced</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The unlock time will be April 24 at 15:00 PDT, 18:00 EDT, 23:00 BST, or whatever corresponding time that is in your local region. The game is due to go on sale worldwide tomorrow, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-2-on-pc-gets-a-one-week-delay-in-the-uk-but-will-it-affect-the-steam-release/1100-6419011/" data-ref-id="1100-6419011">except for the UK where physical copies have been delayed for an additional week</a>.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The PC version of Dark Souls II looks set to be the one to get, running at a full 60fps and in 1080p if your machine can handle it. There's still room for crippling bugs caused by a poor port, of course, but Bandai Namco has repeatedly assured customers that the PC version of Dark Souls II will arrive in much better shape than its predecessor.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Those who preorder Dark Souls II on Steam will also get downloads for the game's soundtrack, an artbook, and a digital comic, alongside early in-game access to 10 weapons and shields.</p><div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6418189" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6418189/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</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> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 02:30:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/here-s-when-dark-souls-2-pc-will-unlock-on-steam-today/1100-6419173/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515744"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1493/14930800/2515744-3798960330-mark-.jpg"></a><figcaption>Don Mattrick and Mark Pinus, just chilling out.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Social giant Zynga has revealed its gloomy financial results for the first quarter of 2014, and the company's founder has announced he's stepping down as chief product officer.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"Mark Pincus has decided to move on from his operational role as Chief Product Officer at Zynga to focus on serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors," said former Xbox boss turned Zynga CEO Don Mattrick in a letter to employees.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Alongside the reshuffle, Mattrick also revealed that Zynga had 28 million daily active users for the quarter, a boost of 1 million from the previous three months. But the company has lost almost half of its daily players since this time last year, when it had 53 million of them.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">How about monthly active users, then? 86 million this quarter, down from 150 million this time last year.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick, who was brought on as Zynga CEO in an attempt to reverse the company's declining fortunes, pointed to the growing success of Zynga Poker and Words with Friends.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"In Q1 our teams delivered a solid start to the year against our strategic frame of growing and sustaining our franchises, creating new hits and driving efficiencies," said Mattrick.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We have established a strong base for 2014 and believe we are pacing well for a year of growth."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Mattrick says that the company spirits have been buoyed by the recent release of FarmVille 2: Country Escape, which has seen over 4 million installs since its launch.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We are pleased with the team's execution and encouraged by the early indicators we are seeing," he adds.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In the midsts of all this, Mattrick also announced the hiring of former Microsoft man Alex Garden as President of Zynga Studios.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Garden, who also founded Homeworld and Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment, has been working in the games industry for over two decades. "I met Alex 25 years ago when he began his career working as a game tester for Distinctive Software, which I founded in 1982," said Mattrick. "He is an exciting hire for us as we focus on growing and sustaining our franchises, creating breakthrough entertainment experiences and developing more creative leadership across Zynga."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Overall, Zynga made $168 million in revenue, a 36 per cent drop from the same period last year. Zynga also made a net loss of $61 million for the last three months, down from a net income of $4 million.</p><table data-max-width="true"><thead><tr><th scope="col"><em>Martin Gaston is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/squidmania" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false"> Twitter @squidmania</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><p dir="ltr" style=""> </p><p style=""> </p> Thu, 24 Apr 2014 01:45:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/zynga-player-decline-continues-original-founder-no-longer-chief-product-officer/1100-6419172/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ Chris and Maxwell sub in this week on The Shaun Method to celebrate Earth Day in Red Faction: Guerilla with crazy hammer time fun. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:52:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/red-faction-guerilla-highlights-the-shaun-method/2300-6418485/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ China is censoring a bunch of games, 2014's Call of Duty character render image is unveiled, and Lords of the Fallen might not be 1080p on Xbox One. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-first-call-of-duty-image-revealed-china-ba/2300-6418482/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ <p style="">The magic of Skylanders--at least for its young target audience--has always been in how it mixes the physical and the virtual. For a kid, it's exciting to have physical, quality figurines to play with in the real world, before taking virtual avatars of those same characters on adventures within a game. It's a recipe that has worked well with the previous Skylanders games, but for the next installment in the series, publisher Activision and developer Toys For Bob are adding a new element that, according to executive producer Jeff Poffenbarger, will help bring "life to toys."</p><p style="">And how will the new game--Skylanders Trap Team--bring life to inanimate objects? It will attempt to do it through the power of... speakers. Trap Team will come with a new physical portal (dubbed the Traptanium Portal) that has a built-in speaker that allows you to hear the voices of bosses you capture within the game. Once you've captured a boss, you can then use that boss as a fully playable character in your adventures, swapping between your Skylander and the boss at any time.</p><figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515504"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/225/2256286/2515504-stt_console_portal-glow_blue_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>Portal Master Snap Shot astride the new Traptanium Portal.</figcaption></figure><p style=""> </p><p style="">Poffenbarger demonstrated this new mechanic to me during a recent interview about Skylanders Trap Team. Using one of the new Skylander types being introduced in the game--the Portal Masters--he fought a boss named the chompy mage. Once defeated, the captured mage was "teleported" to the Traptanium Portal, and his audio dialogue, which had been booming from the television, was now coming out through the portal's tiny speaker (Chompy Mage complained about the cramped new place he found himself in). It was an interesting effect, and for the most part was a neat gimmick that helped with the illusion that a virtual creature was now somehow contained within the real-world portal. Kids will most likely love it.</p><figure data-align="left" data-size="small" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515505"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_small/225/2256286/2515505-stt_water_tiki_trap_final_hires.jpg"></a><figcaption>A water elemental Trap.</figcaption></figure><p style="">Skylanders games, of course, are all about the companion toys, so there will be a new toy type that you'll need to buy to be able to capture in-game bosses. These new toys are called traps, and they need to be inserted into the portal to capture a defeated boss. Traps have elemental alignments, and you'll only be able to capture a boss using the appropriate elemental trap.</p><p style="">Skylanders Trap Team's starter pack will come with two traps (as well as one of the new Portal Masters, the new portal, and a regular-size Skylander), and Poffenbarger says you'll be able to complete the game with just the starter pack toys. Thankfully, Poffenbarger says an individual trap can hold multiple bosses, and as was the case with the earlier games, all previous toys will again be compatible for use with the new portal.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">But if the experience of previous Skylanders games are anything to go by, relying on just the starter pack toys will mean there'll be areas and missions you simply won't be able to access. And with only two traps, you'll only be able to get a fraction of the bosses that's available in Trap Team. If you're a huge Skylanders fan or a parent of one, then this hobby just became a little more expensive thanks to the addition of this new toy type.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Skylanders Trap Team will be released on October 5, 2014 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and 3DS.</p><p style=""> </p> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:00:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/there-s-a-trap-in-the-new-skylanders-game/1100-6419171/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ Blocked content includes anything that promotes or incites obscenity, drug use, violence, or gambling; games also can't harm public ethics or China's culture and traditions. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:31:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-/2300-6418479/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ <div data-embed-type="video" data-ref-id="2300-6416063" data-width="100%" data-height="100%"><iframe src="/videos/embed/6416063/" width="100%" height="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe></div><p style="">Sony Online Entertainment's All Access membership plan, which grants access to many of the company's MMOs for one price, has once again been delayed, this time until "on or about" April 29.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">"We've moved the All Access date to April 29th," states a <a href="https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/458635093976682496" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">tweet</a> sent out by SOE president John Smedley. "This is the most complicated change to our billing system ever, so we need to get it 100%."</p><p dir="ltr" style="">The latest update to the official <a href="https://forums.station.sony.com/soe/index.php?threads/the-revised-soe-all-access-program-faq.11500063040/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">All Access FAQ</a> seems less certain of that date, opting to say the membership is planned for launch "on or about April 29th." It was originally scheduled to hit earlier this month, but has now been delayed three times.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As first <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/soe-shutting-down-four-mmos-including-star-wars-clone-wars-adventures/1100-6417333/" data-ref-id="1100-6417333">announced in January</a>, All Access takes the place of individual memberships to SOE's games. For a single $15-per-month subscription, players get the highest tier memberships for all "eligible" SOE games on PC, a list which consists of <a href="/planetside-2/" data-ref-id="false">Planetside 2</a>, <a href="/dc-universe-online/" data-ref-id="false">DC Universe Online</a>, and upcoming MMOs like <a href="/everquest-next/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest Next</a> and <a href="/everquest-next-landmark/" data-ref-id="false">Everquest Next Landmark</a>, in addition to classic titles <a href="/everquest-trilogy/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest</a>, <a href="/everquest-ii-extended/" data-ref-id="false">EverQuest II</a>, and <a href="/vanguard-saga-of-heroes/" data-ref-id="false">Vanguard: Saga of Heroes</a>. <a href="/dragons-prophet/" data-ref-id="false">Dragon's Prophet</a> will also eventually be a part of All Access, but specifics for that game are still being worked out.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">In addition to access to the various games, All Access members will receive a monthly allotment of 500 Station Cash (used to purchase various in-game items and bonuses, depending on the game), a 10% discount on marketplace purchases, and the benefits of unspecified promotions that will take place throughout the year. PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 players will not be able to make use of the All Access pass, save for the 10% marketplace discount.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">As is often the case with MMO subscriptions, discounts will be offered to members who opt for long-term plans (with 3-, 6-, and 12-month plans being available). Existing memberships for any of the participating games will be converted into All Access subscriptions once they become available.</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> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:24:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-all-access-pass-for-planetside-everquest-and-more-delayed-again/1100-6419170/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png" data-ref-id="1300-2515500"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/1534/15343359/2515500-screen+shot+2014-04-23+at+2.29.35+pm.png"></a><figcaption>Credit: Games Marketing Summit</figcaption></figure><p style="">Speaking on a panel at the 2014 Games Marketing Summit in San Francisco, market research company EEDAR revealed that, according to their research, the number of gamers in China surpasses the total number of citizens in the United States.</p><p style="">The panel was focused on marketing trends in the gaming industry and featured representatives from Microsoft, Sony, EEDAR, and Ubisoft. The exact numbers according to a slide said, "There are 1.6 Chinese gamers for each American Citizen (517M vs. 317M)."</p><p style="">Of that 517 million person Chinese gaming audience:</p><ul><li>147M are core gamers</li><li>28% play more than 1 hour/day</li><li>9.7% have spent money</li><li>Core genres = 70% of revenue</li></ul><p style="">Just last year, <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-lifts-13-year-console-ban/1100-6415060/" data-ref-id="1100-6415060">China lifted a 13-year ban on console gaming systems</a>, however the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/china-reveals-censorship-rules-for-console-games-nothing-that-promotes-drug-use-or-violence-will-be-allowed/1100-6419151/" data-ref-id="1100-6419151">Chinese gaming censorship rules are more than a little strict</a>.</p><p style="">Of course, this doesn't mean there's going to be any immediate change in the direction game development takes, and gaming piracy still runs rampant through large parts of Asia, which makes it a difficult area to work in. But as China opens up, we'll likely start to see incremental changes both in the types of games we play and what type of audience they're targeted at.</p><table data-max-width="true"><tbody><tr><td><p style=""><strong>Justin Haywald is a senior editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on<a href="https://twitter.com/JustinHaywald" rel="nofollow"> Twitter @JustinHaywald</a></strong></p><strong>Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email <a href="mailto:news@gamespot.com" rel="nofollow">news@gamespot.com</a></strong></td></tr></tbody></table> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:57:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-number-of-chinese-gamers-surpasses-the-number-of-american-citizens/1100-6419166/ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ <figure data-align="center" data-size="large" data-img-src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439" data-resize-url="" data-resized="" data-embed-type="image"><a href="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/original/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg" data-ref-id="1300-2515439"><img src="http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/ignore_jpg_scale_super/123/1239113/2515439-gtav.jpg"></a></figure><p style="">Rockstar may be planning to introduce a new way of getting around in <a href="/grand-theft-auto-v/" data-ref-id="false">Grand Theft Auto V</a>, if newly discovered references in the game's code are any indication.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Posting on the <a href="http://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/gta-v-confirmed-jet-pack-skiing-in-game-code.1124033/" rel="nofollow" data-ref-id="false">Se7enSins forums</a>, user Chr0m3 x MoDz revealed the existence of strings of text in the game's code that mention a jetpack, something which is not a part of GTA V as it exists today. While some might assume these are outdated references to something that was scrapped during development, the post indicates these references did not exist prior to the 1.12 update released earlier this month.</p><p dir="ltr" style="">Speculation suggests a jetpack could be included as part of a future DLC release or expansion pack. It would not be the first time players were able to make use of a jetpack in the GTA series--<a href="/grand-theft-auto-san-andreas/" data-ref-id="false">San Andreas</a> players might remember getting their hands on one that allowed them to fly around and use a handful of weapons back in 2004.</p><p style="">Since its launch last year, Rockstar has continued to update Grand Theft Auto V's online component, Grand Theft Auto Online, to iron out problems and introduce new content. The developer announced earlier this month that heists would finally be coming to GTA Online <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-s-online-mode-finally-gets-heists-later-this-spring/1100-6418724/" data-ref-id="1100-6418724">sometime this spring</a>. We also know <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gtav-story-dlc-coming-in-2014/1100-6416619/" data-ref-id="1100-6416619">downloadable content expanding the story</a> of Michael, Franklin, and Trevor--the game's three protagonist--is on the way this year, though specific details have yet to be announced.</p><p style="">Grand Theft Auto V is currently only available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fans have been <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-pc-petition-approaching-700-000-signatures-it-s-been-216-days-since-the-console-version-arrived/1100-6419106/" data-ref-id="1100-6419106">petitioning for a PC release</a>, but Rockstar has yet to officially announce a version of the game for any additional platforms.</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> Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:19:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-jetpacks-could-soon-be-a-reality/1100-6419168/ http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/ CI Games executive producer says it is easier to confirm 1080p for PlayStation 4 by the time the game releases in fall. Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:17:00 -0700 http://www.gamespot.com/videos/gs-news-update-reaching-1080p-on-xbox-one-tougher-/2300-6418477/
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